Bakster the radar looks super! Really nice scratch job there.

very nice work steve , look's great . you really know how to look outside the box mate .

Bakster

Here is my solution to the lack of SPS49 PE. Using repurposed pieces of PE I put it together with 4 different sections that were once two pieces. It's crude, but in my opinion better than the kit supplied piece of solid plastic. 

 

That looks great

Bakster: That looks good!!! 

BTW: I've noticed the Tamiya 1/350th Fletcher class destroyer is really cheap and I'm thinking of just grabbing one of those for Christmas and switching my entry since the Fletcher looks way simpler for a ship rookie like me. And then I see all these PE sets, some up to five times the price of the kit. Is there a PE kit for this model anyone could recommend??? 

Thanks Gam, Steve5, Mongoose, and KC. This was a bear to do, I think that my superglue is getting old because the pieces didn't want to hold. I must have tried a dozen times on those end pieces.

Onward ho...

That's nice work indeed. I do buy my CA in the little squeeze tubes and switch them out frequently.

Both the Tamiya and Trumpeter Fletchers are nice kits. Trumpeter of course has a lot of parts.

Toms PE set works for either and costs less than $ 20.

GMorrison

That's nice work indeed

Thanks Bill.

GMorrison

I do buy my CA in the little squeeze tubes and switch them out frequently.

That is the modeling tip of the day. My CA glues sit for far too long. Generaly, I can get by with what I have but for this build and all the PE work, I am for sure buying new; I am gonna need it. 

Big thanks Bill! Haven't built a ship kit since the '80s and wanted something quick, cheap, and dirty to- pardon the pun get my feet wet again. The Tom's Model set is #3508 Early Fletcher Destroyer right? Looks to have all the PE I can handle. I looked at some of the Trumpeter kits but I want something simple to start out with. 

Bakster, superb job on the radar.

Gam, yeah that's the one. Now there is some pretty fine PE in that set from the gun directors, stack rails, depth charge racks and K guns to the Bofors and rails.

modelcrazy

Bakster, superb job on the radar.

Gam, yeah that's the one. Now there is some pretty fine PE in that set from the gun directors, stack rails, depth charge racks and K guns to the Bofors and rails.

 

I should be able to manage the PE. I just don't like massive amounts of the stuff. I tend to lose my patience. Still hoping to get started sometime around the first of next year. 

steve [baxter] , were you using zapper at all , I find it helps especially on older glue . I use it with a toothpick .

steve5

steve [baxter] , were you using zapper at all , I find it helps especially on older glue . I use it with a toothpick .

 

Hi Steve, I often use CA accelerator but I didn’t in this case. I wanted the glue somewhat malleable so that final adjustments can be made before setting firm. The pieces didn't have a good mechanical connection, so holding them where I wanted was really tough. Maybe with practice I could make your idea work.

mate if you were having a hard time , I'd have 2 shows . 

Gamera

 The Tom's Model set is #3508 Early Fletcher Destroyer right?

Thats a big deal if you are modeling a specific ship. 

I think a model of a Fletcher class destroyer is a great way to go as an introduction to steel navy models.

There are endless amounts of detail differences in the 175 ordered. They were primarily an air defence ship.

Squadron has a decent walk around of USS Kidd. She is a square bridge, however there are a lot of details that are common.

GMorrison

 

 

Gamera

 The Tom's Model set is #3508 Early Fletcher Destroyer right?

 

 

 

Yes, it's designed for the Tamiya kit. The main difference between the Tamiya kit and the Trumpeter kit is that the Tamiya kit is the earlier "round bridge" version and the Trumpeter kit is the later "square bridge" version.

 

Thats a big deal if you are modeling a specific ship. 

I think a model of a Fletcher class destroyer is a great way to go as an introduction to steel navy models.

There are endless amounts of detail differences in the 175 ordered. They were primarily an air defence ship.

Squadron has a decent walk around of USS Kidd. She is a square bridge, however there are a lot of details that are common.

 

 

Thanks Bill, you've been a huge help there! 

Steve: I'll let you know which way I'm going by the first of the year. Sorry about thinking about changing out my entry but I'm a little more confortable starting out with the Fletcher than a hundred plus dollar resin LCT kit. 

Gamera

Steve: I'll let you know which way I'm going by the first of the year. Sorry about thinking about changing out my entry but I'm a little more confortable starting out with the Fletcher than a hundred plus dollar resin LCT kit. 

No worries Gam, you have quite a while still to decide.

Steve: Sorry I think I'm going back to the LCT now...

I pulled the kit out and there isn't there much PE involved. I guess I could buy more and add but I think I'm going out of the box here. It looks like it will be mostly cleaning up a LOT of resin vehicles...

Very little PE:

Lots and LOTS of resin parts:

Very nicely made 1/350th vehicles. Only issue is the tanks are late model M4A3s with the T23 turret and 76mm gun. Not sure I can find earlier model Shermans or just use these.

Only real issue I have is here. Is this an issue where the bow doesn't totally line up with the rest of the hull? I hear these ships were welded together from separate parts in the shipyard so could this be accurate?

I got some PE work done today. Being completely honest, I was dreading the thought of it and I kept pushing it off.

A few things I can note about it is that dang--these railings are delicate. It is a dance between not putting too much pressure on the tweezers and not putting enough. The PE is easy to twist and/or crush. The other side of it is that I kept dropping the sections for lack of enough pressure to hold them. I recently found a video where a person uses a waxed pencil to hold and place the PE. According to him, it has enough holding power to place the piece, but not enough that it will pull the PE off when trying to remove it. I need to come with something along these lines.

Overall, I am pleased with how it worked out. Once when I gained a process it became easier, and even fun to do. There is a lot of holding my breath.

Oh--in the process I broke both plastic struts that extended downward. Those were darned weak, I barely touched them. Anyhow, another thing to fix.

Recently, we talked about failing CA, and recently I read someone tout Loctite brand that is commonly found and sold at Walgreens. I bought some.  Yes-- new CA made a difference, it did cure faster for me. Here is the thing that I like most about this, I like the dispenser. Do you see those blue wings on the bottle? Well, you give those a little squeeze and out comes the glue. At first, I was placing a dollop onto some cardboard, later, I realized I was being stupid. If I gently squeeze those wings you can release as little as a tiny drop at its tip. I then take the rails and ride them along that drop. By doing it this way you can control how much glue you use and, you are not wasting glue as it dries up on your pallet. End of CA pitch. 

End pf pitch #2. LOL. 

thats some really nice work steve , those xuron cutters are great , will have to look up that loctite bottle though , 

I have tried these ultimate PE placers , and they are good , this bloke shows you how do use them at about the 22 minute mark .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKqukvfjkSQ

steve5

thats some really nice work steve , those xuron cutters are great , will have to look up that loctite bottle though , 

I have tried these ultimate PE placers , and they are good , this bloke shows you how do use them at about the 22 minute mark .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKqukvfjkSQ

 

PS about my latest PE work. I studied images and this is the best I could come up with. With the odd camera angles of the images, I had to do a best guess. Long story short--I don't know how accurate my work is. 

I use all three above and they DO help things move better and faster.

I have another question.

I have never used the wood deck and understand they are one of the first things to go down once you set the deck to the hull. Now my question is how do you paint the railings?

Do you tape off the wood deck or do you paint the railings first then place them arround the deck? Or is there a different way like say, put them in place and then brush paint them or something like that.

For those of you that are still learning PE like me here's a very good series of videos on building the 200 scale USS Missiori. Yes it's 200 scale but it's the same thing plus it has a ton of PE. Just watching him yesterday I realized I have the same things to do in my model and looking over the parts I was planing to cut a couple dozen parts a certain way when I build it but when I saw that and how he did it cutting and bending those parts I learned what to do. Had I not watched it I would have cut off the parts he bended. I now plan to watch the entire series and keep going back to it when I start my ship.

Kentucky Colonel

I have another question. I have never used the wood deck and understand they are one of the first things to go down once you set the deck to the hull. Now my question is how do you paint the railings? Do you tape off the wood deck or do you paint the railings first then place them arround the deck? Or is there a different way like say, put them in place and then brush paint them or something like that.

That is a timely and great question, KC. I have been womdering how I will tackle that problem too. Pretty sure one of the guys will have the answer.

For railings, most will prepaint before cutting from the fret.  Glue on and then touch-up paint as nec.

Yes, as Gold sez.

Paint them before installation. Then touch up with a fine pointed brush. It doesn't take much.

goldhammer

For railings, most will prepaint before cutting from the fret.  Glue on and then touch-up paint as nec.

 

That makes sense. 

Good conversation guys.

GM and GH again KC. Some folks mask the deck and then paint  I will paint the railings on the tree first, unless it's a modern ship and everything is the same color, then add them to the deck working from the inner to outer. That's one of the reasons I complete the supersturctue(s) as far as I can before attaching it/them.

Gam, good thing I didn't change your entry . I'm not sure if the bow on that is poor molding or intentional. I guess you can either fix or leave it depending on the scenario you going for The Shermans? LOL. That's an armor guy for ya, worring about 1/350 Sherman turrets . Are these from L'Arsenal what you might be looking for because I don't have a clue what you're talking about 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LArsenal-Models-1-350-U-S-M4-SHERMAN-TANK-5-Resin-Set-/362674585386

BTW, Bakster, KC and Steve5, some great info about PE helpers. Bakster, we use Loctite at work and you're right about the application, very nice. I need to pick some up for myself. I also need to look into the cutters. Using the ole Xacto knife is getting old, not to mention I go through blades faster.

I need to give those PE placers a try as well. Nothing like working with railing with tweezers. Trying to retract them is like playing a very minature game of "Operation"

modelcrazy

Nothing like working with railing with tweezers. Trying to retract them is like playing a very minature game of "Operation"

Too funny because that is exactly what it is like.