DD-670 USS Dortch 1-350, Take two (Complete, pg 2)

This was how I held the whaleboats in position while I applied glue to hold them.  It was a little tricky positioning everything just right.  

I'm running out of parts to apply.  The end is in sight.  

Thank you Mike, this is a fun one, and it was launched in 1943. 

Oh how I wish I were as careful a model builder as you! Your build is really top notch and it's looking very, very good indeed.

Thank you Greg,

I'm having fun with this one, because it's a few steps out of my comfort zone.  I've built a few aircraft and military vehicles, but ships have special challenges.  I've never done so much painting before assembly, and all of the different assemblies and detail require a great deal of planning.  

-Chris   

This is a very fun WIP thread, especially for a guy who hasn't built a ship in over 40 years. It's really interesting to see the PE, resin, and your scratch work.

Thanks for posting this and doing such a great job keeping it updated.

It's been rainy in Cincinnati, so I've gotten much done over the last few days.  There's much left to do, but she's starting to look like a ship. 

Rigging it!  I found a handy way to hold the EZ-Line in place while gluing and setting.  

I got a little more done tonight.  The funnels will be the focus tomorrow, time permitting. 

Modelcrazy, I used 0.060 inch Evergreen plastic rod for the depth charges.  I cut them to relatively long lengths of about a half an inch.  I would lay several pieces out flat, parallel to each other, and rolled up against each other.  I'd use Tenax to glue the lengths together.  Then, I'd cut all the depth charges to length at the same time using a razor blade.  I cut them to about 0.100 of an inch.  

The paints are mostly AK Interactive.  I used AK 5001 for the 20B deck blue, and AK 5004 for the 5N Navy blue.  I got these colors in AK's set US Navy Camouflages (AK5000). I'll use Tamiya for the red hull and black book stripe.  

I have a few comments about AK interactive paint.  I used Vallejo Primer.  The AK paint goes on very nicely with the airbrush.  However, small chips tend to lift with the more aggressive masking tape.  3M painter's blue tape lifted quite a bit of paint, which resulted in small chips.  However, Tamiya masking tape did not lift paint.   Brush painting to touch up the chips resulted in a different sheen to the finish.  I'm hoping that this difference in finish resolves itself with gloss coats and final dull coats.   

Looking good ridleusmc 

I'm still trying to get the urge to get back to my USS Johnston. The PE just wears me out and need something different plus I find the Tom's Modelworks instructions lacking which make me use even more brain power to figure them out.

I may have missed it but what did you use for the DC's in the racks? What paint are you using?

Thank you Goldhammer, 

I'm looking forward to getting back to the bench tonight, but I'm not sure where I'll concentrate my efforts.  

-Chris

The funnels turned out great, along with her mast. Filed away in the back of my head for my future build on the Laffey. 

 Making pretty good progress on her.

I've finally started piecing some assemblies together.  It's slow going.  I'm having to do a lot of paint touch-ups.  

But first,  Primer!

Ready for paint!

I've just been chipping away at small details off the GMM PE fret.  Much has been accomplished, but there is still much to do in this build.  

Here are how the funnels are looking.  The canvas covered railings have yet to be glued to accomidate paint.  

The mast was a mini-project in itself.  It took some work, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  The top radar may need a little tweeking.  

I've also prepared the railings for the upper decks, but the main deck railings have yet to be worked.  Also on my to do list; boat cranes, torpedo crane, lights, fire directors and various fittings.  I'm just chipping away at it.  There's much to do on this tin-can.  

Thanks goldhammer,

I've decided to do it.  I still have some clean-up to do, but I drilled and cut into it.  

I decided to leave the plastic that divides the forward and aft halves of the funnel into their two trunks.  Here's what the stacks look like now.  

I know, I have some clean up to do.  It was a beautiful spring day here in Cincinnati.  I spent the whole day working on outdoor chores.  I'm affraid that my slow build progress is going to slow a little more.  

With the talent you have with PE, I'd open them up and do a little scratching with them.  Just more eye candy for those looking at her once she's on a stand.

Yes, that does help.  I can see that the center cross brace is the seperation between forward and aft exhaust trunks for both funnels.  Is that right?  Four big exhausts for four big boilers?  And the accesories and generators probably have small pipes that feed into those big pipes.  

It creates a modeling challenge if I cut out the top of the (Tamiya) kit parts.  However, a little scratch building may look better.  Unlike the Trumpeter parts, I never thought that the Tamiya parts looked bad or inaccurate.  How much benefit would it be to open the funnel tops?  I'll think about that for a bit.  

Thanks for looking,

Chris

Yes, thouse funnels look better.

The caps on Fletchers are a mix of sheet metal baffles and metal rod grid.  There are two explicit exhaust trunks in each funnel, along with the collected exhausts from diesel turbogenerators and the like.

This was the best image I could find:

and another:

Hope that helps

I've taken an hour or two at the bench over the last couple of days.  Progress has been slow.  I've formed a PE radar, assembled the ship's boats (Tamiya plastic with GMM PE), and worked the plastic on the Tamiya funnels.  The Tamiya funnels look much nicer than those from Trumpeter, but they still need more work.  I'm debating if I should cut open the top of the funnels and use PE grills for the tops.  

Thank you Bill, 

I've had a heck of a time getting back to the bench.  

I am really impressed by your photoetch skills, and am really looking forward to watching this project progress.  Well done so far!

Bill Morrison

Thank you CapnMac, 

The Dortch was built in Kearny, NJ, so the Trumpeter funnels would not be appropriate.  Thank you very much for that input.  

I didn't build today, I had to catch up on some sleep.  

-Chris

Those funnels look a little slab-sided, which was a characteristic of the Fletchers built in San Diego (and no where else).

The 5-inch, 38-calibre single mounts are L'Arsenal parts again.  I love the resin detail.

The molded on fire-hoses were a joke.  I sanded them off and replaced them with GMM photo-etch.  I also added some PE hatches.  The Trumpeter gun locator was sanded off to accept the L'Arsenal 5-inch mounts.   

I'm happy with the look of the bridge area, and forward super-structure.  

I'm not happy with the Trumpeter funnels.  I'll build up the Tamiya parts tomorrow.  I think they'll be better, but they may require some modification.  

Thank you for looking,

I've spent the last couple of days on the Bofors.  I like how they're turning out, but I still have to add the gunsights.  

Thanks Goldhammer, 

I'm having fun with the PE and resin stuff.  It's slow going, but it's satisfying when the sub-assemblies come out well.  I have to admit, I mangled 2 gun-director radars before getting it decent on the third try.  It's a good thing that the gun director came in a pack of five.  

L'Arsenal really makes some great stuff, and I'm becoming a big fan.  I didn't have much build time today, but I was able to start on the 40mm's.  The barrels and handwheels are attached to the mounts, but seats, sights, and railings are still required for each gun-mount.     

Thanks for looking,

Nice work on the PE.  That drives me to aggrivation.

I used the gun director and its radar from L'Arsenal, and it looks great in comparison to the Tamiya and Trumpeter parts.  

The Oerlikon's are also from L'Arsenal.  These 7 guns took me a while, but I think they're worth it.  

The depth charges are done

Next will be the 40mm Bofors.  They look challenging.