Attention: Yak_V and other shipbuilders

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

Brad: prepared. The packaging says that it's "steel filled". As to what they mean by that, I really dunno but I reckon it's merely an indication that the bond is as tough as steel.

[Brad Sallows]

OK. I ask because my background project (ie. one I putter on while engaged on others) is motorizing the Revell Snowberry. A web site link someone provided a while back mentioned ballasting by pouring epoxy and lead shot along the inside of the keel. It would be easier to just buy a prepared mix if I can find one.

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

Ah I see that you need it for a different purpose? If for ballast, the steel filled epoxy won't do because it doesn't have any metal thingies in it AFAIK. I reckon the info you got means that the lead shot will be glued by epoxy.

 

BTW, I'm curious - pouring epoxy? I reckon that's not the regular 5-minute epoxy (which is what I used). Interesting. Have not come across a product (or I did not notice such) in the shops here.

 

I hope you also show your project.

 

Update:

 

Exams are over and the vacation has started. Shipyard is now fully open for business (ok, I still have a day job to attend to, so the shipyard is the night shift hehehe) and the project last night was the Blue Marlin. I managed to fabricate the bow now, having made adjustments to the length. I'm thinking of redoing the bow (if I have the heart for it) but as of now, it looks ok enough. Not really difficult to do (the thin - read: translucent - Tamiya Pla Plate sheet for the bow doesn't seem to have been much affected by copious amounts of Tamiya Extra Thin cement, not like the Squadron styrene sheets of similar thinness) anyway so I can redo if I'm not really satisfied from last night's work.

 

I'm thinking of openning the Kuz's hangar elevator access and adding a hangar deck (with minimal detailing - aim is not to superdetail it but just to make a convincing looking hangar). I'll be making an RTV Silicone mold for the Flankers (decide to use them exclusively - I'll save the MiG-29s for a future Gorshkov conversion, that one being the Indian Navy version) later tonight. The Minsk, Kirov, Arleigh Burke, Spruance, and OHP will be practically built OOTB. I'm also thinking of making a different Cake Stand radar for both the Kuz and Baku. Though they may be dissimilar in scale, it's not that noticeable and I find the Cake Stand of the Kuz a tad too small for my tastes, while that I made for the Baku now looks too big hehehehe I just need to make one and make a mold to produce perfect twin sets.

[Steven P Allen]

I can't speak for the stuff that our good Colonel General has got, but some epoxies do indeed contain finely powdered steel. JB Weld, for example, is actually able to be drilled and tapped when set. Nevertheless, it would take far too much of the metalized epoxies to make decent ballast, for they are expensive and not all that heavy.

[Brad Sallows]

Very well. Buckshot and epoxy it will be, then.

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

Here are some of in-progress pix (as promised ), courtesy of Sandstig who put them up in his site.

 

Baku and Minsk

 

Kuznetsov scratchbuilt hangar

 

USS Cole hull damage

 

Blue Marlin's bow

 

Here's the link to the whole set: http://www.sandstig.com/tomas/001/

 

Comments, questions, violent reaction ( )are welcome.

 

I'll be posting more pix in the future as construction progresses.

 

[Edited by Gennady I. Beregovoy (28 Mar 2004).]

[EW]

Gennady,

 

Let's see if I understand this hangar idea of yours right. Telling from the pic, it's gonna be possible to close/open that section of the ship. If so, it's a marvelous idea Since I don't do ships I can't really relate to what you're doing. IOW how "long" is she in that scale? What I'm trying to say is, if possible why not try to scratchbuild some more items to add to the parked a/c's in order to bring more life to the scene. Just my two cents as usual.

 

The damage on the Cole looks ok to me. Question, are you planning to have her displayed "wet"? It would, IMHO, make a nice dio.

 

EW

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

EW: Hehe nope I don't have plans to make the ship 'open-able' hehe I ain't that skilled, unless others can give me an idea to do so. Instead, I'm seriously considering adding at least 4 white LEDs to light up the hangar. The wires will go through the hull bottom via the kit's stands. That way, they won't be noticeable. Yes, I plan to add some more detail like some of those mobile scaffolds. I'll also do some "home made PE crews" by making little cutouts with aluminum food containers. The kit is big - 16 inches long and some 5 inches at its widest.

 

As for the Cole, it'll be displayed as being carried by the Blue Marlin which will be set on a diorama.

 

Thanks for the input.

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

Perhaps an update is in order?

 

Let's see... one gripe I have right now is Time. I can't believe how fast April flies! It's approaching the middle of the month and I still have not a single ship ready for painting. Guess it's back to the delays in construction once again.

 

So...

 

I have detailed the Kuznetsov's superstructure a bit - adding wires, styrene bits, and such to make it look more like a ship and not a toy. The additional helps in making the superstructure look more interesting. I also did some trimming on the superstructure as it looks too big for its scale. The Cake Stand for the Kuz has been modified to look more "massive" and in tune with the superstructure. Since it's 1/720, I made a mold and cast a copy of the same Cake Stand for the Baku. Both Cake Stands are thus the same size. I removed the hangar of the Kuz and started laying the ground work for the wiring. Yup - the hangar will be lit alright. I'm after those teeny weeny LED-like bulbs used in celphones. They're available here for less than a quarter of a dollar (P54 = $1), but the drawback in using this is that I'll have to tinker with the voltage - and I want my wiring as simple as possible. My backup plan is using the smallest bulbs used in MagLights. At least I don't have to worry the voltage for the MagLight plan - just a single 1.5V AA battery can handle perhaps four bulbs (I'll be using the one with the longest juice - I think it's Energizer Titanium). I tested the wiring with two bulbs recently and it worked - until I upped the power supply with two 1.5V AA batteries, resulting to dead bulbs. Hey, at least the wiring works hehehe

 

The wiring will pass through the hull in four terminals. These terminals - small diameter aluminum tubing - are essentially plugs that will plug to the "socket" which is the kit's stands, modified. In theory, it should work. The result is that one will not see the wiring, as it is hidden in the kit's stands.

 

I recently re-did the Cross Sword mold and made copies using the hot-glue method. They are much better looking than the previous mold.

 

I've also started playing around with MS Paint and produced customized designs for the Baku and Kuz's airwing. Fortunately, Scopa inkjet friendly decal paper is available here - both transparent and white sheets. I heard that they're a bit thick but it'll do.

 

Good news! The location of the last two sextuple SA-N-9 Klinok VLS launchers on the Baku have been identified! These are mounted just forward of the SS-N-19 missile tubes and behind the RBU12000 ASW mortars. I've been studying the pix for days on end and finally noticed circular-looking objects which could probably mean the VLS launchers. The position makes sense as this was the area formerly occupied by the SA-N-13 SAM. Now I can make the forward VLS launchers! I already have installed the aft SAM launchers - one on the rear of the superstructure, the other at the port side of the flight deck.

 

Further studying of the Kiev pictures show that several areas of the hull are apparently open. On the kit, these are mere rectangular depressions that are closed. AMS struck hard here, and so with the flight deck and hull bottom already cemented since two months ago, I drilled open these areas, oversize the holes a bit, made styrene "inserts" on which the detail is installed (really nothing but railings and floors) which are then inserted in these wholes and - presto! - better looking open areas.

 

The rest of the ships are languishing at the dry dock. I'll post pix soon - maybe at the end of the week. The pix will probably focus on the modifications done to the Kiev hull, the terminals on the Kuz, the Kuz's superstructure and the SAM launchers.

[rsetiawan]

Ooooooohhhh I have Idea for U

 

U can easily make a perfect sunk Titanic/Yamato model in 1 day....

just pour blue stuff on flat table and exhibit it......

 

When some one asking 'where is the ship model'

U can answer : there, thousand feet depth below the surface'

 

Nah Im genius modeller no ?[ ]

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

Hahaha

 

Actually, one of Tamiya's model builders built Tamiya's 1/350 Yamato as she is under the sea. Check it out in Google. Impressive to say the least.

[Gennady I. Beregovoy]

Doug:

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

 

 

Finally got your package. I appreciate it very much - especially the additional fighters, too!

 

BTW, no wonder Bondi Beach is famous - very pretty beach.

 

Thanks again!