Building a Tamiya Missouri with Super-detailing

**Builder 2010** · 07 Jul 11,, 00:54

Finished putting on the PE wall pieces today and drilled all of the remaining portholes. Eduard pieces are very accurate. You'll note the piece in the very center of the frame has a gap at the bottom. At first, I thought this was a mistake, but then realized that a piece is glued in which includes part of the deck and the long 20 mm AA gun tub. Therefore, I made sure to glue the piece flush with the top edge. It really makes a difference to see all of this surface detail on a part that originally had plain sides. I have the old Missouri on the work bench as a reference (and source of emergency parts) so it's neat to compare the original model with the augmented one.

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Since I'm still waiting on the decking, I have to be careful what gets glued and what doesn't. For example, all of the overhanging AA gun tubs have to wait since they would be in the way of installing the decking AND I'm going to add some brass wire posts that hold these things up on the real ship. They don't just hang out there. Each one has two or more poles that support the overhang. Those poles have to go in after the decking.

So I concentrated on hand painting all the deck blue features. Every horizontal surface is deck blue including floors of gun tubs. I paint the blue. Let it dry. Go hit it again where it's a little thin. Let it dry. Then using haze gray, back paint any sloppy parts. I used a little masking on the tops of the 5" gun houses to make a clean demarkation from deck blue to haze gray. This took the better part of 3 hours work.

This picture shows the blue before back painting the gray.

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Here's a close up of the parts after the back painting. The bridge area shows up nicely and will look good when all the superstructure is assembled.

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I'm off tomorrow and my wife's heading to Nordstroms in Cincinnati so I'll be able to get some more quality modeling time in. I will start applying the PE details to all these accessory parts. There are hundreds of them. The last stuff that goes on (before rigging) are the railings. I am not looking forward to that. The Eduard railings are amongst the finest etched in the business and are very, very easy to deform when handling. They do look good though...

**Builder 2010** · 07 Jul 11,, 23:50

While I thought I be working the whole day on PE (about 4 hours), I kept finding little painting errors and did some more micro-trim-painting to get it where I wanted it. I did some PE; these little, teeny, tiny, chain stoppers. You scrape off the kits molded on chain stoppers and then put these on. Not only are they very little (as noted next to the razor blade). Then these things had to folded to double their thickness. My slide out parts catching tray worked...once I remembered to pull it out. One part headed to the floor, but I found it using a dust brush and pan, and then carefully going through the captured debris. Then I pulled out the parts catcher.

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I attached the chain stoppers and then started doing the finish painting and detailing on the forecastle. While I would have liked to have actual chain, the results look decent.

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Just for fun I took this picture comparing the old Missouri's fo'csle to the new one. The results are dramatic. I still don't know where I got that light blue "deck blue" mix that I used in 1985. I may be a senior citizen now, but my skills haven't diminished. I think they're better.

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I glued some more superstructure parts and trial fit the rest of them just to see how it all looks. I did complete the aft funnel and painted the upper part flat black. I've done as much assembly as I can before I install lots of PE and the teak decking. The trial fit helps me figure out what I can glue and what I can't. If you look closely you can see a ragged finish on the armored pilot house. That because I just scraped off the molded details in preparation for afixing the PE vision slits. I have to go into the office tomorrow, so I'll probably do a little work this weekend. I'm only working two days a week now which is giving some great modeling time. All the areas with Haze Gray decking will be covered with teak.

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**Builder 2010** · 12 Jul 11,, 00:58

Continued working on more PE. Today's work didn't start until late in the afternoon so I didn't get much done. I worked on the upper AA gun pod. There are all kinds of ladders that go up the back to each gun tub and each gun director pod. Not too much trouble with them, but I'm still not really good at it.

Then I put the little railing on the front. It was my first railing and was very disappointing. The railing had to be curved so I used the larger Xacto handle to form the curve. The first one curved perfectly, the second got deformed when I put pressure to curve it and accidently had the end curled under. I carefully got it back to shape, and then glued it in place.

I picked up the good one with my tweezer and started to bring it to the workpiece and "boing"...it dropped to the work bench and then vaporized. Or did a dimensional shift... or a quantum leap. It disappeared. I searched the area, swept the floor, checked my lab coat and moved everything on the work surface. It was GONE!

There are no extra railing pieces on the Eduard frets so I used one from the very old GMM set that I had. Here's a chance to make a direct comparison between the two products (separated by about 25 years). The GMM parts are much thicker and less scale, but also more rugged and less prone to destruction. The first picture shows the Eduard railing (the one that I had to straighten).

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This picture shows the GMM railing. The Eduard set had a railing specifically meausred to fit this space. The GMM railing was on a long strip and had to be cut to length.

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This shot shows more views of the vaious ladders. One is now hidden by the rear funnel which tells you that some PE is just for the modeler and not for the viewer. They'll never see it.

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**robtmelvin** · 12 Jul 11,, 14:22

Builder, very, very impressive work. I see that you and I share the same preference for painting as many pieces as possible on the sprue. I like your anchor chain. To my eye it looks just as good as as the model railroading chain I use, perhaps even a bit more realistic. I look forward to your updates with anticipation. I have Missouri in my stash and hope to build her as my winter project at the end of this year. I'm currently building North Carolina (Trumpeter 1/350) and your work on Missouri has given me some ideas for use on her. It is fun to compare your current work to work you did years ago, isn't it? Really lets you know how far you've come. Hey, we may be moving on toward "geezerdom", but we aren't getting older, we're getting better! I'll take age and experience over youth and enthusiasm any day. Keep up the great work and I'll be looking forward to your next update. I think she is going to be a real show piece when you are done.

Bob

**Builder 2010** · 12 Jul 11,, 14:59

I appreciate your comments... really!

I'm 66 in two weeks, and the original Mo was done when I turned 40. My hands may be less steady, but my techniques, tools, materials, paints, etc. are all more sophisticated than they were then which compensates for any loss of control. I also have an infinitely better workspace. The Internet didn't exist then so conversations like this one couldn't exist either. Most of the original Mo was built on the kitchen table. I airbrushed stuff in the garage and built it in the kitchen since the garage was my 'summertime workshop". I didn't use magnification the either. I was quite nearsighted and worked with my glasses off. As I aged, my nearsightedness has almost disappeared to be replaced with more 'normal' mature vision... defined as not being able to focus on anything closer than the length of my arm. So I use various strengths of magnification with the result that my close work has greatly improved.

To sum up: I don't have any problem with aging at all. I don't know how well I'll work in 20 years, but who cares.

It's so much easier to paint on the sprue since you have a ready-made handle. All you have to do is tough up the attachment point which is not a problem. I had rushed the airbrushing of some of the parts as it was pretty thin on some of the part's sides. I blame that on spraying gray onto grey. The Life Color paint works nicely by brush so the parts that have been brush painted look okay also.

**USSWisconsin** · 12 Jul 11,, 15:23

Myles: Awesome build! - I have an idea about the portholes (as well as hatchways and doorways), Would it be possible to paint the inside wall of the hole flat black? That could hide the inherent thickness of the model walls, and make them appear more to scale - alternatively these holes and openings could be chamfered from the inside with a 45 degree Dremel cone bit to thin them - but that would be much harder and very risky (painting them could still be useful with this step), and also at this stage of this build it is probably not an option.

This is not intended to be criticism, only an idea/suggestion (I would test it first on an old model - like your previous Mo') - your skill is way beyond mine, the achievements you are sharing are inspiring and I am enjoying your build immensely. This is a museum quality build, something I would love to do someday - and your kind and wonderfully detailed presentation/documentary will be a guide for my future efforts.

I would love to use some pictures of your finished model in my US battleships book section - to illustrate the details of this class (with your permission of course). I have found scale models to be an excellent way to gain a greater understanding of the designs and layouts of these awesome vessels. Since they don't exist in this configuration anymore - these models permit us to explore them and even walk their decks with a little imagination.

**Builder 2010** · 12 Jul 11,, 16:32

I've considered painting the holes black, and may still do it. Chamfering is not an option since many of the holes fall at the junction of the horizontal and vertical plastic planes of the part and aren't visible or drillable from the back side. Some are in the clear, but many aren't since the portholes fall so close to the top of the wall. The scale thickness of the plastic on this kit is about the same as the armor on the faces of the 16" gun houses.

I will make finished pics available as long as attribution is made.

I figured out that I can experiment with the soldering of PE using some of the extra fret material that's left when you cut out the parts. In the Model Ship building website, I've been having a running commentary with some folks on the pluses and minuses of soldering PE parts together instead of the CA route. I'm a very good solderer, but the size of these parts is beyond my ability and is getting into fine jewerly making, but I think it can be done. I'll include this experiment in the build thread so everyone can comment on it.

On another point, I've been trying to upload a new avatar, but the website's not taking it. It's 78 X 78 pixels so it conforms to the spec. Any ideas why this is happening?

**Builder 2010** · 12 Jul 11,, 16:35

Ignore my last paragraph. I just tried that avatar thing and it obviously worked.

**USSWisconsin** · 12 Jul 11,, 16:51

Originally Posted by Builder 2010

I've considered painting the holes black, and may still do it. Chamfering is not an option since many of the holes fall at the junction of the horizontal and vertical plastic planes of the part and aren't visible or drillable from the back side. Some are in the clear, but many aren't since the portholes fall so close to the top of the wall. The scale thickness of the plastic on this kit is about the same as the armor on the faces of the 16" gun houses.

I will make finished pics available as long as attribution is made.
I figured out that I can experiment with the soldering of PE using some of the extra fret material that's left when you cut out the parts. In the Model Ship building website, I've been having a running commentary with some folks on the pluses and minuses of soldering PE parts together instead of the CA route. I'm a very good solderer, but the size of these parts is beyond my ability and is getting into fine jewerly making, but I think it can be done. I'll include this experiment in the build thread so everyone can comment on it.

On another point, I've been trying to upload a new avatar, but the website's not taking it. It's 78 X 78 pixels so it conforms to the spec. Any ideas why this is happening?

Of course - I wouldn't consider publishing anything without doing that - this is the primary reason I haven't published anything outside of sharing it at no cost - nothing I have done was accomplished without help of many generous individuals - like yourself.

**robtmelvin** · 12 Jul 11,, 17:04

I'm going to take the liberty of calling you "Myles", since I gather from the previous post that is your name. My friends call me Bob. I was reflecting on how much our attitudes about growing older are alike when I glanced over and noticed that you are from Louisville, Kentucky. Well, greetings, fellow Kentuckian! I'm live in Harlan, Kentucky, which if you are not familiar with it is in far southeastern Kentucky, just north of where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia meet.

I'm a bit younger than you, I'll turn 55 next month. Personally, I feel I'm in my prime. I have enough knowledge and experience to know what to do, and enough energy to do it! Like you, the hands aren't as steady as they once were, but better technique and the ability to afford good tools make up for that. I'm extremely nearsighted and though I use magnification if I'm working with itsy bitsy PE parts, I can usually get by just by taking off my glasses.

You seem to have been modeling for quite a few years. On the other hand, I'm what I refer to as a "returnee". I loved modeling as a kid and built mostly ships and some warplanes. Unlike most kids, I guess, I never got into cars and I though I built some armor, I never really got the bug. During my teens I drifted away from modeling. Not sure why but as memory serves, real cars and girls had some involvement in that lapse of judgment. About 3 years ago I suffered a catastrophic injury, shattering my left leg. Thank God (and a good surgeon and great physical therapists) I recovered with barely a noticeable limp, I was house bound for months, being first in a wheel chair, then on a walker and finally on crutches. During that time I started fetching around for something to occupy my time while I healed. Surfing the 'net one day I stumbled on a modeling site and was completely blown away by what I saw. I started looking into modeling again, ordered some tools, supplies and a kit or two, and I was back in business. Since then I've never looked back and love being back to my childhood hobby.

I suppose my interest in warships and the occasional warplane stems from a life long fascination with military history, particularly World War 2, and as my interests have progressed and matured, specifically the Pacific Theater and USN/INJ conflict. Though the entire scope of the naval actions in the Pacific Theater interest me, I find myself particularly drawn to those desperate months of 1942 and early 1943, Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal and all of its associated naval actions, Santa Cruze, etc..

In our youth obsessed, "me" oriented, consumerist culture I find myself being something (as I suspect you are as well) of an anachronism. Patriotism, honor, service, the old time values, are those I try to live by.

I'm sorry if I've rambled and I certainly don't intend to detract from your thread. But something tells me I've encountered something of a kindred soul.

Keep up the great work and by all means, post some more pictures soon.

Bob

**Builder 2010** · 12 Jul 11,, 17:45

Thanks for the insight. I find that of all of our friends and acquaintances, I don't have friends who are modelers, so all of my modeling interactions are being satisfied through the web. It's a wonderful medium for this. I've developed friendships with people on three continents and in many widely separated states.

I only stopped modeling from ages 16 thru 19 when I discovered electric guitars, cars and girls (in that order). But while sitting in my dorm room at Michigan State I realized how much I missed building stuff and did some nice modeling spray painting them in the room housing the trash chute. I got engaged during my last year and spent a lonely year in Flint, MI while student teaching. I was boarding with an older women and she was a sweetheart and let me set up a modeling area. I built a model a week which kept me occupied and out of trouble. The last one was a U-control, Sterling Stearman with an Enya motor on it.

When we got married, my wife knew what she was in for since I bought and built a model on the folding table that was our eating area in our first apartment. Starting in 1977, I built a Pocher, 1/8th scale Mercedes Benz and put it on display at a local hobby shop in Bucks County, PA. The fellow who owned the hobby shop and was the CEO of American Hobby Corp and the importer of these kits, asked who built it and would he be interested in doing for a commission. I ended up building 65 of these for him and other private collectors. That started me on a many year process of building models for other people. One of them was a good friend who had disposable income that was recevied through sources that weren't conducive to reporting to IRS. He ended up paying me to build models for him for years. His wife never knew about it. He gave her a nice allowance for her fun money and she never asked. All that ended in 1994 when my wife accidentally made some comment about her husband having enough money to pay me to build models so he should have enough to do XYZ. Instead of having a problem with her husband, she had a really big problem with my wife and the friendship of over 20 years ended just like that. That also ended my "Building models for commission" for a while.

It restarted after moving to Louisville when I built the Marutaka B-17E for a model pilot who lives in Indiana. The project took 13 months and I made about 60 cents an hour for my efforts. But it was really cool. I had always wanted to build a mult-engine RC and this was my chance to do it on someone else's nickel. I formed a lot of friendships through that endeavor because I blogged the whole thing on RCScaleBuilder.com.

My main interest is model railroading (as if I need another interest) and I had a large O'gauge hi-rail layout before we moved to L'ville. The rebuilding of that layout (larger, I might add) is on the top of my priority list. The new basement is 50% larger than the old one and the new layout is growing accordingly. I scrapped all the old plywood and vinyl roadbed, but kept the framing and track. I have to buy 11 sheets of ply, new roadbed and more track. I painted the basement floor, but it's unfinished and I would really like to have it insulated and sheetrocked before building, but we don't have the funds for it right now, so it may go into a less-than perfect space. My wife really wants me to get back into the railroad since the grandsons aren't getting any younger. My older grandson, Alex is going to be 10 and is a good modeler and is very much like I was at his age. His younger brother, Jack, just turned 7, and while he will build with us in the workshop, seems to have a real love for athletics, which is NOT like I was a his age.

My first model was on my 8th birthday and was the Revell Missouri which I started building on the living room floor, spilled the Testors liquid glue in the box, paniced, moved the glue to a fine piece of furniture on top a wad of Kleenex, where it promptly fell over as soon as I let it go and got Testors liquid cement on the finish which it promptly dissolved. I ran upstairs to my room to hide from my father, who gave me a spanking for being so careless. As you can tell, I can still remember this trauma very clearly. It didn't inhibit my love for model building and I built lots and lots of them.

**robtmelvin** · 12 Jul 11,, 23:46

Myles, you are very fortunate that your wife encourages you in your hobbies. My wife, though a good woman with whom I have an over all great relationship, at best tolerates my hobby. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to understand, or have any interest in attempting to understand, the degree to which is truly is mental therapy for me. I'm a practicing attorney with a very busy practice. Understandably, my work is stressful much of the time and is hardly a 9 to 5 job. Retiring to my modeling bench allows me to escape from the stress and to actually destress as my focus is directed to the project of the moment. I can be feeling beset by all of the demands of an active law practice and, after a few hours at my work bench, actually be refreshed and ready to rejoin the fight the next day. Oh well.

While ship modeling may not be your main interest, you are certainly very, very good at it. Your work on Missouri is most impressive and I'll look forward to seeing more soon.

Bob

**Builder 2010** · 13 Jul 11,, 00:35

Bob, Don't get me wrong. My wife wants me to build the trains because the grandkids love it, not because she's a model lover. She understands a basic truth: when I am downstairs working on models, I am not getting into any other trouble. She knows where I am.

She doesn't like the basement since it's usually too cold (and she has a problem with the spiders which seen intent on sharing the space with me). She comes down only when we're having a tornado drill. We also don't have my models on display in the living areas of the house. That's where the pottery, paintings and other 'normal' decor objects are.

We have a relationship that says: you get what you need to be happy and I get what I need. It's worked for 43 years and should work a while longer. She basically is happy when I'm happy. I also have to promise that I don't spend ALL my time in the basement (which I could since time goes very fast down there as you know).

I've done ship modeling on and off for years. My modeling tastes are very eclectic. If it flies, rolls, floats or runs on rails, I like it and I built it.

Right now I have 13 kits that need building, and this is on top of the railroad rebuild. They include two other very fine ships, the Hornet and Essex in 1:350 from Trumpeter, and beautiful 1:32 ABF Grumman Avenger also from Trumpeter, plus a bunch of really fine craftsman kits for the trains. My grandson, Alex, is building an F-18E 1:32 kit (another Trumpeter) and Jack is building a 1:48 a Japan Defense Force fighter with lots of help from Grandpop. All of these Trumpeter kits came from an estate of a man who built models. And Alex and I are going to build a superb model of the F-22 in 1:48 including added photoetch by Hasegawa. This kit is a real gem.

Last Winter I ran "Grandpop's Scale Model Workshop" for Alex and five other 9 year olds. It was a load of fun, I made a few bucks and one of the parents had a friend whose father had passed and had these models. They gave them to her and she in turn gave a bunch to me. It was about $600+ worth of kits. They were all very high quality AND came just when I was starting construction on the Mo. When it rains it pours.

I went to his home to see if there was anything more that I could use. He had a practically brand new Dremel, the exact same as I have, including the flexi-shaft. But otherwise he had basically nothing. He started modeling after retirement and he never was taught about how to do it. He had several ships and planes around the basement and they were awful, but he clearly had fun.

I can send you some pictures of other ship projects that I built if you wish.

**robtmelvin** · 13 Jul 11,, 19:12

Myles, I'd love to see some photos of some of your other work. In addition to ships, I also do the occasional warbird, usually in either 1/32 or 1/24 (us older guys gotta love those big scales!). My e-mail addy is "robert.melvin@att.net" You might want to make sure to put something in the subject line so that if my spam filter snags you, I'll know its you. I appreciate your eclectic tastes in modeling and I'd probably build a broader range of subjects myself, but due to a job that demands, on average 60 hours a week, my build time is limited, so I try to stick to ships. Once I'm able to retire and spend more time (much more time, I hope) at my bench, I'll probably branch out quite a bit. Might even try some armor.

I've tried pointing out to the wife that as long as I'm at my bench she doesn't have to wonder about where I am and what I'm doing (and more importantly, who I'm doing it with!). Heck, I don't drink, certainly don't do drugs, don't gamble and don't chase women. But, some women simply require more attention than others. I think some of it has to do with the fact that she does not have any hobbies. She simply doesn't understand how a bit of time at the bench can be as therapeutic, and a heck of a lot cheaper, than a session with a 'shrink! But, this is really a small gripe. Over all, and we have been together for over 13 years, we have a great relationship. I think it shows how good it is that we work together (she manages my law office), so we are together 24/7 for long periods of time. In spite of this, we still enjoy each other's company and miss one another when we are apart. I feel very lucky to have her and she is not only my wife, but my lover and, most importantly, my best friend.

For the most part, I try to limit my build time to no more than an hour a night, and not every night at that. Obviously, some nights more time is needed since some projects can't just be dropped in the middle of the thing. On those nights I try to let her know that I'll be longer and explain why. Also, I do get some marathon sessions in when she takes off to go shopping with her daughter, who lives about an hour from us.

I really didn't intend to give the impression that this was a major problem in my marriage, just a minor bump in the road.

By all means, please send me as many photos of your work as you'd like. I love seeing other modeler's work. Also, I do get to Louisville from time to time on business. If you would be interested, if I have a trip up your way coming up, and I always have plenty of advanced notice, perhaps you would allow me to buy you dinner and we can talk modeling to our heart's content! If Shirley is with me, as she often is, perhaps all four of us could go out for dinner. I'm sure they can find "women stuff" to chat about while we talk models!

Bob

**Builder 2010** · 14 Jul 11,, 02:50

Bob, I've sent you a link to a Snapfish album of my models. It's the easiet way (for me) to send lots of photos to folks.

Now onto today's efforts. (part 1)

I decided to try my soldering experiment. It worked, but with limitations...it wouldn't have helped me at all today. I scraped the paint off the mating surfaces, used the TIX flux where the solder was to go, and then put a tiny amount of tinning on one part. I put the second part on top and heated for about one second (or less), and the joint was made. The problem is that the parts I was working with today were just some much smaller and I really couldn't figure a way of holding the parts, and applying the heat without deforming everything. Here're some shots of the experimental results.

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It may work for some of the more substantial parts like the gun director radars or the 40mm gun mounts. I'll keep trying. It is much stronger than CA and that's worth something.