Posted by Don Murphy on October 10, 2009, 13:47:41 |
- Re: So what's on everyone's work bench?
Posted by Mike Kozlowski
on October 27, 2009, 13:23:19, in reply to "So what's on everyone's work bench?"
75.183.168.40...Nowhere near what I'd like. 
My Revell Boston (CAG-1) is still underway, but in order to do justice to her, I've stripped her back down to the main deck. This is enabling me to fix some of the basic mistakes that I unfortunately built into her in the first place. My stepson Craig finished the Lindberg Gato Matty gave him a while back and has decided that submarines are very highly cool (I can hear Matt and Don nodding that the kid has great taste )With that in mind we've discovered the Hobby Boss 1/700 kits, which are very nice and very inexpensive - $9.00 for the biggest, which is a Soviet Typhoon SSBN. I grabbed the Greenville (SSN-774) with a ASDS sub mounted. The lower hull is painted and now it's just a matter of getting the upper works (as it were) painted. Everything else is on hold till we move to our first new house on Nov 21.
Mike - The Hobbyboss 700th scale subs are definately great kits!
Posted by Don Murphy on October 31, 2009, 8:28:57, in reply to "Re: So what's on everyone's work bench?"
137.237.36.4Tons of detail in that scale. I have the Jimmy Carter.
Cheers,
Don - YES - same as TAKARA and PIT-ROAD
Posted by Matty
on October 31, 2009, 20:40:45, in reply to "The Hobbyboss 700th scale subs are definately great kits!"
4.254.128.199Ever since Mikey mentioned them, I've been looking into these HobbyBoss subs, and discovered they are exactly the same molds as the Takara models - specifically including their Jimmy Carter (among others) I also bought about a year ago - which come fully-built and (pretty nicely) -painted.
The only differences are that the Takaras are molded solid, in one-piece hulls, with everything in very hard (ABS?) plastic. But every last feature - right down to every fine surface detail - is 100% identical to the HobbyBoss 1/700 kits.
I also looked into HobbyBoss' total selection of these subs, and found (among others) such esoteric subjects as the Whiskey LongBin SSG, which I've only ever seen Pit-Road do, in 1/700, which would explain the top-flight details - and superb accuracy - I'm certain. Regarding which, my Takara Nautilus SSN 571 looks A-1 spot-on perfect - and I have no doubt it is descended from the Pit-Road kit (which used to cost like, $75 IIRC).
So, I don't know who mastered them - whether it was Pit-Road, or yet some even earlier manufacturer(s) - but clearly these excellent molds are being licensed out, so that now you can get these excellent kits or even fully-built models for about a tenth of what it once would have cost.
It's almost enough to make me want to "go 1/700"!
Almost - but not quite! (Still, you will see me do something with these kits - I guarantee it...)
Cheers,
-Matty - Welcome Back, Mike!
Posted by Matty
on October 27, 2009, 22:34:58, in reply to "Re: So what's on everyone's work bench?"
4.254.128.104Of course young Craig has good taste - because we've increasingly been coming to the realization that the Lindberg Gato (actually Balao) IS cool! So, SEND ME PICS, including anything he wants to tell us about building it.
Where do you find is the best place(s) to look for those Hobby Boss kits, Mike?
Great update - good to "see you" again, Mikey. And in the meantime I'll break out your old Boston posts, up to the point where you'll be restarting, now.
Cheers,
-Matty - Re: Welcome Back, Mike!
Posted by Mike Kozlowski
on October 27, 2009, 22:50:31, in reply to "Welcome Back, Mike!"
75.183.168.40Matt-
Thank you sir, it feels good on this end too. With a little luck, I'll have a Boston post put up over the weekend, trying to figure out the best way to deal with a problem on the main battery. And I'll definitely get some pics of Craig's Gato - he's VERY proud of it.
And re the Hobby Boss kits - Hobby Town USA (at least the two here in Columbia) have all the sub kits at $9.00 each. I've not been able to locate them on the HT USA website tho.
The Typhoon is a little gem - Craig's friend (also 8)built it in one sitting on a rainy Saturday, and it literally just falls together. The engraved detail seems IMHO a bit on the heavy side but it screams for some weathering and detail work to turn it into a genuinely impressive kit, much nicer than the old Revell 1/400!
Mike - Re: So what's on everyone's work bench?
Posted by Ron
on October 14, 2009, 20:23:49, in reply to "So what's on everyone's work bench?"
207.200.116.70I am working on Revell's (Germany?) Hawaiian Pilot, which I am doing a lot of scatch building. I made 16 chocks, both open and closed. Man, that was a pain in the butt!
Ron W. - Welcome back, Ron!
Posted by Matty
on October 14, 2009, 23:32:51, in reply to "Re: So what's on everyone's work bench?"
4.254.129.234It's been awhile - and I see you made good use of the summer by starting your Hawaiian Pilot. That kit was released by both Revell USA and Revell DE (the german ones are the much newer releases, in the bluegreen-background, flip-top box).
In any case, great to hear from you, Ron - do send me pics of all that pain-in-the-a** work! Seriously, I'd love to post 'em for admiration by one and all, buddy.
Cheers,
-Matty - Re: Welcome back, Ron!
Posted by Ron
on October 15, 2009, 17:51:45, in reply to "Welcome back, Ron!"
207.200.116.70Thanks Matty,
This is my first plastic in almost 20 years, and I have been making a mess of it. I usually make a mess of wood too.
Because of the 4 P's (piss poor prior planning) I have had to redo a lot of things and added a lot of unnecessary work, so this build is taking much longer than expected. When I get the deck repaired and primered I will send some photos.
- All Right!
Posted by Matty
on October 16, 2009, 6:20:41, in reply to "Re: Welcome back, Ron!"
4.254.128.163And I'm laughing my a** off about your "4-P's" (maybe you could form a club, you know - like the "4-H"? )
Anyway, for finding colleagues who can relate to fixing mistakes and doing What Needs To Be Done (right), you've come to the right place, Ron. And ModelFleet is looking forward to your pics, with great interest.
Now, please stop making me crack up and spill my coffee in the keyboard!
Cheers,
-Matty
P.S.: Did you notice everyone replying in this thread besides me has the names: "Ron", "Jon" and "Don" - is there some sort of agreement here that I'm not aware of?
- Re: All Right!
Posted by Ron
on October 16, 2009, 10:46:10, in reply to "All Right!"
207.200.116.70I think I am the president of the 4-P club. 
As for the names, you should change yours to "Mon" that way you would be in compliance.
Ron W. - Not "stash", the word is "BASH"!
Posted by Matty
on October 11, 2009, 23:31:24, in reply to "So what's on everyone's work bench?"
4.254.134.232You guys building a bunch of kits - humph! - what you've got to do is bash 'em into what you want, is what! Or at least, that's what I've got - piled high and wide, here - to do:
1/500-ish:
Airfix/kitbash 1/600 HMS Sydney (WWII)
Airfix/kitbash 1/600 HMS Exeter (WWII)
Scratch-bash 1/600 HMS Eagle (WWII)
Scratch-bash 1/570 HMS Glorious (WWII)
Heller/kitbash 1/550 USS Juneau CLAA-52
Revell/kitbash 1/540 USS Lake Champlain CVA-39
Lindberg/kitbash 1/525 USS Boxer CVS-21
Nichimo 1/500 IJN Hiryu
Scratch-bash 1/500 Fletcher-class DD
Scratch-bash 1/450 IJN Yamashiro
Scratch-bash 1/450 USS West Virginia BB-48
1/200-ish:
Nichimo/kitbash 1/200 U-505 (DKM SS)
Scratch-bash 1/178 S-37 (USN SS)
1/72:
Italeri/kitbash 1/72 Dornier Do217-k2
MPM/kitbash 1/72 Tupolev SB-III (2-M102-bis)
1/48-ish:
Hawk/kitbash 1/50 F2H Banshee
Monogram/kitbash 1/48 FJ-4B Fury
In addition, I have the following refits started, on already-built models:
MatchBox/kitbash 1/72 RAAF Beaufighter Mk-VI
Airfix/kitbash 1/72 RAAF Douglas Boston-II (A-20)
Now, the above are all the ones where I've actually put knife- and glue-to-plastic. And I may have left out one or two - I don't have time to look through all the piles, now! But there is another one, on which I have only started casting some upgrade/replacement parts: my Italeri 1/72 Lockheed Hudson Mk-V (A-39)
And another - my Revell/kitbash 1/540 USS Shangri-La CVA-38 - already with extensive work on a bow upgrade, but I gave that work away, to Sean! (Though in return I got his already-started Revell hull - but the build is essentially restarting from new.)
I also have planned refits - not yet started (except, actually, all the upgrade parts are made) - but anyway, much more concrete than completely unstarted, new builds:
Airfix 1/600 Ark Royal (WWII)
Airfix 1/600 HMS Suffolk (WWII)
Dragon/kitbash 1/600 USS Tripoli LPH-10
Scratch-bash 1/550 USS Lexington CV-2
Lindberg/kitbash 1/525 USS Essex CV-9
Revell/kitbash 1/535 USS New Jersey BB-62
Scratch-bash 1/500 USS Gambier Bay CVE-73
Scratch-bash 1/500 USS Independence CVL-22
Revell/kitbash 1/480 USS Hornet CV-8
Matchbox/kitbash 1/72 PB2-Y2 Privateer
These really vary in scope; some - like Hornet - can get away with as little as some (Matty's Models) replacement guns, planes, PE and a boot stripe. While others - like Lexington - really could use a whole new bow below the waterline (and all the other upgrades).
The above will all be completed - that's the plan - however I do have two bona-fide "cancellations" to date:
Monogram/kitbash 1/48 Martin Marauder
Depicted all shot up, and with bloodied crewmen inside (the sole surviving B-26 torpedo bomber from the 22nd Bomb Group at Midway), it is simply too gory for my ageing sensibilities, to justify the (extensive) work to completion. (And it's too far along to "go back".) Actually, the work would still be interesting, but I've completely lost my appetite for the "blood-and-guts".)
SMER/kitbash 1/50 Fairey SwordFish
This D-O-G of a kit, though already started, will soon be replaced, it now appears, with a bona-fide, 1/48 scale - and infinitely more gorgeous - Tamiya SwordFish (formerly out of contention, at the price). But now it appears I can actually snag one - so the SMER is schmutz!
Because - contrary to popular belief - I am not a modeling masochist (a cheapskate, maybe, but not a masochist); there are actually reasons for the never-ending projects I have!
Cheers,
-Matty - Here's my stash
Posted by Jon Ryckert
on October 11, 2009, 11:10:22, in reply to "So what's on everyone's work bench?"
174.42.167.99Most started, none completed but all in 1/350.
Has Akagi
Trump Hornet
Trump North Carolina
Trump San Francisco
Trump England
Fujimi Kongo
RoG Bismarck
Tom's Arizona
Yankee Modelworks California
ISW West Virginia
ISW Vestal
Tamiya Enterprise
Mini Hobbies Arizona
Not 1/350
1/144 Fletcher
1/72 Type VII/C U-Boat
1/48 Zero, Kate, Val and and a FW-190 A-8
1/35 M35A2 Deuce and a half
Bismarck and Kongo are farthest along. Bismarck has all the p.e.(GMM, WEM, Tom's and Eduard) while Knogo does not and I can't proceed any more until I get the p.e. for it.
I need to quit buying, stay on one subject and start finishing.
Take care fellas, Jon - Good Lord, you'll be building for the next 20 years!
Posted by Don Murphy on October 11, 2009, 18:28:07, in reply to "Here's my stash"
137.237.36.4I heard that the Hase Akagi is the P.E. coward's worst nightmare. Did you get all of the PE sets for it? Can't wait to see photos.
Oh - is your California the BB or CGN?
Cheers,
Don - Re: Good Lord, you'll be building for the next 20 years!
Posted by Jon Ryckert
on October 12, 2009, 16:49:22, in reply to "Good Lord, you'll be building for the next 20 years!"
174.42.189.36Hi Don. Yeah the Akagi p.e. is intimidating and all I have is the below flightdeck girders. I'll wait and see what WEM comes out with first before I plunck down anymore money on that kit. BTW, The California is the Pearl Harbor BB. Later, Jon - Not So SMUG, Donny! LOL
Posted by Matty
on October 11, 2009, 23:50:47, in reply to "Good Lord, you'll be building for the next 20 years!"
Message modified by board administrator October 12, 2009, 14:23:30I counted your list out to 14 kits - so a little quick math indicates that if Jon's 19 take him 20 years, then yours will take you 14.74!
'Course, Jonnie does have quite a few big BBs to do, there - but then, you have quite a few teeny 1/700 ones...
Conclusion: sometime between 14.75 and 20 years from now, Jon will be old and you'll be blind. (And maybe I'll have finished my Boxer... )
Cheers,
-Matty - Yeah but.........
Posted by Don Murphy on October 12, 2009, 6:04:42, in reply to "Not So SMUG, Donny! LOL"
137.237.36.4His Akagi accounts for most of those years! Especially if he got ALL of the PE sets, ha ha!
Cheers,
Don - I have gown to love PE...
Posted by Matty
on October 12, 2009, 9:36:49, in reply to "Yeah but........."
Message modified by board administrator October 12, 2009, 14:24:51And it's really "coming full circle" for me, since my early days of bashing radars out of Plastruct rod, like on my New Jersey. I didn't reallize how affordable PE can be - particularly if you scavenge all of the available parts off most frets - and of course it is far faster than building in plastic, not to method crisper (especially at your 1/700 scale)! Can you imagine trying to scratchbuild all of Akagi's girder-work - which could be done nicely, in 1/350 scale - out of plastic rod?!!
The plastic kit that I'd really like to see, to go "PE hog-wild" on, would be a 1/500-ish USS Langley. In its absence, I have identified a readily-available (and cheap-cheap!) kit, whose hull would provide a decent foundation for "scratch-bashing" Langley, in (around) that scale. All that's missing is to find a PE set with lots of the right X-truss girders, and affordable enough to buy the multiple sets you'd need to complete "The Ironworker's Dream".
As for all those other builds of Jonnie's, remember he also has to put them in a huge Pearl Harbor diorama - so yeah, there's the rest of his life, spoken-for!
Cheers,
-Matty - Re: I have gown to love PE...
Posted by Jon Ryckert
on October 12, 2009, 19:21:45, in reply to "I have gown to love PE..."
174.42.189.36In twenty years my grandchildren will probabaly have to help me finish them. LOL. - How's it goin', Jonnie!
Posted by Matty
on October 12, 2009, 22:46:57, in reply to "Re: I have gown to love PE..."
4.254.129.32Great to "see" you again, buddy! Send me some pics - finished models, in-progress builds - whatever.
Jon, I didn't see a 1/350 Yamato-class, nor an Essex-class on your list; weren't you working on both of those, once upon a time? (Or did I already ask about those, and forgot what you told me?) If either of 'em are done (or anything else, for that matter), and you can send me pictures I'd love to post 'em, buddy!
Or will we have to wait for your grandchildren to send 'em to my grand-nephews...?
Cheers,
-Matty - Re: How's it goin', Jonnie!
Posted by Jon Ryckert on October 13, 2009, 17:06:22, in reply to "How's it goin', Jonnie!"
98.135.28.16Hi Matt, The Yamato (1/200) is still sitting in peices and the Essex was knocked of the table, so I ended up giving it to my nephew. I may do the planes ( FW-190, Val etc) out of the box and maybe that will get me out of my builder's block that I seem to suffer with. I would'nt expect any pics until later in the year when I may have more time to devote to one of these kits. Take care, Jon - A Pox upon the "Builder's Block"!
Posted by Matty
on October 15, 2009, 14:25:11, in reply to "Re: How's it goin', Jonnie!"
4.254.132.236Thanks for updating me - I know you told me all that before. (Guess I have "listeners block"! ) But if your Yamato is "in pieces", why did it fall off your List - you didn't completely give up on it??! (In best DeForrest Kelly accent Dammit Jon, you can't just walk away from it!
And consider this, buddy: any realistic estimation of my list would clearly bet against me finishing all those builds. But does that keep me from believing I will - NO it does not! Call it "The Audacity of Delusion" (and people can vote me in, as President)!
Seriously though, IIRC you cast some mighty fine resin turrets for that build. Show us some pics of the whole pile, in the "graving dock", Jonnie, and let's see if we can't kibbitz you out of the dreaded Builder's Block.
Because (to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson): ModelFleet doth Swear Eternal Hostility to the Tyranny of Builder's Block!
Cheers,
-Matty - We'll see what happens
Posted by Jon Ryckert on October 15, 2009, 19:23:45, in reply to "A Pox upon the "Builder's Block"!"
174.42.195.182I guess I just lost interest in the Yamato. To many things wrong with the kit and to fix them all would take me forever. I'd better add that that the kit was the Nichimo 1/200. Anyways, there are new kits out now that have interested me more like the Arizona, Akagi and Bismarck. BTW, my girlfreind and I (25% me and 75% her) have decided that the Bismarck should the first one finished and that is because I have everything to finish the kit and it's the furthest along. She also thinks that the 'baltic camo' looks better than the dark gray of the Arizona. I'll get something done someday Matt. Right now with starting a business that's only three years old requires more time than my hobby. I'll keep you posted though buddy. Jon - That's a Deal, Jonnie!
Posted by Matty
on October 16, 2009, 7:09:06, in reply to "We'll see what happens"
4.254.128.163That's about as good an excuse - and blievable explanation - as I could imagine. If our (so-called) leaders offered anything near as good, I might again consider believing a Single Word they say!
Meantime, you sound pretty fortunate to have a girlfriend who's actually interested in your builds (and of course it's "75% her" - otherwise she wouldn't be a girlfriend!). I quite agree with her about DKM Baltic camo vs MS1.
Years ago I had a girl friend (not "girlfriend") who was enthusiastic about my ship models. All the guys on-line said she was feigning interest, trying to "get into my pants". I wasn't sure, but thought: "Well, if so, good for her - now she gets a taste of what men have to do, 24/7"; going shopping; to a Chick Flick; The Theater; Opera, etc.. There was only One Problem: she was Ugly as Sin - she did not get into "Uncle Matty's" pants (though many who've met me have advised I really shouldn't be picky ) - and she got pissed!
So, the guys proved to be right, and again I say: Good for Her; Welcome to the Real World! For, (paraphrasing from The Bible), it Profitteth a Woman Nothing to gain some (Bouncy-Bouncy) if she Loseth her Sincerity!
And I have no idea why I just told that story (again).
Definitely do stay in touch, Jonnie!
Cheers,
-Matty
