Posted by Matty on February 22, 2010, 1:00:33 Message modified by board administrator February 22, 2010, 8:43:17
God Help Me, but I started yet another build last weekend - or more precisely, began developing some components for future ones:
Click on Image to Enlarge
It began with a long-held desire to remedy the major shortcoming of the Lindberg 500-something Riley DE (aka Rudderow, Daniel Joy and probably others) - which otherwise has some decent features, as well appreciated by, for instance, Johnny Bange, before he suddenly got old (just kiddin' ya, John)! But its hull - typically Lindberg (and mimicked almost identically in the larger, 300-scale version) - while not quite flat-bottomed, is still rather too square at the turn of the bilge, as well as lacking completely in sheer, or upsweep, of the main deck. Which together are pretty much the only features really detracting from its resemblance to (any class of) a USN DE.
Both of which problems I realized could be corrected in a one-piece, replacement hull:
Click on Image to Enlarge
After removal of the forward superstructure from the Lindberg deck (left), permitting the latter to bow freely - and after re-strengthening with some (white) plasticard - its ends were mated to a resin prototype USN DD hull (bottom inset), of which I had cloned several from an earliery bash of the Aurora 1/500 Bennion (Fletcher class) hull, above the waterline, and an Airfix 1/600 Rommel (Charles F. Adams class) hull, below. Heated in some boiling water, the hull was easily and near-perfectly form-fitted, at both bow and stern, to both the fore- (left) and after (right) ends of the Lindberg deck, respectively. (Note, at left, I also removed the fairly decent Lindberg torpedo tubes - which you will almost certainly see make a re-appearance in future work.)
Essentially all that then remained was to apply a bit of "midriff liposuction" to remove excess length from directly amidships:
Click on Image to Enlarge
A chop-and-stitch operation that proceeded so straightforwardly and efficiently that I failed even to snap a picture of it, before already re-painting it (top), in the "first-pass" inspection of resurfacing to hide the seams! Damn close to finished, in one step - and this is really the nice thing about 500-scale, particularly for little vessels like the DE. Pressing the deck down into this hull (middle) seats it while inducing a far more accurate sheer in it - which, together with the more gracile hull contours, makes immediately for something a helluva lot more resembling a DE than the original Lindberg (bottom), which is altogether just too square- and straight-looking - rather more like a huge LST, or perhaps a tiny LSD.
The difference is yet more noticeable with the superstructure temporarily (re-)fitted:
At top, USN DE - at bottom, flatbed truck! Or, more precisely, at bottom, toy, and at top, model.
The only fly possibly remaining in the ointment is the Lindberg superstructure - which now does not sit flush on the curving deck - and, if not removed from the OOB deck part every time (which is a fair amount of work), my render the latter too stiff to seat properly into this new hull. So it seems I may have to make copies of this modified deck, too.
Which could deliver another benefit, as well:
Click on Image to Enlarge
Because, in addition to the 'way overdone weld lines on their deck part (as well as their hull, above) Lindberg seems initially to have fallen afoul of the same confusion plaguing Revell's 240-scale 4-stacker: thinking that these escorts had planked decks (bottom enlargement). It appears that, before the weld lines were added, someone(s) failed to completely remove some very fine-ruled (a la Airfix) planking depiction - or perhaps this was just an artifact of some crude machining of the original surface - but in any case, a replacement deck could lose all this crap - the ruled lines, weld seams and, along with them, the cheesy, molded-in anchor chain as well.
Considering finally that my remaining DD hulls will also need some fitted decks - which could be easily produced by splicing midships (straight) extensions into clones of this one - I am pretty well decided to go ahead and mold it, too, right along with the new DE hull.
So, prepare to see some DEs and DDs, using the above upgrades, taking shape at the yards, in the not-too-distant future...
Bobby, it's not your job to do what I do. Your job is to do what you do - and then to send me pics of it!
And, of course, to be a general Wise-A**.
At the latter of which tasks you are currently over-achieving, and the former, under-achieving. Now, send me some pic(s) of some Old Iron WarHorse(s) - maybe USS Oregon, or Tsarevitch, or Seydlitz or something - and I'll post 'em.
I get that way at times where I come across a kit that I lusted after as a child but could never afford and although it's badly molded, inaccurate, I'll buy it anyway and do it. The build process then becomes - for me, anyway - a trip back through time.
The Revell Essex Class carriers back in my day, were at the top of the food chain as far as ship kits went. Even kids who didn't build models wanted one! I like building old kits to see how far modelling has come and also to sometimes prove that the newer kits aren't always better.
Nice work Matt! That does make a huge difference in the model's appearance. I've always taken the easy way out and waterlined the offending kit - as usual you inspire us all to just go for it! Kevin
I appreciate the compliment - and that's exactly why I post those things, as I enjoy seeing others pull a rabbit out of the hat, too - just like you.
Plus, in this particular case, a tiny 500-scale build should give me about the best possible crack at my own personal dysfunction of not finishing a model: you can't get much smaller than a Destroyer Escort (although Hawk does make an even tinier, 1/600-scale LST, and Coast Guard Cutter)!
Definately a "feature" on every Lindy ship I've ever seen. My method for clearing Hood's planking was merely to sand the whole deck down and cover it with Evergreen.
And yes, they have been apparent - offensively so - on the deck of every Lindberg kit I've ever opened, except one: the LST. And that was the one which actually could have used those plating lines - which I ended up having to put in, using the heavy paint-layering trick!