Posted by Matty on January 4, 2014, 16:52:39 Edited by board administrator January 6, 2014, 14:01:15
--Originally Posted 1/4/14--
After recently completing my Casimir Pulaski, it seemed a good idea - maybe to adopt permanently, from now on - to refit one of my older builds in between the completion of each new project. For which refitting, a truly prime candidate is my by now (almost exactly) decade-old Gambier Bay CVE-73:
"Scratch-bashed" (see below) in 1:500-ish scale, she still looks (at least, from some angles) pretty good - at least, from about 4 feet away (and growing ). However, in the decade-plus since I resumed modelling as an adult, my capabilities to improve upon what you see here, have grown by (at least) an order of magnitude: both in terms of construction/finishing, as well as bird-dogging accurate references, in the first place. (The latter due in no small part to growth of the Internet over the same 10-15 years - with still with no end in sight.) Meanwhile, over the same decade these, earliest of my "adult renaissance" builds, have suffered the inevitable ravages of time - including several moves - added to the typical mishaps, in general.
Thus, by now virtually all could use some sort of upgrade, ranging from simple detail-replacement - with perhaps some correction/freshening-up of the paint job - all the way through major reconstructive surgery, followed by complete refinishing, from there. The latter is definitely closer to what is now needed by my Gambier Bay - a ship for which no affordable replacement (not in this scale, anyway), neither OOB nor by way of conversion(s) - exist(s) as an alternative, even today. (Indeed, at- and around 500-scale, the only Gambier Bay available AFAIK is the $200-plus - though, admittedly, apparently excellent, artisanal-quality - resin kit by Aki, in true 1:500.) Thus, refitting my home-grown confection remains the best option - one for which it just so happens (not at all coincidentally) that I produce nearly all the upgrade detail-parts required (see below).
However by rights she could use far more than just detail-upgrades:
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Firstly of course there is the outright damage: the mast, at left (bottom, foreground) and a prop, at right (top), knocked off from mishaps not at all helped by the ridiculous choice of "display stand" - pilfered, IIRC, from the Dragon 1:700 LHA - which should more accurately be thought a "Display Teeter-Totter"! But, for its part, the mast - though a good effort from my "pre-multi-media, styrene-only" days - should by rights today be re-done - so much better, mostly (if not entirely) in PE, anyway.
In any case, the above will be the least of it: note the flight deck, at left (top), had become bowed (hogged) from amidships, going aft, due to insufficient attachment/anchoring there - as revealed at right - after enduring chronic high-heat and humidity, over the years. Worse yet: the keel (middle), incompletely filled/finished, to begin with, is progressively inaccurate towards the fantail (top), where each prop-shaft should be sheathed in a heavy tube, atop a lightweight skeg - and the keel extended in a short, stubby skeg of its own. These were direct results of insufficient references - indeed, the hull at large, bashed from the Imex (freighter) Trinidad, had been pinched too narrow for the length (and flight-deck, etc.) - such that, while its average scale is a creditable 1:488, the LOA (13.5") actually scales out to 1:455.3, while the beam (maximum, WL =1.5") scales to 1:521.
Then too, of course virtually all her details - made under the double-handicap of insufficient spares and (especially) references - are by today profoundly (embarrassingly!) in need of replacement/upgrade:
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At far-left, the "Avengers" (top) compete with the "Twin-40mms" (foreground) for the status of Most Offensive to the eye. The remedy for the former being Matt Stein Models' Avengers, seen at center-left chasing the originals - bashed from Revell (Hornet CV-8) B-25s and, with their high wings in fact looking more like AF Guardians - off the deck amidships (top) and forward (bottom). And, at center-right, the virtually unrecognizeable twin-AAs - bashed originally from turreted Revell RN (bottom-left) and DKM (bottom right) twin medium-AAs - will be replaced by actual Open-Mount Twin-40mms, as shown. These bashed from Matty's Models' Shielded Quad-40mms (purple, at top), whose barrels (top-right), and/or carriages (top-left) are damaged/flawed on one side, yet still good on the other, permitting a twin-40mm to be carved out. Both the above will be undersized (for 1:455 scale): the (500-scale) Avengers by -8.9%, and the (1:550) Twin-40s by -17.2% - however the above pics clearly indicate the improvements will far outweigh any size differences - if even noticeable.
No doubt the above will only further highlight the offensive thickness/crudity of the gun tubs, and other splinter-shielding - particularly the curving sections abaft the island (far-left) - which virtually scream for replacement with something(s) finer/more scale-accurate - for which again, at far-right Matty's Models has (prototype) gun tubs in both larger-(top-left) and smaller (top-right) sizes.
Plus, Matt Stein Models (again, prototype-) USN Rectangular-Type Life Rafts (bottom), are among yet further upgrades:
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At far-left (top) is a glimpse of one of the original life rafts, as chopped from nested-stacks of rafts in the Revell 1:490 Yorktown (CV-5) mold - to be replaced, as well as their numbers increased - with the above Matty's Models parts. Likewise for the scratchbuilt "WildCats", looking sometimes vaguely like HellCats punched in the nose - at other times like cartoon caricatures of the aircraft intended - for which the Matt Stein Models replacement (center-right), again in 1:500 scale, can be expected (particularly combined with the above Avengers, etc.) to utterly transform the flight deck. A transformation which PE propellers (not shown) will only enhance - as likewise will PE shields (not shown) for the 20mm guns, which currently resemble pairs of StoneHenge Megaliths, clutching Lincoln-Logs.
But the single thing most (embarassingly, offensively) desperately needing replacement must surely be the fantail "Single-5inch Open-Mount" (center-left, bottom) - scarcely resembling the intended (or any actual) weapon - in fact, being scaled closer to an 8-incher! Just as for the above Twin-40s, this unit can be replaced with a Matty's Models Single-5in Open-Mount, as at far-right - again, in 550-scale to be somewhat undersized, but with the tradeoff well worth it (even more-so). Finally, the decal flight deck "73"s (center-left, at top), "scratch-bashed" from insufficient decal-spares to begin with, have yellowed strongly and are easily replaced with new, far more accurate ones, e.g., from Gold Medal Models.
Thus, a very effective refit of my Gambier Bay is emminently do-able - with all the required materials already at hand:
So we are already rolling, for takeoff…
Cheers,
- Matty
10/25/14: Well, I Really DID Try...
Posted by Matty on October 25, 2014, 19:48:53, in reply to "Finish One, FIX One: GAMBIER BAY Refit" Edited by board administrator October 25, 2014, 20:50:11
I really did try to finish in time for today - the 70th anniversary of her sinking off Samar, Philippines - but clearly, I remain severely afflicted with Advanced Modeller Syndrome (AMS) - specifically, in this case, affecting my "sprucing up" the hull:
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Ending up a complete reworking of the hull-sides - adding the recessed hangar double-doors, ventilation ports/grates as well as reworked 20mm tubs (yellow) and accurized mid-height catwalks and sponsons - to burn up the last of the fast-vanishing hours before deadline. Admittedly though, now she looks beautiful (bottom), IMHO - 1000% better than before (unlike my web-host's sh** image-compression, which plays hell with the subtle shades of surface-checking white).
The above was already on top of extensive additon of girders (purple) under the flight-deck overhang:
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These resin girder-strips (left, esp. at bottom) were molded for essentially unlimited casting, from masters of joined Heller 400-scale railings - the latter otherwise pretty useless as intended - but here, with some paint (center, at top) becoming pretty convincing, IMHO. Just so long as you don't know exactly what they're supposed to look like - as at right (after you finish gawking at the tripped-overboard Turkey...). Note the horizontal - not lengthwise - actual arrangement of the girders: I should've joined the Heller railings in the other direction - though this (in future builds) is easily corrected, using the (numerous) castings now obtained.
Note also a whole further level of details - smaller girders under the gun tubs, outboard piping and stacked UNREP hoses - only the latter of which are currently slated for addition. Indeed, except on the Matty's Models parts - including gun tubs (center, at bottom) having interior racks for the 40mm clips - the above level of detail wasn't added nor ever planned for this build. (However - seeing as now I've missed the deadline anyway - we'll see...) In any case, already (AMS-induced) created are fantail girder-detail (center), prop-shafts and skeg (center, at top) and soon-to-be-installed rudder (not shown).
At this point (per the original plan, anyway) only some considerable PE and detail parts remain to be tacked on:
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The mast (top, far-left) admittedly still needs one more small platform - and then will take a fair chunk of the total PE: yardarms, braces, radars and railings. Not shown are a fair pile of 20mms - mostly of PE, but with barrels specially treated and bases of plastic - all still to be done. The sole, Matt Stein Models single-5inch open mount (top, far-right) looks fine, but I am not crazy about the twin-40mms - neither their carriages nor gun-pairs - which just don't look so good in-person: certainly not like they will build up (with PE) as good as the prototype, at top-right. (On the other hand, in these high-mag pics they really don't look bad, so - again, as we're now past the deadline anyway...) I'll take a couple through to completion, and again we'll see.
The Matt Stein Models' latest-version WildCat/FM2s (bottom-left) are guaranteed to finish up excellent, but the latest-prototype Avenger/TBMs (bottom-right) are not entirely satisfactory: with fuselages too slim for the perhaps too-proud canopies, whose framing became flawed and is to be improved, in any case. Already though, these all represent more-than-quantum improvements over the previous aircraft - and anyway can be white-glued on, for easy removal/replacement at any future time better replacements might obtain.
So, as of today, this is how she wound up:
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Here shown with (again, still incomplete) mast dry-fitted, her hull-bottom is painted and flight deck masked, preparatory to breakneck last-minute painting - not at all recommended for a complex 32-15A pattern (!) - which now can wait to be done right. As also many other of the remaining items, mentioned above.
And YES - I admitt it: I HAVE ADVANCED MODELLER SYNDROME - and I missed my deadline - and I just LOVE the improvement in my Gambier Bay's looks. SUE ME!
I love the redone gun positions, and especially the girder work. I also enjoy updating my old "SLEP" kits.
Cheers,
Don
Thanks, Don!
Posted by Matty on October 27, 2014, 9:08:17, in reply to "Stunning work"
Indeed, this is very satisfying - far more than having an old model "go into a landfill", as one blogger recently put it. I'd much rather keep reworking a model from time to time - steadily improving it, forever.
Which, at this rate, is just exactly how long it's going to take...!
Don, if you will send me that pile of SkyWave (including RN) spares we've been talking about, I can include (variations on) some of them in a new round of prototype-molding I'll be doing, soon, buddy.
Cheers,
- Matty
8/15/14: Additions and AIRCRAFT
Posted by Matty on August 17, 2014, 11:53:46, in reply to "Finish One, FIX One: GAMBIER BAY Refit" Edited by board administrator August 19, 2014, 21:54:19
--Originally Posted 8/17/14--
OK, this is what she now looks like on the bench:
Mounted on a temporary wood base, she "tries on for size" some new aircraft (see below). Note the gun tubs are beginning to be reworked/refined: the 40mm tubs being removed completely for replacement, while the rectangular 20mm tubs' walls (yellow plastic) have already been thinned, in-place.
The island has likewise begun to see improvement:
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At top, the starboard side now has some piping and a PE ladder, and the port side, at right, a(n opened) PE door. The gallery splinter shielding, previously very crude just like the 20mm tubs has likewise also been thinned, and a tiny step (white plastic) has been added to the bridge roof, whose "windows" - in actuality a transparent windscreen on the real thing - nevertheless still looks pretty good, IMHO, and I may keep it as a sentimental nod to the original build.
The Grumman TBF Avenger, seeming eager to get into the above picture, brings us to the improved-version Matt Stein Models planes now to be included in this refit - motivated in no small part by an obsession with the following, historic pics:
These shots, taken from a remarkable series of Kitkun Bay, as she frantically launches her (FM-2) WIldCats while, in the background Gambier Bay comes increasingly under heavy shellfire from IJN BBs and CAs which, within minutes would succeed in putting her under, off Samar, Philippines on 10/25/44.
I test/dry-fitted the latest, improved-version Matty's Models Avengers and WildCats - arranged to appear (minus wings-folded, of course) as they would have, at some moment between the above two photos:
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Note the fully molded-in landing gear - the primary improvement in these, latest-versions - which are entirely new for the Avenger, and on the WildCat more accurately splayed-out to have a wider track. The latter also now has a more rounded nose: "splitting the difference" between that of the Grumman F4F and General Motors FM-2 (as at Samar), as well as a smaller canopy, more accurate for either. The Avenger also now has a thicker, more accurate wing-root. And note both planes now have engine crank-cases - on which PE props (not shown) can be mounted directly - as well as (these sub-masters) having thinner profiles: to compensate for the slight, additional height added during casting.
The latter is clearly apparent for the Avengers, in this pic summarizing the build so far:
As always, the above, latest-version Matt Stein Models planes will be in transparent epoxy resin, permitting completion with see-through canopies, as visible here. And likewise with the standard, pre-scribed under-wing fold-lines, for easy conversion to folded-wing depictions, as in the above pics from Samar.
Which, of course, is exactly how I plan to complete this refit:
With any luck, just in time for the 70th anniversary, on this October 25th of the sinking of Gambier Bay during her valiant - and successful - defense of the Leyte Gulf amphibious landing, in the Battle of Samar...
OK I realize it's been months since the last installment on this build, so I will now begin a policy of giving excuse- I mean, updates - on what has been occupying my time, in-between:
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In a word: Matt Stein Models (ok so that's three words*). Not least, work on the protoype "Knuckle-Nose" Hurricane bow for the Revell 540-scale Hornet-II - on which (as its picture implies) the Light at the End of the Tunnel is now in sight. (Don't worry: there will be a detailed update/announcement on this upgrade set - already far more extensive than what you see above - as soon as it's ready.)
Meantime, for my own modelling, I finally managed to resume - and complete some extensive work - on the Gambier Bay refit:
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At left, where we last left off, simultaneous with splitting the keel to expand the beam, I also took the opportunity to re-flatten the flight deck back out, anchoring it firmly this time via girders at its aft end (top), and several blocks under its mid-section (bottom). All of which were additionally reinforced with CA-putty, as shown at center. Note in these pics the entire fringe of the flight deck is secured down (on a perfectly flat board) with (non-stretch) aluminum tape - resulting in elimination of basically all bowing from the re-secured flight deck.
This presented an ideal opportunity also to fill- and extensively shape/refinish the resized keel and hull - particularly including almost the entire fantail - as seen at right. Again, CA putty (light gray) was used extensively and to excellent effect:
Such a beautiful result for the hull of course then put heavy pressure on the remaining features to come up to par:
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At this point I realized (which I'm sure was inevitable) that the refitted build would have to be mounted on a proper brass pedestal, and at top a brass nut to receive one was countersunk into the new keel, flush with its surface. I also felt now compelled to plate-over using plasticard (white), all gaps between the new blocks under the flight-deck. And of course to install the new prop-shafts and rudder. The former a compromise between several discrepant reference drawings: some showing the shafts completely sheathed within heavy skegs, others showing the skegs as lighter-weight plating, more like webbing between shaft tubes and hull, and yet others depicting struts - and ultimately I settled on (having fun with) combining elements of all three. Likewise, the rudder is a compromise required by the fantail, whose (still insufficient) upsweep prohibits a rudder height more than about 2/3 actual - and rather than refit the rudder so squat, I opted simply to downsize it overall.
Notwithstanding any of the above compromises, this refit is well on track - indeed, is already starting - to look miles ahead of the old build from which it started out. Next: beginning on a mass of detailing, which should provide graphic confirmation of (more than) this expectation...
Cheers,
- Matty
BEAM Correction
Posted by Matty on January 5, 2014, 20:33:37, in reply to "Finish One, FIX One: GAMBIER BAY Refit" Edited by board administrator January 6, 2014, 14:41:22
--Originally Posted 1/4/14--
OK, anticipating replacement of practically every detail part - and intending to correct the flight deck by pressing it, upside-down, flat against a board, as well as do a lot of horsing on the hull - I stripped off everything topside, along with anything protruding from the hull:
At top, the hogging of the flight deck is now very apparent, and the total "tonage" of details to be replaced/reworked (bottom, foreground) makes for a substantial pile.
Operation 1 - correcting the keel - then began, actually, with securing the flight deck temporarily but firmly down on a stiff board, while detaching its aft connections to the hull, simultaneously allowing the former to flatten back out, while avoiding further stress, as the beam was expanded:
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After sawing the keel back open, for its whole length except for the extreme ends, the beam was expanded amidships - by 0.2", bringing it to 1:455 scale - by "fishing-in" a styrene block (top, white), with the aid of a temporarily-attached dowel handle. Additional blocks, tapered to fill the rest of the opening, followed - built out aft, to form the keel extension (bottom). The fantail was then tacked back against the flight deck, via girders of Plastruct channel (white), secured under its overhang - themselves greatly stiffening this end of the flight deck.
The seams where I had tapered the hull into the fantail - done very well for back in the day, lacking (any really good) putty - could today be redone far better, and so were scraped bare (bottom), in preparation to accept CA putty:
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OK, so as usual I've had no problem tearing her down, and - though in fact having already fixed her two biggest faults - completely messing up her looks.
Now we will see how quickly - and how much better-looking - I can put her back together...