The Ship Model Forum

What color(s) were the gas cylinders painted on the Iowas? I'm building both the modern New Jersey and the WWII Missouri, so if the colors varied from then to now, I would appreciate knowing that as well.

The GMM photo etch instruction sheet for the Modern New Jersey calls for red and/or orange cylinders. I have also seen them painted green.

As usual, thanks in advance!

Charlie L.

Well, now I've moved on to rigging the New Jersey. A new task for me.

How do the experienced folks attach the rigging? Do you simply tack it in place with glue? Do you wrap it around the attachment point?

Also, on a 1/350 model, what color do you paint the lines?

I hope this makes sense and I thank you in advance for your replies.

Charlie L.

There were several different sets of markings applied to the helo pad area of the USS New Jersey over the years.

It appears that the markings in the black and white photo of the New Jersey on Page 7 of this forum are the latest that were used? (There are two white lines extending in a "V" from the helo pad into the non-skid area (as Tony describes it) towards the bow.)

If anyone has confirmation of this, or of other markings that were used prior to her last decommissioning, I would appreciate a description.

Once again, thanks everyone for replies in advance.

Regards,

Charlie L.

Which marking do you plan on doing? Or perhaps the question should be, What time period are you wanting to do her in?

As for rigging colour, the ones used for hoisting the signal flags appear to be light grey or white: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/016224z.jpg

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Hi Guys,
Charlie,
I was waiting to see another person post an answer to your first of the last two queries; the gas cylinders and their colors. The O2 was always green, and the acetylene is either black or red. This question has been asked before, but that was a while ago. I am pretty sure about this answer being accurate. I have not seen cylinders on the modernized Iowas' though.
Regarding rigging:
I have used sprue and fishing line, but other modelers' have used other things like fine wire or thread.
The sprue has never let me down, because you can attach it to another plastic part with liquid plastic cement, and using a small amount of heat applied "just so" will take away the "slack". Stretching sprue to a consistent thickness is another matter.
Using fishing line has worked well for me, but it has reacted to temperature greater by sagging or tightening up. Sagging is annoying, but thightening up can cause yards to "tweak out". This has happened to me once, and I think it cost me a contest. I like using the fishing line, or, "monofilament", best, as it is available in very thin sizes and applies well with tweezers and super glue. It too tightens up with a little heat applied once in place. "A little heat", would be something like a toothpick lit afire on one end and blown out, but still glowing red. Get within a quarter of an inch of the line segment to be tightened and the, "tightening up", process is easily visible.
The attachment is usually done with some anchor point on the yard and this would be nothing more than a tangent perpendcular type of attachment. Sorry, that is how I would best describe it. Lay the sprue or monofilament or wire or whatever across a yard and apply a drop of glue, (whichever the correct type of glue would be), and let dry. Attachment at the other end would be in the same manner..non-conspicous location if possible. For the flag bags, I attached 4 equidistant spaced pre-cut, (extra long pieces), line segments to a piece of scrap p/e flat sheet stock before attaching this, "block", to the back of the flag bag boxes. Then, I would attach one line segment at a time the wires going up to the yards. The extra length of each line segment will be trimmed away with, "corner cutting type", nail clippers. Also for the line segments attached to the flag bag boxes, these were painted tan..like rope. All of the other rigging I painted grey or black.
Hope this helps, Tony Bunch
Happy New Year

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I am in the planning stages of the Tamiya 1/350th WWII Missouri. I am trying to add as many of the ladders in PE that can be normally seen on the ship. In Stillwell's book on page 408, there is a drawing which details the starboard ladder arrangement on the 40 mm gun banks (facing toward the centerline of the ship). In Sumrall's Iowa Class Battleships, some of these ladders can be seen on the color pages (4th page of Iowa blowing smoke) and also the NJ on page 102. I have also seen these ladders on large scale models at museums but the arrangement always seems to be different. Does anyone have photos or drawings other than those I mentioned which show the Missouri's ladder arrangement on both sides? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Guys,
Seeling,
I have used the Stillwell Missouri book quite extensively, and I have referred to the drawings in the back quite a few times, (for the current 1/350 WWII Missouri I'm building and for a 1/700 Missouri I converted from a Tamiya 1/700 New Jersey not too terribly long ago). Needless to say, this book in INVALUABLE!
You mentioned pp408, " inboard side of stbd 40mm bank", and this is the drawing I used. I can't honestly remember, but I think that I, "mirrored", the stbd side for the port side. I may have done something different because I spent plenty of time with books and pics.....and I asked plenty of questions.............right here! That was a couple of years ago....and my Missouri STILL IS NOT FINISHED!! My deadline is summer, 2007.
Here are some pics taken throughout the progress of my Missouri build focusing on "said" area of the ship.




I just could not leave this area of the ship alone! Sounds like you have the same, "problem" .
I also have soem pics of the "cage" antennae, but I have not yet started to build them.
faithfully submitted, Tony %20 Bunch
Iowa Class Fan

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Tony, how is the L'arsenal resin foredeck? I want to max out with the aftermarket here and I need to know what I can get, and how the quality is, that way I don't waste my money. Any insights on other aftermarket stuff I'm gonna need to use?

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ModelWarships Gallery Page
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The L'Arsenal foredeck is great! Mark Deakin used one also. I got mine too late to use the whole thing, so I removed the major above deck surface items that were needed. Jacques kept telling me to replace the entire deck piece, but I was already too far along and would have done more harm than good. As it turned out, I was lucky and I got to see all of the L'Arsenal foredeck benefits anyway.
Hang on a tick.............here you go....


Here's the foredeck on my Mo after installing the resin bits after being carefully removed form the L'Arsenal foredeck shown above...


Here's the painted foredeck........


The mo looks pretty much like this today...sitting quietly in my closet.

Well, here is a more recent pic...

faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch

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Hi,

I’m currently building 1/700 USS New Jersey using Tamiya model.
1/700 Iowa Class upgrade set from JAG already arrived and includes high detail 8x ABL, 6x 5-inch / 38 Turrets and 4x CIWS.
I will not use JAG CIWS, since Tamiya CIWS included in the model are more detailed.

I’ll use JAG 5-inch / 38 Turrets with Tamiya gun barrels included in the kit, as well as JAG ABL's.

However I also have 1/700 Trumpeter USS New Jersey sets that includes all guns, turrets, ABL, CIWS, 5-inch / 38 Turrets, gun directors and of course the 16-inch / 50 caliber guns and Turrets.

5-inch / 38 Turrets and barrels:
Regarding the dimensions and shapes of Tamiya, JAG and Trumpeter sets, they are all different!
I’ll use JAG set because it’s very well detailed.

Gun directors for 5-inch / 38 Turrets:
I only have Tamiya and Trumpeter sets to compare, and they are different in shape and dimensions.
So which set should I use?

16-inch / 50 caliber guns and Turrets:
I only have Tamiya and Trumpeter sets to compare, and they are different in shape and dimensions.
Trumpeter turrets are much more detailed and larger than Tamiya.
Trumpeter gun Barrels are also bigger than Tamiya gun Barrels.
So which set should I use?

Thanks in advance.
Ayala Botto
Lisbon, Portugal

Hi Abram,

as Tony says 1 installed L'Arsenal foredeck

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Mark-Deakin/IMG_1367send.jpg

And the fit is as good as the Tamiya foredeck, but the detail is much better,

Regards,
Mark D.

Tony, thanks for the GREAT and timely shots of the 40mm island structure!! I am EXACTLY there in my construction and these shots are a great help!!!! One question. In the same drawing that Seeling mentions, found on page 408 in Stillwell's book, there are indications of hatches both forward and aft in the center, raised 40mm platform, and the plans done by the NNSY in 1950 (the ones in the 17 Panel .pdf file you referenced) also show the symbol for a swinging hatch in the plan view there. Is that right?

Also, did you wind up putting in bulkheads (i.e. "walls") on the inside of the main passage way that is immediately aft of the forward stack? Even though they are just about impossible to see, not only did I put in the bulkheads, but I also put in the hatches. Is that obsessive or what?!?!?!

Tom

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Tom Hathaway

Hi Guys,
Ayalla,
I used the Tamiya main battery gun directors, not the Pit-Road/Trumpeter ones. Too much about the Trumpeter modern Iowa is wrong. My opinion. Until the Tamiya New Jersey, the Trumpeter kit was good enough.
I will be using JAG's 16"50 turrets..oh yes!
You are right, both the Tamiya and Trumpeter main battery turrets are different and incorrect. I don't remember which was incorrect about each turret and why. Something about the cross section dimensions being symmetrical and the other..not. I almost used the Trumpeter turrets instead of the Tamiya ones on my 1/700 New Jersey-Missouri conversion, and then came...JAG!
Clipper brass barrels, and drill through the face of JAG's turrets. Takes time, but worth it! I will be using Nuttal's brass barrels this time, and his 1/700 5"54's for my DDG co-display ship.
Got to go save a friend..be back later.
Thomas,
What took you so long! This is a great thread...the best!
Tony

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Hi Guys,
Tom,
I added a hatch wherever I could, and I used all of the drawings in both the Stilwell book and the Summrall book.
Still........I did not always find the correct hatch where there was one. So, I started studying more models and more models...more books and more books...drawings.
Wanna talk obsession? Check this out...

I'll be getting back to the 1/350 Missouri soon.
All of those inclined ladders...whew!
You guys are awesome!
faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch

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Hi Guys,
Thomas,
Here are some pics of BB64 and I think that they are around the Desert Storm Era, (one clue is the RPV antennae). Unfortunately, the Missouri was the only Iowa Class DS veteran with the darkened hull numbers.





faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch

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hey tony!

RPV antennae..not quite sure what this is??

just engraved the deck to have the right amount of wood planking..

what i know up to now to scratchbuild is:

1) some plastic sheet on the 16 and 5 inch turrets
2) closing the structure that is called admiralsbridge on german warships
3) i think those small platforms in front of the 5 inch turrets that had .50 cal machine guns
4) the dark "boxes" in front of this structure
5) the small crane which is shown in the gmm pe instruction

and some minor things on the superstructure.

i`ll use the gmm pe and i play with the idea to light the thing up and to let it fire a tomahawk..even have a nice idea to light the firing tomahawk!

..but let`s see how far i go

regards the iowa fan thomas

RPV (remotely piloted vehicle)
They are the globes, (1) aft stack (2)foward fire control tower- 09 level just above the primary conning station. Chad

Hi Guys,
Thomas,
The "black boxes", that you referred to are the life raft baskets. On most modern USN ships they are encapsulated, but on the Iowas' they were in baskets, (like many USN ships from the 60's forward). There were more than one kind of life raft baskets at the same time, but that's all I can say without doing more research. Suffice it to say; the Iowa's had the life raft baskets that were not encapsulated, and they looked like black, "boxes".

Here are some of these life raft baskets that come with JAG's CGN-9 Long Beach. They are the multiples of "squares", on the flat sheet near the hull of LB.


Here they are in place on Missouri, Desert Storm

I ordered these separate from JAG, and I will be ordering more for my current New Jersey project. Good people at JAG! I'd also recommend their 16" turrets!

Here is a picture of the upper fire control tower enclosed structure that Trumpeter leaves open on top. Trumpeter's is the wrong shape, (according to the scale drawings in the Stillwell book). I scratch built this part of Missouri, as the New Jersey kit by Tamiya is different in this area. The New Jersey was unique in this area.

If you don't want to hear about all of the Trumpeter kits' foibles, then I'll refrain any further. I know, this is supposed to be fun , but it's hard not to share what I've learned...sometimes.

The "crane" you referred to is the starboard side unrep station, ( I assume). If you follow the GMM instructions and use all of the p/e provided and follow the scratch-build instructions...this part of the ship comes alive!
Have you seen the BB64's main deck and its' individuality? Just, go back a few pages on this thread .
faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch

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me again:

tony,

1) yeah thpught the where life baskets but wasn`t sure..they shouldn`t be too hard to do from plastic and a piece of flight deck netting on the sides!

2) saw this picture before..very nice work..i know that nj is different ( finished her just a few days ago)..not sure now if i completely rebuild this area or i just detail what comes with the kit!

3) i`d be happy to know anything i could correct on the trumpy kit!

because i`m a student and don`t have that much money i try to do as much myself as i can..without buying many resin parts..and i won`t buy a tamiya kit and throw the trumpeter one away..

4) no don`t mean the underway replenishment crane...(yeah looks really nice with all this pe) i mean what is correctly called derrick on the gmm instruction on the portside!

5) yeah..always read this thread..therefore i rescribed the main deck to have the right amount of wooden deck..a pity that all modern iowas come with the same incorrect one from the new jersey!

greetz thomas

Hi Guys,
Thomas,
You are correct! I forgot all about the crane on the port side.
Once again, if you use GMM's instructions to the fullest, (which I did not....), this area of the ship is greatly... enhanced!

Offer;
If you'd like, I will ask JAG for 2x on the life raft baskets. Otherwise, I won't need this many, as I don't have another 1/700 Iowa class planned.
Sad, but true.....but I do have a 1/350 one waiting to be finished!!

Highly recommend...JAG's Iowa Upgrade set and 16"50 turrets. We're talkin'......16 dollars! WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!!!
I agree with Ayalla, the Tamiya CIWS are exquisite! The JAG ones have a little more surface detail, so it's a toss up.
Also, the Tamiya Harpoon's are exquisite!
The 5" directors by Tamiya are wrong, but if you want to add on the cupola, then they are correct, (something I forgot to change on my Missouri)...note to self....take notes!

Offer;
I'll send you the unused CIWS, as they are infinitely better than the Trumpeter ones.

Between JAG and GMM, you have enhanced your model greatly.
faithfully submitted, Tony B

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"Some of my dearest friends I have made right here on Modelwarships"