Well here it is. I still need to weather it lightly but for the most part it's done. I'm planning on taking some better pictures of it outside and then I'll post them in my album in Rail images.
It is a _beautiful_ job. I don't know what all the detail parts are, but they really look great! What exactly is the scale? Not 1:160 exactly?
It's N scale. I zoomed the plans up to scale. I handmade about 99% of it from evergreen styrene sheets and styrene rod.
Wow Bill! I don't know what is more awesome. It's a toss-up between how great it looks and how fast you were able to complete it. I would have had a hard time putting together a factory made kit in the time you built from scratch and it wouldn't have looked as good. Just amazing! Nelson
That is a brilliant piece of modelling. I am curious as to what all the masts/antenna are for, if in fact, that's what they are. Regards, Dave
A truly masterful job. But, do you realize how much better your photos would have been if you had spent a minute or two to clean off the table surface behind the ship? All that visual clutter directly behind the details makes them harder to really appreciate.
NP-GNBill forgot the clutter because he is like me! He gets too excited about marking something off the to-do list!! I certainly know I would...
That clutter is so reassuring to some of the rest of us.....I'd be ashamed to post a photo of where I build stuff, but I rarely have time to put it all away or to get it all out again. I need to be able to sit down and pick up where I left off and go again. I may only have 10-15 minutes total time before I have to jump up and take off. Hopefully retirement will change that. Bill, that ship is awesome! Is it possible that one reason it looks so real is that your method of fabrication from flat and round (or tubular) stock is so close to the way an actual ship is built? There are castings, like the spiders for the turrets and the ring gear and pinon that turn them, but the visible structures of ships are "formed" by and large, not "cast", aren't they? Magnificent!
I think you are right about that LT. Everything is mostly rolled from flat plate on the real thing, and that's really how I did it also. It was a learning experience with this one. The next one will benefit from lessons learned. I'm going to try a different approach to the hull on the Knox class frigate which is next, because there are some things about this one that I didn't like. I thought about cleaning that clutter up before the pictures, but I left it there so I could find stuff I need to finish the last little details It also gives the feeling of a shipyard I'm hoping this weekend to weather it and add crewman to it. I'll also take some better pics of it outside providing the weather here in Eureka cooperates. David, those are all radio ariels on the stacks, bridge, and hanger. I was surprised how many were there after studying the refernce material and plans I have.
What a great job, Bill! You are inspiring me to do better on the next ship! This one is so far beyond my efforts that I'm speechless. You are hereby appointed to the chair of the Jedi committee for building N-scale ships! The padjone (?) has exceeded his teacher--although I didn't teach you anything that you didn't already know. Magnificent job. And in such a short time. Man, I'd love to see what you could do with a long-span bridge!
to cool for words may I ask how long have you been building ships? do you build different models also such as cars/planes? I have trouble putting things together out of a box with plans!
