BB 64 Wisconsin

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wjbrandel

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Earlier this week I started work on the BB 64 Wisconsin from Atlantis models and I have to say that I'm not impressed. When I opened the box I thought "alright, a nice fast build, good details to paint." However reality, like it does, reared its head and now I just finished the superstructure for the ship and I have never seen more gaps that need to filled and sanded in my life on such a simple model!

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This wa the worst offender, the gap on the front and rear were about a millimeter each.

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The rest of the model isn't bad (as far as I can tell), but it certainly isn't the fast build I was looking forward to.

Ok grumpy rant over :). Here are some more pictures.

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Going to be laying some paint down on it this weekend (no plans, nothing to do. First time in about 3 months :D.)The pile of plastic in the background are all of the guns and the superstructure. The planes I've already assembled and I have them stored in the box for now.

Paint and final assembly is next (although I do need to cut some plasticard for interior supports).
 
Ok I went to airbrush my model today and discovered that my airbrush went kaput on me, nothing but spitting and sputtering. Cleaned it completely and tried it again nothing but a lot of blowback.

After 6 years and heavy use I can't say I'm surprised it was only about $15 when I bought it. So I ordered another airbrush (I upgraded) and decided to hand brush the model.

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Still a lot of detail painting to do but I've got the main colors laid down, for the hull I've got it masked off to paint the hull red. I don't feel that the deck looks quite right but I'm pleased with it.
 
If I'm not mistaken, that is the old (1955?) Revell Missouri, which Revell reboxed as each of the Iowas, over the years. It was one of Revell's first ship kits. It reflects the technology and expectations of its time. Atlantis lists it as 1/665 scale, though, whereas Revell listed the kit at 1/535. So I may be mistaken about Revel, but I still suspect one of Revell's contemporaries, like Renwal, as the originator.

Atlantis acquired many of the Revell and Monogram molds when the parent company at the time, HobbiCo, when bankrupt, back in 2014 or so. You can look at Scalemates for more precise dates; I'm going off the top of my head. Atlantis also has mold catalogs from other classic companies and reissues them today.

So, it's more of a nostalgia build, than anything, though there's certainly no reason to add more detail as you like, of course.
 
OK, I have a followup...looking at Atlantis' website, I see they have an Iowa kit, too, and listed at 1/535. That one has got to be the Revell kit. This one must come from a different maker, but I still think it's a contemporary of Revell's kit and dates back to those first plastic model-building kids in the late 50s.
 
the Baron said:
OK, I have a followup...looking at Atlantis' website, I see they have an Iowa kit, too, and listed at 1/535. That one has got to be the Revell kit. This one must come from a different maker, but I still think it's a contemporary of Revell's kit and dates back to those first plastic model-building kids in the late 50s.
Click to expand...
Nice to know about that. They should have been reworked with the gaps I encountered.
 
I got the model finished.

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I also found an interesting story while I was researching the USS Wisconsin. I don't know if the whole thing is true but I like the story.

Temper, Temper
On March 15, 1952, while operating off the coast of Korea, the USS Wisconsin received its first and only direct hit from a North Korean 155mm gun battery.
The shell struck the shield of a starboard-side twin 40mm gun mount, causing minor damage to the ship and injuring three sailors, but no fatalities.
In response to this attack, the crew of the USS Wisconsin, fueled by anger and a desire for retribution, returned fire with all nine of their Mark 7 16-inch guns.

The firepower of these guns was enormous, each capable of firing a 2,700-pound armor-piercing shell over 20 miles. This salvo obliterated the North Korean gun battery that had hit them.
Following this powerful response, a ship escorting the Wisconsin, the USS Duncan, humorously signaled to the Wisconsin with the message "Temper, Temper," acknowledging the Wisconsin's overwhelming response to the attack.

I found the story on navalhistoria.com
 
Looks good!

I love those quick out of the box builds. I really should do them more often and not worry about adding lighting or using upgrade kits etc... since I never get them done
 
wjbrandel said:
I got the model finished.

View attachment 117140

View attachment 117141

View attachment 117142

View attachment 117143

I also found an interesting story while I was researching the USS Wisconsin. I don't know if the whole thing is true but I like the story.

Temper, Temper
On March 15, 1952, while operating off the coast of Korea, the USS Wisconsin received its first and only direct hit from a North Korean 155mm gun battery.
The shell struck the shield of a starboard-side twin 40mm gun mount, causing minor damage to the ship and injuring three sailors, but no fatalities.
In response to this attack, the crew of the USS Wisconsin, fueled by anger and a desire for retribution, returned fire with all nine of their Mark 7 16-inch guns.

The firepower of these guns was enormous, each capable of firing a 2,700-pound armor-piercing shell over 20 miles. This salvo obliterated the North Korean gun battery that had hit them.
Following this powerful response, a ship escorting the Wisconsin, the USS Duncan, humorously signaled to the Wisconsin with the message "Temper, Temper," acknowledging the Wisconsin's overwhelming response to the attack.

I found the story on navalhistoria.com
Click to expand...
Those battleships had amazing firepower. 16" guns were extremely effective
 
Nice finish! Even for the level of quality of its time, you got a nice model.

Speaking of the Wisconsin and her history, wasn't it she who damaged her bow in a collision, and was repaired with the bow from one of the unfinished Iowas, the Kentucky, I think it was?
 
the Baron said:
Nice finish! Even for the level of quality of its time, you got a nice model.

Speaking of the Wisconsin and her history, wasn't it she who damaged her bow in a collision, and was repaired with the bow from one of the unfinished Iowas, the Kentucky, I think it was?
Click to expand...
Yes it was. After that she was called Wisky. I just don't recall what she collided with to cause the damage
 
I did the Revell USS Missouri kit during the pandemic. I really want to find the old vintage Revell ship kits from the 70s; especially the aircraft carriers like Saratoga, Kitty Hawk, Nimitz, Enterprise, Indepedence…
 
I'll be starting on my Trupeter 1/350 BB-35 USS Texas next week. It looks very daunting.
I cannot recall ever building a battleship.
 
wjbrandel said:
I got the model finished.

View attachment 117140

View attachment 117141

View attachment 117142

View attachment 117143

I also found an interesting story while I was researching the USS Wisconsin. I don't know if the whole thing is true but I like the story.

Temper, Temper
On March 15, 1952, while operating off the coast of Korea, the USS Wisconsin received its first and only direct hit from a North Korean 155mm gun battery.
The shell struck the shield of a starboard-side twin 40mm gun mount, causing minor damage to the ship and injuring three sailors, but no fatalities.
In response to this attack, the crew of the USS Wisconsin, fueled by anger and a desire for retribution, returned fire with all nine of their Mark 7 16-inch guns.

The firepower of these guns was enormous, each capable of firing a 2,700-pound armor-piercing shell over 20 miles. This salvo obliterated the North Korean gun battery that had hit them.
Following this powerful response, a ship escorting the Wisconsin, the USS Duncan, humorously signaled to the Wisconsin with the message "Temper, Temper," acknowledging the Wisconsin's overwhelming response to the attack.

I found the story on navalhistoria.com
Click to expand...
Looks really good. I like how you kept the waterline all black and not the hard red I've seen people do.
I plan to do the same on the Texas.

424560658_10220178838900466_1094790877885861670_n-1.jpg
 
GaryG64 said:
I'll be starting on my Trupeter 1/350 BB-35 USS Texas next week. It looks very daunting.
I cannot recall ever building a battleship.
Click to expand...

That is another battleship I want to build. But it will wait, I need to find one for a reasonable price the last one I saw was close to $200. Don't remember the manufacturer.
 
wjbrandel said:
That is another battleship I want to build. But it will wait, I need to find one for a reasonable price the last one I saw was close to $200. Don't remember the manufacturer.
Click to expand...
I found it on amazon for $88. With tax, title, & license it came to $96. (Trumpeter).

I thought about painting her in European Theater grey, but I might paint it in the darker blue grey for the Pacific Theater.
 

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