Uss Porter 1/200

jkrenzer

Member
I decided to take a short break from my Sharnhorst and build the Modelik USS Porter. I have had this kit for a couple years and decided to make it my first public build to this forum.

Anyway, the keel and bulkheads have all been laminated to 1/32" balsa sheet. I do not build the kit as designed. I build the keel as one piece, place each bulkhead into position then place the waterline decks into the assembly. I have found this makes for a very straight hull quickly. Using CA, glue the members together. Finally add the main decks.

I add 3/8 inch wide card stock strips to each former then plate the hull. The hull plating retains decent shape with plenty of glueing surface on the former strips. I use white glue for sheathing the hull.

The build time for the assembly at this point is 6 hrs.
 

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Very cool idea to use the balsa. Nice, clean build to this point.

I have this model too and will be eagerly watching your progress.

Keep up the great work.
 
P

Padre

i built that for my friends father, he was in the aft gun mount when he watched two torpedoes come in and hit the ship. It was damanged and later sunk by the U.S. ships as there was not enough time to save it.
 
jkrenzer:

Very interesting/durable construction technique. In all likelihood, it provides a solid base for a clean hull. You work fast! How do you cut/shape the balsa?

BTW: Are you the modeler who has posted paper models on the Model Warships website? Those are very fine looking models.
 

jkrenzer

Member
Padre, I hope I can do him justice. I did read about her when I first placed the order. The ship was top heavy due to the gun mounts and excessive superstructure. I believe the class was intended to be flotilla leaders.

I have and am the poster of the models shown on the model warship site. There are several others there as well, including the nicest Prince of Whales and Rodney I have ever seen. They also did a walk around recently at a model show in Poland, many fine pictures.

I have completed the hull wrap and like the results. One interesting note, Modelik made the stern wrap longer than required, ensuring there would be no gap. The balsa is easy to cut, for this model all was 1/32 inch sheet. I hand cut the curved sections and always cut on glass, it wears the no. 11 blades but works very well. I then traced out about a 1/4 inch wide card stock strip from each former. Glued them with thick CA over each frame, then used red magic marker. I use red, grey, or black for most paper edges. I used to paint but that is too slow and for me too sloppy. I used a fine tip ball marker pen to color in the port holes, never seen a photo yet where they don't just look black. (On my Portland model I punched each one out individually, took for ever and still looks the same)

The funnel base tried my skills. There is no internal structure and the assembly requires compound curves butted together for all four vent uptakes. There are no tabs and I did not add any until after the initial set or I would not be able to get the bends right. The funnels each comprise of 4 uptakes truncated above deck into the funnel. These will be difficult to see once the assembly is finished. The next couple evenings I will do the foward funnel base.
 

jkrenzer

Member
Superstructure to this point has been straight foward. I wish I has a better camera for manual focus close ups.
 

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jkrenzer

Member
A little further in the bridge superstructure. The bridge is going together well however the following problems with the model have been discovered.

1 - Item 53 is actually 33 in the booklet.

2 - Most of item 46 simply does not exist. I made my own bridge wings as a result.

3 - the ladder from the main deck up to the 2nd deck just under the bridge will not fit because item 53 (33) is too tall. Not sure which is correct so I will lengthen the ladder to go past 53 to the deck. As such the angle of the ladder will be very shallow, only noticable if you know to look for it.

The rails are 1/200 3-rail set from Tom's model works. I won't use paper rails, they are too thick.

I cheated with the ladders and use N-Scale model railroad ladders. (1/160)
 

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jkrenzer

Member
A little more progress on Porter. I have a few more complaints but only on major issue. I was flat out missing the lower deck around the 2nd funnel. I don't think I lost it, but I had to fabricate a new one using only the outline on the assembly drawings.

The main gun mounts (deck level only) were missing the lower disk, the torpedo platforms were poorly sized.

I am getting close to making my main battery and decided to dig out my brass barrel set. Unfortunately the folks at GPM thought this ship only has 6 main guns, when there are actually 8. I bought these with several others a few years back and did not double check the count.

On a side issue, a friend of mine at work is building the Fly Alaska and was surprised as well that the manufacture of the barrels does not realize the vessel actually has nine main guns not eight.

Anyway, looks like I will make these out of paper or styrene. I'll save the 6 barrels for another destroyer at a later time.

The kit with the above exceptions is still progressing well. The rails mounted are from Tom's model works and painted with Testers Model Master paint.

:wave:
 

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Nice looking tin can you have there.

Thanks for the heads-up on missing parts. That always puts the scratch building skills to the test.

I'm a big fan of the brass handrails and barrels as well.
 

Teamski

Member
Now that is a sweet looking ship!! I used paper railings im 1:200 HMS Hood. I'm not sure I will be using them on future ships. Just too fragile.....

-Ski
 

jkrenzer

Member
Before I built the Lilla Weneda, I completed the main guns, torpedo tubes, and range finders. I am going back on the Porter now to finish her up. I used the brass barrels from my USS Portland secondary set since I only received 6 barrels in my Porter set. When I re-gunned the Portland main turrets I did not rebuild her secondaries so I had 8 of those barrels left. They are not historically accurate but it would be hard to detect.
 

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jkrenzer

Member
USS Porter as finished.

I finally polished her off today ane here are the results. I will make a permanent base for her later. I have not put much time into her and decided to get her done this weekend.

I used fine fishing line for the rigging and realize it is under done, I am just not good at rigging.
 

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jkrenzer

Member
More pics.
 

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