IJN Pre-Dreadnought Battleship Mikasa by Merit 1:200 with Pontos and KA Models

[Maarten]

Hi Joelle,
What a detailed work in this small scale.
See you are from Germany, are you joining in Hamburg on October with your model?

 

[madtatt]

Thanks a lot, Maarten.

You mean the exhibition at the "International Maritime Museum" in Hamburg? Unfortunately not. My friends from the German forum "Die graue Flotte" will be there again, but I have other commitments that weekend.
Will you be there?

And now we come to my current status with my Mikasa model.
Construction has stalled slightly as I need to consider my next steps.

I don't want to continue working on the bow section at the moment. I plan to attach the chains and davit later, and the lifeboats at the stern won't be installed. So I think it's time to focus on the torpedo net supports and the casemate hatches.

To that end, I've removed the model from its assembly stand, as I want to modify it slightly for the next steps in the hull construction.
I took this opportunity to take some photos of the almost finished model on its final stand.



I also had a very nice name tag made by the company ModelMonkey, which was even attached for a test fit.



There’s still quite a bit to do on the outside of the hull. I’m already dreading installing the gallery at the stern.



Man, the silhouette of that ship is really great.



I especially like Mikasa from the front. As if she wanted to impale her opponent.



So, dear community, I’m just adjusting my assembly stand now, and then I’ll take a short break because I have some personal matters to attend to.
I have to build something for a retiring colleague from the fire department as a farewell gift for decades of service.

But after that, I’ll be back with my little construction report.

 

[dockattner]

I have to say, while this is not my preferred medium, your work is exemplary in every way. Bravo!

 

[Maarten]

We will meet your friend in Hamburg than, yes I will be there just as many others from this forum.

 

[madtatt]

Thank you very much, Paul. I'm pleased with your praise, especially since wood is usually your material of choice.

Ah, interesting that many from this forum are in Hamburg. Which makes it especially unfortunate, since I can't make it this year. But perhaps they'll say hello to my friends when they're there.

 

[madtatt]

Hello fellow model builders.

I’m back at the workbench. The short break is over, and I’m excited to begin the final phase.
First up are the remaining details on the outer hull. To make this easier, I’ve modified and expanded my assembly stand a bit.



I will frequently need to open it from one side in the near future to attach components to the hull. For this purpose, I acquired sleeve nuts and glued them into the stand in place of the regular nuts. This makes opening it much easier, as I no longer need to tighten the nuts against each other.



Furthermore, I’ve enhanced the protection. The installation of the torpedo nets and their supports is next. These extend quite far back, especially at the stern. Therefore, I’ve mounted an additional bracket to protect them.



But let’s get to the model.

First, I assembled the small anchors in their holders. To do this, I attached the photo-etched parts to a piece of adhesive tape and inserted the anchor into the holders. This makes it easier, as gravity helps. Then I attached the locking mechanisms on top and let it dry.



The same system applies when attaching the anchor to the hull. If the model is lying on its side, the acrylic adhesive sets beautifully because gravity holds the component in place.



And now he’s where he’s supposed to be.



The side covers of the upper casemate guns were still missing. Here too, it helps immensely if the model is lying on its side so that the covers can be aligned at leisure.



This completes the port side, and I can easily and quickly close the side again using the new sleeve nuts and install the same on the starboard side.



The re-entry is therefore complete.

 

[madtatt]

A quick Sunday update.
Opening and closing my work stand works very well, as expected, and thanks to the sleeve nuts, it's now very quick too.



This makes it incredibly easy to simply switch sides and lay the model on its side for easier lid installation.



It simplifies things so much. Especially since I don’t need to use superglue, as the acrylic adhesive has time to bond due to gravity.



More and more of the covers on the casemate guns are taking their place.



I can only attach the lids that open downwards once the support with the torpedo net is secured, since they rest on the net.



The lid with the radius on the upper, outer round casemate will be added later. It’s too prone to being torn off. And I need to check the space available between the net and the lid on the lower round casemate first.



And just like a pit stop in Formula 1, I simply closed the dry dock and switched sides. Great.



And the Mikasa was laid on its side again.



The anchor is now in place on the starboard side as well.




Great, that worked well. The torpedo net can be installed.

 

[Roger Pellett]

A question related to your build: You show several life rings on your model (also called life buoys). I am building a model of a steel hulled freighter that sailed on our Great Lakes 1909-19214. I wonder if you know when these began to be required and who required them to be carried.

By the way; you’re doing a great job.

Roger