@Russelle - you know I didn’t even think to add a scum line along the waterline - thanks for the suggestion. Will try and tackle that this weekend if I can find sometime on the bench - the weather here in Texas is keeping me a little busy at the office!! 
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Hey everyone
Sorry for the long delay but even though real life has slowed a tad bit it has not slowed down enough for me to get quality time on the bench. I am knocking out what I can a little bit at a time.
After months of procrastinating i finally got back to placing the hand rails on the funnels. Whoever mentioned using blue tack to assist with placement - thank you. using this method was a great help and ensured that the hand rails were easier to handle than my previous attempts.
Here are the funnels with the hand rails finally attached.
After that I had to wait another week to finally get them painted. here they are ready for installation on the Tama.
The next steps will be to complete the torpedo tubes as their placement will have to come before I add the funnels. Any other course of action would cause issues and more than likely me knocking a funnel off.
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Roll Tide,
Excellent work on those hand-rails, I always struggle to install them. I will have to try the blue-tack method next time. Again excellent work.
Mark 
David, I’m glad to see you back on the job with Tama! Real life does tend to interfere entirely too much with modeling, but what can we do? Most of my own projects over the years have been characterized by stealing time around the edges too…
Anyway, tasty work on those funnels! They were centerpieces on those Japanese CLs, so definitely worth the effort!
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Mark / Tim,
Thank you gentlemen for your kind words. I was really hesitant to work the hand rails up until the last minute. Now to move forward with the forward torpedo tubes so that I can actually begin adding parts and pieces to the hull.
Thanks again
David
David,
that’s some very cool work on the funnels! Sorry for me being so quiet, but I’ve been watching in silence mode, lots real life stuff going on.
Cheers
Jan
Jan - thank you my friend. I know what you mean about watching in silence and real life - I am in the same position.
thanks for stopping by, it is great to hear from you.
David
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Hey everybody,
I know it has been a bit of time since my last update but as I have mentioned real life has been an exceedingly unforgiving obstacle.
I did manage to get some time this weekend so here is the latest update. For this build I wanted to display Japanese Sailors working instead of just standing watch or walking along the deck. Due to the location of the forward torpedo section I was left with little choice but to complete that section before moving on.
Here is the forward torpedo section with the tubes dry fitted and devoid of Sailors - just checking out how to place the tubes so I can fit the torpedo.
In one of my earlier posting I has shown that I drilled out the torpedo tubes which fit into my theme for this build. For the torpedo section I decided to display the sailors reloading the starboard torpedo tubes. Unfortunately I was unable to find any pictorial or line drawing example of a torpedo reload for the twin Type 6 53cm torpedo tubes so I used some artistic license.
Here you can see the set up with the torpedo on a trolley being moved into position. I wanted to display the deck a little crowded as I am sure that there were plenty of hands to assist with the reload.
Here is the spare aircraft wings store on the overhead catwalk. This is only dry fitted at the moment but I wanted to see if there were any obstacles due to the figures being placed and how low the catwalk sits.
All in all I like the layout and the look. Now that this section is complete and I do not have to worry about getting into such a tight location it is time to start adding the funnels and ancillary equipment located on the deck.
I hope to have another update next week.
Thanks for stopping by and as always comments, suggestions and criticism are always welcome and encouraged.
David
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This keeps getting better and better…GREAT WORK!
Cheers,
(Bang! …picks jaw up from floor)
Outstanding work on the crew, they look very lifelike at their stations! A truly organic arrangement at the torpedo launchers.
Shame about not finding a schematic for the torpedo reload equipment, however, what you have here looks very plausible. There just isn’t room for the roller and cable system seen on the triple and quad mounts of later vessels. And as for a rail system for moving the torpedoes: if the ship plans in L&W show no sign of rails on deck then there probably were not any.
Marty
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Magnificent update Dave!
The crew and torpedo loading arrangement look very plausible and the white flashes of the dazzle scheme are really popping! 
Thank you everyone for the kind comments.
I did get to spend sometime on the bench this weekend and since the forward torpedo tubes are complete it was time to finally begin adding the forward funnel.
Since the funnel areas are packed with a lot of deck detail I decided to work each funnel separately, add the deck detail and then move on the next funnel.
the forward funnel was a bit of a challenge to get seated correctly - matter of fact it was a down right pain in the a**. Finally after destroying a bit of PE at the top of the funnel I was able to get it seated.
Following that was adding the forward range finder platform, some vents and skylights.
The next step was adding the funnel stabilizing cables, I like to try next products so for this step I decided to use Very Fire’s 1/350 metal rigging wire. While it is wound around a spool it comes off nice and straight so there was no fiddling around trying to straighten the wire. I liked the fact that I could cut it to length and not have to worry about whether I pulled it too tight as with thread.
In any case, here are the final results of that effort.
Next came the center funnel and the associated deck fittings along with the aft range platform.
Here are a couple of shots with the aft funnel dry fitted
That about sums up this past weekend efforts - I have two days off this weekend so I should be able to get the center funnel complete and hopefully add the aft funnel. Here’s to keeping my fingers crossed.
Thanks for stopping in and as always, comments, suggestions and criticism are always welcome.
David
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Beautiful work as always, David. It is a pleasure watching this build come together!
Looking good Dave. I can’t see where the PE got damaged, so all good there, and those funnel stays (the wires) look nice and straight and to scale too
Tim - thank you sir
Russell - The damaged PE has been removed and since I have multiple sets of the upgrade kit it will be easily replaced. As far as the Very Fire wire, I have to agree that they do look to scale and it is nice that it comes our straight verse having some bend in it even though it is wrapped around a spool when received. Will see how much I have available and may use the entire rigging of the ship.
More to follow as I have a two day weekend coming up!! Excited.
David
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I might have to give the VF wire a go myself, Dave.
Whilst EZ-line is my go-to medium of choice for rigging, I’m always hoping for something better to come along, because, as good as EZ-line is, it just can’t replicate that “weighted” look of the real thing…
The VF product, might just be it-watching with interest how yours will turn out…
Russell,
I had transitioned from E-Z Line to the Infini Model version which I really like but as you said, the weighted look is hard to replicate with thread. I am really starting to like the VF line. Shoot me your mailing address and I will send you a roll of the 1/350 and 1/700 line.
David
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David, that’s a tremendously generous offer and one I can’t pass up on. PM incoming
Russell,
Happy to offer and glad to help. PM in response sent.
David
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Hey everyone,
Well I had some time off this weekend and due to an inability to sleep yesterday i was up early and at the bench to get some much needed work done.
I finished off adding the funnel stays to the center funnel and quickly moved towards adding the deck details in preparation for adding the aft funnel.
The aft funnel went pretty smoothly as opposed to the forward and center funnel. I added the bow funnel stays to the aft funnel but left off the stern stays as there is no clear positions for the stays to connect to the deck. I figured I would wait until the deck details are added before adding the says, that way I don’t run into and problems.
Once that was done I finished painting the one paravane that was mounted to the bridge, mounted the two paravanes and then permanently affixed the bridge to the deck.
The Tama is actually starting to look like a warship now.
After that I decided I would begin working on the funnel grates - have I mentioned how much I hate working PE funnel grates - not entirely happy with the ways these turned out so I may go the route of adding smoke to this build which would be a first for me. At least that would cover up what I think is less than acceptable work…hmmmmm more to ponder on that though.
Anyway, that was about all the time I had so the rest of the day was spent trying to work out the mounting platform - more to follow on that as the days go by.
Next weekend I will be working on something that I have dreaded which will be scratch building the three structures that Aoshima left off the build. We will see how it goes.
Thanks for stopping by, as always comments, suggestions and criticism are always welcome.
David
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