Amazing work Tim!!
David
That is intricate… And very very nice detailing for a little tender.
Beautifully done Tim. Looking forward to your next Installment…Cheers mark
oh, that’s nice
Thanks guys!
Once the launch is mounted to the deck these little propulsion details will be hard to see down low under the boat and through the ship’s safety rails, but the whole assembly was only four parts, so why not? 
Sharp detail work. As we know you might not see the Detail but you know that it is there…Cheers Mark
Sharp detail work. As we know you might not see the Detail but you know that it is there…Cheers Mark
Thanks Mark. The prop gear will still be visible, but viewers are definitely gonna have to get down and look for it! 
After temporarily attaching the boat to a small block of wood for ease of handling (and to protect that delicate propulsion gear), I set about constructing the supports for the passenger compartment awning.
Using 34 gauge brass wire, I straightened short lengths and rolled each around a Waldron #5 (.120 inch) punch to form the curved tops of the supports. After this they were trimmed to size.
Starting with the longer fore and aft spans, I adjusted these for fit and then lightly attached them to the boat with thinned white glue. I like to use PVA (polyvinyl acetate, in this case Elmer’s brand white glue) for applications like this as it is nontoxic, doesn’t attack delicate surfaces, and can be thinned with water. Best of all, it can be rewetted later if adjustments are needed.
After the longer spans dried in place I formed and attached the three longitudinal pieces.
Though fairly straightforward, this process is also quite fiddly. The pieces have to be fabricated individually, and they must be consistent to fit properly. It took me multiple attempts at making each part until I got the size and shape just right. They also have to line up with each other exactly once installed. Installation was actually the aspect of all this I found most challenging; fitting each in turn while trying not to disturb the ones already in place, my big fingers repeatedly knocked parts out of alignment and even bent some of them! Even so, though somewhat nerve wracking and rather slow going (the family got through an entire movie on TV while I worked on this), it isn’t really all that hard. And the end result is so much more fun than that solid-molded kit part!
Told you boats would be better than guns … LOL
First class Tim !
That is some lovely Brass work Tim. Just adds more class to the Build…Cheers Mark
Beautiful work !
Chris
Very nice work Tim,
These boats are going to add so much depth t the finished build.
Cheers, Si
RDT1953
Told you boats would be better than guns … LOL
First class Tim !
That is some lovely Brass work Tim. Just adds more class to the Build…Cheers Mark
Beautiful work !
Chris
Very nice work Tim,
These boats are going to add so much depth t the finished build.
Cheers, Si
Thanks guys. The little boat with that bright yellow wood deck will be a welcome visual break from all that bland Kure Grey, to be sure. It will be a shame to cover all that lovely brass with grey paint though!
Continuing on, I built up the flagstaff using the same 34 gauge brass wire as the awning frame. The life ring is from the kit.
I notice in the pic that I’ve managed to knock the forward transverse awning support out of position. Gotta go back and fix that… 
I’ve been a silent(more or less) watcher of this build for quite some time.
Yet I can’t help it, but speak out-
Tim, I’m utterly impressed by your painfull addiction to detail!
This build is a joy to my senses and I enjoy every update you throw at us,
Cheers and a deep bow!
Angel
I’ve been a silent(more or less) watcher of this build for quite some time.Yet I can’t help it, but speak out-
Tim, I’m utterly impressed by your painful addiction to detail! This build is a joy to my senses and I enjoy every update you throw at us,
Cheers and a deep bow!
Angel
Thank you Angel for your kind comments - and yes, it does sometimes feel like a “painful addiction to detail”!
I went ahead and corrected the displaced support -
but now I also notice that it is a little shorter than the others 
…well, I suppose I could just live with it - but honestly, it will probably bug me until I replace it.
Good thing this is all good fun!
My reference drawings from Kojinsha Maru Mechanic’s Mechanism of Japanese Destroyers don’t show them all that clearly, but there appear to be four cleats or mooring bitts (depicted in the plan drawing as circles) on the planked deck fore and aft.
I normally wouldn’t bother with such minor details on a model this small, but again, the scrap box is my friend! This time it is some absurdly tiny brass bitts/bollards left over from Flyhawk’s 1/700 HMS Campbeltown kit.
These little guys proved to be perfect for Hatsuzuki’s motor launch!
Outstanding work so far Tim, now there is just detailing the wheelhouse interior and the caboose remaining 
Absurdly tiny is an understatement, Tim 
They look great though 
Some amazing work here… A model within a model…
Another little touch of Class to your Build Tim…Cheers Mark
Hi Tim. I finally got a chance to catch up with your build. The work you’ve done on the motor launch has my jaw on the deck once more. I will continue to follow your progress with awe.
John
Outstanding work so far Tim, now there is just detailing the wheelhouse interior and the caboose remaining
Well, Thomas, I do have a little White Ensign Models etched helm that would fit nicely in there…
…but no… that way lies madness!
Absurdly tiny is an understatement, Tim
They look great though
Thanks Russ, these parts are becoming absurd, I know - but at least in this relatively large scale they can still (mostly) be seen!
Some amazing work here… A model within a model…
Thanks John. That is exacty how I look at subassemblies such as the boat, or the torpedo tubes, guns, bridge, etc.; as little projects on their own. Keeps me from being overwhelmed!
Another little touch of Class to your Build Tim…Cheers Mark
Thanks Mark. My guess is that the motor launch will be something of a point of focus for viewers, so the extra details should (I hope) be worth the effort.
Hi Tim. I finally got a chance to catch up with your build. The work you’ve done on the motor launch has my jaw on the deck once more. I will continue to follow your progress with awe.
John
Hi John, its good to hear from you. All this work is really just simple layering of details rather than any great talent - but your generous sentiments are still appreciated!
In addition to the short handgrabs on the cabin and the mooring bitts on deck, the 1/700 Flyhawk Campbeltown kit also contributed the photoetched anchor. Safety rails forward were built up from 34 gauge brass wire, and the boat hook beside the cabin is a slightly thicker wire with the end crimped, filed to a point, and bent back to form the hook.
A final detail for the passenger compartment is a small access ladder made from a spare 1/350 scale etch part. I believe these ladders were made of wood rather than metal, so I framed the steps with .010 X .010 inch strips to bulk it up for a more “wooden” look.
Tim the boats are constructs of beauty, but it just occurred to me: how are you going to paint them without covering up the beautiful decking? 
Tim the boats are constructs of beauty, but it just occurred to me: how are you going to paint them without covering up the beautiful decking?
Hi Russ,
Painting will be easier than it may appear; I will have to mask the deck, but everything else is just test fitted and can easily be taken off and painted separately. I will have to be careful masking that deck, though…
