!:350 Merit USS Enterprise CV-6 with Ifini Photo Etch

[tommym]

I am finally going to start working on the actual ship model. I have a few more things to work out but let's start with the box.



IMG_2944 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

Ifini Photo Etch Detail Up Set with Infini Wood Deck and an Artwox wood deck in blue


IMG_2945 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr


Tommy

[xSCAR45]

I'm looking forward to your progression on this.

Godspeed!

[tommym]

The reason I am building the USS Enterprise CV-6 is that my father-in-law, Jack Myrick AMM 1/C-V-1 Div, served on the Big “E” from October 1941 to December 1944. I was told he worked the flight deck with a brown cap.
I started this project about 2 years ago and have spent many hours researching and reading about the USS Enterprise and US Naval operations in the Pacific. This Merit kit is supposed to be how she looked at the Battle of Santa Cruz, although the box art indicates an earlier version.
With the date of October 26, 1942 in mind, I began.

Tommy

[tommym]

First up was ordering more planes (Merit, Trumpeter and Hasegawa) photo etch (Tom’s Modelworks and Alliance Modelworks) and decals (Starfighter Decals). I decided to start by building the aircraft first. In August 2016 I began by building, painting and decaling sixteen F4F-4 Wildcats. Each plane is individually numbered, have 8 pieces of photo etch, 2 tone paint and 8 decals.


DSCN4314 by Tommy Mejia

DSCN4320 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3724 by Tommy Mejia

DSCN4352 by Tommy Mejia

F4F-4 16 350th by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

IMG_2946 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[tommym]

After working on the 1/350 Wildcats I gave my eyes a break and built a Tamiya 1/48 Wildcat.

DSCN4641 by Tommy Mejia

Then it was onto the Avengers. The same procedures were used as I built 13 Avengers.

FullSize1 by Tommy Mejia

FullSize6 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_0605 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_0726 by Tommy Mejia

DSC_0804 by Tommy Mejia

Then I gave my eyes a rest again and built an Accurate Miniatures 1/48 Avenger.

ism final by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[tommym]

Now on to the Dauntless. I built 21 SBD-3 Dauntless using the same process as before.

IMG_2153 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_2157 by Tommy Mejia,

IMG_2165 by Tommy Mejia

Got my eyes back and finished off the airplane building with an Accurate Miniatures 1/48 Dauntless.
All the 1/48 airplanes are built based on October 26,1942 including modifications, photo etch and decals.

IMG_2805 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

Tommy

[tommym]

My Enterprise Air Group consists of 50 airplanes with a total of 426 pieces of Photo Etch and 400 individual decals with each plane individually numbered.

On October 26, 1942, as part of Task Force 16, the USS Enterprise CV-6 Air Group 10 consisted of the following operational aircraft:

CEAG: 1 TBF-1 Avenger
VF-10: 31 F4F-4 Wildcats
VB-10: 13 SBD-3 Dauntless
VS-10: 10 SBD-3 Dauntless
VT-10: 9 TBF-1 Avengers

Here is my Air Group 10

CEAG: 1 TBF-1 Avenger
VF-10: 16 F4F-4 Wildcats
VB-10 and VS-10: 21 SBD-3 Dauntless
VT-10: 12 TBF-1 Avengers

plane3 by Tommy Mejia

Planes2 by Tommy Mejia

Next up - Enterprise's guns

Tommy

[tommym]

After suffering damage in August 1942 at the Battle of The Eastern Solomons, the Enterprise returned to Pear Harbor for repairs. Repair crews worked on her 24/7 from September 10 until October 16. She left Pearl Harbor with new guns.

44 - Oerlikon Single 20mm Machine Guns
8 - 5” 38 Caliber Dual Purpose Guns
1 - Quad 1.1” 75 Caliber Cannon

And new

4 - Bofors 40mm Cannons. The Bofors would go on to become the best Anti-Aircraft gun in the Pacific.
(Courtesy of cv6.org)

Let’s look into the box of the Infini 1/350 USS Enterprise CV-6 1942 (Late) Detail Up Set for Merit/Trumpeter

IMG_2948 by Tommy Mejia

Very well packed and identified. 12 sheets of photo etch, turned brass parts and resin. Very nice and detailed instructions and a happy face.

IMG_2949 by Tommy Mejia

I started with building the 20 mm Oerlikons. First I enlarged the instructions by 300% to make it easier for me to read.

IMG_2950 by Tommy Mejia

Infini 20 mm versus kit 20 mm

IMG_2156 by Tommy Mejia

51 20mm done

IMG_2856 by Tommy Mejia

8 - 5 inch 38 cal done

IMG_2879 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_2885 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[tommym]

1- Quad 1,1 cannon done

IMG_2952 by Tommy Mejia

4 - Bofors 40mm Cannon done.

IMG_2954 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_2955 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[xSCAR45]

That is some impressive work! Keep it coming.

[ElCapitan]

Amazing work! Must be difficult working so small!

[DrSprue]

ooo count me in, love the Big E, was such an amazing ship.

[tommym]

Thanks for the support and comments.

Working with photo etch (PE) this small can sometimes try your patience and many times I just walked away and came back to it later. I don’t really cuss but when a piece of PE goes flying so do the colorful words. A big help has been the Hangouts with the Styrene Syndicate and ISM. There I can work on my PE and listen to the banter and sometimes even join in.

I have to tell you I am not happy with the way my 40mm Bofors came out. My skill level is lacking. The design, engineering and research by Sang Hyun Park and Tracy White is amazing.
I have ordered another set of 40mm Bofors and will try again.

Tommy

[tommym]

Now we are all caught up with what I have worked on off and on for the last 15 months.

So I started working on the hull.
As I read reviews and enjoyed other modeler’s build of the Merit Enterprise CV-6, a glaring problem? kept popping up. The over emphasized hull plates.

Panel1 by Tommy Mejia

So I used a chisel to knock the ridges down. There are a lot of ridges.

DSC_4419 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_2964 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

Then I used a progression of Ultimate skinny sanders and a buffer

DSC_4420 by Tommy Mejia

The result

Panel2 by Tommy Mejia

One half of the hull done.

Total2 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[tommym]

With the shaving and sanding all done it was time to figure out how to mount the hull.
I decided to drill a couple of holes and epoxy washers and 10-24 nuts into the hull. (Notice her sister ships CV-5 stamp in the hull)
This offers a variety of mounting options.

IMG_2979 by Tommy Mejia

Here is the hull mounted on two drilled out 10mm shell casings.

DSC_4424 by Tommy Mejia

DSC_4425 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

Here is the hull mounted on two drilled out 30-30 shell cases.

DSC_4426 by Tommy Mejia

DSC_4427 by Tommy Mejia

I may also try lamp finials. Gives me something to think about as the build proceeds.

Tommy

[tommym]

Working on the Forecastle Deck photo etch.

IMG_2986 by Tommy Mejia

DSC_4438 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[tommym]

Sprayed a coat of Badger Stynylrez Gray primer with a Grex TS airbrush.
Some outdoor and indoor pictures.

Primer1 by Tommy Mejia

Primer2 by Tommy Mejia

Primer3 by Tommy Mejia

Primer4 by Tommy Mejia

Primer5 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[tommym]

Work on the forecastle structure is done upside down. A mixture of CA glue, Gator’s Grip Thin Blend and solder paste was used. Ended with 54 girders being attached to the underside of the deck. This piece will be attached to the underside of the flight deck later on.

IMG_3013 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3018 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3025 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3058 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

IMG_3066 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3068 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3088 by Tommy Mejia

Tommy

[ElCapitan]

So. much. detail.

[DrSprue]

Wow really cool PE work.

[tommym]

Started work on the Fantail [Thanks Shaune for the correct terminology]
Ifini instructions refer to this as the Poop Deck.

1_3094 by Tommy Mejia

2_3095 by Tommy Mejia

Dry fitting the bottom half

3_3102 by Tommy Mejia

4_3107 by Tommy Mejia

The upper portion is attached to the flight deck, so I cut a portion off to make it easier to work with.

5_3103 by Tommy Mejia

Somehow I lost a piece of P.E. (Isn’t the first and won’t be the last). I used some scrap brass and another piece as a template and made another.

6_3171 by Tommy Mejia

Upper portion is built upside down. You can see the fabricated girder piece in the middle.

7_3176 by Tommy Mejia

Test fitting upper portion

8_3173 by Tommy Mejia

View of fantail from above.

9_4449 by Tommy Mejia

Fantail view

10_4451 by Tommy Mejia

Bow view

11_4457 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr


Tommy

[AAC]

Absolutely fantastic!

[ElCapitan]

Amazing! Really worth all of the hard work!

[tommym]

I had to stop with the photo etch for now and protect the hull. The PE was getting too delicate to handle and I needed to start gluing some down to the hull.

So I started painting with Badger ModelFlex Anti-Fouling Red Oxide airbrushed on hull with Iwata Eclipse.
Waterline airbrushed with Sotar 20/20 using Badger ModelFlex Hull Black
Masking Tapes - Micron, Tamiya and 3M Blue. This Micron masking tape from Ultimate is amazing. It gives a great hard edge without bleeding and can make a full U with one piece.
Grey primer is previously sprayed Stynylrez Gray

Hull1 by Tommy Mejia

Hull2 by Tommy Mejia

Hull3 by Tommy Mejia

So, I needed to pick a ship color for Horizontal and Vertical surfaces.
For some reason I had a vision of a gray paint scheme. So off I went to find a gray I liked. I took my Badger ModelFlex Grays and went to town. Airbrushed some gray Stynylrez primered spoons and made a color chip sheet. THEN I went to CV6.org to check my colors.

Hull4 by Tommy Mejia

OOPS!

Come to find out the USS Enterprise CV-6 during the Battle of Santa Cruz (which I am representing) according to CV6.org would have been sporting a Measure 11 camouflage scheme or according to the Internet, a possible a variation of it. At least I have a bunch of gray spoons and a color chip sheet for future projects.

So, I went back and airbrushed some blue spoons and created another paint chip sheet using ModelFlex blue colors.

Hull5 by Tommy Mejia

I found ModelFlex Navy Blue to dark for my taste.

Hull6 by Tommy Mejia

I decided to use the Measure 11 camouflage scheme with Badger ModelFlex 16-451 5-S Sea Blue A (Late 1941) for the Vertical surfaces and Badger ModelFlex 16-453 Deck Blue 20B (Late 1941) for the Horizontal surfaces.

Hull7 by Tommy Mejia

Hull8 by Tommy Mejia

Next step is to protect this hull with some Createx Matte Top Coat with some 4030 additive and then it is back onto the PE.

Tommy

[tommym]

Time to provide a temporary cover for the hull and future work.

Ripped some scrap pine down to 3/4 “x 3/4”

IMG_3264 by Tommy Mejia

Cut to Size

IMG_3265 by Tommy Mejia

Glue and pin nail

IMG_3267 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3269 by Tommy Mejia

Fitting on larger base

IMG_3271 by Tommy Mejia

Wrap in plastic

IMG_3274 by Tommy Mejia, on Flickr

Hull is protected from dust.

IMG_3272 by Tommy Mejia

Sure is fun and easy to make with power tools

Tommy

[tommym]

Productive weekend for me.
Began adding the Ifini photo etch to the front Port side.

IMG_3273 by Tommy Mejia

Continued adding detail

IMG_3282 by Tommy Mejia

Size comparison

IMG_3278 by Tommy Mejia

Bracing under 20mm tubs

IMG_3284 by Tommy Mejia

Onto the Port mid section

IMG_3287 by Tommy Mejia

Front and mid section laying next to each other.
Dragon is another project I am currently painting.

IMG_3286 by Tommy Mejia

Parts Bent and folded into shape waiting to be attached.

IMG_3288 by Tommy Mejia

Currently where I am at on the Port mid section.

IMG_3290 by Tommy Mejia


Tommy

[Twokidsnosleep]

WooHooo power tools
Now we are talking
You are going to great lengths to do such awesome detail

[DrSprue]

Wow great pe work!

[aur0ra145]

Very impressive so far, can't wait to see the end product.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Holy smokes! That is really impressive photo etch work on this build
Love it!

[tommym]

Continued adding PE to the middle port section.
Then I fitted the front, middle and rear port bulkheads to the hull.
Once I sanded a bit and fiddle with it a bit, I glued them in place.
Unfortunately, I dropped the middle piece off the desk resulting in a 3 foot fall onto a concrete floor and 6 pieces of PE breaking off. I was able to reglue 5 of them and repair the middle section.

IMG_3308 by Tommy Mejia

Still looking for that missing ladder.

I then proceeded to add the remaining pieces of PE to the Port side.

IMG_3342 by Tommy Mejia

DSC_4461 by Tommy Mejia

DSC_4467 by Tommy Mejia

IMG_3344 by Tommy Mejia

With the Port side hanger bukheads done, I will take a short break (Need to work on my Dragon) and then begin with the Starboard side.

Tommy

[tommym]

Started working on the P.E. for the starboard hangar deck bulkhead.

Need to make another gun tub.



Thanks for the tips and advice on annealing the metal. I annealed the strip prior to bending and I didn’t break it.

Using a jeweler’s vise to help.



Finished tub



Tub mounted on bulkhead

IMG_3436 by Tommy Mejia

Work started on stern end of starboard bulkhead.



I annealed and bent a circle tub!!





Stern end of starboard bulkhead



Stern end of starboard bulkhead with crane



Starboard side



Port side



TommyM

[DrSprue]

Wow Tommy, amazing detail!

[tommym]

Accidents happen. I somehow snagged the front 1.1 quad gun onto back of the sweatshirt I was wearing. Off it went never to be seen again.
So a replacement 1.1 quad from Veteran Models was ordered, built, installed and painted.





A few interior details



This picture shows a gap that was later fixed.



Using a Sotar 20/20 the walls were airbrushed with Badger ModelFlex Navy White, the deck with Badger ModelFlex Light Gray (Early 1941) and the girders and deck undersides sprayed with Stnylrez White.



I added the girders. A little scratch building was required as I couldn't find one interior support.




All this interior worked will not be seen as it is covered up by the deck. But I will know it is there.
Here the Deck is dry fitted





Tommy

[tommym]

Time to paint the exterior bulkhead photo etch (PE).





I masked off the interior and bottom hull.
Sprayed warmed Stynlrez grey primer at 20 psi using the Ultimate Apex airbrush.



I started spraying thinned Badger ModelFlex 5-S Sea Blue A (Late 1941) using my NEW Badger Extreme at 15 psi. Halfway through it clog and just wouldn’t spray.

I was not in the mood to deal with it so I just grab my Ultimate Apex and finished the job. Should have just used the Apex from the beginning.





Now I can glue the flight deck on.

Tommy