1/350 Tamiya (Old Tool) IJN Yamato

[DRUMS01]

Hello all.... I am posting this in a similar manner used when posting my USS Arizona build. Like the Arizona, most people already know about the little technical data and history of the actual IJN Yamato, so I will simply post my details.

KIT: 

1/350 IJN Yamato manufactured by Tamiya (old tool)

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS USED DURING THE BUILD:

- Lion's Roar Master Detail Kit #RS3501 (14 PE sheets, 4 brass prop screws, 28 brass barrels, metal anchor chain)

- Very Fire IJN Ammo Boxes (Qty=30) #IJN04

- Very Fire IJN Type 89 127mm 40cal Twin Gun sets (4 sets of 6) # IJN08

- Very Fire IJN Type 96 25mm AA Gun sets (resin, Brass, PE) 16 sets IJN01

- Veteran Models IJN Searchlight 16sets, #VTW35036

- Veteran Models Deck Equipment Set (paravanes, deck winch, compass, etc. VTW35037

- Alliance Modelworks WW2 triangular perforated gussets #NW35032

- Fivestar PE for Signal Flag Rigging #FS351089

- Fivestar General, Signal, and Bow Flags FS351094

- Begemont WW2 IJN Flags and Aircraft Insignia #350-03

- Hasegawa IJN Seaplane Set A #72140

- Rainbow PE Set for IJN Seaplane #RB3517

- Rainbow PE IJN Deck Rails for aircraft, torpedo #RB3559

- BigBlueBoy WW2 IJN Warship Boats PE Set # N035032

- Shipyardworks IJN Yamato Name Plate, Display B #NONE

- Black Cat Models IJN 25mm Type 96 Triple  AA Guns (4 sets of 6) # AC350058d

- Black Cat Models Cowl and Mushroom Vents #AC350086a

- Hobby Lobby Door Knobs - Modified (used for mounting ship to plinth base)

- CY Wood Veneer Self Adhesive Deck for IJN Yamato #CY350048 

- Life Color IJN Navy Set 1 (six 22ml bottles) #CS36

- Distilled Water and Windex (for thinning Life Color Paints)

- Brass, plastic, aluminum rods, sheets, extrusions (various)

- welding solder (.162, .031, .015) various lengths

- Cements (CA glue, Testers clear glue, debonding agent, insta-set)

- Brushes and applicators (various)

- Hobby knife razor blades (many for PE alone)

- Wet/dry sanding paper (various 320-2000 grit) 

- Sew-ology clear nylon rigging thread #1254360

 

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS:

- Battleships Yamato and Musashi (Anatomy of The Ship), by Skulski

- Shipcraft 14 Yamato Class Battleships, by Steve Wiper

- The Battleship Yamato (Super Drawings 3D), by Carlo Cestra

- Tamiya Yamato Modeling Guide, by Takumi

- 3D History DE, IJN Yamato, by Thomas Schmid 

KIT SHORTFALLS, CORRECTIONS, AND MODIFICATIONS:

- Poor two part main deck and main to crane deck fitting (corrected with wood deck and scratch components)

- Hull portholes all molded shut (corrected by drilling out various portholes with bit and pin vise)

- Inaccurate, incomplete, and poorly molded ladders, doors, stairs, and vents (removed and corrects with PE)

- Poorly molded aircraft (disgarded, corrected with Hasegawa Seaplane Set A and PE)

- Poorly molded in anchor chain (removed old, corrected with real scale chain)

- Poorly molded hawes pipes and anchor locker holes (drilled, reshaped, PE, plastic)

- Poorly molded barrels and design (discarded, scratch build with metal barrels)

- Poorly molded detail on main guns (corrected with scratch and PE parts)

- Inaccurate and poorly molded splinter shields and gun tubs (removed, replaced with PE, scratch work)

- Removed round gun platforms on #2 & 3 main guns (replaced with hexagon PE platforms)

- Removed plastic screen over aft aircraft deck winglets (replaced with PE)

- Poorly molded and inaccurate signal flag boxes (modified signal flag platform to new shape with plastic sheet)

- Poorly molded crane and catapults (discarded, replaced with PE, and scratch items)

- Boat mounts incorrect and poor mold (removed, replaced with PE and scratch items)

- Rear gun platform missing (corrected with with PE, resin, and scratch items)

- Boats and barges lack any detail (corrected with PE and scratch items)

- Poorly molded aircraft trolley rails and carousels (removed and replaced with PE)

- Incomplete exhaust and intake vents (removed molded in detail and replaced with PE)

- Radar arrays poorly molded and inaccurate (removed and replaced with PE)

- Missing 21 door locations found in research (added with PE)

- Missing 24 ladders throughout ship (added with PE)

- Missing 6 cowl vents on deck and rear range finder (added resin items)

- Replaced kit Type 89 127mm twin 40 cal guns, Type 96 25mm AA Guns, 25mm Type 96 Triple Mount AA Guns

- Created blast Bags for 15.5cm gun turrets

- Removed all kit stairs and replaced with PE

- Replaced exhaust funnel walkway with custom PE

- Added sheet plastic to rear fire control structure for access panels and walkway 

- Added handrail around aft crane deck pit (from spares)

- Added elevated walkways inside hanger deck (from spares)

- Created brass finial mounts for ships base

- Created catwalk for rangefinders in front of exhaust funnel (from scratch)

- Cut out signal platform side wings and added PE rails

- Poorly molded degaussing cable on hull (removed and replaced with multi part PE)

- Added 22 ammo boxes that were missing in kit with Veryfire after-market items

- Replaced ships spot lights with Veteran Models and PE sets

- Replaced kit trolleys with PE sets

- Replaced kit bow and stern flag masts with scratch metal and solder

- Modified two boats into Captain's Launches

- Stained wood veneer deck with Tamiya black panel line wash and added to model

- Created hybrid hose reel sets from kit, PE and solder

- Rigged with EZ Line nylon thread

- Created shipping crates and placed in aircraft pit on crane deck

- Cut, Sanded, Painted wood plinth to mount name tags and ship on

- added after-market flag decals to foil; shape them, then attached to main antenna array

And now I present my corrected IJN Yamato. It is shown as a presentation model and not as an authentic time and date build. I found that the more I read, the more inconsistencies I found. The more images I intensely scrutinized the more I found differences that I could not validate to a specific period. Thus I decided to add all three types of aircraft ever stationed on the IJN Yamato. It is extremely doubtful that all three were ever on the ship at the same time and in some cases one replaced the other. The rigging, while somewhat accurate, is not 100% complete. The color I chose to paint the overall model is UA 646 Maizuru Grey as it was the closest I could find to match the few color photos. However, I'm relatively confidant that some will tell me it is not the exact color of the ship; that is why I call it a display model.

FULL IMAGES










AIRCRAFT CATAPULT AND CRANE DECKS









SUPERSTRUCTURE









GUN AND DECK DETAILS












As always, constructive comments welcome, and thanks for following the build thread.

Ben / DRUMS01

[Landlubber Mike]

Ben, I think this is absolutely fantastic!  Really nice job, and I think you didn't quite use enough aftermarket 😇

I have the 1/700 Fujimi and Pontos kits.  Doing a little research on the Fujimi kit, it seems that there were multiple configurations of guns used over the years.  There seem to be some discrepancies for sure out there.

Can I ask how long it took you to build this?

[KevinM]

Ben that definitely looks the part and you did a very Nice job bring these old molds to life!

[Martinnfb]

Holy smokes, this is incredible work. Bravo! 

[PanzerWomble]

That is a pretty awesome build !

[DRUMS01]

Thanks everyone, and Mike to answer your question I think it tool around 7 months. Part of that was also waiting for some of the after-market items to arrive. Another significant time consumer was rework and multiple attempts or techniques after the first - second - or more times (smile). The research time alone was equal to the time building her. 

Ben

[FullArmor]

Very impressive build🫡👍

[belugawhaleman]

Fantastic job on that Yamato!

[Bomber_County]

Absolutely stunning, congratulations…..

[DRUMS01]

Thanks again to all of you, it was a challenging but fun build. Some day I want to build a warship in 1/200 so I can get even more detailed with it.

Thanks again and glad you all enjoyed it!

Ben