I found them at HobbyLink Japan, eBay and the Takom site. I don’t know if you can order off the Takom site though.
I ordered both off eBay and they were around $60 + and the Bruno was $50+
It’s been a few days. Sanding the barrels and adding PE to the turret. Here is the result.
The barrels have the black primer to help find where I need to work on the seams. Those I found I added a small amount of thin CA and will sand them smooth tonight. Just a few more parts and ready to paint.
For those who will be building this, the stanchion poles are VERY fragile and break easly when removing them. In fact, I believe some were already broken. They are easy to repair and Takom gives you a few extra. Looks like I have a few to streighten.
Don’t you need wood on the deck aroiund the turret mount?
This is supposed to be an easy build. Don’t go giving him ideas.[:D]
I was thinking of painting it.
Stanchions are easy to find if you build wooden ships. Ages of Sail has all kinds of brass stanchions of various lengths and number of holes. And they are not fragile.
Bob
Thanks Bob, but only four caused problems and were easly reapired.
I do believe it’s ready for paint, once I take off the tape that is. It’s intresting that Takom made the deck at an angle, like the gun was pointing a few deg off port.
I’d be up for one of the Iowa turrets, definitely set it up as a museum diorama.
Looking good, Steve!
Going to keep some notes from your build for when I dig out mine.
It’s been very easy Bruce, the only caution is the stanchions, other than that it’s pretty forward. Maybe some filler here and there.
I swung by the local HL today and picked up some bead wire, thinking that may work for the railing.
I’m thinking that may work, at least better than monofilament or thread.
After looking over the entire build repairing any bent or detatched items, I cleaned it up and painted my customary black base. I’ll lightly sand down the deck to remove the top coat before painting it.
Thats some nice work there, it is a beast.
That is an understatement mate. It may take more than one bottle to paint it.
Although it ain’t a full ship, looks like it’ll still take up some shelf space! Looking good so far.
Thanks John,
I have been painting both the base and turret. The turret is done and the oils are drying before I string the wire. I still need to paint the blast bags once I mix up a color that looks right. The deck color was hard to match since the Japanese decks were more yellow than ours or the Germans but I think I have the base coat done. Now I need to add some oils.
I did not heavily weather the turret because the most action the Yamato saw was in port. She was commonly know as the Hotel Yamato.
She traveled around from base to base but the only major action that I’m aware of was Midway, where she never was in battle, the Battle of the Philippine sea where she fired at Japanese planes by mistake, The battle of Layte Gulf while during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, she lost her sister ship Musashi to naval air attack, the battle off Samar where she hit the DD USS Johnston and the CVE USS Gambier Bay with her main guns, both ships were lost to enemy fire. Operation Ten-Go was her last sortie when she left port on a suiside mission to defend Okinawa. The Allies intercepted and decoaded raidio transmissions which allowed the Americans to spot, track and eventually sink the Yamato where she lies 290 Km southwest of Kyushu and under 340 meters of water, her turrets falling out of their barbets long before she settled on the bottom.
First coat on the deck
Turret complete except for a dull coat and the railings.
Anyone who is planning to build this kit, or the Bruno I would assume, could really skip step 2 I believe. I found that the barrel receivers installed in this step are a redundant step and since you will be glueing the balst bags to the turret glacis, are unnecessary. I had a hard time seeting the barrels into the recivers all the way so I removed them.
The turret is almost done. I finished the deck and ran the railings on the turret. I need to tone down the rust on the top of the turret before spraying a flat coat. A couple of passes with some Turpenoid should do the trick.
I thought I had a picture of the finished deck 
Oddly eneough, I believe the Bruno is arriving today.
Looking nice Steve. Are the blast bags plastic, they look very realistic.
I take it you have ordered the Bruno from Japan.
Yes, and yes. In fact, I should be receiving the Bruno today or tomorrow.
Look forward to seeing that. I think i will get mine from Hannants when i order from them later in the year, if its in by then. I tend to get stung with import duties with anything from japan.
Excellent work Steve. Looking great so far. Making me want to get one and build it! Keep up the great work.