I’m working on the Tamiya 1/700 Prince of Wales battleship.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about fine detail, but some of the parts on this kit are just ridiculously small. The pic below is of the float plane pylon. It’s so small that I had to get out the optivisor and a specially-ordered pair of needle tip tweezers to handle it.
I was on guard against lost parts, so I was working over a large white platter and using adhesive on the tweezers. Even still, because these are so light, one went flying away into the void never to be found again. Not even sure how to craft a replacement because of the size. ARG!!!
I think that’s a big reason that 1/350 and larger scales have become so popular for ship modelers. The model can have more detail, too, but it’s a little easier to see than working in the smaller scales.
If you want to see some real fiddly work, look for the 1/1200 kits that some guys super-detail. I’m amazed at guys who take an old Pyro Table-Top Navy kit, for example, and refine the detals, even to the point of rigging a model that’s about 8 inches long.
On the other hand, there is a guy in the ship forum that builds (scratch builds) ships in really small scale. He has started a thread on a 1:1500 scale cruiser he just completed- check it out.
Ya, that strut on the pylon is way out of scale, so I would replace it with a PE strut. Also add the guy wires to the Walrus for added detail.
Make a replacement pontoon out of a drop of expoxy or CA.
Instead of tweezers, I use a toothpick with the end wetted or dabbed with white glue that holds the small part enough to position it. I had way too many parts shoot off into never never land. Always cut your parts on a piece of tape and a finger over the part too.
Are you using any PE parts like radar or guns? Once you tried a few of them in 1/700, then you will define crazy, buts its well worth it. Building in 1/700 has actually helped with the control of my hypertension.
Helped to control it? I would have thought that it would increase that problem. In my case the hyper tension is increased with the problems encountered with the smaller scale. I have a few 1/700th kits that I have been considering getting rid of and not getting a ship smaller that 1/350th.
I have a ton of 1/700, some of which I could get rid of. The problem is, some kits can only be found in 1/700. I need to look through the stash and sell the ones I can get in 350.
I do like the last action picture in your post. Looks like my cat when something goes Zoom out of the pliars. Just that my cat disappears in the shadows. She’s a Sport Siamese. All Black with a shorter than normal tail.
