# My Son's USS Arizona



## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Last night he put the final parts on his third glue kit- the USS Arizona. I have been giving some advice but this project is his own- the only part I helped with is the black waterline marking. He chose the different shades of gray and what to make silver and metallic steel.

He is twelve and while he has dyslexia he is good with physical/tactile things. I walked him through the first couple of snap/glue kits, now we build side by side. I work on my build, he works on his. For inspiration on this project I had the bluray of he movie 'Battleship' playing- it also has the special feature of a walk through of the USS Missouri. Unbeknownst to him I have made this educational- showing him what each feature does and how the ship worked.

What gives me real pride is just not the fact he is learning the techniques, but he has the spark to take things further. Next step is to weather it some and then add the complex rigging with thread. This was something he told me he wanted to do- to take it 'to the next level'.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Cool he did a great job both for his age and third glue kit. I've built that kit a few times myself, and it is not the easiest model to get together! 

A good friend of mine has dyslexia and it hasn't hindered his model building and figure painting. He even paints figures for the manufacturers to use in their catalogues and box tops.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

That model (Revell BTW) was a hard one to put together regardless of skill level. The parts did not fit well and the instructions are horrible- we resorted to the box art a couple of times just to figure out what those cryptic diagrams were trying to tell him.

Great news about your friend- my son struggles with some things like reading but if he can hold something in his hands and work with it he is in heaven...


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

To be fair to Revell the kit came out 60 years ago...

One thing I notice looking at your son's kit is the decks go down inside the railings, not on top. But, you can worry about that on the next kit!

This is my kit from a couple years ago. The kit actually represents the Arizona as she looked some time before Pearl Harbor. To make it look more like the 1941 version, I left off the 1920s vintage biplanes. She was also repainted dark blue grey and white while at Pearl Harbor. Her main turret tops may have also been red by then. That is how she is now depicted at the Pearl Harbor Museum.










One problem with the Revell kit is they mold the lower guns as little puck shaped turrets. In reality, they are deck guns that should be exposed not enclosed. I painted the turret part white to represent a canvas foul weather cover. Otherwise you have a lot of work to replace these with standing guns with ones like those directly above the turrets.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

His build is not without flaws- the decking did not seat down well and he chose not to force it for fear of splitting the hull which had been puttied and sanded. There are a lot of gaps where things did not seat right and some tiny parts were eaten by the shag carpet.
If I had known known how the kit was I would have probably had gotten him a different one- it is an old one as you say and one which takes effort to come together right.
His first glue kit was the classic MPC Snowspeeder
His second glue kit was the Aoshima 1/350 Thunderbird 2
This being his next kit I probably should have steered him to a different one but he wanted to do a real world military subject next. 
We plan on adding weathering to help conceal the rough spots some- like he when he looks at a completed build every flaw stands out. After that we will add the full thread rigging- something I (and others) shy away from but he wants this to be even better.

Next kit will probably be the MPC Millennium Falcon- an easier, more relaxing build but great one to learn the weathering and streaking techniques on.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

You guys will do fine. I've been building models for about 43 years and I am 50 now. My dad helped me and I started out with a lot of 1/72 airplanes and little kits. We didn't have snap together stuff back then. It was a hobby my dad and I shared pretty much my whole life. We worked on models together on the weekends and went to hobby stores to look for new kits right up until he passed away suddenly in 2011.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

My Son's USS Arizona is now complete. It may not be 100% accurate to the actual vessel and it's markings, but for me the important thing is that he enjoyed himself while learning how to expand on his skills. The wire rigging is an approximation- he wanted it as a final touch and the references were a bit contradictory so we went for a look and feel of it. We may revisit this kit later and add hull decals and the flags, but this project has taken forever and he wanted to get it finished so we could move on the the next one.
http://i.imgur.com/ciHPmlP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Dfi4trC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KCQZ3AD.jpg


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Looks great. You guys put a lot of work into it. Congrats. I was just thinking today about time spent as a kid with my dad helping me build models.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

I had to learn how to build on my own- my father had no skills for it and my mother, while being an artist, was best suited for canvasses. 
The great thing is that with each model his confidence grows. I no longer have to lead him, we just build next to each other now.
His next kit is going to be the Ertl/MPC Falcon- a great kit to relax with and learn weathering techniques.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I was lucky... my dad was an avid model builder so I could always count on him to bring me new models for us to build together, go to the hobby shops, get help, etc. My mom was great at getting me paints. I do remember asking her for a can of green spray paint for my Aurora Creature from the Black Lagoon. Back then, you could get Testors and Pactra paints at the corner drug store (equivalent of Walgreens or CVS). So, she gets me a can of Testors Lime Gold Metallic... That was pretty bad but I was about 8 years old and I still used it.

You might try some of the Bandai Gundam robot kits. As an adult I love those. They are snap together, but not simple "kids" kits with 5 parts. They do take some care and patience. But, the kits come in multiple colors of plastic and look good right out of the box. Of course you can paint and detail them too. They also come in grades. First Grade kits are molded in one color and are the most simple (and cheapest). HG Hi Grade make the bulk of the range. They are 1/144 and build into a 5 or 6 inch tall, fully articulated, model. Most of these kits are only $15-$22 as well. HG High Grade is the next step up, and these are 1/100 and have more parts and details. HG have working hands with movable fingers. Some even have individual joints for all of the hinge points in a single finger. But, they are all still snap together. Higher end kits are RG Real Grade, or PG Perfect Grade.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

The Bandai Gundam robot kits sound pretty good!
After the Falcon we have two kits in hand pending- a Pro-Modeler X-Wing and a Smoky & the Bandit Trans Am. The Pontiac has a complete engine compartment, all it needs is a few hoses and spark plug wires to dress it up. We plan on weathering it up like it appeared towards the end of the movie. The X-Wing is going to be his first lighted kit- I bought it many years ago but looking at how much it would take to make it accurate I set it aside. He loves the idea of a lighted model and the accuracy issues are invisible to him right now.

The great thing is that are lots of choices and options as to which way to go with new kits. I am trying to keep him at the edge of the comfort zone- not so complex as to be intimidated but each build gives him new experience in techniques. 

It's great to be a Father of a new builder!


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

I think your son's Arizona turned out very nice. I particularly like his judicious use of weathering--it adds some realism, but doesn't make the ship look like it's ready for the scrap heap (or the bottom of Pearl Harbor, for that matter). And rigging! Excellent!


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

As we built this kit I had the BluRay of the movie 'Battleship' playing in the background. A fun film with lots of explosions, but the best part was in the extras where they have a walk through of the USS Missouri with some of the sailors and officers who served on the boat and we get an in-depth look at the boat from bow to stern, aft to starboard.

He does not realize it yet I think, but he received a bit of education along with this build 

He wanted to do the rigging to bring this model up a notch- that to me is a sign of a good modeler. It is also fun to see him get 'into the zone' while working- that head space is my favorite part about building a kit.


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## dcarty (Nov 26, 2012)

That is fantastic! The Arizona was one of the first kits I built waaay back when. I envy that your son is getting into model building and I hope it brings you both years of great memories 

Dave


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

Shes a beauty!:grin2:
Excellent build.
-Jim G.G.


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## CorkyM (6 mo ago)

I realize this is an old thread and you did a great job on the rigging. But one other mistake noted, he has the two boats forward of turret number three with the tops of the boats glued upside down. They should be mounted so the cabins are on top and showing. I built this model recently and made a mistake by not cutting one of the forward mast supports so it would not lean to the starboard side. I didn’t notice it until the glue had hardened. But Revell models overall have fit problems because their moulds are so old. Some of their model kits take considerable cutting and sanding for parts to fit correctly. And they have a lot of flash with some kits also. Here is a photo of mine….


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