1/35 Phalanx Mk. 15 Close-In Weapon System - RPG Model

[KSaarni]

Yeah, the last layer of active defense for USN ships since the 80’s.

Amazing, but then again, weapon systems, especially in ships has not really been my strength..
But one learns new things practically every day!

- Kari

[Stikpusher]

I used to be more knowledgeable on the different shipborne weapons systems. But I have not kept up on the latest and greatest on those. Some of the new systems such as the 57mm and 25mm Gun systems introduced on recent post Cold War ship types are my unknowns.

[Modelcrazy]

Now this is a cool build!

[Thomas_M]

I have found an other pictures from the start of this build, so I ´ll show them here now:


The easy part was to mount the rotatable disk onto the base. The the rubber dampers had their PE parts glued on. These are very filigree, so I placed a drop of superglue onto the rubber part and placed the PE part on. Fast action was then required to adjust this part! Phew!!

Next ones have been much more easy:



I used a part of my Hold´n Fold Rolling Set to do the bend, as you can see. The, I first glued the left part on, to be followed by the right side of those parts.

[Thomas_M]

I thought long about those PE bolt stripes RPG gives me to replicate, well, bolts! I found those PE strips hard to deburr, as none of my pliers wanted to hold them. Later, while in the bathroom (yes!) I remembered having resin bolts from Russian company MasterClub! And I had a bag of super-tiny ones!

So, I drilled many holes into the plastic instead using the PE strips. The resin bolts perfectly did fir the drilled 0.55mm holes, I even did not have to glue a single one in! I am more than happy with those bolts!



To be continued...

[KSaarni]

Wouh Thomas, even if you said these were easy ones to "roll", still I cannot see myself being able to do as smooth and nice round corners!
Very interesting project to follow!

- Kari

[keavdog]

What a great subject - I didn't know there was a 1/35 kit. I've always thought the Phalanx was a beast of a system - and actually boating in San Diego (home of the Pacific fleet) just a bit scared of it . I'll follow this one but as the OP mentioned, not sure I want to dive into the PE world at this level.

[Thomas_M]

Wouh Thomas, even if you said these were easy ones to "roll", still I cannot see myself being able to do as smooth and nice round corners!
Very interesting project to follow!

- Kari

That´s so easy: take any round object about the diameter needed, and place the PE piece on some hard rubber or the like. Then use the round object and "roll" the curve into the PE!

[Thomas_M]

John, thank you!
Believe me: I here and there get to my limits doing those PE so far. And we have some wonderful curse words here in Germany...

[LyleW]

Fahrvergnügen Comes to mind...that is a great job on those PE pieces!