CA38 Project
1September 19, 2022080312: USS San Francisco (CA-38) in 1/350 by Trumpeter. Initial step is mounting base and pedestals. (Turned brass lamp shade risers from Lowe's, mounted into epoxied 1/4"-28 nuts)
2September 19, 2022080412: CA-38; Hull Assembly & seam treatment
3September 19, 2022080419: CA-38; Secured deck, opened hawsepipes, removed molded chains, opened mooring chocks, replaced mooring bitts on fo'c'sle.
4September 19, 2022080419 CA-38 - Replacement anchor chain
5September 19, 2022080419: CA-38 Hull Assembly & seam treatment
6September 19, 2022080419: CA-38 with her younger sisters (Combrig, Trumpeter kits in 1/700)
7September 19, 2022090406 CA-38 turned brass, delivered via WEM's SST.
8September 19, 2022090406 CA-38 turned brass, delivered via WEM's SST.
9September 19, 2022090910: CA-38; building acrylic case.
10September 19, 2022121008: CA-38; Installing running gear (yes, that was a 3-year hiatus!)
11September 19, 2022121008: CA-38; Installing running gear. Secured with MEK (solvent) and faired with CA (Superglue)
12September 19, 2022121008; CA-38; Struts are not quite streamlined - re-work required
13September 19, 2022121008: CA-38 Struts after shaping with #11 blade and sanding sticks (toothpick is temporary handle)
14September 19, 2022121008: CA-38 Struts after shaping with #11 blade and sanding sticks (toothpick is temporary handle)
15September 19, 2022121017: CA-38; Building a jig for barrel installation and alignment. This will be critical for installing turned brass barrel replacements.
16September 19, 2022121017: CA-38; Jig for barrel installation and alignment. (Misaligned parts are a pet peeve o' mine!)
17September 19, 2022121029: CA-38; Next: cut off the barrels, sand the stubs, and center drill the blast bags to receive the brass barrels.
18September 19, 2022121029: CA-38 Brass barrels installation.
19September 19, 2022121029: CA-38 Brass barrels installation. Note near-perfect barrel alignment.
20September 19, 2022160402: CA-38 Hangar sides installation and fairing.
21September 19, 2022160402: CA-38; Not sure I'm in love with the appearance of the stained wood deck.
22September 19, 2022160402: CA-38 Initial base coat of Lifecolor acrylic 5-O (to represent faded 5-N of MS 21).
23September 19, 2022160403: Trying a deck stain with a thin wash of Gunship Grey (on circular cutout).
24September 19, 2022160403: Trying a deck stain with a thin wash of Gunship Grey (on circular cutout).
25September 19, 2022160416: CA-38 Masking the boot topping.
26September 19, 2022160416: CA-38 Masking the boot topping.
27September 19, 2022160416: CA-38 Masking the Hull bottom. Red is rattlecan red-brown primer.
28September 19, 2022160416: Boot topping doesn't look right (not deep enough)
29September 19, 2022160418: Fixed the boot topping with an additional 2mm black. Much better.
30September 19, 2022160418: Bottom paint complete.
31September 20, 2022160428: CA-38; First railings.
32September 20, 2022160429: CA-38; First railings and AA weapons demo.
33September 20, 2022160503: CA-38; Mass production jig for replacement Carly floats. Wire is Pb/Sn solder.
34September 20, 2022160503: CA-38; Painting all the floats. Paint doesn;t stick well to lead/tin solder. :-\
35September 20, 2022160504: CA-38; Replacing the too-short splinter shields on 03 level aft.
36September 20, 2022160512: CA-38 Boat deck splinter shields installed.
37September 20, 2022160512: CA-38 Boat deck splinter shields installed.
38September 20, 2022160513: CA-38 Boat deck splinter shields installed and primed.
39September 20, 2022160505: CA-38 Carly float options. I like the weave, although should properly be painted hull color.
40September 20, 2022160509: CA-38 Prop guards
41September 20, 2022160513: CA-38 Prop guards painted.
42September 20, 2022160516: CA-38; Slight dimensional mismatch with wood deck veneer. Fixed with a simple cut abreast of leadsman's platform.
43September 20, 2022160516: CA-38; Wood deck installation.
44September 20, 2022160516: CA-38; Out in the sun with her new wood deck.
45September 20, 2022160516: CA-38; Out in the sun with her new wood deck.
46September 20, 2022160516: CA-38; Out in the sun with her new wood deck.
47September 20, 2022160816: CA-38 PE for searchlight platforms. I goofed up the one on the right by trying to do it in one piece.
48September 20, 2022160827: CA-38 PE for Searchlight tower.
49September 20, 2022160827: CA-38 trial rigging on funnel.
50September 20, 2022160831: CA-38 Funnel baffles cut from .005" styrene (I messed up the PE for this).
51September 20, 2022160827: CA-38 PE for boat deck and Aft Fire Control
52September 20, 2022160827: CA-38 PE for boat deck and other progress. Note trial rigging on funnel.
53September 20, 20221608317: CA-38 Progress. 20mm replaced with 3D printed units from 3DModelParts.com
54September 20, 2022160831: CA-38 Progress: searchlight tower.
55September 20, 2022160902: CA-38 Funnel rigging with invisible sewing thread run through a black sharpie.
56September 20, 2022160902: CA-38 Funnel rigging with invisible sewing thread run through a black sharpie.
57September 20, 2022160906: CA-38 20mm and 1.1" replacement with 3D printed parts from 3DModelParts.com.
58September 20, 2022160906: CA-38 20mm and 1.1" replacement with 3D printed parts from 3DModelParts.com.
59September 20, 2022160907: CA-38 Screws. Paint is rattlecan Gold.
60September 20, 2022160907: Mooring line reels, with cotton thread manila line.
61September 20, 2022160912: More superstructure detail.
62September 20, 2022160912: CA-38 Fo'c'sle running gear striker plates.
63September 20, 2022160912: CA-38 Fo'c'sle running gear striker plates.
64September 20, 2022160917 Rigging the foremast. Note the brass staple to secure the mast, and the PE ladder used to tie off the signal halyards.
65September 20, 2022160917 Rigging the foremast. Signal halyards are 20 den Caenis under tension from a small weight.
66September 20, 2022160919: CA-38 SOC-3s with PE struts, props.
67September 20, 2022160919: CA-38 SOC-3s with PE struts, props.
68September 20, 2022160924: B&A Crane assembly and rigging.
69September 20, 2022160924: CA-38 Mainmast assembly.
70September 20, 2022160926: CA-38 with flagbags rigged with 20dn Caenis.
71September 20, 2022160926: CA-38 gets her identity.
72September 20, 2022160928: CA38 progress. Note funnel rigging temp secured with poster putty.
73September 20, 2022161016: CA38 whaleboats. Re-did attachment to include eye bolts and rope falls.
74September 20, 2022161017: CA38 progress. STBD Utility boat is on a PE skid with sprue stabilizers (drilled into hull).
75September 20, 2022161017: CA38 progress. Note suspended whaleboats. Falls were passed through drilled hole in the davits then secured with white glue and touched up.
76September 20, 2022161017: CA38 progress. STBD Utility boat is on a PE skid with sprue stabilizers (drilled into hull).
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Comments
6 June 2026, 15:19 -
Album info
USS San Francisco (CA-38) in 1/350 scale from Trumpeter kit.
Depicted as deployed for Guadalcanal campaign c. 1942.
Gold MM PE Set,
Master Model 8" barrels,
1.1" quads and 20mm from 3DModelParts.com.
Hull and verticals are Lifecolor acrylic 5-O (to represent faded 5-N of MS 21)
Steel deck surfaces are MM Acryl Gunship Grey (FS36118)
Hull is rattlecan red-brown primer.
