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Will
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Make a Plastic Model Battleship
(The U.S.S. Massachusetts)

This is a challenging and fun little build of a battleship. It is 1:700 Scale and the model is made by Trumpeter.

It is challenging because it has a lot of parts and many of the parts are very very small!

In this tutorial I take you through the major steps of the building process.

I also have a video tutorial for this model at the bottom of the page.

Will has a youtube channel with over 700 videos on projects you can make. Check it out right here

Model of the USS Massachusetts

This model has some very detailed and very small pieces. This picture gives you an idea of the scale when you compare the parts to the pencil.

Closeup of the model

Head worn magnifier

Because the parts are so small I used a head-work magnifier. It was a whole lot of help for building this model.

(I got it on Amazon here)

Materials and Tools:

1 Plastic Model Kit USS Massachusetts (Trumpeter) The link takes you to the exact one I purchased on Amazon. They also have models of this battleship made by other manufacturers.
Testors Cement ( On Amazon here)
Tamiya Extra Thin Cement (On Amazon here)
A pair of good tweezers!
Paints, I didn't do any painting.
X-acto Hobby Knife

Would you consider a donation of $1 to support my work? Paypal makes it very easy and safe. Click here to donate $1 - Every little bit helps Will to keep making great tutorials and projects. Thanks!

Tamiya Angled Tweezers

What's in the box

In the box comes all of the usual materials including the hull and lots of parts, the assembly instructions and a small sprue with clear plastic parts.

The painting scheme worksheet

A little extra thing that this kit has is a full color painting scheme that even has the reference numbers if you want to buy the paint colors from particular manufacturers.

The tools

Here are the tools I used to make this model. The wooden things are emory board. They look like popsicle sticks though. And of big help with this build is the tweezers and the Tamiya extra thin cement. These two items were a big help because there are lots and lots of very small parts on this model.

Using emory paper as a file

Tip on building a plastic model. Inspect the parts after you cut them off the sprue. You may leave bumps or excess plastic. You should carefully emory these down, or shave them off with a knife. It will make a difference in how the model goes together and how it looks.

Wash the sprues

You should very gently wash all the sprues in mild soapy water then rinse gently. This will clean all the parts and allow them to take glue, paint and the decals better. This is optional though.

If you do this you shouldn't try to dry the parts. Just lay them on a cloth or paper towels and allow them to air dry. If you try to hand dry them you may knock smaller parts right off the sprue.

Okay! We got a look at all the basics. Let's get to actually building the model.

The Video Tutorial is here:

Want to learn more about the battleship cove where the USS Massachusetts is on display? They have lots more ships, models and even dioramas. Check it out here: More About Battleship Cove

Trumpeter 1/700 USS Massachusetts Model Kit

Trumpeter's line of battleships and aircraft carriers feature hundreds of parts on nearly a dozen sprues. The kits can be built as full hull or waterline versions, and comes with both pieces. Each measures over a foot long when complete and is for Skill Level 2 modelers. Each plastic model kit is an accurate representation of the military ships.

Tamiya Extra Thin Cement

Testors Non-Toxic Plastic Cement

This is a 5/8 Oz. Tube of Non-Toxic Cement for Plastic Models from Testors. Safe cement for plastic models.Joins polystyrene to polystyrene. Also useful for repairing household items made of polystyrene or ABS plastics.

Testors Cement

Will's Book on Diorama Making

How to Make Fantasy and Medieval Dioramas

This books shows you how to make fantasy and medieval dioramas using many commonly available tools and materials. There are over 100 pictures and illustrations showing you how to make great dioramas in fantasy and medieval styles. Chapters include basics, water effects, terrain tips and special effects like electricity and small motors. Tutorials include how to use foam, plaster of paris and paper mache to make great looking dioramas.