1/192 USS Tennessee 1919 & 1945 ( Scratchbuilt)

This display shows the major extent of rebuilding which the battleship Tennessee underwent after being damaged at Pearl Harbor. Mounting both models side by side allows the observer to study the extent of modernization the ship underwent and how the new threat of aircraft to surface ships completely changed the battleships’ role and defensive capabilities in WWII.
 
Both the prewar, peacetime battleship and the 1945 version with guns bristling as in wartime are displayed. The 1945 model is mounted so that the hull blisters can be fully appreciated as one of the alterations to the battleship.
 
There are several artistic and technical goals I achieved with these models. The “nibbed” planking along with the margin board is unique for this small scale. I am also proud of the secondary weapons, especially the 40mm quad mount which is the most complex assembly on board, and the detail on the small boats. The process I developed for casting the inclined ladders, the aircraft and boat cranes and both styled catapults as a one-piece casting was a technical achievement.
 
I fabricated over 170 master parts for this project; more than 180 molds were made with almost  total use of first generation  compression castings. These are made of slow set, no heat, low shrinkage, two part urethane.
 
The display case base in made from Sycamore obtained from an estate in Tennessee.
 
The Models won a silver medal at the 1995 Mariners Museum Ship model Competition and are currently on display at the Tennessee War Museum in Nashville Tennessee.

Gallery updated 2014

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