1/200 Nichimo Models
Restoration Project

I built two of these beasts back in the late 1970's when there was no such thing as aftermarket parts
Both were radio controlled with working guns. This is the wreck of sole survivor, It's sister ship having been attacked and sunk by a couple of canadian geese in a local pond.
This one has been sitting on a shelf in the garage for many years, collecting a thick layer of dust and damage from several address changes, kids and pets. The masts are all broken and the crane on the stern is nowhere to be found. I know it will never match the new Gallery offering, but it might look decent on the shelf.

Since I doubt she will ever put to sea again I'll be removing the radio gear, motors and 20 or so pounds of lead inside the hull.

Deconstruction

The biggest problem will be the masts. The pieces are there for the most part but I'll probably have to scratch build a replacement from the Master Models Brass tapered mast sets

The first issue is the dirt, dust and grime. I cleaned the Secondary turrets with soap and water and they it still looked a little "basement weathered" so I'll probably end up repainting the entire ship.

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While disassembling the superstructure I recalled building these ships way back when. The kit actually came with cement that really didn't work worth a crap, and other's I tried didn't work all that well either. That's actually turned out to be a good thing as many of the parts came right off for cleaning. I've stripped off all the armament, the funnel stack slid right out and the remnents of mast took a little wiggling but they're out as well and now reside in a tub of soapy water hoping to loosen the years of buildup grime.

To be continued . . .