Chuck Bauer
North Oaks, Minnesota
Chuck has been a long-time shipbuilder, and, after he took some time off, it’s great to see his work once again with this Trumpeter 1/350 scale Italian heavy cruiser Gorizia. Not one to leave improvements undone, he scratchbuilt the leadsman’s platforms, ventilator housings, slop chute, prop guards, paravane carts, ring buoys, boat booms, navigation lights, and the mainmast pennant. That’s all before easing back a bit and installing a Shipyard photo-etched metal set for Zara-class ships. How many parts went into this build, you ask? That’s easy: 1,225! Chuck painted the decks plank by plank, masking each one individually.