Academy 1/350 Graf Spee WIP-Completed 2/29, many pics

Thanks for the kind words guys. It was a great learning experience.

Deserved to win, Stik.  A real nice build, and something to look (and work) up to as I go.

stikpusher

One last update on this build... this past week I finally purchased a plastic bin so that I could safely transport the Graf to IPMS Chapter meeting for display and entry into the monthly contest, which I did last nite. She flipping WON 1st place in the Master division at the contest last nite. I am so stoked!!!

Congratulation! I appreciated all the pictures you posted and thank you for sharing.

One last update on this build... this past week I finally purchased a plastic bin so that I could safely transport the Graf to IPMS Chapter meeting for display and entry into the monthly contest, which I did last nite. She flipping WON 1st place in the Master division at the contest last nite. I am so stoked!!!

Thanks Eric. I would recommend this kit as a good one to get back in to ships with. Very affordable and no fit/build issues to worry about.

Very nice build on the Graf. I wish I had the guts to build a ship again.

Thank you BSY. I really enjoyed building this beautiful ship and learned a LOT during the process. Tax refunds are due in within a few weeks so Academy's new 1/350 HMS Warspite is high on the list of candidates.

Great builded one Stik

Thank you sir, but now I am calling this one done.

First off, the required giant penny shot

next the brass painted plastic nameplate

My first completed new tooled 1/350 scale big ship... Academy's DKM Graf Spee

my 1/350 scale Deutsches Kriegsmarine

Comments and critiques welcome

very nice finish

This morning I did some rigging on the masts. Since the kit masts are inaccurate- both are missing lower yardarms and the aft mast bracing to the funnel top- I kept the rigging simple. Seeing how I could not duplicate the actual rigging. Again I used hair for the lines.

After sitting on the sideline for the past 9 months for various reasons, the Graf Spee was pulled down off the shelf and all last parts attached.

First up, I took Manny's suggestion and used hair for the crane cables.

Then I glued the cranes in place, oriented as in photos of the Graf Spee when she was in Montevideo Harbor. I also glued the fore and aft masts in place.

Then I built the fore and aft jackstaffs and glued those in place

I glued the screws in place

Overall completed view. I still need to complete and attach the Arado Float Plane and airbrush on an overall matte coat to tone it all down and tie it all together. Those are tomorrow's tasks.

and with the two U-Boats last seen above that are also nearly complete...

[quote user="Manstein's revenge"]

How did you replicate the ocean in this pic?

A nice flat bedsheet in the proper shade of dirty harbor water tan....

[quote user="stikpusher"]

You're Welcome my friend. It is a great kit for the right price if you bargain shop online.

Well here is my Spee as of this morning with a couple quick build 1/350 Type VII U-Boats (Revell Germany Type VIIC and Hobbyboss Type VIIA) for scale perspective...

[quote]How did you replicate the ocean in this pic?

Yes it did. I will be applying them soon and then taking the required giant penny photo with the completed Arado. It is not yet glued in place on the catapult cradle.

....and No Scuttling!!!!

I love your Graf Spee and want to scuttle her...did the floatplane come w/ any decals???

You're Welcome my friend. It is a great kit for the right price if you bargain shop online.

Well here is my Spee as of this morning with a couple quick build 1/350 Type VII U-Boats (Revell Germany Type VIIC and Hobbyboss Type VIIA) for scale perspective...

two year less than me! this explain the details.. then for the age is good. For now still sleep on the huge box (when stopped to build the hull was near complrete first layers of colors)  I'll rewatch her with differents eyes!

Thanks for the information Stik

The Tamiya Bismarck kit dates to 1978.  About the time they stepped up their game and got really serious about their detailing, as well as starting their 1/350 ship series.Their first big ship kit and Tirpitz is a modification of that mold. Pretty nice kit considering the vinatage of the molds.

stikpusher

A LHS has the Academy clone of the Tamiya kit for a very reasonable price...

the Graf is almost done....

I have the twin bismark from academy, the ,old is a clone from tamiya??? ( i payed 80.000 lire at the time, about 40€ ) The molds are good but i have also the hood 1/720 from italeri with better details that the 1/350 tamiya/academy bismark.. why this gap? Tamiya molds are so old for the bismark class?

A LHS has the Academy clone of the Tamiya kit for a very reasonable price...

the Graf is almost done....

Tirpitz...what TIrpitz......

I think you made a good deision on the removal of those 20mm----looks much better...As far as the hair, get it from brushes like Jester mentioned, ot from the pillow after your last tryst leaves in the morning, like I do...I usually have to take a sharpie and "dye" 'em black cause I prefer blondes but just save yourself the trouble and snag a brunette for a weekend or two...

Jester, you need to get to work on that Tirpitz...

I think your decision to snip of those 20mm's was a good one stik!! I agree with Manny on the cables, I plan on using my wifes hair stolen from her hairbrush. God knows she sheds enough of it!!

I dont think the old lady would approve if I used either one... her cat would not and my hair is too short so....

Human hair or cat whiskers...

Well you guys planted the bug and I just could not shake it off. So I went back and removed all the 20mms except the two aft ones (and they are in the wrong spot but I am not gonna get wrapped up around it now...)

I removed each mount, clipped off the gun with sprue cutters, and filled a mounting slot on the pedestal. Now I need to go touch up the paint and washes on each mount...

The stack platform now...

Stack with top in place

bow 20mm mount

fantail 20mm mount

forward 20mm mounts

a view overall of everthing glued on to this point

a close up of the superstructure

and the remaining parts (except screws, mast tops, fore and aft jackstaffs, and Arado propellor) needing to be glued on

Does anybody have a suggestion as to what to use for the cables on the boat cranes? Stretched sprue?  some sort of fine nylon thread?

Those caskets wouldn't be too hard to scratch either...

Youre welcome. I know they came in very handy for me. I just saw the 20mms in the one pic and presumed that all the 20mm guns were mounted. Looking at all those pics now with the info, it appears that most were not. It would be very easy to clip off all the pedestals before attaching them and coming up with the mounting cradle.