Trumpeter HMS Dreadnought 1915

OK, latest update.

I'm not happy with some fit problems that I had. My fault for not dry fitting the parts more carefully and taking care of the problem(s) prior to attaching. I DO dry fit many parts before attachment since it has saved me headaches in the past but in these cases I don't know why I missed them.

My clumsy, shaking fingers do not lend themselves to attaching tiny PE or styrene parts very well. However, I'm doing the best I can thus far. It's still fun to work on even if it's not pretty.

I'm a little concerned about rigging (when I get there). I thought about substituting brass rod for the styrene mast and yards (I have brass rod and some silver bearing solder paste and a soldering iron) similar to the work that Bill did on his model but I don't have the confidence to do that just yet. We'll see when the rigging calls me .

Mike

Making good progress on this one Mike! Looks like everything is coming together as it should. As for the soldering and brass mast option, I'm by no means a soldering expert but I found it fairly easy to pull off. Give it a whirl if you're inclined to do the rigging, you'll be happy you did. The styrene masts just aren't strong enough on their own to stand up to any kind of complex handling or tension strain IMHO without bowing or even breaking. Keep up the good work on your 1915 Dreadnought!

Another small update.

Attempting to do what I've never tried before. Bill said "...I found it fairly easy to pull off." That means, to me, that the level of difficulty might just be within the compass of my abilities .

So, after tearing apart the searchlight platform (and breaking off the lower yard), I'm trying to do the mast/yards in brass rod. Here's the result so far.

Mike

The last image shows that I've redone the railing on the compass platform. I used generic PE from the WEM PE I bought for this build. A little better than my first couple of attempts. I also added the ladder and platform to the forward stack.

Replacement masts look the part Mike! See, I knew you could do it!

She is coming along just fine.  I am in the process of rebuilding the bridge on my dreadnought, drop a bottle of thinner on it while reaching without looking for a new bottle of glue.  Also decided not to add the brass rod as I already assembled the platform before realizing that the yardarms would not support any weight.  I did not want the hassle of disassembling and reassembling, most likely would break something.

Next model I will check the yardarms before assembly.

Marcus.

Marcus,

I understand about not wanting to disassemble any bunch of components that have been carefully put together. I was at a point where it didn't seem like it would be too difficult so I went ahead with it. I'm real sorry about the dropped bottle!

I'm posting what seems like a small update but it's taken me many hours to get to this point. I just don't understand how other modelers work so quickly and deftly. I will no longer bemoan my shortcomings since I enjoy the building process whether or not it's neat and tidy. I do, however, have a LOT more respect for those modelers who post close up pictures of their work. Each time I try to do that I see so many things that I wish I'd done better or should do over that I think I'll avoid that kind of image in my future posts.

Mike

Here's where I am now:

Mike,

I don't know how they do it either as I am also moving along at a snail's pace.  Installed the new bridge last night and only have on boat left to paint.  The launches and boats were a pain to clean up and maintain the bumper rail along the sides.  A seam scrapper helped a lot.

What did you use to add the blast bags?

Marcus

Marcus,

The blast bags are molded on the barrels in the 1915 kit. I just painted them with a combination of deck tan and flat white.

Mike

Wonderful build,looks great

Mike,

Thanks, the 1907 version doesn't have the bags.

Marcus

Another minuscule update.

Before painting the boats I thought I'd try to have some fun by adding a couple of things. This is my attempt to add a prop (WEM PE) and fashion my own shaft (brass wire) and bracket (.25mm styrene rod).

Mike

Amazing build, look forward to seeing it finished!  I have the same ship in my stash,  I'm looking forward to cracking it open, thanks for sharing your build

Mike,

That is a great idea, the launches will look awsomet once painted and mounted on the davits.

Marcus

Here's another small update.

Well, I wish I had taken more time (although I'm not sure that would have improved the final result) on my boats - the cleaning up and painting. I thought I'd done alright until I looked at the close up views I'd taken with my camera. Arrrrrrgh!

Maybe it'll look OK from a reasonable distance - say FIVE FEET!. Anyway, here she is so far.

Mike

*Note: the above is because words are not adequate 

Mike,

Looking good.  I really like how the launches and search lights came out.

Marcu

Marcu,

Thanks. I wish I could see what my mistakes are/were as I'm making them. Unfortunately I don't catch a lot of sloppy work/mistakes until I photograph my "progress".

I am grateful that I'm learning a bit more about this hobby and I'm having fun doing it. That's the important part. I just think my education will take some time.

Of course, with regard to learning and time, Hector Berlioz said it best:

"Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on; le malheur est qu'il soit un maître inhumain qui tue ses élèves"

The translation for which is usually stated:

"Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils"

Mike

Mike,

That is the first I heard that line, excellent.

Marcus

Another Dreadnought, wow, popular subject here.  And another clean precise build with a eye for the details.

Like what you did w/search lights..........I will use MV lens on mine much the same as you have used to make yours.

Will be watching with interest.

Rick from NC

Rick,

I drilled out a bit from the front of the searchlights (in the same vain as Bill did on his 1907 build here:  http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/161421.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=3  ) but then I just painted the inside with some acrylic silver/chrome and used brass acrylic on the rim - had to use the finest end of the skinniest toothpick I could find to do those rims . The link to Bill's build is, I believe, the neatest, cleanest, most beautiful build done quickly that I've seen in a while.

I imagine I have another month to go to finish my 1915  build. Thanks for your interest.

Miike

Some progress and some major mistakes. It's funny that I don't mind the mistakes as much as I rue my sorry skills at being neat and tidy. The mistakes I attempt to correct - sometimes successfully and other times not - and I usually learn a little in the process. My sloppy work, however, is not something which seems to be getting much better.  It is, however, something which, I believe, may be partially overcome by my paying MUCH more attention to dry fitting parts, using much less glue, taking MUCH more time with the little details: i.e.: painting, filing, etc. and reading and understanding the building process by studying the instructions thoroughly before attempting any work. Whew! Maybe my next project?

Here is how she stands while I await the resin open 32' boats that Trumpeter did not provide and which I've ordered from the gentleman who provided Bill with his when he was working on the 1907. The information on them is about 3/4 of the way down this page of Bill's WIP: http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/161421.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=6

I'm also waiting on some fine, black EZ Line. I want to do a little rigging before doing much more.

Mike

She looks really good from where I'm sitting!

Groot

Thanks Rob.

I wish she were looking better from where I'm sitting but she's taught me a lot and I'm having fun.

Here's another minor update. I didn't think the chains supplied with the kit were anywhere near the correct scale so I raided my stash of left over parts and found the chain I used on the Cutty Sark's rigging. I think it still may be too big but it's much more to scale.

I added three turrets but am keeping off the port and starboard turrets pending my attempts to put some railing on her. We'll see how that goes after I've done a little rigging. I should have the EZ Line in a week or so and then I'll get back to work on her.

I've noticed that I'll have to redo the grating over the anchor chains.... I've got to find a way to cut that brass mesh more accurately. Any suggestions?

Mike

Mike,

She is looking really good.  I use the chain that came with the kit, yours does look much better.  Are you going to install the gangways on both sides when you add the railing?

Marcus

Thanks Marcus.

I'm not sure if I'm going to add the complete gangways or just the platforms as Bill did with his kit. I'll decide when I get to them.

As you can tell I'm using some of the WEM PE on this puppy. Not all of it is applicable to the 1915 fit but they do provide some of the later changes along the the 1907 fit. For instance, they provided two versions of the stern platform - early and late. The kit only provides a single, flat piece. I went ahead with putting together the PE for the "late" version of the stern platform, put it down somewhere to get to later and $#%@#!!I  can't find it! Oh well, the early version looks nearly identical. I'll attempt to use it. No one will know the difference.

Mike

Disaster!!

Yesterday morning, just before I left for a 6 1/2 mile walk around Silver Falls State Park, I thought I'd just do one more line to the middle yard. NOT a wise decision. I had my short-sleeved hiking shirt on and was not aware - at that moment - that its sleeves are bigger in circumfrence than my normal short-sleeved shirts. I reached over my model to grab a specific pair of tweezers (which I've done carefully and successfully many times) and, on the the movement back my sleeve caught the top of the mast and pulled the ship over with a thud. The force of my stupid move actually bent the main mast (brass), bent one of the arms of the lower yard beyond my ability to fix it, and knocked off one of the starfish points from under the foretop. It also crushed some of the "railing" I'd put in place around the foretop and bent a small section of railing on the compass platform. It knocked the top section of the rear stack off and bent the grating beyond my ability to correct an already botched pe job.

All this said, I'm still not going to trash her. I've made some cursory corrections - however minor and unconvincing - and will continue on with the kit to completion if only to add to my modeling experience.

I've taken a few shots after making what few corrections of which I'm capable and will post them. I still have to paint the point of the starfish that came off and which, since I have an additional set of PE from my second kit, I glued back underneath the foretop as best I could.

After I finish some more rigging I'll attempt to add the rest of the railing, put on the two remaining turrets along with the few other odds and ends that are left and call her done.

Mike

Mike,

I feel your pain, dropped a bottle of thinner on mind..  Looks like you made a good recovery, she looks almost done.  

I finished assembly of my 1907 version and will start weathering it tomorrow, thought I should give the Future a couple of days to cure before I began.  Will post pictures of it when completed.  Shooting for the end of the week.

Hang in there, she really is a great looking ship.

Marcus  

                                                You could relate the recently "declassified  history".  How the HMS D. was caught in a massive north sea gale.  Only due the the heroic seamanship of her  officers and men was she able to be kept afloat, despite the heavy battering to her upper structure and mast.

 Due the wartime secrecy, no mention of this event was allowed. All repairs were simply classed  a "normal refit" .   Only  one grainy photo of the damage is known to exist.  This, picture, is what lead,  to your faithful exact replica of the ship and her repaired damage.  

-OR-

 You made good on the corrections.   She looks fine.

                                           History is true, if you convince them it happen that way

Marcus,

I'm looking forward to seeing your build. I've still got the rest of the rigging, the two 32' cutter/lifeboats, and lots of railing to add. My build will probably take another two or three weeks at the rate I'm going (two steps forward, one step back ).

Duster,

I sure wish I could present her in the fantasy realm of a storm-battered ship but I'll carry on to completion as best I can with what I've done so far. Your suggestion brought a smile to my haggard, old face for which I thank you .

Mike

This is what I'm calling finished. It nearly finished me!!

It seemed as if each time I'd attempt to fix something I'd break another part or bend some railing or ...?

Anyway I'm done. She's built rather sloppily but I had some fun and learned some things so I'm a happy camper.

The pictures I will now post are not too close up since my work won't stand for that. I've put her on a bookshelf in my little condo and will now contemplate which kit in my stash to do next.

FWIW, here are the pictures.

Mike