75th Anniversary of 1943 (World at War)

Thats looking great Steve. I'll be watching closely. Thanks for the info on the PE.

Cheers

Tony

EBergerud

WC

I did the Scharnhorst a couple of years back - nice kit considering the age. I painted it for the dance at the Battle of the Cape (if battle is the right word.)

You've got me thinking. You have to paint and assemble ships via components. I've never even thought of trying to rig them that way - always been afraid of damaging the rigging. But if only assembly was left - weathering and everything done - your way might work very nicely. It would be a lot easier to do fine, short rigging that way. I'll try that out. I don't have a ship up in the near future but I've got a Trumpeter 1/350 England and a 1/350 Dragon Z-31 (which got stuck in arctic ice - very neat dio possibilities there) in the stash. Might move one of them up a slot.

Eric

Thanks again Eric, I've always had issues with rigging after everything was assembled. The are a few lines that will need to be installed after but for the most part, doning them as sub-assemblies just seemed locical to me, especially since these sub-assemblies are the same color.

I have the 1/350 Trumpy Z-37 and have been thinking about an ice dio as well. Great minds think alike.

 

Edit Dragon not Trumpy

Eric,

I like Revell plastic as well and usually cut a few sprues to keep for stretching. I've gotten the process down to where I can stretch the sprue down to a hair size, I can't even see it LOL. It takes some practice to pick those up with a pair of tweezers without bending them. After cutting it to length (I've messed up too many things cutting the sprue after installing it) I'll dip one end into a drop of thick CA, apply the sprue to the mast and let it lay where I want it while it dries. After I have a few "lines" laying on a single point I'll touch the area with just a tad of thin CA. I do not apply any kind of accelerator unless I want to mess stuff up for good. The accelerator will melt the sprue and cause complications if you want to try that area again. I have tried the punk smoke technique with mixed results. Sometimes it works but mostly I melt the lines. Now that is more frustrating than installing them in the first place.

I'm hoping to take this to Eagle Quest in June, if I can finish it in time. This and the Kirishima I built for the Japanese GB.

WC

I did the Scharnhorst a couple of years back - nice kit considering the age. I painted it for the dance at the Battle of the Cape (if battle is the right word.)

You've got me thinking. You have to paint and assemble ships via components. I've never even thought of trying to rig them that way - always been afraid of damaging the rigging. But if only assembly was left - weathering and everything done - your way might work very nicely. It would be a lot easier to do fine, short rigging that way. I'll try that out. I don't have a ship up in the near future but I've got a Trumpeter 1/350 England and a 1/350 Dragon Z-31 (which got stuck in arctic ice - very neat dio possibilities there) in the stash. Might move one of them up a slot.

Eric

 

Jim Baumann the uber-guru at ModelWarship is a stretched sprue fan - he has also been known to spend two months rigging his ships. The ability to stretch under some smoke from an incense stick is helpful - if it doesn't break. My problem is that I always rebuild masts in brass and can't figure a good cement for sprue. Baumann uses Revell plastic - I find that plastic cement melts the sprue on brass. Freetime sells EZ Line, but I prefer a Lycra rigging line from Infini - comes in lots of sizes down to 20 denier (beyond thin). I'm too old for 40 denier. I'd use 70 denier on a 1/700 ship - 110 denier on anything else. But that's me, not the ideal. Specialized monofilament - which comes in extremely thin sizes now (figure about 30 denier) is easier to work with, tightens under heat like sprue, but is really tough to cut close to the contact point. That's good for fishing, but not so good rigging. I think the 110 Infini might be very good for rigging biplanes and takes to Super Glue extremely well and works great for antennas. 145FT for $12: actually quite a bit. Eric

That is great work, Steve.  Quite exceptional!  It will be interesting to see how you manage to paint with all these things in place!  

Well the sprue certainly works for you Steve.

Cheers Bish,

I use streached sprue, easy line and other things don't work well for me.

Steve

Looking good Steve. Interesting that your adding the rigging at this stage, your explanation makes sense. What are you useing for that.

I'm sorry Tony, I could have sworn I answered you. At least I know I started and must not have hit submit.

Tom's Model Works. It is for both the Scharnhorst or Gneisenau. Nice set but Tom's instructions are hard to decipher at times, not like Eduard.

So, I bucked up and added the mast and rigging to the bridge superstructure. I'm going about this differently than my usual. I'm competing the rigging and everything I can on the subassemblies before installing them. There's nothing harder for me that trying to add rigging while trying to reach across all the PE. I also received a Bruno barbet from Shapeways today to reflect vents on the ship in 1943, which is not reflected on the Tamiya kit.

 

Next is the aft bridge and mast.

MC, I built that kit in the late 80s, before anyone had thought of PE. I've still got the Gneisenau in the stash. 

My word, that's a terrific looking set of PE, what brand is it ?

Cheers

Tony

Thank you Griffin. Tom's Model Works PE wanted me to put on dipoles on the radars, now that's crazy at 1/700! I have a hard enough time on 1/350 radars.

Not much longer till finish it, then on to the Z-37 and their seascape.

That is some seriously meticulous work Steve. Well done. I don't think I have the patience for that type of build. 

I finished the bridge, now just some misc items like the boat cranes Etc. and then to the paint booth.

Welcome to the GB, Eric.  Glad you could join us!

Build roster is updated.

Put me down for an ICM 1/35 T-34/76 dressed for the dance at Kursk. Could me more. Eric

Thanks for that the trials scheme is the one i am planning. I know its the one lots of people do, but i do like it. It was either that or the one right at the end with the yellow turret tops.

I have the same kit and am stoked to build it. My better half bought me a PE set, GMM I think off hand (It's in Boise) but like you I want several AM details to make it a masterpiece. I won't be starting on it for a year or two either but have decided on the break out camo (gray with the false bow and stern waves). I built the Tamiya kit several years ago with the sea trial camo and the stripes were a nightmare to get straight.

Good thinmg about the Bismarck is that it wasn't altered much as its career was so short. I am pretty set on which scheme and layout i am doing. Only think left to buy for it is the veteren models light AA guns. I have a large PE set from Lion roar which include the guns but they are all flat and don't think will look quite right. I then just need to set the time ashide to do it. Got a couple of 72nd ships i want to do first, but i think the Bismarck will be on the bench in 5 or 6 years. I hope.

Thanks Crown.

Bish, I understand, it usually takes me a few months of research and AM parts ordering before I start a ship build. They were constantly modified and their camo was always changing.

Cheers for the info guys, i'll look into both of them. Might be a few years before i get to build it, but i want to be all ready for it when i do.

MC that awesome . Looking forward to see it painted

 

Thanks Check.

Beautiful work with all that PE, Steve.  Your work curving it and shaping it is extremely impressive!

Thanks guys.

Bish, for 1/350 I would use Mr Surfacer 500. It's thicker so it wont flow as well. It would allow the droup you see in the bags. The dissolved putty is great for 1/700. I like Mr putty's because they are easy to apply and work with.

Steve, I actually said "wow" to myself while looking at your PE work.  Really well done.  Very pleased (sincerely) that you are able to get back to the bench.  Looking forward to some further "wows".

 

Bish I saw a thread in the ships forum about 4 or 5 months ago, I think, where the blast bags were done with epoxy ribbon.. Looked great. Kein posted it. Maybe message him. I believe it was a Bismark even. 

Here it is http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/176632.aspx

I meant to ask about that putty.I've got a 350 Bismarck, do you think it would work in that scale. I have been looking at some 3D printed turrets which come with the blast bags molded on. But as i already have some PE which will dress the bturretup and brass barrels, it seems silly to spend another £30+ when i might be able to add my own.

That dissolved putty worked well on those tiny guns. Looks like a bigger scale. You will find that lost gun when you are finished and it's on the shelf. Lol 

Looks real nice Steve, bummer about them guns though.