Ravens

I thought this might be of interest to anyone planning on modelling the Titanic. It's a well detailed 3D build of the ship made by a games developer, and they've released a demo for people to explore some of the decks and interior spaces. It seems a tremendous amount of effort has gone into recreating the liner, so it could be useful as reference material if the historical accuracy is up to a reasonable standard. Video: Link to the downloadable demo: https://titanichg.com/downloads Regards, Ross.

It might have been a better idea to group the collection in separate lots according to faction. There are people out there who spend an obscene amount on collectible tat, so it's conceivable that someone may splash a grand or two to buy an entire army worth of mint condition High Elves. Conversely I doubt there are many who are prepared to shell out fifty thousand on such a wide range of miniatures, though I suppose it's possible that a speculator may view it as an investment with the view of selling it all off piecemeal. Ross.

Very sad to hear he has passed away. He always had a kind word or something helpful to contribute, seemed like a really good guy. Ross.

It occurred to me that undercoating with white paint could in theory make the parts glow under a blacklight. I'll definitely give it a try the next time I'm working with photoetch. Ross.

That looks absolutely amazing. I'll have to pick one up eventually to sit in the display cabinet next to HMS Queen Elizabeth and SMS Derfflinger.

I'd love to see released in 1/700 scale: Emerald-class light cruiser HMS Tiger (battlecruiser) Any French pre-Dreadnought - crazier and more steampunk looking the better, but Hoche would be my preference. Majestic-class pre Dreadnought Soviet communication ship SSV-33 Ural Regards, Ross.

Very nice build of a most handsome ship. I particularly like the sand bags piled around the AA mounts on the deck. Regards, Ross.

Thank you, that's very kind. The Flyhawk kit is amazingly well detailed - I'm looking forward to seeing their HMS Lion, HMS Iron Duke and HMS Vanguard kits in 1/700 when they eventually appear. Cheers, Ross.

This has got to be an April fools!

Thanks David. I mostly used a combination of washes and drybrushing for the recesses and highlights, followed by a watered down glaze of Games Workshop 'Nuln Oil' wash to restore a little of the original tone. The glaze also has the effect of reducing the chalky appearance that drybrushing can leave and blends things together a little. Regards, Ross.

Trumpeter unveils box art for their 1940s configuration HMS Belfast in 1/700. http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=230&l=en Regards, Ross.

Those look great. The imperial Japanese navy has such a unique and interesting appearance. Ross.

The Ship: HMS Prince of Wales, launched in 1939, was one of five King George V class battleships and famous for taking on the Bismarck at the Battle of Denmark Strait along with HMS Hood. In December of 1941 HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse were sunk by Japanese aircraft in what would come to symbolise the twilight of the battleship as the dominant force on the waves. The kit: The kit is the deluxe edition of Flyhawk's 1/700 model and comes with a generous amount of photoetch as well as brass barrels. Detail levels are excellent, but some of the smaller parts are a bit on the fragile side and prone to breaking while being separated from the sprues. I added a wooden deck (can't remember which brand as I started this kit in 2020). Overall it was an enjoyable build, even if a few things didn't go to plan. The masts are a touch wonky and I nearly melted though a yardarm on the main mast while doing the rigging (hence why it's bent at a strange angle), but I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Thanks for looking in. Regards, Ross.

Awesome paint jobs - you're really got the highlighting down to a fine degree. Regards, Ross.

Here's a small update on my Empire army. There's a long way to go, but I'm making steady progress. Regards, Ross.

Good start. I'll be following this one, as it's a subject from an interesting time in warship development and very underrepresented in plastic. Regards, Ross.

I usually use the 'standard' thickness for 1/700. I've also used the thinner sized thread, but found it was bordering on being invisible unless standing very close to the model. Ultimately it doesn't make too much difference to the scale of the model and I'd happily use the standard thickness for either 1/700 or 1/350 scales, however if there's any concern over mast parts bending then the thinner stuff might be a prudent choice. Ross.

I've never used EZ line so don't know how it compares in terms of elasticity, but I've used Uschi rigging thread on many 1/700 builds (mostly Trumpeter kits) without any noticeable flexing issues with plastic mast parts. It comes in several grades of thickness, but they are all gossamer thin yet surprisingly durable. One technique is to attach the thread slightly loose and then tighten it by using the heat from an incense stick to shrink the thread, but this carries its own risks as I found out when my depth perception let me down and I accidentally melted through a plastic main mast - oops! It will be interesting to see how the Uschi line interacts with Flyhawk 1/700 mast parts, which appear to be of a softer plastic than those of Trumpeter. I'm optimistic that unless over-tightened then the ultra thin thread will take the strain instead of the mast parts. Regards, Ross.

Hi Pawel. I usually transfer them onto some very thin metal foil, which I usually source from a bar of chocolate. There are two ways you can do it: one option is to transfer the entire decal onto the foil and wait for it to dry before folding it in half, gluing it and then trimming the excess foil. Another way is to transfer on half of the flag only, and then wrap it around the other side of the foil. Once the flag has been trimmed from the foil I go over the edges with a little paint to stop light from catching the edge of the foil. Sometimes the decal adhesive doesn't hold and I have to stick it back down with a little PVA glue. The advantage of using foil is that the flag can be shaped to have folds and contours to represent it flapping in the wind and will hold its shape well. Hope that is of some help, Ross.

That's very useful, thanks once again. It seems that both red and green are valid choices. I'll definitely choose the green lower hull, as along with the white upper works it will really make the Varyag stand out among other models on the shelf. Thanks, Ross.

These are great pictures Dmitriy, and so many of them. They will be my go-to reference material when I begin the Zvezda kit, thank you so much for taking the time to do that for me, I appreciate it greatly. I also noticed that the model in the museum has a red lower hull, whereas many ship modellers tend to paint it green. I'll have to research the historically accurate paint schemes - perhaps they changed over the years and there are several valid ways to paint the Varyag. Once again, Большое спасибо, and if I'm ever in a position to return the favour then I'll let you know. Many thanks, Ross.

I wonder if World of Warships is a contributing factor? That game is riddled with what-ifs and never-were ships, including Weser. I recall that when the Guitar Hero game was a big thing it resulted in sales of actual guitars increasing. Similarly when Total War: Warhammer proved a hit on PC there was renewed interest in Warhammer Fantasy Battles; people wanted the miniatures. The question is whether WoW is big enough to generate enough interest in model ships for kit manufacturers to pay attention. Ross.

A handful of pictures showing different areas of the hull, deck and superstructure would be most appreciated. It will be my first imperial Russian navy subject so I'm unsure of any specific details to request. Большое спасибо, Ross.

Hi Dmitriy, that's very kind of you to offer. I aim to build the cruiser Varyag (1899) in the not too distant future, so if there is a model of that ship at the museum then I would definitely be interested in seeing some photographs of it. Regards, Ross.

Very Fire announced a 1/350 HMS Vanguard kit a few years ago, but I have no idea what stage of development it's at or when it is anticipated to be released. Ross.