HMS Somerset F82

[phildagreek]

Looks good!

[LE BOSCO]

great Job on this Hms Somerset

congrat's

cheers

Nicolas

[Nick C]

Looking great!!

[Mike]

Hi Paul,

I've been asked by Kev, better known as Jockster on here to ask you where you got the decals by Hawk Graphics from, as he's had no luck from them emailing them direct. He's currently locked out of the site and I'm trying to help him get back in, so if you could PM me with any info you might have, I'd be grateful, and so would Kev, I expect

p.s. I know nothing about ships, boats, subs etc., so if you do PM me, please treat me accordingly

[moaning dolphin]

Hi Paul,

I've been asked by Kev, better known as Jockster on here to ask you where you got the decals by Hawk Graphics from, as he's had no luck from them emailing them direct. He's currently locked out of the site and I'm trying to help him get back in, so if you could PM me with any info you might have, I'd be grateful, and so would Kev, I expect

p.s. I know nothing about ships, boats, subs etc., so if you do PM me, please treat me accordingly

Available from the resin shipyard, I don't know if that is where he originally tried to contact them from.

http://www.resinshipyard.com/

Edit: Just noticed on their website that they have things going on and it may take them weeks or even months to get back to you, they apologize for any inconvenience!

Edited November 19, 2015 by moaning dolphin

[andrewa]

Depending on which decals are needed I've got a few copies of the set and will spare the specifics if I can.

Andrew

Edited November 19, 2015 by andrewa

[Mike]

Thanks fellas. Andrew - is it ok if I give Kev your email address if he's interested in negotiating an ownership transfer of some?

[Paul E]

Hi Paul,

I've been asked by Kev, better known as Jockster on here to ask you where you got the decals by Hawk Graphics from, as he's had no luck from them emailing them direct. He's currently locked out of the site and I'm trying to help him get back in, so if you could PM me with any info you might have, I'd be grateful, and so would Kev, I expect

p.s. I know nothing about ships, boats, subs etc., so if you do PM me, please treat me accordingly

Hi Mike,

I wondered where Jockster had got too.

In answer to the question, I got my Hawk Graphics decals from White Ensign before they ceased trading. However AVR Models show having some in stock http://www.avrmodel.com/en/48-decals?&p=4.

[andrewa]

Mike - no problem

A

[Jockster]

Paul, beautiful build mate, I've been dying to tell you how much I've been enjoying your work and what I've learned. Niiiiiice! Thanks for the pointer on the decals, the only other place I found them was on Amazon and I wasn't paying nearly fifty dollars (inc. P&p) for a couple of sheets of paper, no matter what was printed on it!

Andrew, thank you for your kind offer but I now have a set on the way from AVR.

Dolphin, I used the email link on the Hawk/Resin website and tried phoning. Phone line returned a dead tone, as far as I know the email got through ok but no replies.

Mike, thank you for posting on my behalf, I really appreciate you taking the time mate!

[camponubla]

Looking great!

[Mike]

Mike, thank you for posting on my behalf, I really appreciate you taking the time mate!

Without someone to look down on, the site's been a worse place without you pal

[Jockster]

Without someone to look down on, the site's been a worse place without you pal

At last, I have a porpoise in life!

[Jockster]

Fast service from AVR, decals arrived today. Double joy when I opened the Hawk Graphics pack as I thought that the 4 sheets advertised were 2 sheets of each of the 2 designs, but it's 4 sheets of each, 8 sheets in total! Niiiice!

[Paul E]

Thank you for all the kind comments.

I am currently working on the mounting base so hopefully there will be an update soon.

Fast service from AVR, decals arrived today. Double joy when I opened the Hawk Graphics pack as I thought that the 4 sheets advertised were 2 sheets of each of the 2 designs, but it's 4 sheets of each, 8 sheets in total! Niiiice!

Jockster,

Glad to have been of help.

AVR is now my supplier of choice now that White Ensign are no more, I really can't fault their service.

[Paul E]

Here is a short interim post about the detailing that I have added to the main gun turret whilst I get to grips with manufacturing the base. Not that the gun needs much work doing to it.

I added etched brass maintenance access ladders and added the canvas cover that protects the gun trunion as can be seen in the image below.

The canvas cover was added to all Mark 8 guns in the late 90s and Somerset was no exception, I am not sure why this was done although I suspect it was to reduce the impact of seawater ingress into the turret as it coincided with a change in the hydraulic fluid used in the gun system.

I manufactured the canvas bag by carefully applying model filler into the gap between the barrel and gun housing and then shaping it making sure not to make it too smooth so that it looks something like a canvas bag.

Lastly pictures of the finished articles with a painted the canvas bag.

Next up; mounting the hull and making the sea scape; as promised last time.

[Paul E]

Now for the nerve wracking part where I can ruin the model with a simple slip of concentration.

Fortunately I have come across a tip which at least will mitigate disaster when it strikes. Basically I wrapped the hull in cling-film and stuck it to the base with PVA glue.

This is supposed to stop me plastering the hull with the texture paste which I am using to make the wake pattern.

I sketched out the wake pattern I was trying to achieve before applying the texture paste and referred to photographs of the ship underway.

I should say now that the hull also needs to be stuck down to the base before plastering! I discovered this a little too late and my model lies at a slight angle across the base and not neatly along the centreline.

Anyway after the texture paste had dried I then started painting the base. I use Humbrol 31 as the base colour for the sea.

Having painted and varnished the sea scape it is time to cut away the protective cling film covering starting from the stern.

The cling film around the bow is trimmed back but not removed altogether.

The reason for this is because this is going to be formed into the bow wave by carefully scrunching it up into a representative shape.

The cling film got a bit floppy and I had to hold in place against the hull by carefully application PVA glue.

And here how she looks with the how she looks with the bits dry fitted together.

Enjoy.

[beefy66]

The cling film got a bit floppy and I had to hold in place against the hull by carefully application PVA glue.

Nothing worse than when it all goes Floppy

Keep that STIFF upper lip going Paul your getting the in great fashion mate looking very neat and ship shape I must say

Beefy

[longshanks]

Cracking job matey

Kev

[Jockster]

Very nice Paul, really like the look of this! Maybe one day I'll do a waterline but I'll stick with full hull for the time being.

P.s. spent months staring at pictures of Kent, never once noticed that blast bag! Out with the milliput then!

[phildagreek]

This is looking good.

[foxy]

Great bit of fixing to the base Paul.

Like your turret molding.

Great stuff.

Foxy

[Alan P]

This is an education! Great reference build for the Somerset.

Al

[Paul E]

Many thanks for the kind comments they are very much appreciated.

Back to the more mundane things on the build; this time the fitting of the PE railings around the hull.

I started with the railings that fit under the central superstructure, and immediately hit a problem; The PE is somewhat taller than the space into which it is supposed to fit and also the railings on the starboard side dip inboard because of the accommodation ladder. Both are readily fixed with a bit of judicious cutting.

and then fitted to the hull.

There is also an error in the PE as there is a support for the boat deck missing. This was easily fixed by using the off cut of the railings.

A word of warning though as there are differences in the number of supporting pillars between the older Type 23s prior to HMS Somerset and the later Type 23s. It is worthwhile consulting the reference photographs to see the differences. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234933344-type-23-frigate-reference-photos/

The after set of railings have also been fitted along with the support pillars for the sponsons on the aft structure. I used more of the PE off cuts to make the pillars although the kit fittings probably would have done.

The last thing in this post is the manufacture of the missing hatch which is located on the flight deck on the starboard side close to the hangar screen.

The hatch comes up from the Aft Damage Control section base and is present on all ships of the class.

That’s it for now, next up is detailing the Fo’c’stle.

[Jockster]

Very good Paul and you've made the right call in ditching the kit pillars. I've fitted some of mine and I'm not happy with the look so they are coming back off and will be replaced by flat styrene strip to match the railing positions.

Thanks for the info on that hatch on the flightdeck, I'll need to do likewise then! Is the dip in the starboard railings specific to Somerset or would Kent be the same?