1/350 HMS Zinnia

[Murdo]

I haven't built a ship for a long time and decided it was time to start one that had been annoying me (i.e. feeling guilty for not starting it).

 

This is the Mirage Hobby 1/350 HMS Zinnia. I was given it by my sister and brother in law when they over visiting from NZ last year. His uncle had served on the Zinnia and survived when she was torpedoed off Portugal. They brought me the kit and asked if I'd build it for them. Honoured to do so. I've been working on it for a week and finally felt confident enough to post some pics. I bought Trumpeter PE railings and ladders for it.

 

Sooooo... On with the build:

 

Obligatory sprues and box shot - just so we know what it should look like compared to what I manage to make of it.      

 

 

 

 

 

It really is a lovely wee kit and has gone together quite well so far.

 

There is the odd wee bit of trimming to do such as the ejector marks here but nothing can be seen once trimmed.

 

 

The one issue I did have with the kit is that the sprue gates are big for such tiny parts and I had to use the razor saw to detach a lot (i.e. most) of them. Even so, a few parts broke but hey ho, nothing a little Tamiya glue didn't sort nicely. Here are the depth charge launchers being cut off:

 

 

 

Launchers (broken bits repaired), loose depth charges and funnel etc. I filed the top of the launchers flat and remade them with plastuct strip but it's so small that it was hardly worth the bother.  

 

I drilled out the top of the funnel and cut open the vents.

 

I also drilled out all the hull portholes and superstructure "skylights" (or whatever they're called). I decided not to open the superstructure square windows as I didn't think that A. they would be seen clearly enough and B. I didn't think I could do a good enough job on them. The portholes etc will be filled with a clear glue once it's all completed.

 

 

Hull assembled:

 

 

 

Lots of different masking and painting:

 

 

And AA rear gun platform started:

 

 

 

It doesn't look like much in these pics but that will do for now. I'll try and post more soon.

 

 

  

[Murdo]

Some more progress pics:

 

Depth charges and launchers fitted

Cranes and hoists rigged and fitted

Ventilators and PE railing and ladders fitted along with some other assorted bits 'n bobs.

Aft gun platform fitted complete with PE ladder that's near invisible after all the hassle of getting it in place            

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can't see it very clearly here but I'm not too happy with the green colour I used for the camouflage on the stern area.    

 

 

 

[stevehnz]

Thats looking really good Murdo. For a quite small model, just over 7" by my calcs, the detail is quite impressive. I'd rather discounted this & was leaning toward the 1/144 Revell kit, now, I'm not so sure.

Steve.

[longshanks]

Looking good

 

Kev

[robgizlu]

Very nice work - like the paint job and the detail is impressive.

 

You've reminded me that I need to keep slogging on my 1/144 build!

 

Rob

[Murdo]

Thanks guys, very much appreciated!

 

Steve, you really should try one of these wee kits, they really very nice but be warned, the razor saw and very careful cutting of parts is very much needed.

 

Rob, just saw your latest post on your build. It really is a cracker. I also have the 1/144 kit and I hope it turns out as good as yours.

 

I built the 1/72 kit about 30 years ago. What's left of the hull is still in my loft. Now that is a monster kit!!!

 

More build pics soon

[celt]

[Murdo]

Some more work done last night and today.

 

Funnel area:

 

Ventilators drilled out, railings and funnel stays added. This area needs a bit of work yet.

 

 

 

Front superstructure started and funnel area test fitted.

 

 

 

 

 

More to follow.

 

Is there any way to get bigger pictures. These are a bit small.

 

Mind you, the bottom pic is still larger than the actual model (on my screen anyway).

[Nick C]

That looks great - very tempted to get one of these.

[beefy66]

Well your going at some pace with this one and doing a fine job to  

 

Beefy

[Murdo]

Thanks guys, I'm tempted to get another one myself. I think there's a few different kits... Maybe after I build the 1/144 Revel kit. The stash is getting a bit out of hand.  (Yippee!!!!).

 

I seem to really be on a pretty serious roll with this one. Normally something like this would take me months.          

 

 

Some more pics:

 

Added some more bits (whistle, chimney) to the funnel area.

 

 

The life rafts had a solid bottom so I drilled them out, added some PE mesh from Accurate Armour and straps made from Tamiya tape. The strap looks a lot better in real life than it does in the pics but I think I might change them.

 

 

The wooden deck areas had been painted during the main mask and paint job with Tamiya Deck Tan. Now they've been given a wash with the Citadel shade - Seraphim Sepia. I have to say, these Citadel shades, glazes and other paints are brilliant to use and look great.

 

 

Extra parts assembled, painted and added to the main superstructure. The support for the searchlight platform was a solid block of plastic and sits right on top of the stair. Soooo, unfortunately a beer can had to be sacrificed and the metal was used to make a three sided support. I also added a piece of PE ladder to the front of the platform. Windows are painted with the Citadel shade - Coelia Greenshade.

 

 

 

Here you can see the three sided searchlight platform over the stairs. There's also three sided thing on top of the "roof" and I've no idea what the spike inside that is meant to be. The wooden roof has also been painted Tamiya Deck Tan and then painted in Seraphim Sepia Citadel Shade wash. By the way, the "spike" is so small that when I tried to superglue it in place it lodged under my fingernail and I had a b*gger of a job getting it back out.

 

 

 

And finally, painted and added the aft QF gun.

 

 

 

And that's all for this episode folks.  I have to admit that for something so small (7") there's a surprising amount of parts and work involved.

 

Unfortunately I'm working down in England next week and as soon as I get back we hit the usual Christmas "holiday" of going to her family then going to mine - all in their late 70's, early '80s. It is expected that we go to them for every single holiday we have.  Whilst hers is a mere four hour drive, unfortunately my lot live in the Outer Hebrides.

 

They seem to have difficulty understanding two important points:

 

1) The kids have 2 weeks off because they're in school. I work, I don't get 2 weeks off, it takes some serious work manipulation to get the time off I did manage to wangle.

2) You know how it used to take you about 13 hours travel to get there? On a good day? Well strangely, it takes me about the same amount of time...

 

As such, I might not get to play with it again for a while.

 

I'll take it with me but I tend to spend my "holidays" fixing / cleaning / installing / painting things - not models - things like drains, fences, floors.    

 

I do get very well fed though.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

[longshanks]

Positively flying along............

 

Your small spikey thing is the magnetic compass HTH

 

Kev

[Murdo]

1 hour ago, longshanks said:

Positively flying along............

 

Your small spikey thing is the magnetic compass HTH

 

Kev

 

 

Oh? Oh poo!  I'll bet it wasn't alone in that little enclosure then?     

[Aginvicta]

This is looking really good Murdo, you're adding some good detail. If you use Photobucket you can edit your photos. I crop mine to get rid of unwanted background and then zoom in a bit. I think you can also do this with Flikr. The trouble is it also shows up the not so good bits that you can't see with the naked eye.

 

Andy

[robgizlu]

Neat job - Loving it

 

Rob

[Murdo]

17 hours ago, Aginvicta said:

This is looking really good Murdo, you're adding some good detail. If you use Photobucket you can edit your photos. I crop mine to get rid of unwanted background and then zoom in a bit. I think you can also do this with Flikr. The trouble is it also shows up the not so good bits that you can't see with the naked eye.

 

Andy

 

Yeah...scale and actual size is a bummer innit!               

[Murdo]

Can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. Christmas and New Year flashed past and between work and family I didn't get much building done. What I did manage to do just seemed to take forever to get done (so back to normal build pace then.       ).

 

Anyhoos, here the latest updates:

 

Added the front gun and platform. I tried to add the type of canvas covering normally seen running round the bottom of the railings but I'm not too happy with the results and I might remake the railings:

 

 

I didn't manage to get a single boat davit off the sprue in one piece so I made new ones from wire and Lazer Bond glue for the hoists and blocks etc - Brilliant stuff! 

 

By the way, there are many very skilled people on this site that are Britmodellers, I'm a Britmuddler.             

 

I decided it might be a good idea to attach the boats to the davits with Uschi thread (great stuff), fit the davits to the hull then glue the boats down. It all worked fine but caused quite a few bad words when it came to gluing the boats down in place. The davits aren't great but they'll have to do.

 

 

 

Finally got them stuck down.              

 

 

Twisted two strands of wire between pin vices then put them on a hammer head and tapped them slightly flatter with a pin hammer. Primed them with Halfords grey primer and gave them a coating of Citadel Seraphim Sepia to dirty them up. That produced the anchor chains. I might change them a bit yet.  Might make a new set and twist them tighter, see if I can get rounder links.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also added some more rigging and deck bits. Slowly getting there.

 

 

 

Y'know, having read that I've put some kind of negative in just about every paragraph it makes me wonder if I'm ever happy with anything I build.          

 

 

 

 

[beefy66]

Great idea for the anchor chains will have to keep hold od that little tip 

 

beefy

[longshanks]

13 hours ago, Murdo said:

Y'know, having read that I've put some kind of negative in just about every paragraph it makes me wonder if I'm ever happy with anything I build.          

 and that's how you improve, never being satisfied!

 

Some good ideas lurking in here.....

 

Re your anchor chain. Is it possible to twist three stands together, might this give a better shape. I've done it with thread.

 

Keep the negatives coming 

 

Kev

[73north]

one book worth reading is Trawlers Go To War by Lund and Ludlum ( New English Library ) paperback

[Murdo]

On 22/01/2017 at 0:39 PM, longshanks said:

Some good ideas lurking in here.....

 

Re your anchor chain. Is it possible to twist three stands together, might this give a better shape. I've done it with thread.

 

Keep the negatives coming 

 

Kev

 

Thanks Beefy 'n Kev.

 

I'm not sure where I got that idea from, I've used it a few times over the years. I doubt it was originally mine though...            

 

Obviously different size and type of wire produces different scale chain.     

 

Today's negative - Tried three strands of wire, it looks like bashed cable, not chain. Back to the drawing board...      

 

 

 

On 22/01/2017 at 1:04 PM, 73north said:

one book worth reading is Trawlers Go To War by Lund and Ludlum ( New English Library ) paperback

 

Thanks 73north, I've managed to get a copy of it. I've only read a few pages so far but it looks like it's going to be a fascinating read.

 

I'm planning on scratchbuilding a couple of naval trawlers because they just seem such incredible wee ships (boats?) and their contribution was amazing.

 

 

[longshanks]

2 hours ago, Murdo said:

Today's negative - Tried three strands of wire, it looks like bashed cable, not chain. Back to the drawing board...      

 

Sorry wasn't thinking straight

 

I now remember I plaited the strands...........

 

Kev

[SeanM]

Don't normally bother looking at ancient WWII stuff but stumbled in here by accident. I have to say that looks great what you've done. Does not look like a 1/350 kit

[Dave Swindell]

On 22/01/2017 at 0:39 PM, longshanks said:

Re your anchor chain. Is it possible to twist three stands together, might this give a better shape. I've done it with thread.

 

Four strands plaitted in a square sinnet gives a very good impression of chain. Takes a bit of practice and more time to do, but the effort is worth the result.

[longshanks]

Brilliant site thanks for sharing

 

Kev