1:700 Scale Type 14 Frigate - HMS Hardy

[Paul E]

Here is another model I picked up from the Southwest Ship Show in Portishead. This one is the MT Miniatures model of a Type 14 Frigate. I got the model because my father served on HMS Hardy when he did National Service with the Royal Navy in the late 1950s.

 

 

I must admit that I am in two minds about documenting this build as I did not pay too much attention to the level of detail in the mouldings for this kit. I bought the kit because the subject matter was more important. However I feel I need to be clear at the outset this is a kit conversion and not a criticism or commentary on the MT Miniatures kit.

 

 

Fundamentally MT Miniatures produce 1:700 kits in subjects that are not available from other manufacturers. The kits may be basic when compared to others but considering their relative cost they are in my view great for modellers wanting to try mixed media kits for the first time. For those with more experience and prepared to scratch build the kits offer a template for conversion.

 

Accepting that this is going to be a major conversion, I bought some extra PE detail to go with the kit:

 

 

I also dug out my big box of plastic card and shapes as I knew I was going to be making some use of it.

 

Unfortunately I do not have any drawings for HMS Hardy or any of the Type 14s and my source of reference material is limited to photographs gleaned from the internet, which although useful is far from ideal. But I feel confident that I will be able to produce a reasonable representation of HMS Hardy.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Paul E
grammar

[Guest]

Hi Paul 

             Do you that Atlantic models will have one in the near future in 1/350.email Peter.Good luck ,with this model, will be interesting to see if they can be make into something good.

[Martian]

I too have this kit. Marked as following!

 

Martian

[Paul E]

22 hours ago, Chewitt said:

Hi Paul 

             Do you that Atlantic models will have one in the near future in 1/350.email Peter.Good luck ,with this model, will be interesting to see if they can be make into something good.

Thanks Chris,

 

I was aware that Atlantic models had plans for a 1:350 Type 14 but I think he has other models higher up the queue.

 

 

[Paul E]

20 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

I too have this kit. Marked as following!

 

Martian

You are most welcome but I think there will not be much of the kit left by the time I finish with it.

[Paul E]

So here goes,

And it is straight into trimming bits off the hull moulding;

First I started by removing the sea boat on the starboard side, the bridging piece between the forward and funnel superstructure and the boat chocks on the port side.

 

I gave the model a spray of undercoat and then decided that I needed to remodel the area immediately aft of the bridge deck which I cut out of the moulding:

 

and fashioned a new piece with the intermediate deck from plastic card.

 

 

That's it for now, there will be plenty more surgery to come.

 

Thanks for looking

[Martian]

Ouch! You weren't kidding about having to rebuild most of the kit!

 

Martian

[Guest]

Och this looks painful.chop, chop, chop.......

[beefy66]

Looks like this is going to be a major refitting job. 

 

beefy 

[Paul E]

Martian, Chris and Beefy

I think this gives the answer you are looking for:

 

 

I ended up deciding the piecemeal approach to detailing was not going to work so I stripped the model down of all its moulded detail with exception of the funnel and I am going to start building up from there.

 

Here are some of the new pieces I have built to replace the bridge and the deckhouse immediately aft of the bridge.

 

 

 

I have been keeping notes as I go along so I have a record of dimensions and I make sketches from the photographs to give me ideas of the detail I need to apply.

 

One advantage of stripping the model back is that it will make painting the deck and hull easier.

[Martian]

1 hour ago, Paul E said:

I ended up deciding the piecemeal approach to detailing was not going to work so I stripped the model down of all its moulded detail with exception of the funnel and I am going to start building up from there..

I feared that this was going to have to be the way to go and that a quick and easy way of getting a Type 14 was a pious hope.

 

You are doing a good job of sorting things out though.

 

Martian

[Bugle07]

This is going to be interesting! Really like your scratch building so far, big improvement on the original. 

 

Geoff

[Paul E]

Progress I am afraid has been a little slow. I have however managed to locate a picture of HMS Hardy as she was when my father served on her which is very useful as the ships underwent a number of changes throughout their lives.

 

 

As for the model, I have added Photo Etch doors and ladders and reconstructed the area after the bridge break and sanded down the model remove blemishes in the hull moulding.

 

 

 

Next up for the hull is painting prior to me reapplying detail starting with the bollards;

 

 

The anchor capstans are next on my to do list.

[Paul E]

So the main activity has been painting of the deck and hull which instantly improves the model.

 

The paintwork needs to be tidied up somewhat but it is a start in the right direction

I have replaced the white metal Limbo Anti-Submarine Mortars with some from the same Pit Road 1:700 NATO weapons detail set which I used for my model of HMS Phoebe:

 

I have also started work on the engine room vents and the aft mast structure. Having removed all the detail I now have to add it back on!

 

The aft mast photo etch needed some enhancements, most notably cross bracing and an access ladder. The Ensign gaff was formed from some left over photo etch from another project.

 

And finally a picture of how the model looks so far with parts dried fitted together:

 

Progress continues although at a snail’s pace.

Thank you for your patience.

[Paul E]

A quick update on progress so far, I have touched up some of the paintwork and I am now starting to add the fittings and PE railings.

 

 

I have still got plenty to do but I think that this model is going to turn out nicely.

 

[Rob 1]

Just read through this build; I think you've done a great job on this 'raw' kit of an interesting subject from an era of the R.N. that seems rarely covered; she is certainly looking all the better for it now.

[Paul E]

Thank you Rob, to be honest I did not know the extent of rework that needed to be undertaken at the outset. All I hope for is that the amount effort that I have put in is reflected in a reasonable model of HMS Hardy.  

 

So since my last posting I have started on the mast. I have retained the original kit photo-etch part but then enhanced it with scratch building White Ensign photo-etch yards and railings.

 

 

The pole mast is scratch built using wire, with the antennae fashioned out of butchered PE parts;

 

 

I have also attached the flying bridge superstructure to the hull. The signal projector is from an old Pit Road sprue NATO Weapons sprue which I still have.

 

 

And finally a picture of how my model of HMS Hardy looks with the mast dry fitted.

 

 

Next on the list of things to do are the ship’s boats.

That’s it for now. Progress continues….

[longshanks]

Neat !

 

Kev

[Bugle07]

The mast looks really impressive, very good work!

 

Like the setting you have going on the base, simple but adds something extra to look at. 

 

Geoff 

[Kevin Aris]

That is a one hell of a transformation, well done (lol why dont i work in that scale)

[Murdo]

Very very nice work indeed!

 

[Martian]

This is looking awesome!

 

Martian

[Redshift]

very impressive! Makes a substantial improvement over the original!

[Paul E]

Thank you for the comments, they are very much appreciated.

 

Work at adding the detail back to the model continues starting with the Bofors 40mm guns. As I am depicting HMS Hardy as she appeared in the late 1950s I need to fit 3 guns. The Bofors gun on the quarter deck was removed in the 1960s because of its exposed position and most pictures of the Type 14 frigates shown the gun having been removed.

 

The Bofors guns are from Niko and have been enhanced with plastic card to look like the Mark 9 mounting:

 

I have to say that making the guns was not as simple as I first thought and it was fortunate that there were 5 in the pack as I had one casualty destroyed by thick fingers and consumed by the carpet monster.

The other work undertaken was the fitting of the bollards and fairleads. The fairleads were etched brass and are from Lion Roar:

 

There is still plenty more for me to do, but at least the model is starting to come back together after the level of destruction I wrought upon it in the first place.

I hope you like. Thanks for looking.

[longshanks]

Magic !!

 

Kev