Maritime Content

Thank you. I’m building it - not completely accurately - as she was in July 1940. My main aim is a good representation rather than a replication. Thanks. The Hood will be a long term project that may be interrupted from time to time by 48th scale aircraft to maintain my eyesight sanity mojo.

That's exactly what I'm worried about! Apprehensive of Mars

Nest and Tinker? Nimitz and Tirpitz more like. They will appreciate this new toy.

When finished, you must do a video with pictures of the model, while "Ashokan Farewell" plays in the background. And a building log containing quotes of Frederick Douglass or Elisha Hunt Rhodes! Aa long as the cat wasn't on board of the Bismarck, the Cossack and the Ark Royal, everything's okay

I like anything submarine related but, ... Kitty's??? Now I GOTTA watch!!!

Looks like an interesting project, I shall follow

Coming along nicely, a good warm up for the Hood in fact, I'll look forward to seeing it progress, should keep you busy for a bit

Jon, you're giving me a lot more confidence in the deck staying stuck. I wonder if the issue of decks lifting may be more around the local environment; humidity etc? Wooden decks staying stuck mat be an unexpected benefit of living in a country where three days of sun in a row, a bit of a gale and two inches of snow constitute extreme weather!

I've done a little more work over the last few nights. Here I have filed off the kit watertight doors on the Shelter Deck ad added the Pontos doors. I've done the same with the deck above: I've also started removing the moulded support struts from around the deck shielding that surround the 4.7" AA guns fitted on the Shelter Deck. Naturally, Pontos have you replace these with etched struts: That's all for the moment. Last night I gingerly sketched out the dazzle scheme in pencil on the hull. I plan on laying down the first colour over the weekend. It's the first time I've painted with enamel and I've suddenly realised there's a significant drying time compared to acrylics. Sovereign Hobbies state about 6 hours between coats, so this is going to be a lengthy process. I just hope I can do it justice. One more thing......a new tooling of a 1/200 Yamato? Christmas has come early!

Congratulations on the promotion, and the boats look quite good also.

Looking forward to seeing this.

I agree with Kev, it's either this or fully weathered. Excellent result.

Finally, getting the recognition I deserve! A boat named after me (even if it's one at risk of getting squished by a cat)...made my day. Do her proud Martian! David

Superb I feel you should leave museum quality Kev

Looking forward to seeing this progress.... Kev

After a little more work this morning the torpedo launchers were ready. The rails were glued to the deck. Then it was time to install the sliders and the torpedoes. It was fiddly to ensure they were equally placed, but it worked out quite well I think, it is as good as it gets. I had printed the flags as decals, so they would need some backing. I sprayed a piece of kitchen aluminium foil white on both sides. Then cut and applied the decal to one side, cut the foil, then applied the decal to the other side. When fitted they can be manipulated a little to give them more life. The masking on the base was finally removed and the brass poles given a light polish to clean any tape residues. I think this will be it. I have been thinking on some light weathering, like the exhausts and water outlets, but I'm not so sure it would be right to do on a model displayed like this?

That's a cute little ship's cat! The model kit doesn't look too bad either. Looking forward to following along. John

following the completion of my Hunley build, people were asking as to what my next maritime build would be. Well thanks to the good people at MikroMir, I can now announce that it will be their new kit of the Confederate semi-submersible torpedo boat the CSS David. This kit provides parts for a full interior and I shall be super detailing this as well as cutting away some of the hull to show the work to its best advantage. The work will of course include a 1/35 scale ship's cat (the kitten's idea) and of course a seagull in the same scale so as not to upset @longshanks! I tried to take some pictures of the kit but the new kittens, Nest and Tinker, decided to sign on as ship's cats so make what you will of the pictures so far! I have the Academy kit of the Cutty Sark and the Scale Warship etch for the same and am keen to make a start on that as well but space considerations dictate that some of the Zeppelins will need to clear the work bench before that can happen. Thanks for looking and Nest and Tinker would welcome any constructive criticism C/O this thread! Martian

We have hit the top of page four at the same time that the clock-in card tells me I passed 20 hours.

That's one of the really good things about this genre, you have to think for yourself but no-one can prove you wrong.

Thorough and proper reasoning and with no period reference photographs we will never know for certain those details of HMS Beagle. cheers, Graham

That looks incredible! For what exact year are you building her?

Hmm, good question. I suspect the figureheads will depend whether paint gives them sufficient character or not. I can always claim the Jarl wanted all his fleet to look similar… I presume you’re then referring to the gallows rather than the kona mitre box? I’ve subscribed for a kickstarter for a border reivers minis game, and a gallows seemed a suitable (if macabre) terrain piece. Rescue the captive sort of game.

Gidday Jon, they look rather sleek ships. Will they all have the same figurehead or do you have others to substitute for them? And that's a rather interesting desk ornament behind them. Regards, Jeff.

Indeed she does, actually she doesn’t forget anything I’m told. She is, same as she was 35 years ago when we met. …the total haul was impressive. The Trumpeter 1/350 HMS Hood plus the Trumpeter Add on set with the gun barrels etc. She went deeper though; having researched she added a wood deck and the Eduard PE set. She’s a keeper. Lol, yes I must stop complaining about the Wessex because it turned out really nice and I actually enjoyed For the most part. I’m having trouble finding another kit though so the next one is some way off. In addition to my birthday the last couple of weeks have been very busy; granddaughter’s first birthday, I became an Australian citizen, two work trips and a weekend away with friends in wine country. Not much modelling. But I did manage some. I made a real hash of the searchlight. It looks better under paint but only if one doesn’t look too closely. I finished its structure and also the small gun and it’s platform. I am marginally happier with the PE rail on the small gun platform. Next, painted and added these components to the deck. I’ve begun work on the forward superstructure and a trial assembly just to see what it looks like. So that’s where it’s at as of tonight. We’re looking at another rainy weekend here in Canberra so some more progress is expected. Cheers.