ArnoldAmbrose

G'day, I had a look. Actually it an earlier ship, of WW1 vintage. But thank you anyway. I've not done any WW1 cruisers (yet) and builds such as that one could be a good reference. Regards, Jeff.

So it really hit the fan? (As the saying goes. 🙂) Regards, Jeff.

That would throw a spanner in the works. I don't know your specific locations but would a modified hospital-type gurney be suitable? This is certainly an impressive model, about eight times the dimensions of mine. And I really love the detail on those 2lb pompoms and 40mm Bofors guns. Regards, Jeff.

Too true. Most of the Airfix ship kits have hexagonal or trapezoidal sprue, not round. No good for stretching into rod but I keep them anyway and use them for hull reinforcement and deck supports. Regards, Jeff.

I went to a local grocery store and they had Aspargus on sale. This is not intended as a joke but it follows a similar vein (please, no jokes about blood vessels 🙂). Always proof-read your texts before hitting the submit button. If you're writing about a well known German fighter of WW2 make sure you don't forget the second 'm' in Messerschmitt. And don't forget the 'f' in the word 'shift'. I've done the first and nearly done the second. You can't always rely on spellcheck. Regards, Jeff.

G'day Dave, not being an aircraft modeler (well, not often) I'm not always conversant with correct aviation terminology. Suckage and blowage - I'll have to remember these. I like to build whiffs too, and actual conversions with a lot of scratch building but being a ship modeler I don't have a ready supply of drop tanks. Oh well, I manage. But I can see their usefulness in your field of modeling. I must admit I was wondering how you'd make an instrument panel from a drop tank but I think your solution was very clever. 👍 Regards, Jeff.

G'day, that's what boat ramps at marinas are for. 😁 Regards, Jeff.

G'day, I didn't know there was a limit. I don't know how many I've done over the years I've been a member. If I delete some PMs will that free up and allow more in future? The purpose of some PMs that I've done often are to deal with an immediate issue and probably will never be needed again. Is it a good idea or desirable that some of those PMs from way back get deleted? Regards, Jeff.

G'day Stuart, V-groove 2025 sheets are 0.5mm thick, the 'planks' are 0.64mm wide. (.020" thick and planks .025" wide in imperial) 4030 1.0mm thick, 0.75mm wide (.040" thick .030" wide ) 4040 1.0mm thick 1.0mm wide (.040" thick .040" wide ) These have grooves running along the sheet of styrene, which is 305mm long (12") These 'planks' are a bit over-scale width wise but look OK I think. I've mainly used the 2025 sheets for cruisers in 1/600 scale. HTH. Regards, Jeff.

G'day all, and thank you guys, I'll try not to disappoint. I've started on DKM Karlsruhe's hull, but not a lot to show for it - I've been thinking (yeah, dangerous) and planning rather than building. But I've now cut the upper decks and hull profile centre-line bulkhead. As you can see, the decks are longer than need be, particularly the main deck. That will slide under the foc'sle deck and I can trim them shorter later if need be. As the hull weather decks are planked (that took a bit of research and advice to confirm that) I used Evergreen V-groove 2025. This has the narrowest 'planks' but is only 0.5mm thick so I added sheet styrene of 0.4mm under it (left over from my Flower class corvette). They must have been a little over-thick because the combined thickness is now 1mm. The centre-line profile bulkhead (below the decks in the photo) has had the corresponding 1mm removed from the top. Unlike my previous two scratch builds I didn't remove any from the bottom to allow for the thickness of the hull strakes under the hull. I'm going to try something a little different with this build, more clarification on that at the appropriate time. Above the hull deck is my deck half-template. I stumbled on this method during my previous scratch build of USS Mullany, a Fletcher class destroyer. Trying to cut a full deck I found it very difficult/impossible to get both sides identical from drawings using a cut drawing as a template. Sometimes I cut inaccurately, sometimes the drawing was slightly curved. So now I concentrate on getting a half template accurate. I mark a centre-line on my final deck material, tape the half template to it then mark and cut one side, then flip the half-template over and mark and cut the other side. Being miserly I used 0.25mm styrene sheet for this half-template but with hindsight thicker material might have been more suitable - a little more rigid. Oh well, I managed. This template won't be wasted after the build. It can be used for subsequent builds if needed, such as the Fletcher template for a planned Sumner class destroyer in the future, or I can trim the Karlsruhe's half template for a smaller Royal Navy C- or D-class cruiser in the future etc. Waste not, want not. The two large (4mm diameter) holes in the decks are for the trunks of turrets Anton and Casar. The three small holes around each are for positioning pins to correctly position the barbettes later. The large holes can be drilled out to about 6-7mm later for the turret trunk keys if required. The reason I've done this so early is so that the rib (transverse) frames I'll have to fit soon won't foul the turret trunks. I'm still experimenting with my method/procedure/muddle-headed ideas at this stage. The profile bulkhead will have it's keel strips and vertebrae added soon. You'll understand my choice of terminology when you see it happen, or refer to my USS Mullany build thread. A note on German Kriegsmarine turret naming. Unlike the RN with their A, B, P, Q, X and Y turrets (so simple and logical 😁) it seems that the Germans gave the turrets names starting with consecutive letters of the alphabet, regardless of where the turrets are mounted on the hull but starting from the bow. Hence turret Anton, Bruno/Bertha, Casar/Ceasar, Dora etc. With such a confusing and shambolic method it's no wonder they lost the war. 😁 So this is as far as Karlsruhe has gone. Not a lot of progress but progress none-the-less. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe, and regards, Jeff.

G'day @javlin, for some reason the photos wouldn't download for me last night but all is OK now. Like your IJN Chikuma this is another extremely good model. I'd like to do this ship myself one day and your model here will be a source of inspiration and a clarification of drawings. (I work in 1/600 scale so I'll have to scratch build her). I like the 'meat balls' on the aircraft wings. They add a bit of colour to what could be a rather drab colour scheme. I think this ship was a very graceful vessel, most of the Japanese cruisers were I think. And their crews knew how to use them. Thanks for posting this. Regards, Jeff.

G'day Jon, in this age of doom and gloom, when it seems that mankind (and womankind, let's not be sexist) is determined to dive head first down the black hole of self-inflicted social Armageddon there are the occasional miracle or two that convince us to battle on a little longer, take one more breath and not give up. You've obviously experienced such a Devine Enlightenment to encourage you to soldier on a little bit longer. Me? I've still got kits in the stash that need doing and bottles of Cab Sav in the pantry that need drinking before the second and final 'Big Bang'. 😁 Regards, Jeff.

I concur/agree. G'day @Keith from HS, welcome aboard. I build model ships, somewhat crudely compared to others but that doesn't matter. I have three rules for modeling:- 1 Enjoy yourself. 2 Build to your standard, not some-one else'. Learn from others though, to improve. 3 Repeat rules 1 & 2. HTH. Regards, Jeff.

G'day Javlin, she's beautiful. And as Vlad above says, a rather unique design. I've often wondered why the fourth turret wasn't super-imposed over the third. Regards, Jeff.

G'day, click on Philly's (or who-ever) icon, then click on the small white message icon in the black window. And my earlier modeling days as an adult. I've been making basic ship models (and the occasional aircraft) for about 25 years now but only discovered modeling forums in 2018. Regards, Jeff.

In 1/700 you can make solid cranes (or catapults etc.) look quite nice by sticking an HB mechanical pencil in the "holes" and wiggling it around to darken them, then dry-brushing. I'll be doing this on the Dorsetshire G'day, I often do similar, painting the 'holes' flat black and the frames the actual camo pattern. Regards, Jeff.

Odd is the norm here. 😁 Gidday, welcome aboard, from the other side of the country. I'm also probably the other side of the modeling spectrum, being into 1/600 scale ships, mostly Airfix, mostly WW2. But I'm probably not the other side of the age groups here - I was a newbie to the human race 67 years ago. 🙂 Although we appear to have different modeling interests this is a great forum and you should fit right in. I've found the members here collectively have an immense wealth of knowledge that everyone is willing to share. You've chosen your modeling forum well. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday, been there, done that (a number of times). 🙂 Mine were Airfix and admittedly it was intended, as conversions. Keep slogging away at it, it's usually worth it in the end. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday All, my next model is going to be a scratch build (apologies Mr Airfix) of a German K-class cruiser, DKM Karlsruhe. As with most of my ship models it will be in 1/600 scale, of which there are no kits that I'm aware of. (That's a subtle hint Mr Airfix ). 🙂 Karlsruhe was the second of a class of three cruisers built immediately after the solitary Emden who was the first cruiser built by Germany after WW1, and their design was subject to very severe tonnage restrictions, 6000 tons. As a result they had longitudinal frames, their hull was welded instead of riveted, light-weight metals were used where possible, armour was light (although on a par with similar sized cruisers at the time), two screws only, limited endurance, and very little margin for improvement (board margin in RN parlance). This was to place considerable restrictions on their deployments during their lives. The ramifications of their light construction became evident in 1936 when Karlsruhe encountered a full-on typhoon in the Pacific Ocean, a storm from which she was very lucky to survive. Some of her longitudinal frames buckled and her hull split right across the boat deck. She needed emergency repairs in the Aleutians then the USA before she could sail home to Germany. None of the three had particularly illustrious careers although that wasn't the fault of their crews. Two of them (Konigsberg and Karlsruhe) were sunk on the same day, 10th April 1940 during the invasion of Norway. Karlsruhe was scuttled after being torpedoed by the submarine HMS Truant. Anyway, enough of the ship, on to the model. I've chosen this ship to model for a number of reasons. It's larger than my previous scratch builds (I'm working up in size) and yet looks reasonably simple in design. The off-set aft turrets are unique to this class of ship and I like a bit of variety in the display cabinet, and I was able to get some diagrams of her. Below is one of the diagrams that give me hull cross-sections. As it was accessible free off the internet I don't think I've breached copyright. Anyone could access it, plus my model is for my enjoyment, not for monetary gain. I've enlarged the diagram to 1/600 scale, the overall length of the model is 290mm, the beam 28mm. Another diagram was kindly forwarded to me by @iang which will assist me with superstructures and deck fittings. And further still, I've had some advice from @Richard502 regarding the ships deck coverings. Many thanks guys. This will be my third (and largest) scratch built ship to date, and the first with large revolving turrets. And this has resulted in a change of modus operandi (procedure) for me. I like to have turrets that can rotate so that if the barrels get knocked the turrets turn rather than the barrels break off. Also I like them removable so they can be left out until the build is almost complete. For the last few years I've fitted turrets to model ships by having a long turret trunk with a single key glued to the front of the trunk and a keyway in one side of the barbette, usually to the left. Turn the turret 90* to the left and the turret simply lifts out, in any other position it's locked in. That has worked well with kitted model ships up to now. But my method of scratch building, with a centre profile longitudinal bulkhead doesn't allow that, for turrets mounted on/near the centreline of the hull decks anyway. So I've had a rethink, and decided that the turrets need very short trunks with a double cross key, and as much of it inside the barbette as possible to maintain the integrity of the centreline profile bulkhead. I've decided that they should be my first task, as success or failure with them will have a considerable impact on this build. So, as is often said in TV cooking shows or handyman/DIY shows - "Here's a set I prepared earlier". I've been hanging out for months waiting to say that! 😁 One of the turrets and barbettes are inverted to show that most of the keyway and turret trunk will be inside the barbette. The trunk might protrude down into the deck a little but not by much. To get an idea of size the squares on the cutting mat are 10mm a side. I've made a tentative start on the hull but not worth a photo just yet. So I'll call it quits for tonight. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe, and regards, Jeff.

She was only two feet shorter than Yamato, 860/862 feet oa. Regards, Jeff.

Yeah, that RAL 3007 looks quite dark. Although I try to get camo patterns correct if I can (where appropriate) I'm not quite so concerned about the actual shades of colours. If I already have a colour paint that's close I rarely buy a specific tin, especially if it's only for one model and am not likely to need it again. So I'll probably go for a darkish brown that I have. I imagine that some perfectionists are probably reaching for their crucifixes and sharpening their wooden stakes ready to impale me through the heart because of that last statement, branding me a heretic etc. 😁 Oh well . . . Regards, Jeff.

Thanks for the remark. Based on your post I did a research and found a map of the deck, based on a reconstruction from 1984, stating that fore- and aftdeck was in linoleum, colouren RAL 3007 Gidday, I'm currently planning a later cruiser, DKM Karlsruhe, and have had some help from other members here. Your comments above tie in with a deck colour scheme passed on to me. In my case it would be main and foc'sle decks in teak, shelter deck and superstructure decks in brown linoleum. And I've just checked on RAL 3007, it seems to match. HTH. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday, Bismarck certainly but I didn't know about Tirpitz. But it makes sense. I have a photo in a magazine ("History of the Second World War" Purnell, volume 5, number 15, page 2205) of the ship taken from a hillside where she was moored in the fjords. Sorry I can't reproduce the photo here. It shows the port-side tubes immediately ahead of the third 15-cm turret, between the turret and the overhang of the deck supporting the catapult. The front of the tubes is slightly under the overhanging deck. HTH. Regards, Jeff.

What, not do Thermopylae, Flying cloud, Sea Witch, Red Jacket and a whole lot of others? You're on a roll. 😁 Seriously, she's beautiful, very nicely done. And I'm inclined to echo @Noel Smith's advice above, regarding a display case or cabinet. Dust and cobwebs will be most unkind to her in the future. Regards, Jeff.

P.S. - where's the fun in that? 😁 Regards again.