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I figured it was time to start recording this one. This is a kit that was diverted from shop stock after posting the big Bismarck kit and deciding we'd rather not have the hassle of sending 1/200 kits again. Sadly, one of the stunningly good Pontos Model detail sets fell off the shelf one day also. Sad when that happens... Anyway, the model is quite big by everyones' standards except the fleet-scale radio control modellers'. It's going to take this space in our living room eventually, and shall displace the 1/350 version seen here behind it. Whilst it does have the potential to be very nice, it is, afterall, a Trumpeter product and they make bizarre errors for no reason that can be explained. Unlike earlier Trumpeter kits, the parts count of this isn't that high and they have produced some sophisticated toolings to make complex parts in one piece. In the past I have criticised Trumpeter for their 5-piece deck houses. In this case, that might have been better because correcting the daft things wrong with this kit is all the more difficult due to the way things have been manufactured. Prior to starting a thread, I had already hacked out a non-existent bulkhead which Trumpeter moulded in here, which closed off the space behind the conning tower and below the forward Vickers 0.5" quad machine gun platforms. On the real ship this was an open space. I felt that was something I could not live with given the extent of detailing the Pontos set is going to add otherwise. Removing the bulkhead without destroying the kit part was quite difficult, I don't mind admitting. I was also worried about extending the deck before underneath and doing a good enough job of hiding the join. I've spent a good number of manhours on this one piece. There is still more surgery required on this part, e.g. at the aft end where that raised solid "handrail" is to be removed and replaced with PE actual handrail. There are many, many accuracy errors like that in the kit, and the Pontos Model set (unlike all other PE sets for this kit) resolves all which can be resolved with brass. The reason for this is that Pontos Model is the only one which posted images of their design in progress and took active feedback from the HMS Hood Association's Frank Allen and a very fastidious expert modeller from the Netherlands by the name of Evert-Jan Foeth who runs the website http://ontheslipway.com/ which contains many excellent images of hard-to-find details about a number of British warships. On to the hull though. I am reluctant to accumulate a large number of fragile detailed sub assemblies without a hull to store them on, and the hull needs work first. It's moulded in one large piece. The degaussing cables are moulded as rectangular section strips and need to be removed. They take a simplified routing over the hause pipes as shown here. On Hood, these were oddly shaped and looked rather "home made". New plating and cables are provided in the Pontos set. A diagram is shown on the Hood Association website near the top of the page here: http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/models/tamiya/tamiyarvw.htm Another thing that bothered me was the propeller bosses. These could and often are moulded as separate parts to be glued to the hull, but for whatever reason Trumpeter has integrated them in to the hull moulding. I am not sure whether bad research or a desire to simplify the shape to persist with including them on the hull has driven this, but clearly the mould has been designed to withdraw vertically away from the keel, and the shapes of these bosses are not right. As can be seen here of her being built at Clydebank (note that the armour belt has not been fitted yet), these bosses should project at an angle perpendicular to the hull plating. So, I made a start by gluing plasticard inside the bosses to add material I could work down to: This morning I made a start (there is more slimming down to go) with needle files and Infini Model sanding sponge-sticks at reshaping these to something less obviously wrong. Only starboard outer is started here: Both starboard bosses have had a first go here
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RFI, please, Can anyone direct me to a paint guide (humbrol, Testors etc) that will give the correct RN Grey paints for WW1 ships. A quick google search seems to have opened a minefield of differing opinion. My interest is in building an Armoured Cruiser from pre-Nov 1914. I believe the colour I am looking for is Dark Grey (AFO 15.8.02). The references all provide "official" guidelins of mixing so many parts White & black. Allowing for "scale" effect (i.e. slightly lighter) is there an "easy" fix (Humbrol 27 or 32 have been mentioned) Thank you (and "yes" i am very, very familiar with the issues of painting modern RN ships in a 1:1 scale!!!!!)