1/350 Academy Graf Spee

[charlie-mike-six]

First off let start by saying, My hat goes off to the ship modeler's, I on a norm just build aircraft and armor, but I thought I would give

a ship a try, it has been the hardest model for me to build, photo etch railings !!! OMG, even 1/350 scale, but anyway,

when I started this I could not make my mind up between the Trumpeter or Academy Graf Spee, I got some opinion's from the

different forms, and did alot of online study between the two, the way I see it, it depends on the person, The Trumpeter kit to me

if better detailed, even though some of the details are over scale, at twice the price of the Academy one, So I picked up the Academy

one for $25.00 U.S. I purchased, the Master Model Barrel set, KA Models PE Set, Eduard PE Set, and White Ensign PE Set, The

KA Set came with Wooden Decks, I also picked up some Veteran Models Light Anti-Aircraft Flak Guns, and about 4 sets of

Northstar 1/350 Figures, and alot of other details set that would work on the model, and every book I could find, I wish that Trumpeter

or Academy would not have done the same version of the ship, It would have been nice if one of them would have done one as she was

in 1937, I was going to back date but I could not find a HE-60 aircraft in 1/350 scale and there are some changes

to the Citadel that was outside of my skill set, So I am doing her just before she got a camo scheme,

I have not made my mind up if I want to do a seascape or full hull , I did purchase two of the Academy kits, Just in case, as you will

see,

The first three pictures are work on the funnel, Still in progress, I have to finish out the top of the mast. based of pictures I have.

I painted the railings first before adding them , It will be easier for me at least to touch them up afterwards,

Next is the Rear deck, Work in progress,

Next pictures , The First Picture is what the kit gives you on the 10.5cm guns, with Master Barrel brass barrel's, The Picture

after that is the Veteran Models version,

The next Picture is the Main Gun, I sanded off all the detail, added Master Barrel's, Some Rivets, Modified the Range finders

and added PE Parts, may not completely correct but closer than what the kit gives you .

next picture is a family shot of the light anti-aircraft guns, This almost killed me , seem like it took forever to do, The Graf Spee

had 8 , then 10 and finally 12 of the Flak C30 20mm guns at different times, also in the picture is the Flak 37mm Doppel C30

guns, these are all Veteran Models , they are a huge difference is what the kit gives you,

The next picture is the AR-196a Float plane, after I changed something's, anyone who has had this kit knows the floats look nothing

like this, This is after I changed them, but it is the kit parts, I sanded off all the raised detail, way over scaled, and did my mod

on the floats, The plane appears to be over scaled, I have the Trumpeter one and and 1/350 Resin one, I will build all three and

see which I like better, The Resin one appears to be more in scale than the kit one. I will post some pictures of all three once I get

them built and primed.

The last few shots are the full hull progress and if I go with the sea scape, I still have not made my mind up, Do the sea scape

and load the ship up with figures or do the full hull static, I just cannot make my mind up. On the sea scape pictures , that is

Tamiya masking tape around the edges.

Well, That is all for now, Please let me know advice, Comments good or bad, and most of all Ideas, at the rate I am going

I hope to have this finished by Dec of this year, I hope, then it will be off to the Revell 1/350 Bismarck and Pontos set.

Lord help Me !!!!! LOL.

Thank you

[Martian]

A very impressive start! No contest I feel with the 10.5 cm mountings.

Martin

[Rob 1]

I'd agree, that is a good start. Having some of the sub-assemblies built and painted up gives a good impression and feel of the build.

[celt]

Wow for someone who dont do ships thats impressive.

[charlie-mike-six]

Thank you for the comments, All day today I have been sanding all the raised detail off the sides of the Hull, I am going to replace the rain shields over each

port hole with photo etch, yep , almost 400 of them, I had to order them through Northstar, so it will take at least a month to get to me, $24.00 worth of port

holes, I know now I have lost my mind, But it has been a blast with all the back ground work, Learn the history of the ship, I figure this build will get me ready

for the Revell 1/350 Bismarck and Pontos set, I have the Tamiya Prince of Whales, The Trumpeter Hood, and the Turmpeter Prinz Eugen, so my goal as you

might have guess is to build the Capital ships that was in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, If someone would do a 1/350 Rodney, I would do both the Rodney

and the KGV, But if not, I have enough to keep me busy for along time, Not to say, I still have 1/350 Gambier Bay to build as well,

So again thank you for the comments. I will post updates as I get to them,

[prowler0000]

Trumpeter doing both Rodney & Nelson, according to their catalogue.

Following this most excellent & informative build!

[charlie-mike-six]

 

Hello.

 

 Not much work done over the last couple of weeks. dealing work and life !  LOL. I got to looking at the hull of the Academy Graf Spee, and looking through

some books, and noticed, if you look at the first picture, you will see a ledge or lip if you will, running across the top of the hull, according to the books I have, this is not on the real ship, the fear I had was if I remove it, I mite loose some the port hole details, and they are just about 400 port holes on the hull, So after thinking about it

for awhile, I decided to remove it and replace the port hole details with photo etch replacements, I know, like I said just about 400 of them, each port hole

is just about 1.2mm, I was lucky enough to find some from North Star Models, So I ordered three sets, The first picture is the hull, notice the lip running across

the top. the second and third pictures are after the mod, Oh ! in case you are wondering , I changed my mind to do the full hull model instead of the water line

version, I just have to practice doing seascapes

 

 

 

 

 

Well, All for now, I hope to have a better update by Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thom216]

Just goes to show, we should always keep an eye on period photos.

 

Liking it,

[Jockster]

Very nice work indeed, I look forward to the rest of your build!

[Don]

Great progress.   I love all things DKM and your Graf Spee is really coming along nicely.

[charlie-mike-six]

Well, I finally got the North Star Port Holes, I have been working on them all day today, Until my eyes got tired, and had to take a break, Keep in mind

that port hole has two tabs to file down from the fret, What was I thinking !!!!, But anyway, The first photo is the North Star Photo Etch packs,

 

This next photo is the tools I am using, Tamiya Clear Gloss, Tamiya Photo Etch File, Pick up Pencil, I could not have done this

with out it,

 

Next, Is the front of the hull, I know the ladders are not correct, But in my old years of 55, I shake to bad to do the correct ladder

steps, If you look closely you will see some white dots, that is putty where I drilled the holes for the ladders, So I did try !!!

 

like I said , the ladders are wrong big time but it is better the molded on detail, when it is painted, it should be ok, I hope anyway.

The next two photos are just pictures of the work so far.

 

 

Well, That is it for now, One thing that I did not think about, Masking the hull with out taking the detail off, , So I thought about it

and, I will have to paint the hull from the bottom up ! instead for the top down, So the red first, then the water line, then the

Gray, But anyway, I hope to have another update next weekend,

[Model Monkey]

Brilliant!

[Thom216]

Wow, a lot of dedicated and tedious work. My sympathies and kudos!

[Billydick]

Interesting work here.  Mind if I pull up a chair ? 

 

BillyD

[Rob 1]

Great work so far. Those much improved port holes do look very good.

[rollsroyce]

Those portholes must have taken an age to line up and fix.  They look really good though.  The other PE work is also really neat and tidy.  Impressive stuff..

Cheers  Guy

[charlie-mike-six]

Thank you , If there is one thing I have learned from this, it is putting Photo Etch on a Aircraft or Armor is nothing like putting Photo Etch

on a 1/350 scale ship, I would hate to try a 1/700 Scale one, What started out as just a simple build has turned into a full blown build,

at the rate I am going I will be lucky to build one a year, I just have to stop adding stuff , LOL . Like that is going to happen  !!!! 

[Don]

Hi Charlie-Mike-Six.   Any updates to your Graf Spee build. Interested to see where he sits.    Don