1/350 HMS BULOLO scratchbuild

[Chewbacca]

Although I had a straight 8 hours today while wife and daughter were out, I didn't seem to make as much progress as anticipated.  Nonetheless, anchor hawse pipes are now all drilled and ready for some reinforcement to be added from stretched sprue.  I also managed to get the majority of the bridge structure complete although this photo doesn't show it to its best - I don't think my phone's macro function can cope with so much white!

 

 

The GMM Liberty Ship PE set has a range of bridge fittings so the plan is to fit out the bridge with that.  To that end I've cut the side windows and left one door open.  I think I'll do the the main bridge screen from clear acetate and mask the windows although that is still to be confirmed.  I may try to cut the windows and glaze them as per the sides.

[trickyrich]

gosh this is some impressive work!!

[Chewbacca]

Unfortunately this week has been doubly frustrating, firsly because a combination of pressure of work and the need to complete a 60 minute presentation to be given to the local branch of the Royal Naval Association to commemorate the Battle of Taranto has meant that from last Sunday until yesterday afternoon, I didn't get any tome at all to progress this.  But I did have an hour or so yesterday and so I thought I would star work on the base.  I know its early but its easier manhandling the hull around the seascape before it has too much detail attached.

 

I thought I would try something different.  I usually use the plaster of paris method which sort of works although there are I concede much better methods.  I was also concerned that the heat generated by the plaster curing could be enough to warp the thin hull plating.  And so inspired by the excellent sea scape on Bandsaw Steve's HMAS AE2, I thought I would give the polystyrene method a try.  Now unfortunately I didn't have any sheet polystyrene foam of the righ thickness or area, so I took some thinker smaller sheets and stared to cut them down with the plan of gluing 2 together with PVA glue.  That was yesterday.  All well and good.

 

However, 24 hours later and the PVA glue shows absolutely no sign of curing.

 

I thought I would give it another go and this time use a 5 minute epoxy to see if that would work.  It did, although the second stage as explained by Steve is to tae a hot air gun to it and create depressions.  In some places this worked, whereas in others, especially around the Araldited join, the heat was sufficient to met straight through as you can see below!

 

 

Reluctant to make a third, I thought I would see if I could combine this with the tissue paper method, so I then filled the large holes with tissue paper soaked in a watered down PVA solution and then laid a single layer of PVA soaked tissue over the whole base.  Will it work?  Who knows.  It all depends upon whether there is something in the polystyrene that is reacting with the PVA to prevent it from curing.

 

 

 

 

[Chewbacca]

Version 2 finally starting to cure.  That's only 27 hours!

[Chewbacca]

So while waiting for the sea scape to dry, I thought I would press on with doing some serious damage to sheet plasticard.  Last night's efforts produced the basic outline of the funnel together with exhausts made from Trumpeter brass tube.  First time I've worked with those and it went together quite well.  Still a few little details to finish off on the funnel such as the two near horizontal ribs - at least I think they are ribs.  It is possible they may be rails but either way they will be made from stretched sprue.  there are also 3 grilles at the top on either side of centreline.  I think they'll be best represented with decals.

 

 

 

I've just had the first photos of the 3D printed cowl ventilators.  They look more like Minions!  More work is needed on the printer settings apparently.

[trickyrich]

that's a nice bit or work there, it looks great.

[Chewbacca]

Combination of having to arrange the stand for a major car club for Classic Motor Show last weekend coupled with finalising a presentation on the Battle of Taranto to be delivered twice last week  has meant that I haven't touched BULOLO for nearly two weeks.  But some progress has been made today - all of the scuttles in the hull are now drilled out and the major components are in the paint shop drying after their first coat of primer to give me an idea of whether I can progress or whether more sanding of the hull is necessary.

Unfortunately my son is still struggling with 3D printing of the cowl ventilators and so I ended up scratch building the first two from Evergreen to avoid holding up the build too much.  Those two are barely seen down on the quarter deck so I should be okay.

 

Given that he's having issues getting the 3D printer to behave, I thought I would revert to plan A for some some of the other accessories - carley floats and landing craft (she appears to carry 2 LCVPs on the fwd davits.  Now I know that I have seen these on someones's website in the past 6 weeks but I can't remember if its L'Arsenal, Gold Medal Models or North Star Models (or indeed someone else) and having just looked at their websites this afternoon it appears to be none of them!  Anyone have any suggestions before I start convincing myself that I dreamt it?

Edited November 18, 2018 by Chewbacca

[Grandboof]

Great work Watching closely

Martin H

[Courageous]

I don't frequent the group builds as much as I should but took a big interest when you posted the link in Maritime Discussion- WWII,  a very fascinating build Chewy. I have a future project that is very similar to this, the SS Fushimi Maru. I have been gathering some very useful stuff for my build and coming across this thread, and working with plastic will be very informative. Like you, I have to decide on a scale and as you pointed out, 1/350 is a very useful scale because of kits and AM stuff. I'm cutting my teeth on a scratch build of the SA Everard, a harbour tug at the moment in Maritime WiP.

Carry on sir.

 

Taking notes.

 

Stuart

Edited November 20, 2018 by Courageous

[longshanks]

On 06/11/2018 at 19:38, Chewbacca said:

Last night's efforts produced the basic outline of the funnel together with exhausts made from Trumpeter brass tube.  First time I've worked with those and it went together quite well.  Still a few little details to finish off on the funnel such as the two near horizontal ribs - at least I think they are ribs. 

I would suggest they are hand/foot rails for maintenance. A common site on funnels

Good example of Crisp's page

 

Some great working going on here. . .  . . .

 

Kev

[Chewbacca]

Thanks all.

 

My first thought was that they are hand and foot rails (because like Crisp I've been up on them in pusser's war canoes), but they seem too low.  The upper "rail" is scale 5mm below the top of the funnel which in reality is just a tadge short of 6ft.  I suppose it could be that that's the footrail and the top of the funnel the handrail but even so the dimensions seem a little odd.  Hence I concluded that they are potentially just strengthening ribs.  Either way they are on now from stretched sprue and first cost of primer dry.  Not too much additional rubbing down which was good.  Whether that will be the same after I've sprayed 507C is another matter but that's probably for the weekend.  In the meantime I've got to try to make the bridge front from clear acetate so that the windows are clear

[Chewbacca]

Little more progress.  I must be mad, but since the photo etch set I got for the liberty ship has a full bridge equipment set (wheel, telegraph, binnacle) I thought I mght as well incorporate it into the bridge given that there are open windows and doors so some might be seen.

 

Note to self: must remember to add the door to the bridge flat before I button this all up

 

I've started work on the foc's'le, adding the bollards and windlass, plus the forward masthouse further aft, just forward of the bridge screen.

 

 

And since the 3D printing wasn't going especially well, I've started to scratch build the cowl ventilators from evergreen tube.  First five just placed roughly in the right place around the funnel.  More filler and refinement needed before they are ready for spraying.

 

 

Scary thing is there's only five weeks remaining to the deadline and it looks like most of my Christmas leave is going to have to be cancelled.  How I'm going to finish this in time I do not know.

 

 

 

 

[the South African]

I have been lurking around this one and must say that you are a man with great guts. Looking good especially with the primer on. 

 

Regards:

Shaun. 

Edited November 25, 2018 by the South African

[trickyrich]

gee there's some impressive work on this build, it's great to see scratch building in a GB.

[Chewbacca]

Continued with adding deckhouses, PE cable reels, bridge roof details and the fo'c'sle Oerlikon mountings.  You can see the midship's Oerlikon mount just starting to take shape just aft of the funnel.  Need to flatten that down and then build up the bulwarks before building its platform.  Challenge is I can't work out from any of the photos whether it sits on a small deckhouse or a tripod type mount like the raised fo'c'sle mount..  On the one hand, my wife said to me today that based on the available reference material, who's going to know, but I can guarantee that if I get choose the wrong options someone will know and will probably see it at the various local model shows at which I exhibit.

 

Tomorrow its back to the paint shop for a second primer coat.

 

[Chewbacca]

Second primer coat on and first top coat of G45.  The primer (Halfords rattle can) dried really quickly between coats but the top coat (Vallejo acrylic) is taking ages due to the low temperatures in the garage where my spray shop is situated.  The hull received its first top coat at around 1600 today and its still wet nearly six hours later.

 

Hoping to get a little more done tomorrow night and then I'm off to Germany for work for a few days so nothing until next Sunday.

[trickyrich]

gee she is impressive with some colour on.

[Bandsaw Steve]

Terrific work Chewie! 👍👍👍

 

I’m very surprised you did those initial drawings in PowerPoint- thanks for getting back to me and answering that question. 

 

Sorry that my ‘special patented seascape’ method doesn’t seem to be working so well... 😕 FWIW I didn’t use any PVA. All of the surface gloss was done with a clear liquid resin - ‘EZ-Kote’ if I recall correctly.

 

I would try E6000 glue if I ever needed to stick polystyrene together.

 

Anyway... great work going on here. I hope you hit your deadline!

[Grandboof]

Awesome work 

Martin H

[Chewbacca]

As they say in all military circles, a plan is only good until first contact with the enemy.  I am supposed to now be on leave until 2 January and with most of the family still at college or working until next Friday, I figured that gave me a good 3 or 4 straight days to really press on with this.  unfortunately we've recently won a big contract at work and the first deliverables are due in early January so if I don't go in this week they're never going to happen.  Thus a week's leave is cancelled and my chances of finishing this by the end of the month have just gone out of the window.

 

I have managed to get some top coat colour on though so it is now starting to look like a ship.  The final photo-etch is all here so as soon as I have got the guardrails sprayed they can start to be fitted and I can carry on working upwards

 

 

 

[Bandsaw Steve]

Looking good Chewie! Press on! 👍

[trickyrich]

she looks different now with some paint on.

 

Don't worry about finishing on time, you don't want to rush something like this. She's going to be very impressive when completed.

[Chewbacca]

Although some progress has been made and I'm now up to 01 deck level all secure plus all of the supports around the stern, even if we cancelled Christmas and I worked on it solidly for the next week, I can't see it being done.  So I'll post a "got this far" update next Sunday and then transfer it across to Maritime work in progress.

 

I suppose it was a little ambitious to plan on something this complex in 4 months.

[trickyrich]

yeah take your time there is no issues if you can't finish her in time. For a project this grand you need to take your time and do it properly. You don't want to ruin all that amazing work so far for a deadline.

 

I really admire someone who attempts  project this large and does an amazing job on it as well! 

[Chewbacca]

So with less than 5 hours to go to the end of the GB, here is the current state of play.

 

I suppose if I'd started on time then there would have been a reasonable chance of finishing but as everyone has said, no point in rushing it as I'll only be disappointed with myself.  In any case, I'm waiting on some resin from Starling Models (anchors, signal lamps and LCPs) and they haven't arrived yet.

 

So I'll carry on over in Maritime Work in Progress.  thanks to everyone for your encouragement.  I am sure that without it I would have given up weeks if not months ago.  It's certainly made me think twice about the feasibility of a scratchbuild 1/350 (or even 1/600) ARK ROYAL IV.

 

There have been some cracking build s on here - well done to everyone.

 

Overall view, about an hour before packing up for the day

 

Close up of the forward superstructure.  This was as I finished; man difference between this and the above is that there's a little more PE added just forward of the bridge screen and the addition  of the two accommodation ladders midships, coverted from the GMM Liberty Ship PE set.

 

Close up of the aft well deck