Sink the Bismarck! HMS Ark Royal, 26 May 1941

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Mk.2 barrier hydraulics: better, I think

Then with its ?accumulator:

 

The accumulator section still need fettling, especially around the base - but getting there.

 

C
 

P.S. This is the only photo I’ve seen which shows any of this barrier-related gear on the starboard side if the island:

 

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Final one for today; I have added the 3 tensioning winches which sit underneath the Pom-Pom platform, and had a swift check to make sure this works with the superstructure there...  [Sorry for poor photo]

Also, thanks to... someone on BM who recommended Liquid Glass to make insulators on aerial wires.  This was a while ago but I stashed the idea away, and I now need some insulators on the mainmast.  [Visible here in a poor quality pre-War photo - the 8 blobs above the yardarm platform and below the large homing beacon drum]

 

Anyway, initial experiments look promising on 0.2mm Nickel Silver rod

More soon

 

Crispin

[Terry1954]

That liquid glass idea looks the biz. BTW, the pre-war "poor quality" shot of the island, is not bad I'd say. Lots of detail there that could be replicated.

 

Terry

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Here’s the Liquid Glass after curing; pretty pleasing - and still possible to refine / adjust things by adding a bit more;

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Continuing to detail the island.  You have to do this in the right order, so the assorted voice pipes and drains I’ve started to fit now had to wait until I’d sorted the weld marks.

 

Here in merciless close-up.  The second from the left is PE from the Tetra set; the rest is 0.3mm brass pipe cut / shaped to the same dimensions as the Tetra brass, but replaced because I want to element of 3D.

Here the same stuff, seen with the upper island fitted:

 

And here a shot of the real thing - distorted, but revealing - taken from the net (but I recognise it as the same shot as in an Aeroplane Special about the Swordfish - indeed you can see a caption at bottom left):

Also visible here is the front of the funnel, and particularly the very prominent sirens.  I found a couple in my spares box which look decent after a bit of fettling; once all cured I will a) fix the platform, which close-up shows has come adrift a bit on the starboard side; and b) add the steam pipes (again, from the Tetra set):

The real life shot also shows a fair few horizontal voice pipes to be added - bit of a mishmash (I guess as new pipes were added), which suggests lead wire.  All this adds to the general busy-ness which I believe is vital for a convincing warship model.

 

That’s tomorrow’s game. Probably. Or I might get stuck into some scuttle work on the hull.

 

More soon, anyway

 

Crisp

 

P.S. Here are the insulators after a second dose of Liquid Glass.  I reckon those will look great with some paint.  Thanks again, whoever it was!

 

[hendie]

all that attention to detail with the brasswork - particularly the teensy pipes is really going to make the model pop when the paint goes on. 

[giemme]

 Can't really wait to see that!

 

Ciao

[Brandy]

I love how all the little extras add up to a far more interesting whole. One little (very!) thing, from the pic above it looks as though the sirens are not mounted to the funnel itself, but sit on triangulated beams which appear to be level with the rear edge of the little platform below them (excuse the technical terms!) Sorry of that means more fiddly work!

 

Ian

[CedB]

Very nice work Crisp - all looking very realistic IMHO  

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

3 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I love how all the little extras add up to a far more interesting whole. One little (very!) thing, from the pic above it looks as though the sirens are not mounted to the funnel itself, but sit on triangulated beams which appear to be level with the rear edge of the little platform below them (excuse the technical terms!) Sorry of that means more fiddly work!

 

Ian

I know, & I have wrestled with myself about this, but eventually I have decided that strict accuracy is going to have to take second place to practicality in this area.  It isn’t just the siren mounts - though the exact configuration of those relative to the servicing platform isn’t 100% clear because of strong shadows.  
 

The funnel itself isn’t as Merit (or anyone else, to be fair) depict it.  The very obvious weld lines are always depicted going all the way round, but actually the front face of the funnel has thicker plating - probably a rudimentary thermal shield, as seen in other ships of the period (the KGVs, for example).  If I’d noticed this early enough I could have fixed it, but I didn’t.  The Very Fire detail up set includes a resin funnel, but judging by photos I’ve seen it features some prominent rivets that aren’t that obvious on the original, but misses the thermal shield.  Merit’s styrene funnel (which is what I have) is the same, though without rivets; weld seams only, & all the way round.

 

Similarly, I did think about the siren mounts, but only really noticed the angled plate thing (which isn’t apparent in the builders’ plans) after I’d fitted the PE ladder & servicing platform.  Since my sirens themselves aren’t exactly right either if you look closely, I decided that I could spend hours and hours addressing a minor inaccuracy - where I am still not 100% certain of the real configuration - but risk irrevocably damaging the PE platform and possibly the funnel while I was at it.  The thought of trying to rebuild the funnel cover frame, for instance, if I damaged it...  don’t go there!  And in any case, the front of the funnel is not exactly obvious once the upper island, mainmast & rigging are in place.  

 

The more you stare at the details in photographs, the more of these you see - I could point you at half a dozen “errors” in that single photo that will not be fixed on my model.... but if you’re not careful you can disappear completely up your own fundament in the search for pure accuracy, which is pretty much impossible anyway.  The sirens are c.4mm long in total; the mounting plate would be even smaller.  95% of people will not even see them (other than as a broad impression) when looking at the final model...

 

Not worth the fight.  You have to draw the line somewhere!

 

P.S.  Let me put it this way.  If in about a year from now (probably!) someone is looking at the finished article, with multiple Swordfish and dozens of figures on an exposed deck as Ark turns into wind in a heavy sea to launch the decisive strike, and all they can say is "Uhh, I think you'll find that the sirens were mounted on the funnel via an angled plate, not as you depict it", (and we all know such people exist at model shows), then they are likely to be told to investigate sex & travel in somewhat blunter terms...

[OutcastJoel]

I think you have quite eloquently answered the question I was about to ask about just where to draw the line on adding detail!

The attention applied to this build staggers me every time I go through it, I really hope to be one of those gawpers (although not the irritating elsewhere fornicating ones) when this finally arrives at a model show. 

 

[Terry1954]

Totally with you Crisp on everything you say re the pursuit of total accuracy, vs what I would call a pragmatic approach to "super detail". If the end result looks terrific, is busy in detail, and makes a stunning first impression, that to me is what modelling is about. This is especially so for model ships. I recall a conversation I had with Stuart @Courageous at last years Nationals I think, regarding what we both agreed was "analysis paralysis". The right amount is healthy, as long as we know when to stop! Having said that it was an evening discussion in the hotel bar .............!

 

Your stunning work continues to inspire of course!

 

Terry

[Courageous]

6 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

evening discussion in the hotel bar

You're right, it was. Nothing like having a good chat over a drink or two. Wonder if it'll be happening this year...

 

Stuart

[Richard E]

8 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

The more you stare at the details in photographs, the more of these you see - I could point you at half a dozen “errors” in that single photo that will not be fixed on my model.... but if you’re not careful you can disappear completely up your own fundament in the search for pure accuracy, which is pretty much impossible anyway.  The sirens are c.4mm long in total; the mounting plate would be even smaller.  95% of people will not even see them (other than as a broad impression) when looking at the final model...

 

Not worth the fight.  You have to draw the line somewhere!

Sage words Crisp, I've been having a similar conversation with myself about my current project and I had just about reached the same decision.

 

8 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

P.S.  Let me put it this way.  If in about a year from now (probably!) someone is looking at the finished article, with multiple Swordfish and dozens of figures on an exposed deck as Ark turns into wind in a heavy sea to launch the decisive strike, and all they can say is "Uhh, I think you'll find that the sirens were mounted on the funnel via an angled plate, not as you depict it", (and we all know such people exist at model shows), then they are likely to be told to investigate sex & travel in somewhat blunter terms...

 

If it helps, these experts can normally be identified by their propensity to lug an overly large rucksack around on their backs and/or an alleged aversion to soap

 

[perdu]

7 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

a pragmatic approach to "super detail".

That is what I have always looked for

 

If it cannot really fly, or sail the oggin or spank enemy tanks with scale shells it must be OK NOT to be General Jumbo*

 

Looks lovely Crisp, would you mind me putting in for irritating 'know all' and tell anyone else "the position is filled. Do one!"

 

 

 

 

 

*you all read the dandy or beano surely...

[Brandy]

I had thought that that may be the reason, but just wanted to make sure. Sometimes a mention of something like that gets the "oh crap, I hadn't noticed" response. Just thought it best to mention it in case. I'm fully in agreement with your detail limits explanation!

 

Ian

[gunzo]

Re the voice pipe tubes- over what sort of practical length are these effective? Must start to garble and fade at some point?

 

Les

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

No idea!  I’m old, but not that old; they’d even discovered electricity by the time I joined up...

 

Speaking of voice pipes (& ejector pin marks that I’d totally missed before!):

 

Neatly illustrating yesterday’s discussion, this isn’t completely accurate, but I think it gives a decent impression of this:

More soon - luckily the starboard side is simpler!
 

[God, these extreme close-ups are horrible!]

 

Crisp

[hendie]

45 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

 

[God, these extreme close-ups are horrible!]

 

 

wot? This ?

 

46 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

 

 

 

I'd say that's pretty damn impressive.  I'd be proud of that work any day of the week

 

 

 

 

 

[giemme]

 Convert that pic to B&W and it looks like the real thing!

 

Ciao

Edited June 17, 2020 by giemme

[PF Naughton]

My goodness your build looks phenomenal 😮

[perdu]

I don't understand it (much*) I do extreme close ups and  "looking like doggy-doo" is a kind description, when you do it I start to salivate

 

This looks awesome Crisp, it really does

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I do really understand it folks, Crisp is simply a supreme being having fun at our earthly expense

Which I  hasten to add is utterly fine by me.

 

Aspirations help me get closer to the gods from following these builds/public works

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Thanks, all.  It's just the usual thing that applies to pretty much all of us: when I look at close-ups of my own work, every flaw leaps out of the picture at me (lumpy paintwork, traces of glue, scratches, etc.).  Everyone else sees the overall effect and keeps a proper perspective.  We all do it; for example I look at Bill's work on here (the gorgeous Wasp & Buccaneer, to name but two) and think "Wow!", but he talks of looking like doggy-do.

 

Despite that comment yesterday, I am still very pleased with how this is going; the key thing for me is that it is generally turning out looking as I had it in my mind's eye - the voice pipes being a case in point.  

 

I am getting close to the point where I am going to have to move away from the island for a bit, pending North Star re-issuing their RN Bridge Equipment set.  I know about NS and slow mail, but this isn't even marked as available on their website at present, so God knows when I'll get it.  I have/had a set - many pages ago I showed you the lovely brass Captain's chair, which comes from it, and some of the inner bridge detail was taken from there (voice pipes again!).  However, I simply cannot find the rest of it - the set isn't huge to start with, and I fear it might have been a casualty of the move from London.  I have a couple of sights (though I need at least 3 of that type), a Pelorus and a magnetic compass, but I also need half a dozen more sights (of a different sort, so I can't clone the ones I have) from that set... plus the Captain's chair, of course.  So frustrating to have had everything I needed but be unable to find it even after my drastic tidy-up measures of a couple of weeks ago!

 

There's loads of other stuff to do, so no biggie - or of course I could just man up and get in contact with my inner @foeth by scratching them!

 

On on

 

[Incidentally, God Bless Albion Alloys!  Without their rod & slide-fit, both brass and nickel silver, all this stuff would be SO much harder - the brass masts, the barrier hydraulics, the voice pipes, the Swordfish struts and rigging... all Albion stuff]

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

A bit of a minor milestone as I finally reach the top of the mainmast, with the 0.2mm rod / Liquid Glass insulators now fitted, enabling me to add the topmast platform (glued) and the Type 72X aircraft homing beacon - the upturned bucket on top (dry fitted at present, because I need to fill a blemish where it separated from the runner before I fix it in place):

Most annoyingly, I have managed to dislodge one of the tripod legs, but it ought to be simple enough to refit - I’ll be very happy when I can fit this permanently, because handling it isn’t easy with all the sticky-out bits (a technical Naval term!).

 

The dog hair st the top isn’t permanent, either...

 

More soon

 

Crisp

[robgizlu]

The Detail you are including is just Fabulous.  Crispin - is it possible to know where you sourced the Liquid Glass from? A web search returns a rather bewildering number of items labelled as Liquid glass 

The insulators look great 

Rob