A bunch of "Mackem" Flowers!

[davepb 230]

Hi,

the time has come to start my first Work in Progress, as promised to several people who have provided me with information on Flower Class Corvettes over the last few weeks.

First an explanation of the title, “A bunch of Mackem flowers!” I was raised in Sunderland, whose natives are referred to as “Mackems”, a shortened version of  ‘Mackem and Tackem’ in reference to Sunderland could be explained by the two principal forms of employment in 19th century Sunderland. The census of 1851 showed that sailors and shipbuilders formed by far the biggest workforce in Sunderland at that time. ‘Mackems’ could quite easily be the shipbuilders who made the ships and ‘Tackems’ the sailors who took them out to sea. In any case it is better than “Monkeyhanger”, the term addressed to people from Hartlepool. I was born in Hartlepool, and rather like the name

 

(https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Hanging-of-the-Hartlepool-Monkey/)

 

As it happens, the Flower Class were designed on the Tees, and HMS Heliotrope K 03 was one of the earlier vessels, and was built in Sunderland, along with the other two ships I intend to model, HMS Campion K 108 and HMS Burdock K 126, using the Revell 1/144 HMS Snowberry as my basis, along with accessories from Shapeways, Pontos and Eduard!

I begin with HMS Heliotrope, when she still had a short foc’sle, then I intend to move on to HMS Campion with a long foc’sle but with the mast still forward of the bridge, and finish with HMS Burdock in her final form with mast abaft the bridge.

I’ve started this WiP rather late in the day, having already made some progress on modifications to the hull. The images I used as reference material is from the Sunderland Museum Flikr account.

 

And so, down to business

 

 

 

 

The veneer is not glued down, just a trial piece before I work out how to mark out the planking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's made a start!

[ArnoldAmbrose 1,040]

28 minutes ago, davepb said:

I’ve started this WiP rather late in the day, having already made some progress on modifications to the hull.

Gidday Dave, I don't think it's ever too late to start a WIP thread, I've have in the past with the model already commenced. Doing three vessels, showing their development through the war will be interesting. Regards, Jeff

[davepb 230]

Hi Jeff, Some pictures added. Hope to add more this week, when my eyes recover from injections!

[robgizlu 3,390]

Watching with interest!

Good luck with the injections

Rob

[JohnWS 2,023]

45 minutes ago, robgizlu said:

Watching with interest!

Good luck with the injections

Rob

 

John

[longshanks 7,955]

Now this is going to be interesting 

 

Hope all goes well with the treatment

 

Kev

[Courageous 8,952]

The usual crowd is here, must be something interesting. 

 

Stuart

[OutcastJoel 341]

I think I shall join the watching crowd.

This should be fascinating!

[davepb 230]

Thanks Guys, no pressure then!

Just noticed on the pictures that I'd dislodged a couple of the window bars on the wheelhouse. I had to make a new wheelhouse because the Revell item has eight windows across the front instead of the seven seen in photographs.

 

The injections went well today, so I should be able to get some more work done tomorrow.

 

Cheers

[davepb 230]

Hi, I had a good close look at the work I'd done so far , and binned it! The well deck structures were not square, and the wheelhouse was oversize!

I've ripped the lot off, , and I've finished the new well deck structures. Now for the wheelhouse!

 

I'll get some pictures posted on Monday.

 

[stevehnz 8,099]

Hi Dave, this is one I'll try to keep up with, one of these is in my future with a Kiwi slant to it, so I'll be keen to see your solutions to problems along the way.

Steve.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies 9,595]

13 hours ago, davepb said:

Hi, I had a good close look at the work I'd done so far , and binned it! The well deck structures were not square, and the wheelhouse was oversize!

I've ripped the lot off, , and I've finished the new well deck structures. Now for the wheelhouse!

 

I'll get some pictures posted on Monday.

 

Sometimes it happens Dave. I've gone back to look at things later and concluded that the previous efforts must have been me on Battery Saving Mode.

[ArnoldAmbrose 1,040]

17 hours ago, davepb said:

Hi, I had a good close look at the work I'd done so far , and binned it!

Gidday Dave, that's a pity but sometimes it's for the best. I believe that even failures can teach us something. If you had continued with work you're not happy with you could well regret it later, and never be completely satisfied with the final result. Sometimes one has to cut one's losses.

     Of course, instead of ditching the over-sized wheelhouse you could have put it aside and later built a larger ship for it!  Looking forward to seeing further progress with this. Regards, Jeff.

[Niall 253]

Could I suggest an alternate method of making the deckhouses with windows/portholes. Cut ther part in 20thou(0.5mm) card and stick this to the same thickness of sheet(use clear sheet if you want the windows transparent - probably not worth it in 1/350th scale. I used this techeque on a freelance design small coaster in 1/300th scale as a wargame model.

100_0448 by

[davepb 230]

Hi Niall, My thanks for the suggestion. I haven't adopted that method this time, as the wheelhouse has to support the compass platform

 

Cheers, Dave

[davepb 230]

As promised, the rebuild of the bridge superstructure, and the welldeck bulkheads.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

I think there is an improvement, at least the angles are closer to true!

 

Cheers

[beefy66 6,119]

Looks like this might be interesting even if it has a link to the Makems   

 

beefy

[Murdo 1,235]

That does look rather nice so far!

[robgizlu 3,390]

Well done Dave - sorry to hear about Edition 1.  As Jamie says - it happens - I spent 4 hours this morning - "planting" a stubble field as a dio and at the end it was just Pants 

Edition 2 looking good 

We are always our biggest critics.

Keep it coming

Rob

[davepb 230]

Hi, 
Dose  anyone produce decals in 1/144 Scale for the Draught Markings on Flower Class Corvettes. Both Black and White are required for some of the paint schemes. I could print my own in black, but I don't have the ability to print in White.

 

Dave

[Bugle07 757]

Great work so far Dave, will be following along to see how this goes. 

 

Have a look at Custom Decals products. They do imperial depth markings in White and Black self adhesive Vinyl in a variety of scales, closest being 1/150 or 1/124.  No idea if they're any good for you but they seem to be the closest to 1/144 in a quick tinterweb search.

 

https://www.activescalemodels.co.uk/custom-decals-and-flags/hull-depth-markings-1-150-imperial-and-metric-black

 

Pretty sure a several of the other RC model companies will sell them as well.

 

Geoff 

[davepb 230]

On 3/1/2020 at 11:36 PM, Bugle07 said:

Great work so far Dave, will be following along to see how this goes. 

 

Have a look at Custom Decals products. They do imperial depth markings in White and Black self adhesive Vinyl in a variety of scales, closest being 1/150 or 1/124.  No idea if they're any good for you but they seem to be the closest to 1/144 in a quick tinterweb search.

 

https://www.activescalemodels.co.uk/custom-decals-and-flags/hull-depth-markings-1-150-imperial-and-metric-black

 

Pretty sure a several of the other RC model companies will sell them as well.

 

Geoff 

Thanks for the tip Geoff, but I think the difference in scalewill be vry obvious against the waterline. I'll just have to find someone with an Alps type printer. I have had decals printed before, so I'll have to produce the artwork.

I'm a bit slow in updating the pictures, but I hope to get some on this weekend.

 

Dave

[robgizlu 3,390]

Dave - I've had the same thoughts about decals

If you do manage to get some made - I'd be very happy to purchase any extra?

Rob