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1/72 HMNZS Waikato


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Using the access to a heated room overnight I was able to push on and get bottom line taped and boot topping done and tape removed.

 

A couple of very minor bleeds to touch up but I am going to leave them at least 24 hrs first. Then a couple of coats clear coat and on to next stage (superstructure perhaps) while I wait for pennant numbers and draught markings etc. 

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We are in a seven day lock down here (today is day 3 and we had 1 case - our government is rather risk adverse) However there are some benefits to the lock down. Still waiting for various motor and rudder parts so decided to start playing with the upper deck by starting at the cable deck. 


I had removed the detail on the fibreglass focsle as the cable trays and deck reenforcing did not match the NZ layout. 

 

I had a starting point straight out of the Admiralty Manual of Seamanship. 

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I also had quite a good photo of the cable deck. 

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Whilst not Waikato it was very similar.

I then found a couple of pictures of Waikato. One thing in particular I remembers was a cable tray/ramp just in front on cable holders/capstans - believe it was to reduce rattle and feed cable onto the cable holder more smoothly. 

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They can be seen in this photo as can diamond plate deck tread that reenforced the cable areas.

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A zoom in on this shot also gives pretty good overview of cable decks and again shows the ramps and the deck plate.

As I could not find any bits like the ramps anywhere I just had a go at scratch building them from 1mm styrene.

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Shown here before the round strip had been bent and glued around the edge. Not perfect but happy enough for now.

I then did a bit of a test fit of everything. I still need hawse pipe surrounds/lips for the two anchor housing hawse pipe tops and of course the cable (which I have) and eyebolts/blake slips/riding slips etc. And a round hatch just aft of the centre line bollard. 

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I then masked up and painted the deck forward of the bridge (or where the bridge will be) I also primed and painted the fittings. 

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I appreciate this may be an unorthodox way of building but it is one I have used in past for other projects and seeing sections complete motivates me (yes I may need to do touch ups later and things like guard rail etc will be left til last.)

Edited by Alun Gallie
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Decided to make a start on the superstructure. I have 2 sets of 1/72 scale plans for British vessels and a set of drawings from the RNZN museum (nominally 1/96 I think). I have't done a lot with styrene at this level so did a bit fo reading/watching youtube on techniques for cutting. shaping. sanding etc.

Started with main super structure as it seemed logical place to start. 

Made a template from paper from plans and then adjusted based on Waikato's drawings (extended hanger) 

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Cut the two sides and some cross supports. The wood is just to help with squareness and something to clamp against, its not glued in.

Quick test fit, scale looks ok to naked eye (I temporarily fitted a couple of doors etc as well and all seemed good. 

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I then added O1 deck and glued in place.

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I then added O2/Flag deck and did another test fit. The bridge shape is going to be a bit of a challenge but have 3d printed bridge top and will use a lighter styrene to get the curves.

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Finally I added the waste over hangs on hanger sides (probably should have cut as one piece but happy that when bracing detail etc is in place on underside and all is skinned with .5mm layer for tidy up will be ok. I also added the ECP/MainMast base/Seacat Deck/Hanger roof. That will also be clad in .5 to get the rounded corners and nice finish and will add deck tread to seacat deck.

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Note the plastic rod on fore mast was just playing around and will be replaced by brass rod in due course.

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Just found this fascinating project. The Leander class is one of my all time favourites, and this one is shaping up superbly.

 

I'll tag along on this one for sure!

 

Terry

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Now our SA lockdown is finished and I am on mend have managed to hobble back to work this week so progress slowed a little but last night whilst watching Olympics got out some cardboard, tape and scissors and played around with creating some templates for the bridge front and bridge wings area, lots of subtle angles and curves but after a bot of playing got something I am reasonably happy with.

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Little bit of sag due to paper and tape. I also tested heating a piece of styrene in hot water and curving to make the curved front corners of the superstructure and believe that will work fine (on the mock up have just used paper to simulate curved area)

I then broke it down and used the cardboard as templates to mark up the styrene version.

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A bit more progress. I used the cardboard and paper templates to cut out styrene pieces and started work on the bridge front. 

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I used my heat gun to gently heat the bridge wings and front corners to get the curves. 

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The edge between the sides and the signal/flag deck (O2 deck) have rounded edges like at main deck level. I staggered the horizontal and vertical surfaces so there was a small gap. My initial plan was to then use epoxy putty to fill this and the sand to shape for the rundowns. 

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I wasn't really happy though so picked up some quarter round styrene and glue that into the channel instead. Once puttied and filled and sanded and primed think will have the effect I am after. 

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I then did the fitting of the director platform and the solid walls on the flag deck which I shaped  for curve using hot water. 

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Also sanded down flush and fitted base of funnel and the small piece you can see in back ground is a mounting point that the foremast will slide over to hold in place. 

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Two updates for the day - after watching hockey had a bit of a fiddle around with something a little more fiddly. Reasonably happy with how it panned out. Started a little flimsy but as got it assembled became much stronger.

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Ignore the gapping crack in to corner, that will be fixed up soon.

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Gidday Alun, I very much like that superstructure you've built. I've found the heat gun a bit too harsh for my modeling, but then yours here is about nine times the size of mine. And it's looking very good. Regards, Jeff.

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Although I was fairly happy with the life raft rack above after reviewing a few more photos I decided to redo, mainly so I could ensure consistency between sides.

I made a simple jig to get spacing of support arms right and hold everything square. 

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I also drilled some holes in the brackets as these were present in photos.

I then used the jig to glue on the wooden cat walking and the rails that held the life-rafts in place. 

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I attached the rest of the rails and allowed it to really set hard then removed from jig. I was undecided about if I should attach life rafts or paint first (as they where white in period I am representing) but in end decided would be easy enough to paint in situ. I have painted 15mm table top war-game figures for years so confident in my ability with a detail brush.

I then used some fine brass wire/rod (.5mm) to make the brackets that hold the rafts in place. 

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Next step the straps. The metal loops where welded to the outside of racks so again I used brass wire (once painted they will not be as obvious) and used Tamiya masking tape for the straps (which will be painted orange) 

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Tomorrow I will finish off and have a go at the 'coat hanger' shaped fitting that attaches the strap to cat walk and then mount and do the handrails etc.

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A bit more work, finished off the straps for the life rafts and mounted the rack. You can also just see the coat hanger type rigging and the hand rails. After this photo I did redo the handrails as one was too short and annoyed me so took the opportunity to go up a gauge in wire. I do have some grab stanchion heads coming and the will do the horizontal grad rails (where the lines are) 

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Added a deck light, drilled some air vents (backing was very fine wire mesh but reality was had been painted so many time the solid backing I have used here will be fine for this scale, in most pictures they just appear as a shadowed area. 

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The updated grab rails can be seen here with a few other bits added.

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I cut out bridge wing for the nav lights recess - this definitely should have been done before assembling the bridge shape - advantage to doing 3 of these - I should learn from my mistakes. Also added a few more detail such as the daytime signalling lamp (still needs a conical/domed cap) and whip aerial base. 

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The shot under ship's boat shows the subtle "kink" in the main deck quite well.  In Type 12s this is hidden somewhat by the hull side plating rise to the bridge deck in this area.  Must admit I like the look of the Otago/Taranaki layout better, and have a few parts of a 1/96 model taking shape.  Gun turret, Director, main mast, torpedo workshop and emergency conning position, aft superstructure with Seacat Director and launcher.  If I get round to finishing it, I may do a Leander as well.

 

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Another little update and a bit of a hack that might be of use to people (or everyone may be well aware of it) 

I needed some hawse pipe surrounds for the cable locker hawses, they are round where as the one I have for the centreline hawse pipe is oval. I was also looking at 4mm port holes. On the Leanders these just had a simple brass surround, no eyebrows or flange. 

I picked up some leather/canvas work brass grommets in 4mm and 6 mm. About $3 for pack of 100. 

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The 6mm worked well for the hawse pipes (note one not set properly and nothing fixed in place. 

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The 4mm were tight fit (will need to open holes a smidge but work as planned. These will be fitted post painting and just left in brass. 

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I also did a bit on detailing under the waste overhangs. It is not 100% accurate as its a very under photographed area of a ship but ties in with features in a couple of photos and give the feel of the pipework etc. 

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A little bit of work when got home tonight. 

Did the RAS point (photo is of Starboard side and I did Port) but good guide. Interestingly this photo is from when Waikato visited Adelaide  (where I now live) during the Australian bicentenary in 1988. I was posted to her then but didn't actually enter Port Adelaide on her that day as I had done an exchange to the Italian Cruiser Ciao Dulio for the trip between Melbourne and Adelaide. A very memorable trip. I rejoined Waikato in Adelaide. 

The puttied port hole is because I was working on a photo of Canterbury where the Skipper has a porthole in both day and night cabin, but then found some Waikato reference material that showed it was only in Day cabin (stbd side) on Waikato. The bulkhead light is also in a different place on Waikato - on Canterbury it was central and higher. 

 

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I also got hold of some 'plastic canvas' - used for cross stitching I had used for modelling before as provides a fine plastic grid. I have used for the wooden grid duckboards that were in the bridge wings and will also use for the similar duckboards around the signal deck. 

 

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Edited by Alun Gallie
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A bit more more work. Have started to make a list of detail yet to be added and work my way through the list. 

First up was blast panel on stbd waste. From memory this was a steel plate held in a cut out by canvas tape with the theory being if there was an explosion internally it would take the path of least resistance and blow out these plates rather than do greater damage trying to find its escape route. 

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Again I went with the 'feel' rather than 100% accuracy but cut a plat out of very thin copper, added some tabs out of really thin plastic card and once under a coat of Waikato grey and the yellow warning sticker affixed should give the feel. Anyone know of anyone that does 1/72 naval warning signs etc as decals ?

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I then did the second whip aerial on the starboard side which was mounted on some large coms structure. Not really sure of the details but had a couple of photos.

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Build this from styrene and brass wire, including my first crack at soldering brass rod which I did on the u shaped handrail piece mounted under it on the lift raft rack deck. 

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Final piece which crossed a couple more items off list was some of the vents and the navigation light housing. 

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Used a piece of tube cut down and with slots for the nav light housing (I may put lights in next build but have decided to keep this first one simple - joy of doing three of essentially same ship) 

For the vents I used some very fine mesh from a tea strainer. 

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I have a hydrant fitting, a few miscellaneous power fittings, switchs etc and some speakers to fit and the starboard side will be about done.

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Bit of work starting the port side this week then decided to have a play with the signal deck.

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Built the framework for the two levels of raised duck board platforms that the look out sights and 12 inch signal lamps are located on.

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Added the duck boarding using the plastic canvas material. 

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Test fit of the sights and lamps. The sight cupolas have the enclosed leg sections that some UK leaders sported but our had a opening and a leg rest that was just pipe and plate. I carefully cut them out and used some brass rod and plastic card to make these. 

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Little bit more work this morning. Built the second life raft rack for the Port side - still need to do the brass wire detail and the straps etc. Going to try assembling the 2 hooks, straps and coat hanger fitting as a piece first then fitting to the life rafts as the way I did it last time was a tad too fiddly.

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Then I decided to start having a play with my foremast ( that doesn't sound right). I have never really soldered for modelling and only have a pretty standard soldering iron, I have some clean up to do but happy with first effort. I will invest in an adjustable temp and smaller soldering pencil, some solder wick and a decent set of micro files before I do more but al lot more solid than the styrene mock up was.

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