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1/350 Carriers Taiho and Graf Zeppelin


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Back to Zep for a bit of superstructure on her. I looked at the kit and thought it looked a bit bland on  her uppers so am adding more scuttles/portholes and opened a door. I feel that having openings is another way to add depth to a model. Decided I didn't like the doors I had added to the island so far, to took them off. They were noticeably the inside of the door that was showing, so they'll be replaced, I have the same issue elsewhere on the build but some aren't easy to access so I might just have to live with those ones. 

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I changed by mind about using the upgrade from Eduard for the forward part of the island, partially because a mistake on the kit bugged me a bit. The forward part (below) doesn't have any window to the front. I know there would be look outs etc but surely being able to see where you are heading would be important - certainly never seen a ship with out the ability to see forwards!

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So in order to do that I decided to utilise the etch and cut out the section of windows from the plastic remnants to modify the otherwise blank front part. The other advantage is that it saves having to try and open out widows and doors on that area.

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So chopped out the section, then cut out the middle part to allow for the central part of the original to be added as it contains the round to guide the foremast when fitting. Then stuck it all together, It looks a little messy but with a bit more clean up I think will come together. The doors and hatches are from MK.1 and in my opinion are excellent!

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I look at Zep and think there is simultaneously not very much and an awful lot left to do, likewise with Taiho, but I'm still enjoying doing the both together. So much so that i think I'll do another double next time, which ships i'll choose closer to the time. 

 

Thanks for stopping in, 

 

Sam

 

Edited by S-boat 55
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Nice work, love the open doors and hatches, they give the model some 'life' even if there are no figures.

Edited by johndon
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

I'm tooled up ready for a future double build with the arrival of Yorktown which will likely be built as USS Franklin along side Ark Royal. 

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Small update on Graf Zeppelin, the superstructure/island is coming together, new doors now in place and scuttles |(again from mk.1). Still much work to do on the funnel and then the 3 masts - the golf ball range finders need sorting as well as they have some noticeable seams. 

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Edited by S-boat 55
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All, 

 

Progress is being made bit by bit on the Island - when that complete I'll feel like I've crossed a the last major construction hurdle and I wont be far from doing more painting wise and then all the bits and pieces to 'dress' her, that's admittedly a little way off yet. 

 

Talking of paint though, this photograph of Tirpitz illustrates perfectly how confusing these schemes can be, to me it make it look as if she is down by the stern quite markedly and must have surely made it hard to range with optics. 

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So here's the present state of play with the island, reminder the scuttles are mk.1, the mast and aerials are from Infini from their separate mast upgrade set and the rest of the etch is Eduard. The Infini stuff is brilliant so far, the rear most mast is actually in two sections, the fit was spot on so they aren't actually glued together. The true test will be when the radar parts of their are tackled and the various bits on the foremast which is wonky as its just stood in place. So far so good though. The rest of the etch is Eduard, which is a little hit and miss unfortunately. Several parts are slightly too long or slightly too short, there is one small platform on the front of the funnel which is about 1mm too long. Keep in mind pats of this are not yet fixed in place, hence some bits of mast are crooked, 

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Im not sure what the thin bands on the funnel are supposed to represent - they were a pain though, there was one that just wouldn't stay as it was again slightly too large so I left it off, I think the ring at the top/end of the funnel cap doesn't look quite right but it only fits there so .....

 

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Next will be finishing this island bits and fore mast off and cleaning up bits of excess ca etc,  , I might add a spare 'wing' detail to the island (as found of Bismarck as I have two upgrade sets for her. I do wonder i replacing the forward 'wall' around the island deck would be worth while after all, the etch would be thinner, trouble is if it isn't straight it'll stand out like a sore thumb, 

 

Any way i'd be curious to know what those lines on the funnel are if anyone happens to be able to educate me a bit?

 

Thanks for stopping in,

 

Sam

 

 

 

Edited by S-boat 55
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9 hours ago, S-boat 55 said:

Any way i'd be curious to know what those lines on the funnel are if anyone happens to be able to educate me a bit?

 

 

As I understand it, they are hand rails, most of the German capital ships seem to have them on the funnels.

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Hi All,

 

HELP! my youngest decided that these looked fun to play with! Where they have now gone - I've no idea!

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Sorting the base is easy but anyone know where i could get some replacements for the 'golf balls' from?

 

Thanks

 

Sam

 

 

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Gidday Sam, obviously an option (but expensive and wasteful) is to buy a kit of a German ship that carried them such as Bismarck or Prinz Eugen. Or you could have ago at scratch making them. As the ship was never operational you model is technically a whiff and hence "What I'm doing is right, so there!" applies. So if your efforts are slightly inaccurate but consistent who's going to know? As for AM stuff, I'm afraid I can't help you there. Sorry. Regards, Jeff.

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y4mdtenTIMxtFv6906iJTv56D2m0JIfQeaErBkS0

 

Problem solved, my 'darling' youngest has taken to throwing things out of windows it seems, tidying in the garden earlier i discovered one of said missing parts, then with a bit of searching discovered the other, this does though mean that i can no longer leave the window open thinking she couldnt get to it, but it saves me the headache of scratch build or ordering resin replacements. I did find some from model monkey after a bit of a search, 

 

 

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On 8/16/2022 at 6:35 PM, S-boat 55 said:

my 'darling' youngest has taken to throwing things out of windows it seems,

Not funny, you're lucking it wasn't a current build. Nobody dares go into MY room, let alone pick anything up!

 

Stuart

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Bit of progress, the Island is essentially ready to prime - there's the owl ears and Fumo search radars, search lights etc but that'll go on later as they're too delicate to risk now and will need painting separately anyway. Still some tidy and clean up to do on it but im happy with how its coming together. Its a mix of Eduard and Infini etch, the Eduard continues to be trickey and not quite line up in places, the Infini is spot on by comparison.

 

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I've just noticed ive missed some small hatches on the upstand for the base of the first AA platform - ive no idea if they should be there but Infini suggest them so i'll see if i have spares i can use. Glad i did the work on the superstructure so it has forward facing windows as i found a pic of her under construction and they were definitely there. Odd how trumpeter, Eduard and just about everyone else seems to miss them on there etch offerings. The more i look at it the FD side still needs a little business adding to it, not sure what though, maybe some cable runs or something,

 

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Next step is actually to think out how i will want to rig the beast before i go any further on this section though, after that its finishing off the bow section and then move onto the flight deck details and railings, then back to painting!

 

thanks 

 

Sam

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  • 4 weeks later...

Railings on - well as much as needed, then busted out the airbrush. Do the lightest shade first is the guidance  - I recalled why spraying white on top of black isn't fun, still more fun than masking,

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White done;

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Of course in the process of doing this ive knocked one of the rudders off again - however next up will be the lighter shade of blue then darker etc. She'll hopefully start looking like she's coming together then but that will likely be next weekend.

 

While i have your attention what are peoples thoughts re wooden decks. I'm using them on Zeppelin as I have little option with the flight deck not having any plank markings even though it was planked. Veryfire excelled in doing Taiho's' to such an extent that i don't have a brush thin enough to work through stages of highlighting individual planks etc. So I have a quandary;

 

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Above is Zeppelins deck laid in place, Taiho's with its initial coat of paint and laid on that is a future builds flight deck blue wooden deck. I'm trying to work out if A) when displayed together it'll make Taiho stand out if i don't get a 'stick on' deck and B is this a carrier thing - as there is so much deck that its almost a given that a wood deck is just a sensible thing to use and could i paint it to such a point where by it will measure up. 

 

Taiho's deck was darkened just before her loss and so i want to mirror that and think I've found the product to do it - its just deciding what goes under it, paint or wood!?!

 

Should have more actual progress to show soon. I was hoping to get more done today but turns out masking takes quite a while. This build has just goone over the year mark so i need to get on with it. I console myself though that my build is likely more complete than Graf Zeppelin ever actually reached in reality. I wondered the other day what those who launched these ships or built them thought when they never actually saw service. Graf Zeppelin was launched by the granddaughter of the ships namesake, wonder if she ever thought 'when are they going to actually finish it'?

 

Thanks for stopping by, 

 

 

Edited by S-boat 55
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  • 2 weeks later...

Well with a bit of mojo coming back I'm getting little bits done on these two quicker again, as much as I was working on them everything was taking longer as my enthusiasm was waning. However bit more camouflage done on Zeppelin;

 

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Ive been working on Taiho but that's not noticeable as of yet so photo's later, 

 

thanks

 

Sam

 

Edited by S-boat 55
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10 minutes ago, S-boat 55 said:

as much as I was working on them everything was taking longer

I know what you mean, sometimes the fiddling seems to go on for ever, and no progress seems to be happening.

Those two do look good though.

Jon

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