ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 Thanks guys, your interest is greatly appreciated. HMS Culloden has most of her casemate 6-inch guns fitted now. If you wish to have the guns trainable as Airfix allows then you have to fit them early in the build, before the deck gets fitted to the hull. Although the diagram shows the assembly process done with the deck inverted you really have to do it right-way-up or the guns will fall off the pins on those 'base pieces'. But due to my desired modifications to the deck and hull I decided to have them fixed in their fore-and-aft positions. As an aside it also means that they won't accidently swing out and get caught on something. In the photo above you can also see the first five starboard guns fitted under the foc'sle deck. With a bit of prior planning and preparation I found it surprisingly easy. Once the guns were fitted to the casemates I sanded said casemates until they fitted snuggly but easily into their positions. I painted the hull inboard of the guns, the guns themselves and the casemate faces (around the guns) before fitting - I thought it might be difficult afterwards. Then one at a time I cut away the inboard side of the casemates, applied a bit of glue to the pins the casemate has to 'wrap' around and simply slid each casemate/gun assembly sideways into position. I'd deliberately left the pins in place to act as a positioning guide, and the casemate inner diameter being greater than the pins meant that I had a bit of leeway to play with. I've mounted the guns laying alongside the hull so they'll be somewhat protected by the overhang above them. On the foc'sle deck you can see the port guns prior to fitting. One has already had the inboard side cut away to allow it's fitting into position. And above you can see the port side guns being installed. Guns 1 & 2 are fitted, gun 3 has the inboard side cut out prior to fitting and guns 4 & 5 are awaiting their turn. Gun no5 will be facing aft, as will the gun to be mounted above it later. You may be able to see the pins that the original kit casemates were meant to mount on, and I left in place as a guide for my replacements. Tonight I'll slap some paint on. What's not in the photo are the paravanes done, and the odd boom, derrick and other assorted stuff I've been painting. The six boat covers I've fitted got painted a darker brown for a bit of contrast to the deck colour. So that's it for now. Again, thank you for your comments, responses and interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 Gidday All, here's another dry fit test of HMS Culloden to show that things are still (slowly) progressing. Some levels of the superstructures are glued together but they're not attached to the hull yet. In the foreground are some of the parts I've been painting. Others are still on the sprues in the box. I've painted six boat-booms and intended for them to be glued in by now, but as is common with many ship kits I've found is that the locating holes for the locating pins on the booms are much too large a diameter. So my usual solution, plug said holes and then re-drill. And that's what I've done, as you can see by those white styrene rods poking out of the deck along the edge of the hull. That job is easier sometimes if done before the deck gets attached to the hull, but it would have held up the hull lengthening I had to do. Also in the foreground are the four largest boats, well five actually, one's a double stack. The three steam-powered boats (launch, pinnace, whatever) will each have a flue/stack/funnel fitted to it. Well, that's it for now, got more fiddly stuff to do. So thank you for your continued interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Now that is looking rather stunning Jeff. Good work. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 What a magnificent beast Jeff, there is something about the warships of this era that I find fascinating, I have a little itch in the back of my brain telling me that after Victorious an Iron Duke or one of Beatty,s "splendid cats" would be fun in 1/200, (and unlikely to be kitted), seeing your work on this isn't helping the madness !! Cheers David 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 She looks like one awesome battleship mate! 👍👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 Thank you very much guys. I think the majority of the bridge structure should come together soon, in fact the lowest level of it (B turret deck) is being glued as we speak. And David, of all the Splendid Cats I think it's generally agreed that HMS Tiger was the best looking of them all , although HMS Queen Mary was the ace ship in gunnery I believe. Either would be an awesome model in 1/200 scale. Regards, Jeff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-boat 55 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 Tiger was certainly a handsome ship and wouldn't be too large at just a smidge over 1m in 1/200, I mean thats obviously subjective Culloden continuing to take shape Jeffz in fact doesn't look like it'll be too long until your done, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 Gidday and thanks, guys. Here's another update on HMS Culloden. As a particular Character on the ATF would say, the big boat and the little boats now have their chimneys. Everything you see on the model is now fitted. The barbette for P turret is fitted too, along with the aft superstructure and the lower levels of the forward superstructure. The only major addition now are the bollards and fairleads. After this it'll be just minor incidental stuff, such as the bridge, main gun turrets, directors, spotting top etc, plus some other minor assorted fittings. 😁 The character on the ATF has a thing about bollards and fairleads. 🙂 I've just realized that we have less than two weeks to run on the ATF's Group Build that I'm doing this for, so it's a case of 'extract el digito' and get a move on with this. Hopefully I'll make the deadline, which is Saturday 3rd February. Again, thank you for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelholic Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Really coming together. I seem to have to pause and have a quick double-take to identify which ends which on this era of battleships. Tom 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Cracking job so far there Jeff I admire your dedication and the back stories to these builds you produce can't be far off now if your planning a 3rd February deadline date. Stay Safe beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 Thanks guys, and Gidday All, I've been doing more fiddly stuff on HMS Culloden, including plugging and re-drilling lots of locating pin holes. I think I should have done that to all of them right at the beginning of the build, the whole lot. Plus I've been painting small items and working on the light guns. At the top of the photo are the searchlights, range-finders and directors. In front of them to the left are the small guns fitted to fight off small craft. I didn't fit them to my previous two builds - AFAIK they weren't carried by HMS Iron Duke at the time of Jutland and they would have been removed when HMS Benbow was down graded to a training ship. The barrels are way over-scale so I chopped them off and fitted replacement barrels of fine stretched sprue. They might need shortening a little. You can also see a couple of them as supplied, unmodified. On the block to the right are AA guns, I'm assuming 3-inch. HMS Iron Duke carried two of them I think, on the aft superstructure. The two to the rear are as supplied, overscale I think. The barrels are thicker than the supplied 6-inch guns, as are the other light guns. The next two have replaced barrels but I still didn't like them so I've made my own using scratched pedestals from 1.5mm square section styrene and chopped down supplied 6-inch casemate guns. I did this with my original Iron Duke build also, I think. In the foreground are said supplied 6-inch guns, with a few missing from the sprue, those that I've used. And below, a close-up of the light guns, four of the eight low-angle anti-surface craft weapons and the two AA guns. As I said, I might have to shorten the barrels of the low-angle guns, but not by much. Anyway, that's it for now. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 Gidday All, HMS Culloden now has her tripod mast, starfish and spotting top fitted. The main tripod leg is a kit part, and looks quite thick due to a molded ladder at the back of it. This is the first time I've used the part, the other two models have a styrene rod replacing it. The main leg was added first, than the starfish and top assembly fitted to the top of it. Once the glue dried I added the tripod bracing legs. As with my previous two builds these were separate legs of styrene rod, 1.2mm diameter. I haven't used the kit part (a combined single piece) for any of the builds. As you can see I've painted as much of it as I could before assembly. It still needs a director on top inside that circular barricade, the topmast and the signal halyard yards added. But I'll wait until the glue has fully set before I do them. As an aside, I think I've plugged and re-drilled most of the locating pin holes now. You can see a few of them in the photo. Anyway, I think that's the last of the main construction, only fittings to be added now - boats davits and booms, light guns, searchlights etc and of course the fairleads. I think I'm on track to finish on time without rushing now. So thank you for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 Gidday All, HMS Culloden is nearly there. I've added the derricks and boat booms, directors and range finders, searchlights and the remaining 6-inch guns. Oh, and the fairleads. All I have to do now is paint and fit the smaller sea-boats and their davits, make a topmast and the signal halyard yards and fit the light guns. I think I'm on track to finish on time. So thank you for your interest. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 I’ve not been keeping up, sorry Jeff. She’s excitingly close now. Which groupbuild is this for? I didn’t understand your acronym. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 1 hour ago, Bertie McBoatface said: Which groupbuild is this for? I didn’t understand your acronym. The ATF - The Airfix Tribute Forum. It's another modeling forum that I post on. They usually hold a "What-if" GB over December and January each year. Regards, Jeff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 23 minutes ago, ArnoldAmbrose said: ATF - The Airfix Tribute Forum Of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ngantek Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Lovely work Jeff. I always like that point in your whiff builds where the silhouette comes together and we get to see what it would have looked like. A beast in this case! Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 Gidday All, I'm calling this done and here she be, HMS Culloden. The heavy spotting top, 'coffee-pot' searchlight towers, chin plate at the forefoot and the numerous light guns suggest later in the war, maybe 1917-18. I'll post more photos in the appropriate places soon. More photos are in the RFI section. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235136113-battleship-hms-culloden-ww1/ Thank you all for your interest during the build, I've quite enjoyed it. So stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-boat 55 Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Thanks for sharing the project Jeff, she looks great, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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