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Hi to all out there,

 

Just to let you all know a little of my history, I'm a widower (having lost my wife to cancer 4 years ago), am 66 years young and disabled, served in military uniform for over 36 years and am now retired, hence the start of this hobby, I used to be one of the directors at the Heugh Battery Museum, until I resigned to look after my wife in her last days, so I am now a volunteer there, and the Heugh Battery is where the first person in England to be killed duringf World War One, and we have been restoring it from a run down car park and 'vagrant' area since the year 2000, we are now open to the public, and have lots of artifacts (that you would expect from both World Wars) 'plug for the Museum', see us on www.heughbatterymuseum.com.

 

One of the artifacts we have acquired is the model of the HMS Warspite  (Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship), she was built in 1912, launched in 1915, the over the years went through a lot of refits. The model we got from the Imperial War Museum was in a terrible state when we received it, (lots of parts missing and broken) it turns out that she was originally (the model) built by some shipyard apprentices to a very good state, but when some of the refits took place, the model was also updated, only not always by the same apprentices and this shows.

 

We received the model in a massive wooden box (where she had been stored during the Second World War, (for safe keeping), evidently this box had not been opened since about 1940/42, so a decision was taken to restore her to her refit of 1942, so the hunt was now on to find both plans and help to  put her right again, we received her in July 2013, we then asked around the volunteers as to who would like to take on this mammoth project, after a lot of 'head scratching etc'., it was decided that three of us would do it, Glenn (myself) who would do the most of the metal work (as I have a full workshop including a Lathe and Milling machine along with other machines) and the repair and replacement of some of the parts (which we have to source), along with painting and all the other 'mundane' work, Ken who took on the job of project leader, and works very closely with me, and Allan, who only wanted to do the ' deck planking' and a really good job he is doing of it, including putting cotton between the planks to give the nice black line between them.

 

I am going to copy all this onto another page when I post some of the photos that we have taken, (as I'm not sure that I'm doing this right.

 

So folks, that's all for now, if anyone wants more information, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll try my best to answer you, thank you for reading all this, I hope I have't 'bored' you all to tears,

 

Sargofagus

 

Thought I'd add some photos of the progress, we have taken loads of the parts we have been able to strip down, but there is lots of 'bits' that we are going to have to source, the plans we are using is a book produced in Poland and is in Polish (also in English) and this has helped us immensely, we have to work out the scale as the full size, then reduce it to 1/48th scale, (but it is working), if anyone out there has any 'better' plans that you would let us have this would be fantastic, we are restoring it to around the 1942 period. Thanks again for your interest,

 

Sargofagus 

 

OOps forgot to add the photos, (you can tell I'm new to this) lol

 

I'm the one on photos 11, and 12, Allan is the other person on the photos,

Thanks

 

 

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Edited by SARGOFAGUS
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Actually, that is a very good 'teaser' for what we hope will come! Thank you for your history, both personal and that of the Museum. The web site is interesting and informative, but might I suggest proofreading the text?

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

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Welcome onboard Sargofagus,

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your work and that of your colleagues. It's a couple of years since I made it from the other side of the town to the Headland (where the Heugh Battery is situated for those non Hartlepudleans!), and will have to call in to take a close look at your restoration project if that is OK.

 

Gary

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Looks like a fascinating project.  I look forward to hearing more about it

Tom

 

 

Current: Sergal Sovereign of the Seas

Previous builds:  AL Swift, AL King of the Mississippi, Mamoli Roter Lowe, Amati Chinese Junk, Caesar, Mamoli USS Constitution, Mantua HMS Victory, Panart San Felipe, Mantua Sergal Soleil Royal

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Hi All

I have been working on the funnel and the 2 pdr pom poms and we have fitted them today, here are two of the photos, the pom poms are made up from 'plasticard, dowel, and bits & pieces lying around the workshops', as well as some wire, it has taken me about 4 weeks to complete the pom poms and another week to finish the funnel, (of which the shell was already made and I had to complete the railings, and the walkways) the railings are just wire soldered together in situ , the searchlights I made in Brass, by turning the main piece, then the stand, the side bits were also turned on the Lathe then 'milled' out at the back to get the shape needed to fit the stand, the 'winding' handles were also turned and the along with the side fitting I soldered small bits of wire onto it, the stand was made in 1/8th ply and then I used 'super glue' to fasten the whole piece together, the wooden parts were cut to 27.5 degrees so as to form the correct shape for the light to fit into, the whole thing was from a photo I sourced, so I had to work out the 'factor' for working out the scale (1/48th) and then I had to use a digital caliper to measure the photo parts, then multiply the result by the factor of 0.49 to get the final sizes, (sounds complicated, but was really easy in practice) i.e., for instance if the photo measures 0.920" (still work in old 'money' lol) then multiply this by the factor (0.49) gives a result to work to of 0.450", which I would use as a final diameter for the finished part, then when all the parts were completed I 'glued' then together, hope I haven't 'bored' you all with 'too' much 'tecnobabble' please tell me if I am giving too much information, thanks for the interest,

 

Glenn

 

PS the first two pictures are the new work, the rest are as the model came to us, hope you enjoy this thanks again

Glenn

 

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Keep those photos coming Sarcophagus. I'm sooo jealous, I wish I had such a project. I love that scale of model. Wish I had room for one. That'd be a great club project too. Keep us posted. Bill in Idaho

Bill, in Idaho

Completed Mamoli Halifax and Billings Viking ship in 2015

Next  Model Shipways Syren

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Glenn,

 

It's not boring but fascinating.  I'm one of those to whom a picture speaks as much if not more than words.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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That certainly is a most impressive project on an even more impressive scale. IM especialy impressed by the detail of the 8 barreled  2 pounders.

Will you try to simulate a Semtex/ Corticence layer on the non planked areas of the ship? Was there even one on the Warspite?

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Greetings Glenn

Well this restoration is a joy to watch, and it's a shame that there are no photos of the completed searchlights which are amazing, but I am sure we will see them later. You can walk into the work shop and see , well , what looks like a piece of old junk in the chuck of the lathe, and you wonder what is that going to be ?? Yep this restoration is something special. Keep up posting loads of photos glenn. Cracking stuff. DAVID

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Hi All,

Thank you for the nice comments and the interest you have shown in this project, I must tell you all that there are three of us working on the ship, Allan (who just wants to be involved with the planking) and is doing a really good job, Ken (who is the project coordinator and works with me on the restoration side of the project), and I am the 'engineer' on the team, we are all 'retired', I do most of the work at home (where my workshop is) and I tend to put in some 35 hours+, (I'm on my own so have plenty of time to dedicate to the ship), although I do have a 20 foot by 10 foot shed with a model 00 gauge railway which I'm building alongside this project.

In answer to 'Redshirts' question, I don't know, (as I am ex Army, not Navy) but I'll ask John (the man at the Battery who will know) and get back to you, also 'Shipyard Sid' asked for a close up photo of the searchlight, this I will take when I next go to the Battery, (possibly next Monday), and post it for you.

I do have a lot of photos that we have taken when the ship was taken out of the box at first, and if there is a way that I can make them available for people to access I will put them on, but I don't want to 'flood' this site with loads of these photos, so please if there is someone out there who can suggest a way I can do this without 'flooding' the site, please tell me and I will put them there for all to see.

Thats all for now, and all I am going to be doing over the next few days will be repainting the 'door dogs etc.,) Grey instead of the Black that they are now, one of the 'mundane' jobs to do, thanks for looking, and all the best

Glenn

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Fascinating project,beautiful workmanship. Should keep you busy for quite awhile. Look forward to your progress.

 

Ed

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Thanks Reklein, I have uploaded all the Warspite photos that we have taken to 'Photobucket' and I think I have done it right , I would appreciate you looking for them and letting me know if I have completed this correctly, have 'clicked' on public, but don't know how to let everyone know hw to access it, I have called the album 'Model ship world' and used my online name of sargofagus, I have pass worded it, but I'm keeping that 'close to my chest', lol All the best, and lease let me know, thank you

Glenn

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Hi again All, I have added the following 'links' I think to photobucket, and the photos in the album I have uploaded, hope I have done it right, if not will someone please tell me how to do it, thanks to you all, all the best

Glenn

 

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s1369.photobucket.com/user/Sargofagus/embed/slideshow/"></iframe>

 

<div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swfflashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1369.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fag214%2FSargofagus%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" /><a href="javascript:void(0);" target="_blank">

Edited by SARGOFAGUS
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Thanks for showing this project!

 

I love the warspite as she was in every theater of WW2 and gained her distinction, even as a ww1 warship.

 

I look forward to seeing your progress.

 

Ben

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Looks like your link works fine. These big models are really able to show us the details that disappear even in 1-200 scale anad forget about 1-350. However not many people have room in their living room for an 18 foot long model ship.

  I really like all the binoculars on the bridge and that collection of electrical boxes on the inside of the splinter shields. Things like those can only be done when you have a team of volunteers to take on various projects within a project.  

 

  In Jan.1964 when I was in Navy basic training in Great lakes, Illinois.  I was for two weeks MAA in a recreation hall. In the main lobby were about four examples of 1-48 scale Battleships in cases down the center.I didn't have much time to gawk at them but when I did they were absolutely fascinating.

   Great work and thanks again for posting. Bill

Edited by reklein

Bill, in Idaho

Completed Mamoli Halifax and Billings Viking ship in 2015

Next  Model Shipways Syren

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Hi Bill and All,

 

Re the team, ll there is only 3 of us one of which only is interested in the planking side of the project, I made all of those bridge parts, the telephones are made from car body filler, the binoculars are made from dowel and turned on the lathe then glued together, the stands are made from dowel, 'washers' and plasticard, and I worked the scale out using the little man you may see in some of the photos, (he is from the model railway at a scale of 0 gauge which works out at about 1/48th scale), just thought you might like to know how I did it, also I'm working on the 4 twin 6 inch guns at present, and today I made the body shell from a solid piece of 4x4 inch wood, I have uploaded a set of photos showing the stages it took to complete them, having said that they have a lot more work to do to finish them, ie., I will have to turn the barrels and fit the breach and other bits etc., which I will post after I have done them, all the best

 

Glenn

 

Still don't know how to add 'captions' so here is a list of the photos,

 

1,2, and 3, The original which came with the ship, (which I'm taking the measurements from)

4, The  start block 4" x 4"

5, The gun barrel 'slot' milled out

6, The milling process,

7, The 'computer screen' from which I work out the measurements, note it is not a CNC machine, just has a computer readout,

8, Showing the milling process

9, as above

10, Cutting the sides to the angle

11, More of above

12, Using the metal band saw to shape the sides

13, Finish sanding of the 'Glasis' plate (if I have spelled it incorrectly, sorry, the spell checker couldn't find it either)

 

Oooh dear, it looks like the photos have decided to be silly and 'jumped' about and got themselves in the wrong spots, but I'm sure you can work it out as to where they should be, lol, all the best

 

Glenn

 

PS It took me about 8 hours to complete this part, so far,

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Edited by SARGOFAGUS
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

 

I have almost finished the 4 x 6 inch twin mk 12 guns, and here is the rest of the photos, I have still to finish painting them, but the construction is now complete, I will post the photos and then I will explain them, hope you like them, I had to work out the scale but I found a photo on 'images' which had all the dimensions in inches, so used this to work out the scale, (this was quite easy as all I had to do was divide the inches by 48, and there was my size), I know some of you out there will already know this and think I am 'teaching Granny to suck eggs' but it may help some of the new members who don't know how to work scales out, so sorry to the 'experienced' modelers out there.

 

1, Turning the barrels, to scale, barrel drilled to 1/8th inch (multiplied by 48 equals 6 inches), also I turned the barrel taper to the correct dimensions, which was a diameter of 0.218", just to give you an idea, I will post all the sizes if any one wants me too, please let me know,

 

2.  The first part of the barrel turning, (the end 'flute')

 

3. The completed tapered barrel, ready to be cut to length, (note I always make one or more extra parts, in case I 'mess' up on one)

 

4. The 'breach' parts, or the barrel supports, all been made on the milling machine on one piece of Aluminium bar, then cut to length to fit into the 'body'

 
5. I have lost the text 4 times tonight I put a lot on so I'm sorry but here is the photos of the guns and the searchlifgt for Shipyard Sid, hope you will be happy with this, thank you for the interest you have all shown in this project, and all the best6
 
Glenn

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Thank you for sharing this interesting project with us. 

 

Current Builds:  Revell 1:96 Thermopylae Restoration

                           Revell 1:96 Constitution COMPLETED

                           Aeropiccola HMS Endeavor IN ORDINARY

Planned Builds: Scientific Sea Witch

                            Marine Models USF Essex

                            

 

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In a remarkable coincidence I was just this very evening reading an account of the shelling of Hartlepool in Robert K Massie's excellent Castles of Steel. Reading it for the second time. Its even better than I remembered it. I think all MSW people interested in Steel Navy should certainly have it on their shelf.

  

Quote

 

 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

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In a remarkable coincidence I was just this very evening reading an account of the shelling of Hartlepool in Robert K Massie's excellent Castles of Steel. Reading it for the second time. Its even better than I remembered it. I think all MSW people interested in Steel Navy should certainly have it on their shelf.

I've read that book too. It really is one of the very best books that has ever been written on the subject. Well worth buying.

Edited by Omega1234
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