Force9

The Stern Post
 
The Trumpeter kit is lacking some detail around the stern post.  There are plenty of historic photos to guide my modifications…

Adding the curved plating detail requires gathering a few key tools:

 
 
Step 1

The curves were plotted with pencil outlines and etched with a standard hobby knife blade. 
 
Step 2
The hobby knife was also used to notch an edge into the curve to guide the next steps. 

 
Most of the shaping was done with a detail chisel (I have a set from Micro-Mark that comes in handy).  I would peel away small layers of the plastic up to the notched edge of the curve.
 
 
Step 3

Once the initial shape was roughed out, a small file was used to set the final edge and level the surface.  Medium grit flexible files were used to smooth the surface as I went along.
 
Step 4
Now I needed to reflect the same curves on the Starboard side.

I laid down some tape and traced the edge.  The tape was then transferred to a piece of card paper and cut out.  
 
Step 5

This was then positioned on the starboard side and traced with a pencil line to guide the same procedure as before…

I would occasionally refresh my carved edge with a pencil line to help track my progress:
 
Step 6

Finally, I came back with progressively finer flex files to smooth everything down and eliminate any remaining rough surfaces.
 
Step 7
I used thin Evergreen Styrene strips (.010) from my stash and added the rivets by pricking one side with the tip of a pushpin and flipping it over before gluing.  The rivets are laid out in a diagonal pattern using some pencil lines as a guide.  I fashioned some strips a bit longer than needed and cut to size before transferring them to the hull.

The rivet reinforcement and the zinc strips were all done using this method.


After the first round of primer, I’ll come back and fill/smooth to finalize the surface before painting.  That’ll be a bit further along in my build.
 
Cheers,
Evan

The Stern Post
 
The Trumpeter kit is lacking some detail around the stern post.  There are plenty of historic photos to guide my modifications…

Adding the curved plating detail requires gathering a few key tools:

 
 
Step 1

The curves were plotted with pencil outlines and etched with a standard hobby knife blade. 
 
Step 2
The hobby knife was also used to notch an edge into the curve to guide the next steps. 

 
Most of the shaping was done with a detail chisel (I have a set from Micro-Mark that comes in handy).  I would peel away small layers of the plastic up to the notched edge of the curve.
 
 
Step 3

Once the initial shape was roughed out, a small file was used to set the final edge and level the surface.  Medium grit flexible files were used to smooth the surface as I went along.
 
Step 4
Now I needed to reflect the same curves on the Starboard side.

I laid down some tape and traced the edge.  The tape was then transferred to a piece of card paper and cut out.  
 
Step 5

This was then positioned on the starboard side and traced with a pencil line to guide the same procedure as before…

I would occasionally refresh my carved edge with a pencil line to help track my progress:
 
Step 6

Finally, I came back with progressively finer flex files to smooth everything down and eliminate any remaining rough surfaces.
 
Step 7
I used thin Evergreen Styrene strips (.010) from my stash and added the rivets by pricking one side with the tip of a pushpin and flipping it over before gluing.  The rivets are laid out in a diagonal pattern using some pencil lines as a guide.  I fashioned some strips a bit longer than needed and cut to size before transferring them to the hull.

The rivet reinforcement and the zinc strips were all done using this method.


After the first round of primer, I’ll come back and fill/smooth to finalize the surface before painting.  That’ll be a bit further along in my build.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Hello Hubac...  Thanks for looking in on my effort here with the Titanic... Aye, it'll be interesting to make choices as I go along.  Some folks I'm sure will scratch their heads wondering why I go deep on some details, but avoid others altogether.  
 
Ahoy Chief... It does sound like quite the undertaking to construct a Titanic using 3D prints... I guess that is the future eh?  High tech modeling!
 
I appreciate the interest folks are showing... Especially considering that the Titanic is not exactly under-represented in ship modeling forums.  It can seem a tired subject, but there are always new insights to be made and new approaches to try.  I hope everyone stays with this voyage - some customizations are around the corner.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

Hello Hubac...  Thanks for looking in on my effort here with the Titanic... Aye, it'll be interesting to make choices as I go along.  Some folks I'm sure will scratch their heads wondering why I go deep on some details, but avoid others altogether.  
 
Ahoy Chief... It does sound like quite the undertaking to construct a Titanic using 3D prints... I guess that is the future eh?  High tech modeling!
 
I appreciate the interest folks are showing... Especially considering that the Titanic is not exactly under-represented in ship modeling forums.  It can seem a tired subject, but there are always new insights to be made and new approaches to try.  I hope everyone stays with this voyage - some customizations are around the corner.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

Hello Hubac...  Thanks for looking in on my effort here with the Titanic... Aye, it'll be interesting to make choices as I go along.  Some folks I'm sure will scratch their heads wondering why I go deep on some details, but avoid others altogether.  
 
Ahoy Chief... It does sound like quite the undertaking to construct a Titanic using 3D prints... I guess that is the future eh?  High tech modeling!
 
I appreciate the interest folks are showing... Especially considering that the Titanic is not exactly under-represented in ship modeling forums.  It can seem a tired subject, but there are always new insights to be made and new approaches to try.  I hope everyone stays with this voyage - some customizations are around the corner.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

I've taken on the task of getting a Titanic built as well...I'm certain that it will be no-where near what yours is!
 
I'm working with 3D prints, so there's some aspects to that which are challenging, but workable for what I'm building.
 
Intent is that it will be a slightly better than stand-off scale model that will end up in the local pond - I'm about 20% done the printing so far.  Ish.
 
I have about another 3-4 weeks of printing left to go.
 
NS
 

Drilling More Holes
 
Time to drill the remaining three thousand portholes. (Very slight exaggeration)
 
I had some concern that these might require pre-drilling some smaller centering holes to keep the bit from drifting and creating obvious misaligned ports across the side of the hull. 
 
There is a small industry around 3rd party guides to serve this need, but it seemed to me that I could fashion some workable guides on my own using stuff I already had laying around.
 
I dug out my miscellaneous assortment of small tubing and went to work making some quick centering guides.

These were whipped together by cutting some short lengths of telescoping tubes – the inner tube aligned to the appropriate porthole size and the outer tubes to sit flush with the hull:

All bound together with a drop or two of CA glue.
 

Not as elegant as what can be purchased from enterprising online hobbyists, but suitable in a pinch.

These guides were slipped over the drill bit and held in place at ninety degrees while drilling.  I didn’t need to drill all the way through the hull – only needed enough of a dimple to guide the larger bit. These worked like a charm.
 
(Maybe once or twice I lost concentration and didn’t hold the guide flush to the hull resulting in a slightly off-center hole, but easily compensated for in the final step).

For the final step, I first did a quick trigger squeeze to set the bit in the centering hole before drilling through the hull.

In truth, I don’t think I needed these centering holes except for the largest porthole sizes.  The bit size would generally match close enough in the small and medium porthole sizes that it didn’t allow for any drift.  
 
For the largest diameter I used the nearest size tubing and filed a beveled edge using a large coarse file. 

This helped to set the outer diameter tightly into the porthole and centered the innermost tube properly… 

Worked perfectly.
 
Next, I needed to attend to the missing portholes on the upper stern counter.  I again used the guidance from Mr. Boyd’s resource to find the proper spacing.  

These measurements were transferred to a length of Tamiya tape and the holes drilled through the template.

Lastly, I noticed that the size of the portholes along the upper stern were a bit undersized based on the reference photo of the Olympic under construction:

Using a larger bit, I drilled out the portholes to accommodate 1.5mm fiber optic filament.  Much improved.

All the portholes are now drilled out and good to go...
 
Up next will be cutting out various doors and hull openings for future enhancements… 
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

I decided to start a build log for this project after tinkering around a bit with the kit across the past year or so.  I’ve hesitated because I know that there are many passionate folks out there who scrutinize every aspect of the great ship and can be very strong minded about the myriad details in play.  I will make plain my intention to do justice to Titanic but will likely fall short on complete historic exactitude… Especially considering that the ground is constantly moving as scholars and enthusiasts refine our understanding of the ship’s details.
 
I need to confess up front that I am not a Titanic guy.  The great tragedy and human folly of her demise has always pushed me away from the subject… Just too sad.  Additionally, I need to confess that I have never seen the entire James Cameron movie.  I went with my wife to see it in the theater back in the day, but we left halfway through – literally right after the ship struck the iceberg.  I leaned over to my wife and whispered “spoiler alert – this doesn’t end well, and I couldn’t care less if all the spoiled and selfish main characters go down with the ship.  Let’s get outta here and beat the crowd to the good restaurant nearby”. I’ve never seen the rest of the movie.
 
That is not to say, however, that this project won’t be a labor of Love.  I am building this for my daughter.  She has been fascinated by the Titanic tragedy from a very young age.  At age six she could tell you all about Captain Smith going down with the ship and nurse Jessop and her surviving multiple sinkings, etc. She made me get up in the wee hours on the exact date/time of the 100th anniversary of her sinking to ring a bell in commemoration. We’ve even toured Margaret Brown’s home in Denver (nobody called her “Molly” in her lifetime).  She is more interested in the human stories than the ship itself but will very much appreciate this representation when it is finally completed.
 
It was always a head scratcher for me that Trumpeter started their new line of 1/200 scale ships with the USS Arizona back in 2012.  It seemed to me that Titanic would’ve made more sense.  It was the 100th anniversary of her sinking and is clearly a very popular subject as we can see with the explosion of 3rd party add-ons and doo dads that have proliferated in the marketplace to enhance the model. There is a significant cottage industry that has since formed just around this kit.  I suppose better late than never for the folks at Trumpeter.
 
The workshop out in the garage has been reorganized and made shipshape:
 

 
Hopefully you get some sense for the size of the model.  It is big.
 
I have thrown all the relevant documentation into a binder so that I can have quick access to key references.  Sliding the pages into clear sleeves also allows me to overlay notes with a grease pencil or Sharpie pen.
 


 
 
I will forego the box opening and contents review – folks can find all that in many other logs and online resources. I will however include this quick view of the Trumpeter packaging… All very neat and carefully laid out (as is the case with all their kits that I’ve got in my stash).
 

 
Most modelers will splurge and invest in either the KA Models upgrade set or the one made by Pontos.  Both have their pros and cons, but I have opted for the KA set.  I like the extensive 3D print and resin components and the etched brass is very comprehensive.  Again – I won’t lay out all the contents here… That is easily found in other logs or the KA website.
 
I do have various other add ons including several brass sheets from Woody’s Model Works.  Very nice stuff and highly recommended.  (Neil Woods is in a bit of a hiatus right now as he figures out how to deal with UK VAT requirements).
 
I’m not sure I’ll go down the LED route.  Certainly, Titanic is the perfect model for LED treatment, but it generally isn’t my thing – not sure the extra time/effort will be worthwhile.  Still pondering…
 
A note about online resources.  Ken Marschall has long been a great visualizer of the Titanic, but anyone who is taking this kit seriously will find their way to three key players:
 
Robert Read – Mr. Read has a great catalog of white papers and research material that he has created and maintained on his website Titanic CAD Plans.  He illuminates many fascinating details, resolves conflicts and controversies, and explains many of the inner workings of Titanic’s systems and gear. Terrific resource.
 
Vasilije Ristovic’ – Most Titanic aficionados will know Vasilije’s work.  His digital renderings of Titanic bring the great ship back to life and are breathtaking. His thoughtfully researched images shed light on many unique details and provide a terrific color guide for those of us trying to navigate our paint choices. He also has a very impressive 1/200 Titanic model of his own in progress.
 
Cyril Codus – Mr. Codus is a gifted digital artist who has created some outstanding full-length profiles of Titanic and her sisters. He also has very detailed overhead deck views that highlight the positioning of deck equipment and rigging.  Incredibly useful stuff. You can find samples on his website RMS Titanic Art Work.
 
For those who can stomach Facebook, there are several terrific resources utilized by the Titanic community:
 
RMS Titanic Model Research and Tech hosted by Zeno Silva and friends.  You’ll find Bob Read, Cyril, and Vasilije all contributing here.
 
Trumpeter TITANIC 1/200th model ONLY building tips and tricks hosted by Gene Davis.  This is an essential meeting place for the Titanic modeler community with extensive Guides and downloadable files to facilitate enhancement of the kit.  Gene shows remarkable patience and perseverance amongst the wide spectrum of modelers that post on his pages. (Although I’m sure that Gene’s head will explode if one more novice jumps in to ask about three bladed props versus four…)
 
RMS Titanic – 3D Illustrations by Vasilije Ristovic.  This is where Vasilije posts most of his incredible Titanic renderings (and offers images for sale).
 
Visiting the Midwest Model Shop Youtube channel is also recommended.  Ben and his charming wife Nora walk through every stage of their 1/200 Titanic build and give a terrific overview of their process along the way.  It is refreshing to see an experienced modeler identify his own mistakes and show how he goes about correcting for them along the way. Includes terrific episodes about 3rd party upgrades – in particular the brass sheets from Neil Woods.
 
Regarding more traditional resources I do have a small library of books with lots of photos and tech specs:
 

 
I have not invested in the two-volume set TITANIC – The Ship Magnificent.  I think I have other sources for most of what I would glean from those pages and the investment just seems a bit much for now.  I’ll use those funds to purchase additional upgrades instead.
 
Give me a few days and I’ll start to catch everyone up on my progress to date.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

This is a fascinating foil to the type of project I am working on, where there are few reliable primary sources.  Titanic is probably the most written about ship of all time, but this presents a challenge of a different stripe; sifting through all of that source material and deciding where your threshold will be - beyond which, additional modification is not personally worth the effort.
 
I’m certainly no Titanic expert, but I will happily follow along.  You’re off to a wonderful start, Evan, and I like that you have taken-on such a monumental project for your daughter’s enjoyment.

Drilling More Holes
 
Time to drill the remaining three thousand portholes. (Very slight exaggeration)
 
I had some concern that these might require pre-drilling some smaller centering holes to keep the bit from drifting and creating obvious misaligned ports across the side of the hull. 
 
There is a small industry around 3rd party guides to serve this need, but it seemed to me that I could fashion some workable guides on my own using stuff I already had laying around.
 
I dug out my miscellaneous assortment of small tubing and went to work making some quick centering guides.

These were whipped together by cutting some short lengths of telescoping tubes – the inner tube aligned to the appropriate porthole size and the outer tubes to sit flush with the hull:

All bound together with a drop or two of CA glue.
 

Not as elegant as what can be purchased from enterprising online hobbyists, but suitable in a pinch.

These guides were slipped over the drill bit and held in place at ninety degrees while drilling.  I didn’t need to drill all the way through the hull – only needed enough of a dimple to guide the larger bit. These worked like a charm.
 
(Maybe once or twice I lost concentration and didn’t hold the guide flush to the hull resulting in a slightly off-center hole, but easily compensated for in the final step).

For the final step, I first did a quick trigger squeeze to set the bit in the centering hole before drilling through the hull.

In truth, I don’t think I needed these centering holes except for the largest porthole sizes.  The bit size would generally match close enough in the small and medium porthole sizes that it didn’t allow for any drift.  
 
For the largest diameter I used the nearest size tubing and filed a beveled edge using a large coarse file. 

This helped to set the outer diameter tightly into the porthole and centered the innermost tube properly… 

Worked perfectly.
 
Next, I needed to attend to the missing portholes on the upper stern counter.  I again used the guidance from Mr. Boyd’s resource to find the proper spacing.  

These measurements were transferred to a length of Tamiya tape and the holes drilled through the template.

Lastly, I noticed that the size of the portholes along the upper stern were a bit undersized based on the reference photo of the Olympic under construction:

Using a larger bit, I drilled out the portholes to accommodate 1.5mm fiber optic filament.  Much improved.

All the portholes are now drilled out and good to go...
 
Up next will be cutting out various doors and hull openings for future enhancements… 
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Drilling More Holes
 
Time to drill the remaining three thousand portholes. (Very slight exaggeration)
 
I had some concern that these might require pre-drilling some smaller centering holes to keep the bit from drifting and creating obvious misaligned ports across the side of the hull. 
 
There is a small industry around 3rd party guides to serve this need, but it seemed to me that I could fashion some workable guides on my own using stuff I already had laying around.
 
I dug out my miscellaneous assortment of small tubing and went to work making some quick centering guides.

These were whipped together by cutting some short lengths of telescoping tubes – the inner tube aligned to the appropriate porthole size and the outer tubes to sit flush with the hull:

All bound together with a drop or two of CA glue.
 

Not as elegant as what can be purchased from enterprising online hobbyists, but suitable in a pinch.

These guides were slipped over the drill bit and held in place at ninety degrees while drilling.  I didn’t need to drill all the way through the hull – only needed enough of a dimple to guide the larger bit. These worked like a charm.
 
(Maybe once or twice I lost concentration and didn’t hold the guide flush to the hull resulting in a slightly off-center hole, but easily compensated for in the final step).

For the final step, I first did a quick trigger squeeze to set the bit in the centering hole before drilling through the hull.

In truth, I don’t think I needed these centering holes except for the largest porthole sizes.  The bit size would generally match close enough in the small and medium porthole sizes that it didn’t allow for any drift.  
 
For the largest diameter I used the nearest size tubing and filed a beveled edge using a large coarse file. 

This helped to set the outer diameter tightly into the porthole and centered the innermost tube properly… 

Worked perfectly.
 
Next, I needed to attend to the missing portholes on the upper stern counter.  I again used the guidance from Mr. Boyd’s resource to find the proper spacing.  

These measurements were transferred to a length of Tamiya tape and the holes drilled through the template.

Lastly, I noticed that the size of the portholes along the upper stern were a bit undersized based on the reference photo of the Olympic under construction:

Using a larger bit, I drilled out the portholes to accommodate 1.5mm fiber optic filament.  Much improved.

All the portholes are now drilled out and good to go...
 
Up next will be cutting out various doors and hull openings for future enhancements… 
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Ahoy Marcus!
 
Thanks for reaching out (and revisiting my log)... Yes - My contention is that the data and the after battle debrief suggests that the Constitution fired double-shotted rounds during the brief action with Guerriere.  Cmdr. Martin did not seem to consider this to explain the ammunition usage.
 
All is well on my end... I will be starting up again on this project once I have finished my commitment to build the Trumpeter 1/200 Titanic for my daughter.  I think you have stumbled on that other build log already and I hope you follow along.  I don't seem to have many followers on that project, but it is about to get more interesting with some customizations.
 
I hope all is well with you and your family.  
 
Cheers!
Evan

Drilling More Holes
 
Time to drill the remaining three thousand portholes. (Very slight exaggeration)
 
I had some concern that these might require pre-drilling some smaller centering holes to keep the bit from drifting and creating obvious misaligned ports across the side of the hull. 
 
There is a small industry around 3rd party guides to serve this need, but it seemed to me that I could fashion some workable guides on my own using stuff I already had laying around.
 
I dug out my miscellaneous assortment of small tubing and went to work making some quick centering guides.

These were whipped together by cutting some short lengths of telescoping tubes – the inner tube aligned to the appropriate porthole size and the outer tubes to sit flush with the hull:

All bound together with a drop or two of CA glue.
 

Not as elegant as what can be purchased from enterprising online hobbyists, but suitable in a pinch.

These guides were slipped over the drill bit and held in place at ninety degrees while drilling.  I didn’t need to drill all the way through the hull – only needed enough of a dimple to guide the larger bit. These worked like a charm.
 
(Maybe once or twice I lost concentration and didn’t hold the guide flush to the hull resulting in a slightly off-center hole, but easily compensated for in the final step).

For the final step, I first did a quick trigger squeeze to set the bit in the centering hole before drilling through the hull.

In truth, I don’t think I needed these centering holes except for the largest porthole sizes.  The bit size would generally match close enough in the small and medium porthole sizes that it didn’t allow for any drift.  
 
For the largest diameter I used the nearest size tubing and filed a beveled edge using a large coarse file. 

This helped to set the outer diameter tightly into the porthole and centered the innermost tube properly… 

Worked perfectly.
 
Next, I needed to attend to the missing portholes on the upper stern counter.  I again used the guidance from Mr. Boyd’s resource to find the proper spacing.  

These measurements were transferred to a length of Tamiya tape and the holes drilled through the template.

Lastly, I noticed that the size of the portholes along the upper stern were a bit undersized based on the reference photo of the Olympic under construction:

Using a larger bit, I drilled out the portholes to accommodate 1.5mm fiber optic filament.  Much improved.

All the portholes are now drilled out and good to go...
 
Up next will be cutting out various doors and hull openings for future enhancements… 
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Drilling Holes
 
Regardless of whether I light the kit or not, I will be drilling out the portholes and inserting fiber optic filament.  Even without lighting the effect will be more realistic and practical for representing the glass.
 
Like many folks, I found my way to the LighthouseLED online store for my filament. I could order by the foot with reasonable shipping costs.  I’ve got 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.5mm diameters to work with…
 
I’m not drilling all those holes with a pin vise… no way. Here is a critical tool that I’ve had in my toolkit for a few years – a small Tamiya battery powered drill designed with plastic in mind:
 

 
I bought mine on a Black Friday sale at a steep discount, but still worth the retail price.  (It comes as a kit for easy assembly) 
 
Regular drills and rotary tools have high RPM that creates too much plastic-melting friction… This drill is just right for the job at hand.
 

 
I’ve added a mini chuck for the micro-drill bits.  You’ll also notice that I’ve cut out a strip of thin card paper and folded it back on itself to create a small spring to protect the hull surface from the front of the spinning chuck if I push all the way through during drilling.
 
I am not concerned with exact scale port holes on my model.  I’m working backwards from the filament diameters to determine what size holes to drill.  For the smallest portholes I will use the 1.0mm filament and I want to drill a hole with a tight fit.  I tested on a piece of scrap styrene and determined that the #62 size micro-drill bit is just the ticket.  Not too loose, not too tight.
 

 
Since the smallest portholes don’t need to have a pre-drilled centering hole, I was able to jump right into it…
 

 
Nice clean holes drilled with no issues.  Took me about 45 minutes to complete each side – making sure to hold the drill at 90 degrees to the hull each time.
 
In addition to the kit portholes, I needed to add a few that were missing or needed to be relocated.  These locations were marked with a green Sharpie pen and some Tamiya tape laid down to help with alignment.
 

 
I used a common push pin to center a starter hole to guide the bit:
 

 
The remaining holes were easily finished off and everything looks good… I’ll proceed to the next largest portholes in my next session.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Hull Corrections – Portholes and Doors
 
The relative accuracy of the hull details on the Trumpeter kit are…perplexing.  The starboard side seems to be nearly spot on as far as I can tell from various sources. Maybe one wayward porthole to fill and one small porthole to add. Portholes are in the right place and are the right size for the given deck level.  The doors all appear to be correctly positioned.
 
The port side on the other hand… Hmmm.  
 
I’ve relied on the work of a gentleman named Graham Boyd who posted a terrific set of detailed references on the Trumpeter TITANIC 1/200th model ONLY building tips and tricks Facebook site hosted by Gene Davis.  
 
I’ve done a cursory comparison of Mr. Boyd’s notes to some of the Titanic profile views available online and almost everything appears to align.  There might be a small discrepancy on the port side superstructure where a door needs to be removed and replaced with a window, but otherwise all good.
 
Here is a sample of Graham’s reference material:

What to keep, what to remove, and proper drill sizes are all called out.  Very useful.
 
There are a lot of errors on the port side - portholes out of place and some mystery doors. You’ll see that I have marked up the kit hull with a black Sharpie pen to indicate portholes that need to be filled and doors that should be removed.

 
The marked portholes are now filled and new portholes will be drilled nearby to more accurately reflect their actual position. 
 
I protected the rivet detail with tape before I sanded the filled portholes smooth.
 

 

The port side has a couple of unneeded doors…  
 
The starboard side of the Titanic had a baggage door on the D deck level that opened into the 3rd class covered promenade area underneath the forward well deck.  The kit is accurate on that side. However, there shouldn’t be a corresponding door on the port side, but Trumpeter put it there anyway.  No big deal - easily removed.

 
But it isn’t as though the Trumpeter designers just copied and pasted the starboard side details over to the port side resulting in all the errors...  There are clear differences to the two sides that were intentionally made.
 
Here is an example:
 
The Titanic had four narrow doors that opened out from the “Ash Places” – two on each side at the E deck level.  When Titanic was out on the open ocean the spent ash was disposed of using hydraulic ash ejectors.  The ash was shoveled into deck grates near the coal bunkers where it was mixed with seawater and the slurry ejected under pressure 20 or 30 feet away from the ship. While in port, however, this practice was obviously frowned upon…and regulated.  Probably not so much out of environmental concerns, but who’d want 30-foot arcs of sludge raining down on nearby ships or pleasure craft?  Instead, while in port the ash was shoveled into canvas bags and hoisted up to one of the Ash Places to be eventually lowered into a lighter pulled alongside that presumably led to proper disposal ashore.
 
These Ash Places and their outer doors were not symmetrical between port and starboard.  Trumpeter got that right.  The doors are in the right spots on either side, but inexplicably they’ve added a third narrow door on the port side that leads to a phantom Ash Place.
 

 
I marked it for removal and put some tape on the hull to minimize the chance of hull damage if my blade slips.
 

 
The remaining doors on the port side hull look to be correctly placed.
 
Obviously most (all?) casual observers seeing my completed model are not gonna know whether the portholes are all correctly located, or any extraneous doors are included, but it gives me satisfaction knowing that a little more effort put things right.  
 
Some additional hull details need to be attended to, but I can’t put off drilling out the portholes forever…
 
Cheers,
Evan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Drilling More Holes
 
Time to drill the remaining three thousand portholes. (Very slight exaggeration)
 
I had some concern that these might require pre-drilling some smaller centering holes to keep the bit from drifting and creating obvious misaligned ports across the side of the hull. 
 
There is a small industry around 3rd party guides to serve this need, but it seemed to me that I could fashion some workable guides on my own using stuff I already had laying around.
 
I dug out my miscellaneous assortment of small tubing and went to work making some quick centering guides.

These were whipped together by cutting some short lengths of telescoping tubes – the inner tube aligned to the appropriate porthole size and the outer tubes to sit flush with the hull:

All bound together with a drop or two of CA glue.
 

Not as elegant as what can be purchased from enterprising online hobbyists, but suitable in a pinch.

These guides were slipped over the drill bit and held in place at ninety degrees while drilling.  I didn’t need to drill all the way through the hull – only needed enough of a dimple to guide the larger bit. These worked like a charm.
 
(Maybe once or twice I lost concentration and didn’t hold the guide flush to the hull resulting in a slightly off-center hole, but easily compensated for in the final step).

For the final step, I first did a quick trigger squeeze to set the bit in the centering hole before drilling through the hull.

In truth, I don’t think I needed these centering holes except for the largest porthole sizes.  The bit size would generally match close enough in the small and medium porthole sizes that it didn’t allow for any drift.  
 
For the largest diameter I used the nearest size tubing and filed a beveled edge using a large coarse file. 

This helped to set the outer diameter tightly into the porthole and centered the innermost tube properly… 

Worked perfectly.
 
Next, I needed to attend to the missing portholes on the upper stern counter.  I again used the guidance from Mr. Boyd’s resource to find the proper spacing.  

These measurements were transferred to a length of Tamiya tape and the holes drilled through the template.

Lastly, I noticed that the size of the portholes along the upper stern were a bit undersized based on the reference photo of the Olympic under construction:

Using a larger bit, I drilled out the portholes to accommodate 1.5mm fiber optic filament.  Much improved.

All the portholes are now drilled out and good to go...
 
Up next will be cutting out various doors and hull openings for future enhancements… 
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Thanks to all who've viewed my intro to this build.
 
Don - Thanks for grabbing an early seat for this voyage... Hopefully I can figure out enough of the KA kit to do a representative job.  The instructions provided for the upgrade set are a bit thin on detail.
 
John - Aye - I'll not get too caught up in the exactness of detail, but you might be surprised at how deep I'll be willing to go.  But ultimately I only need to please myself!
 
Cheers,
Evan

I decided to start a build log for this project after tinkering around a bit with the kit across the past year or so.  I’ve hesitated because I know that there are many passionate folks out there who scrutinize every aspect of the great ship and can be very strong minded about the myriad details in play.  I will make plain my intention to do justice to Titanic but will likely fall short on complete historic exactitude… Especially considering that the ground is constantly moving as scholars and enthusiasts refine our understanding of the ship’s details.
 
I need to confess up front that I am not a Titanic guy.  The great tragedy and human folly of her demise has always pushed me away from the subject… Just too sad.  Additionally, I need to confess that I have never seen the entire James Cameron movie.  I went with my wife to see it in the theater back in the day, but we left halfway through – literally right after the ship struck the iceberg.  I leaned over to my wife and whispered “spoiler alert – this doesn’t end well, and I couldn’t care less if all the spoiled and selfish main characters go down with the ship.  Let’s get outta here and beat the crowd to the good restaurant nearby”. I’ve never seen the rest of the movie.
 
That is not to say, however, that this project won’t be a labor of Love.  I am building this for my daughter.  She has been fascinated by the Titanic tragedy from a very young age.  At age six she could tell you all about Captain Smith going down with the ship and nurse Jessop and her surviving multiple sinkings, etc. She made me get up in the wee hours on the exact date/time of the 100th anniversary of her sinking to ring a bell in commemoration. We’ve even toured Margaret Brown’s home in Denver (nobody called her “Molly” in her lifetime).  She is more interested in the human stories than the ship itself but will very much appreciate this representation when it is finally completed.
 
It was always a head scratcher for me that Trumpeter started their new line of 1/200 scale ships with the USS Arizona back in 2012.  It seemed to me that Titanic would’ve made more sense.  It was the 100th anniversary of her sinking and is clearly a very popular subject as we can see with the explosion of 3rd party add-ons and doo dads that have proliferated in the marketplace to enhance the model. There is a significant cottage industry that has since formed just around this kit.  I suppose better late than never for the folks at Trumpeter.
 
The workshop out in the garage has been reorganized and made shipshape:
 

 
Hopefully you get some sense for the size of the model.  It is big.
 
I have thrown all the relevant documentation into a binder so that I can have quick access to key references.  Sliding the pages into clear sleeves also allows me to overlay notes with a grease pencil or Sharpie pen.
 


 
 
I will forego the box opening and contents review – folks can find all that in many other logs and online resources. I will however include this quick view of the Trumpeter packaging… All very neat and carefully laid out (as is the case with all their kits that I’ve got in my stash).
 

 
Most modelers will splurge and invest in either the KA Models upgrade set or the one made by Pontos.  Both have their pros and cons, but I have opted for the KA set.  I like the extensive 3D print and resin components and the etched brass is very comprehensive.  Again – I won’t lay out all the contents here… That is easily found in other logs or the KA website.
 
I do have various other add ons including several brass sheets from Woody’s Model Works.  Very nice stuff and highly recommended.  (Neil Woods is in a bit of a hiatus right now as he figures out how to deal with UK VAT requirements).
 
I’m not sure I’ll go down the LED route.  Certainly, Titanic is the perfect model for LED treatment, but it generally isn’t my thing – not sure the extra time/effort will be worthwhile.  Still pondering…
 
A note about online resources.  Ken Marschall has long been a great visualizer of the Titanic, but anyone who is taking this kit seriously will find their way to three key players:
 
Robert Read – Mr. Read has a great catalog of white papers and research material that he has created and maintained on his website Titanic CAD Plans.  He illuminates many fascinating details, resolves conflicts and controversies, and explains many of the inner workings of Titanic’s systems and gear. Terrific resource.
 
Vasilije Ristovic’ – Most Titanic aficionados will know Vasilije’s work.  His digital renderings of Titanic bring the great ship back to life and are breathtaking. His thoughtfully researched images shed light on many unique details and provide a terrific color guide for those of us trying to navigate our paint choices. He also has a very impressive 1/200 Titanic model of his own in progress.
 
Cyril Codus – Mr. Codus is a gifted digital artist who has created some outstanding full-length profiles of Titanic and her sisters. He also has very detailed overhead deck views that highlight the positioning of deck equipment and rigging.  Incredibly useful stuff. You can find samples on his website RMS Titanic Art Work.
 
For those who can stomach Facebook, there are several terrific resources utilized by the Titanic community:
 
RMS Titanic Model Research and Tech hosted by Zeno Silva and friends.  You’ll find Bob Read, Cyril, and Vasilije all contributing here.
 
Trumpeter TITANIC 1/200th model ONLY building tips and tricks hosted by Gene Davis.  This is an essential meeting place for the Titanic modeler community with extensive Guides and downloadable files to facilitate enhancement of the kit.  Gene shows remarkable patience and perseverance amongst the wide spectrum of modelers that post on his pages. (Although I’m sure that Gene’s head will explode if one more novice jumps in to ask about three bladed props versus four…)
 
RMS Titanic – 3D Illustrations by Vasilije Ristovic.  This is where Vasilije posts most of his incredible Titanic renderings (and offers images for sale).
 
Visiting the Midwest Model Shop Youtube channel is also recommended.  Ben and his charming wife Nora walk through every stage of their 1/200 Titanic build and give a terrific overview of their process along the way.  It is refreshing to see an experienced modeler identify his own mistakes and show how he goes about correcting for them along the way. Includes terrific episodes about 3rd party upgrades – in particular the brass sheets from Neil Woods.
 
Regarding more traditional resources I do have a small library of books with lots of photos and tech specs:
 

 
I have not invested in the two-volume set TITANIC – The Ship Magnificent.  I think I have other sources for most of what I would glean from those pages and the investment just seems a bit much for now.  I’ll use those funds to purchase additional upgrades instead.
 
Give me a few days and I’ll start to catch everyone up on my progress to date.
 
Cheers
Evan
 

Drilling More Holes
 
Time to drill the remaining three thousand portholes. (Very slight exaggeration)
 
I had some concern that these might require pre-drilling some smaller centering holes to keep the bit from drifting and creating obvious misaligned ports across the side of the hull. 
 
There is a small industry around 3rd party guides to serve this need, but it seemed to me that I could fashion some workable guides on my own using stuff I already had laying around.
 
I dug out my miscellaneous assortment of small tubing and went to work making some quick centering guides.

These were whipped together by cutting some short lengths of telescoping tubes – the inner tube aligned to the appropriate porthole size and the outer tubes to sit flush with the hull:

All bound together with a drop or two of CA glue.
 

Not as elegant as what can be purchased from enterprising online hobbyists, but suitable in a pinch.

These guides were slipped over the drill bit and held in place at ninety degrees while drilling.  I didn’t need to drill all the way through the hull – only needed enough of a dimple to guide the larger bit. These worked like a charm.
 
(Maybe once or twice I lost concentration and didn’t hold the guide flush to the hull resulting in a slightly off-center hole, but easily compensated for in the final step).

For the final step, I first did a quick trigger squeeze to set the bit in the centering hole before drilling through the hull.

In truth, I don’t think I needed these centering holes except for the largest porthole sizes.  The bit size would generally match close enough in the small and medium porthole sizes that it didn’t allow for any drift.  
 
For the largest diameter I used the nearest size tubing and filed a beveled edge using a large coarse file. 

This helped to set the outer diameter tightly into the porthole and centered the innermost tube properly… 

Worked perfectly.
 
Next, I needed to attend to the missing portholes on the upper stern counter.  I again used the guidance from Mr. Boyd’s resource to find the proper spacing.  

These measurements were transferred to a length of Tamiya tape and the holes drilled through the template.

Lastly, I noticed that the size of the portholes along the upper stern were a bit undersized based on the reference photo of the Olympic under construction:

Using a larger bit, I drilled out the portholes to accommodate 1.5mm fiber optic filament.  Much improved.

All the portholes are now drilled out and good to go...
 
Up next will be cutting out various doors and hull openings for future enhancements… 
 
Cheers,
Evan
 

Drilling Holes
 
Regardless of whether I light the kit or not, I will be drilling out the portholes and inserting fiber optic filament.  Even without lighting the effect will be more realistic and practical for representing the glass.
 
Like many folks, I found my way to the LighthouseLED online store for my filament. I could order by the foot with reasonable shipping costs.  I’ve got 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.5mm diameters to work with…
 
I’m not drilling all those holes with a pin vise… no way. Here is a critical tool that I’ve had in my toolkit for a few years – a small Tamiya battery powered drill designed with plastic in mind:
 

 
I bought mine on a Black Friday sale at a steep discount, but still worth the retail price.  (It comes as a kit for easy assembly) 
 
Regular drills and rotary tools have high RPM that creates too much plastic-melting friction… This drill is just right for the job at hand.
 

 
I’ve added a mini chuck for the micro-drill bits.  You’ll also notice that I’ve cut out a strip of thin card paper and folded it back on itself to create a small spring to protect the hull surface from the front of the spinning chuck if I push all the way through during drilling.
 
I am not concerned with exact scale port holes on my model.  I’m working backwards from the filament diameters to determine what size holes to drill.  For the smallest portholes I will use the 1.0mm filament and I want to drill a hole with a tight fit.  I tested on a piece of scrap styrene and determined that the #62 size micro-drill bit is just the ticket.  Not too loose, not too tight.
 

 
Since the smallest portholes don’t need to have a pre-drilled centering hole, I was able to jump right into it…
 

 
Nice clean holes drilled with no issues.  Took me about 45 minutes to complete each side – making sure to hold the drill at 90 degrees to the hull each time.
 
In addition to the kit portholes, I needed to add a few that were missing or needed to be relocated.  These locations were marked with a green Sharpie pen and some Tamiya tape laid down to help with alignment.
 

 
I used a common push pin to center a starter hole to guide the bit:
 

 
The remaining holes were easily finished off and everything looks good… I’ll proceed to the next largest portholes in my next session.
 
Cheers,
Evan

Hull Corrections – Portholes and Doors
 
The relative accuracy of the hull details on the Trumpeter kit are…perplexing.  The starboard side seems to be nearly spot on as far as I can tell from various sources. Maybe one wayward porthole to fill and one small porthole to add. Portholes are in the right place and are the right size for the given deck level.  The doors all appear to be correctly positioned.
 
The port side on the other hand… Hmmm.  
 
I’ve relied on the work of a gentleman named Graham Boyd who posted a terrific set of detailed references on the Trumpeter TITANIC 1/200th model ONLY building tips and tricks Facebook site hosted by Gene Davis.  
 
I’ve done a cursory comparison of Mr. Boyd’s notes to some of the Titanic profile views available online and almost everything appears to align.  There might be a small discrepancy on the port side superstructure where a door needs to be removed and replaced with a window, but otherwise all good.
 
Here is a sample of Graham’s reference material:

What to keep, what to remove, and proper drill sizes are all called out.  Very useful.
 
There are a lot of errors on the port side - portholes out of place and some mystery doors. You’ll see that I have marked up the kit hull with a black Sharpie pen to indicate portholes that need to be filled and doors that should be removed.

 
The marked portholes are now filled and new portholes will be drilled nearby to more accurately reflect their actual position. 
 
I protected the rivet detail with tape before I sanded the filled portholes smooth.
 

 

The port side has a couple of unneeded doors…  
 
The starboard side of the Titanic had a baggage door on the D deck level that opened into the 3rd class covered promenade area underneath the forward well deck.  The kit is accurate on that side. However, there shouldn’t be a corresponding door on the port side, but Trumpeter put it there anyway.  No big deal - easily removed.

 
But it isn’t as though the Trumpeter designers just copied and pasted the starboard side details over to the port side resulting in all the errors...  There are clear differences to the two sides that were intentionally made.
 
Here is an example:
 
The Titanic had four narrow doors that opened out from the “Ash Places” – two on each side at the E deck level.  When Titanic was out on the open ocean the spent ash was disposed of using hydraulic ash ejectors.  The ash was shoveled into deck grates near the coal bunkers where it was mixed with seawater and the slurry ejected under pressure 20 or 30 feet away from the ship. While in port, however, this practice was obviously frowned upon…and regulated.  Probably not so much out of environmental concerns, but who’d want 30-foot arcs of sludge raining down on nearby ships or pleasure craft?  Instead, while in port the ash was shoveled into canvas bags and hoisted up to one of the Ash Places to be eventually lowered into a lighter pulled alongside that presumably led to proper disposal ashore.
 
These Ash Places and their outer doors were not symmetrical between port and starboard.  Trumpeter got that right.  The doors are in the right spots on either side, but inexplicably they’ve added a third narrow door on the port side that leads to a phantom Ash Place.
 

 
I marked it for removal and put some tape on the hull to minimize the chance of hull damage if my blade slips.
 

 
The remaining doors on the port side hull look to be correctly placed.
 
Obviously most (all?) casual observers seeing my completed model are not gonna know whether the portholes are all correctly located, or any extraneous doors are included, but it gives me satisfaction knowing that a little more effort put things right.  
 
Some additional hull details need to be attended to, but I can’t put off drilling out the portholes forever…
 
Cheers,
Evan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ahoy Roger... Indeed, not only is the out of the box stern plating wrong - most of it is missing entirely.  A victim as I say above of the limitations of plastic injection molding.  There are terrific online resources that show the correct under counter plating for the Titanic and I have already added it all using styrene strips.  I'm a few posts away from catching everyone up on that effort.
 
(Love the work shown in your post!)
 
Stay tuned!
 
Evan

Wemattson - Thanks for following along!
 
Sharp eye to notice the pinewood derby carrier on the workbench... Dates back a bunch of years when the kids were young!
 
In the spirit of the current build I'll disclose another Pinewood derby ship:
 

 
RMS Titanic and USS Midway.
 
Both won the Grand Prize for design in their respective tournaments (slow as molasses down the track though!)
 
Cheers
Evan

Thanks to all who've viewed my intro to this build.
 
Don - Thanks for grabbing an early seat for this voyage... Hopefully I can figure out enough of the KA kit to do a representative job.  The instructions provided for the upgrade set are a bit thin on detail.
 
John - Aye - I'll not get too caught up in the exactness of detail, but you might be surprised at how deep I'll be willing to go.  But ultimately I only need to please myself!
 
Cheers,
Evan

I decided to start a build log for this project after tinkering around a bit with the kit across the past year or so.  I’ve hesitated because I know that there are many passionate folks out there who scrutinize every aspect of the great ship and can be very strong minded about the myriad details in play.  I will make plain my intention to do justice to Titanic but will likely fall short on complete historic exactitude… Especially considering that the ground is constantly moving as scholars and enthusiasts refine our understanding of the ship’s details.
 
I need to confess up front that I am not a Titanic guy.  The great tragedy and human folly of her demise has always pushed me away from the subject… Just too sad.  Additionally, I need to confess that I have never seen the entire James Cameron movie.  I went with my wife to see it in the theater back in the day, but we left halfway through – literally right after the ship struck the iceberg.  I leaned over to my wife and whispered “spoiler alert – this doesn’t end well, and I couldn’t care less if all the spoiled and selfish main characters go down with the ship.  Let’s get outta here and beat the crowd to the good restaurant nearby”. I’ve never seen the rest of the movie.
 
That is not to say, however, that this project won’t be a labor of Love.  I am building this for my daughter.  She has been fascinated by the Titanic tragedy from a very young age.  At age six she could tell you all about Captain Smith going down with the ship and nurse Jessop and her surviving multiple sinkings, etc. She made me get up in the wee hours on the exact date/time of the 100th anniversary of her sinking to ring a bell in commemoration. We’ve even toured Margaret Brown’s home in Denver (nobody called her “Molly” in her lifetime).  She is more interested in the human stories than the ship itself but will very much appreciate this representation when it is finally completed.
 
It was always a head scratcher for me that Trumpeter started their new line of 1/200 scale ships with the USS Arizona back in 2012.  It seemed to me that Titanic would’ve made more sense.  It was the 100th anniversary of her sinking and is clearly a very popular subject as we can see with the explosion of 3rd party add-ons and doo dads that have proliferated in the marketplace to enhance the model. There is a significant cottage industry that has since formed just around this kit.  I suppose better late than never for the folks at Trumpeter.
 
The workshop out in the garage has been reorganized and made shipshape:
 

 
Hopefully you get some sense for the size of the model.  It is big.
 
I have thrown all the relevant documentation into a binder so that I can have quick access to key references.  Sliding the pages into clear sleeves also allows me to overlay notes with a grease pencil or Sharpie pen.
 


 
 
I will forego the box opening and contents review – folks can find all that in many other logs and online resources. I will however include this quick view of the Trumpeter packaging… All very neat and carefully laid out (as is the case with all their kits that I’ve got in my stash).
 

 
Most modelers will splurge and invest in either the KA Models upgrade set or the one made by Pontos.  Both have their pros and cons, but I have opted for the KA set.  I like the extensive 3D print and resin components and the etched brass is very comprehensive.  Again – I won’t lay out all the contents here… That is easily found in other logs or the KA website.
 
I do have various other add ons including several brass sheets from Woody’s Model Works.  Very nice stuff and highly recommended.  (Neil Woods is in a bit of a hiatus right now as he figures out how to deal with UK VAT requirements).
 
I’m not sure I’ll go down the LED route.  Certainly, Titanic is the perfect model for LED treatment, but it generally isn’t my thing – not sure the extra time/effort will be worthwhile.  Still pondering…
 
A note about online resources.  Ken Marschall has long been a great visualizer of the Titanic, but anyone who is taking this kit seriously will find their way to three key players:
 
Robert Read – Mr. Read has a great catalog of white papers and research material that he has created and maintained on his website Titanic CAD Plans.  He illuminates many fascinating details, resolves conflicts and controversies, and explains many of the inner workings of Titanic’s systems and gear. Terrific resource.
 
Vasilije Ristovic’ – Most Titanic aficionados will know Vasilije’s work.  His digital renderings of Titanic bring the great ship back to life and are breathtaking. His thoughtfully researched images shed light on many unique details and provide a terrific color guide for those of us trying to navigate our paint choices. He also has a very impressive 1/200 Titanic model of his own in progress.
 
Cyril Codus – Mr. Codus is a gifted digital artist who has created some outstanding full-length profiles of Titanic and her sisters. He also has very detailed overhead deck views that highlight the positioning of deck equipment and rigging.  Incredibly useful stuff. You can find samples on his website RMS Titanic Art Work.
 
For those who can stomach Facebook, there are several terrific resources utilized by the Titanic community:
 
RMS Titanic Model Research and Tech hosted by Zeno Silva and friends.  You’ll find Bob Read, Cyril, and Vasilije all contributing here.
 
Trumpeter TITANIC 1/200th model ONLY building tips and tricks hosted by Gene Davis.  This is an essential meeting place for the Titanic modeler community with extensive Guides and downloadable files to facilitate enhancement of the kit.  Gene shows remarkable patience and perseverance amongst the wide spectrum of modelers that post on his pages. (Although I’m sure that Gene’s head will explode if one more novice jumps in to ask about three bladed props versus four…)
 
RMS Titanic – 3D Illustrations by Vasilije Ristovic.  This is where Vasilije posts most of his incredible Titanic renderings (and offers images for sale).
 
Visiting the Midwest Model Shop Youtube channel is also recommended.  Ben and his charming wife Nora walk through every stage of their 1/200 Titanic build and give a terrific overview of their process along the way.  It is refreshing to see an experienced modeler identify his own mistakes and show how he goes about correcting for them along the way. Includes terrific episodes about 3rd party upgrades – in particular the brass sheets from Neil Woods.
 
Regarding more traditional resources I do have a small library of books with lots of photos and tech specs:
 

 
I have not invested in the two-volume set TITANIC – The Ship Magnificent.  I think I have other sources for most of what I would glean from those pages and the investment just seems a bit much for now.  I’ll use those funds to purchase additional upgrades instead.
 
Give me a few days and I’ll start to catch everyone up on my progress to date.
 
Cheers
Evan