Landrotten Highlander

Something of a red-letter day. I've finally made the last shield of the 48 I needed for the sides of the dromon. Here it is just started.

And dried out after 24 hours in the mould:

and added to the shields made but not yet painted.

Trimmed to shape, and the first coat of paint added to it and the rest of the unpainted shields.

Tomorrow I'll be able to do the next coat, and the day after that I ought to have them all completed.
 
And another milestone - I've carved half of the oarsmen I need.

Yes, ok - five of them don't have anything below the waist. I was thinking I really ought to give them lower halves before I could claim I was half way through - but why spoil the moment? I'll fix them at the appropriate time when I'm good and ready. You could also say "But where are their arms?" But that's another project, which I'll do when I've carved the bodies.
 
They're a bit of a mixed bunch, but then so are people in general - all kinds of sizes and shapes. However, when they're all done I'm going to look over them and see if any need altering to make them all work together better. And then I'll add arms, smooth the figures off, do the final touches, and paint them.
 
Steven 

 

Folks,
 
I just could not cope with that empty front part of the KontrollRaum. Something had to be done. It is a real shame that Trumpeter did not come up with a better plan, especially in light of the fact that most of the controls of the vessel are done on the starboard side of the room. Thus, I have tried to make it a little bit more interesting by building from scratch and spare parts (from the original kit), a semblance of the two control wheels, used to steer the front and rear diving planes. Also note the two big push button valves, located inside the wheels (on top of the BBC box).

I basically used two spare wheels, two extra tanks and scratch-built the other parts, to resemble as much as possible the diving station, while still providing a full view on the compartment and attack periscope:


Adding two sailors (planesmen) at the 'helms': 







I know that this assembly is not exactly prototypical, far from it. However, it has the advantage of filling up that empty space, brings more realism and will push the observers to ask questions about that specific aspect of the operations. 
 
The planesmen were using two major valves located inside the wheels, to move the diving planes of the submarine. The wheels were only used in case of failure of the main hydraulic system and probably required a lot of strength and many turns before getting any results. The tanks located at their feet, contain the compressed air (or liquid - Please Katuna, I need your help) to move the massive diving planes.
 
Yves
 
 

Few notes about the tools.
First, using a small knife with a small handle is harder  to control. So I sanded  a bigger one, much more comfortable.
Second photo. It is a set of jaw which can be installed on the top of the other vice. Do you know why one side has 2 pin to secure it, and the other side has only one?
Third photo, the answer; to hold a tapered part. If the part is parallel, it also works because the pin is in the center.
Photo 4, many parts of the present assembly are tapered, so it was useful.
Parts are done, ready to glue.
 

Fear Nothing
HMS Dreadnought docking assisted by Tugs
14” X 10” watercolour
Jim

Various openings are cut into the framing - gun ports, windows and double sheaved fairleads.

Thank you for the kind comments.
 
Update
Rudder system and various railings installed.
I saved the most difficult section, the bow section, 
at the end.
I will not install the cannons on this model,
but the eight gun-carriages (Lafette) are mounted.
 
Karl
 

I am still working on drafting the stern, which is the biggest challenge of orthographic projection I have ever attempted. Good think I have nowhere else to go. I will have more to show later.
 
But as I get up to the top of the stern, I have to make a final decision about which version of the Bellona I will build. I never did like the later 1780s remodel as shown in the second model, with its awkward railing on the sides of the poop deck:
 
SECOND MODEL

I much prefer the original design as seen in the original model below:
 
ORIGINAL MODEL
 

So to be consistent with the original design, I have decided to do all of the ornament as in the original design, which I also think is less fussy than in the second model.
 
And to be consistent, I should probably construct the serpentine curve to the balcony in the original model, as opposed to the balcony with the sharp break in the second model. Although, the original drawings show a balcony with a sharp break:
 

Hard to know how to get back to original...
 
A question for those of you with extensive libraries of photos; notice that in the second model, the decoration in the railing is pierced, whereas in the original model, it is a solid railing with the decoration applied to a solid face. Do you think this was an expediency for the model maker, or are there examples of other ships with similar decoration on a solid rail? I notice in the original model that the quarter gallery windows under the arches are carved from the solid, which I don't think would have been in the actual ship. This suggests that the railing might also be an expediency. It sure would be easier to build if it were solid and not pierced....
 
Mark
 
 
 
 

Thank you very much mtaylor, thanks everyone for like..
 
 
Continuation of work on gretings with 1 mm thick saw blade ..💣💥
 

Hello,
 
yesterday I build up the side pieces for the cannons and today I made the drawings for the axles, so that the carpenters tomorrow have enough to work.
I work here after Muller and his list of dimensions.

The Kontrollraum is pretty much finished. I just need to populate it with a few sailors. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of it: 



As you can see, the front of the compartment is completely devoid of details, to allow some view into the back wall. It is a little bit unfortunate that Trumpeter did not push the efforts to include the diving stations (two sailors sitting on the bench) and the Christmas tree of valves.
 
A couple of views through the hatches: 


What you see in the center, is the computer used to calculate and program the torpedoes trajectory. In fact the computer is composed of a lot of parts, but the keyboard to enter the data is what is being shown here.
 
More pics of details and what will no longer be visible, once the roof/pressure hull is assembled: 


The bench is covered with fine lamb skin.... just kidding. The two cabinets under the navigation table, are also part of the Torpedo Trajectory calculation computer.

Picture above: The equipment seen on the top right corner is nothing more than the compressor to produce cold for the fridge on the other side of the wall.

Verification that all compartments fit into the hull: 


As you can see, the fitting is not too bad for such a large and complex model: 

Yves
 
 
 
 

That's right, Pat. Regarding the flange I think the first idea is more likely - an eye would probably pull off if the vessel was tossing about at all.
 
Just a quick update - another 5 shields complete plus one partly painted and another under way. So far a grand total of 41 complete out of 48. Only another 7 to go!

Interesting these shields with multiple dots. They seem to come up a fair amount. Perhaps it's supposed to represent a sky full of stars? And that motif that looks like the Greek letter pi (π) appears a lot, too - no idea why.
 
Steven
 
 

Hello,
I would like to add to my previous report. 
Some time ago I already showed  LINK (scroll down) the use of thinnest leather for the rigg.
The real leather has a thickness of about 0.2 mm, self split.

 

The ceiling/hull pressure is finished. Lots of small details which unfortunately will be very hard to see, once the lid is on. I suppose that if I wanted to display some work, I would have not chosen to build a submarine... 





Et voila.
 
Yves
 

Thanks Karl,
and here is the result:

This week , I began to work on 10 pieces and I am still fitting these in relation to each other. If I would keep all the parts that I missed, I would have kept a lot this week. Often, a piece itself was good but in relation to another one, it was good. On the last photo, we can see my preferred curve that I use.

It is kind of strange that it is still to do for English ships. 
For the French ships' Boudriot filled that gap, almost 50 years ago. Just to give an example, few weeks ago, I was checking the plans for the knighthead. Not only, did he shows it,  but he also shows it at different stages of its construction.
 
There is a factor which is is very helpful that you should also consider, Assembly sequences which helps to visualize the angles to reach.
 

Minesweeping Trawlers 'Ben Dearg' and 'Cardiff Castle' return to Base. 
W/C 11” X 9”

The foundation of all hinges ..
 
 


Halyard knighthead..
 





 

Slow progress on the "Kontrollraum": 

There are plenty of little details and parts to paint and install.

The navigation table with a map of the Baltic Sea: 

German submariners did not use regular maps. Instead they had these coded maps with specific sectors defined, in which they were assigned patrol missions. Instead of using Longitude and Latitude like most ships and planes, the Kriegsmarine created its own Naval Grid System. The ocean area was divided in large sectors represented by two-letters. Each sector was further divided into a 3x3 matrix, resulting in nine small squares. Each square was itself divided into nine smaller squares, resulting in 81 small squares for a sector. This is what you see displayed on the map below. A so called patrol zone (a small square) was roughly equivalent to 6 square NM. Each little square was referenced by the two letters of the sector and by a four digit number. With only six characters, a submarine (or ship) could signal its position with a lot of precision.

The attack periscope is getting some TLC. The lfat surface is drilled with a semi-spherical hole of 3.5 mm. A steel ball is inserted into it, to give the impression of a lens and to create some reflections as if you were seeing the ocean. The plastic pin is truncated and replaced by a steel piece to augment the realism of the device.


That pin will go through the deck and get to the bottom of the periscope well, inside the main ballast. There are still plenty of small details to add and paint, as this compartment is very rich in tiny parts.
 
Yves
 
 
 

Contact 
HMS Alisma  drops a pattern of Depth charges
w/c 11” X 9”
Jim

Hello and again, many thanks for your likes and comments
 
it is done, the cannons are ready!
The next thing to do are the carriages for them. That would take some time, but always better then finishing the port lids 😙
 
That are now all cannons with some plus. The painter painted the tompions black. I had a look at models from that time and when the muzzles of the cannons are black, then the tompions where red or white. If the muzzles where red, the tompions are black or in some cases white.
 
For all of you, a happy and sound Eastern 🐣

Hello model building friends.
 
Built-in brass covering nails degreased with cotton swabs and acetone,
painted with solvend-based wood glaze paint,
taking the drying time into account between each application of paint.
Finished.
The result looks pretty good in my opinion.
 
Karl
 
 
Eingebaute Messing-Belegnägel mit Wattestäbchen und Aceton entfettet,
mit lösemittelhaltige Holz-Lasurfarbe zweimal bemalt,
zwischen jedem Farbauftrag die Trockenzeit beachtet.
Fertig.
Das Ergebnis sieht meiner Meinung nach ganz gut aus.
 

 
 

Since, we are on the subject of describing the Control room of the Type VIIc, I thought it would be appropriate to publish a few pictures glanced and collected on the Internet. May their authors be infinitely rewarded in this life or a future one, for their generosity and skills.
 
The first "fish-eye" picture is particularly dramatic.... what a maze and intricacy of pipes, wheels, dials and valves. A true nightmare, when anyone of these hoses could have leaked, following an underwater explosion:

The right part of what is visible on this picture is actually not represented by Trumpeter. The two steering wheels are the diving planes controls and are not part of the kit, since they stand where the opening to the module, is located. The L shaped bench is provided in the kit. Also, note the well on the attach periscope has been plugged to prevent the U-995 tourists from falling or throwing things into the main ballast. This problem, as designed by Trumpeter, will have to be corrected.
 
The left picture represents the Port side and as such is correctly implemented in the kit. The right picture is of course, entirely missing, from the kit.

The Christmas Tree of red and black valves is also missing from the Trumpeter Kit. The periscope enclosure on the right is correctly recreated by Trumpeter.

Above is the Attack periscope, also nicely represented by Trumpeter.

The various compressors on the floor (for the cold enclosure - fridge) are also well depicted by Trumpeter.

Here also, Trumpeter did a good job with their bulkhead assembly.
 

Above, the torpedo computer, used to calculate trajectories and program the eels.

As we will see, the Port side is very well rendered in the kit.
 
The last drawing explains how the depth measuring gauges are working and how the submarine was controlled when diving or surfacing.

Soon, a few pictures of the model.....
 
Yves
 
 

I have fitted the rope Jacob's ladders for access to the "crow's nests". I have positioned them so that they would not foul the running rigging . This was before ratlines appeared on the shrouds, at least in the Mediterranean.
 



Cheers
Dick

Item: the moulding along the knuckle of the junctions of the counters should be 1" below the lower counter plank as a drip edge. You can see this feature on contemporary models if you squat down! Your illustration is above incorrect. Also, the upper surfaces of the mouldings are parallel to the sheer, not the decks. If this is not the case, you will end up with an ugly joint at the corners with the quarter galleries!