Stevinne

I'm currently building Hasegawa's 1:48 B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bomber. The plane has the markings of that flown by Lt. Jouichi Tomonaga, strike leader from the Hiryu at the battle of Midway. Her tail number is BI-310 in standard western letters and numbers. I'd say you can't go wrong trusting Hasegawa on a detail like that. Tomonaga was the guy whose plane had its fuel tanks damaged on the initial morning strike on Midway. He was able to return and land on Hiryu. When the Americans put the Akagi, Soryu and Kaga out of action and took out a large part of the Japanese strike aircraft, Tomonaga led the Hiryu's strike against the Yorktown, though the damage to the plane meant he didn't have enough fuel for the round trip flight. He managed to launch a topedo at Yorktown, though it missed, and was shot down by Jimmy Thach.  I've always thought the B5N2 was one the best-looking WWII planes, and the Hasegawa kit has been a great build. 

I remember reading somewhere that when she got to England, she had to be taken out of the water to repair damage to her copper.

Saw this today on Amazon for 99cts on my Kindle. Picked it up along with "Catastrophe at Spithead." I don't know anything about the sinking of the Royal George, so that alone was well worth the amount spent. 

Saw this today on Amazon for 99cts on my Kindle. Picked it up along with "Catastrophe at Spithead." I don't know anything about the sinking of the Royal George, so that alone was well worth the amount spent. 

Saw this today on Amazon for 99cts on my Kindle. Picked it up along with "Catastrophe at Spithead." I don't know anything about the sinking of the Royal George, so that alone was well worth the amount spent. 

Artesania Latina is the newest sponsor of MSW.  Please welcome them on joining the NRG/MSW family. 
Check out their banner ad to see all they carry - many more products than I thought.

HMS Gannet (white) with 'Battleships' Sans Pareil and Donegal. Both Battleships had Steam and Sail power, with retractable Funnels.
watercolour 16" X 11"

It has been while since my last post. Port side with channels is now finished. Maybe not perfect but good enough for me. Next will be quarter deck.

 

 
 
Best regards
 
Henrik

I've been a member of the site for a few years but this will be my first nautical build and the first build in about 35 years. I modelled a lot in my youth but then it was mainly aircraft and AFVs from kits. I always remember seeing a beautifully detailed 1/700 waterline ship at a competition way back in the early 1980's and thinking that one day i'd like to tackle something along the same lines. As i said in my post in the "introduction" section for various reasons i never really had the space or time to remain active in the hobby but closer to retirement I've been able to return. For reasons that I'm still not sure about I decided to ignore the myriad unmade kits sitting in my attic and instead try my hand at a scratch built ship. My eyesight precluded me working in 1/700 and i looked for something larger which was when I stumbled across the Underhill plans for Servia, i knew almost immediately that this was the subject i wanted to try.
 

 
This project started a couple of years ago and was intended, initially at least, as an experiment and a way to get used to the tools and materials again after such a long break. Unfortunately because of this I didn't take a lot of photographs along the way but now that the project is nearing completion I thought i would start a "mini" build log with what i do have. With hind sight i wish i had just taken the plunge at the beginning as i think that advice from some of the more seasoned veterans on the site would have helped me avoid many of the pitfalls that i encountered along the way (i think that probably 20% of the time spent on the project has been undoing mistakes and rebuilding components using a different approach).
 
Since the hull is painted I decided to work in plastic as this was the medium i was most familiar with. I started with a baseboard carefully marked out from the plans and cut the various cross sections out from 2mm plastic sheet.
 

 
The hull was then skinned in 0.5mm plastic card strips apart from around the stern where balsa blocks where carved to shape. Internally the hull was then braced with more plastic and filler to provide rigidity that would allow me to smooth the hull.
 
There were now many cycles of filling/sanding and priming...
 

 
Basic superstructures were made from more plastic sheet and various detailing added to the hull
 

 

 
Deck planking was done using maple floor veneer cut into 1mm strips which were then glued into place.
 

 
Filler tinted with acrylic paint was then used caulk the planks and then sanded back.
 

 
I hunted unsuccessfully for tubing that could be used for the funnels and in the end had to fall back on plastic sheet again. I used a balsa rod and rolled paper around this until it was the correct diameter. Plastic sheet was then wrapped around this, glued and sanded back before cutting the lengths off required for the funnels. The joints between the funnel sections were again added with more plastic.
 

 
The wheelhouse, skylights etc were then fashioned from plastic sheet, primed and given an oil paint finish to simulate the wooden finish indicated by the plans.
 

 

 
Vents for the deck proved difficult. I eventually used a dapping set bought off eBay to shape heated plastic sheet into hemi-spheres, fitted these to plastic rod shafts and then filler to blend the 2 together.
 

 
For lifeboats i made a vac forming box to produce multiple copies of the various boats from masters carved from balsa
 

 
The end result was not good so the whole process was repeated and eventually i got something i could live with although i think with hind sight 3d printing might be the way to go here.
 

 
The jury is still out on these and i might look at a 4th attempt.
 

 
Masts were made from dowel and bamboo knitting needles sanded back. The long grain of bamboo makes them strong along the central axis and quite easy to sand back to the thin diameter required for the upper sections of the mast.
 

 
Ever since the whole thing started i've been dreading the point where rigging and in particular rat-lines would need to be tackled so at this point i chickened out and built a case to protect the whole thing from dust etc.
 

 
Unfortunately once this was done i had to start some rigging. I started with the upper ratlines using fishing line for the verticals. Dead eyes at this scale are too large to ignore but still very small so i devised an approach to mass produce these by pegging a loop of line between two tacks on a wooden board. Blu tac was then used to adjust the gap between the 2 lines before small plastic discs (cut using a leather punch) were glued in pairs to the 2 lines. Once dry the lines were then cut into sections, each containing 2 discs, that could be attached to the main ratline. Additional discs were then used to cap the dead eyes to produce a reasonable representation of 2 circular block with the 3 lines passing between them. Paint is then used to fill the gaps and finish them.
 

 
I used infini line for the horizontals on the ratlines and found PVA glue the best to secure them.
 

 
Shapeways produce a 1/200 set of blocks that then used on the anchors
 

 
So this is the story so far. I'll be adding more over the coming few weeks as i continue with the final fittings, railings etc.
 

Fooled ya, got another update on my ECB... Got to work on the diorama and got the LED's on and working. Created some boatyard items to add interest. Still need to secure everything a little better and maybe add some rocks to the sand and a little construction debris. Eventually I'll get around to closing her up in glass and create a decorative top moulding. That's all for now. 

Finished!  A few photos.
 

 

 
Lashing the anchor to the rail gave me fits, but I got it done eventually.
 

 

 

 
 

Chapman&Willans Newcastle. 'DEMETERTON'
Sunk By gunfire From Scharnhorst 16/03/41 300nm East of Newfoundland
watercolour 16" X11"

I'd never thought much about coppering before, so I'm enjoying this discussion. While nails in the weathered copper are definitely hard to see, the nails in the fresh copper in this photo are easily apparent and definitely have that "ponce-wheel effect" to my eyes. I wish there was a wider view to see what it looks like from a distance, but, when fresh, the dimples in the copper make the nails stand out.  I'm interested because, at some point, I'm going to need to do something with the hull of the Harriet Lane.

I'm going to watch this with interest. I built a 1/400 plastic model from Mirage of this type torpedo boat. With the dedicated photoetch set it turned into a very nice, small model. I'm interested in card modeling, but have no idea how to do it. So teach on!
 

Attached are a set of completed photos.   Clearly my photography skills are lacking.   Some day I may ask a friend to take some better pictures but for now this is it.  suggestions welcome.
 
now off to a new build of the Flying Fish
 

Working on the stern, filling gaps between the various decks with 1.5x5mm planking.

With the weather warming up, and my son finally completing his Eagle Scout project, I have some time to get back to work. Over the weekend I headed out to my unheated garage work area and completed the first layer of planks. I actually overplanked the forecastle and had to remove one run after looking closely at the drawings.
I'm finding the instructions really hard to follow on this build. Also, I'm very stingy with wood. I was reading Fred Hocker's great book on the Vasa, and he talked about how the Dutch craftsmen would be careful not to waste any wood. I make the Dutchmen look generous. Still, I finished the first run of planking with one plank left to spare - and that would have been used if I hadn't saved every scrap and used them when they fit. Not giving me a lot of confidence about finishing this build without a materials run to Model Expo.
Next up, planking the stern and the facings on the various cabin walls.

It has been slow but steady work on the hull over the summer. Usually two or four planks per weekend, but I have finally completed the first layer of the lower hull. If anyone is ever building this kit, please take my advice and install balsa bow fillers between the frames. I'd thought about it, decided I didn't need them, and started regretting it almost immediately. This was my first galleon-type ship, and it is now my opinion that on these craft, bow fillers are a must.
Sir Francis Drake, who has been watching my work said "I told you so."
I have to say the wood was nice to work with.
I need to do some stealers around the stern and then I will plank the deck and install the cabin facings before finishing the first layer of bow planking.
 

Completed the first layer of planking around the gunport frames and added some additional planks. Also picked up a crewmember, courtesy of my printer. He's a little thin, but that's what happens when you live on naval rations.

Did some more planking, which went kind of smoothly. This is a double-planked kit, so there will be a good deal of sanding, maybe some filling to get things looking good. 
Found that my sprue cutter came in handy again. It made very precise plank cuts, so I was able to get the planking good and tight up against the gunport frames. Got it at the local craft store with a 40 percent off coupon and I have to say it is a very handy little tool.

Gave it a little thought over dinner and decided to add some framing pieces on either side of the gunport frame. I think this will make attaching the planks easier and more secure. It should also provide a little extra anchor for the frames. My apologies for the quality of the photos. Not sure if it is low light or I'm trying to take the photos too close.

Started the planking today. The instructions call for the first planks to be on top of and beneath the gunport frames. I think that is going to mean that some of the planks in between will have to be narrowed, since I can't imagine this will be perfect. Oh well, we will see. Luckily, it's double planked and I can figure things out as I go along.
 

Tonight's project was mounting the cannon on the gun deck. Because I'm worried about the barrels getting knocked loose during construction, I drilled holes into the pre-carved wooden carriages and inserted brass wire, which I then bent. A test or two showed the cannon tompions snap into place and are held there by the wire. I figure once I have the ship built, I will add a touch of glue to the tompions and then slide them in through the gunports and into place. Here's hoping it works.
I measured the space between bulkheads and found and marked the center and then glued in the gun carriages with a healthy dollop of wood glue. Once everything dries I will glue on the gun port frames. I was worried that the gun carriages and brass rod would be visible from above once the model is complete, but a quick check showed I was wrong. 
 

Moving along slowly. Back from a vacation in Charleston, S.C., with a visit to the Stede Bonnet monument at the Battery and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island - a much more interesting and enjoyable place to tour than nearby Fort Sumter in my humble opinion.
Tonight I sanded the gun deck to ensure it followed the line of the frames, so there won't be any surprises when I start planking and then painted the metal gunport frames so they will match the wood that will surround them. Next comes the process of gluing the frames in place and trying to ensure they all lineup correctly with the hull planking.

Installed the planking on the gun deck. Not sure I'm all that keen on the Mamoli instructions, which don't seem to have a master parts list, are written in really poor English and aren't particularly clear. The instructions do call for planking and installing the cabin fronts on deck first, but I'm thinking I will wait on that because I don't want to damage anything while I'm turning the hull around and working.
I do think I should have fitted the deck before gluing the frames and false deck, since the deck planks appear a little wavy.
Once everything has a chance to dry, the next step will be shaping the outer deck plank to ensure it follows the contour of the hull planking.