channell

It's finally time to dress this old girl up... making progress on the photo etch: 
 

 

 
Here's one with a standard Xacto knife for scale:
 

 
... again I'm reminded that 1/200 scale is actually pretty dang small in the grand scheme of things! 
 
 
 

Mikasa has the paint adhesion problem too? It's not Trumpeter brand name but it seems pretty obvious that it's a Trumpeter product nevertheless by how it's packaged so I guess that makes sense. 
 
My solution has been to hit Trumpy plastic with fine grit sandpaper or steel wool to roughen the surface slightly on all but the very small parts, then prime/paint. It works well for me, considering I'm usually modding parts and going PE happy anyway. I don't wash my plastic either. 
 
Hopefully Trumpeter's plastic recipe doesn't also include some of that infamous Chinese product toxicity; I've probably breathed in a little more of their plastic dust than is healthy for me. 

I have been battling that "funky" Trumpeter plastic with my current build. Tamiya rattle can primer seems to go on without problems, but there are lots of problems with acrylics, even after the Tamiya primer has been applied. One would think perhaps the cause is unwashed plastic and residual mold release agent, but that's not it. I scrub these plastic parts down very well with a mild detergent before ever applying any paint. There is (I think) some odd additive in the plastic itself that's causing the problem. Weird and frustrating.

It's finally time to dress this old girl up... making progress on the photo etch: 
 

 

 
Here's one with a standard Xacto knife for scale:
 

 
... again I'm reminded that 1/200 scale is actually pretty dang small in the grand scheme of things! 
 
 
 

It's finally time to dress this old girl up... making progress on the photo etch: 
 

 

 
Here's one with a standard Xacto knife for scale:
 

 
... again I'm reminded that 1/200 scale is actually pretty dang small in the grand scheme of things! 
 
 
 

It's finally time to dress this old girl up... making progress on the photo etch: 
 

 

 
Here's one with a standard Xacto knife for scale:
 

 
... again I'm reminded that 1/200 scale is actually pretty dang small in the grand scheme of things! 
 
 
 

It's finally time to dress this old girl up... making progress on the photo etch: 
 

 

 
Here's one with a standard Xacto knife for scale:
 

 
... again I'm reminded that 1/200 scale is actually pretty dang small in the grand scheme of things! 
 
 
 

Those poor little bastards are just gonna have have to ask Admiral Lutjens for a hug when the Royal Navy shows them what's what I guess. Gonna be a bit awkward when I eventually park my finished Bissy in my display cabinet right next to my big Nellie (HMS Nelson)... even more so when I finish Hood someday. 
 
The deck is easy enough to mask off; I hoped to avoid the worst of it by pre-painting the tough to reach spots too. The superstructure still isn't glued down either, so I should be fine.
 
But yeah, I have a nasty habit of deconstructing kits and then rebuilding them as I see fit and this build is no exception.... there's gonna be very little "Trumpeter" left on my Trumpeter kit when it's all said and done!  Anyway I figure I might as well show the ugly as well as the good on my build logs and I am enjoying myself... just not putting together the louver vents. There's always something on a big build that just plain sucks... but still, one has to just grunt though anyway. 
 
 
 
 

Meanwhile, as the crew take a ride around the spinny mainmast winch...  
 
Great work OC! That deck really looks the part! 
 
 

photos with 2 table lamps

I never get tired of seeing great Heller Victory builds! Great work!

Those poor little bastards are just gonna have have to ask Admiral Lutjens for a hug when the Royal Navy shows them what's what I guess. Gonna be a bit awkward when I eventually park my finished Bissy in my display cabinet right next to my big Nellie (HMS Nelson)... even more so when I finish Hood someday. 
 
The deck is easy enough to mask off; I hoped to avoid the worst of it by pre-painting the tough to reach spots too. The superstructure still isn't glued down either, so I should be fine.
 
But yeah, I have a nasty habit of deconstructing kits and then rebuilding them as I see fit and this build is no exception.... there's gonna be very little "Trumpeter" left on my Trumpeter kit when it's all said and done!  Anyway I figure I might as well show the ugly as well as the good on my build logs and I am enjoying myself... just not putting together the louver vents. There's always something on a big build that just plain sucks... but still, one has to just grunt though anyway. 
 
 
 
 

...and Hans over at Blohm and Voss said to Admiral Raeder: "Ya, ve heard you like boats, so ve got lots of boats for your boat, das good ya? 
 
Keep up the good work... don't give up the... um, ships! 

Those poor little bastards are just gonna have have to ask Admiral Lutjens for a hug when the Royal Navy shows them what's what I guess. Gonna be a bit awkward when I eventually park my finished Bissy in my display cabinet right next to my big Nellie (HMS Nelson)... even more so when I finish Hood someday. 
 
The deck is easy enough to mask off; I hoped to avoid the worst of it by pre-painting the tough to reach spots too. The superstructure still isn't glued down either, so I should be fine.
 
But yeah, I have a nasty habit of deconstructing kits and then rebuilding them as I see fit and this build is no exception.... there's gonna be very little "Trumpeter" left on my Trumpeter kit when it's all said and done!  Anyway I figure I might as well show the ugly as well as the good on my build logs and I am enjoying myself... just not putting together the louver vents. There's always something on a big build that just plain sucks... but still, one has to just grunt though anyway. 
 
 
 
 

Those poor little bastards are just gonna have have to ask Admiral Lutjens for a hug when the Royal Navy shows them what's what I guess. Gonna be a bit awkward when I eventually park my finished Bissy in my display cabinet right next to my big Nellie (HMS Nelson)... even more so when I finish Hood someday. 
 
The deck is easy enough to mask off; I hoped to avoid the worst of it by pre-painting the tough to reach spots too. The superstructure still isn't glued down either, so I should be fine.
 
But yeah, I have a nasty habit of deconstructing kits and then rebuilding them as I see fit and this build is no exception.... there's gonna be very little "Trumpeter" left on my Trumpeter kit when it's all said and done!  Anyway I figure I might as well show the ugly as well as the good on my build logs and I am enjoying myself... just not putting together the louver vents. There's always something on a big build that just plain sucks... but still, one has to just grunt though anyway. 
 
 
 
 

Those poor little bastards are just gonna have have to ask Admiral Lutjens for a hug when the Royal Navy shows them what's what I guess. Gonna be a bit awkward when I eventually park my finished Bissy in my display cabinet right next to my big Nellie (HMS Nelson)... even more so when I finish Hood someday. 
 
The deck is easy enough to mask off; I hoped to avoid the worst of it by pre-painting the tough to reach spots too. The superstructure still isn't glued down either, so I should be fine.
 
But yeah, I have a nasty habit of deconstructing kits and then rebuilding them as I see fit and this build is no exception.... there's gonna be very little "Trumpeter" left on my Trumpeter kit when it's all said and done!  Anyway I figure I might as well show the ugly as well as the good on my build logs and I am enjoying myself... just not putting together the louver vents. There's always something on a big build that just plain sucks... but still, one has to just grunt though anyway. 
 
 
 
 

Yeah, they are. Here's what they look like on the fret. 
 
You bend the little triangles out, stick the frame on the grille and glue the louvers on one by one. 
 
Easy in concept but a real test of my patience to get them glued straight and not mucked up, and they fall apart if you look at 'em wrong using PVA. With CA glue it's a nightmare to do it cleanly and not clog up the grille with glue runoff. 
 
Did I mention this is fun?! 

All right, got another update for y'all.
 

 
I'm trying to do Bissy as she looked in the late fall/early winter of 1940, so I've been chasing down things from the kit that were added (and removed)  during Bismarck's only refit in January 1941 such as the second level of the vent spray shields on the forward superstructure. Unfortunately, I had not done my homework very well... turns out the two little "phone booths" by the docking bridges that I worked so hard on were added in 1/41 too.  Damnit! Oh well, nothing to do but fix it. 
 
Oh the carnage! 
 

 
Patching the newly made holes:
 

 

 
...and I'm back in the Teutonic rivet-counter's good graces. 😁
 
Next I went to work on the deck area behind Turret "Bruno" laying the deck and installing the AA gun "fences" so that I could take out the seams and better integrate them into the superstructure instead of doing the sensible thing and just slapping them on top last:
 

 

 

 
I pre-painted this area to make make masking a little easier for myself, later I can touch up. 
 
Finally made a start on the copious amounts of PE that need to go on the superstructure:
 

 
Those louver vents are little monsters to get together! 
 

Those poor little bastards are just gonna have have to ask Admiral Lutjens for a hug when the Royal Navy shows them what's what I guess. Gonna be a bit awkward when I eventually park my finished Bissy in my display cabinet right next to my big Nellie (HMS Nelson)... even more so when I finish Hood someday. 
 
The deck is easy enough to mask off; I hoped to avoid the worst of it by pre-painting the tough to reach spots too. The superstructure still isn't glued down either, so I should be fine.
 
But yeah, I have a nasty habit of deconstructing kits and then rebuilding them as I see fit and this build is no exception.... there's gonna be very little "Trumpeter" left on my Trumpeter kit when it's all said and done!  Anyway I figure I might as well show the ugly as well as the good on my build logs and I am enjoying myself... just not putting together the louver vents. There's always something on a big build that just plain sucks... but still, one has to just grunt though anyway. 
 
 
 
 

All right, got another update for y'all.
 

 
I'm trying to do Bissy as she looked in the late fall/early winter of 1940, so I've been chasing down things from the kit that were added (and removed)  during Bismarck's only refit in January 1941 such as the second level of the vent spray shields on the forward superstructure. Unfortunately, I had not done my homework very well... turns out the two little "phone booths" by the docking bridges that I worked so hard on were added in 1/41 too.  Damnit! Oh well, nothing to do but fix it. 
 
Oh the carnage! 
 

 
Patching the newly made holes:
 

 

 
...and I'm back in the Teutonic rivet-counter's good graces. 😁
 
Next I went to work on the deck area behind Turret "Bruno" laying the deck and installing the AA gun "fences" so that I could take out the seams and better integrate them into the superstructure instead of doing the sensible thing and just slapping them on top last:
 

 

 

 
I pre-painted this area to make make masking a little easier for myself, later I can touch up. 
 
Finally made a start on the copious amounts of PE that need to go on the superstructure:
 

 
Those louver vents are little monsters to get together! 
 

Thought I'd add some more mid-week progress...
Nearly ready to start on the superstructure detail PE, although it's taking some time to get the forward superstructure base up to snuff first:
I reinstalled the AA gun platform extensions with a raised "line" on the deck surface a la the real ship and added new support girders underneath:
 

 

 
... did A LOT of sanding and a couple coats of primer:
 

 

 

 
...and will hopefully get everything else installed and ready for final paint by the start of next week. Lots of extra work but I think it will be worth it in the end.  :wave_1:

Ok, here she is with the boot top painted on:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I had to do it twice as I felt the boot top was too narrow looking the first time around... looking at original pics of Bismarck, I noticed she had a really thick boot top around the timeframe I am portraying her. 

Hey all, made some more progress... 
 
I ran into a bunch of issues with the Scaledecks wooden deck; turns out it doesn't fit particularly well.
 
First off, I noticed the width between the deck and the hull edges was gonna be very off; I thought I might have sanded the sides of the hull too much but now I wonder if the deck itself wasn't the problem. 
 

 
Both the bow and stern decks didn't fit properly either; the cutouts in the wood deck didn't quite match the corresponding moldings on the plastic deck. 
 

 
This pic shows how far off all the stern cutouts are; turret Dora and the molded deck fittings closest to it it fit OK but the further aft you go, the worse the discrepancy got...

 
I have 3 unused decks for this kit but I really wanted to get the look of individual planks that the Scaledecks offering provided, even though it was by far the worst fitting of my options. 
 
Anyway, I decided it would be best to jump ahead and get the deck installed before painting the hull so I could try to even out the edges of the hull and integrate the wooden deck better. 
 
First I painted the barbettes, stairways ect in the final upper hull colors (Model Master Acryl Lichtgrau with Vallejo grey-black "baseboards"). I airbrushed the grey-black bases first, then masked them off and painted the light grey. Then I went to work getting the deck down...
 
I had to patch the front of the deck in a couple of places and extend the "metal" of the prow to get everything looking good...
 

 

 

 
Unlike other wooden decks I've used, this one leaves it up to the builder to integrate the separate pieces together...
 

 

 
On the stern where fit was the worst I had two choices; split the deck into multiple pieces and assemble it piecemeal or shave it flat and rebuild the deck fittings... I chose the latter:
 
 
 


 

Somehow it all came together and other than a fairly lousy fit on the barbettes of the aft most secondary guns it turned out all right. I think I might add some kind of "molding" around the barbettes to cover the gaps for that issue. 
 
And for fun, here's the newly "decked out" hull next to Bissy #1;  there is a BIG difference between this PITA of a deck and your standard "stick on" wood deck in my opinion, worth the effort though I think it should have fit better for what it costs. Buyer beware. 
 

From here I can seal the deck, even out the "gutters" around the perimeter of the main deck and then mask it all off easily before painting the hull. Until next time! 

Made more progress this weekend... My hull "remodel" took way more work than I thought it would... looking forward to getting the hull painted up and diving into the more fun stuff to do above the waterline.  
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

... Like I said earlier, I'm going for broke on aftermarket add-ons: 
 

 
Got the complete Pontos advanced set, a KA MK 1 set, all the resin Veteran models DKM sets and a bunch of other random bits + whatever I need/want to salvage from build #1 to work with. 
 
I'm especially excited about the scaledecks wood deck:
 

 
The individual planks are printed onto the wood rather than burnt on with a laser, giving a far more convincing result than before (KA deck left, Pontos deck middle and Scaledecks right)
 
In between bouts of sanding the hull I've also been preparing the first tier of the superstructure for photo-etch heaven... or hell, depending on your standing with the stuff!
 

 

 
I did a couple of PE vents just to make sure I could do them... fiddly stuff but they are gonna look great in the end. 
 

 

 
Finally, did some work on the propshafts/rudders: 
 

 
And some "eye candy" with the messed up superstructure of build #1 to give me hope for the future:
 

 
More to come...