HMS Warspite by Old Collingwood - FINISHED - Academy - 1/350 scale - PLASTIC

[Old Collingwood]

Small update folks but just words in absense of a camera

 

I let the paint dry for a good 24-30 hrs then had a look at it, it was fully dry - even the smell you get from enamel had gone,  so i got my wet and dry paper - not 1000 grade as suggested, but I have some 800 that has been used so its lost a bit of its bite, I used water aswel and in small areas gently rubbed the small ridges that had been formed due to the reaction between the two mediums, it went quite well and I was left with a dulled but smooth surface that is ready for another spray.

I did manage though to knock of the spinner blade that I had glued back on, so it will either have to wait for a replacement part or put it down to shell damage when she lost her stearing

 

OC

[Old Collingwood]

I  gave her a second coat of anti fouling and it seems to have sprayed quite well, I will give it a couple of days before spraying the boot line - after masking her again.

 

Third time lucky - or is it  tenth time

 

OC

[Old Collingwood]

Later today I should be able to mask up the boot line as the red should have gone off and be dry enough to take the tape, i will need to decide if I am going to hand paint the boot line using some of the satin spray from the rattle can in a cup, as this would require less masking and covering of the bottom hull, or if I should just cover the whole bottom upto the mask - and spay?

 

OC.

[RGL]

Yes, mask it, much smoother lines and thinner more consistent coating

[Old Collingwood]

Folks  during Warspites action at Dunkirk she hit a mine and lost one of her prop shafts and spinner actions, she had repairs including new barrels but was left with just three shafts working,  would she have had spinner removed to save on drag with just the shaft left in place.

 

Any ideas please?

 

OC.

[jbshan]

Once they could get her into a drydock, I have no doubt the shaft and propeller would be repaired.  I wouldn't think that was repairable at sea.

[Old Collingwood]

Once they could get her into a drydock, I have no doubt the shaft and propeller would be repaired.  I wouldn't think that was repairable at sea.

From what I have read during DDay she had to return to Portsmouth UK to replenish her 15 Inch shells, but while in port the descovered she had worn out the sleeves in most of her three remaining turrets, so the decided to send her upto Scotland(Rosyth Yard) to have her barrels changed, on the way there sailing along the English Channel just past Dover she hit a mine on her rear quarters and this knocked out her four shafts and jammed her stearing, she was also holed that created a partial flooding to her rear.

They managed to get two of her props going and freed her rudder by brave divers, when she arrived at Rosyth they patched her hull and managed to straighten the prop shafts by heating and forcing with jacks, but one was stuck solid so they left it, and she was so needed for the shore bombardment at Dunkirk.

 

My quiry is - would they have taken the spinner off the dead prop shaft at this point to save on drag, or would they have just left it on the jammed shaft?  I assume the spinners would have just been screwed onto the shafts - so would have either been unscrewed or perhaps cut off leaving a more streamlined prop shaft.

 

Any thoughts as there is no photo evidence and nothing written about the desison to remove the spinner or leave it in place.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Yes, mask it, much smoother lines and thinner more consistent coating

I masked the bottom boot line after marking with a strait line tool(Block of wood with pencil attached) Then mask was a very narrow blue tape following the strait boot line, I then decided I would hand paint the boot using my nato black that I had in Water Acrylic, it is matt but several coats and its gone on well with little to no creeping under the masking.

Let it dry then Tape Off top and lower strip, and its done quite a good job about 50% better and neater than my first attempt,   I will have to hand paint each camo section where they meet the boot line, as masking would be a nightmare due to all the raised fittings on the ledge of the torpedo bulge,   but with any luck and light from my new stand and magnifier I should be able to do the two tone shades bit by careful bit.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

are you unable to locate the missing part?  perhaps there is a fellow modeler that might have an extra kick'in around.......or order the part from the model company?  wish I could help you out there.....sounds like your making some good recovery progress.   for what it's worth........I'd put some feelers out there and continue working.   folks will only be looking at the upper part of the ship     you might get lucky.

[Old Collingwood]

An update folks with a few picture updates curtosy of my wifes cam, they show the completed anti-fouling and black boot line, I have also started cleaning up where the camo paint meets the boot.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Next will be to touch up the two camo colours and the areas where the tape pulled some paint off, then I will decide what I am going to do with the prop issue.

 

OC

[cog]

The prop issue ... Depends on if you want the ship pre- or post-mine incident ... If the ship hasn't been in dry dock, I wonder if they could have gotten the prop off, even in harbour ...

[CDW]

If you could spare $18, you could always get this brass aftermarket prop set:

 

http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/gfm35022.htm

 

Craig

[Old Collingwood]

The prop issue ... Depends on if you want the ship pre- or post-mine incident ... If the ship hasn't been in dry dock, I wonder if they could have gotten the prop off, even in harbour ...

Thats a good question - I will decide after I have finished touching up the hull side paintwork, prior to build the superstructor.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

If you could spare $18, you could always get this brass aftermarket prop set:

 

http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/gfm35022.htm

 

Craig

Yep I have seen some on flea bay.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Folks I am just posting a bit of an apology for the lack of updates and the slow progression I am making with my build, I know it is taking a long long time, but to be honest its just my way as I have to feel the the need to work on her, I also like to do small stages as I feel in more control that way, and by taking several atrtempts at it, I am learning as I go along and improving day by day.

I have built many many plastic kits before of many transport type things, but nothing that I have done as required a level of knowledge or research to this level, much of it my doing - I admit as i want her as historicaly corect for the time period 1944 D Day as possible.

Brass Etch has also been an adventure for me as I have never ever come across it before in any model, and requires some learning and understanding how to work with it.

 

I guess what I mean is - Its going to take some time and I hope you folks dont get to bored.

 

OC.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Old Collingwood

[RGL]

Don't get disparaged, I have spent 5 days prepping all the final stages of my build, all the etch is done and now just to paint. It shouldn't be work, that pays the mortgage and school fees. And for beer of course.

[popeye the sailor]

well said Greg.........never let it stop being fun!

[Old Collingwood]

Thanks to all for the encouragment - it does seem like im up against it with my build, I decided to a bit more touching up of the hull paintwork, I masked a small section over the boot line on the rear quarter ready for some more light greay AP502C, this went on well in thin applications as it was drying ready for the next coat in a few minutes, I carried on till I was ready to remove the tape - and it looked ok, just need to tidy up the boot line a bit (you know the situation - touch up one area then have to go back over another till its strait).

 

But another strange think caught my eye - a small section of the hull mid ship,   has some how sunk in and almost caused like a hot grab like if a hot finger, had pulled at the plastic but with enough heat to melt the plastic, and form a dent,  its quite noticable and makes me feel - "not something else going wrong on the build"     I just dont know how it happened - I didn't do it and it wasn't like it before and nothing has been by it on the shelf - Weird.

 

OC

[Old Collingwood]

With all the trouble I have had with the hull Im tempted to do not just a waterline model,   but a deck line model and cut off the entire hull :( pretend she has sunk and just the superstructer and deck visible :o

 

OC

[jbshan]

With all the trouble I have had with the hull Im tempted to do not just a waterline model,   but a deck line model and cut off the entire hull :( pretend she has sunk and just the superstructer and deck visible :o

 

OC

Do it on an angle so she sits stern high and the model will look like the stranding photos.

[CDW]

My first instinct is the plastic reacted to the paint you are using. Is it a rattle can paint? If so, what kind/brand is it?

Certain types of paint can take quite a while to gas out. If multiple coats are applied, the plastic is damaged by the volatiles in the paint that are gassing out in the curing process.

 

PS: also, "bondo" or other types of filler have the same effect on plastic.

Edited September 3, 2016 by daddyrabbit1954

[Old Collingwood]

My first instinct is the plastic reacted to the paint you are using. Is it a rattle can paint? If so, what kind/brand is it?

Certain types of paint can take quite a while to gas out. If multiple coats are applied, the plastic is damaged by the volatiles in the paint that are gassing out in the curing process.

 

PS: also, "bondo" or other types of filler have the same effect on plastic.

Thank you my friend, the only problem is - it extends firther up where I had it masked away from the rattle can spray, could it have worked its way even without causing a paint creeping(there was no paint creeping under the mask)  it hasn't reacted anywhere else - everywhere is fine.

Its as if a naked flame - lighter had come to close to the plastic and made it soft and form a dent/smudge in the plastic - you can feel it aswel as see it.

 

OC

Edited September 3, 2016 by Old Collingwood

[RGL]

Simple solution, finish the model, put it in a glass case and park it against the wall with the damaged side facing it! Or just Put some Tamiya fine putty on the mark and sand fine, and overspray.

[cog]

If really desperate ... make a sinking model diorama. Not the nicest way to finish it, but you only need parts of the super structure, chimey, etc (I know ... I'll get back to my corner)

 

(whilst retreating ...)

The advantage of wood is you can cut the sore spot out and replace it ... I'm not familiar enough with plastic if that is at all possible ...

[Old Collingwood]

A bit more work attacking the offending area - i got some wet and dry on the go keeping it on the area and not going to wide on the other areas, I think when its painted up it wont look to bad,  the rear quarter still needs some work tidying up and getting a better boot line.

 

I have included a shot of the bottom - the detail I put into the hull plates is Inspiring me to push on and get the hull finished, then I can get back to the more enjoyable deck fittings etc.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

could have been a dollop of cement that got on there {inside}........something you didn't see.   as it cured and hardened,  it softened the plastic and pulled it in along with the shrinkage of the cement.   sad,  but it does happen.....I'm sure a little filler will do wonders  

 

the bottom looks really good  

[Old Collingwood]

An update folks with a couple of pics courtesy of my wifes cam,   I managed to build several thin paint layers with drying in between,  I worked on the Black bootline first, then the next day I worked on the light grey section where the damaged area was, its 90% done and I think viewing at normal distances and magnification, It wont be all that noticable.

 

Here are a couple of pics.

 

OC.

[CDW]

Came out great! You would have to know it was there in the first place to even notice it. Sometimes as model builders, we are our own worst critics and nothing is ever perfect enough. That's me, anyway, and my OCD disorder.   

[CDW]

could have been a dollop of cement that got on there {inside}........something you didn't see.   as it cured and hardened,  it softened the plastic and pulled it in along with the shrinkage of the cement.   sad,  but it does happen.....I'm sure a little filler will do wonders  

 

the bottom looks really good  

You know, there's something else I thought about that happened to me one time before...

 

I had this magnifying glass that was attached to a movable stand. Well, it was in just the right place where sunlight from my window came through and it darn near started a fire in my workshop. A set of plans were scorched from it. Taught me a lesson about leaving magnifying glasses in close proximity to a window and sunlight.