VARYAG by RGL -FINISHED - Artwox - 1/350 - Plastic, resin and photoetch - Protected Cruiser

[RGL]

The rest of it is pretty much follow the dots, each pole is an individual brass piece, and this covers the last the adhesive wooden deck for the kit.

 

The ladders are now all on. A reminder for anyone who builds this kit, the ladders/steps need to be bent into place before painting, as it is sooooo thin they will not bend inot place after painting. Most of the etch with this kit at least doubles in weight once painted.

 

The next step will be to rig the funnels then start on the masts.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Greg Lester

[BANYAN]

Looking really good - great work on this build Greg, you are really moving with this one.

 

As a matter of interest, the top part of the circular skylights shown in the B&W photo of Varyag (Forecastle?) with the capstan in the background,  appear very much the same as those in my HMCSS Victoria (built 1855).  Do you have any photos of the skylights you will fit?  I am interested in how they come up and if Eduard do them in 1:72 will save me a lot of work

 

cheers

 

Pat

[RGL]

I'll pm you some next week, as I'm interstate but it's just a circular grill that goes over the top of plastic, the Artwork uses a resin piece, the blueprint shows a cylinder with a glass cone Covered with a grill,

[RGL]

The next step is the masts. The Kit ones have no where near the detail of the Model Master ones. The yards are magnificent as well. they come with bands that the kit one does not have so given the scale doing the d shackles is way beyond me so I can just use the railway models type wire.

 

The gun platforms needed to be widened as the masts are thicker, and as such the brackets that hold them up do not match and there was a little improv required. I also added some north star ladders which the kit does not come wit. The instructions state they go almost to the top, but even using a 1/700 scale they will be too big to go all the way.

 

I tried soldering and failed miserably, so CA it was. Next, off to the painting booth.

 

There is a lot of rigging required, but the stays and ratlines are one piece which I will use blackener on. I'm thinking 2 days work to rig it unlike a tall ship which takes months, so it is someone easier!

[RGL]

And the masts painted, attached sans rigging

[Jason]

Looking really good Greg.  I can see my Varyag from where I am typing this, and your build log is really inspiring me to jump into it.  But alas, it is not to be right now.

 

You did inspire me to purchase some PE from North Star and Eduard though...  The Master Models' mast set is up next.  Those masts are truly an improvement over what comes in the kit, from what I can see here in your build log.

 

Keep up the great work!

[RGL]

Get some EZ line as well, it is a dream to work with!

[RGL]

Ok, just to prove I do know something about rigging for those that missed my previous log, I added a photo of my Endeavour in its case.  it is nerve racking! Every time you hit a line you think something is going to snap off. At 1/350, belaying points are a nightmare and whilst you could not use it on a proper ship model, the ezyline stuff has heaps of give and does not pull the model if you hit a line by mistake. The guylines on the funnels first.

[RGL]

Working at this scale makes lasing lines very very difficult. I intend to paint the yards black which will cover a few sins. The foremast is now complete and I just have to do the rear mast.

 

The stays and ratlines are a piece of PE, the Eduard ones are way out of scale.

Edited October 10, 2015 by Greg Lester

[GuntherMT]

Looking absolutely superb Greg!

 

That Ezline really does look great on that scale.

[RGL]

Finished on the back end rigging. The only rigging left will be on the davits. The ship will now go into the drydock for a while whilst I do up the armament, davits and torpedo net booms.

 

There are a lot of guns and I will be doing up both the Artwox offering and the Komplet Zip ones (aftermarket) to see which comes up better.

 

A bit of natural light on the old girl shows it up quite nicely.

[RichardG]

That is impressive. The level of detail at that size is stunning and there's still more to add!

 

Thanks for sharing your build.

 

Richard

[mtaylor]

I really thought this model was bigger.... really did.....  Wow!!!! 

[BANYAN]

Very nice work Greg; she is looking great!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[dgbot]

I have seen many miniatures over the years and can happily say that you are an artist.  I would love to see your model at Manitowoc for the next show.

Beautiful and fantastic.

David B

[RGL]

Thank you, but it's 9,412 miles from my place old chap!

[Ian B]

I have just loved watching this project-- I had no interest in plastic model ship building but thought I would follow out of curiosity. AND NOW---- I so now want to rush out and build this model myself...Brilliant detailing -- so when its finished what's next to wet our appetites ? 

[RGL]

Thank you Ian, plodding along with the guns at the moment, the 6" are fairly simple, the 75mm are troubling me getting the barrels right, the 47mm are tiny, and have 1mm trigger assemblies and 1mm barrels which will be a challenge, the Maxims are even smaller. Once they are finished, the Davits and their rigging, then individual stanchions for the railings, using hair thin wire for the railing wire, then the torpedo net booms, the shafts and props. What usually happens next is the wife's cat will jump up on the desk and knock it over, adding a few more months of work.

 

I have the Revell twin kit of the Emden and Dresen on the shelf but I'd like to do something more regal.

Edited October 12, 2015 by Greg Lester

[dgbot]

Eye strain and cramping fingers good luck and I can't wait to see the end result.

David B

[RGL]

Ok, on to the guns,

• Wikipedia and other sources state that she (he I should, say, as apparently the Russians refer to their ships as he), had the following Armament: 12 six inch (152mm) guns, 12 × 1 - 75 mm (3.0 in) guns, 8 × 1 - 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, 2 × 1 - 37 mm (1.5 in) guns, plus torpedos. The blueprints also stipulate 2 maxim machine guns.

I ordered the Komplet Zip 6 inch and 75mm guns and their 47mm.

 

Each is a pack of 12 with resin barrels.

 

I also ordered the Model Master Varyag barrel set. Which, as it turns out works fine for the 6 inch guns but not the lower rates as the barrels do not align.

 

The Artowox barrels do not sit flush with the casings, and the pedestals are just poor.

 

Needless to say, the 47mm barrels sit like crap so I used the 1 peice resin.

 

North Star models make a small fret which includes the very fine trigger assembly for the 47mm and 37mm guns and Maxim's.

 

I have included in this post what the 6 inch guns look like belowdecks as well as the original blue print specs for the guns as well as a diagram for a 1/200 kit for the guns themselves

[RGL]

First off, the 152mm cannet Gun.The Komplet Zip offering is much more defined (dark grey) than the Artwox 3 piece. I will add the wheels after painting, and the metal barrel from the master models set.

[RGL]

The 75mm Cannons are good on both kits, but the Artwox metal barrels do not sit flush and the Model master ones are obviously designed for the original Zvesda kit and are also out of scale, as such I have had to use the Komplet Zip gun in it's entirety adding on some Photo etch and will add flywheels when painted. 

 

You can see from the first photo the silly little pedestal (white resin with an unfortunate bulge on top) provided by Artwox compared to the after market one. I put them on top of the instructions photo to give an element of scale.

[RGL]

The Hodgkiss 47mm quick firing gun and the 37mm (which is provided in the kit but there is no reference in the instructions). The metal barrels are minute, and just do not sit without too much glue making an unsightly bulge. Whilst Artwox provide the photo etch shoulder frame? it is out of scale compared to the North Start models one, and they also have a separate trigger assembly (which is about 1mm). 

 

The little white piece is the Artwox 37mm gun on a different pedestal. The masts have 4 guns which already have pedestals built on so i will gut 4 guns off the pedestals when painted,

[RGL]

Finally, the Maxim, which is not referred to in the kit but is in the Blueprints.

[RGL]

And off to the paint booth. I did forget, there are also 2 landing guns which is under the flybridge, given their white colour, there is no point in taking a photo until they are painted as they are all resin.

[Jason]

Hi Greg,

 

Looks great as always.  I am having trouble finding those aftermarket armament pieces.  Would you consider writing a post where you make a table of all of the aftermarket parts that you used, and provide a link to find them?

 

Thanks!

[RGL]

I PM'd you the list, I did forget the Tamiya stanchions!

[ccoyle]

Amazing work, Greg!

[dgbot]

What brand of paint do you use and the type of airbrush?   I am curious because of the scale you are working in.

David B

[RGL]

I'm just using the Tamiya rattle cans at the moment for Primer, black and white and red. They don't do a Matt yellow so I use Humbrol spray for that. I intend on investing in an air brush if I continue with the evil plastic models but I really need to be more organised in the build schedule. The scale is 1/350, 1/700 is too daunting.