Borodino by RGL - FINISHED - Zvezda - 1/350 - PLASTIC

[RGL]

I’m at a roadblock with Zara so I thought I’d make a start in my next build, Borodino 

I’ve purchased both the Gold Medal Models and White Ensign models PE upgrades (they are both very nice and have critical omissions complemented by each other. A wooden deck and a barrels set. 

I then bought a cheaper Pontos set for Sevestapol because it has a full set of torpedo nets, booms, masts and some PE all of which I can use on this and future builds. 

I have ordered new resin turrets and other goodies from Russia. 
 

I’ve only found 1 other Borodino with a fully rigged torpedo net, so this will be a very busy build. 

[RGL]

As usual drill out the portholes, then start calculating the ratios for the torpedo net booms 

[RGL]

[popeye the sailor]

gonna be quite a project......I'm keen to watch   

[Captain Slog]

I'll definitely be following this build!

 

Cheers

Slog

[ccoyle]

Yea! Another pre-dreadnought!

[Osmosis]

Looks like the start of another beauty. At this scale what are you using for netting? Is it a pre-made product or something you /create/modify yourself?

 

Forgive my ignorance but I have to ask, are those acupuncture needles?

[RGL]

The netting comes with the Pontos set (but will need to be cut down. The needles I use for glue application but here I’m just using them for alignment 

the hull is in 2 pieces which does not align and is pretty Rough, will need a fair bit of putty

[Canute]

One of their earlier kits? You've become a master of these torpedo net builds. 👍

[cog]

So here you are hiding, maistro. This one could do with some severe weathering!

[lmagna]

To put you into the proper mood for this build, reading Richard Hough's "The Fleet That Had To Die" is excellent "research". It also makes it clear that it is "Open season" on weathering on this one. By the time they reached Japan these ships had truly been pushed hard.

[RGL]

Yes I do indeed intend on flogging him in this one. There is so much detail in a small space. Lots of panel lines yet to be added so I can do some good chipping. 

[yvesvidal]

That ship is monstrous. This is the most massive and bulky dreadnought I have ever seen.

It is almost beautiful in its hideousness.

 

Yves

 

[RGL]

Now fresh off the boat from the former USSR, replacements in resin. Turrets, funnels, torpedo boats and launches, plus smaller guns. I used some of these smaller guns on the Varyag and the quality is amazing. Only really available now in Russia I got them using the Soga Minatures website and Google translate.  
 

I have bits and pieces left over from my Varyag build, and I’m awaiting some anchors both in resin and PE. 
 

I’m actually quite excited about both my current builds. 
 

As I work in an area where I can’t work from home no virus holiday for me. It’s still a total of a winter build for both this and Zara. 

[RGL]

On 3/15/2020 at 11:51 AM, lmagna said:

To put you into the proper mood for this build, reading Richard Hough's "The Fleet That Had To Die" is excellent "research". It also makes it clear that it is "Open season" on weathering on this one. By the time they reached Japan these ships had truly been pushed hard.

I got this on Kindle and I’m currently reading it. Very well written, it’s like being there and I read a lot of history and listen to a lot on audible as well whilst I’m building. I usually buy up and read as much research on each of my builds as I can to be accurate and I’m thinking yet again I can be creative. 

[cog]

47 minutes ago, RGL said:

I’m thinking yet again I can be creative.

You want to say there are times you aren't!!!

 

Nice new accessories, you will have a ball with those

[Louie da fly]

Dammit! I've always loved pre-dreadnoughts and this one is a beauty. Almost makes me want to go over to the Dark Side - but the bar is far too high for a duffer like me. I think I'll just have to stick to wood and early ships (plenty of choice there to keep me busy for a lifetime!)

 

Steven

[RGL]

Oh, me too! But that’s why I try and do 3 of each nation. I’ve still got a UK to go, all of France, I just hope this media induced panic does not destroy our hobby (no small businesses left) 

[lmagna]

I have a question that I suppose is only partly related to this build.

 

When yo buy all of your aftermarket stuff, both PE and resin, how do you know if the stuff you get will be an improvement over what came with the kit? Do you just look at all that is available and buy one each and go through it when it arrives? Or do you have some method of knowing before hand that what you are buying will in fact be an upgrade.

 

With the stuff I bought for the Titanic for my wife, I think I overdid it for what I intend to build and ended up spending far more than I really needed. For My USS Houston I bought stuff from companies I have seen you guys use in your builds and I knew they would make first class upgrades, but after getting them I wonder if my skill set is up to it. For My Huey I had no idea and pretty much just bought up everything that I could find for a 1/35 scale Huey. So far I have found that probably 50-75% are either usable or an actual upgrade to the original kit. or will even be visible on close inspection in the finished kit.

 

Is your approach a little more scientific than these three methods? 

Edited March 19, 2020 by lmagna

[RGL]

That’s a really good question. 
 

im not a trail blazer but when I research I’ll look up a completed kit, see what the kit fittings are like. Most are blobs at this scale. 
 

then I’ll look at what the aftermarket reviews and builds are like both on English speaking and foreign sites. If it looks good and value (some  prices are just stupid) and inclusive (some large upgrades miss out on a lot of sundries) plus not many people have done it (yes, I did Yamato, who hasn’t but it must be quality), I’ll invest. 
 

is my skill set up to it? Well we don’t know until we try! 
 

is the finished product in my mind before I start? Every time. It’s never as good as I imagine but at this scale it needs to be the MK1 eyeball. 
 

there are world class Plastic modellers out there (most of their work is on the facebooks) 
Who are tier #1, who take professional photos and are sponsored, plastic ship models are 10% of the market in plastic models worldwide. I’m happy to aim for tier 3 and learn from the masters 

 

 

[RGL]

Hull work; a few layers of rattle can primer, the main area I want to work on is the armour belt.

 

Apparently the ship was so overloaded with upper armor and nice things for the officer class the water was almost coming in through the gunports. The lower hull was apparently completely barnacled by the time of her demise so I intend to make it a mess. 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by RGL

[lmagna]

1 hour ago, RGL said:

Apparently the ship was so overloaded with upper armor and nice things for the officer class the water was almost coming in through the gunports.

It has been a number of years since I read of the Russian fleets ill fated voyage, but if I remember correctly it was not only an issue with design and comforts but the fact that they were so loaded up with coal and supplies at every opportunity that they had tons of coal stored on the decks each time they coaled up. Also, not only were the hulls barnacled up by the end of the voyage, they had long trails of seaweed growing from the hulls as well. The top speed of the fleet was slowed by several knots even with calm seas and full power. Which was also somewhat limited by the time of the battle due to poor maintenance and lack of parts. Even today 18,000 NM would be a long distance to travel just to sail into a major battle with no time to really prepare for it mechanically. 

 

Thanks for the information on aftermarket. 

[Landlubber Mike]

Wow, happy you are building this one Greg - well maybe not, because you will set the bar way too high for me    I actually have the kit, deck, and one of the PE sets (forget whether WEM or GMM), along with the RB barrels I think.  The black hull, accented by brass and yellow funnels was a big draw for me.  I didn't realize there was torpedo netting on this one - I might have to look into adding them when I eventually get to mine.

[RGL]

I’m half way through the book. I’ll make no political comments but I’m thinking the black and brass would be quite faded and worn after travelling some 16,000 miles or so in that is basically a coastal monitor. They crammed 800 or so men onto this thing! 

Edited March 21, 2020 by RGL

[RGL]

There are 20 75mm guns that have to go below the main deck. The kit ones are not the good so will be replaced, but need platforms to sit on that will never be seen again once the deck is glued on 

[cog]

6 hours ago, RGL said:

They crammed 800 or so men onto this thing! 

I don't see you accomplishing that feat ...

 

strange these tubs could sail when looking at the centre of gravity I wonder why it didn't turn turtle!

 

Why those platforms? Doesn't the deck offerr enough support, and possibilities to fixate?

[VonHoldinghausen]

As I remember it, this line of ships where French constructions from the beginning...

Russia bought two from France as I remember it, and later a number of

russian ships were based on that construction they bought.

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by VonHoldinghausen

[RGL]

15 hours ago, cog said:

Why those platforms? Doesn't the deck offerr enough support, and possibilities to fixate?

The platforms are for aftermarket 75mm guns. The kit provided ones have a tiny platform that are not suitable for the replacements 

[cog]

These are the kit's?

[Canute]

The one in the middle, with minimal detail. The aftermarket ones need barrels now.