HMS Warspite by Lt. Biggles - FINISHED - Academy - 1/350 - PLASTIC - MK1 detail up set

[Lt. Biggles]

Hello,

 

Slowly getting ready for my second ship build, really enjoyed my last HMS Prince of Wales build and all the feed back and help was much appreciated.

Ill begin the build shortly and was given this kit to build for someone else with no time limit and just for fun. 
Included in the box is a MK1 upgrade set which has some PE, anchor chain, wooden deck and brass barrels for all guns plus I’ve pe from my POW build so can use that too.

 

 

Thought I’d start this log a bit before I begin so if anyone has built this ship and has any advice or “wish I’d known before I built” tips would be great to hear from you before I learn them the hard way!

 

I suspect this build won’t take as long as I learnt a lot from my last build. Will be my first attempt at camouflage and a few pics have her looking quite faded and weathered so will be fun to play around with making her look well used.

Here is a pic of her during D-Day and you can see the state I’ll be trying to go for which should be fun.

 

 

[RGL]

I’m in. 

[Old Collingwood]

"Oh Hello"     yep  - Im In.

 

OC.

[Reg]

I have never seen a ship built with all the photo etch.  This will very exciting to watch!

 

Greg

[Old Collingwood]

If you want any pics or  side drawings of her camo  - just let me know  as I  collected a  folder on her.😉

 

OC.

[Lt. Biggles]

1 hour ago, RGL said:

I’m in. 

Nice to have your company!

 

1 hour ago, Reg said:

I have never seen a ship built with all the photo etch.  This will very exciting to watch!

 

Greg

Welcome mate, once you have done a ship with Photo etch it’s impossible to do one without... in my humble opinion!

 

1 hour ago, Old Collingwood said:

If you want any pics or  side drawings of her camo  - just let me know  as I  collected a  folder on her.😉

 

OC.

hey, any info and drawings you have will be great thanks! I’ve not got anything. Sounds like you have a lot of info there!! 😁

[Old Collingwood]

Ok to start with here are Two drawings I did to show the camo when she was active between late 1943  - 1944.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Note she had a high  Boot Topping   due to her added weight.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

This is a large scale architects  model that was built and further enhanced by a good friend of mine  it was/is  1/48 scale  and shows  the frontal  towere area including the upper bridge  -   also an actual photo of her bridge.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

The tops of the forward turrets  as she was prior to being towed to be scrapped  and her bow showing location of her armour plates  -

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Important  - in her later life  43-44  here side barbette  gune were removed and the casements left in place  (best way to do that  - place them without the barrels but turn the openings for the barrels - inwards so they dont show)

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Some good side on detail as she was when she was wrecked  being towed to be scrapped - this was near a place called Prussia cove in Cornwall  UK, she lost here  tow rope and got stuck on a rock ridge  (she did not want to go to the scrappy)

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Her size compared to a destroyer  - 

 

OC.

[Lt. Biggles]

Ah good info! Thanks! Very useful! Especially knowing that the lower guns were taken off and the position of the boot line. Was hoping it didn’t reach high enough to be on the sloping part of the hull as that would be fun to fade but alas my hopes are dashed haha!

Info like this is often more helpful than the kits instructions.

 

The hull has no panel lines so not sure if I’ll add them. Did you scribe them on? I’ve a feeling I’ll add them now 

[Canute]

I'll follow along, too. The big BBs were neat.

[Old Collingwood]

10 hours ago, Lt. Biggles said:

Ah good info! Thanks! Very useful! Especially knowing that the lower guns were taken off and the position of the boot line. Was hoping it didn’t reach high enough to be on the sloping part of the hull as that would be fun to fade but alas my hopes are dashed haha!

Info like this is often more helpful than the kits instructions.

 

The hull has no panel lines so not sure if I’ll add them. Did you scribe them on? I’ve a feeling I’ll add them now 

She had a few armour belts running down her hull  front to back  same as underneath her hull, my way of doing that  (but not the best way)  was to use paper strips cut the same width  with a rule  then stuck down using PVA glue  - problem doing that  paper does not sand well  as we know.

 

OC.

[Lt. Biggles]

Sounds like a lot of work! What did you use to work out the shape and size and thickness of the armour plates? 
Any ideas on a better way to reproduce them other than paper? At this scale they must be pretty thin!

 

ive been looking at the kit and will try a different approach than my last one. Am thinking I’ll join the hull and glue on the decks with them slightly sunk in. Then paint the whole hull and deck furniture, once complete lay on the wooden deck. Any thoughts on that not being a good idea? If I line up the camo well then later when superstructure is complete can carry on with the camo pattern.

[Old Collingwood]

2 hours ago, Lt. Biggles said:

Sounds like a lot of work! What did you use to work out the shape and size and thickness of the armour plates? 
Any ideas on a better way to reproduce them other than paper? At this scale they must be pretty thin!

 

ive been looking at the kit and will try a different approach than my last one. Am thinking I’ll join the hull and glue on the decks with them slightly sunk in. Then paint the whole hull and deck furniture, once complete lay on the wooden deck. Any thoughts on that not being a good idea? If I line up the camo well then later when superstructure is complete can carry on with the camo pattern.

On my old Warspite build  (same kit as yours)   if you read down to posts  42 and 43  you will see how I worked out the armour plates and my thinking.

 

OC.

 

[Lt. Biggles]

5 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

On my old Warspite build  (same kit as yours)   if you read down to posts  42 and 43  you will see how I worked out the armour plates and my thinking.

 

OC.

 

I’ve got your build log bookmarked so one button and I’m there! It’s got some good info! 
if printer paper is too thick would you think normal lined paper might work? Is the plating effect noticeable enough to add to the model?

Also looks like I’ll need to fill in the rear lower portholes too.

[Old Collingwood]

34 minutes ago, Lt. Biggles said:

I’ve got your build log bookmarked so one button and I’m there! It’s got some good info! 
if printer paper is too thick would you think normal lined paper might work? Is the plating effect noticeable enough to add to the model?

Also looks like I’ll need to fill in the rear lower portholes too.

I think the armour plates do add to it  -  "But"   I would try to get very thin plastic card  instead of paper  - don't know if its even available at paper thicknesses  - any ideas @RGLGreg?    yep the lowerd rear ports where welded over.

 

You going for an accurate  post  guided  bomb attack version  where she  was nealry sunk?

 

OC.

[RGL]

Rattle can primer and Tamiya masking tape to do you hull plating. Take your time, multiple layers, etch in the vertical lines . Paper would still be too think at this scale. 

[Lt. Biggles]

I can try with primer but my searches for plate armour details or plans has turned up nothing except other build logs. Do I just copy roughly what others do or is there a place that has all the plans to copy? I can’t even see the plating on photographs.

[RGL]

So they basically run along these lines, they are not as obviously as in the drawings but they are there when you look very closely at a hull. A smooth hull does not really exist. 

[RGL]

Sorry, I usually Google the name of the Ship “in drydock” as they are great references as they show the hull details really well. 

[Lt. Biggles]

Thanks heaps for those! That’s a whole lot of detail!! So my nice idea of not having to do panel lines has be totally shattered haha! 
I might get a set of PDF plans from morskie and do the hull to the best level I can, might take a week or two to be emailed through if I remember right from the POW plans but they were quite helpful. Again thanks for the details!

[RGL]

Morskie does not do the panel lines, remember it does not have to be perfect, just do them along the deck levels, a few coats with a mask are enough, if you go into the 3D shading, filters and weathering such as chipping or wearing the paint off between the panels it becomes more important. Unfortunately once you start down this rabbit hole to madness you can’t stop 

[Lt. Biggles]

Haha I’ll try avoid madness as best as I can! 
ive got some 5mm tamiya tape so that should do the trick well. 

one last thing... 

I’m happy scribing panel lines or shading them in but the strips of armour plate. They are different all together aren’t they? The strips of paper or coats of primer? If so are they just a 6ft strip of armour then a 6ft gap followed by 6ft of armour all the way? Or am I just super confused 🤣

[Canute]

Evergreen Scale models makes styrene sheet at .005"/0.13mm, in white and clear. Don't know if anyone makes thinner styrene.

[Old Collingwood]

I have done this  - it shows the corresponding armour belts  with the Black sections representing the thicker  sections and the White ones the thinner, the thick middle Black band is the Boot line position, the center/lower hull section was the torpedo belt and I dont think that was armoured as it was added to the hull.

You are corect they were Six Foot wide section  or armour then gap working down the hull.

 

Hope it makes sense.

 

OC.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Old Collingwood

[Lt. Biggles]

2 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

I have done this  - it shows the corresponding armour belts  with the Black sections representing the thicker  sections and the White ones the thinner, the thick middle Black band is the Boot line position, the center/lower hull section was the torpedo belt and I dont think that was armoured as it was added to the hull.

You are corect they were Six Foot wide section  or armour then gap working down the hull.

 

Hope it makes sense.

 

OC.

That is extremely helpful thanks! No idea where you all get this info from!! But appreciate it a lot! This mixed with the plans RGL sent I’ll be able to give it a good go. Will use the spray primer option and give it a few coats. Do we know what refit they thickened the black water line?

im going for a 1943 time build so just before getting damaged by the guided bomb. Which means the 6” broadside guns were still on her and the stern lower port holes are covered. Just putting together all the things to change and do. I’ll not go too accurate but I’ll definitely change what I can and know about.