Bismarck by Jeff 59 - Trumpeter - 1/200 - PLASTIC

[Jeff59]

My solution to hull profile was splitting hull and forcing apart and building up outer profiles with styrene stock then dressing down the plastic till close to required shape, then when happy use thin styrene sheet to wrap on the outside of hull using liquid cement gradually forming around hull, then it’s down to filling and sanding, when satisfied  it’s back to lightly engraving hull detailing back onto hull, yip, this is going to take a while 👀 on a lighter note the degaussing strip on outside of hull, 1mm half round styrene strip fitted around hull, straight out of packet, perfect , what a doddle 😂

[Jeff59]

Another little solution for hull profile was this 5mm screwed rod and nuts with pipe to use as jacking system then glue in place when happy, think this shall help me as well as it progresses, that’s me for now thanks, got a lot to be getting on with 😵‍💫👍

[yvesvidal]

Your efforts remind me of what some modelers have done for the Trumpeter Titanic hull. It is massive but should pay off, in the end.

 

Yves

[Landlubber Mike]

Wow, a lot of work there!  I'm not sure I'm going to be willing to put that kind of effort into fixing the hull on mine, but am impressed by your dedication to improve the accuracy! 

[madtatt]

Extreme what you show us here, Jeff.
It's a crazy amount of work that you're putting into the hull alone, but I'm convinced it will pay off and result in the most historically correct Bismarck model. 👍

[Jeff59]

5 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

Your efforts remind me of what some modelers have done for the Trumpeter Titanic hull. It is massive but should pay off, in the end.

 

Yves

Thanks Yves, you’re right, a ton of work, but l suppose the way lm looking at it, between the hull, deck and the first two deck structures this amounts to about half the model so know it’s going to take a while, don’t think l will get board though, shall enjoy the challenge 👍 thanks for your input 🤛

[Jeff59]

5 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Wow, a lot of work there!  I'm not sure I'm going to be willing to put that kind of effort into fixing the hull on mine, but am impressed by your dedication to improve the accuracy! 

Thanks Mike, think just marking of the hull for the plating would make a big difference if you’re up for that 👍 Thanks for looking in 🤛

[Jeff59]

8 hours ago, madtatt said:

Extreme what you show us here, Jeff.
It's a crazy amount of work that you're putting into the hull alone, but I'm convinced it will pay off and result in the most historically correct Bismarck model. 👍

Thanks Jolle, extreme ? no more than what you did with your own Bismarck model and indeed on your own Mikasa build, incidentally on that, you were puzzling over the coal scuttles in boat deck, might have some left in my second set if that could help you? Anyhow am kind of committed to this now, am sure it will make a difference, the positive side is if it works or looks good it might make manufacturers pause before putting out a hull that’s not correct on Tirpitz, l hope so cause l don’t want to do this twice 👀 🤛 Thanks for having a look 👍

Edited January 15 by Jeff59

[Jeff59]

Hello again guys, know it’s been a little while since my last posting on this build so happy to at last reached a point off progress. Try to get this in right order. Decided to split the hull even more towards stern to help with easing it apart, you need all the flex you can get to allow for increasing the hull line on the horizontal plane, think l have increased the width of hull slightly over 4mm at some points on the aft part of hull. Doesn’t sound a lot but with this and filling out the hull profile some points as much as 5mm it actually makes a nice difference to the look of the hull, certainly got rid of the long run of on the keel, on the point of the keel l had tapered it down on either side like on drawings in Seffans book , only to stumble across a photo off Tirpitz lying upside down being scraped in 1948 so changed my mind and made it full width again, makes more sense this way with construction and displacement in mind. Put some photos up to showing this.

[Jeff59]

Filling out the hull between the stern keel and the outer port and starboard shaft housings is probably the hardest part of fixing the hull, theirs no quick or easy way here, you just have to build up the hull with strips of styrene and contour it till you think you’re happy, takes ages, am just about there now, shall be less difficult after this part, at least that’s what lm telling myself 😂 got some more thin styrene sheet grafted onto hull, can see it starting to change now, some more photos now.

[Jeff59]

One photo there is another person’s building and their fix on said problem of hull, this just shows how far out the hull actually is. Incidentally the small holes in the thin skin are me fixing air bubbles that have formed where liquid cement hasn’t quite caught the skin, just add a bit more cement through these holes and then fill and sand 👍 Also decided possibly to motorise propellers so have used 2mm brass rod for shafts and have purchased suitable bearings, shall put them in and take photo.

[Jeff59]

That’ll be me for a bit, next post shall hope to have aft hull completed 👍 thanks for looking 🤛

[madtatt]

It's amazing how much effort you're putting in.

But it will look fantastic when it's finished. 👍

[yvesvidal]

Yes, this is a very serious surgery for such a large hull.

 

Yves