HMS Lion by Ian_Grant - 1/150 - RADIO - RESTORATION - WW1 Battlecruiser

[Javelin]

You definately built that hull sturdy 😵. What is her empty weight (without that ballast)?

[Ian_Grant]

15 hours ago, Javelin said:

You definately built that hull sturdy 😵. What is her empty weight (without that ballast)?

I wanted lots of framing because the skin is only 1/32" plywood.

 

Don't know the weight yet; by the heft of her there's more ballast under the after deck which I haven't torn off yet. 😶

Edited October 29 by Ian_Grant

[Ian_Grant]

Removed the aft deck to find more ballast and more sytrofoam in the inaccessible aft compartments, and also a time capsule note for posterity...... 😏

 

Aft compartments, with rudder linkage.

Here's how much metal ballast was enclosed aft.

Speaking of posterity.....

Here are the timing gears and belts involved in pivoting A and B turrets in unison.

I laser cut a plywood baseplate to set A and B shafts at the correct centres for the first belt, and also set the micro servo's arm axis at the correct centres for the second belt to B shaft. I hope to assemble and test tomorrow.

 

Edited Friday at 02:17 AM by Ian_Grant

[Ian_Grant]

On 10/28/2024 at 5:15 AM, Javelin said:

You definitely built that hull sturdy 😵. What is her empty weight (without that ballast)?

Now that all the ballast is out, the hull weighs next to nothing. I'm guessing 1-1/2 pounds, maybe? Maybe even less?

[Ian_Grant]

Short update. I needed to patch the bow but while doing so I found it is balsa ahead of the first bulkhead. Delicate choice; I decided to chisel off the balsa and will replace with pine. I did cut the curve of the forefoot into the proper shape . Before I removed the balsa she looked much better than the old squarish forefoot.

 

Also found a dip along about 4" of the port forward sheer while I was trying to align supports for the A/B turret baseplate. Clamped on a thin piece which I will shave.

 

This project has evolved into more work than I expected initially but I'm excited about the final outcome. Still thinking about the smoke unit.

 

We're going away until later in Nov so this log will be quiet for a while.

 

 

[KeithAug]

Ian - 1977! - I think I can remember that far back. Interestingly I bought a set of plans for Hood in 1970 and they survived many house moves. About 2 years ago I went looking for them and they were gone. I blame my wife!

I love the archaeology.

[Mike Y]

A lovely time capsule! Can only imagine what it feels like to revamp your own project.

Incredible build quality for a teenager, hats off to you sir!

[Ian_Grant]

2 hours ago, KeithAug said:

Ian - 1977! - I think I can remember that far back. Interestingly I bought a set of plans for Hood in 1970 and they survived many house moves. About 2 years ago I went looking for them and they were gone. I blame my wife!

I love the archaeology.

I think I had David MacGregor plans for Hood too!  Many more sheets than the two for Lion.

[Ian_Grant]

2 hours ago, Mike Y said:

A lovely time capsule! Can only imagine what it feels like to revamp your own project.

Incredible build quality for a teenager, hats off to you sir!

Yes it was nostalgic to find the note, and remember my young self.  When the time comes I will put the note back, along with a new one dating the rebuild.

 

Full disclosure: build quality was helped by my dad. He turned the main gun barrels from aluminum in spare time at work, and made the turrets on a mill.

The secondary armament and fittings I bought somewhere. The rest was me. I think the funnels are balsa too; I recall wrapping them in silkspan to improve the finish.

[rookie]

I had forgotten Dad made the gun barrels.

I remember the fold-up picnic table in Dad's workshop[ with the keel laid out.

[Ian_Grant]

Boy, even I don't remember the table I built on.

Any motorcycle yet?