HMS Puncher by NavyShooter - 3D Print - 1/144

[NavyShooter]

Goodday!

 

A while back, I had a look at the RC Model Boat Magazine, and came across a set of plans for an Escort Carrier.  Didn't build it, didn't save the plans...then I got back into building a couple of years back (Covid times I guess) and here we are.  

 

I wanted to try and build a model of HMS Puncher - a Brit escort carrier that was operated 'by' the RCN in WW2.

I decided to try and dig up those plans from RC Model Boat magazine - research turned up that it was the "USS Bodega Bay" plans by Glynn Guest - I liked the idea of an 'easy' build...something to do in the background of 3 other ongoing builds...

So, I found a set of the plans, paid the money, and they showed up in a nice yellow envelope. Yay!

Then...I looked at the plans. And realized how basic they really are. I was honestly hoping for more....it truly is a pond scale stand-off model. I was tempted to go with it anyhow, then...then I had a thought.

As you may recall, I was puttering away with modifying the Johnbuttery Liberty Ship file available on Thingiverse to turn it into a Vismod Park class ship - I've finished that up...it's been printed and is in the paint process now.  The model is available free for download on Thingiverse and Cults3D if you want to do it.  

But, the thing with the Johnbuttery files is that he did a REALLY good job on the hull. The sweep of the deck is very well done too, so there's a lot of complex curves that he correctly tied into the design.

That makes it tough for a hack job like me as a 3D 'designer' to adjust. I'd be better off starting from scratch.

However.

There is another set of Liberty Ship files on Thingiverse, a design by a guy named "Jabberwock" and I decided to have a look at those.

His hull design is somewhat simpler - in fact, he's got a completely flat upper deck. That...appeals to me....it means I can easily lop off the upper deck bits and build up from there. So...that's what I did.

I'm now bunch of hours into the hacking and slashing and designing, in a mix of Tinkercad and Design-Spark Mechanical, and I'm reasonably pleased with what I'm seeing so far.

Here's some early pictures of the process.  I'm well along in the build now, but catching up this build log.

 

I ended up printing a 'draft' model of her in 1/350 to see how things looked and work out some bugs.

[NavyShooter]

My HMCS Bonaventure model is huge - over 7 feet long, and she's a beast to move around to show, or put in the pond (when that happens) so this model is much more convenient in size - she's 41 inches long.  Very manageable for a back-seat model to get to the pond.

 

I noted that I have released the complete file set for this model on Thingiverse and Cults - here's the link to Thingiverse:

 

HMS Puncher - WW2 Escort Carrier 1/144 Scale RC Ship by Navyshooter - Thingiverse

 

And Cults3D:

Free STL file HMS Puncher - WW2 Escort Carrier 1/144 Scale RC Ship 🚢 ・3D print model to download・Cults

 

I'm aware that at least 3 other builders have theirs in progress - I guess there was some demand for an Escort Carrier 3D model!

 

Here's some pictures of the modules as printed:

 

 

[NavyShooter]

I have learned from my Bonnie model that I need to be more patient with paint - it needs to dry more before I do anything with it, be that sanding or recoating.

 

A buddy of mine saw my putty job and suggested to me a new technique.  Instead of using straight putty on the hull, you can mix the putty 50/50 with Acetone and brush it on - goes on smoothly, and saves a bunch of time.  Dries VERY fast, and apparently this is a technique all the Cosplay folks do for their 3D printed Armour and stuff.  So.  That's what I'm going to do going forward!

 

Here's how the hull looks puttied up and primed:

 

 

[NavyShooter]

My initial concept had been to have a removable deck panel in the middle of the flight deck to allow me access to the interior - then I realized that I need to get to the rudder under the rear of the quarterdeck, so I've got the entire flight deck as a removable panel, printed in 6 sections and glued together.

 

I had some trouble with the flight deck panels sticking to the bed of my printer - someone suggested bumping the print bed temp up from 60C to 70C...and that solved my problem.  Flight deck got printed, and the air det (Martlets and Barracudas) are in progress.

 

[NavyShooter]

I had the model out at the Maritime Ship Modeller's Guild meeting on Saturday to show the guys, and while I was at it, I gave away the 1/350 scale sample print so someone else can putter about with that.  

 

Generally pleased with how she's coming along.  This is basically where she's at right now.

 

Actually - technically, she's further along than this - the flight deck is now painted gray and the hull has received another layer of sanding/paint and both are residing in my office in the house to let the paint cure. 

[ddp]

HMS Puncher Booklet of General Plans (1944) https://archive.org/details/d79bogp1944v2

[ccoyle]

I've moved this to the scratch-builds section. It might be kind of a gray area, since the printed parts are kinda the equivalent of a kit, but I figure since you had to print everything yourself instead of having it all neatly provided in a box, it leans more towards scratch than kit.

 

P.S. I lived in Santa Rosa, California for four years when I was a kid, and our family made many day trips to Bodega Bay during that time.

[NavyShooter]

Thanks!  It's sort - of scratch built.  I had to modify every one of the modules of the original hull that's on the web.

 

I appreciate DDP's attempts to help me accurize the hull, alas, despite several tries, I've not yet figured out how to loft a hull properly to the forms from hulls I've tried making.  So far I'm 0/5 on it.  I don't know what I'm doing wrong with them.