If there's anything I'm slower at than finishing scratchbuilds, it's actually getting round to taking photographs of said models... I completed the Cerberus over a month ago (other than the boats and anchors, it was finished in late January) but only yesterday actually took some photos of the completed model.
For anyone who hasn't read previous posts in this thread, here's a summary of the model: it's scratchbuilt in 1/96 scale, using the 1/250 card model available from Paper Shipwright (
http://www.papershipwright.co.uk) as plans, along with contemporary photos, drawings and plans from
http://cerberus.com.au. Also many thanks to MW forum members including Dave Wooley and RickF for their information and advice!
The model represents Cerberus in the mid 1880s, with many modifications from its original configuration including a shortened flying deck, single military mast and additional light armament, mainly for defence against torpedo boats.
Researching all of these modifications and incorporating them into the model was quite a task, as the Paper Shipwright kit represents Cerberus "as built" in 1870.
The model is built mainly from styrene sheet and stock, with brass and copper rod/wire used in many places, along with a few (homemade) cast metal fittings, copper anchor chain, PE brass handwheels and a small amount of cotton thread for boat cables and flag halyards. The deck planking is made from Slaters 2mm plank-textured styrene sheet. A few parts - notably the boats and ladders - are modified spares-box items.
It's painted with Revell and Tamiya acrylics. The "black, white and buff" paint scheme is Revell matt Black, White and Ochre, hull below the waterline is Tamiya NATO Brown, and the deck is Revell Stone Grey (not grey but a very convincing "bleached teak" off-white colour). Craft acrylic paint and Citadel/Games Workshop metallic paints were used for drybrushing and weathering, along with oil washes to represent rust (on the anchor chains, etc.) and highlight deck planks.
I kept the weathering fairly minimal, and restricted mostly to the hull sides, as this ship never saw action and was the flagship of the Victorian Fleet until the 1900s, it would surely have been very well maintained. Other than soot around the top of the funnel, and a few touches of rust around the anchors and deck fittings, weathering from the deck upwards is limited to a very light dry-brush of pale grey on the superstructure and fittings. This isn't so much represent weathering as to bring out surface detail and give a less "flat" appearance.
The model still has no figures, but I will be buying some Preiser 1/100 figures soon which will be suitable for conversion to 1/96 naval crew.
Anyway, here are the photos, starting with overall views:
Two views of the ship from different sides (the completely symmetrical design makes it hard to immediately tell which is which! I had to draw large arrows on the deck and superstructure whilst building the model, in case I inadvertently glued a fitting on the wrong end)
Close-ups of the bow and stern.
A side view and an "eye level" view at the bow. Note that I built the hull to a depth of about 1m below the waterline, so it isn't a true waterline model.
I built the model to dismantle into its component parts. This was to give access to the hull interior, as I originally intended to build this as a radio-controlled working model - but it is still useful when transporting the model to shows/meetings etc. and makes it a bit less vulnerable to damage.
Close-up views:
Bow. Many small fittings are visible here including the capstan which is a metal casting I made from a scratchbuilt styrene master. The master was made from a stack of thick cylinders (scrap washers), tapering towards the middle, then filed to give a smooth curve, vertical ribs were added from very fine Evergreen strip. Bollards, bitts etc. are all made from styrene though I have made moulds of all of them to cast copies.
The handwheel (etched brass) in front of the superstructure is the handle for one of the pumps. The 3 small objects in a line forward of this are the locating holes for the pump shaft, which was stowed when not in use.
The skylight (oval object forward of the capstan) normally had a distinctive faceted glass cover, due to the difficulty of scratchbuilding this I instead built it with the wooden cover fitted when the ship was cleared for action (to avoid the danger of broken glass fragments). All the skylights, along with the aft companionway, are in armoured housings raised about 3" above the deck level, as the ship's low freeboard means the main deck is usually awash in a seaway.
The railing stanchions are made from brass wire, with very fine tinned copper wire used to represent the chain. This is bent to give a realistic "sagged" appearance. It looks reasonable, IMHO, but I may try and use fine jewellery chain in future instead of wire.
Central superstructure/armoured breastwork and flying deck. The ladders from the main deck to the breastwork deck are spares-box items, heavily modified, with railings from brass wire. Supporting girders for the flying deck are styrene sheet with holes drilled using a Dremel. The circular objects on the breastwork deck are coaling hatches, made from styrene washers sanded to shape.
This photo gives a good view of the flying deck and also two of the ship's boats on their davits. These were kitbashed from spare boats originally from Airfix sailing ship kits, they may not be totally accurate for a mid-late 19th century warship but look OK to me. Davits are made from styrene and brass, and the ropes/cables are cotton thread.
Stern. As with the bow there are many small fittings here, including the compass (not a binnacle). This was originally mounted on a wooden platform between the two skylights, but was moved further aft when a companionway hatch was later added in this position. Like the capstan and a few other fittings, the compass is a metal casting made from a scratchbuilt styrene master. Between the two skylights (covered as with the forward one) is the companionway hatch, similarly raised above the deck to prevent flooding.
The large rectangular object at the end of the deck is the rudder/propeller access hatch. Aft of this is the flag jackstaff which is a brass pin, completely unmodified other than being painted black!
Detail close-ups:
Anchors are scratchbuilt from styrene, mostly square rod and thick sheet offcuts carved to shape. The chains are copper chain bought from a model boat supplier, treated with chemical blackener. There are three main anchors - two forward, one aft - and a smaller sheet anchor aft.
Fore and aft 10" turrets. These are made from styrene sheet with the base cut out using a compass cutter, fittings are made from styrene stock. The guns themselves are simple tubes, as only the muzzles are visible. If I were to build full interiors for the turrets, I'd have turned a single gun from metal as a master and then cast copies.
Visible in the first photo is one of the navigation lights, which are made from heavily modified lanterns found in the spares box (possibly originally model railway items) fitted in a housing made from 0.75mm styrene sheet. The "glass" of the lamp is painted first with silver, then with Tamiya transparent red or green.
Secondary armament consists of two 6-pounder quick-firing guns and four Nordenfelt 1-inch "gatling" guns. These, and their pedestals, are all scratchbuilt from brass and styrene, though I have since made moulds to cast metal copies for future projects. Handwheels are PE items from John R Haynes (as are the wheels on the pumps and searchlights).
Forward half of the flying deck (see below for close-ups of the guns and bridge fittings). Visible in this photo are the guy ropes for the funnel which are made from fine tinned copper wire (the same material as used for the railings).
Aft flying deck. From left to right, you can see a small deckhouse which covered a stairway and supported the aft searchlight platform; the single mast with military top (originally positioned higher up, lowered in the 1880s) above a large cowl vent, probably for the engine room; and the armoured conning tower. All of these are built from styrene other than the mast and its supporting strut, made from brass. The single yard on the mast (not visible here) is styrene, as it needed to be carved to give a taper at either end, a lot easier with styrene than brass (even easier with wood, but I have very little experience with this material)
View of the bridge on the flying deck. (Bridge controls were also fitted in the armoured conning tower, for use in combat). Both the bridge telegraph and binnacle are cast in metal from a scratchbuilt styrene master. The ship's wheel is made from two wheels from plastic N gauge (2mm, 1/144) railway/railroad wagon wheels.
Also visible in this shot is one of the two searchlights on its raised platform. This is made from various bits of styrene, the main cylinders are large plastic washers from the spares box (possibly from the turrets of a 1/350 battleship) and the lenses are a disc of styrene sheet sanded to shape (in future I may try carving or heat-forming clear lenses). Handwheels are PE.
The gold-painted nameplate on the stern is made from Slaters styrene letters (intended for signs on model railways, these are available in a variety of sizes). The flag is printed from the flag sheet downloadable from Paper Shipwright's website, and is rigged on a cotton halyard.
If anyone has any questions about construction materials/techniques etc., please ask!
This is my first completed 1/96 scratchbuild but will hopefully not be my last. I've found scratchbuilding in this scale a lot more enjoyable than "smaller" scales like 1/200! I am probably going to stick to building smaller subjects (completed model no more than 3' or at most 4' long) in 1/96, if I build anything larger it will be 1/144 or 1/200.
I'm still working on the minesweeper USS Hazard - I have run into a few problems with this build due to lack of detailed reference material (one thing I have learned: if you want to build a detailed, accurate model from scratch, you NEED detailed, accurate references!) but will keep going with it nevertheless. I will also start work on the late 19th century RN destroyer HMS Velox (from Chatham's book "Early Destroyers" which includes 1/96 plans) and the Dutch monitor "Tijger" (using the Paper Shipwright card model for plans) some time this year, though I want to get the main components of USS Hazard completed first.
If there's anything I'm slower at than finishing scratchbuilds, it's actually getting round to taking photographs of said models... I completed the Cerberus over a month ago (other than the boats and anchors, it was finished in late January) but only yesterday actually took some photos of the completed model.
For anyone who hasn't read previous posts in this thread, here's a summary of the model: it's scratchbuilt in 1/96 scale, using the 1/250 card model available from Paper Shipwright ([url]http://www.papershipwright.co.uk[/url]) as plans, along with contemporary photos, drawings and plans from [url]http://cerberus.com.au[/url]. Also many thanks to MW forum members including Dave Wooley and RickF for their information and advice!
The model represents Cerberus in the mid 1880s, with many modifications from its original configuration including a shortened flying deck, single military mast and additional light armament, mainly for defence against torpedo boats.
Researching all of these modifications and incorporating them into the model was quite a task, as the Paper Shipwright kit represents Cerberus "as built" in 1870.
The model is built mainly from styrene sheet and stock, with brass and copper rod/wire used in many places, along with a few (homemade) cast metal fittings, copper anchor chain, PE brass handwheels and a small amount of cotton thread for boat cables and flag halyards. The deck planking is made from Slaters 2mm plank-textured styrene sheet. A few parts - notably the boats and ladders - are modified spares-box items.
It's painted with Revell and Tamiya acrylics. The "black, white and buff" paint scheme is Revell matt Black, White and Ochre, hull below the waterline is Tamiya NATO Brown, and the deck is Revell Stone Grey (not grey but a very convincing "bleached teak" off-white colour). Craft acrylic paint and Citadel/Games Workshop metallic paints were used for drybrushing and weathering, along with oil washes to represent rust (on the anchor chains, etc.) and highlight deck planks.
I kept the weathering fairly minimal, and restricted mostly to the hull sides, as this ship never saw action and was the flagship of the Victorian Fleet until the 1900s, it would surely have been very well maintained. Other than soot around the top of the funnel, and a few touches of rust around the anchors and deck fittings, weathering from the deck upwards is limited to a very light dry-brush of pale grey on the superstructure and fittings. This isn't so much represent weathering as to bring out surface detail and give a less "flat" appearance.
The model still has no figures, but I will be buying some Preiser 1/100 figures soon which will be suitable for conversion to 1/96 naval crew.
Anyway, here are the photos, starting with overall views:
Two views of the ship from different sides (the completely symmetrical design makes it hard to immediately tell which is which! I had to draw large arrows on the deck and superstructure whilst building the model, in case I inadvertently glued a fitting on the wrong end)
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/overall1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/overall2.jpg[/img]
Close-ups of the bow and stern.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/bowview.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/sternview.jpg[/img]
A side view and an "eye level" view at the bow. Note that I built the hull to a depth of about 1m below the waterline, so it isn't a true waterline model.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/sideview.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/frontview.jpg[/img]
I built the model to dismantle into its component parts. This was to give access to the hull interior, as I originally intended to build this as a radio-controlled working model - but it is still useful when transporting the model to shows/meetings etc. and makes it a bit less vulnerable to damage.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/dismantled.jpg[/img]
Close-up views:
Bow. Many small fittings are visible here including the capstan which is a metal casting I made from a scratchbuilt styrene master. The master was made from a stack of thick cylinders (scrap washers), tapering towards the middle, then filed to give a smooth curve, vertical ribs were added from very fine Evergreen strip. Bollards, bitts etc. are all made from styrene though I have made moulds of all of them to cast copies.
The handwheel (etched brass) in front of the superstructure is the handle for one of the pumps. The 3 small objects in a line forward of this are the locating holes for the pump shaft, which was stowed when not in use.
The skylight (oval object forward of the capstan) normally had a distinctive faceted glass cover, due to the difficulty of scratchbuilding this I instead built it with the wooden cover fitted when the ship was cleared for action (to avoid the danger of broken glass fragments). All the skylights, along with the aft companionway, are in armoured housings raised about 3" above the deck level, as the ship's low freeboard means the main deck is usually awash in a seaway.
The railing stanchions are made from brass wire, with very fine tinned copper wire used to represent the chain. This is bent to give a realistic "sagged" appearance. It looks reasonable, IMHO, but I may try and use fine jewellery chain in future instead of wire.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/bow.jpg[/img]
Central superstructure/armoured breastwork and flying deck. The ladders from the main deck to the breastwork deck are spares-box items, heavily modified, with railings from brass wire. Supporting girders for the flying deck are styrene sheet with holes drilled using a Dremel. The circular objects on the breastwork deck are coaling hatches, made from styrene washers sanded to shape.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/superstructure.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/superstructureside.jpg[/img]
This photo gives a good view of the flying deck and also two of the ship's boats on their davits. These were kitbashed from spare boats originally from Airfix sailing ship kits, they may not be totally accurate for a mid-late 19th century warship but look OK to me. Davits are made from styrene and brass, and the ropes/cables are cotton thread.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/flyingdeck.jpg[/img]
Stern. As with the bow there are many small fittings here, including the compass (not a binnacle). This was originally mounted on a wooden platform between the two skylights, but was moved further aft when a companionway hatch was later added in this position. Like the capstan and a few other fittings, the compass is a metal casting made from a scratchbuilt styrene master. Between the two skylights (covered as with the forward one) is the companionway hatch, similarly raised above the deck to prevent flooding.
The large rectangular object at the end of the deck is the rudder/propeller access hatch. Aft of this is the flag jackstaff which is a brass pin, completely unmodified other than being painted black!
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/stern.jpg[/img]
Detail close-ups:
Anchors are scratchbuilt from styrene, mostly square rod and thick sheet offcuts carved to shape. The chains are copper chain bought from a model boat supplier, treated with chemical blackener. There are three main anchors - two forward, one aft - and a smaller sheet anchor aft.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/anchors.jpg[/img]
Fore and aft 10" turrets. These are made from styrene sheet with the base cut out using a compass cutter, fittings are made from styrene stock. The guns themselves are simple tubes, as only the muzzles are visible. If I were to build full interiors for the turrets, I'd have turned a single gun from metal as a master and then cast copies.
Visible in the first photo is one of the navigation lights, which are made from heavily modified lanterns found in the spares box (possibly originally model railway items) fitted in a housing made from 0.75mm styrene sheet. The "glass" of the lamp is painted first with silver, then with Tamiya transparent red or green.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/foreturret.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/aftturret.jpg[/img]
Secondary armament consists of two 6-pounder quick-firing guns and four Nordenfelt 1-inch "gatling" guns. These, and their pedestals, are all scratchbuilt from brass and styrene, though I have since made moulds to cast metal copies for future projects. Handwheels are PE items from John R Haynes (as are the wheels on the pumps and searchlights).
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/secondaryguns.jpg[/img]
Forward half of the flying deck (see below for close-ups of the guns and bridge fittings). Visible in this photo are the guy ropes for the funnel which are made from fine tinned copper wire (the same material as used for the railings).
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/fdeckfore.jpg[/img]
Aft flying deck. From left to right, you can see a small deckhouse which covered a stairway and supported the aft searchlight platform; the single mast with military top (originally positioned higher up, lowered in the 1880s) above a large cowl vent, probably for the engine room; and the armoured conning tower. All of these are built from styrene other than the mast and its supporting strut, made from brass. The single yard on the mast (not visible here) is styrene, as it needed to be carved to give a taper at either end, a lot easier with styrene than brass (even easier with wood, but I have very little experience with this material)
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/fdeckaft.jpg[/img]
View of the bridge on the flying deck. (Bridge controls were also fitted in the armoured conning tower, for use in combat). Both the bridge telegraph and binnacle are cast in metal from a scratchbuilt styrene master. The ship's wheel is made from two wheels from plastic N gauge (2mm, 1/144) railway/railroad wagon wheels.
Also visible in this shot is one of the two searchlights on its raised platform. This is made from various bits of styrene, the main cylinders are large plastic washers from the spares box (possibly from the turrets of a 1/350 battleship) and the lenses are a disc of styrene sheet sanded to shape (in future I may try carving or heat-forming clear lenses). Handwheels are PE.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/bridgesearchlight.jpg[/img]
The gold-painted nameplate on the stern is made from Slaters styrene letters (intended for signs on model railways, these are available in a variety of sizes). The flag is printed from the flag sheet downloadable from Paper Shipwright's website, and is rigged on a cotton halyard.
[img]http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/cerberus/nameplate.jpg[/img]
If anyone has any questions about construction materials/techniques etc., please ask!
This is my first completed 1/96 scratchbuild but will hopefully not be my last. I've found scratchbuilding in this scale a lot more enjoyable than "smaller" scales like 1/200! I am probably going to stick to building smaller subjects (completed model no more than 3' or at most 4' long) in 1/96, if I build anything larger it will be 1/144 or 1/200.
I'm still working on the minesweeper USS Hazard - I have run into a few problems with this build due to lack of detailed reference material (one thing I have learned: if you want to build a detailed, accurate model from scratch, you NEED detailed, accurate references!) but will keep going with it nevertheless. I will also start work on the late 19th century RN destroyer HMS Velox (from Chatham's book "Early Destroyers" which includes 1/96 plans) and the Dutch monitor "Tijger" (using the Paper Shipwright card model for plans) some time this year, though I want to get the main components of USS Hazard completed first.