WIP HMS Hood (1893) Combrig 700 scale

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks Girdon, but you have to remember thar I am learning too... most what I have done in these builds is copied from all the other WIP's that I read and a lot if help and advice from people like Jim Baumann... So if anything I have done helps, it should be simply because this is probably my first go at doing it too... so it should encourage others to try... Which is why I post every little detail, one, because I am quite surprised I actually got whatever idea it was to actually work and two, because I'll probably forget or will need to go back and relearn or rethink something on my next model... so it's more of a diary than a WIP I suppose Anyway, thanks for your comments, but the real masters like Jim B, Kostas and EJ and a few others are where I get inspiration from, but I learn from EVERYONE who posts in WIP.

Anyway, a little progress... I finished the flying bridges! I re-made the forward one, cant quite remember why, but there was something wring with it that I couldn't correct. The second one isn't perfect, but it's pretty good. The thing I am most unhappy with is the wheelhouse. It seems to be right according to plans and in comparison to the kit parts, but compared to photos it seems much too wide, and because the ladderstock I used was slightly too small I have more windows than I should have... so although it looks pretty good, it doesn't look right compared to photos. I'll see how I feel once I have got onto other parts of the ship and if I feel so inspired, I may remake it with a smaller wheelhouse and larger windows if I can find something that looks right. I noticed the railings that ate supplied with the WEM pom poms look quite interesting!

Anyway, here we go... This a a picture of the kit parts compared to my scratchbuilt parts. Obviously I have a lot more detail, ladders etc to add...



Here they are placed on the model...



See what I mean about too many windows and the whole thing looks far too wide? I think I am going to redo this again. It may be the same size and shape of the kit part, but it's nothing like the photos and it's far too a dominant feature to get so completely wrong... ah well, it kept me occupied for the day

[bismarck builder]

hi bill
looks good to me but if your not happy it will bug you till you re go it
it would be nice if this was in the proper scale of 350
cheers
gary r

[DAVID BILEK]

Well done! You did really good job on flying bridges

[Quincy]

I heartily concur!



Bob Pink.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Bill that is a valiant attempt at the wheelhouse.!

Small advise... the panels on the fwd face...

cut the ladder stock into squares and apply with matt varnish

Its the continuous( of the ladder on its side) line along the top of the panelling that makes it look not quite like panelling IMHO.


BUT mate..--your modelmaking is getting really rather darn good!!


JIM B

[mabmanu]

Hello .
Very nice job .

[Bill Livingston]

Ok... I have now build four wheelhouses and platforms. I did yet another one today because I wasn't happy with the one I thought was ok yesterday... I'm sure I'm losing the plot here!

This one is about the right size compared to photo's. I decided to ignore the plan I have, both it and the kit parts are far too big compared to contemporary photographs. I used railing height as a reference and scaled everything accordingly. Once mounted on the bridge platform it looks really good and changes the character of the model immensely. It's quite surprising just how much more like Hood the model looks by scratchbuilding such a tiny part... If anyone ever gets round to making a PE set for this class, new flying bridges and wheelhouse are an essential part of any upgrade.

Anyway, after all that messing around, this is what the wheelhouse looks like now. Kit part as reference...





I'll let the White glue dry overnight then airbrush it RN white... Then build yet another flying bridge that fits it properly. Yes, those are 1mm squares!

[MartinJQuinn]

Wow ...that is a sharp little piece of modeling, Bill. Well done!

[Bill Livingston]

I might be Martin... but it's wrong...!

Mounted it on the ship and then realised I had got one of the measurements wrong when I started checking it from the same angles as my photographs... and found the wheelhouse is 2mm too short and looks really obvious as there is a gap between the rear and the foremast. 2mm works out at 1.4 metres... Which is a BIG error!

Think I'm going to have to start again... Bloody frustrating because all the other measurements and angles are dead right... What an idiot!!!

[MartinJQuinn]

Think I'm going to have to start again...

Practice make perfect!

[Bill Livingston]

Practice make perfect!

Clearly not in my case!!

Anyway, I made some strong coffee and stayed up until 4.30am and remade it... Glad I did. I still have the railings, the ladder and the two supporting pillars to add (plus the ships wheel and some crew to go inside) but it is now the right size and the overall shape and look is right





I'm going to bed now... not going to push my luck!

[JIM BAUMANN]

OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD!

Stunning tenacity--


( I know how it feels when it just HAS to be done right...--no matter how late it may be!! )

JB

[Persona non grata]

Very sharp! Nicely done, Bill. The ship is coming long very well. I look forward to the finished product.

Regards,

Jon

[George W]

Bill
You (and Jim B too) are a role model of dedication to many of us. This "redo" attitude is a great enhancer of my quality work as I'm now realizing with my present build (converting WEM's Montgomery into HMCS Annapolis. It is difficult to go back but in the end I certainly feel better about it! Your work gives me something to emulate, thank you!
George

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks everyone... This has been one if those stages that got more and more frustrating... and could only be resolved by getting down to it and having a real go... It's not perfect, but it will do... Learnt a lot again, and redoing it over and over was worth it in the end. Just got to do the railings on the decks below and then start making the anti topedo net shelf... That looks like it is going to loads of fun...

Here are some pictures of the complete wheelhouse... I remembered to put some crew in and the ships wheel (found one on the askold fret)... Loads more crew to add, but will do that later obviously.









Obviously they are not glued in place yet... Lots of work to do on the decks below, plus all the support structure. I have also made the flying bridges with the sounding platforms deployed, they are the open sections at each end. They really should be slightly narrower and smaller, but they will do, once i have painted the railings black and bent them down a little to look right.

It should look like this... which is nothing like the kit part...

[Bill Livingston]

Ok... Next step was making the anti torpedo nets...

I agonised over this for a few days and tried a variety of things. I started by trying to make the torpedo nets shelves. They are quite short and, certainly during the time period I am modelling Hood, they are mounted high up the hull sides and curve round the 6" gun emplacements (?) which caused a number of problems, not least getting something fine enough that would still follow the compound curves.

I tried cutting them from very thin styrene sheet. Much too thick in profile and I could cut the curves as my p cutter wouldn't cut a fine enough circle. I even mounted a scalpel blade in a set of micro dividers. Still didn't work! I then tried a paper shelf, which was ok, but was too difficult to work with. I decided to give up for a while while I looked for something to replicate the stowed nets. In the end I settled for some leadcore leader. This is used in carp angling to keep the end tackle hard on the lake bed and is basically a core of lead with a woven cover, not unlike very fine round section shoelaces. It's a bit too even in texture than I would like and touch overscale at 1:700, but much thinner than even the very finest laces. I think once drybrushed it will look pretty good.

I gave up with trying different shelf ideas and phoned Jim B. He suggested not making shelves but glue the netting directly to the hull sides and then simulate the shelf edge with some fine wire. I had a go and it seems to work pretty well. Another technique learnt... Thanks Jim

Anyway, here is a picture of the netting mounted and the wire edging glued the bottom of the nets, but unpainted so you can see what it looks like. The wire is 34 gauge, so is very fine. The curved sections where formed round a syringe which was exactly the right size. The straight sections were formed by pulling the wire very tightly off the spool.

Let me know what you think.... I still need to add the shelf support brackets and the large net booms, but apart from being a bit too neat in close up, will look good from normal viewing distance with some irregular weathering.



And a close up once painted. A very clear line and because it is glued direct to the 'netting' a fraction higher than the bottom, looks just like the netting is settled on a very fine shelf. Thanks again JB!

[Ray S]

Looks good to me Bill. You are doing a cracking piece of work, and showing some tenacity. Jim certainly is a great source of advice and is a great help, always giving inspiration, just like you!

Looking forward to seeing more.

Regards, Ray

[Bill Livingston]

Thank you Ray, in fact thanks everyone for your encouragement...

My airbrush packed up a couple of days ago and as I find it nigh on impossible to handpaint anything I came to a standstill... then decided I should re-do the masts as the yards and top masts were a bit crude... Too thick and coarse and possibly the wrong colour. I decided I would remake them and paint the yards natural wood. I think it will all look a bit more delicate. Luckily my masts were really solid, so pulling off the top sections was fine... no bends or breakages at all.

Having started to destroy th model again, I decided it was probably a good idea to stick something else on, so I did the torpedo net booms. They still have to have the wire rigging attached to them, I will do that later on though and I also need to add the net shelf brackets.. probably do them at the same time.

I then decided that now was a good time to mount it on its base as the model was getting pretty delicate and the next stages will get even more so... I used the normal method of acrylic gel for the seascape and painted it quite green at first... didnt like it, so reverted back to a much darker blue/black with a little bit of pale green in the wash and then coated it with two coats of gel to give some depth and then a couple of coats of varnish after adding the white, then another coat of acylic gel high gloss varnish over the top again. It looks much greener than in the photo's and at least Im not scared of doing it any more!

Anyway, here she is as of tonight, with the top masts removed. Still got an awful long way to go. I need to redo the turret bands as they are far too wide. They are in the right place, so a thin strip of masking tape and another blast of black or anthracite will correct that easily. I'll have to wait for my airbrush to be replaced though... damn... Probably next week unless I am really lucky with the post. I suppose I can make a start on the railings and finish off all the small vents and do a bit of weathering in the meantime...







OK... small vents now I think....

Only just noticed the picture on the matchbox... quite appropriate, don't you think!

[trigrodge]

hi bill,
just had a look through your WIP, and i must say it looks awesome!!! really like the bridge especially!

cant wait to see her finished!!
leigh

[Bill Livingston]

Thank you Leigh... comments much appreciated... and I am quite looking forward to see her finished as well!!!

Anyway, managed to totally disassemble my Aztek airbrush and fix it myself (not for the fainthearted... it's fiddly to take apart and invalidates the lifetime warranty). Worth noting if any of you have one, that the 'lifetime warranty' is subject to what a lot of manufacturers call 'reasonable expectations'... So, you may be lucky if, after five or six years of heavy use, you get a new one if it develops a fault. I was too impatient to take the risk... besides, how hard could it be?

Anyway, its all fixed. As long as you can work neatly and have reasonable common sense it isnt too difficult. Works as good as new and didn't cost a penny!

OK... so I fitted the small vents. I airbrushed them all white a few days ago as white seems to be the colour in all photo's of Hood I have seen, not buff, which I have seen on most models of this class.

I then masked the white band with a thinner strip of masking tape and then re-sprayed the turrets anthracite after fitting the barrels.. Look MUCH better with a finer band. Just need to add the railigs to the top and two ladders each side.

Looking good... and much busier for such a tiny model. Once the railings and ground tackle are on (anchor chains airbrushed and drying as I write), the lower decks will be complete apart from a bit of touching up. I have done a little light weathering which has softened everything and blended all the colours together, so in real life it looks pretty good.

Anyway, some updated photo's and then this evening I am going to add the railings and ground tackle...





Bill