1/200 Pre dreadnought battleship IJN Mikasa after 1905

[Joelle]

Hello fellow modelers.

I’m back from vacation.
To ease back into things, I’m picking up right where I left off. I am finishing up the port-side torpedo net shelf and its associated spars.
As a result, there aren’t too many new photos today.

Once again, I fashioned cable tensioners from the shortened railing stanchions and attached them to the individual spars.



And so, without further ado, I present to you the result of my efforts.



This phase of construction was actually a bit nerve-wracking, due to the somewhat bumpy road leading up to it.



But this way, I can now wrap this up and attend to the remaining details. There are still plenty of them left.



Last but not least, here is a picture of the three midships gun port lids, which are now also hanging on the port side of the casemates.

[wefalck]

Well, yes, the torpedo-nets were/are fragile items on both, the prototype and the model. Well done

[Joelle]

Many thanks, Eberhard.
It was all actually very delicate, and I’m glad to have it behind me—thanks in part to your bit of help.

To get back into the swing of things after my vacation, I’m starting with a small detail that was still missing:

The “crown” for the funnels.

First, I cut out all the individual parts for the funnel grating.



Once again, a very delicate piece of work.

You have to be extremely careful when sanding down the connection points where the tabs held the part in the sheet.

Assembly is easier after that. I used four small strips to ensure the ring lay flat while I glued the struts in place.



And slap it right onto the funnel.



Here is another question for the maritime experts among you.

I had always assumed that those frameworks were for canvas covers designed to form a funnel shroud and protect the boiler from rain.

However, even in port, the boiler was rarely allowed to go out completely, as the ships had to constantly generate steam for the electrical generators (lighting, radio, pumps) and to maintain operational readiness. Consequently, a framework with a canvas cover would have burned up or been ruined by soot.



So, here is my question:

Are these perhaps splinter-protection grilles rather than supports for tarpaulins? Did they serve to prevent enemy shell fragments, debris, or masts collapsing during combat from falling into the boiler rooms?

Or were they makeshift frameworks that simply remained in place throughout the ship’s active service, ready to support the tarpaulins used during periods of complete decommissioning—such as a months-long stay in the shipyard or during cold winter lay-ups?

[wefalck]

You are right, when 'commissioned' the boilers of ships (and of locomotives for that matter) were kept hot, because a boiler has to be heated rather slowly to avoid cracks, particularly at the joints of steam- and smoke-pipes. However, when decommissioned, the fires were cleaned out. Also, during peace-time not all boilers were necessarily running, just the ones providing the steam for the necessary services. Boilers require periodic cleaning to remain effective. During those times the funnels would have been also covered.

[Joelle]

Thanks again for that very informative explanation, Eberhard.

I had suspected that it had nothing to do with splinter protection; it would have been too delicate for that, and the structure would have needed to be much more robust.

So, its primary purpose was to support removable weather covers when the boilers were out of service. During normal operation, the framework presumably just stayed in place while the tarpaulin was removed.

[marijn van gils]

Beautiful work on the torpedo nets and funnel grating Joelle! They look really convincing!

[Joelle]

Thank you very much for your positive feedback, Marijn.

It is always nice when others appreciate one's work—especially when they are top-notch modelers like you.

[Joelle]

Moving on to the details that seem never-ending.

Everything has been cut out and prepared for that.



To start things off and get into the swing of things, I attached the missing covers to the bow gun.



All missing fittings and the single anchor chain on the port side have been installed.



No big deal.



I also installed two additional chain supports on the starboard side.
Although none of my assembly instructions call for this, I looked at photos of various ships of the line; on those, the chain for the spare anchor definitely rests on a support and doesn’t sag significantly.



And so, the chains for both anchors have been laid out on this side, resulting in quite a tangle.



I’m quite pleased with the result, though, and it brings me a little bit further along on the bow.

[MartinJQuinn]

Thank you very much for your positive feedback, Marijn.

It is always nice when others appreciate one's work—especially when they are top-notch modelers like you.

Agreed!

[Joelle]

The next details are on the agenda.
Once again, countless individual parts were removed from the circuit boards and deburred.



As at the bow, additional fittings are attached along the hull.



The round casemates have now also received their covers.



For the upper casemate, I decided to depict one half closed—just for a bit of variety.



Here is another little work of art from Pontos: the lifebuoy release cage facing the stern.



And quickly attached.



Last but not least, the lid for the stern gun. With this, the final gun port lid on the port side is installed.



You’ve probably guessed it already: the same thing again to starboard.

[marijn van gils]

The details just keep coming! Beautiful!

[Sszabi]

This ship will be very nicely detailed. I'm just repeating myself, but this painting and weathering are insanely good.

[Joelle]

Thanks to both of you.

These details are a blessing and a curse rolled into one. They truly make the model look very authentic, but—now that I’m nearing the end of the build—I’m realizing just how much I have to push myself to power through the often monotonous stages of construction.

And so i am moving on to the fittings on the starboard side, simulating the final hinges on the gun port lids.



Done—the last covers are painted and ready to be attached.



The model was laid on its side again to let gravity assist with the gluing process.



That makes positioning the small fittings so much easier. You can align them properly and let the adhesive cure, since they simply stay in place on the hull.



I actually only paint these tiny parts once they’ve already been attached to the hull. It’s simply easier that way.



Everything is fully weathered, and with that, I’ve put this rather dry stage of the build behind me.



Finally, all the covers on the casemates are in position.



Now, work continues at the very stern with the last two spars and the gallery.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Its looking very good indeed--!

Best wishes
MFG
Jim Baumann

[Joelle]

Thank you very much, Jim.

Here is a quick mini-build update.
I’ve attached the last two spars at the stern, and the following image clearly illustrates why I’m glad I managed to pull this off without any mishaps.
The delicate photo-etched ropes had to be twisted 90 degrees at the eyelet so they would hang from the spar at the correct angle.



And so, without further ado, I present the result to you.



Now that I’ve managed that, I can finally get around to attaching the last major component to the exterior of the hull.



The gallery.

[marijn van gils]

The model was laid on its side again to let gravity assist with the gluing process.

I'm very happy that this turned out good, with no accidents!

For working like this, I made an extension to the working base that I can screw to the side of the base. That way, there is no risk the base and model can tip over on the masts (or funnels, in your case).




But maybe you metal base is heavy and thus stable enough not to have this risk?


Anyway, great detailing again!
I'm looking forward to the gallery; that will make quite a visual difference to the stern!

[Joelle]

Thanks so much, Marijn.
That idea about the plate is truly excellent.
When I get to the masts, I could imagine extending the mounting stand upwards—after all, I’ve already modified it twice.
But the model shouldn't be able to tip over onto the funnels.
As you rightly noted, the base is quite heavy. Just look at that massive mounting stand...



Besides, with the current extension, it already reaches quite high up and hasn't caused any problems so far.
Take a look here.



So, the Mikas is very well packaged. I always undo just one side to work on it.
But when I get to the masts soon, I’ll consider extending the work surface.
Many thanks for this very helpful tip, Marijn.

[marijn van gils]

That looks much more reassuring indeed!


BTW, I got the idea from Philip Reed's book. I rarely come up with fresh ideas myself!

[Joelle]

BTW, I got the idea from Philip Reed's book. I rarely come up with fresh ideas myself!

That’s not so bad, Marijn.
The main thing is that you wow us with your fantastic little Victory.

[Joelle]

Let’s move on to attaching the final—and rather tricky—component to the hull.
As always, let’s start with the key players for the upcoming assembly steps.



After cleaning the very delicate components, I decided to solder the railing to the upper handrail. To do this, I secured the upper section to a block of wood using a little Micro Liquitape and carefully soldered the railing into the groove, piece by piece.



The second groove was then attached to the gratings, and the two round mounts were also secured with solder.



Assembled, and then everything was given a coat of primer.



Afterwards, I used my finest sandpaper to sand the paint off the nameplate down to the brass and attached the plaque to the railing. I double-checked the original photos of the Mikasa to make sure I was mounting it the right way up—that could have been quite embarrassing otherwise.



Then everything weathered again.



Tacked the gallery to the hull with Blu-Tack to align it properly.



After that, I secured everything properly with acrylic adhesive and attached the struts and the stern anchor. The rudder has also been fitted into its mounts. However, I’ll leave the propulsion system for later.



And with that, the gallery is hanging in its place.



I am very glad that everything worked out well, given that I had made quite a few changes to the hull—such as all the profiles—so I was really worried that something might not fit. But as you can see, it is hanging straight and at the intended height on the stern, exactly where it belongs.



I initially considered replicating the small release mechanism on the stern anchors as well, but ultimately decided against it. I’d like to get this model finished soon, and I’ve already scratch-built plenty of details. That should suffice; otherwise, I’ll start losing interest.
So, I can report that the final components on the outer hull can be considered complete.



Moving on to the masts.