1:350 HMS Repulse 1941

[Andrew F]

Hi all,

This is my first ship model in over 20 year and the first plastic model in more than 15 so any help would be appreciated.
I'm attempting to make an accurate version of Repulse as she was sunk in 1941. This is based on photos, underwater video, the plans from the 1936 refit and additional original plans of the 1939 deck houses (thanks to John Roberts!)
I plan to make use of the WEM PE set and also the GM Hood set (when it eventually turns up!
As has been discussed elsewhere, while the Trumpeter kit is fantastic in many respects, it is also wrong in several areas and seems to be a mixture components from 1936 to 1941. And while it has very fine detail on such things as hatches etc, other areas such as the hull plating are completely absent..... but more later.

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The first thing I've attempted is to add the butt straps. These are visible on many of the close up photos. I've chosen to use domestic aluminium foil as I wont be able to sand them back once in place without loosing the "eye brows" on the scuttles.

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I've also removed the 3"HA gun shield (the Trumpeter version is as per 1936) and replaced it with 2 thou brass.

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The next thing was to add the inboard struts to the A brackets of the prop shaft support. How they could leave a big item like this off is beyond me!

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The deck houses came up for attention next. These were altered for the Royal tour that never happened and were subsequently turned into cabins. Today the scuttle have rusted out and fallen in and one can look into these cabins and still see the remains of beds and the bath in the bath room.
I removed the raised section on the forecastle deck and tried out the WEM PE deck house. Unfortunately it's not correct. It only has 6 scuttles (the original had two extra for the bathroom) , has hatches at either end and does not have wood decking on the roof. The correct port deckhouse house is not supplied in either kit.

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Here's the original plans:

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So I've remade both houses out of 3 thou brass. I'm awaiting the hatches on the GM Pe fret to add hatches and widows on the port house and the "eye" brows for the scuttles on the starboard house. Hand rails are made form stretched sprue.

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The armoured step that the model has at the rear is also not visible on any photo or plan that I have.... So I've removed it:

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Finally.... for the moment, I've started to attempt to simulate the hull plating by using spray filler and masking. The hull plating on Repulse is quite subtle compare to say Hood. I've not tried this technique before...... hope it all works out!

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Anyway... that's where it's at at the moment.... more to follow.
Any advice much appreciated.

Andrew

[Anthony P]

Very impressive thus far... looking forward to seeing the continuing progress of your build!

As for the hull plating simulation, I have used Gunze's "Mr.Surfacer 500" in a current build. The difficuly is to know when to stop. Too little and it may disappear under a coat of paint, too much and it will not look right!

Anthony

[JCRAY]

Hi Andrew, I'm glad to see your re-build of the rear gunhouse, To me the replacement sets are not accurate, I look foward to your progress. J CRAY

[M�LDERS]

Nice to see this Kit growing in here. Good look all the way through!

[MartinJQuinn]

The next thing was to add the inboard struts to the A brackets of the prop shaft support. How they could leave a big item like this off is beyond me!

Trumpeter did the same thing on the Essex class kits.

Very nice work - inspiring stuff!! My only complaint is the pictures are too small!

[Andrew F]

Very nice work - inspiring stuff!! My only complaint is the pictures are too small!

Is there another way to add photos that allows them to be larger files?

Andrew

[Timmy C]

You can upload them to an image-hosting site and then post the link to them here. If you are not familiar with this method, you can check out the instructions at the bottom of this page: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1261

[Lucky]

Hi Andrew


Luciano

[Andrew F]

So A little more progress!

I found some pretty good chain a the local model railway shop, seems just the correct size. The blade stopper and the hawser grills are from the WEM PE set.


First time I've used PE..... very impressed! (also the first tile I've used an air gun!)

The rear superstructure now come up for re modelling as the kit is wrong for 1941.


A new hole had to be cut for the ladder on the starboard side and the sides covered in. Still waiting for the PE set with the hatches etc!



Andrew

[Andrew F]

So here's the next question. Most drawings of Repulse show the forward shelter deck as a wooden deck. For some reason, Trumpeter have choses to not scribe deck lines on this area even though on the painting diagram the area is shown in "teak" colour.
The first effort was to remove the benches from the deck. Does anyone know if these were carried to war? If they are I'll replace them with some PE efforts.


As an alternative I've attempted to make a new deck from Evergreen scribed 10 thou board sanded as thin as I can get it


I cut out areas for the skylight / ammunition hoist in front of the distribution office and also for the hatch on the starboard side. I may later fill this in and replace it with a PE part...... IF THEY EVER TURN UP!!


Interestingly, the hatch on the starboard side is not shown on the plans as a hatch.... but is it a vent?


So, should I do the wooden deck.... or as in the kit? And, if the later what colour should it be??

Andrew

[J. Soca]

Great job so far Andrew


Jose

[Andrew F]

Thanks Jose,

I appreciated your support especially after seeing your works!

Andrew

[Andrew F]

Just a little progress before I have to go off to Blighty..... still waiting for paint and PE to complete a few areas before I can really go further:



Here's funnels. The plastic central screens have been removed and replaced with the WEP PE units. The Trumpeter ones are on the deck for comparison. The Trumpeter ones are so coarse that you might as well leave the plastic ones in place. In addition, they have the wrong number of bars. However, what they don't tell you in the WEP instructions is that in order to dish the screens as per the prototype, you need to cut the rim in two places at each end. In addition, I left the PE sprue on so that I could elevate the ring off the funnel edge.

The rear shelter deck deck house is now basically complete apart from a couple of PE WT doors that need to be added. The scuttle rain gutters were made from copper wire bent, cut and placed with PVA glue. Tried a couple of time on a practice sheet to use CA glue but no good. The technique that finally seemed to work was to put some glue above the scuttle hole, place the gutter above it, push it into position and use a brush to wick the excess glue away. In the end this became quite straightforward. The Forecastle deck deck house still needs its rain gutter but these should come on the PE set I've ordered.



For practice, I've made up the Trumpeter PE crane and the plastic one. The PE one is great but I suspect the WEP one will be much better still.



Anyway,

That's it for the moment! Hopefully the PE and paint will have arrived here by the time I get home.
PS, Some friends are conducting an expedition out to POW and Repulse in late September. If there are any questions people want answered then let me know and I'll ask them to have a look..... can't guarantee anything mind!

Andrew

[Finland's Jonne]

Hi Andrew,

nice when you showed also plastic and PE parts, that somebodies can looking how good PE parts maybe looks.

Good job!

[Andrew F]

So, A little more progress while i wait for parts and especially the WEP light grey!

The bridge is coming together (dry assembly only). Interestingly, Trumpeter supply sides to the rear bridge (plotting office) to add detail. Unfortunately it's all wrong! There should be two scuttle in the side of the plotting office and another in the captain's day cabin at the rear. In addition, there should not be ladders to the rear of the bridge wings, instead the ladders rise up through the different layers centrally. Small ladders attach to the rear of the lower bridge deck.


Here's the Trumpeter instructions,


The initial changes involve removing the hatch, drilling the scuttles and cutting the opening on both sides. There should also be doors at the back of the bridge. Haven't decided what to do about these at the moment.



Holes were cut in the various decks and the stairs inserted. It was necessary to extend the lower bridge deck about 1mm to accommodate the ladder from above.


The conning tower has also been modified so that the viewing slots are more correct.

Andrew

[Andrew F]

So just when I thought I had the bridge area sorted, I noted that the plans I put up last night differ from the drawing I was using!
The lower bridge deck has a control room and a lobby on each side that extend to the rear of the deck and the hatch that I had assumed was a ladder up is actually on the deck below.


Lucky it's all still in "dry run"!

The floor was filled in and an approximation to the house made. To make it exact would be very difficult because of the mast legs. However, I believe that once painted etc it will look correct.



Andrew

[Andrew F]

Just a quick update before heading off to the Java Sea to look for Hr.Ms. Van Nes.

The model continues to frustrate due to constant need to cross reference every part with the Admiralty plans and photos.

The main mast required the following alterations:
Slits cut for the spotters position in the after control position
adding scuttles in the front of the control position
filling of the hole for the 20mm mount and drilling holes for 2 Vickers 0.5 quad mounts above the spotter's positions
adding the yard
adding the gaff
main PE starfish* and stays
secondary PE (upper) star
top star (scratch)
rigging (8/0 for shrounds... will use Caenis for aerials)
ladders

Still to be added,
Searchlights
rail to searchlight tubs
chimney for admiral's kitchen (NB starboard side only, not on both sides as shown in Polish plans and Kagero 3D book)
Vickers quad mounts X2 (any suggestions of where to get some!!!)
DF aerial (PE)


* the original starfish platform plugs into the top of the mast at the level of the bottom of the supports. The PE one has the mast at the level of the platform which effectively shorten then mast by about 2-3mm. I didn't pick this up till it was too late but others may want to extend the mast to get the correct height

I managed to break the top mast when I "unrigged" it .... the 8/0 was too heavy for aerials. This has now been remade with brass rod tapered.

The Bridge is also coming along:
Instruments are from the IJN set of Veteran Models. The bases of the IJN Rangefinders were used and the arms of the Trumpeter ones added to get the correct length. The instruments should be two Evershed bearring indicators and the Torpedo director. I felt that these were as close as I was going to get. I cannot find a photo of a RN Evershed despite all my books on Gunnery!
A compass has been added to the roof of the platting house as per the plans.
The upper platforms are still in "dry fit" only.



The next major task will be adding the degaussing cable and painting the hull now that the paint has turned up. The degaussing cable is a work in the dark!

Andrew

[William J]

Hi Andrew

Looking brilliant so far. Good luck with the degaussing cable.

Bill Keough

[Andrew F]

Well the GM Hood Pe set arrived while I was away and it's well worth the wait.

Square windows (do these need rain gutters??) and hatches added to the rear deck house, easy eye brows etc. and lots more to add else where


I've mocked up a degaussing cable from 0.3mm brass wire / rod. Would be interested in people's opinion of size etc before I glue anything in place:

[Sylvain Auger]

You're Repulse looks awesome Andrew

To my untrained eyes, your degaussing cable looks just fine. Not too big and not too small but in this area I'm really no expert. When I built my Repulse I backdated the model to a 1938 configuration in order to avoid the cable altogether

Cheers

Sylvain