1/350 HMS Hood (scratchbuild)

[Christian M.]

Thanks! I'll try finishing the model ASAP and spend some time in the weekend, the few hours not booked by other activities

Same situation at me ... job, family and then I'm coach of footbal (soccer) team of 9 year old kids with 2 times training / week + each Saturday division match. But now we have next Saturday last match and go into winter break until 08. March 2014 = more time now

[EJFoeth]

Ive started my Christmas Holidays a bit earlier. We had a small indoor-carting contest with a few colleagues of our R&D department that I was loosing badly. Our best driver pushed me in the boarding and I now have a bruised sternum that really hurts. When I took my bicycle to work a few days later I must have hit a a bump in the road that hurt so much I passed out (I think from a lack of breath when recuperating from the blow). I decided to spent some overtime and stay home.

I'm nearly done with the top part of the aft searchlight platform (pictures coming) but I noticed it didn't fit too well on the lower part already fixed to the boat deck part. Both were made according to the drawings but apparently they do not line up. I make a small drawing in Autocad to keep as both notes and a best-guess for the platform. I think I'll draw up all parts for my next model.

AFSP_04.jpg

The top-left part shows the remains where the old searchlight platform was; some damage to the deck was inevitable, but will be hidden by the new part. Note I puttied out the planks at the aft part of the platform as I initially had windows in the bulkheads. The Hood site corrected me that those windows were covered by canvas and there is no need to worry about the inside anymore. Top-right shows the deck outlines of 4 slides of plastic I need to make the core of the lower platform. Using the caliper trick as outlined a few posts back is a great way to get really accurate parts. The part of the right is the floor part with two alignment holes. One was drilled in the deck, and the bottom-left part shows how the second hole was drilled in. This pre-grooved styrene is really great stuff; the center line is really the centerline and works as a great reference.

AFSP_05.jpg

The bulkheads were cut from strips of styrene and the part was built up in layers. Note the structure with various additional strips to keep parts at right angles. The bottom-right part shows the result with additional plating covering the core part; structurally sound and accurately built within 0.1mm. I also took the opportunity to have the aft edges chambered (narrow end). IIRC, Gary Dunstan pointed out to me that that edge should not be sharp. Note the putty, even when working very clean adding putty will always show some defects and scratches.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Despite your accident-


-your hand -eye faculties are still un-impaired....


JIM B

see you at Telford 2014...?

[EJFoeth]

I should have recovered by then and the model done. Done?! Panic!

[EJFoeth]

AFSP_06.jpg

The two smaller wings on either side of the platform were replaced too; and they were really tricky. I now thoroughly hate my Olfa circle cutter and tried something else; I use a disc make of the lathe to outline circles and use it as a cutting template. Adding a line tangent to a circle is easier now. I did use the circle cutter for one cut, as you can see, but I had to make many platforms before I had two parts that were the current size.

The part itself was aligned with a small template for exact positioning of the center of the wing with the pillar below it. (Still, it wasn't aligned well with the deck part, so that hole was filled).

Bottom-left shows the part after the glue had dried. The step between the platform and bulkhead was sanded flat, so after painting this should look like a continuous floor. This could only be done before the splinter shields were added, during which the part was very flimsy to handle. I used tape to measure the length along the wing for the splinter shield.

Bottom right shows the splinter shield already in place and I'm adding a small detail strip. I use a small plastic sheet (transparent) to push the strip to the top of the splinter shield so that it is flush. Adding these strips was very time consuming; adding them carefully and hoping they won't fall off is step 1. Then you can progressively bend and glue them into shape, holding them for 10-20 seconds before the glue has set. I also carved out another door as I noticed I had no pictures of a door there and the structure was always open.

AFSP_07.jpg

Done! Some random left-over detail added. Note the windows plated over; in reality, this was canvas to be simulated by paint.

AFSP_08.jpg

The wings worked out quite well. The platform still consists of two separate parts for ease of painting; some railing and equipment to be added once the paint has dried. The searchlights and HACS Mk III have been painted, the pompom director Mk II needs to be rebuilt.

[LE BOSCO]

Hello EJFoeth

as usual,a very good mastery of the plastic card congrats for your job
regards
Nicolas

[EJFoeth]

Thanks! Today I put the final pieces on the main turrets and can start applying some paint...

[EJFoeth]

Shelters_01.jpg

I've added all the images there are of HMS Hood showing the signalmen shelters near the HACS pedestal on the Admirals Signals Platform (first superstructure deck): according to John Roberts a shelter was built below the support beam between the superstructure and HACS pedestals. A drawing can be found on the Trumpeter correction page of the ever-so-useful HOOD website. I tried to find any confirmation other than there just being an additional bulkhead, but I decided to add the shelters as per the Hood website instructions. Well, nearly.

Shelters_02.jpg

The website orders you to add a small chamfer to the shelters but I added it to the port side shelter only; note the ladder leading to the HACS access hatch that is offset slightly to the right. I decided the chamfer wasn't necessary for the right shelter. I added the voice pipes representing the image collage above best I could, with a few voice pipes entering the shelters and one near the work area of the signalmen; one such voice pipe did lead to that location. I have no shot of the starboard side of HMS Hood after the shelters were built that shows this area clearly, so I copied the port side. Note the cute water tank with access hatch and feeding line.

I then wanted to add the stairs and start painting the superstructure decks with the shelters but I found out that some MORON designed etched parts that didn't fit the superstructure because of some TRIVIAL ERROR in what some people call math... After the application of sufficient punishment (drinking cheap wine) I started redesigning the ladders (I have to do one new etch anyway). Minor modifications to the superstructure will be required now that I have better shots from Ian Johnston's outstanding Clydebank Battlecruisers book.

[MartinJQuinn]

You make it all look so simple. Which, of course, it is not. Fantastic stuff.

[EJFoeth]

Thanks! It is not that difficult to do; you just have to set yourself for building only a few parts per day. Including drying, it took many hours to build these small shelters. Two weeks vacation and the ship still isn't done... On to the next sub project...

stairs.jpg

But look, I'm not the only one having trouble with the stairs

[EJFoeth]

paint_01s.jpg

Painting is now going quite well. I mixed a paint that is as close as I can get it to AP507B (Humbrol 34/140/77 (white/gull grey/navy blue) in a 4:4:3 ratio) and even matches it after weathering. This is the base layer. Because I cannot get good photographs I did not take pics of all intermediate steps. I normally use a small handheld camera but now use a DSLR to get the color right. I think I need additional lights and a new macro lens but we just bought a new car... so....

paint_02s.jpg

Now they look like this; the flash exaggerates the contrast somewhat (I try to keep the contrast down). I mixed two additional paints that are lighter and darker for adding shade and highlights. After the base coat has dried for 24hrs, the shading is a applied (low regions, overhangs, some lines over the parts) followed by the highlighting and some over spraying to blend everything. The weathering is oils only (again after 24 hours), a black (pin) wash, white highlighting (semi drybrush, but not really dry), a blue filter to correct the tone, again some white for touching up and finally Van Dyk brown smudges. The actual ship was repainted all the time, so not too much weathering can be applied. I have my model in her final day configuration and she was painted only 2 weeks before that. Weathering with oils works nicely: I keep a brush with thinner nearby (Sansodor by Winsor & Newton) that makes it very easy to clean over too much white or excess black.

[LE BOSCO]

Hello EJFoeth
the beginning of the painting and weathering process, portends a true apotheosis I like it
cheers
Nicolas

[JIM BAUMANN]

now even the big bits are getting painted!!!!

..... I see that I will have to ensure I will be at Telfrod in 2015..

Have you done any ( wood) deck painting yet....?

JIM B

[EJFoeth]

I'll try keeping the pace up now... still a few days of vacation left. Enough time to paint the aft searchlight platform and bandstand I tried painting wood a few months ago and I think I'll have to start trying again. Hood had a very brown deck and I have to find a recipe that works well... then I can even try starting on the hull and main deck parts too. With my latest ladder failure the corticene and thus bridge is a bit postponed....

[Captain pugwash]

Excellent bit of scratch building.

Just read through the whole threads,'Never do that normally'.

Great build so far, Looking foreword to more.

Cheers Capt=P

[EJFoeth]

Thanks! I've much more of the same on my bloglet...

[J. Soca]

Perfecto!!!




Jose

[EJFoeth]

mainmast_09.jpg

My new Modelkasten wire arrived from HLJ so I tried it out. It works really well; I wanted to include etched parts in the main mast stays to add some more feeling of a real rig so getting wires taut was of concern. These Modelkasted wires run pretty straight so no troubles there. Getting everything aligned was tricky. The wire first reveiced its end eyelet, I then placed the foot of the stay, cut the wire the size and them fixed it at the top of the mast. Aligning the bottom stay and the wire takes forever and them you hope you don't overglue everything. This work was done yesterday and today I repeated it because, of course, I wasn't satisfied with the result.

mainmast_10.jpg

Here you see the eyelets and stays from the etch. Now I can continue to add the little 279M radar.

[LE BOSCO]

one word EJFoeth sssssssssssplendid !this is of a incredible fineness
congrats
nicolas

[litvin70]

Excellent work! It will be reference for me!