1/350 HMS Hood (scratchbuild)

[EJFoeth]

Unfortunately not! I had to choose between the IPMS nationals, the national Skeptics congress and a weekend off with my wife... guess who lost!

[mossieramm]

Well, enjoy your weekend off in Nieuwegein
Pitty I can't make it either.
David (fellow Marin-er)

[EJFoeth]

That makes three already

[mossieramm]

Who's the other ??

[EJFoeth]

Here: viewtopic.php?f=60&t=153033

[EJFoeth]

Searchlights are painted; the airbrushing is a bit grainy when zooming in a lot and you need to remove dust and small hairs before shooting in macro... One searchlight broke in half during painting and I need that one on my model so that it doesn't show... The grainy result could be of the first white base layer; I think I didn't thin down that white sludge from the Humbrol jar sufficiently...

So, what to use to make the searchlight windows? Crystal clear? White Glue? Any tips?

[litvin70]

So, what to use to make the searchlight windows? Crystal clear? White Glue? Any tips?

"Kristal klear" from Microscale

[Timmy C]

Maybe just leave them glass-less, depending on how you intend on doing the windows on the rest of the ship (fighting tops, etc.). I'm of the opinion that simulated glass in this scale is rather thick and ruins the delicate crispness of the model, especially as any kind of liquid simulant will severely "pull" towards the edges, giving them a distorted appearance.

[EJFoeth]

Thanks for the tips. I'll order a bottle and try it some on old etched parts. I do want to have some glass simulation there....

(Also need to try liquid masking and such...)

[JIM BAUMANN]

Also do try Humbrolo clear fix( used on making airliner model windows)

dries very clear .-- none of the liquid methods dry totally flat-- in 1/700 its not an issue.

Nick Dogger on his Trumpy Hood build glazed the fighting top with flat acteate -- it does looks sharp ( noot an option fpor you with the serachlights.

Try also Ladies clear nail varnish ( try on scrap first !)

whatever experiments you do--place them on a windowsill in UV--and check out any UV degradation /yellowing....

having spent 10 years plus building--don't spoil at the last hurdle!

glazed spotting top-==> good angularity

[EJFoeth]

The effect on Nicks model for the windows is perfect. But, why is the flat acetate not an option for the searchlights?

[JIM BAUMANN]

ref searchl;ights

does the glazing not need to be level with the 'bars'...? ergo the white glue/ clear fix method is selfl evelling and makes it flush

( some people put the glazing behind the " bars" -- biut I think that looks too 3-D ...)

or are you proposing to make individual panes ( hmnn I guess YOU probably would! ) tricky to get them all in the same plane...


Intrigued and excited...--all this painting.....!!!!

[EJFoeth]

or are you proposing to make individual panes ( hmnn I guess YOU probably would! ) tricky to get them all in the same plane...

Err, not having individual panes didn't even cross my mind! The etch is double layer, one thicker than the other, so it will be slightly 3D. We'll see.

Didn't paint too much this weekend. I did experiment with Indigo filters on scrap objects. The tone of the model is sometimes frightfully dark and sometimes not, but never very blue. The filter might work if I do it very very gently... I tried mixing Humbrol 145 with 104 (dark blue) and that batch was very close to the colour charts. Now it's a bit grayish....

[EJFoeth]

Right, so there I was ready to paint the aft search light top part. There was a bit of damage I tried to repair, if only I could just scrape off a bit of the styrene, and I completely destroyed the part. So a new part it is!

AFSP_01.jpg

This time I started with a new drawing in Autocad, including the build-up of the solid core in Evergreen strip. I bought nearly every variant of Evergreen on Ebay a few months ago so that I never have to run out. The previous version of this part started with the central block and then added the (open) structures beneath the searchlights. Now I reversed the approach builing the two open archways in a single block and adding the rest of the solid parts afterwards. Difficulty: carving archways in curved, thin styrene.

AFSP_02.jpg

Instead of drawing I carved the lines in the styrene using a steel ruler and caliper to get very accurate positions (top left). I made a few filler blocks and rods (lathe) for a good folding support (top right). I poured boiling water over the parts to fix the shape. The blocks were later disposed off but I still use the rods to avoid squishing the part (bottom left). The width of the parts with those arches is within 0.1mm, so pretty good. Using scraping templates the archways were cut & sanded out (not pictured). Today I finished the rest of the solid, central part (bottom right). So, the bulkheads do not align as perfectly as I'd planned, but this you absolutely cannot see when the part is done.

AFSP_03.jpg

To be continued!

[LE BOSCO]

HI EJFoeth

always a pleasure to follow your thread I am in admiration of your work
cheers
nicolas

[EJFoeth]

Thanks! I like your style of frequent updates so I follow suit. Not finished? So what... post pictures!

[JIM BAUMANN]

thats a good chunk of work to have to inadvertently repeat!

well done!

JIM B

[EJFoeth]

And it is nearly done. I hope the two winged platforms with the two other searchlights fill just as well. Their pedestals fall in the deck below so there is no room for error... otherwise they'll have to be adapted.

I can now start adding the last pieces (water tank, support bracket, HACS stand, drain pipes, small derrick, ladders doors and then it is done. There's one of these stern following lights on the rear of the platform (other one is on the rear jack staff) that will probably be etched and added later. If anyone has a good picture... best one I have is below (much smaller, I have a high-res scan but still)

POW_lights.jpg

It's the light attached to the staff and aft director tower, bright and well visible on this image. (edit: meanwhile solved. These are 18" fog lights)

[Christian M.]

Well ... always amazing to see your progress and detailing orgy for the Hood. For me it is a clear inspiration what can be done at my own, but I packed her back on the stack for the first.
Even my abilities are far away from your master degree, I choosed to make my Hood as a masterpiece too. So I wait until you have more further progress, because your working here will be my building instruction

In meantime I will finish my Varyag and start SMS Markgraf first to get some more experiences ...

Cheers,
Christian

[EJFoeth]

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