WIP HMS Renown (1942) White Ensign Models

[MartinJQuinn]

The more pictures you post, the more I am impressed. A really fine build, Bill.

So, what's next?

[Cliffy B]

I'm speechless, really I am! I've watched this build from day one with my jaw on the floor the whole time. Top notch build sir and thank for the step-by-step build thread. I've learned a lot!

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks guys... I'm flattered (blushes)... But I have still got a LONG way to go on her yet...

[Sr. Gopher]

Sure Bill. You keep thinking that

[Guido]

Looking great, Bill!
Cheers,
Guido

[Christian Bruer]

Hi Bill,

she is a real beauty. I hope to see you and your excelent HMS Renown at the SMW in Telford this year!

[Guido]

Hi, Bill!
Finished, yet?
Guido

[Bill Livingston]

No... Fitted the GMM railings and painted all the uprights (stanchions) and hated it! Ripped it all off and started again using the WEM ones. They are easier to work with and although heavier, look a lot 'cleaner' so will continue with them.

Lots of 'fiddlely bits', going on, such as the foremast tripod support brackets which are now in place with the foremast and bridge glued in position, but nothing that looks dramatically different so not posted anything recently... Had a two week break from it too which slowed things down. Decided on the end to finish Renown rather than work on Hood, so that's why my Hood thread is lying dormant. Been working in London for the past few days. Looking forward to going home and getting on with her now...

[Guido]

Cheers!
Will you at Telford this year?
Guido

[Bill Livingston]

Hi All,

Apologies for the lack of updates... I have been busy on Renown, just limited internet access and a lot of other things going on. Now I have got a photobucket app on my iPhone things should be a lot easier until everything else is sorted out... Anyway..

as I said a few days ago, I ripped out all my carefully installed GMM railing as it just dodnt look clean and sharp... Not GMM's fault... mine entirely! Their railings are very fine, which in itself would probably be all that was needed... but of course i ended up overcomplicating things and airbrushed the rails black and hand painted the stanchions... they looked pretty good, but there was something just not right and the more i looked the less i liked it. I took them all off and replaced the first level with the WEM rails from the kit and then painted the whole thing to match the surrounding camouflage. They 'dissapear' really nicely and look much more even... Maybe not as accurate, but in 700 scale I think it is much easier, neater and effective... at least until my skills improve

I then decided to add extra detail on the various decks and so started at the top, forward, working down and towards the stern. There is not that much to see as all the detail is very, very small and is one of the reasons why I have not posted any pictures... but the overall effect is really neat and the ship is beginning to look very busy indeed and there is still an awful long way to go.

One of the first bits of added detail that has been completed and fitted (and is worth posting) is the AA armament, the 0.5" quads and the three 8 barrel pom poms.

The basic guns were built from the supplied PE fret, but left as a pure PE assembly was not an option, particularly the pom poms. Consequently some judicious adding of rod, square section styrene and fishing line gave them a real three dimentional look and improved the overall effect massively




I then spoke to Jim B and got some ideas of how to paint these things accurately and then airbrushed them with a very dark grey.



Obviously, with highly cropped photo's from an iPhone the pictures of the 8 barrel pom poms look a little crude compared to 'real life', but they will do...

And here they are painted (but slightly out of focus...) the match gives you a sense of size though...



These are now fitted to Renown as have the 0.5" quads. I have also added the six ready lockers that surround the quads on each side of the bridge deck and that has made a considerable difference to the 'business' of the whole ship.

In the picture below you can see the unpainted quad sitting 'in situ'. Since this photo all the AA armament have been airbrushed and fitted in place... i really just posted this to show SOME progress at least... and to show the WEM railings after all the work I had to do!



Amazing how 'bare' it look compared to the work i have done this week... I'll try and get some current pictures uploaded!

I have now pretty much finished the forward funnel having added a lot of extra detail and it looks far better than earlier pictures... I will be fitting that in place this afternoon and then onto the hangar deck, boats etc...

This is a fabulous model, but it is hard to decide when to stop adding detail... although so far I am very happy with the way she is coming along...

[Bill Livingston]

Update:

Managed to get a current photo uploaded... Needs a flat coat once everything is done to get rid of the shine from glue and paint touch ups... at 700 scale under this amount of magnification it looks a bit rough

Right...now to watch the Brazilian Grand Prix!!!



Bill

[JIM BAUMANN]

Flag Locker in PE Mesh....

INGENIOUS!!!!

I shall happily sneak that idea into my tricks safe!!

JB

[Christian Bruer]

Hi Bill,

good to see some more excellent progress on HMS Renown.

Very well done so far with all the fine details

[Blackbrazen]

Looking lovely, Bill. Absolutely lovely!

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks guys... Your comments are very much appreciated.

Blackbrazen, how are you getting on with your Renown? I expect you, like me, have had other distractions, but I'm missing a colleague in arms working on the same ship... that little bit of extra encouragement helps so much

[Blackbrazen]

Yes, as you say, plenty of distractions...I really need to get my @rse in gear, but your posts are helping to keep me in the right frame of mind!
I've just started on the camo after a very long break, so I'll post some pics when I get the chance.
Keep up your good work, it's looking amazing!

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks blackbrazen... Looking forward to seeing some 'in progress' photos as you work through the camouflage.

I'm going to mount the front funnel properly tomorrow as it's pretty much done now... Then moving on to the ships boats. They look like they are going to take a while. Quite a lot of remodelling and PE to attach to get them looking reasonable. This is the starting point...



Bill

[Bill Livingston]

More or less finished the boats. The dingy and cutters were ok, a little crude and the PE inserts looked useful, but in the end proved not to be. In order to use them they would have needed to be glued flush with the top which would have looked awful. I think WEM should make the PE inserts smaller so they would fit inside the resin parts and simplify the mouldings so they were just a shell. It would make building accurate and neat boats considerably easier. Anyway, I went with the basic castings, ignored the PE and painted them as best I could. They look ok...

The two 45ft motor boats and the three smaller ones were pretty nice castings... However, once I had airbrushed them, cut off the front wheelhouse and cleaned them all up and masked and airbrushed the hull below the waterline I found that when the ship was at speed the motor boats were normally covered by a tarpaulin. Damn!!! Anyway, I decided that adding additional detail was going to be a pain and using accuracy as an excuse, decided to cover them. I used cigarette paper as that was the thinnest o could find. After wetting and forming folds and so on, followed by some 0.05 monoline as ropes, they were painted, washed and then dry brushed. They look pretty good, especially when mounted on the ship.









I have since mounted them all permanently and sprayed an overall coat of Matt to even all the tones up... Looking busier and pretty good now. Still a long way to go though...

[Sr. Gopher]

It's starting to look more like a winner!

[JIM BAUMANN]

Dont forget the oars...- livens up any boat!!


You may recall that a useful trick is to run a pencil along the edges of the thwarts -- this simulates depth top the seat and simulates shadow-- and gives better definition to the seats.

Tara

JIM B