WIP: 1/350 Zvezda Z-17 Dieter Von Roeder

[MartinJQuinn]

I had a question about that. If I was doing a wartime version, would it still be Dunkelgrau 50 and Hellgrau 51 or is it a different color? I know the eagle crest has to come off the bridge for wartime appearance.


Thanks
Jon

Yes, those would be the correct colors.

Far from done - but I should have her ready for the September deadline.

[MartinJQuinn]

After a trip to the IPMS/USA Nationals and a family vacation to Tennessee, finally found some time to get back to the Z-17. A bunch of parts needed additional Hellgrau 50, which was accomplished on Saturday. Yesterday I went to see some warbirds on Long Island, NY, so today was the first day I could get to the bench and do some work. Here is how she looks as of tonight:

First part glued to the hull!

Not sure what the Germans called bollards...

Some of the parts that were airbrushed...

Breakwater and some of the bollards added

Superstructure dry fitted to the hull, so the bridge deck can dry properly to the forward superstructure

Middle superstructure dry fitted to hull

Here is where I ran into my first fit problems - the bridge wings didn't want to sit flat on the forward superstructure.

All in all, I've enjoyed this kit so far. More to come!

[LE BOSCO]

it starts to take shape Martin !keep the path
cheers
Nicolas

[Devin]

Nice work. I'm not a fan of German ships, outside of the funky looking Graf Spee, but this destroyer has some nice lines.

[R.Ricardo]

Nice painting job , are you using Artwox wood deck for Z-17?

[MartinJQuinn]

Nice painting job , are you using Artwox wood deck for Z-17?

I am not - didn't even know one was available yet!

Plus I JUST installed the starboard crane post yesterday. Don't feel like ripping it out to lay down a wood deck.

[R.Ricardo]

Nice painting job , are you using Artwox wood deck for Z-17?

I am not - didn't even know one was available yet!

Plus I JUST installed the starboard crane post yesterday. Don't feel like ripping it out to lay down a wood deck.

Hi Martin,

Yes, Artwox issued a wood deck for Z-17 about October/2013, I purchased one from Hobby Easy some few days ago. You're reason is a risk to remove now the crane if you had installed it in place. Very nice work you're doing in your Z-17.

http://artwox.com/index.php?document_srl=12365

[MartinJQuinn]

Thanks guys, appreciate the comments.

Work is moving along, I've got all the superstructure decks in place. And, as the other day, I ran into some minor fit issues. It seems once I wanted to permanently attach the deck houses, the forward two didn't fit as well as when I dry-fitted them. I attribute that to the support pillars on either side. With a little maneuvering and some judicious use of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement (and rubber bands), I got the parts to sit pretty much flush. The small "vent" that sits behind the forward funnel and straddles the break in the fo'c'sle and the main deck also gave me some grief, but I think I got that to behave, after some persuasion, as well.

As you see her now, most of the major construction is done. What's left is add the guns, one torpedo launcher, the masts and the boats. Plus the always needed touch up - starting with the area around the prop guards which needs to be repainted Dunkelgrau 51.

[MartinJQuinn]

Some more progress. Just about everything is on except the ships boats, some bridge equipment, masts, jack staff and flag staff. I noticed too late that the two lumps just aft of the breakwater are cable reels. If I had realized that earlier, I would have shaved them off and replaced them with photo-etch versions. Not sure I want to take a chance at wrecking the deck at this late date.

The last thing I did last night was some touch up painting - have to do some more so I can then airbrush the hull with future ahead of applying the penant number decals.

[MartinJQuinn]

With a late meeting at work last night, by the time I got home, I didn't have the time or enthusiasm to work on Z-17, which means I won't have her done by our club Group Build deadline of this Friday night. But, that's okay - I see areas that need touching up before I airbrush her with future in preparation of adding the pennant numbers and doing a wash, so I'd rather do her right than rush.

Here's some photos from tonight's work. I used the inclined ladders from the Trumpeter Z-25, four of which had to be cut to fit properly. The Trumpeter set leaves me an inclined ladder short, but a buddy is giving me his Z-25 PE set, as he's going to go the aftermarket route, so I'll have the proper amount of ladders. I also added the ships boats (one of the things that needs touching up).

The mines are painted and ready to be added. I'm going to fill the holes in the deck where the jack and flag staff goes, and make them - as well as some of the masts - from brass.

More to come...

[Devin]

Looking good!

I got derailed last night as well. Spending this evening masking and painting deck gray. So far so good...

[GazzaS]

When you say airbrush with 'future', are you talking about the eternal super-high-gloss floor polish, or something else?

From flat-matte standpoint, I feel confused.

[Devin]

Typical procedure is to gloss coat the model, so that decals will go on without any silvering, and so that washes will flow well around details without spidering out across the rest of the model's surface. Once that's done, you then dull coat the model to seal it all in.

[GazzaS]

Ah, thanks. I'm so far behind!

[MartinJQuinn]

Typical procedure is to gloss coat the model, so that decals will go on without any silvering, and so that washes will flow well around details without spidering out across the rest of the model's surface. Once that's done, you then dull coat the model to seal it all in.

Yeah. What he said.

[Goodwood]

Naturally, when I first heard about the Future technique (in relation to aircraft canopies and clear parts, if you must know) and wanted to apply it myself, suddenly Future stopped being available in the U.S.

[RichardP]

Future is still available, it got a name change. I've seen it mentioned over and over and yet cannot remember the current name and type that you want. Someone will know....

[MartinJQuinn]

Future is still available, it got a name change. I've seen it mentioned over and over and yet cannot remember the current name and type that you want. Someone will know....

Pledge "with Future shine". Made by SC Johnson and Company in the US.

[RichardP]

That's the one; what he said

[MartinJQuinn]

So the "deadline" came and went, and since I wasn't the only person who didn't finish their group build, we extended the deadline to the February 2015 meeting. Hopefully, it will be done before that.

I worked on the masts and the jack/flag staffs last night...

I didn't like the look of the braces on the foremast, so I cut them off and replaced them with brass rod

Replaced the aft mast with brass and added a yard, which is visible in photos.

Foremast with kit topmast

New topmast made from brass

Used photo-etch railing from the Trumpy Z-25 for the searchlight platform. Was almost a perfect fit.

The kit jack and flag staffs

New flag staff

New jack staff

Random photo of the midships area with the mines in place. The inclined ladder from the Trumpy Z-25, and had to be cut to fit properly.

I've got the mast set aside to repaint. Once the mast is painted and installed, I'm going to start adding the railings.