The Ship Model Forum

The wood deck looks really good. I'm definitely waiting until I good my set before I progress any further on mine.

codythecatt wrote: somebody had mentioned to me in my build log to use white glue to tack the pieces of the superstructure together ... it didn't work! The glue just popped right off the styrene. Maybe it works better on little dinky parts?

Yes. When gluing styrene to styrene, use your regular plastic cement. White glue is for gluing non-structural and non-plastic materials.

http://www.modellschlachtschiffe.de/sho ... Mehr+Infos

I might as well leave this link here as well.
Expensive but nice.

I expect them to be gold plated at that price...

and be delivered by a hot looking postgirl at least i would add

angeleyes wrote:http://www.modellschlachtschiffe.de/shop/product.asp?numPageStartPosition=1&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&strSearchCriteria=&PT_ID=95&P_ID=273&btnProduct=Mehr+Infos

I might as well leave this link here as well.
Expensive but nice.

Problem is they only deliver to German addresses I had looked into them a few years back.

codythecatt wrote:Looking sharp!

Referring to your 4th picture: Is all that stuff on the side of the structure PE? Or is some of it native to the original molding?

somebody had mentioned to me in my build log to use white glue to tack the pieces of the superstructure together ... it didn't work! The glue just popped right off the styrene. Maybe it works better on little dinky parts?

Oh: occasionally toss something into the pictures that will show the scale ... like a ruler or penny or something.

More than welcome

The doors and pipes are the only things that are left molded on from the original kit. They have done quite a good job with these. All the hatches vents and of course portholes and covers are PE. The only thing missing are electrical cables running along the top edge of the superstructure linking the deck lights. Yes even the deck lights are in the superstructure - theyre small but scale I've yet to find anything small enough to represent the cables, so I may just leave them off for now. I'd prefer to have them if they're too large as it will start to distract from the other fine detail.

Thanks for all your comments everyone. It's great to be able to share this hobby with other like minded people

Timmy C wrote:

codythecatt wrote: somebody had mentioned to me in my build log to use white glue to tack the pieces of the superstructure together ... it didn't work! The glue just popped right off the styrene. Maybe it works better on little dinky parts?

Yes. When gluing styrene to styrene, use your regular plastic cement. White glue is for gluing non-structural and non-plastic materials.

Yeah I only use the PVA for these small PE parts Cody, the best bit is it also gives you a small amount of leeway if you don't place the part on perfectly straight.

Some items to show scale.

I've also painted the border along the lower edge of the superstructure, as you can see in the pics.

Plastic Habit wrote:Hello everyone,

Nice builds going on. My question is: What is the length in real size or 1/200 that wood planks should be?

Depends on the shipyard - what they had to work with. I'm not an expert on the German navy by any means but on modern warships the plank width should be realistic at 15-20cm and 8.5 m to 10 m. Sorry we don't do feet and inches down under

One thin to note is that these planks on WW2 era vessels are far more finer in size compared to the days of sail.

boomstick68 wrote:The wood deck looks really good. I'm definitely waiting until I good my set before I progress any further on mine.

It's well worth the wait James there are some items I know aren't in the kit or the KA extras - it bugs me more than the hoops over the anchors which also have to be made. There are prominent and large vents behind the secondary 15cm turret on the forward superstructure on both sides of the Aufbaudeck. These would be above the midshipmans cabins on the port side and the midshipmans workshop on the stbd side. They're easily enough made - which is what annoys me the most. They seem to have been missed on nearly every model, kit or scratch built. AOTS isn't much help as it shows them in some drawings and not in others. Saying that though.... The Blohm & Voss shipyard model doesn't have them either....


You can see them just behind the 15cm turret on the curved section of superstructure against the railing running on the deck.

Scratchbuilding... it's fun, fast and easy! Try it at home today! Call now to place your order...

I've spent a lot of time staring at my Big-B superstructure and comparing it with photos of the real thing. Honestly, we'd never be done if we tried to replicate every last vent, line, pipe and orifice on this thing! Still, it IS mind boggling what Trumpeter missed.

It's also interesting to consider that some things Trumpeter left out are actually right... depending on what moment in Bismarck's short life you are trying to replicate.

Take the anchor "loops" everyone was shocked to find missing on the kit... apparently they actually weren't "OEM" equipment:



and: http://www.kbismarck.com/oequipment.html

Obviously they are on the wreck but for all I know they were detachable or a last minute addition before Operation Rhine.

I really thought researching this one would be far less complicated... after all, how much could they change a ship before her maiden voyage? Apparently, A LOT.

A the admiral has said in the past, sometimes my attention to detail is scary.

Yep I think if you remove the forward and aft rangefinders, you could build an accurate bismarck as delivered OOB. Still the most accurate kit of her altogether.

Time to find some polyester foam and see how she may look set in a sea...

Oh I've changed the poll as I'll be painting her as she was after the Baltic stripes were removed.

So what are people's thoughts??? Waterline or full hull?

Channell wrote:Scratchbuilding... it's fun, fast and easy! Try it at home today! Call now to place your order...

I've spent a lot of time staring at my Big-B superstructure and comparing it with photos of the real thing. Honestly, we'd never be done if we tried to replicate every last vent, line, pipe and orifice on this thing! Still, it IS mind boggling what Trumpeter missed.

It's also interesting to consider that some things Trumpeter left out are actually right... depending on what moment in Bismarck's short life you are trying to replicate.

Take the anchor "loops" everyone was shocked to find missing on the kit... apparently they actually weren't "OEM" equipment:



and: http://www.kbismarck.com/oequipment.html

Obviously they are on the wreck but for all I know they were detachable or a last minute addition before Operation Rhine.

I really thought researching this one would be far less complicated... after all, how much could they change a ship before her maiden voyage? Apparently, A LOT.

Hi Channel.

The anchor "loops" or collars if you will were not detachable and were a permanent part of the ship. They are in fact in that photo you posted, but are hard to see due to the sun glare that is hitting them at the time it was taken.

"You can see them just behind the 15cm turret on the curved section of superstructure against the railing running on the deck"

Eh? I found Waldo, a smilie face, a pin-up Sheila, and ganja leaf stencil hidden in the picture ... but can't figure out what the <bleeped> you are trying to point out! (Maybe that is a good thing??? )


PS: 25-30' planking??? That is awfully long. Are you sure?? We grow some mighty tall Douglas Fir here in Washington State but hardly anybody cuts 30' planks of any type. (you need a 60'+ tree to get that length of plank)

Decking varied widely even on sailing ships: depending on the century, what parts of the world work was done in, wood stocks currently available, and even by year. Cutty had 6", 8", 9" or even 10" width planks in 20' lengths to fit over the 4' spaced ribs (? or whatever they are called) to provide an every 5th pattern*. But when decks made of steel sheets topped by wood appeared any width and length of decking would/could be used.

*hope I finally got that right this time ... lol

thanks Perth for the info.

I dont normally do ship models, usually German armor and aircraft. But when I saw the 1/200 Bismarck I decided to put on my sea legs and give it a go.

After looking at some archive photos on line the butt joints seem to line up every 5th board.

Perth you mentioned the width to be about .8mm, so I will be going with that. Thank you.

I have decided to make the lengths of my boards 5cm long so they lap 1cm from the next.

Ive been working on getting all the portholes drilled and filed out. Will be using 5 minute epoxy to simulate glass with a blue and gloss mix to overcoat.

TY to all for their info on ideas and fixes.

codythecatt wrote:"You can see them just behind the 15cm turret on the curved section of superstructure against the railing running on the deck"

Eh? I found Waldo, a smilie face, a pin-up Sheila, and ganja leaf stencil hidden in the picture ... but can't figure out what the <bleeped> you are trying to point out! (Maybe that is a good thing??? )


PS: decking varied widely even on sailing ships: depending on the century, what parts of the world work was done in, wood stocks currently available, and even by year. Cutty had 6", 8", 9" or even 10" width planks in 20' lengths to fit over the 4' spaced ribs (? or whatever they are called) to provide an every 5th pattern*. But when decks made of steel sheets topped by wood appeared any width and length of decking would/could be used.

*hope I finally got that right this time ... lol

Heres a photo from a Dutch modelers site.
The vents you can see here behind the 15cm gun on the Aufbaudeck (first deck of the superstructure on the curved recess for the turret) below the admirals barge.


They aren't present on the Blohm & Voss model, so I assume they were an add on after fit out and possibly to do with the ships airconditioning?


As for the hoops for the anchors- don't remember the German name for these. They are on the Blohm & Voss model. These were to keep the anchors in position at sea. Without these despite the weight, they would cause serious damage if not secured especially in a heavy sea.


*as a note though the Blohm & Voss model depicts Bismarck as she wa meant to look with all the proper 10.5cm guns and the aft rangefinders in their cupolas. So the model shows things that Bismarck was to have had but not yet added and things that were added to the ship don't appear on the model.

Guest wrote:thanks Perth for the info.

I dont normally do ship models, usually German armor and aircraft. But when I saw the 1/200 Bismarck I decided to put on my sea legs and give it a go.

After looking at some archive photos on line the butt joints seem to line up every 5th board.

Perth you mentioned the width to be about .8mm, so I will be going with that. Thank you.

I have decided to make the lengths of my boards 5cm long so they lap 1cm from the next.

Ive been working on getting all the portholes drilled and filed out. Will be using 5 minute epoxy to simulate glass with a blue and gloss mix to overcoat.

TY to all for their info on ideas and fixes.

You're welcome. Please register and post your build would love to see what other people do