The Ship Model Forum

Hi Nick,

I posted my command posts of Bismarck a year ago or so... so scroll back - I think you know them already. As soon I made some progress I�ll be happy to keep you updated!:D

Bye!

Very nice work, 109! I tracked down your command post thread. Also, very nice. Thanks for sharing your work with us. You might consider asking the moderators to combine your threads into a common Bismarck build thread? I'm eagerly waiting to see more!!

carr wrote:Very nice work, 109! I tracked down your command post thread. Also, very nice. Thanks for sharing your work with us. You might consider asking the moderators to combine your threads into a common Bismarck build thread? I'm eagerly waiting to see more!!

Agreed . good idea
Dave Wooley

Ok, please combine the threads.

Thanks!

Hi,

after cleaning my workshop I return to work on the hull. Right now i am in the progress of reconstructing the torpedo bulkhead (TB).

So far my research brought me the following results (see also the pictures below):

Not yet shown on a picture: TB runs parallel to center of ship from frame 98.3 to 131.7 at a distance of 12.600 mm.

Some progress ...

You sir, are both a technician and a craftsman. Your attention to accuracy is evident and your ability to flawlessly execute the build is inspiring. I can't wait to see more as this develops! Thanks for sharing.

I'm more familiar with US ships and I'm fascinated by the differences such as the flat bottom, smoothly faired bilge keels, etc. Was this unique to Bismarck or was this fairly standard German design and construction for the time?

Regards,
Bob

Hi Bob,

thanks for your kind response.

Well, as far as I know the basic construction pattern was pretty the same for all German WWII capital warships. When I compare photos of different ships I see a lot of similarities - but there are of course some differencies, too. Doesn�t make things easier ...

The lower hull: what you see are not the bilge keels, they are still missing. The edges you see are the " transitions" of the docking keels into the bilge. The plate run A (center flat keel plate), and further outboard plate runs C & F are executed as docking keels flush with the hull but extending over the bilge. So, they need to be faired into the hull body � I hope you understand me. I will reconstruct the hull plating also and it should make things a bit clearer. Stay tuned.

My knowledge of US ships is superficial to be honest. But I am always interested in details and it would be great to compare German and US battleships in detail!

Are you building models?

Bye for now,
Bernd.

Hi,

last update for the weekend!

Bye!

I'm learning a great deal from this build and I thank you for taking the time to educate me!

I envy you your excellent documentation and plans. I'm building a 1/350 Kirov and the hull construction was/is mostly guesswork since there are only a couple of poor photos of the actual hull and no detailed plans whose accuracy and authenticity are proven. Your photo of the plan drawing of the lower hull bow area overlaid on the model shows what can be accomplished when documentation and skill meet.

Of course, I also envy the room you must have to build at a scale of 1/100!

Again, I can't wait to watch this develop.

Best wishes,
Bob

Hi Bernd great images of the hull.
this weekend i was work cutting more 2 stanchions. still need cut more 5 or 6..
and i pretend start soon my hull...
i have this docking plan too and in your drawing is possible to see the hidrophones of the hull..
great job!

Bernd,

I am not very familiar with US battleship hull construction, but I know quite a bit about cruiser hulls. I am scratch a 1:96 Cleveland class hull from the original blueprints (using a commercial fiberglass hull for starters and making corrections and additions as needed). I am also including hull plating and all of the hull openings and seachests - maybe I will mount the hull over a mirror so someone can see the details.

Like the Bismark the bottom of the outer keel plates is flat so the ship will slide down the ways during launching. The Clevelands also have docking keels, but they are inside the hull plating. Extra longitudinals were built in to carry the weight of the ship in drydock. These are shown on the hull plating diagrams and on the docking plans.

I haven't noticed external docking keel plates on model hulls of US battleships or on any of the plan sets I have looked at. My guess is that the docking keels are also inside the hull plating.

Hi Bernd "Superb" Attention to the fine detail is the essence of the model .
Dave Wooley

carr wrote:I'm learning a great deal from this build and I thank you for taking the time to educate me!

I envy you your excellent documentation and plans. I'm building a 1/350 Kirov and the hull construction was/is mostly guesswork since there are only a couple of poor photos of the actual hull and no detailed plans whose accuracy and authenticity are proven. Your photo of the plan drawing of the lower hull bow area overlaid on the model shows what can be accomplished when documentation and skill meet.

Of course, I also envy the room you must have to build at a scale of 1/100!

Again, I can't wait to watch this develop.

Best wishes,
Bob

Hi Bob,

building in 1:100th scale and detailed is a blessing and a curse at the same time... somtimes more of a blessing, sometimes rather a curse. My workshop ist just large enough for the Bismarck. Next year it�s time a add some machinery, but I need to focus on the most important ones.

bye now,

Bernd.

DrPR wrote:Bernd,

I am not very familiar with US battleship hull construction, but I know quite a bit about cruiser hulls. I am scratch a 1:96 Cleveland class hull from the original blueprints (using a commercial fiberglass hull for starters and making corrections and addidtions as needed). I am also including hull plating and all of the hull openings and seachests - maybe I will mount the hull over a mirror so someone can see the details.

Like the Bismark the bottom of the outer keel plates is flat so the ship will slide down the ways during launching. The Clevelands also have docking keels, but they are inside the hull plating. Extra longitudinals were built in to carry the weight of the ship in drydock. These are shown on the hull plating diagrams and on the docking plans.

I haven't noticed external docking keel plates on model hulls of US battleships or on any of the plan sets I have looked at. My guess is that the docking keels are also inside the hull plating.

Hi,

thanks for your response. Great to hear from your project - I�ll check it out soon. It would be great if i could lern more about US ship constructions of WWII.

Bye for now (I am in a hurry ... ),

Bernd.

Dave Wooley wrote:Hi Bernd "Superb" Attention to the fine detail is the essence of the model .
Dave Wooley

Thanks, I also follow your great built!

Bye!

DrPR wrote:Bernd,

I am not very familiar with US battleship hull construction, but I know quite a bit about cruiser hulls. I am scratch a 1:96 Cleveland class hull from the original blueprints (using a commercial fiberglass hull for starters and making corrections and addidtions as needed). I am also including hull plating and all of the hull openings and seachests - maybe I will mount the hull over a mirror so someone can see the details.

Like the Bismark the bottom of the outer keel plates is flat so the ship will slide down the ways during launching. The Clevelands also have docking keels, but they are inside the hull plating. Extra longitudinals were built in to carry the weight of the ship in drydock. These are shown on the hull plating diagrams and on the docking plans.

I haven't noticed external docking keel plates on model hulls of US battleships or on any of the plan sets I have looked at. My guess is that the docking keels are also inside the hull plating.

Hi,

I checked your website. now, your work is great! Which software are you using for the 3D model? I also like to physical model, your work on the hull is professional. Have you done some work lately?

I am also thinking about placing the model over an mirror, probably an inverted v-shaped mirror made of 2 segaments parallel to the ship center axis...

Talk to you soon,

Bernd.

Bernd,

I use DesignCAD 3D Max for the CAD design. It probably isn't the best program for the job, but I have been using it for 22 years and it is inexpensive. It has a great user forum and is pretty easy to use.

I stopped working on the 1:96 model when I decided to include the hull plating and hull openings. It has taken nearly two years to find the right drawings, interpret them and put the details into the CAD model. I have also finished a detailed drawing of the deck planking. I had planned to start work again on the 1:96 model this summer, but I have been pretty busy. I really want to get started again on the hull plating and wood deck planking, but I will not rush the job.

I don't build anything on the 1:96 model until I have modeled it in CAD. This way I know how all of the pieces fit together before I start and I have the correct dimensions. Also, I found a number of errors/contradictions in the original blueprints (typos, things that just can't be fit together the way the drawings show, or several different versions on different drawings). The ship was modified quite a bit after the original drawings were made (1942 and 1958) and I have been studying photos and making these additions to the CAD model. The final model will be in the 1971 configuration.

phil
http://www.okieboat.com

Hi,

I am back with my WIP of the Kingston valves for the trimming cells of my Bismarck. The valve at frame 10 shows a preliminary status of how they look in the closed setting. I am still researching the open setting of these valves - I would like to model one or two open.

Bye now,

Bernd.

Hi Barnd your attention to the detailing is outstanding.
Dave Wooley