1/144 Kiev by Dave Wooley

[Dave Wooley]

Really doing well Dave...

Question for you: Are you intending to do all of the construction first and then paint the parts, or do you paint some parts after completion? Have you painted any parts?

Hi Nick. This is a good question. I endeavour to build up a considerable amount of the model, hull and fittings before I commence any spray work. The reason for this is two fold. If I need to add or remove any detail {for example if any new information comes to light} from any of the constructed parts for whatever reason, this can be done with out damaging any painted surface. A further added advantage is that much of the superstructure, deck housings and fittings are constructed so that they can be partially disassembled. Secondly when I spray, I�ll use consistent batches of paint and that will complete the model. Were possible I�ll make it a point that the primer spray will be applied to all the hull, fittings, superstructure and deck housings in one session. Then follow up with final sprays, using consistent batches. The premise here is that all the spray work is fresh and clean and hopefully will not be exposed to damage, such as can happen if spray work and construction are routinely carried out during the progress of the build. Of course all modellers have their own ways of approaching this task and what works for me might not suit another modeller. Hope this helps
Dave Wooley

[ARH]

Hi Dave, Just my quick idea for your deck, plates at 4 mm x 4 mm as you said on the phone, 2 rows of indentations each plate, this took 1/2 hour, can be worked on, indents enlarged, more rows, holes drilled out, many possibilities.

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Ron Thanks for your help much appriciated. I've had a go and I'll post up some results. Trouble is my effort seems over scale, the indents that is . I can't see me getting these any smaller . Given this I'm seriously wondering wheather at 1:144 it will be clearly visible. Still I have a number of options. From photos right aft , on a helicopter approch all that is visible are rows of long lines, as if all the indents/ or what ever they really are, seem joined together. This is driving me to distraction . Once again Ron your help has encouraged me, we'll see how it progresses?
May be PE is the only answer?
Dave Wooley

[Dave Wooley]

Hi Ron Thanks for your help much appriciated. I've had a go and I'll post up some results. Trouble is my effort seems over scale, the indents that is . I can't see me getting these any smaller . Given this I'm seriously wondering wheather at 1:144 it will be clearly visible. Still I have a number of options. From photos right aft , on a helicopter approch all that is visible are rows of long lines, as if all the indents/ or what ever they really are, seem joined together. This is driving me to distraction . Once again Ron your help has encouraged me, we'll see how it progresses?
May be PE is the only answer?
Dave Wooley

Ron using the wheel this is the best results I can get , a little out of scale. No marks have been made to show the tile effect.

Dave Wooley Back to the last of the crane build sequence on Monday .

[ARH]

But Dave thats upside down, your dimples look like rivets. when we meet , we will discuss it.

[Dave Wooley]

Moving on the purchase frame supports are attached to the base by a
series of retention plates connected through each support by a common
pin. Each of these retention plates are formed by square sections of styrene
with a small hole is made in the centre. The first two are fixed to the base
thus.


The following outer two are added. The common link pin is threaded through.

The pin is removed to allow one of the purchase frame supports to be fitted.

Both supports in place . The common link pin is then cut to length.

With the two supports in place the purchase frame can be swung back to
allow the notch at the top of each support to slide in to either side of the
pulley sheave.


Side by side, a comparison study of the two cranes


Although not completely finished these two cranes can be put safely away
until it�s time for painting . Next on the agenda are the 2 RBU 6000 ASW
rocket launches and at 1:144 these are a real eye test.
As an example this 12 tube RBU 6000 is similar to those fitted to Kiev but
here only the launcher tubes are identical the base and mounting plinth
have a number of slight differences to those fitted to Kiev.

Dave Wooley

[Dave Wooley]

Critical to this small mini build is the selection of tube for each of the 12 launch
tubes forming one RBU 6000 Brass tube was thought a better choice than
aluminium simply because the walls of the tube were finer and the bore greater
for the same OD. The first stage was to cut to length 24 tubes of 1.5mm OD
as Kiev is fitted with two RBU 6000s

Each tube was reamed to ensure that there were no bares of metal .

All the tubes for one RBU were lined up to asses correctness of size . Any
adjustments were made at this stage.

Now work could begin on the pillar that will support the launcher tubes. Basically
the pillar consisted of two main components . The upper support for the
horseshoe ring . This was formed from 3.2mm x 6.3mm styrene , drilled out to
1.5mm so as the rotating arm that holds the horseshoe ring can be fitted.

A circular styrene ring is fitted to the bottom

The lower section is formed from a 4mm styrene tube and using fillers carefully
tapered. Both are fitted together thus.

Following this the horseshoe ring was formed using 13mm styrene tube and
placed around the upper support .In the photo are very short lengths of styrene
strip. These will act as spacers between each of the launch tubes . There
thickness is critical as you will see later .

Dave Wooley

[fooman2008]

Your patience and craftsmanship are held in awe. I sat there for several hours today and read through the entire thread (now 41 pages!). In what may very well be a fit of bravado, I have decided to make a 1/35 scale U.S.S. Idaho (BB-42) circa 1944-45. I thought that I was going to have problems with too much detail at 1-35 but I cannot fathom doing that kind of detail work at 1-144! A couple of thoughts and a suggestion,

1.) how do you get the craft to/into the pond without destroying all that gorgeous detail?

2) at what point do you just look at it and say enough is enough? too much detail!

3) Here is a thought....take apiece of your cutting mat and flip it over and cut it to size. (now I have no idea of the scale thickness or the thickness of the cutting mat)
A) try some rubberized paint like people to keep water from coming through basement walls, then scribe it with a dull knife for the tile detail. again, I am not sure of the scale effect.

4) I am glad that Idaho doesn't have that many antennas, that would drive me crazy, just the couple I am going to have to make is setting me on edge.

5) what I have done in the past to simulate nonskid paint on a flight deck was just to use a wood deck and the paint will raise the grain slightly giving the proper effect, just knock it down a little with some 400 grit paper and you've got it licked.

here is a link to my thread
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=38021

[Dave Wooley]

Your patience and craftsmanship are held in awe. I sat there for several hours today and read through the entire thread (now 41 pages!). In what may very well be a fit of bravado, I have decided to make a 1/35 scale U.S.S. Idaho (BB-42) circa 1944-45. I thought that I was going to have problems with too much detail at 1-35 but I cannot fathom doing that kind of detail work at 1-144! A couple of thoughts and a suggestion,

1.) how do you get the craft to/into the pond without destroying all that gorgeous detail?

2) at what point do you just look at it and say enough is enough? too much detail!

3) Here is a thought....take apiece of your cutting mat and flip it over and cut it to size. (now I have no idea of the scale thickness or the thickness of the cutting mat)
A) try some rubberized paint like people to keep water from coming through basement walls, then scribe it with a dull knife for the tile detail. again, I am not sure of the scale effect.

4) I am glad that Idaho doesn't have that many antennas, that would drive me crazy, just the couple I am going to have to make is setting me on edge.

5) what I have done in the past to simulate nonskid paint on a flight deck was just to use a wood deck and the paint will raise the grain slightly giving the proper effect, just knock it down a little with some 400 grit paper and you've got it licked.

here is a link to my thread
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=38021

Hi Fooman I'll try my best to answer your questions.
1 With great difficulty but seriously there are a number of ideas I've been thinking around. In the past I've either used slings or just lifted the boat into the water. My local model boating lake has raised sides, ideal for this purpose.
2 This is a difficult one, I go as far as my skill level allows. But there is of course detail that at 1:144 would be to small to see yet at 1:72 is all there. To be honest I think 1:72 and above are difficult scales to build in as the larger the scale the more intense the detail can be .
3-5 Yes the deck bugs me but thanks for the tips. ARH is a very knowledgeable guy particularly at using Litho [an avenue I'm still experimenting with } and so at our next seminar I'll learn a few more tricks from the master.
4 I can understand any modeller�s reluctance to develop the detail on the arrays; they are fragile {at any scale} and prone to damage. But as they say in for a penny in for a pound.
Whether Kiev will be sailed regularly is an open question, I doubt it very much for all the reasons we have discussed.I only ever sailed MOSKVA twice, similar radar fit . I suppose the only answer is if the model is to be on the pond more than on the bench then I would probably have gone for a model that would be less detailed. But then that's me. Thanks for your interest and your thoughts much appriciated.
Dave Wooley

[Dave Wooley]

Around the plinth are a number of fitting some tiny others large .
For example on the back face there are electrical supply and feeds boxes for the
firing mechanism . These are all formed from styrene .

Smaller fittings can be found on the opposite side. In the back ground is a
photo of the Kiev�s RBU.

The positions of the FIRST TWO tubes are marked on the horseshoes ring
and the tube SET into place followed by the first 2 spacers . The importance
of these cannot be overstated , as we�ll see.

the next tube is added and so on plus spacer and repeated on the opposite
side until the ring is filled thus.

The following stage which is the linking straps { On the full size unit this is
all part of the horseshoe ring. } needs to be flexible in order to achieve
the right shape but how�s it done and what�s it done with? .Find out next time.
Dave Wooley

[Edward Pinniger]

Looking very good! (the crane, too). Those Russian ASW launchers are certainly very complex and tricky things to scratchbuild. I have a couple I need to do for a 1/200 R/C Sovremenny, and may end up just drilling out + detailing the rather crude original parts, as getting all the tubes lined up evenly on a scratchbuilt one is a daunting task,

[Dave Wooley]

Hi E Pinniger always good to hear from you . As you say the tricky bit is getting the tubes "symetrical" and all spaced the same. Another headache was sorting the two different ends of each tube but that's for another day.
Dave Wooley

[Dave Wooley]

In order to achieve a reasonable shape around and between each tube
( dish effect} as found on the full size launcher. I found adhesive �trim line�
tape ideal for the job and it comes in 4 different widths.

The method involves starting at the top, in the centre of the gap and feeding
the tape around each tube

Taking an discarded scalpel blade .Reverse it round and in now becomes a useful
tool .�For what you may ask�. Here the tape can be gently pressured into the
space between tubes . Word of caution cover the exposed blade with thick
tape before use!

Repeating the same process and on either bank of tubes and the process can
be completed in a short time with the results being fairly consistent with the
image in the photo of the full size RBU.

More to follow Next the base and rocket loading door then back to
the RBU 6000.
Dave Wooley

[Sean Hert]

Dave-

Your Smerch is awesome!

I have a question- Did you have another trick up your sleeve to trim them the mortars to length? I didn't think the mortar tubes were mounted in the center of the tube- the mounting ring is about 2/3's up on the tube.

[Dave Wooley]

Dave-

Your Smerch is awesome!

I have a question- Did you have another trick up your sleeve to trim them the mortars to length? I didn't think the mortar tubes were mounted in the center of the tube- the mounting ring is about 2/3's up on the tube.

Yes you are quite right I have made a bad mistake the positioning is 1.5mm out. I'll need to readjust the position of each tube length . Thanks for pointing this out much appreciated. Back to the drawing board .
Dave Wooley

[ARH]

Dave I know you were only testing to see if they were paying attention, nice piece of work, the build is comming on a treat, see you on the 22nd.

[Dave Wooley]

I'm slipping in my old age . Must be the pills or I need better specs? It's odd you look at a thing like this and you autmatically think every space and size must be equal. But on this fitting it is and it isn't . See you Sunday Ron
Dave Wooley

[Sean Hert]

Yes you are quite right I have made a bad mistake the positioning is 1.5mm out. I'll need to readjust the position of each tube length . Thanks for pointing this out much appreciated. Back to the drawing board .
Dave Wooley

Well, it should be an easy fix- it's not like you have to re-design anything! Where's that 20" disc sander when you need it?

[Dave Wooley]

Yes you are quite right I have made a bad mistake the positioning is 1.5mm out. I'll need to readjust the position of each tube length . Thanks for pointing this out much appreciated. Back to the drawing board .
Dave Wooley

Well, it should be an easy fix- it's not like you have to re-design anything! Where's that 20" disc sander when you need it?

Hi Sean Yes and no Yes it's an easy fix because I now THINK I know what I doing? But a BIG no because the tubes on the horseshoe ring were not designed to be adjustable. Still it's all part of the fun of building from scratch , as ARH would say "warts and all" ? I just love this modelling game . Still I'll continue with the rest of this mini build while I'm doing a spot of remedial work.
By the way Sean that 20" sander you've given me another idea?
Dave Wooley

[mitchell300]

Damm good built.
U surprise me every time dave!
I hope this ship will win many prices
It has to be.
I have never seen something cooler then this!
Maby an russian musea wants to buy it from u
Mitch