1/600 Scratchbuilding Test

[Tigerfish]

After my HMS Nelson project was called to a halt due to the hull being out of square I've decided to try scratching together a fantasy model as a testing ground for techniques and, most importantly, trying to keep parts as square and flat as possible.

The ship is my own design, something simple to practice on and at 1/600 scale represents a 200' long vessel. I wanted her to be vaguely Royal navy looking. The building method is plastic card over carved balsa and to this end I've been using sanding blocks, a woodworking block plane and a shooting board. Most sanding is done on the shooting board ensuring all angles are exactly 90 degrees. I'm also trying laminated plastic blocks for deckhouses but am thinking that plastic covered balsa is the way to go in the future. I'm not sure though.

Here's a few pics. Deckhouses aren't glued down yet, but the hull is very solid and pleasingly accurate and square. It's not perefect but pretty good.
Anyway I will try to post more pictures as I go.

[Tigerfish]

Some more pics.

This has so far been the most enjoyable modelling project of mine in a very long time. making plenty of errors (mostly of scale) but am learning heaps along the way.

I am quite pleased with the capstans at only 1mm tall. They're made from brass rod and alloy tube and turned in the chuck of my battery drill with a small triangular file. Not so proud of the fairleads which have turned out far too big. I may have to re-do those.

[Jefgte]

She is looking good

High quality work


Jef

[TCC]

I am quite pleased with the capstans at only 1mm tall.

This is what awes me about the 1/700 and or 1/350 builders... a lot of that PE & rigging approaches watch-making finesse.

And another thing, as the models are so small, the photography has to enlarge the details which also highlights the rough bits in the finish. Thus, it is a joy to behold such an immaculate miniture.

I doff my cap accordingly.

p.s to the OP... it's good to see a man try and learn by his mistakes. I do a lot of the former and non of the latter.

[michael e.]

Tigerfish:

Nice work!

Would you mind describing how you created the hull? Did you carve a balsa hull, and then glue the sheet plastic deck (I assume scribed Evergreen stock) to the top, and then sheet plastic to the sides? If so, what kind of glue did you use to fasten the sheet plastic components to the wood, without causing the plastic to deform?

Please advise.

And many thanks for sharing this with us!

Regards,

Mike E.

[Tigerfish]

This may be the slowest project in ship modelling history. Nevertheless progress has been made. The pics should be self explanatory. Again, this ship is not representative of any real vessel. It is simply a scratchbuilding test.

The ac drop tank on the quarterdeck I am hoping to convert into something resembling a small submarine. Perhaps this vessel is a submarine tender of some type? Who knows?

[Cliffy B]

[quote="Tigerfish"]The ac drop tank on the quarterdeck I am hoping to convert into something resembling a small submarine. Perhaps this vessel is a submarine tender of some type? Who knows?

Hey, a "midget sub tender". Never seen one of those. I'd say run with that. She's looking good man I'm taking notes for my future whiff scratch builds; was thinking about going the same route. Keep the photos coming!

Question, you said vaguely RN, but what time frame?

[Tigerfish]

Question, you said vaguely RN, but what time frame?

How about the 1920s?

[GTDEATH13]

Nice really nice...

Did you carve the deck or did you use something else?

Why make it a submarine tender and not a mtb tender ? This way you can scratchbuild and the motor torpedo boat....