The Ship Model Forum

Hi,

I've followed some of the builds on this forum with great interest, and I have finally decided its time to add a record of my own build.

I have always liked cruisers, I particulary like the mix that Italian cruisers have, high speed with graecful looks and heavy firepower. To me the Zara class exlemplified this thinking, having the heavy punch of the 8inch guns, armour protection almost as good as some battleships, and with looks and speed of light cruisers. The Pola especially looks the part with the modified forward superstructure to allow for a Admirals fag staff.



When Profile Morskie issued a set of drawings in 1:200 earlier this year I knew the time had. I choose the 1/72 scale as this would make an impressive size model, with the challenge of doing the extra details that can get lost at smaller scales.

So far, I have made a start on the hull, cutting all the frames out in 4mm plywood. She will be nearly 3m long. I plan to make her RC, so I will plate the hull with balsa strip and then add a skin of glass fibre.

A view of the hull so far




I have split the hull into two sections, to make transport easier.



In addition, I have also made a start on the forward superstructure.









I hope to keep a regularish up-date on my build, I hope everyone out there will give any suggestions and advice

A subject we don't see too often! But hell of a subject!!! I'm always excited to see the hulls coming together, there's always something to learn about everybody's methods! Keep it going, I'll be watching for regular updates.

Hi Casiterite
great subject of italian warship.
i saw the pics and show great for me.
the use of styrene is very good to do it.
your hull looks very good
i will watching this too.

Another great build emerging . Interesting subject and one that is long overdue
Dave Wooley

What's not to like about Italian? There's always been something stylish about Italian technology. Ships, Aircraft, Cars, you name it.

You've got a great start to your build. Very clean work. I can only envy someone with the house space to store a 9ft model! Keep 'em coming!

Glad to see a WWII Italian cruiser build .They had some cool looking ships .Looks like you are doing a fine job on her .

I have had a bit of a disaster with my build.

I had left the hull in the garage, with one end being exposed to the sunlight. New Zealand sunlight being what it is, when I inspected it this weekend, I have found that the hull has warped into a corkscrew!

Any suggestions on how I might fix this, or will I need to start again from scratch?

casiterite wrote:I have had a bit of a disaster with my build.

I had left the hull in the garage, with one end being exposed to the sunlight. New Zealand sunlight being what it is, when I inspected it this weekend, I have found that the hull has warped into a corkscrew!

Any suggestions on how I might fix this, or will I need to start again from scratch?

I understand your predicament only to well . Wood will always move no matter , but once the hull have moved to the extent that you say then there really is only one remedy , start again .
Dave Wooley

sorry to here your hull twisted,i have built several hulls with the same method,you can twist then all over the place until some planking is added.you could try fasting it down to something flat and gluing some planking on and see what happens. if it does not work and you have to start over you have not wasted that much time and material.to me it seems your framing may not be heavy enough,in 1/200 i use 1/4 in. plywood.this is just my opinion but 1/4 in gives the glue something to grab.

Sorry to hear about your twisting...

Here is a thought:

fasten the skeleton down to a flat building board upside down ( at the ships deck)

fasten it well and spray /soak the hull with water and allow to dry clamped.

release and see....--and get some planking on asa to stabilize.

cheers

Jim Baumann ( lapsed plank on frame builder )

For what its worth, I would take off the deck and put some weights on the keel to hold it in place, then like I did on my Helena build, put in some 1/4 inch square lengths of timber and leave to set, then replace the deck.

Jims methode sounds o/k but water on ply does not go well .it can lead to lamination of the ply, unless you use marine ply, and looking at the photo,s it just looks like normal ply.

You should look at my build in the early stages.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll see if the weights idea works, but I fear that the deck has been glued very solid. Will probably be looking at a fresh start in the new year

I hope Your doing well, You haven't posted in a bit, I am glad to see another axis Cruiser on here besides my own. I was looking into the Abrusi myself, however the German ships will keep me busey for a good while. Hope to see more of this build soon. Haratio Fales.

Unfortunately, this build of the Pola has been scrapped:(

However, I have cut out a new set of frames using much thicker plywood, and after seeing a few ideas in Modelboats magazine, I have a new plan of approach on how to construct her.

BUT, I have Baby No2 on the way now, so all construction has stopped for now, maybe to be re-started in the new year:)

I still hope you try to build an Italian ship yourself. apart from the Roma Class battleships which I personally find quite ugly, I find many the Italian ships of that period to be very good looking handsome ships, even if some of them didn't have very good careers:)

Scipone Africano and Andrea Doria are two that I love .I have plans for seven WWII Italian warships .Just need to find time to start one .They are good looking ships !

Sad to hear that. I have some documentation of these ships as well, but I don't have a frame plan. Which ones do you have Richard? Also the Profile Morskie? Or something else? I still don't have them, and therefore she's has a slight disadvantage over ships as the Sverdlov or Kirov in the race to become my next build.

Neptune wrote:Sad to hear that. I have some documentation of these ships as well, but I don't have a frame plan. Which ones do you have Richard? Also the Profile Morskie? Or something else? I still don't have them, and therefore she's has a slight disadvantage over ships as the Sverdlov or Kirov in the race to become my next build.

Here they are, now move Pola on top of your build list



Be advised: those are the frames of Zara; Pola lacked the fairings on the forecastle's sides, so you have to prolong the frames straight up to the forecastle deck.

Neptune
I have the PM plans for
Caio Duilio
Scipone Africano
Raimondo Montecuccoli
Zara
Trento
Duca D Aosta
Littorio
They are fine looking ships and I need to do one .Hope to see Pola finished !

Sweet, thanks a lot! Does give her an advantage for now.

Edit: Just came to the conclusion that I have the Morskaya Konstruktor about this ship, but nothing else. I'll also need a longitudinal plan in order to correctly space those frames... I know frame 0 is supposed to be aft perpendicular/rudder post, but I'm not sure about the other frames, so the accompanying plan would be very welcome too

Neptune wrote: I'll also need a longitudinal plan in order to correctly space those frames...

No, this, while useful, is not fundamental. Cut the keel and the decks first then put the decks in position: knowing that the edge of the deck has to match the edge of the frames (minus the thickness of the hull planking), you will find exactly were each frame has to go.