I purchased a roll of metal chicken wire to use for railings around the superstructure. I plan to prehole the high density Mcfadden material with the chicken wire mesh and then reinsert and securing with a drop of ca on the insertion legs of the wire. Unlike the regular foam rubber the rails should sit very very tight and secure to the superstructure and take hits without ripping loose from their mountings. I was going to go with teh styrene strips as I had in the past that were reinforced and for the most part they held up very well for many may years of battles. This time though I figure I try this method to add a different look. I can later add a middle rail using piano wire same thickness as the chicken wire and adhere it with drops of ca for a more authentic look but that will be for later. I have so much of this stuff I should be able to oufit my fleet with it. I did notice they have a plastic version but I don't like it as it is very flimsy.
Finsihed off the searchlight covers on teh Funnel. Added Funnel grating detail. Built the signal mast platform and attached it's leg supports, attached the structure to the top of the airplane hangar. Attached the platform that surrounds the aft Gun Director base. I need to wrap the structure with rail and wrap styrene rail around the plafform at the gun director base aft station. From there the chicken wire rail will be attached next along with the catupult. I will be building the fore and MainMast using brass and solder next, followed by the cranes.
You are a beast... kudos on all the work! Could I contract you to do some work for me? ha! I have no patience for superstructure detail:-/ Das Butts
I wish I had more time to devote to it really well. I am cutting corners here but making comparisons with the original superstructure I have some new details it lacks but I have a way to go to catch up to that even with a large percentage of detail missing, there's still a lot aboard, just ...uhm ... damaged....
Completed wrapping the rail around the flag platform above the hangar. I noticed that my platformwas not centered but later discovered it wasn't the plaform but the searchlight platform that was off center which through the look off. The platform is glued so tight to the superstructure that I can't pry it off without severly damaging it. So I took the rear gun director post and moved it to try to correct as best as possible. Ah well just a minor boo boo. I finished the foward lower rail where the AAA guns sit behind B turret. Now Just need to do the rail for the AA's at the rear of the superstructure behind C turret.
I been running back and forth to the yard from home when there is an open opportunity which I ended up forgetting the camera. I think I will be there again this evening to get the chicken wire railings attached then I can get a base coat of paint to grey it all up first before more stuff is added. I will hopefully bring the camera just so I can post what's done at least.
I've considered the chicken wire railings before, but never wanted to buy a roll of the stuff. Very interested in seeing how yours turn out - though I'm beginning to suspect you can turn just about any material into something that looks like it belongs on a warship... Can't wait for pics!
Nick I saw some wire like stuff at a depot before. they are for holding fencing together you can purchase in different thicknesses i do believe from like galvanized to coated.
Replaced the searchlight platform and centered it this time. Finished the aft rail for the AAs that reside behind C turret. My stuff hasn't arrived yet but looking forward to getting it on board. I cleaned up the table and prepared the superstructure for pictures which my buddy will use his camera and take pics for me tomorrow night. He will then email me the pics as attachments then I can post them. The structure is still in it's early stages so it's crude at this stage but it's starting to take shape. I didn't have time get my chicken wire ready but I hope to have it done maybe sometime this week along with the funnel exhausts around the funnel cap.
Cant wait to see, maybe ill ad more detail on my ship. hey curt for the port holes to you just paint them on?
No Originally I used Carpet tacks. Just inserted them into the foam and gave a dab of black . Flat or gloss. You could proably use a sharpe marker to do the same.
ill definitely keep that in mind, im just afraid to slip with marker or paint then there is a huge line doing across
Finally have the pics of the superstructure and other stuff in the shipyard. The Bismarck superstructure is coming along but needs trimming and tidying up in many many places but it will come together. I managed to get some more AA small platforms attached to the o1 deck and I nearly have the right side completed with railings. The bridge tower is a little crooked as it is just sitting loosely on the deck . Port side overall view The towe is leaning a little to starboard(facing bow) but it is not secured tightly yet. The Fire control sphere on the starboard side is a little of it's post. I hit it with the camera strap. They too are just sitting in their spaces and not secured yet. Starboard side view- No wire railings yet on deck and the aft superstructure is does not have the semi enclosed AA platform below the aft fire control director 2nd from last at the rear. Aft view- I will be carving the boats out of hard basswood by matching their shape on the detailed plan set I have to scale. I still have the boat braces to build which there are a lot of them. Level shot from the table Port forward starboard forward from the table. Port side forward. Barbette, bridge wings, lower AA semi enclosures and the forward structure, plus open bridge section with the armored conning room just behind. Starboard side Conning tower with bridge and forward Radar. The funnel can be seen with a little grill work on top. The funnel cap is a solid section of foam so no hollow in the cap for the grill work so I just added skinny strips of styrene to lay down the pattern. Starboard forward section of superstructure. Looks bare but will be detailed with the portholes and other stuff found there. Upper Radar platform starboard side on top of the main conning tower. Funnel section- Need more work on the domes here and more detail yet to come particularly the funnel exhaust pipes.. Flag platform atop the main airplane hangar with a couple of launches perched beneath it. One of the rear gun directors can be seen. Rear Radar rangefinder and optic rangefinders . Rear AA deck platform and optic range finder and barbette. The barbettes are going on Tirpitz as I intend to use Bismarck's old barbettes seeing how they are already installed with cannons . I can copy the airvents though from these barbettes for the old ones. Funnel searchlight platform and dome. Need some putty work here and trim of the support braces . The funnel cranes will be attached to the lower platform beneath the searchlight platform. Post side bridge area. You can see the platform supports under the top platform. Port side Funnel. This side came out a little better. Bridge tower underside exposed. If I am not mistaken I think when James Cameron found this section it was lying in this position. Top down port side Command Tower. You can see the catwalk between the rear of the tower to the front of the funnel. There's anothe platform just beneath the front part of the funnel. You can see the supports under the searchlight dome. Just a little break here... this is the Konig that Tom Cromwell is working on. The o1 level is made of pink foam. I had to dive to get the wreck and use as reference This is Bismarck with it's original superstructure. The hull is still masked off with tape. Despite being heavily damaged it still takes on a strange beauty about it. The aft superstructure. Look closely. The survivors are still there on board. The Aft quarter deck hatch has been cleaned up but missing a fair bit of deck detail. The new Termite Turrets seem to work better for the BB cannon placement. The forward hatch also is sporting new Termite Resin Turrets. These went on very well over the dual sidemounts. I also cut down the length of the barrels considerably so they wouldn't get knocked around again by close in sluggers like Sodaks and NC's. Maybe one day I can do a special rebuild of this old but well served superstructure as a challenge to myself to get it back in shape. The Bismarck awaiting final work Back again. This is the chicken wire on board on the starboard side. It didn't take long to do and is secured very strong. Rear superstructure Mid section I had to take a small mini hammer and tap each peg from the wire into the hard dense foam.I will add a very thin line of piano wire and ca it to the rail to give it the middle rope . That's for now. Will take more as I make more progress.
Also, thats looking real good, I love your ingenuity in using anything and everything to make detail pieces. And what happened to the bow of that poor Konig?
That must be the bondo that spilled over the side or it was slapped on really thick. The bow is not damaged but that's either bondo or resin or both. I think the work there stopped because the mini belt hand sander broke.
Wow curt that looks really good. im definatly going to have to get railings haha. you make me wana put more detail into mine. and what kind of superstructure is that? like foam?
