I've been getting very excited about Nats But I didn't want to show up with a half-dressed boat. Like so august a champion as I would show up with no superstructure! The very idea is silly *AHEM* Anyhow, Scharnie has the most SS of any of my recent ships, but it was not up to where I would want it to be. So I got to work! The first part that I have a pic of is below; it shows the stepped cannon barrels in the midships casements. I love it so much, makes me sad that I didn't have them on before* Ignore the crapped-out paint, it's 2 year old at this point and new paint is coming. But just wait'll you see what's happening with the topside details! * In my defense, neither of the completed Scharnhorst pics on the BC website had the casement guns, either.
I do intend to send my convoy into the fray wearing a cereal box, for old times sake. It does have a superstructure, but the box will go over it
Well, it was hot as hell out there, but I went out to the shop and cut and filed smooth all the pieces for the rest of the casement guns (22 pieces, but who's counting?). Saturday morning, I finish the casements. Tonight and tomorrow night, I'm working on topside details.
In exchange for my making barrels for his son's secondaries (after Nats), Brian K of Grey Wolf is bringing me cast 88's to decorate most of the ones topside I have to fab up the 4 on the forward SS, as they don't have gun shields. I am also receiving 4 small craft to hang on davits, some searchlights, and a coupon good for 10% off of a small cup of Grey Wolf coffee. I am also taking some advice given to me long ago by Joel Goodman in Atlanta (who is man enough to have actually brought an HMS Hood to battle!), which is to add some rigging. He said that rigging really makes a ship look more complete. His ships look fabulous, so I think I will go with it.
Clark, make all the cast stuff removable so you can take it off right before battle. I can tell you that watching all the "pretty" stuff blowing off the ship will influence the way you battle. Some captains just have "high hitting" guns.
I think I can do that. I'll epoxy a 1/4" thick piece of wood under the detail parts, and drill a 1/8" diameter hole and fit the guns with 1/8" brass rod pins so I can pull 'em. Good call, Lou. I'd hate to throw away the hard work if it can be avoided. Some hardmounted (buildings, stacks, etc) detail will get shot up, but the SS bulkeads, etc that are exposed are brass, so should be less frangible. If I have time, I'm going to redo the crude smokestacks. If I don't have time, I'll slap some wire caps and such on the existing ones. Come to think of it, at this point, that might be best. Still have to get the convoy in the pool for testing. On the plus side, I turned on the A/C in the shop before I came to work, so I can work in comfort tonight.
Hey Tugs, this is off topic but...MISS Scharnie...really???? I can see naming MISS if this was an Allied ship but for shame!!!! MISS Scharnie..HMMMF! J
Ha, the only I-boat in region 3 runs away from Scharnie Maybe I'll have to refit mine so that there'll be one brave enough 'SMS Indomitable', I like the sound of it!
Spent a number of hours today detailing Scharnie. Brian K came over and helped with Nats prep... poor guy can't come! Next year! Anyhow, he helped by getting my new batteries (8AH, up from 4AH in the past) fixed up with appropriate connectors. He also brought over the little 88mm secondaries that fit Scharnie and other WWI German ships. And spotlights! And little boats! He also brought some of Grey Wolf Squadron's new 2 1/2 ton trucks and halftracks to show me. They even fit in GWS's little LCMs that go aboard Allied transports! Go to their website to see the awesome, in awesome sauce. www.greywolfsquadron.com Anyhow, I have been busy playing with plastic sheet and carbon fiber tubes. Behold the stern superstructure, unpainted: The tape is preparatory for spray painting. I like doing it this way, let me be stubborn and not paint it before it goes on. The two 88's are just sitting there more or less where they'll go. Below, you can see that I got crazy carried away with taping it off. The stacks are getting attention in the AM and I taped the area while I had the tape out So then, I couldn't wait, and ran outside to spray paint what I'd done. So here it is, still shiny new from painting. Tomorrow night will have more to show, as I'm finishing the stuff sitting on the bench which will make up the forward superstructure, and the masts.
Okay, did a LOT of Nats prep today, including some more detailing. The cranes were fun to do, and sort of even look like the real ones, although some of the little details are assemblies that are still gluing up. So this is the basic set of cranes: In the view below, you can see part of the forward SS; the conning tower and the lookout station on the mast above. You can also see the side of the SS that is unpainted, it's predecessor was blown away in battle, so I made another! There are yet more parts to the fwd SS, that are gluing up. Once those go on (hopefully tomorrow), I will be painting the SS and calling it good for now.
Scratchbuilt. The only premolded stuff topside are the 88mm secondary guns and the main turrets (which are getting chopped up pretty bad to fit around the breeches of the guns).
