Hello guys!
In recent years I have sunken deep into this hobby.I'm Usually a AFV/Figure modeller but recently I had become very interested in ship building.

I had the Academy Bismarck 1/350(the Tamiya copy) in my shelf for more than a year and I want to build it.

I know about the excellent Revell Bismarck so I purchased the Eduard superset Tirpitz PE eduard superset Tirpitz PE in tring to save all the upper deck floor and add the details that a 1/350 ship needs.The Eduard Bismark set was much cheaper but didn't have the floors...so not good at all.
I also ordered these metal guns .

The big problem is the main deck. As you all know it's made out of 3 parts that don't fit very nice.What should I do?Is there an easy way of fixing this problem?

I hope that my Bismarck or Tirpitz, whatever i decide to do, will end up pretty nice compared to the Revell kit.I'm very afraid that whatever I'll do to improve it, the Revell's Bismarck will still be miles away.
So far the total cost( Academy Bismarck + PE +guns)is exactly as a normal Revell one, with no aditional aftermarket upgrades.

Hi Paul!

You will probably have to replace the 3-section kit deck with a single piece material.

My first choice would be to obtain an extra long pre-scribed styrene sheet with the grooves spaced far enough apart. In the States, Evergreen plastics has such sheets that must be special ordered. In Europe, there should be some plastics supplier with the same product. Another option would be to use a long enough sheet of styrene and hand scribe your own planks. Though tedious, it is much less expensive than getting a pre-scribed sheet.

In either of those cases, be sure the thickness of the plastic matches the thickness of the kit deck sections. After the planking has been scribed (or if the single sheet is already scribed), tape the kit sections end to end to represent the full kit deck, CAREFULLY align the kit deck in parallel with your sheet's plank lines, and trace the outline of the kit deck onto your material. Then cut the new deck out and you now have a single-piece deck that will fit onto the kit hull. You will of course have to install hatches, bits, and other deck fittings normally molded on.

Yet another method I have heard about recently is taking thin basswood ply and cutting it into narrow strips. The strips are then glued one atop the other to a height slightly more than your kit deck is wide (and the length of the assembly slightly exceeds your kit deck length). After the mass has dried thoroughly, it is sanded EDGE ON so that the face of the ply you have made is the the thickness of the kit deck. Then cut to shape as above and insert. What you will have is the original thickness of the basswood ply resembling individual planks. Though this is very advanced modelworking, it will leave you with a genuinely wooden deck.

Good luck!

--Karl

I built this kit and it is adequatwe. I usd either a Tom's or a GMM brass set. I found the WEM upper deck detail set that gives the plank effect for the upperlevel decks as well as the metal patterns in the bidge deck sections. With a multiple deck piece situation, you just have to dry fit sond or brace up as needed until you get the pieces relativly level after you glue them to hull. Use a bit of filler glue and paint when you fnish it off. Not perfect, but it helps a bit. Some of the more recent kits are doing a better job of deck separation where something covers it (like the Hasegawa Kongo I am working on....gun tubs)It is one of the laments about the early Tamiy releases in this scale. Aircraft carriers ar better in that I turn mine upside down put plenty of glue and then put a bunch of heavy books on them. NOt perfect, but one is hard pressed to detect gaps...oh and I use airplnes to also help.

Thanks guys!
I'll try to use putty to fix it.If that doesn't work i'll try to replace the deck.
I've decided to go with the Tirpitz and started a new topic.
Hope to receive all the help in there.