Well it's going to be the HMS Dreadnought, what better then the first modern battleship.

Tom

A bit more progress working down the foredeck.

Work started on the Breakwaters, this is the main breakwater just aft the capstans.



meantime I have added the fixing points for the chain stoppers, two on each cableways, the control wheels for the capstans, and the central capstan. That is everything bar the jackstaff and railings forward of the breakwater on.



On with the stuff behind the breakwater, the 20mm tubs need a place for the etched door to cut.



with the door fitted.



All five foredeck tubs fitted with doors and fold up etched boxes, along with non slip floor plates ready for spraying, (here resembling a throwback to a 70's cocktail party)



Breakwater fitted.



The first tub and some surrounding resin vents fitted.



Lots and lots to go, might be finished by November, but not this year.





Si

Looking really good, Si.

As good as the Tamiya kit is, the Pontos upgrade sure does highlight how much the KGV/POW kits are in need of their tools being upgraded to modern standards. Mr Tamiya, i hope you are listening

Thanks Russell,

There is a lot to the Pontos, set, and of course the Duke in 1943 is quite a bit different from the Prince in 1941.

Would be good if the KGV's got the same treatment as the Yamato.

Si

A wet bank holiday afternoon, so a bit more progress.

Seven of the boxes on the foredeck are fold up etch jobs rather than resin, so they were prepped next.



The five gun tubs and the associated vents and boxes fitted.



As the large etched boat deck part was trying to fall off the fret, decided to get the rear superstructure ready for it. Most of the moulded detail has been removed.



Whilst I was at it I noticed that the slots for the moulded ladder needed filling on the hanger sides.



The lower section of the bridge / hanger assembled, a bit more destruction / filling done.



Both sections test fitted, along with the etched deck for the after superstructure.



Back to the foredeck, the skylights folded up and dry fitted in place to ensure the remaining boxes / vents go in the right place.



Structure attached to the back of the breakwaters that fit around the winches, these fit in front of the two holes and oval hole in the above photo.



More soon Si

True that, Si.

Or even just an enhancement, as opposed to a completely new tooling. Looking at the simplifications to the mushroom vents and hose reels made as concessions to moulding, not to mention the detail around the prop shafts on the hull, I can't help but wonder why this hasn't cropped up on Tamiya's radar as yet...

Hi Russell,

An up grade of the existing moulds would be better than nothing, but I reckon doing any real effort on the hull would involve moulding it in two halves, and a new deck, so a retool would be better all round.

also realised scrolling back down my last post I realised I have duplicated the 2nd and 3rd pictures, this should be the 3rd one.

Detail removed from the boat deck.



Si

A bit more progress today, the winches and painted and fitted, along with their breakwaters.



The associated vents fitted.



carrying on with the after superstructure, cable reals, watertight doors and ladders added. One slight issue with the Pontos, the two vertical ladders part numbers 434 are on the fret with the UP mounts, which are is not included in the DOY set. (I used some spares from an old fret) bit silly really, also no replacements for the small hatches below the cable reels, will probably find something on a scrap fret.



Si

Simon,
You are a machine! . It looking great so far!
Cheers
Michael

Hi Tom,
I will be watching this with interest to see how it works out for you.
Cheers
Michael

Hey Speedy Gonzalez ( Simon ) those forward gun tubs look great I,am doing some prep work now on my KG V hull will the brass for the de gauzing need to be fitted before I paint the hull or do I not fit this if the ship is going to be in 1945 colors

Cheers Keith

Well gents I'm going to change horses in mid stream as it were. After seeing the amazing build blog on the Dreadnought taking place on this sight I realized that I did not have the materials to do the kit justice yet nor am I ready to aquire them. There for I'm going to switch to the Academy Warspite which I have been able to get some after market stuff for. I also have more reference material for her. So here are the new pictures.




Sorry Mike but I wasn't ready to do the Dreadnought justice.

Tom

Yes, very nice work, Si

No need to worry bout the degaussing cable Keith. Only the KGV had an external one, but it was moved inboard well prior to 1945

Good choice, Thomas

Hi Keith,

Can confirm Russell's comment, have checked Burt, Raven & Roberts & Top drawings books, all are clear the degaussing coil was removed, looks like 1943 refit, as there are couple of pics in the 4 colour camo scheme without it.

Need to be cracking on with the Duke, there is so mush stuff in the Pontos set, over 350 resin and brass parts, 400+ numbered etched parts, many of them multiples (not trying to count those).

Si

Hi Thomas,

Nice choice, I have that baby up in the stash. Will look forward to your build. I am sure you are well capable of doing Dreadnought justice though.

Si

Russell and Simon thanks for the INFO will get cracking with the hull painting while preping some stuff for the Northern Model show up here in Tyneside this Sunday
Tom looking forward to your build will be taking notes from your build as well

Cheers Keith

Ahoy! Ready to tackle the Naval race! (Very appropiate, considering the centennial next door...)
My submission will be Kombrig's España, the smallest dreadnought of them all, packing notwithstanding a full eight 15" guns main battery.

The booklet, purchased at the Museo Naval, in Madrid, contains a CD with some interesting documents, all of them in PDF format.

Fair winds and following seas!
Javier

Hi Javier,
Looks like an interesting choice. I have a Kombrig kit so I will watch this with interest to see how well it all comes together
Cheers
Michael

Keith,

Welcome Mate, will be interested to see progress on your build.

Javier,

Excellent choice, nice to see such an overlooked vessel in the campaign.

Right, another push on the maindeck detail. (enough of the "Speedy" already, one month in and I am not even 1/4 of the way down towards the Ensign staff.

Assoted vents and boxes down to the breakwater on "B" barbette in place.



Supports for the inboard sections fitted (easy bit, really small ones still to go)



Bodies for the 5 cable reals cut, the corner of my trusty mitre box, the only way I can cut the ends square, is visible in the top left of the pic.



Cable reels under construction.



Based on the pictures in Raven & Roberts of the Duke in dock in early '43, one reel goes centreline ahead of "A" barbette, one each side on "B" barbette ahead of the breakwater, and one each side of "B" barbette at the widest point. The pictures also confirm that the horizontal surfaces of the main and secondary turrets should be dark grey.

Hopefully tomorrow I should have the maindeck complete up to No.1 5.25" mounts.

Si

On with the breakwater, I am getting better at not pinging the supports across the workshop.



As I was spraying the deck fittings decided also to sort out the main superstructure units, and the smaller units that no. 2 & 3" mounts sit, the forward units needed 2 doors adding, one forward one aft.



The breakwaters fitted, along with the bits just ahead of them.



All the vents and boxes added down as far as No.1 5.25" mounts, along with the cable reals, and kit gun cleaning rods. with all the other brass in the Pontos set I am a little surprised these aren't supplied.



Overview of where I am at, the major superstructure units are sat in place, the forward Bridge structure needs & the 5.25" mounts need masking and their decks spraying dark grey, the etched boat deck is glued down.



Catapult next. The stat aft and work forward.

A bit of detailed research needs doing, pontos provide a number of derrick booms but do not show where all of the go.

Si

Si,

absolutely great work.

This brings back memories from my PoW - and I have the same DoY/Pontos in the stack, watching with amazement what all needs to be done to the kit and all the tiny things on the deck...

Jan

Oh my Gosh, Si!

The more I see how advanced you are in your build, the more nervous I am becoming... you are well on your way to finishing and doing a great job...

The Pontos set looks very good and really makes this kit 'pop'!

Thanks Jan,

There is an awful lot to do the base kit, but it does get the detail right for the Duke. The Pontos set is very helpful, but slightly confusing in a number of areas, very little guidance as to where cable reels go, and a number of derrick booms, both stowed & deployed that have no locations given, on with even more research.

Thanks Russell,

Not as far along as it looks, does the deck you are using have cut outs for all the deck details, or are you having to strip back too? Huge amounts still to do!

Thanks again guys, looking forward to seeing you builds under way.

Si

Si, awesome work, I don't know if I would have the patience for that work, not to mention big fingers. May the carpet gods be kind to you and return all dropped parts.

Javier nice choice and an interesting design.

Well I started cutting sprue last night no pictures yet. The fit of the hull is poor and needed serious gluing and clamping. It will need some filler to blend the hull. A mold line on the hull needed a lot of sanding as well. I started drilling out the portholes.

Tom