All right,

after finishing the HMS Repulse a few weeks ago - thanks again all for your tremendous support during the build - the shipyard started work on HMS Belfast.

Since Si allowed started builds for the cruiser campaign and I know that I'll be slow, this will be my contribution to the cruisers campaign later on this year. This should allow me to finish in time

Now here's what I am going to use:

The Trumpeter 1/350 kit of course





Then I luckily bought the WEM set while they were still in business:



with their corrective stuff for the bridge and funnels, and the Master correction set for the main turrets and some more barrels.



I'll replace all barrels with turned brass, I've got plenty in stock, so I am not going to list all of this and all the other small stuff that I plan to use - or that I simply use without planning to do so beforehand.

I was considering the flyhawk kit, but that's very difficult to get in Germany, and when I realized that with this really expensive kit they did not correct the main artillery, I abandoned the thought.

More importand is the ArtwoxModel wooden deck:



Finally, the main references I will be using:

The Anatomy of the Ship



and for the paint scheme the Warship Perspectives Series from Alan Raven





and finally, to translate all that into appropriate colors, the Snyder and Short color references



I will be using Tamiya Acrylics, as I do for a couple of years now, mixing the desired colors from my meanwhile quite considerable stock of paints. But all that will be dealt with later.

First steel has been cut, so I should post the first 'work in progress' update here soon. Have to deal with some other urgent issues first, but I hope to get it up later today.

I hope you like my building of HMS Belfast and I would be honored if you follow along over what certainly is going to be a lengthy build log...

Cheers

Jan

I guess it's pretty pointless to buy that kit now, with absolutely no AM. Trumpeter ship model sales might even go into a slump without the usual WEM support! BTW, is there really a noticeable difference between the kit funnels and the WEM replacements?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoh this is gonna be good!

I can't wait to see what you do with her Jan!

Hi Biggles2, you're right, with WEM certainly the most important and still affordable supporter for those kits is gone, but there is still Flyhawk, and I read rumors somewhere that possibly Pontos is working on a set, as well. I for myself would hope this kit continues to sell - I would be more than interested in a kit of her half-sister HMS Sheffield well, let's see.
As for the funnels, the second, smaller one is remarkably different from the kit's one, and with regard to the Anatomy book, WEM is correct. I'll go more into detail there when I am dealing with the funnels.

Tim, thank you very much!! Glad to have you in for the ride!!

Okay, let's go then - first work done.

Hull is in halves here





First I drilled out all portholes etc...





Trumpeter provides an inner structure that gives a certain sturdiness to the hull, and the fit is excellent:





This is all before the first drop of glue was applied - quite amazing







All glued together does not leave much room for complaints either:









Of course all needs sanding, the seam needs some putty and there are really minor issues with stern and bow - in fact, nothing really worth mentioning:







Some Mr. Surfacer 500 brushed on in several layers will do the job, not even real putty needed here.



Trumpi has come a long way...just trying to remember how long it took me to get good REPULSE into that state - definitely more than a full workday...more like a full week...

Now comes the boring but still necessary part, sanding and the like, already started, but I will hardly have a chance to get something accomplished during the week. This silly work-thing comes in the way again

Anyway, don't want to finish today without showing you some comparison:

Cruiser vs. Battlecruiser; 1917 design vs. 1938 design.







Bow and stern of the bigger Battlecruiser are sleeker and more elegant, the Cruiser looks almost bulky in comparison...





I still like them both

So much for today, I can't promise too much for the next update, quite busy with real life as already mentioned, but I should get something up in a week or two.

For now, thanks for looking, all comments are welcome!!

Cheers

Jan

Great stuff Jan!! Count me in!! Off to an excellent start!

Jan count me in to follow your build, I also have this kit with the Master barrels and same ref material however I have the Flyhawk set on order so I'll be interested once it arrives to see how it compares.

After your Repulse build I'm getting comfortable with some beer and nuts to watch this.

Ive got the steamer trunk and am ready for the long voyage. If only someone could point me to the buffet and shuffleboard?

Bryan

Jan

Count me along for the ride. Got my case of Guiness and a bag of pork rinds. oh I also have my notebook to take notes

Dave

Hi Jan,

First build under way! Great stuff, quite a collection of aftermarket.

Will be following with much interest.

Si

Todd, Luciano, Bryan, Dave and Si,

thank you so much - great to have you following along!!

Let's see if I manage some virtual catering but your choices seem appropriate

I'm truly looking forward to share this next build here with you great folks, and I am looking forward to the start of the campaign!!

Cheers to you all and thanks again!!

Jan

Since the hull is not waterlined, is there at least a cut mark, or scored line, on the inside?

Hi Biggles,

your question comes a little late, since all is closed and glued in place...however, checking the high res original pic and trying to memorize, I would say no, there is nothing like a mark to waterline it. Even more, the inner structure, which I think a very nice feature because it helps the halves to go together very easily and make for an almost perfect fit for the deck - this were major flaws on as well Repulse as on the Graf Spee - would not be very helpful for waterlining it.
I would say the kit is not designed for that. I certainly can be done, but requires some major and complex surgery.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan great start I can hopefully pick up some good tips from you with this build I have this kit and the WEM etch might give me a push to get more builds done this year myself

keith

Hi Jan!

A great start, mate, to what is sure to be an excellent build!

For anyone holding off on buying the Belfast kit because WEM went bust, fear not. Tom's have purchased WEM and according to the website, WEM AM will be available again soon.

Also, Jan, I was fortunate enough to tour Belfast and have some photos here if they are of assistance to you.

Watching with interest
Russ

Isnt the Belfast in the Thames? Its almost not fair to have such a good reference for a period model. Im jelous.

Bryan

Indeed it is.

We are extremely fortunate that she survived the scrappers torch (by sheer luck) as the British government pillaged its way through the RN's fleet looking for a fast buck, despite the extremely loud calls of protest from Joe Public requesting that some of the WW2 fleet be preserved for future generations.

Not that I'm upset by at all by the short sightedness of previous British gov's

The Belfast is open to the public thanks to volunteers from the Imperial War Museum. She is in the final fit in which she saw service, so the paint scheme is not accurate, but if you're ever in London, I highly recommend a visit.

Keith, Russ and Bryan,

thank you, too for your kind words and support, great to have you along!!

All your support here on MSW is overwhelming!!

Russ, thank you very much for the link to your pictures mate!! Great pictures and will be of some help! I was able to visit HMS Belfast myself some 15 years ago, took plenty of pictures the good old fashioned way - I didn't have a digital cam then - and consequently have no idea where in the world I left those films and / or pictures...apart from that they probably lost much of their color meanwhile...

With that, Bryan, spot on, that's the one, moored near the Tower Bridge. However, as Russ already pointed out, she's preserved as she was immediately prior to decommissioning, which was 1963. So she looks quite different from 1942 - but still helpful, of course.

So here's a quick update, did not get much done. With luck a little more tomorrow - but no promises

The hull after sanding - I still call it a remarkable good fit







And some surfacer brushed on. Next will be more sanding and then surfacer sprayed on as a base coat.





Thanks for looking, more soon!!



Jan

Shaping up nicely there Jan!! Forward motion!!!

Jan, I would like to stow away on this one. It looks like a great project. I have a feeling I will learn a lot from your build.

Jan, I'm following along as well, I have the kit in my stash waiting for the after market guys to get some stuff out. I also got the anatomy book on the Belfast. What is wrong with the kit stacks?

Tom

Very tidy clean up Jan,

Following with interest.

Si

Gentlemen,

thank you very much for following and your kind comments - I hope I can do you all justice over time...

Tom, stacks/funnels, I have to remember to break them out and compare them for the next update to show the differences. I hope I don't forget

For now - an update (almost) without ship. Well, not much progress to be seen on Belfast, some surfacer, some sanding, the usual stuff...should be ready for the base coat soon...

For today i was mainly preparing the colors.

According to Alan Raven the camouflage has four colors: 507 A, B5, B6, 507 C. To identify those from a black and white print will be tricky, and I'll probably end up with some 'gizmology' and whatever looks good and pleasing, but that's for later. Now its about the colors itself.

As I mentioned, I use Tamiya acrylics. They don't have those colors, so it's about mixing.



Basically, it was not all that difficult, 507 A / C were needed for Repulse and B5/B6 I had used before on my PoW. So re-mixing and making sure that enough is in stock - nobody will be able to tell if the colors are a perfect match, but running out of a color in the middle of a build will be almost impossible to conceal....

These are my mixtures, a compromise between fit and simpleness:

507 A : XF 50 (Field Blue) / XF 1 (Flat Black) = 3 / 1
B6 : XF 18 (Medium Blue) / XF 2 (Flat White) = 1 / 5
B5 : XF 18 (Medium Blue)
507 C : XF 2 (Flat White) / XF 66 (Light Grey) = 4 / 1

Hull Red : XF 9 (Hull Red) / XF 7 (Flat Red) = 4 / 1

Well, the B5 I am using now is a crude and complicated mixture I did for the PoW, only to find out that, after I had mixed quite a big jar of it, it is as close to the original XF 18 as it can be....so I am using that jar for Belfast all right, but for reference, it's pretty much XF 18

Here's how the main colors look:





Not exact, but close. And, depending on the light and the material they're painted on, they look always different....as did the real stuff...

So here's my main stock ready to go:





So much for today, thanks for looking and I must likely ask for your patience, until the next update could be two weeks....

Cheers

Jan

Jan

Nice job on the cleanup. After watching I'm in the market for some Mr Surfaced. In sure it's better than Squadron putty

Regarding the paint mixology, very impressive. I never had the guts to go that far. So I will be taking notes for future use

Dave

Looking good Jan.

Great job with the paint mixing, like Dave not brave enough for that.

Si

Sensational work with the paint, Jan!

Don't keep us waiting too long for another update, please

Russ