Hi Mark,
When it comes to modelling I find it best to succumb to temptation...you'll feel much better afterwards

cheers
Michael

Just a few days away and I missed some very nice progress here!!

Very nice work, Michael, she looks really good with the deck on and the first parts of the superstructure emerging All your effort with the hull really pays off!!

Cheers,
Jan

Doesn't time fly! I think this campaign is getting away from me but I'll persevere for the moment. I have been working on it but not much.

Part of the challenge of a ComBrig is the amount of research required to complete even fairly simple tasks. The aft superstructure containing the gun deck is a good example.
Nicely detailed on the inside but it will be covered over so slightly irrelevant.

Whereas the walls of the structure are completely smooth. Not even a hint of what should be there.

It does mean a lot of time looking at old photos. Most photos of the time are taken from a distance with just the occasional photos on deck giving an idea of what would work (I would love one of those 3D walkarounds)
I have made a start at one end based on a posed photo of some crew which shows some portholes, a rigging point and a viewing slit from the gun deck.


Fortunately I have some etch left over from a couple of builds which will help with doors etc


And while doing the eyebrows I replaced those that got airbrushed into limbo when I painted the hull.


And after a very wet weekend here just gone allowed me do my first blast bags. As recommended on another post I tried the Milliput. It was pretty messy but I got there. I think they may still need a little bit of tidy up. Too big in some parts as I look at this photo.


And while researching I approach the first of the masts, the foremast. ComBrig don't provide masts or even the materials to construct but they do give the measurements thankfully. This will be a late war build and HMS New Zealand had no top masts so that is one less piece to worry about.


When I have figured out how to stick a tripod together I post further photos.

cheers
Michael

Hi Michael,

Nice progress, love the detail up on the superstructure. Had a similar problem building HMS Tiger in the same scale. I gut 3D walkaround on HMS Queen Mary, not the same ship but the right era, it was a great help.

Good luck with the tripod.

Cheers

Si

Si you're a genius.
I have the QM walkaround somewhere deep in the library.(I don't go there too often, I think Colonel Mustard is lurking with the candlestick) I had forgotten all about it.

thanks

Michael

Hi Micheal,

great to see some really good progress here on your New Zealand! This kit is really throwing some challenges on you - wow!! This bleak structure part really looks scary; I remember you had a similar thing with no indication at all as to where install shafts and rudder... Good to see you are tackling all that!!

Very nice work on the blast bags - never tried to build some myself, always had pre-fabricated ones so far...

Now the mast seems another challenge...good luck!!

Cheers,
Jan

Thanks Jan!
It's a long weekend coming up here so hopefully will get both masts completed. Suitable that I am building HMS because it's HM's birthday.

cheers
Michael

Welcome Michael,

Good luck in the Library, (always thought Colonel mustard preferred the revolver)

Cheers

Si

Nice work on the eyebrows Michael! Guns look pretty ship-shape as well!

Thanks Todd, I am happy with them and a bit of Mr Surfacer on the Milliput should smooth it out for painting.

cheers
Michael

Well I approach the tripods this weekend. It was semi successful as one dried slightly off kilter so I will dismantle it and try again. The mainmast made the grade though.

It leans forward slightly because the hole I drilled for stability is marginally too deep so I will correct that when I set them for real.
Not much to this mast in its late war guise. A simple platform and pole upper mast.
The platform was cast solid by ComBrig

So I trimmed it to take a railing

Slipped in the mast and that's it

and complete

Well not quite. there are a couple of lower platforms to attach and I think I will need to find a ladder from somewhere to go up one of the legs.
While waiting for the glue to dry i worked on some 36" searchlights. These are pretty nifty from Northstar, but also tiny with seven parts to assemble. I made the 6 I needed and only lost one piece.



Not the most productive weekend but the weather was to good to avoid the outdoor work.

cheers

Michael

Good progress Michael,

Those tripods are fun, but that is a very tidy job indeed. The searchlights look high quality as well.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers

Si

Thanks Si,
the tripods were indeed "good" fun but we will get there.
The Northstar stuff is very good. I have had to invest in quit a bit e.g. railings, bridge equipment searchlights, triangular supports etc. Next up is adapting a piece of IJN PE for the funnels.

cheers
Michael

Michael,

very nice work on the tripod!! You'll tackle the 'leaning' of the construction, I'm sure!! But all this brass-on-brass without any defined fixing points...great work. Starfish and mast look superb! -as do the searchlights - I ordered some 44" for my Hood

Cheers,
Jan

Three weeks and no update. I have been working away on this slowly and have made some progress which I will try and set out here.
I am working on the rear superstructure. The ship is cleanly split into three areas so it makes it easier to focus one section at a time. I have decided to set HMS New Zealand as a late war, 1918 build, which has probably caused more work than I wanted but nothing that can't be built up.

The superstructure's gun deck level was very plain as I have previously posted so I worked on that, adding doors and portholes. Also installed the 6 12pdrs. The barrels seemed over long but the were nicely cast so I didn't bother to switch them out for the Master barrels. The gun doors came in the kit PE.


Next up was the funnel, one of three and the smallest. In ConBrig style, neatly cast but no detail. This is what the middle funnel looks like unadorned.

I added some brass strips and steam pipes to give some interest.

The funnel cap is quite clunky from the kit PE but it was all I had. It's s shame really because most of the PE is very good.

The Boat deck sits above the gun deck

All I had to add here was the boat cradles


There was a second deck at the rear with 2 12 pdrs early in the war. By 1918 these had been removed and the rear of the deck enclosed. Added to the front was a 24" searchlight from Northstar. I cut the platform from some brass sheet, used some railings from the spares and added a couple of triangular supports. These you can get in various sizes also from NorthStar.



The top deck was a bit more work. Initially it was a platform that was set up for 4 twin 20" searchlights and a range finder on an elevated platform. This was substantially transformed by late war. I removed the moulded on walls, filled the holes for the searchlights and cut back the range finder platform.

In place of the range finder was a platform with two 36" searchlights. I cut a brass platform

Used railings from the spares

And added the lights, from NorthStar of course

In front of the searchlight, a single 4" anti-aircraft gun had been added. It was slightly elevated, so again I cut a semi-circle of brass and added some 1mm strips as support beams.


As you know I had been looking a single 4" gun without success. So I sacrificed a twin 4" to get the barrel, breech and part of a pedestal. (Again, from Northstar)


From here it got a bit murky. From initial research i.e. grainy old photos I thought the 4" had a turret somewhat similar to those later used on corvettes etc. Simon kindly provided me with the scale measurements but further google gazing gave me a slightly clearer picture and from the that I figured that the gun only had a shield. Back to the brass sheet, I fashioned something along the lines of the photo.


Back to the tripod mast. I know this, but never learn my lesson, never build the tall, thin things first. It's a given you'll knock something off. Anyway from the initial photo I showed earlier

several updates ensued. First of all I got rid of the yards, they were too clunky for scale. I lowered the top mast down through the star platform as it should have been, added a lower platform with railing and also added a crane arm with pieces left over from WEM's Dreadnought set.


The platform is just dry fitted at the moment until I can update the yards, 3 of them. Also a couple ladders have been added to the outside legs.

So this is what a dry fit looks like. There is still a bit of adjustment to do to get it all fit together but it's almost there.






There is a month to go in this campaign and there is no way I am going to finish this on time so I think I will be seeking an extension for sure.

thanks for reading this far,

cheers

Michael

Hi Michael!

Well, it may be three weeks, but what an update!

Awesome work!

Great job on a really plain canvas Michael.

I think you may well not be the only one requesting an extension.

I would think we can arrange a month or two.

Cheers

Si

Thanks Russ,
I find when I do a little at a time I don't post. But hopefully I will get this together and paint it so I can move on to the "coffee pot" towers in the mid structure.

cheers

Michael

Hi Si,
Thanks for those comments and your help.
I will be submitting the application shortly. Wouldn't want to fall behind on the paperwork

cheers

Michael

No worries Michael,

Great build you have going, wouldn't want you to miss out on a well deserved ribbon.

Cheers,

Si

Michael,

wow, that IS quite an update! Great work!! Getting along with this kit is truly challenging, with all the plain parts without any indication where needs to go what...you're truly doing a great job there!!

Cheers,
Jan

Ahoy Michael

Great update.

Sublime progress indeed.

Really looking forward to the next update that's for sure.

Cheers


Sean

Thanks Jan,
The kit both excites me and annoys me in equal measure. It's great to make things from scratch but it takes an entire evening to get it right. Absolutely the next build has to be a simple put together, probably a plane would work

cheers
Michael

Hi Sean,
Good to hear from you. Hopefully the next update is not far away, once I have built the boat davits and figured out where thet go on this bit of superstructure. Then some paint to say I have finished this section would be nice.

cheers

Michael

Progress is slow but there is progress nonetheless.
I have continued to make a few bits and pieces.
The rear flag pole

The boat davits that were a prominent feature of the is class


I wasn't happy with the railing around the searchlight platform since photos showed a solid barrier, so made a replacement

Replaced the yards with the new versions from Master. They look much improved.


So finally got to it to the paint and rigging yard.


Got the rigging completed. I still have to figure out away to add the connectors (those small black things on the rigging)

Anyway here a few different angles


including the boats


The funnel got some extra extra detailing with the vertical stays(?) added as an experiment. I think it looks good which is bad because now I have will have to do it for two more.

The boat davits are supported from the main mast


The upper platform with AA gun and searchlights. It looks better but needs a some ammo boxes I think and a couple small platforms either side of the searchlights which were lookout/signalling posts. Can't tell from the photos.

A couple more since I took them




And in situ


Next up, central superstructure which only requires two cranes and four "coffee pot" towers to be made. i think the rest of the pieces may be there. Hopefully it will quicker because I only have two months left.

cheers
Michael