...and a little color thrown on the IX B:

















Touch ups and, more important, some detail work will follow with the hairy stick.

- and, no worries, the deck is not going to stay in the simple brown (actually, the color I used for the corticene), there will be some wash and dirt and stuff, so it should be rather greyish in the end...

So much for now, next update only in ten days or so, since I'm busy over the weekend...

Cheers,
Jan

Nice paint job Jan, looking forward to seeing more progress.

More progress on the Bismarck's boats.







First pair fitted.



More soon,

Cheers

Si

Quick pic,

Boats going on, not quite in the right place, see my full build on this for the low down.



Cheers

Si

Si,

nice to see you Bismarck is steadily growing!! Very nice work!!

I am still fighting my cold and don't really find time and/or proper motivation for the bench.
Just a proof that I'm still alive - a few touch ups on the IXB sub...





Cheers,
Jan

Thanks Jan.

Good to see some progress from you too mate.

Hope your cold gets better quick.

Cheers

Si

Hi all,

it's almost unbelievable, but eventually I can offer an update and not another excuse for not having accomplished anything...

So here comes U 108.

Propellers on, and work done on the guns. I decided to go mostly OOB, and replace only the barrels with turned brass ones. And I used the PE provided in the kit.







Preparations for painting -







- and painted.









Small stuff installed on the turret.





The forward 'net cutter?' whatever that is called...





Those little structures aft - one was eaten by the carpet monster, so I had to scratch built one from railing.





Copper wire in Si's fashion attached, all assembled.









And some dirt, salt, rust...added to bring it a little to life and to hide some imperfections.













So I call this one done - IXB type submarine U108, participated in searching for Bismarck survivors without success. It feels a little like cheating, but I hope I qualify for the campaign with this??? - no worries, now it's all back to HMS Hood!!



Here's U108 sitting on Hood's shelter deck - both same scale, of course.

The U108 was a really nice intermezzo, nice and straight froward build. And it hast potential to detail it, but I needed a break and something fairly easy for a change, so I did her more or less OOB. I think that was a pretty good decision after all, now my motivation for HMS Hood is back again, and I don't have to worry about campaign dates and finish lines...so I will be updating my HMS Hood build here as long as the campaign stays open - maybe we get an extension...? - and on my separate build log, of course.

Cheers,
Jan

Jan,

Very nicely done! We all need a break from big projects now and again, so completely understood. I certainly think it qualifies for the campaign, just don't forget to post some pics in the gallery, which I've finally set up.

Michael

Michael,

thank you very much!!!

Just uploaded a couple of pictures to the gallery - and next weekend should bring a substantial update to the HMS Hood!!

Cheers,
Jan

Nice work Jan,

Great job on the boat.

Cheers

Si

All right, I promised a substantial update - - now, what means substantial?
I had a busy weekend at the shipyard, and I think I was quite successful. However, the result is pretty small - I almost finished 1 (one) PomPom. I had never expected that those little NorthStar kit would take me a full day to build...

Now here are some pictures, the one without barrels is the good one. I will paint it, and paint the barrels separately - to me they simply look better when they are black, even though I am not entirely sure if that is correct.

I will post a step-by-step on my HMS Hood blog over the next days, so you hopefully believe me that those little things are quite complicated to build.

I am reasonably happy with the one I did, though I think there is quite some potential to get it better. I hope with the second one I learn and things will not only be quicker but even better. You can see that some bends are not perfect and that there is too much glue in some places. But than again, you can see it on those magnifying pictures, it's almost impossible to spot with the naked eye.

















Cheers,
Jan

Jan,

Those pom poms are STUNNING!

Are you going to use the flat photoetch barrels for them or turned brass? I know they are an extra expense, but turned brass barrels would look even better (I think Master Models of Poland makes some...)

Either way, things are looking good!

Hi Jan

Nice work, good to see you back on the job.

Cheers

Si

Thank you very much, Tim and Si!!

No worries, there will be turned brass barrels. The NorthStar Set comes with turned barrels, actually those from Master! They included barrels in two different lengths, as required - Master originally had them only in one length (the shorter one), so there was always some workaround required when using them.

So more detail about this kit on the build log!

Cheers,
Jan

Quick update on the Bismarck.

The Flakveirling / searchlight platform above the flag bridge built.





Si

Great progress everyone! I'm finally ready to start my Rodney... I'm wondering if there is a British version of navsource? I use that extensively to add details for the correct timeframe and placement. Google just hasn't cut it for close-in details.

Thanks!!

I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Hi Steve,

Digging on that score myself, but I can find no photos of the Rodney as she was when she sailed, bound for Boston, prior to diverting to engage Bismarck.

What I have gleaned, mostly from Raven & Roberts, AA armament, the 4.7" were still unshielded, she only mounted 3 8 bbl pompoms, one aft, and the abeam of the funnel, the other light stuff, two quad 0.5" mounts on the aft outboard corner of the octopod, and two single 20mm on the roof of B turret, one behind the other on the centre line. She also had a type 79Y radar fitted.

Her aircraft were landed prior to sailing, and there are apocryphal reports that she was carrying 3 8bbl mounts lashed to the main deck to be fitted at her refit, but I can find no confirmation of this, and I have read a quad 2pdr replaced the 20mm on the roof of B turret at the Boston refit.

Sorry I can't be more help.

Si

More progress on Bismarck's bridge tower.

The admiral's bridge deck.



The main director platform.



The main director mount.



actually still got some sights etc to add to that.

The walkway connecting the Admiral's bridge to the funnel searchlight platforms.



More soon

Si

Great builds everyone!
I call mine finished, after months deciding what i could add i though i let it be as it now is







inspiration came from this picture


Thanks

Jan, That's a fantastic Arado! They had such a nice looking shed (hanger) on the Bismarck too. Great job! Doesn't look like it needs anything added to me.

Si, Thanks for the help! I've been able to find some plans drawn up on the bridge/main turrets and catapult. Really great detail.

But now I'm left scratching my head about how awfully inaccurate parts of the old Tamiya Rodney are. It looks like I'll need to rebuild portions of the bridge structure to get it close. I thought about just waiting for a Trumpeter version, but I have all the PE and wooden decking, so here goes nothin'.

Cracking Arado Jan,

Love to sea shipboard birds with their wings folded.

Cheers

Si

I'm finally making some progress on the Rodney. Here's a quick "before and current" picture.

I find myself flipping from reference to reference to get the correct viewpoint for all of the little bits I want to add. Hopefully the bridge is the hardest part of this one.

Nice work Steve,

Corrections for the 1941 time period coming on very well.

Cheers

Si

Definitiv nice work going on here - the Arado looks superb, and very nice to see a Rodney joining in!!

Cheers,
Jan

Bit more progress on Bismarck.

Spray job done on the remaining Bridge tower structure.



First four veteran models twin 37mm under way.



last bits of wood deck down.



detail painting and rangefinders on the Admiral's bridge.



Main gunnery control tower done.



Cheers

Si

A little more progress yesterday.

The admiral's bridge and searchlight / flakvierling platform painted.



flakveirlings.



searchlights.



Platform fitted.



Cheers

Si