I'm beginning to plan my 1/350 Bismarck for the Dreadnought campaign. One thing I'm not sure on is how to re-create is the toothed rings inside the turret openings. I'm doing the ship as she appears on the ocean floor today. I'm not sure how well these rings would appear in 1/350 and if it's worth the effort to try to show them, or how to do it if I do decide to try. There would also be a similar ring for the forward gunnery control station, though it would be even smaller.

Any ideas folks?

Hi Roger


I just checked some pics online, and I found a pic showing the teeth from the turret housing.
Bismarck wreck pictures

My guess is that in 1/350 scale, these teeth would be so little you wouldn't be able to see them anymore.

But if you would like to show them, I'm guessingthat scribing fine lines as close as you can could do the trick?

Man, that sure is a big project you'll be working on!!
looking forward to following your progress on this one!

goodluck

Thanks for the link Bjorn. I have the Ballard book but the shots of the turret barbettes is pretty close up. I think I agree with you that at scale distances you probably wont' be able to see them that well either.


EDIT: WOW, really thank you. I just went through that entire set of pictures. It's amazing, and also very daunting, to think I'll try to recreate all that.

Did you get the old National Geographic artist rendering of what she looks like now. I think that was in the book. I think I would get really fine strip styrene to duplicate turret rings. In fact, lots of stretched sprue....all those wires etc, Nice thing is, you only have to saw off stern of the ship so there won't be too much interior detail to make.

I thought one of the Arado aircraft was still in the hanger with its wings folded.

Rodger, I think it's really cool that you're modeling your Bismarck as she is today. That'll be an interesting submission to the campaign.

Hi Rodger!

Nice project and a real challenge!
For the roller rings I would use those plastic straps with a stopper - the one's used to hold cables together - don't know the name in english.
They are dented in a almost perfect scale effect, you'll just probably have to cut them in half (width) and they are long enough to use one per turret.

Skipper

And if I didn't explain myself properly and you don't know what I am talking about PM me with your snail mail address and I'll send a few to you

Skipper

Cable ties.

I thought of those as well, but I wasn't sure if you could get them with fine enough teeth.

Cable ties could indeed do the job, but they are a bit thick in total, so maybe you would have to sand off a bit of the undented side, to make them thinner.

This 'll definetely be a very interesting build.

But what about the colours?
will you paint her blueish like on the pics, or with the real colours she was and then the reallife colours for the sealife which has settled on her?
(this 'll probably be difficult, since materials will decolor due to salt water (the wooden planking for example)

I like the picture with the faded rests of the swastika, exactly where the hull broke.... kind of symbolic....

goodluck
Björn

Thanks for the Cable Ties translation Mates :-)

Another way would be to warm (boilling water) a evergreen srip and then using a gas lighter (bic brand - small) and roll it over the eated strip of stryrene.

Skipper

I know what you're speaking of, Radio Shack should have them, but I'm still not 100% sure I'm going to recreate them. I'm not sure if it's something that is going to be seen at scale distance.

That link Bjorn sent has some really incredible pictures of the wreck. This is getting exciting.

I might still make my Airfix HMS Hood fairly quickly, so I can be sure to get one entry made, then tackle Bismarck.

I've seen someone depict the wreck of the Titanic and Arizona. I've seen pictures of the 350 scale Yamato wreck that Tamiya had done, but I haven't heard nor seen anything on the Bismarck. You may be the first.

Steve, would you have any links to pictures of the yamato wreck?
I've done several google searches for yamato or musashi wrecks, but have come up with nothing so far.

Bjorn

Will this work?

http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Japonia/Battleships/1941_Yamato_class/Wreck/_Yamato_wreck_02.html



The Other Steve


The Power of Web Ferret

No, I've seen an excellent job done where the guy had an box of glass or something. At the top was the ship as she appeared in life, and the bottom the ship on the bottom. It was very impressive.

Aaah, the web ferret did it again

Steven, thanks for that link.

Those were the first pics of the wreck I saw...

I hope they were of some use.

I hope you can keep us up to date with the work you're going to be doing! It would be great to see how it goes!!