Airfix 1/600 Bismarck becomes Tirpitz....and then disappears!

[adt70hk]

Now that’s what I call flash…….

You quite literally took the words off fingertips!!

[Ian M]

Tooled in 1964 and never cleaned since!

I am sure you vi win this one as well Ron.

[spanner570]

Thanks for all your observations and humorous posts boys. All good stuff!

Dave. quite right. Bad moulding, crude and lacking detail etc., these kits have in spades, but with a bit of graft, can come out not too bad and me having paid just £8.00 delivered, it is perfect for this particular project.

However, heaven help a newbie, or anyone else for that matter, who comes across this kit for the first time!

Ian M. Please keep it to yourself. You'll soon realise why, but you are the reason I'm putting myself through this very difficult and challenging build!

Progress update.
Gun deck and bridge superstructure painted and ready for assembly.


To anyone thinking of tackling a ship build, it is best to paint these sort of bits first, as it is nigh on impossible to accomplish after the things are all stuck together. Beware, the temptation to build first will be very strong...Resist!

Cheers.
Ron

[Gern]

Dave. quite right. Bad moulding, crude and lacking detail etc., these kits have in spades, but with a bit of graft, can come out not too bad and me having paid just £8.00 delivered, it is perfect for this particular project.

However, heaven help a newbie, or anyone else for that matter, who comes across this kit for the first time!

Cheers.
Ron

You're right there Ron. I don't know why Airfix keep releasing these ancient kits. Anyone trying to enter the hobby with one of these will do one of two things:

1) Persevere with the hobby but NEVER buy another Airfix kit - which is a pity as some of their new stuff is really good.
2) Give up the hobby as a bad job and take up origami (or similar) instead!

Both these options will reduce Airfix's income, so I'm guessing that keeping these old moulds and shoving out kits is a decision made by the bean counters who have not the faintest idea what their company is about.

[Allen Dewire]

So true Dave, but poor Ron has to use some serious carving skills he learned as a wood butcher to free the little parts from the sprues. Wishing you all the best Ron!!! I wouldn't know where to start on that puppy and how in the hell can you see those tiny parts???...

Prost
Allen

[spanner570]

Quite right Dave.
Revell had the good sense to re-tool their Bismarck, and what a terrific job they did on her!

Allen. I crack a can and my eye focus knows no bounds!

On with the build.....

Superstructure all stuck together.







To eliminate any chance of paint removal through masking, I always paint boot toppings and similar long lines, freehand using a well loaded flat headed paintbrush. Luckily, there is a very feint raised line for the top of the boot topping, (The black line above the waterline) so I was able to brush up to this.

As the ship will be waterline, I will be hacking off the hull below this mark before starting the painting.


This is as far as I dared to go before painting the ship, because adding any smaller 'Bits' would make it a very difficult exercise.
Unfortunately, I got that carried away from here on that I forgot to take progress pictures, so things now become a bit disjointed and even missing altogether. :upside: For this, I apologize in advance.

I will use the ritted word to try and explain the missing stages.

Your Servant,
Kapitan Hans Meyer

[boatman]

HI 570 VERY nice build but im cryin in my boots that u r goin to cut the bottom off the hull off cant u do a deeper sea scape ?
chrisb

[BattleshipBob]

Dear Herr Meyer

Das is a wonderbar job of a kaput kit

Mr Gruntfuttuck, twice removed

[spanner570]

Thanks to Chris and Herr Gruntfuttuck.

Chris. she won't be at sea....... So surgery it has to be, sorry. Just squint and all will be tickety boo!

Twice Removed, thank you too for your much valued observation.

Ron

[Guest]

Greeting 570 .

As there will be no room for new crew members from here I shall say , good luck ," we " your enemy and I will be watching.
Yours 453 and a certain friend.

[Tim Marlow]

Greeting 570 .

As there will be no room for new crew members from here I shall say , good luck ," we " your enemy and I will be watching.
Yours 453 and a certain friend.

You are just parroting platitudes again aren’t you John :tongue-out3:

[Guest]

You are just parroting platitudes again aren’t you John :tongue-out3:

You've got it in one Tim:smiling3::smiling3:

[spanner570]

Greeting 570 .

As there will be no room for new crew members from here I shall say , good luck ," we " your enemy and I will be watching.
Yours 453 and a certain friend.

453, if that cross billed, hook nosed, scabby feathered, squawking, flee ridden, bad tempered, with the I.Q of a backward clam excuse for what is usually a superb example of a colourful, friendly and intelligent creature comes within range of my ship, I will send a launch load of hairy a***d Marines to intercept it - And these guys haven't had a 'Bird' in quite a while!

Be afraid, very afraid for the future well being of your 'Friend'

Yours
Bootiful Bernard Matthews (Dec.) AKA 570

Turkey and Parrot stuffer extraordinaire.

[spanner570]

As I wrote earlier, the build from now on is all to pot due to there being no stage pictures in any sort of order. I'll have to 'Borrow' a few from my previous build of this kit.

So please bear with me.....
Here's my little £10 grinder thingy working on the hull.

Images from a previous build of this same kit. I've done the same with this current construction. The only difference being, the subject of this thread, as can be seen earlier, is far less advanced than in these photos.

Sorry Chris, it just had to be done and no animals were hurt during this exercise.




Now I have a waterline ship, I can start to paint her.

Jeez, I'm confused and I'm building the thing! :upside:

Cheers.
Ron

[boatman]

453, if that cross billed, hook nosed, scabby feathered, squawking, flee ridden, bad tempered, with the I.Q of a backward clam excuse for what is usually a superb example of a colourful, friendly and intelligent creature comes within range of my ship, I will send a launch load of hairy a***d Marines to intercept it - And these guys haven't had a 'Bird' in quite a while!

Be afraid, very afraid for the future well being of your 'Friend'

Yours
Bootiful Bernard Matthews (Dec.) AKA 570

Turkey and Parrot stuffer extraordinaire.

:thinking:WELL 570 from what i read i gather you are not that fond of J/R 's freind Polly then an then some LOL :smiling::smiling:

an cuttin that hull i wanted to cry im sure that ship felt pain as i sure did an i was lookin through my fingers BOO HOO LOL
chrisb