discussion DKM Scharnhorst 1943 - 1/350 Dragon Kit + extras

[Guest]

you are correct the swastika was covered when in open sea. It is documented that Bismarck had her identification marks painted out while in Norway before heading to the Atlantic. that paint has now weather away leaving the swastika clearly on show on the wreck.
Jase

Thanks for confirming this point Jase, much appreciated. Derek

 

[bazers]

Looks great with all that p e work.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Gents for all your kind word.


Last update of the year before the shipyard closes for the seasonal break.


Been concentrating on the ships boats, searchlights and torpedo launchers. These are now ready for priming. I have left off the lenses and the covers from the searchlights as after priming I want to silver inside the housing.


Neither the kit nor the MK1 aftermarket PE provided enough grab rails for the top of all the ships boat cabins, so I used sections of 1/350 ladder from my spares box.


The lifebuoys on top of the ships boats cabins come from North Star.


The last picture is a little experiment I tried for depositing small amounts of CA glue, I found that rounded surfaces were best for releasing the glue, so recently I have been sharpening cocktail/toothpick sticks as shown, and found them very useful. They get clogged up after a while but it is only a one minute job to remove the glue and re-shape the point.


Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Derek


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[spanner570]

Looking good Derek.


With the superb P.E. detail going on here, you will probably be giving us a further update next Christmas!


Excellent thread, well explained.


A Merry Christmas to you too....


Ron

 

[Guest]

I'm still really enjoying this build.


Great work so far.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for viewing Ron/Ralph.


Been doing a bit of work on the ships cranes, below is a sequence shot of the construction. The Kit and Mk1 aftermarket PE have several errors. On the Kit they have provided a single winch drum for both lifting and luffing functions. I have split the barrel provided with a micro saw, rotated it and glued it back on. Have then used some scrap plastic to make two disks which I glued on and filed down, see first two photos.


I then assembled the PE, MK1 have provided a double fall hook arrangement, which I think is wrong as I have a photo which shows a single fall arrangement, but I will just have to live with it.


I then fitted the Cranes to their Pedestal which had been fitted earlier to the decks, and rigged one of the Cranes using' Pearsalls Gossamer Silk' thread, which is used for fishing. In order to straighten the thread I put some PVA glue on my finger and run the thread through several times and hang it vertically till dry. I then use spots of PVA to fix them to the sheaves. I have rigged the thread in a way which I think would work, using the short drum for luffing and the larger drum for lifting. The PVA fixing the thread is still drying, but should dry clear. Happy New Year. Derek


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[Guest]

Great looking cranes.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Ralph.


Finished rigging the second boats crane.


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Assembled the main cranes; I used the back plastic frame from the kit as well as the PE to make it stronger; the PE was very delicate and fiddly.


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Assembled all of the Reels; the instructions only tell you where half of them go, so will have to apply some logic in determining the others positions.


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Finally I fitted the prop shafts and supports. The Dragon kit got their positions wrong as usual. In Detail 19 of the instructions M3 and M26 should be swapped over.


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Although this concludes the major parts of the build there are still a lot of small details to be added, and there seems to be quite a few bits left on the sprues without a home, so I will have to go over the instructions/model to find out if there are logical places for them to fit.


As these parts will be too small to be worth recording my next post will be when I am ready to prime, but before that I will have to group all of the loose fittings by colour.


It may therefore be a few weeks before my next posting.


Derek

 

[takeslousyphotos]

That is amazing work Derek....... absolutely amazing.

 

[Guest]

All looking good.


I'll be waiting.

 

[spanner570]

Excellent work Derek, and as usual very well explained. I do admire the way you don't take things for granted, but check for errors. Most of us mere mortals would just go merrily along, probably whistling in blissful ignorance...I know I would, so top marks.

 

[Guest]

Excellent work. Your PE work is really well done

 

[Steve Brodie]

Stunning

 

[Guest]

Thanks Gents for your kind words of encouragement.


I found where the remaining Reels go, the info is buried in the instructions.


The main Cranes should be single fall and not double fall, but I will leave it; you would think that the aftermarket guys would get it right.


I read that the Scharnhorst did not have a flag pole on the stern at the end of her life so I have left it off.


I have left off the handrails along the ships side until I prime and paint the lower hull half and boot-topping.


I have masked off the areas where the superstructure lands as I want to use a plastic cement for strength.


Where the superstructure hand rails are covered in canvas, I will be painting on Micro-Glaze with a brush. I did a test sample which was successful. For the primer I will be using Tamiya Primer, see last photo.


I have mounted the small components on scrap glossy card for painting. They have been segregated in accordance with their final colour. Some components like the boats will have to be turned over to access the hidden side. The large brass sheet contains the ships boats oars; I will paint them before detaching and touch up as necessary when fitted.


I will be using Lifecolor paints throughout for the painting, and the Lifecolor Kriegsmarine set, see last photo. However I may alter some of the colours so that they blend in better. Derek


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[Guest]

Stunning details, cheers

 

[Guest]

A small update; have primed all components of the model with three light coats of Tamiya primer identified previously.


It is not clear where the lower edge of the boot-topping is located so I have chosen the joint line of the two Hull halves as its location. Have therefore masked off the hull as shown at this location on the first photo and primed the underside. I then painted the underside with Lifecolor UA606 from the paint set, and sealed it with two light coats of Humbrol acrylic satin varnish 135 in order to protect it, see the second photo. The varnish changed the colour slightly by making it a bit more cherry red than the original brown/red.


Finally I removed the masks from the hull. Notice on the last photo I had previously added a 0.75mm dia. ‘Evergreen’ strip to the hull to represent the degaussing cable seen in the 1943 photos available on the internet. This cable was not provided in the kit nor the MK1 aftermarket.


Will now mask the lower hull half, and prime the upper hull and deck with the Tamiya primer.


Derek


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[Guest]

Coming on now Derek it's such a big project but it will look so impressive when done


Roger

 

[Guest]

Thanks Roger, yes I don't think I will be doing another capital ship anytime soon.


Another small update.


Have now masked off the lower hull. Have decided to reinstate the aft flagpole, as mentioned previously, I read that it was not fitted in 1943, but as you can see there would be a large gap at the stern of the ship if omitted which would look peculiar.


The handrails have now been fitted, so will leave everything to cure overnight and then prime the upper half of the hull and deck.


Last photo shows the results of using the 'Window Glaze' to simulate the canvas fitted to some of the handrails as shown in photos of the Scharnhorst in 1943, came out quite well I think.


Derek


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[Guest]

Still loving this build.


That canvass looks great to me.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for following Ralph, I appreciate your comments.


Been painting the hull camo this week based on Dragons interpretation of the ‘Operation Ostfront’ 1943 scheme, but using the Lifecolor set identified previously.


Masked off the lower hull, and airbrushed the upper hull with Lifecolor UA603 throughout. The deck was then airbrushed with Lifecolor UA755 (worn out hemp).


I then applied the first stage masking using Tamiya 6mm tape and also Tamiya’s 2mm and 3mm ‘tape for curves’. The camo was them hand brushed on. The masking was then modified at the bow for the near black patch.


Will paint the deck fittings and propellers before moving onto the superstructure.


Derek


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