Prince of Wales 1/200

Longbow

Member
Some new pictures for the PoW.
I got a little bit further with the front superstructure.
Created the front funnel, the forward mast basis using 1,5 and 2,5 mm brass wire. My son in law got some lying around :)
Also created the four pompoms and their platforms.

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Longbow

Member
I've gone ahead with the bridge structure. Added the battlebridge, the radar platforms, searchlights, ladders aso.
Also added the gun emplacements for the 5.25 " port and starboard guns forward facing.

Will go ahead with the PPD's (PomPom Directors). I've added a photograph for them; As the kit has them as triangular cones, I'm looking for a way to create them more accurately. Would be a nice touch to the ship. Same for the radars for the other guns. I have to mull a bit about these.

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Longbow

Member
I think I found a way to create the PPD's a little bit more to my liking.
The designer of GPM (he has done a terrific job !) has designed the radar part of the PPD as a triangular cone.

To re-create these from thread I first had to look in my box with cables (I never throw cables and connectors away - my wife says I can start a shop with them
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) I found connector cables for an old model of telephone (1970's), the inner wires were not very straight, but I thought I could use them anyway.

I took the size of the radar parts and drew them like I drew the barrels of the Pompoms (see earlier pictures). I then cut out a length of wire, bent it and cut to size. I planned that two of them should create the antenna protectors when I bent the copper threads and glued the over each other.
Well, that did not work out. I could not get the bends as sharp as I liked, so I cut four pieces for each antenna and glued them together. The antenna was a real challenge: normally I use reading glasses, but for the 'work' on the antennas I had to wear TWO reading glasses -one before the other- to see the little parts and glue them
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The picture of the actual PPD's shows a curved back for the antenna's, so I decided to recreate them as well, made them a little wider to be a bit more accurate to the real thing.

Cleaned them from little glue-threads (see picture
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), painted the antennas gun metal. Don't know if this is the correct colour though..
After placing them on their places on the model I was not dissatisfied. I think I can use this method for the other gundirectors as well.

It took some time, thank you for your patience !
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Rhaven Blaack

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You did a GREAT JOB on making these PPDs. Sometimes, it is the little details like this that really set a model apart and above the rest!
You are making FANTASTIC PROGRESS on this project!
 

Longbow

Member
I've started with the aft superstructure (the boatdeck).
Created the aft smokestack, aft rangefinder and the aft gun emplacements for the (secundary) 5.25" guns.

Next step: filling the boat deck with the boats...

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zathros

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The PDD's are indeed great. If you ever wish to harden wire, as i have posted before, tie one end to something solid, use as long of a piece as you can, tie the other end to a piece of dowel, then gently, but firmly, start pulling increasing the tension till the wire "gives". This is how you harden the wire. You will then find the wire extremely stiff, and ready to post. It will lose it's malleability. We used to do this for making the "Go-No-Go" flag stem posts for aircraft instruments. Your ship is quite a beauty! :)
 

Longbow

Member
Thanks Zathros :) Will test this !

On my last post I suggested that I would get on with the boats of the Prince.
But, before I started with them I got an idea (yes, me
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) that when I stuck to this plan I could get problems with setting the aft mast correctly because the booms of the mast are set between the boats.
So, I decided to set up the aft mast first, at least the main part, and after that create the boats.

So I focussed on the aft mast. Created it from copper wire like I did for the front mast (sorry to the guys that create models purely from paper...)

After I did that I shifted my focus again to the aft deck and filled her will the rafts, airvents, a.s.o. Why ? I don't know, just felt ok...

Then I completed the front deck with the missing booms. I noticed on pictures of the Prince that there was a handlingline from the top of the superstructure boom, so added this as well. I took some sewing thread, 'greased' it with glue to get it straight after drying. Works reasonably well.

And added the first two boats: one on the frontdeck and the smallest of them all on the boatdeck.

As I got 4-5 hours per week to work on the model, progress is a bit slow...

The last picture shows my working environment.

Greetings !
Klaas
 

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zathros

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Beautiful!! The railings are superb, all the details are making this a very special model indeed! :)
 

Longbow

Member
Finally, Finally,
Got back to the model again..

The build is not dead, far from it.

But you know, family comes first !
My youngest daughter is pregnant again, and in her last weeks. In the pregnancy before this she lost her unborn child in the 34st week, so we keep close.
We pray that this pregnancy will be blessed this time.

And, in between I had to go to India to speak with our contractors. An adventure, to put it mildly.

Back to the model :
I started the 5.25" guns on the port side.
Now, I'm afraid I really could not get the gunbarrels as I wanted them to be.
They just ended up twisted the wrong way. Tried it with other, lighter paper, but this did not work out either.
I do not know what the correct English word is for the Dutch word 'balen' but let me say that I was not amused.

I confess that I took the easy way out: I ordered the gunbarrels from GPM. I know that some of you will have thoughts about that, and maybe you are right. Sorry...

Back to the gunbarrels: it is best to glue the inner wings to the inside of the gunturret before glueing the turret to the carton strenghtenings. Found that out after glueing two of them...
I took the precaution of strenthening the disks to which the barrels are glued with parts of a toothpick (2nd picture). I hope to avoid that the barrels will droop. Seems this works
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Before placing the after 5.25" guns, it is best to create the boats and railings around the boat deck first. Otherwise it is hard to get to them later.

So: boats first, railings, then the guns.
Some pictures of the process :
 

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zathros

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Beautiful!! May God bless your daughter and your loved ones. The ship is absolutely stunning. :)
 

Longbow

Member
This 'A' turret is huge...
Had a dry fit on the foredeck.

I decided to double-up the inner sides for the gunbarrels.
Looks sturdier that way. After glueing the sides and top: it is
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I painted the barrels with Games Workshop paints and mixes.

Don't know what the next miniproject will be yet: lifeboats, radar(s), B turret, other 5.25' turrets, masts, will see
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zathros

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Don't forget to make plans for a tank, fish tanks work well, filled with argon, and U.V. clear sheets, to display this, so it will last. The Argon does not have to be under pressure, just sealed in the fish tank, it is not flammable, it actually puts out fire, and the tank can give you back drop ideas, if you so wished. You can't leave something like that in the open!! :)
 
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Longbow

Member
I have finished the 14" turrets in the way described in the previous posts. I added the AA pompoms on top of the B and C turrets. The building of the pompoms got attention in previous posts as well.
These huge turrets look menacing..

On some pictures of the Prince I noticed liferafts on top of the C turret. Maybe I will add them. Looking at the various pictures of the real Prince I saw that the position of the liferafts on the ship changed over time. These extra liferafts are not in the kit, but not very hard to build.

Next will be the remaing 5.25" turrets on the port side.

Till next time !!

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zathros

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Looks "Ready to fight" with those turrets on! :)
 

Longbow

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I've started with some smaller builds : searchlights, radar, planes and cranes.
For one of the planes I cut the wings and glued them swept back so the plane fits in a hangar. The other one I left with wings spread. This plane will end up on one of the rails.

The cranes are quite some cutting work, and I was afraid that they would not be strong enough to hold up. Surprisingly, they were ! Don't underestimate the strength of paper :)
I think I will put one crane in the lowered position, and one raised above the planes with extended wings. Should be nice. We'll see :)
The cables for the crane are made from streched sprue, because I do not posess fishing line at the moment.

Put the cranes and the planes on the ship for the photographs. I need to do some touch-ups here and there.
 

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Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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This is really coming together beautifully!
You are doing a FANTASTIC JOB!

As for the strength of the cranes, If you want to increase their strength (or the strength of other thin or smaller parts), you can coat them in liquid super glues (and let dry & cure well) before attaching that part into place.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!
 
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