The Ship Model Forum

Ahoi!

It has been a long while since I posted an own WIP on this forum, but I am a very constant reader and always are intrigued by Your efforts.

My own passion is modelling in 1/6000 scale which in comparison to all of Your scales is a bit fiddly, but at least it saves place and time: all my modelling equipment + A L L ships don't need more than roughly 2m².

My tools are quite simple: graphic cutter (with pointed blades), razor blades, a collection of small wodden blocks and bits (tooth pics!) with fine wet sanding paper glued on, some pins and needles and a small drill. Then there is a calliper, a steel rule and a calculator, and it's done.

First I was inspired by wargaming models, then I started over for myself and have built ca. 130+ models over the past few years, with an output of roughly 30 ships a year which I then cast in resin. I clearly focus on the era 1870 – 1905 and try to chose my subjects according to historical scenes: as I love building displays, I have to fill them with the necessary amount of shipment. One of those projects (and some real small-scale megalomania) is the inauguration of the Kiel Canal as of 1895 (1m x 0,5m), and I have already done half of the ships - a wonderful selection of straneg and quirky designs! One of them is the german artillery training ship SMS „Mars“ of 1877 - the "rubber-battleship". This will be the master for later reproduction in resin which I will hopefully be doing within the next two months.

The build starts with a chunk of glued together styrene. It has the rough measures of the later hull up to the main deck. I used some small wedges of the same material to give it the required curved deck which are then glued on and sanded to shape.
In the background: SMS Brandenburg, SMS Siegfried, SMS Wespe.



Now the block is cut down to L x B x H and (again) sanded. There is little orientation at this stage, so I wrote B where the bow is supposed to be. Back and Poop are glued on.
In the background: SMS Oldenburg and SMS Preußen



Now it is time for the bulwarks. They are glued only roughly in shape, the finetuning is later done by sanding (outside) and some carving (inside). After all, this is a quite box-shaped vessel, the only adjustment was needed astern.
In the background: SMS Sachsen and SMS Greif



And now for something completely different: sanding. Bow and stern are roughly cut and then sanded to shape. Then I glued on the stern walk (he, that's just a strip of styrene!) and those two oriel-like overhangs which I later learned were the ships lantrines. And yes: this is a REALLY box-shaped vessel...
In the background: SMY Hohenzollern



More soon - all the best to You!

C.

1/6000.... (!)

that really is space saving!!!

entire fleets of the ages can be accommodated on a sheet of plywood!

amazing!

JIM B

_________________
....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

After some delay I did the various deckhouses and skylights, mostly rather implied and small. I also wanted to depict every main cut out in the outer bulwark first, but as the boats will be stored right above them this would end in casting difficulties. For the same reason, I had to make a small basing structure under the bridge. At this point, I counted 23 pieces.
In the background: SMS Bussard and SMS Olga



Finally, I did the bridge and the prominent searchlight post on the foredeck, followed by the funnel with some pipes and vents. At this scale and grade of simplification, I try to stick to every detail I can depict, but for the final appearance, I rather trust my eye and feel for proportion... and if it looks good with some exaggeration, I can frankly allow a funnel to be some meters to tall.
In the background: SMS D5 (uncast master) and SMS Wacht



Between the astern cutout in the bulwark and the bridge are the gun positions. I re-arranged the admirals walk and the starbord lantrine.
Time for a first coaling rendezvous!



After coaling, the only thing missing are the boats, a rather repelling step for years: lots of cutting, tweezer-snapping-and-loosing-parts, box-like boat chunks, nothing far from sheer disgrace. Then finally, I was retrieved and came up with the most simple method possible: I sanded styrene profiles in shape and length of the boats I needed, so I only have to cut off the number of boats needed... from sheer disgrace to salvation!
In the background: SMS Gefion and (You surely get it) the beginning of SMS Blitz



Finally, I came up with 50 parts at an overall length of 14,7mm. I finished SMS Mars in November last year, and still there are some more ships missing before I will make the next casting mould. So, the next step will be casting and painting.

All the best to You, ahoi!

Christian.

That is very cool!



JB

_________________
....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

Thanks a lot, Jim!

Beautiful ships, considering the scale. Congratulations

Jorge

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