Calling all Wickes-class & Clemson-class "Four-Piper" fans

[Tracy White]

Very Nice!

[ModelMonkey]

Superb!

[les]

Willie, those objects do look like lights to me also (formation lights???). AOS Campbelltown should have drawings of them. Not at home now, so I can't check.

[MartinJQuinn]

She looks great Willie - looking forward to more progress shots.

[Willie]

Hi all,

Yesterday and today I was busy with the main mast, someting that gives much life to a ship, and adds a big deal in realism.
The mast that Revell offers is not too good -- the crow�s nest in too low and is far too thick.

Here you are two general views of the new mast, fore and aft :

I was trying to use the crow�s nest anyhow, but it was not too convincing. My grandfather used to say, things should be well done or not done at all, so I removed it altogether, and made another from scratch, with the wind deflector and all the trimmings. It looks like this now, in its correct shape and thickness :

The new mast has all the lights, that have to be painted yet, and all the trimmings to place the signal flags halyards. All the additions to the original mast were made with stretched sprue and Evergreen rod, both in slices, little cylinders or carved with an X-acto.

The radar that HMS Campbeltown had in late 1941 -- more or less the period of my model -- was a mod.286, that had to be made from scratch using stretched sprue as well.

I hope you like it, and very best regards from Spain,

Willie.[/size]

[Laurence Batchelor]

Lovely, some great scratched detail there Willie cheers

[Willie]

Hi all,

As I was preparing the mast for the fix rigging, I thought that the inside of the bridge was somehow poor in detailing, I mean, it has all the outer details, as can be seen in other pics, but lacked some interior equipment.

The bridge is partially covered but both sides are open, what means it is partially visible too. I thought it could be improved, so I have added some elements, eg., voice tubes, telephone boxes, lockers, boxes for binoculars and so on. Now it is a bit more realistic without having taken a big effort. All elements but chart tables, compass and wheel are of course completely invented, but this is not too important as they are not very visible either.

As can be seen in the previous pic I have completed the window gallery with plastic from a yogourth container and I have also added the sliding windows, which give the bridge some expression, to say so. This is obviously very subjective, but I have always thought that the bridge windows are something like the ships' eyes.
Seen from outside, some inner details can be also seen, and this also gives the model some added realism as well.

I hope you like it, and very best regards from Spain,

Willie.[/size]

[bwross11]

Willie,
This model is getting better by the update. I have been following your progress with a lot of interest and you've done an amazing job. I'm almost tempted to try my hand at this subject.

Keep up the good work.

Best,
Bruce

[jameyt]

willie,
i wish you would do an article or how to do this project esp the guns etc, this is the best job on a 4-stacker i have seen . great job , one could learn alot of scratchbuilding skills from this , & i thought i was good , im not even in the ballpark. jameyt

[Cadman]

Wow, very cool.

[Willie]

Hi all,

The propeller guards have been quite exasperating to make, as they had to be placed on the stern that is already painted, without putting too much glue and spoiling the paintjob --and painting this hull was a kind of nightmare this time-- and without putting too little and letting the pieces fall after the slightest pressure or simply because of gravity
They are made with plastic from a yogourth container as Evergreen stripes are too thick even in the thinnest caliber that they offer -- or that I have...
Each triangle support should have two holes drilled in the side that is closest to the hull, and each support should have another triangle attached to the hull in the base, but honestly, I lack the ability to make these fine cuts without letting the whole lot look like made by Fred Flintstone.
I have tried to reproduce Guido�s fine work upper in the thread, but no way.
I think I will have to imitate the drills with a ink point done with a 0.1 mm Staedler technical pen, and it will have to suffice ...

Very best regards from Spain,

Willie.[/size]

[Edward Pinniger]

I don't know why I haven't commented on this build before, but your Campbeltown is a beautiful piece of work. You really have set the standard for scratchbuilders/kitbashers everywhere! The detail on the mast and radar looks particularly good, as do the prop guards.

One question: I know you say you can't afford photo-etch sets, but have you tried buying some "generic" sets of PE railings and ladders? These are great for scratchbuilding purposes. Ladders, for example, can be used for window framing, and railings can be adapted to make radar frames, gratings, etc. I am using bits of 1/600 railing, along with styrene scrap, to scratchbuild the fire control radars on my Heller 1/400 Hood.

I do much the same as you, improving these old kits with styrene stock and scrap PE, but not to the same level of detail and accuracy as you, or with as much skill! I'm planning on building the Revell 4-piper some time next year, probably as a USN ship in 1940/41. As I have the AotS:HMS Campbeltown, which includes an excellent set of plans, I may scratchbuild one in a larger scale some time in the more distant future.

[Willie]

One question: I know you say you can't afford photo-etch sets, but have you tried buying some "generic" sets of PE railings and ladders? These are great for scratchbuilding purposes. Ladders, for example...

Hi there EPinniger,

Yes, you are right, I have tried to find some vertical ladders, which is the only element that is really difficult to scratch build -- as they should be flat, something I cannot do with sprue -- but I have never found them alone, I mean, a whole set of ladders, not two or three ladders that come in the company of a whole PE set that is the same price or commonly much more expensive than the model I am building.
For this model it is already a bit too late, but do you know somebody who makes them in 1/350 or 1/400 ?
Thanks in advance, and very best regards,

Willie.

[Edward Pinniger]

For this model it is already a bit too late, but do you know somebody who makes them in 1/350 or 1/400 ?
Thanks in advance, and very best regards,
Willie.

Try White Ensign -They sell seperate railing and ladder sets from a number of manufacturers, including their own range. They also have a number of "generic" detail sets for hatches/doors, AA guns, etc. Some of these are excellent value, WEM's 1/400 Kriegsmarine Light AA set for example has dozens of complete 20mm and 37mm guns of various types for under �5.
Also invaluable is the WEM (or GMM - can't remember) 1/350 20mm/40mm detail set which provides sights, shoulder rests, handwheels, etc. for Oerlikon and Bofors guns, which are really too fine to scratchbuild easily in this scale (particularly if the ship you're building has dozens of AA guns).

L'Arsenal (French manufacturer) also have a good range of generic PE sets which are very good value. I find their 1/400 railings are both the best value and the easiest to use. L'Arsenal produce a 1/200 detail set which includes ladders of various types, doors, and a few cable reels and other details, which is also good value at about �5-6, and is very useful for detailing models in the 1/200-1/250 scale range.

Like you, I can't usually afford kit-specific PE sets, but I find the generic sets are much more affordable as the cost can be spread over several models, and they still add a huge amount to the appearance of a model, not to mention being useful materials for scratchbuilding details.

[les]

Styrene plastic vertical ladders are also available in a few sizes from Plastistruct. Great build!

[Willie]

Styrene plastic vertical ladders are also available in a few sizes from Plastistruct. Great build!

WOW !!!!! Les, thanks for the precious info !!!!! Does Plastistruct have any web site, with catalogue ????
TIA, and very best regards,

Willie.

[Willie]

Try White Ensign -They sell seperate railing and ladder sets from a number of manufacturers, including their own range.
L'Arsenal (French manufacturer) also have a good range of generic PE sets which are very good value

Thanks a lot for the input. They seem to have nice things for a reasonable price. Being so generic we can definitely afford it, as they can be used in several models, as you correctly say.
Thanks and very best regards from Spain,

Willie.

[les]

Their website: http://www.plastruct.com/

[Willie]

Hi all,

Please let me disturb you to ask you two questions.
I have been told that the decks of the escorts wearing the Western Approaches camo pattern were painted in B30.
Hence my questions :

1.- Can somebody confirm that the deck colour was B30 ?

2.- If it was, does somebody in the forum know what kind of colour is this, I mean the general tones (e.g. bluish grey, dark grey, dark blue, dark green...) and what would be the match using Humbrol enamels ?

Thanks in advance for your precious help, and very best regards,

Willie.

[les]

Check WEM website. They probably have it. If not John should be able to help you out.