The Ship Model Forum

Well Suzy07, thanks for your nice comments, there are 2 other builds down the board if you want to read.

USS Moffett DD362

USCGC Duane 1943,

USS North Carolina 1944 is in the gallery 14 chapters, many years back.

Yeah, but still, from the four mentioned models the Iron Duke is also for me the best looking one! I don't know how the quality/finish is compared to the Muppet, but from the looks it's one hell of a beast! I'd love to see it in real life one time...

I got these photo's today, Kitchener aboard ID.

This is a photo of IRON DUKE taken on her launch day in the rain.

I just love the look of WW1 battleships. If I ever get my DDE done(all of the fleet), I would like to build the HMS Canada and HMS Agincourt. Again, very impressive on the water.

James

Brilliant bit of modelling, makes my modelling skills look childish

Did the 'Duke' go afloat this year...?

Either way-- I have been cribbing from your model--upcoming Emperor of India....-- in the usual tiddly scale!

JIM B

Sorry Jim, No on the water shots this year, very little done in the shipyard.

Look forward to your build, it will be fantastic as usual.

ARH your work is fantastic...
congratulations

very nice ship, and great work, wonderfull

Hello Ron,

I'm going to try something like this too, but not a battleship. However, I noticed your ship also has a more or less flat bottom, as normally also indicated on the linesplan with a bottom contour line. Have you ever tried, or considered making the flat bottom as one piece, mount the keel on top of it and then start putting the frames? It would take much less balsa this way.
With no experience in this field I'm just asking. One thing that I'm a bitt doubting is the connection afterwards of the Balsa to the flat bottom board. How would you do that? Cut the bottom contour slightly smaller and then sand the balsa flat towards that contour, or make it full sized and just connect the balsa in the curving parts around the bottom? If necessary I'll make a drawing to explain the idea. I'm toying with this method as my ship will have flat sides and a mainly flat bottom.
Lots of think work is going inside it. I'm just waiting for the scroll saw to get it started, frames are already copied and cut from paper now.

Dear Ron

Thank you so much for sharing your marvellous project online. What a beautiful model.
I am doing the relatively diddy Airfix 1:600 Iron Duke (full hull version) initially, and your build log is the most wonderful resource that enables me to modify and detail the kit. I'm also using the White Ensign photo-etch frets and lots of Plastruct. I hope that this is okay with you.
I hope to do the Modelik 1:200 card version next as well as a laquered brass copy.
Thank you again for providing this perfect reference - I hope that it is never offlined.
I'll put a few pictures in the gallery in time.
Best wishes for the future and I hope that you have many happy sailing days.

Regards
Brian.

Hi Brian, Help yourself to what you need, it was put there to help all types of scale modellers, I look forward to some of your projects. ron h

Hello there ARH and congratulations on a fantastic model, it really is spectacular! I thought you would be interested in this though, a predecessor to your superb effort. It was constructed by my dad about 34 years ago when I was but a bairn taking up many a night in the cellar of our old terrace house. He scaled it up from the airfix kit and cut the hull spars by hand and went from there, the hull is made from old duckhams oil tins (he was a mechanic) silver soldered together and epoxed inside then the more finer shapes formed using car filler. This been the 70's he had to improvise so many of the detailing is made from knicks and knacks, i believe the funnels on the tenders are .22 rimfire bullet casings! and it was all done using a hand drill, pliers, various saws and a lot of patience! Its fully RC and I remember many times sailing it with my dad on local tarns and lakes-it used to cause quite a stir! Sadly shes looking a bit dog eared now and is in need of a refit, dad moved onto RC aircraft (amongst other things) and the ship came a bit neglected spending many a year on top of the fridge freezer and latterly a cold damp garage (its difficult to find the space for a 6' plus warship!). my dad is understandably proud of his model,I suppose its the nearest thing we've got to a family heirloom, and has promised himself to sort out a refit and get her back on the water, here's hoping. A couple of old photos then,will have more later. Enjoy!

Thank you Ironduke75, I have never seen another R/C Iron Duke before, it looks well on the water, you sound proud of your dad, he did a good job,

Admiral, Have you had the Iron Duke on the water recently. Would like to see more pictures of her and Moffet on the water.....

Wrench, Hopefully when the weather gets a little warmer and the Admiral is feeling slightly better I might do what you want,

May the weather warm for you and provide the opportunity for you to do what you want.

Thanks ARH for your comments, yes I'm very proud of my dad, just the time and effort it took to complete the model is what gets me,over 3 years in the end and as a dad of two under sixes as he was at the time and as I am now I don't really know how he did it. Maybe he made a time machine down there as well! He says now he wishes he had done HMS Hood or maybe HMS lion as they are a little more well known but i see it as being (up until now of course) a unique model. It would be nice to see them on the water together thats for sure.

Hello Ron,

I recall you posting a picture of your "Filla Paste" which you used on the hull, but I can't find it back. What product is it exactly? Two component? And is it waterproof by itself? Or is it only applicable if your hull is already watertight? I'm thinking of making my hull in Dave Wooley's way, combined with yours. An all wood hull, like Dave shows in his book, will require too much skill, which I don't have right now as I lack any experience in planking hulls. So I guess the filla paste, or something similar, would be better suited to achieve the right result.