The 1/350 Pola "The Hard Way" WIP ~ The Ship that Must Be Built

[Summit]

Another forum member Aaron (sfcmac) and I thought we would try our hand at building the Hobby Boss 1/350 Heavy Cruiser Pola kit. We got the kit’s for around $18.00 and was well aware of the age and “crude by todays standards”. But hey the both of us like a challenge to bring out our scratch building skills. Aaron decided to build his as the GORIZIA [tup]

The first thing I encounter’ed was the angle of the “screw’s and shafts” it looked like this kit could be used to stir cocktails or a cake mix… The kit supplied color pic of the ship shows the shafts horizontal not coming down at a 60* angle.

Aaron told me that was from the old days when the kit was motorized … I rebuilt the shafts from aluminum tubing and brass tubing bushings.

The shaft housing on the left is the modified one

Not sure why where the screw shaft went through was two different lengths ~ so it was easier to shorten the other then make the other longer.

OK, I was much happier with this

Although Aaron mentioned the screws looked like 4 bladed window fans, So being the Great Guy he is he robbed a set from a 1/350 Arizona kit for the both of us to use. [4:-)]

One thing we both seemed to agree on that there was no Shortage of ejector pin marks on this kit. It reminded me of a Trumpeter Aircraft kit - Pin holes on every surface detail . (couldnt have them hidden on the bottom ) So lots of scraping and filling on almost every part. Arron re’floored some of his pieces.

My pin mark removal tools, a flat chisel knife blade and a “popsicle stick” sawed off for a sanding block.

There was 10 pinmarks on the one deck shown

Day Four on the build I made it to the structure, I filled a large gap with pieces of styrene.

Lots of fun stuff to do like drilling out spotlights are also a bonus of this kit [:)]

Well Aaron was unhappy with the kit structure. So after many PM’s and following his lead more scratch building - Deck Supports !

Well if you do one you have to modify the other

So just as I think I am making progress Aaron brings up the subject of the “anchors” [:-^] A" little oversized " he mentions…[%-)]

Oh look “pin marks” on the off side - whats up with that ?

Tacked to the vessel

So does anyone know of “aftermarket anchors” or have some old kit ones laying about that would be better replacements ?

Now where is that GORIZA [;)]

[sfcmac]

HA HA ! I told him if he was brave enough to post the Pola on the forum I would be crazy enough to join him. So here goes nuthin.

I had built this kit way WAY back in the day when it still had the motorization feature and believe it or not was marketed as a Trumpeter kit. Guess it is Hobby Boss now but still the same kit without the motor stuff.

Since Sean is building his as the Pola I decided to try for the Gorizia sister ship as it has a cool paint scheme.

This requires some major surgery to the superstructure.

Comparing pics of the ships in profile you can see some major differences such as how the forward stack is separated on the Gorizia as oppossed to being built in on the Pola. This may have been built up later but I have no pics of the Gorizia in that config so chop chop!

I’ll try not to repeat Sean’s comments but here is my version of the reworked prop screws still in rough cut mode.

The rough start of the reworking of the forward superstructure.

Then smoothing out the works and redoing things like the fire direction thingies to match the pics I have better. Adding the tripod supports was a real PITA but they show in the photo’s . Much like the Japanese Pagoda mast structures in look.

You can see them in the picture and on the box art but they are not in the model.

Well hope this is a little different from the norm. I have seen post mentioning this model but none showing them built up? Anyone been through this before?

Hey Sean!?! What are we gonna do about the life rafts or should I say absence of them? [#toast]

[Daywalker]

AHA!!! So this is where you two have been hiding. Quite a kit to build, bummer about the ejector pin marks. I noticed on the more recent Tamiya kits they are starting to emulate the Chinese with LOTS of pin marks in conspicuous places! [yuck]

Sean- Nicely done on those prop shafts- bravo!

Good on you Aaron for supplying those Arizona 'blades. I see what you mean about the “pagodas”, pretty conspicious feature of the ship, and they didn’t include anything to replicate them? Boo.

You guys are really making me want to build a ship model now.

[EPinniger]

Good luck with your builds! Looks like you’ve both made very good progress so far on improving the kit.

Converting Pola to Gorizia will be quite a challenge given the differences in both the forecastle shape and superstructure/bridge layout. The Italian manufacturer Tauro produce 1/400 scale kits of all 4 Zara-class cruisers, including Gorizia; MHM/HobbyBoss copied and scaled up Tauro’s Pola as the basis for their 1/350 kit. The Tauro kits are still in production, but availability in the USA is probably very limited.

[chris_hall]

I built the Tauro 1/400 Pola some 10 years ago. I used GMM’s generic WW2 warship etched set, and did a lot of scratchbuilding, especially around the secondary and smaller armaments, and the masts and yards. Think I got off easier than you guys have with the Copyboss effort.

One point I did notice, Aaron, was the hull below the waterline. Tauro’s instructions, which are probably more reliable than Copyboss’s, have the anti-fouling in green, not red. Might be worth looking into before it becomes too difficult to do something about it.

Cheers,

Chris.

[EPinniger]

It might be worth checking this thread on Modelwarships.com; there’s some useful information as well as links to some colour archive photos which are good reference material.

Regarding the lower hull anti-fouling colour, I hope Modelwarships member “RNFanDan” won’t mind me quoting him here:

I have some information that may help but in full disclosure, I am writing from memory here, and at this time cannot locate the necessary documentation to back my words. I did some research into this very issue of red vs. green RM ship antifouling paint, a couple years ago or more. I was heavy-duty into Regia Marina ships around that time, and especially interested in modeling those wearing the green antifoul.

The main thing I learned from it all, was that the green paint was produced primarily by a factory not far from Trieste and the CRDA/Stabilimento Tecnico (and possibly other) shipbuilding facilities there. The factory produced a new kind of antifouling paint, pigmented green, developed specifically for the Italian navy.

Because of its experimental nature, its use seems to have been limited–with exceptions–to ships built at Trieste-area shipyards. However, especially during the war, RM ships were almost certainly repaired, refitted, and maintained at any available yard. It is therefore quite possible that red-hulled ships would have the green applied while at a Trieste yard, if such was included in the work to be done.

It is known that the factory’s formula was very successful, and that it was used on the reconstructed Giulio Cesare. When that battleship was transferred to the Soviets after the war, it had lain idle and unmaintained for several years after the Italian Armistice. It was in bad repair all round, but much to the surprise of the Soviets, the hull was remarkably clean and free of growth below the waterline.

I am certain that Vittorio Veneto and Roma, both built at Trieste, had this green formula applied to their lower hulls. As to RM cruisers, it is known that Fiume was in green by wartime, but I do not believe Pola was–I’d be tempted to use red for her, in the absence of further evidence to the contrary.

I built Tauro’s Fiume earlier this year, and painted the lower hull green; I used Revell’s acrylic “Bronze Green” which looked like a reasonable match for colour drawings showing the green colour, though I don’t know how accurate the latter were. The above quote suggests Pola had conventional red anti-fouling paint, but I have no idea at all about Gorizia!

[sfcmac]

Hey I really appreciate the info fellows. I checked out that think and am checking the pics for details. There are many I did not have . I think the fellow in his memory may have mistaken the Pola and the Zara. From what I have been able to fine in some very old books. Janes Warships of WWII extc. It seems the Pola had the green primered hull and the other 3 sisters were of a more traditional red primer. Something about when it was refitted with the solid forcastle. Location probably or the choice to compare the Green’s effectiveness with her sisters. Just a bit of conjecture to try to reason it out.

The Gorizia I am doing in red. Yes the Superstructure and Forecastle are a challenge. It is good practice to see if I can pull it off using such and older kit. (but that is what makes it fun and affordable) [tup]

Above else it is about enjoying the hobby right? Thanks for the info I am all over it! [tup]

[Summit]

Hey Sean!?! What are we gonna do about the life rafts or should I say absence of them? [#toast]

Im on it, made a jig up and been making them all morning. Made enough for both of us and then some…

Wow EPinniger thanks for looking and and providing the links. Those “Life” pics are full of details…[X-)]

[sfcmac]

Well I think those scratch built lift rafts are da BOMB! Well done! I am working on the Anchors and will have some in the mail tomorrow to replace the fishhooks that are in the kit.

Ok It’s oficial I have lost my mind and scouring through the new pics I picked out details that I thought relievant to the Gorizia.

Spent all evening on just one side of the forcastle again. I Built up the back side as close as I could without getting to ridiculas then added the bracing in areas that showed. Extended some walkways as a correction and added small sliver cuts of thin white styrene to kinda give an impression of stairways or ladders at least I hope so when painted.

Not as good as a kit designed molding but not too shabby considering it is scratched and I don’t have much practice on boats.

I also ground away the round deck extensions under the secondary guns. The Pics don’t show them and the sides are flushed from every photo I have seen so poof they are gone.

Well calling it a night for now. [tup]

[wyoroy]

Sean & Aaron, great work guys.

[sfcmac]

Wow I never released that there were such detail differences in the 4 sister ships. You really never notice some of them until you start really staring at the stuff and trying to figure out how to make that?

Looking at specific pictures of the Gorizia I think I have the forecastle as close as I can using the kit parts. Really done so much to it I could have started over and built it all from scratch as most of it is anyways.

A lot of little touch ups to do to try and make it flow now. Spot painting, erasing pencil marks extc.

Although still kinda rough cut it is starting to come together and look like a ship. The only Photo etch I used is the Verlinden 1/350 rail sets that I have been relentlessly chopping up to make 2 and 1 rail details in the right place. The Yard arm was all scratched and the fire direction tower heavily modified to look like what was on the Gorizia.

Here you can see some modified brass railing to make the bar around the stack.

Gonna clean up what I can and decide what to tackle next on it.

[bondoman]

Those are fine models, gents. I do however think you are going to wish you’d painted all that brass before you installed it. Very nice- I’m getting motivated to finish mine.

[Summit]

Aaron - The forecastle looks Fantastic, all those little extras have really made your kit standout ! The railing around the stack - [tup]

I am still working in piles of sub~assemblies… I noticed that the deck extensions on the Pola drawing were not “half moon” shaped so I cut them off and replaced them.

About the only other real progress that stands out was some color sprayed on the lower hull.

Roy - Thanks for looking in [:)]

Bondo - Thank you ! How goes the build on the San Francisco ?

[sfcmac]

Those are fine models, gents. I do however think you are going to wish you’d painted all that brass before you installed it. Very nice- I’m getting motivated to finish mine.

Oh sure now he tells me? [%-)] Jump on in Bondo! We need more Italian ships! They are beautiful boats and probably the best handling ocean going designs of their time! Pity that more companies haven’t created some of the Beautiful Battle ships , cruisers and even destroyers, The artistic camo schemes I think are fantastic.[oX)]

[bondoman]

Well, I’m midbuild on the USS San Francisco, and he did come from Assisi…

[Daywalker]

Excellent work fellas! Lots of fantastic details here. So, how is it working with the PE railings?

[Summit]

I didnt like the molded in deck rails / overhangs for the Life boats so I used a razor saw and sanding stick to make them go away.

I made this new wooden deck up out of some .020" styrene first try, the “Scribing Gods” were with me…

Now the fun part of making lumps of plastic to look like lifeboats [;)]

[Leonidas]

Really great work going on here guys. Keep the updates coming! [:)]

[sfcmac]

Hey thank you everyone for the comments and views. This has really turned into a fun and enjoyable challenge to be sure! [party]

I need to pay more attention to what Sean is doing as I totally missed that the kit had the rear main mast wrong as well. It is also a tripod to the first tier at least so chop hop again.

Also modified and mounted the auxillary boats. Didn’t want to get to crazy now.

I found so old 1/350 AAA guns that I modified ( a little) They are very Little and replaced the kit ones and added the missing four that were on the Gorizia.

Replacement anchor chain courtesy of Sean![tup]

Here are a few more zoom and flash piccies that make things look a bit gloosy and fouled. From the table it is really looking sharp. I think the Camera must give the optivisor view. I have been noting flaws I see to correct. Mostly hobby knife clean up and painting but on the whole it looks good.

Here are the positions of the 8 PE guns. Aft mast guns.

Forward Forecastle guns.

Stern buggers

and the forward behind the gun guns on perforated platforms with sprue supports.

Well now to tackle the Cranes and life boats!

[sfcmac]

Ok here is the start of the crane.