Since today is the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War, I started the Trumpeter 1/350 HMS Dreadnought 1907 kit for the Group Build of the same name here on FSM. I am cross posting so that anyone considering to build this kit can see what issues they might find. I plan on modeling her as she looked on the eve of the war and I am using John Roberts Anatomy of the Ship HMS Dreadnought and Kagero’s 3D Views of the HMS Dreadnought as reference.
The first set of pictures show the kit, the sprues and the AfterMarket (AM) I will use for this build. I have not decided on whether I will use the ArtWok wooden deck or not. I will probably start by painting the decks and if I cannot get them to look the way I want then I’ll use the deck.
Some of the other AMs I plan on using include Model Master barrels for both the 12" and 6 pdrs along with NorthStar Model resin 6 pdrs with photo etched parts to replace the kit’s 6 pdrs. Brass propellers and Eduard’s photo etch Details and Rails.
I drilled out all 112 scuttles on the hull and lower superstructure to give them a bit more depth. I then glued the bulkhead spacers and finally glued the two halves together. I ended up adding some Evergreen .125" sheet along the midship bottom since the hull was either warped or I did not get the allignment correct.
So without further ado, here’s the start of this build log.
I am building the same kit at this time. Also building the SMS Konig on the same group build. Will be paying close attention to how you tackle this build.
Thanks for checking the build out. I love the pictures you posted earlier on your Dreadnought build, and hopefully I can get some pointers on any issues you have run into. Did you have any issues with the seam amidships?
I’ll be watching this one, too, Steve - I’ve got the 1915 version on the bench. The hull is together, though, and I don’t recall having any problems with it.
…whoops - my mistake - mine clearly has been sanded across the bottom seam, so both it and my memory are ploblems…
Thanks for checking out the build, I always appreciate it. Thanks for the heads up on the seam issue, it is good to know that it is a kit issue and not a fitting issue. At leastI was not surprised when I spent most of the day filling and sanding.
Here are a couple of pics from that fun party today.
Steve
The seam issue went along the whole legnth of the ship as shown.
Thanks Steve, it really is a fun and cool build. I usually build sailing ships although I have been known to sneak in a steel navy once in a while. Doing a more modern ship gives me the opportunity to work on a different type of weathering technique. This U-Boat was the last steel ship I did about 2 years ago.
I finished filling and sanding and added the bilge keels and mounting holes as well as priming the hull. Now I m going to try and paint the decks and see if I can come up with a convincing aged wood deck look.
I began work on my Dreadnought about a month ago, with White Ensign PE to supplement what is already provided by Trumpeter. I also bought the Artwox wood deck. So far, things are going well. I didn’t have as bad a seam problem as you and others seem to have had, although it did require some filling and sanding. The wood decks complicate the build, as their thickness makes it impossible to put on some of the deck fittings as well as I’d like. I have built up most of the bridge, and found the WE PE for the bridge front just a tiny bit wider than the plastic part it replaces. Their watertight doors are also a bit too large, making fit of decks above them poor. To that end, I filed the tops of the doors until it fit right. Fortunately, it was in an area where the doors will be virtually invisible. I will test fit other replacement doors, and leave them off if they don’t fit. My next big task is to assemble the secondary guns with the WE PE. They will look great, but will be a bit of a pain. The Kagero 3D book on Dreadnought has been a godsend. Good luck with your build!
Thanks for checking my build out. I appreciate the heads up on the wood decks and fit issues. I have heard the same thing from other modelers here and on other forums, although it seems that people either love or hate the decks, there are very few who are ambivalent about them.
On the seam issue, I believe I was partly to blame, as I should have used weights inside and along the seam when I saw they were not mating as well as I would have liked it. One thing I found was that none of my clamps were the right size to fit inside and outside along the seam. So much for measuring twice and cussing once. I am going down to Home Depot tomorrow to pick up some appropriate sized clamps for the other ship models I have going now and in the future.
One of the reasons I chose the Eduard PE sets instead of the WEM is that the WEM was mainly designed for the Zvezda model which is why some of your parts are oversized. Don’t get me wrong, I love WEM PE but I wanted to be sure of the fit before laying that much out for their set. There are a number of extra parts on their PE set that Eduard does not have and I am not sure if I can scratch build them.
I would love to see some pics of your build and hear more of how your build is coming along.
Am just about to start this same build with almost the exact same compliment of AM stuff, the only difference being a Wood Hunter deck instead of an Artwox one. Will definitely be following along with interest. [Y]
When I ordered the WE parts, I thought it was for the Trumpeter kit, so that was my fault. One of the downsides I have seen so far is that the PE that Trumpeter provides is extremely fragile. Any time you fold the really delicate stuff, like platforms with railings, you had better make sure you do it right the first time, or it will likely break at the fold. So far, the absolute worst part has been the platform that goes on the fore funnel for the steaming light. Bending and folding it has been a nightmare, and one section of railing broke off while folding. Fortunately, it may actually work out better that way, as it will be easier to just fold the railing now and glue it to the platform. The other annoying part is the set of baffles that go in the funnel. There is so much bending and folding that I guarantee they will also break. In the midst of working through that issue, I did come up with a good idea. Paint the small funnel caps that fit into the funnel black, like you need to do. Then, place the top funnel grate on top of it in the final position, (don’t glue it on, though). It works best if you leave the grate on the PE fret. Then take a contrasting color, white or light gray, and spray or hand paint the cap through the grate. It will give you great lines that show where the baffles should be attached to the cap. That will ensure the baffles line up with the grate. I’ll try to get some pics on when I get a chance
Thanks for following my build. I loved what you did on the Zerstorer so I’ll be following along on your build also. It will be interesting seeing all these Dreadnoughts being built. After looking in on your’s, you are right, you are at about the same place that I am. Are you going to prime again with black? I like that idea, but I am concerned that the black will darken all the other colors too much.
Ships,
I agree that the Trumpeter brass is really fragile and you can break it by staring at it! Did the WEM PE come with enough rails to replace all the Trumpeter rails or are you going to have to still use it? I know the Eduard did not, so I’ll have to be extra careful on them. I would love to see the method you have come up with.
I’m planning to repeat the process with the Flat Black primer that I used on the Z-38. It makes the boot stripe process fairly straightforward plus it allows for some pre-shading (if so inclined)to add some variation to the finish depending on how you apply the other hull colors. I’ll do that only with the hull, the other components like the superstructure decks and funnels may take a different approach depending.
