Trumpeter HMS Dreadnought 1915

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

Some of these pictures I’ve already posted on Steve’s 1907 build thread. However, as I’ve decided to start my own WIP on the Trumpeter Dreadnought 1915 build, I thought I’d repost them here along with a few others.

My talents are miniscule and my pace is glacial. I may have to search a while to find this thread in the future since it may be months between some of my posts but I’ve made up my mind that this WIP will be good for me. I’m sure I’ll be able to pick up some great tips (as I have already) from both Steve (docidle) and Bill (wbill76) and this will, hopefully, keep me from giving up entirely when I’ve made some - hopefully correctable - mistakes.

I’m not going to scratch build anything - don’t have the ability for that - and some of the mistakes I’ve already made are now part of the ship. That’s OK by me but it may offend some of your sensibilities[:D].

In the beginning:

And a little farther along:

Seam needs to be filed, filled, and sanded:

Added Artwox wood deck(s)

Broke and lost the outboard starboard prop shaft - I’ve ordered another sprue “B” from Squadron. Jeff said his best guess is 6 to 8 weeks [:(].

Airbrushing disaster on the hull red - I found spattering and circles - my fault. I’ll mix up more red and repaint.

Today I repainted (airbrushed) the hull and it came out alright.

I probably should have attached the torpedo net booms by this time (along with the “ribs” if I were going to scratch build them) but, at about the time I realized this, I’d run out of my dark sea gray. Oh well, another few days and I should have more paint from Hobbylinc. It simply means gluing paint to paint - not necessarily fatal.

BTW, my repainting of the hull took much more time than I’d imagined it might. I screwed up the boot stripe and wanted it to be “thin” but as even as I could make it. Some references even question whether there was a boot stripe although I don’t care, I like the look.

Much more to come - eventually [:)].

Mike

2

Mike,

She is looking great! I like what you have done so far so keep going. I know all about having to redo things on a kit. I was just trying to prime the hull after attaching all the bands and it decides to start prickling here! So now I have to let everything dry and sand and reprise… but is always worth it in the end. Thanks for doing a build log, I have already subscribed.

Steve

3

Mike,

I forgot to ask what color are you using for the anti-fouling paint? Or did I just miss it in your post?

Steve

4

Steve,

The anti-fouling paint is made up from three Polly Scale acrylic colors: Lehigh Valley Cornell Red OBB, Special Oxide Red, and Caboose Red. The proportions of each I did not write down nor do I remember what it was [:$]. I simply mixed the colors until I liked what I saw. Fortunately I mixed enough so that I have some left in a bottle which will probably be enough to cover the starboard, outboard shaft area that I’ve left with only primer (see above) and any small touch-ups on the anti-fouling red area.

Mike

5

Looks like Dreadnought fever is catching Mike! [;)] Looking forward to seeing what you do with her in the 1915 guise. So far so good! The booms are kind of a damned-if-you-damned-if-you-don’t proposition in terms of when/how to attach them. Once they are on, you will have to constantly remember that they are there since the ends will stick up ever so slightly from the hull edge, making them prime candidates to catch on things when handling of course. [;)]

6

Bill,

I’m sure glad both you and Steve are building this ship since I know I’ll be getting ideas from both of you.

One thing that puzzles the heck out of me is that on page 6 of my Trumpeter Dreadnought 1915 instructions, parts F20 and F21 (the hinged gratings on the forward funnel) are shown as having to be attached. According to my John Roberts book, The Battleship Dreadnought on pp. 200 and 201 those gratings are definitely NOT part of the 1915 refit. I’ll be leaving them off. Very strange [8-)].

I hope I’ll be able to catch any other minor differences that might be mistakes in the instructions but, even if there are some more and I don’t catch them, the world will not come to an end.

Mike

7

Not that big of a surprise Mike, I bet Trumpeter just re-used the same instruction diagrams from the 1907 kit for that area. :wink:

8

Your probably right Bill. Like I said, I just hope I can catch any other discrepencies.

I kind of drifted backward today. Trying to swim upstream [:D].

I broke a rudder off the hull today, tried to drill a hole to put a piece of brass wire in to anchor it in place and drilled out a gully on the exposed side of the rudder while I was at it [:'(]. So, moving on, I used some Squadron white putty on the ravine, filed and sanded and it now looks ok. Then, while masking the boot stripe for what must be the fourth time (after having received my copy of Kagero 3D book I realized that my boot stripe could use more width [:)]), I broke off part of the starboard bilge keel and have just finished gluing that back. It seems like for each step I take forward I fall 1 1/2 steps backward!! Now with the extra glue that I used on the bilge keel I’m sure I’ll end up having to mix up more hull red and repainting the whole thing. I also ruined (mangled) part PE38(A) so no support will show under that section of the super deck. (I managed to glue part PE24(A) on the other side without too much trouble. C’est la vie.

Mike

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Yep that sounds like model building to me

10

Don’t sweat it Mike, onward and upward! You’ll get her together. [;)] I feel your pain on the masking and the delicate nature of some of the PE. Trumpeter’s PE is very delicate…it usually will only take a bend once and then you are set…so you have to study it very closely and make sure you really are doing it the correct way since you only get the one shot! That, combined with the fact that some parts are offered only in PE, means you get a little added pressure…but don’t let it get you down, keep at it buddy! [B]

11

Bill,

I re-airbrushed the boot stripe today - made it a bit wider.

I also guess I just don’t understand how that PE that I mentioned in my last post is supposed to work. The illustration/drawing in the K3D book make that section look like they are supports for the structure above - three in each of the actual areas on board. The PE only had two in each unless the little bit in the middle was supposed to be bent to represent a third? I couldn’t figure out how to do it so the one I did not lose just had two triangular support beams rather than three. Soooo, even with my shakey hands/fingers and less than perfect eyesight, I attempted to cut some Evergreen into little triangles and glue them in place. They’re not perfect but I think they’ll do for the moment.

Mike

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Yep, those three little supports are how it’s supposed to be…getting the Trumpeter part bent into the correct shape takes a little bit of origami for sure! Your solution is much better. [B]

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Nicely done Mike, you have got be happy with how they turned out.

Steve

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Thanks Bill and Steve.

I just hope there aren’t too many more PE challenges in this kit but I’m not holding my breath! [:D]

Mike

15

Mike,

Probably the biggest challenge in the kit PE-wise I think is the funnel baffles/screens…so brace yourself! [:D]

16

Bill,

I’ve already screwed them up [:$]. I will not have realistic looking funnel screens/baffles on my ship - too bad. I used the WEM PE as a substitute and couldn’t get them to work as they’re supposed to. They’ll just have to do. Even though I began this as a WIP I have been aware that I’m going to make more mistakes than the average poster on Finescale so … folks will have to put up with my skill level.

I do very much appreciate the heads up but as I say, I’ve botched it anyway. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to work with PE properly … but I’m soldiering on [:)]. I’ll post some more progress pictures in a week or so and try to show how I’ve handled the funnel tops.

Today I re-airbrushed the red portion of the hull. Somehow it seems like all I’ve been doing lately is painting and waiting for it to cure so I can re-paint some more [;)].

What color are you and Steve using for the linoleum on the superdeck?

Mike

17

The important thing to remember with this build Mike is to have fun with it, learn where you can from it, and soldier on just as you’re doing. Don’t worry about skill level, there are lots of helpful folks here that can offer great advice and steer you in the right direction! [;)]

By linoleum for the superdeck, are you referring to the admiral’s walk portion? I’ll probably use something like Italian Dark Brown or similar for it.

18

Bill,

Regarding the “linoleum” color, I’m referring to this:

Mike

19

Ah…I see. I’ve been using the color guides in the Kagero 3D book and most of those areas (except for the admiral’s walk) are shown to be a dark gray vs. what Trumpeter shows in their finish guide. So I’ve been using Model Master Panzer Schwarzrau (because it’s what I have on hand and fits the bill) for those areas and/or the Wood Hunter deck portions. I suppose there’s some debate on whether the upper decks had linoleum or wood but I’m planning to go ahead and use all the wood decking inserts provided on mine as I like their look and don’t want any of it to go to waste.

20

Mike,

I was going to use Vallejo 818 Red Leather originally for the upper boat deck and the Admiral’s walk; however, I read a post on the WEM website that calls out the color as #4 Grey (GW04) which is a dark grey and this is what I am now going to use.

Although I am an Acrylic painter by choice, in this case I will be using mainly Enamels. I am waiting for my delivery of WEM Colourcoats’ RN19 Anti-Fouling Red for the lower hull, Grey #3 (GW03) as the main hull color as well as the #4 Grey.

I was tired of trying to match the colors in Acrylic, so I went with the colors in Enamel. This should be interesting airbrushing them as I have never airbrushed Enamels in the almost 30 years I have used an airbrush!

I agree with Bill, don’t sweat building your model, have a good time. Keep calm and carry on. I think you are doing a great job on her so far and you like myself are stretching our comfort zone but we are learning a boatload of new techniques.

Steve