Airfix 1/72 scale "E" boat.

[Martinnfb]

Some motivational pictures

 

 

[Martinnfb]

[GazzaS]

2 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

Gary, what if I make you a master of that eagle in epoxy?  I would sculpt one and if you like it I can send it your way. Then you can cast him a little brothers.

Great idea Martin.  Thank you for the offer.   But it's an art I want to learn at least well enough to supplement my modelling hobby.  I have dreams of making authentic looking battle damage.  Not something that looks like a few pieces of twisted, drilled, or cracked plastic.   But of punctured and twisted metal that  suggests and aerial battle followed by either a crash landing, or a narrow escape to be gawked at by ground crews.

Who knows...   Maybe I'll make some jewelry or something I can sell one day. 

[Martinnfb]

Absolutely, that’s brilliant idea. With you talent and skills, Sky is the limit. I’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

[GazzaS]

HI Guys and Gals...    do we have any gals watching?

    Anyway...   during my club meet, I worked on the eagles.  I took my pitch bowl and home-made tools and tapped three of them out.  Not totally successfully...    but enough for this scale and amount of commitment.

The swastikas were impossible to make.  I tired numerous times...    From front and back.  The material is too soft, and too thin.  It needed to be thin to enable me to shape it to the bulkhead to which it is attached.

I didn't have any brass polish either.  And aluminum polish, the only kind I have, wasn't cutting it very fast.  So, I just sanded them a bit with 12,000 grit  to add some shine to the most raised parts.

I'm nearing the end of the build.  I finally attached rudders and screws.   ...which, I think I edited out of each photo...  oops

So, anyway...   After matte coating everything I filled all portholes and windows with micro crystal clear.  You'll see through the photos that some haven't dried yet.

Immediately before the aft gun platform is a small readout for the engine, I'm guessing.  I used a decal from the ZM 109 kit.

And I made the flag out of cigarette paper.  It works a bit better in 1/350 scale because in that case you only make a one sided flag because the detail doesn't have to be that big.  But in this scale, the swastika always has to turn clockwise.  A single layer flag is then scrunched into a ball and then looks very natural on the yardarm.

But because I needed two layers I had to glue them together...   and gluing them takes away the ability for it to look more natural.

What follows are just some gratuitous photos...   I can't call it done.  The upperworks are still only friction fitted and there are a few lines of rigging to do.  Then there is that water base to bring it all together.  And I still have to learn how to play with resins...

Happy modelling!

 

 

[PanzerWomble]

Love it , what a great result from a kit loooong past it's sell by date . Flag idea is genius , almost makes me wish I'd not packed in smoking a few years ago ! Wooden deck is also executed very well . ...as for the crew and the eagles ....awesome ...I really couldn't bring myself to that level of dedication at 1/72. 

 

If I may suggest, unless resin is your thang , I'd be tempted to go down the foam, paper and gloss medium route as a less stress way . and ...the linky is here.

 

 

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Looking Brilliant and absolutely stellar. Back off just a bit and the eagles look just fine - it's the closeup/macro style images that cause the issue, as we see beyond the details we are capable of seeing everyday life. I've been a long for the entire amazing journey and an incredible build.

 

[KevinM]

It's coming along quite Nicely Gary!

[DocRob]

Fantastic Gary, you revived the old Airfix dinosaur very pleasantly. All the details add a lot and the eagles are phenomenal. The guys on the bridge look great, but they seem a tiny bit overscale, what do you think?

Cheers Rob

[KevinM]

3 hours ago, DocRob said:

The guys on the bridge look great, but they seem a tiny bit overscale, what do you think?

Cheers Rob

I knew it he wants you chop them off at the kneecaps Gary!

[PanzerWomble]

6 hours ago, DocRob said:

Fantastic Gary, you revived the old Airfix dinosaur very pleasantly. All the details add a lot and the eagles are phenomenal. The guys on the bridge look great, but they seem a tiny bit overscale, what do you think?

Cheers Rob

Strapping Aryan lads of the old Kreigsmarine ..get to eat a lot of fish .......Raeder would be proud . 🤣

[GazzaS]

19 hours ago, PanzerWomble said:

Love it , what a great result from a kit loooong past it's sell by date . Flag idea is genius , almost makes me wish I'd not packed in smoking a few years ago ! Wooden deck is also executed very well . ...as for the crew and the eagles ....awesome ...I really couldn't bring myself to that level of dedication at 1/72. 

 

If I may suggest, unless resin is your thang , I'd be tempted to go down the foam, paper and gloss medium route as a less stress way . and ...the linky is here.

 

 

Thank you.  The cigarette paper isn't from a pack of cigarettes...   It's the kind you roll your own with.  Or roll herb with...if that;s yor thang.  Used to cost a dollar at your local shop. 

I have made bases without resin before...   but this base isn't going to be the usual box of water with a boat in it.  At least I hope it doesn't look like dog doodee.

[GazzaS]

17 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Looking Brilliant and absolutely stellar. Back off just a bit and the eagles look just fine - it's the closeup/macro style images that cause the issue, as we see beyond the details we are capable of seeing everyday life. I've been a long for the entire amazing journey and an incredible build.

 

Thank you, Peter.  I had to show them in macro at least once...  so ppl understand that it's not a decal.

[GazzaS]

15 hours ago, KevinM said:

It's coming along quite Nicely Gary!

Thank you, Kev.  There'll be no kneecap chopping.

[GazzaS]

15 hours ago, DocRob said:

Fantastic Gary, you revived the old Airfix dinosaur very pleasantly. All the details add a lot and the eagles are phenomenal. The guys on the bridge look great, but they seem a tiny bit overscale, what do you think?

Cheers Rob

Thank you, Rob.  well...   there are a fair few things out of scale, and I never measured anything.  For instance, the bulkheads holding the eagles seem to be waist high in photos.  But they're closer to elbow high on the guys here.  Likewise with the railing stanchions.

But you made me curious, so I measured them.  In 1/1 scale the men would be 5'9"...  or maybe a tiny bit taller if they were standing straight up with their heels together.  So, I imagine the boat itself is out of scale in more ways than one.  Europeans, especially post depression Europeans were often shorter and thinner than their better-fed American and Australian cousins. 

[Martinnfb]

Absolutely impressive work Gary. Just stellar. The level of detail that you're pushing out of this accent kit is mind boggling. My mind is boggled then?

Cheers

M.

[HubertB]

What they all said  !

Hubert

[GazzaS]

6 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

Absolutely impressive work Gary. Just stellar. The level of detail that you're pushing out of this accent kit is mind boggling. My mind is boggled then?

Cheers

M.

 

4 hours ago, HubertB said:

What they all said  !

Hubert

Thank you fellas.  I really would love to do it in a wartime fit.  The 20mm at the back replaced by a 37mm or 40mm gun with a large shield.  Dual Mg 34's on each bridge wing.  No mast.  And I think a 20mm at the bow.  I saw a 1/35 build of this early boat somewhere...   but i don't know if it was a paper kit, or a plastic kit.

[CANicoll]

Gary,  Just an amazing build!  I'll be going back and looking at your pictures time and time again as there is so much detail to see.  Beautifully done!

Chris

[Bomber_County]

Gaz, for 72nd plus the age of the kit you’ve exceeded all of those limitations.

You would love a big 35th of S38 or S100 

 

[HubertB]

Just read on The Modellingnews that a brand I did not know hereto, ForeArt - ex ForeHobby - has released a set of 3 different versions of the S-38 in 1/72. Certainly more up-to-date than the venerable Airfix E-boat …

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/04/foreart-ex-forehobby-now-back-with-two.html#more

Hubert

[DocRob]

51 minutes ago, HubertB said:

Just read on The Modellingnews that a brand I did not know hereto, ForeArt - ex ForeHobby - has released a set of 3 different versions of the S-38 in 1/72. Certainly more up-to-date than the venerable Airfix E-boat …

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/04/foreart-ex-forehobby-now-back-with-two.html#more

Hubert

I have this kit and it's absolutely great. Mine is the early version of the S-38 and includes a lot of PE, metal barrels and wire for the railings. It would have been my entry to the GB, but I lost the PE and metal parts after some water damage due to a rainstorm, which deformed the carton and I took out manual, PE and decals to be never seen again.

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:57 AM, HubertB said:

Just read on The Modellingnews that a brand I did not know hereto, ForeArt - ex ForeHobby - has released a set of 3 different versions of the S-38 in 1/72. Certainly more up-to-date than the venerable Airfix E-boat …

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2023/04/foreart-ex-forehobby-now-back-with-two.html#more

Hubert

Thank you for that, Hubert.  Some nice details, for sure.  Tempting...   but my plate is full.  I have three large units to complete before I dare buy another.  Two with 11 inch guns and the one I'm working on with 12 inch guns.

[GazzaS]

On 4/11/2023 at 4:51 AM, DocRob said:

I have this kit and it's absolutely great. Mine is the early version of the S-38 and includes a lot of PE, metal barrels and wire for the railings. It would have been my entry to the GB, but I lost the PE and metal parts after some water damage due to a rainstorm, which deformed the carton and I took out manual, PE and decals to be never seen again.

Cheers Rob

Tragic, Rob.

[GazzaS]

Some of you guys will have realized that my modelling content has been rather limited, lately.  I've have been working on this build, though.  I wanted to give you RFI photos today.  But the weather would only make a duck happy, and by the time I was ready for photos, the best light of the day was gone.  The weather tomorrow is supposed to be the same. 

When I bought this kit two years ago, I envisioned a raised water base.  Something to make it different from most water bases.   I wanted to show it at our big show in August.But the first year passed with me unable to get to the boat.

Originally I envisioned a boat and waves riding a tightly packed palisade of clear, bent acrylic rods colored by Tamiya clears.  But this year, I decided to pass on the acrylic rods as they would be be difficult to bend, cut, and weld together and still look like water.

The group build gave me impetus to come up with a plan to make this build a reality.  But like all visions, you start with bare bones and then spend forever filling in the holes.  Adding supporting effects to make what you are doing look real.  Tweaking and fine tuning until you can start to believe it yourself.

So now I will show you a bit of the evolution of the water base.   It's quite large.

The vertical wave is made of Chinese coffin wood.  Very light and much more workable than balsa.

It would sit on a rectangular piece of pine which I painted with cheap tube acrylics.

I had to make a mold to support the boat at a proper angle to suggest speed.

Unexpectedly I almost melted a hole in the bottom of the boat.  Almost....

At this point I decided the pare down the base a little as it was much too big for the boat.

You might notice under the tips of the torpedoes that the keel has disappeared.

Pouring resin sheets was a tedious task...  Mix.  Tint.  Pour.  Wait 6-8 hours...   then they were flexible and sticky enough to stick to the frame without glue...   but whenever I missed the window I used either CA or clear epoxy.

I started with the bow waves...   and positioned them poorly.

Up to a point, I could add the 'waves' while the boat was not yet attached to the base.

I had to work from the top down...   which is pretty unnatural when you need to finish on a flat plane...

 

White foam is made with snow flocking.  This way you can make waves with foamy edges.

And while waiting for resin sheets to cure, I could add foam using snow flocking and heavy clear acrylic medium to add shape and substance to the waves.

It takes weeks to do this stuff.  On one Friday night, I poured waves at 8pm.  Went to bed, got up at three...attached the waves to the framework and poured more waves.  At noon I attached those waves to the frame...   and was too tired to want to model.

Eventually the last wave was laid...

I only wasted a few waves.  It was a difficult process.  You pour it into a shape something like you think you need...   and then fluid dynamics takes over and gives you a shape it wants.  But it does it slowly.  So, you walk away and a few hours realize that most of them look like nothing you planned.

One movement I wanted to convey was the upward movement of water...   There there are bubbles and foam arising...

'So, that's it for now.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get some decent lighting.  The size of the thing makes using my bench lights impracticable.  And all of the other lights in the house are pretty weak.

 

Happy modelling!