From the SOD: ICM's 1/350 scale Großer Kurfürst

[GazzaS]

A long time ago...   back in 2021 I thought I had a build of this ship, here.  But I can't find it.  Fortunately, it still exists over at TOS, with pictures that link to the database here.

 

Here is where I left off: 

 

 

 

After that....   It fell into the land of forget.  Forget because I couldn't find important details...  Forget because of the PE...  Forget because I read a book about the history of the HSF that wasn't so grand.  There are other models to build...

 

But I have other warships, too.  Both with more parts and more PE than this kit.  I was afraid that my ship-building mojo was gone...   for good.  So, I started watching Ron Calverly on youtube and looking at other warship builds....   And I started to feel the desire to complete this ship.

 

One of the important piece of information missing was where the cables that operate the torpedo nets ran.  They had to go to some kind of rotating mechanism like a winch or a capstan.  But pictures were missing.  There are hundreds of pictures of the Kaiser's ships while they carried torpedo nets.  But I could never find one to help me from making a mess.  Even builds on warship modelling forums were unclear.  But finally I found this Kagero book about SMS Posen...   one of the Nassau class.  The artworks in the book took me where I needed to go.

 

Here is an illustration from the book:

All of those cables above have to go somewhere...  And I will show you when I get them there...

 

The arrows point to pulleys on the side of the ship.  Since I don't have pulleys that small, I have used eyelets made by Bob's Buckles.

 

But to complicate matters...   Those cables have to go between the deck and the railings...   so I can't add the cables without having the railings in place.

Another one of those 'missing details' was just how those cables transition over the deck.  Surely they wouldn't just lie across the top edge.  No...   there are more pulleys inside tiny square brackets...   really tiny.  We'll get to them later.

 

Thanks for looking...   only a few parts today.  But a step in the right direction.

 

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Hope she finds her way back to the bench and completion as you have already done so much work. 🤞

[DocRob]

Good you are back on this one, Gary. I could sense a starting urge to get the GK finished. Nice detail work all around.

Cheers Rob

[HubertB]

Those German battlewagons were really elegant and good-looking, the SMS Seydlitz being my favorite. 
I remember owning the GK, but sold it off once I decided 1/350 was too small for my liking. 1/200 or above for me !

This said, 

Hubert

[PanzerWomble]

Yay - can I send you a free Zerrstorer to go with it ? 

 

 

[Martinnfb]

Nicey!

[GazzaS]

13 hours ago, PanzerWomble said:

Yay - can I send you a free Zerrstorer to go with it ? 

 

 

You know what the biggest kick in the balls is?  Mirage models...   from Poland... makes models of the German Torpedoboots  that got turned over to Poland after WWI.  But of course, they make them in 1/400 scale.   But your Zerstorer really has no place with WWI ships, either.

[GazzaS]

So...   I've finally finished with the torpedo nets...   I hope.  The nasty tangle at the front of the German major units during the early stages of WWI are difficult to reproduce.  If it weren;t for the Kagero book on Posen, I'd still be lost.

It took me almost 5 hours to attach 12 pieces of plastic.  Along the way, I separated other completed assemblies and broke off an anchor.

It didn't quit go to plan.  But hopefully looks the part.

 

As I began to set the pulleys, I realised that the bollards that are the base for the cabels on the deck are farther forward on Grosser Kurfurst than they are on Posen.  So, my plans were upset a little.

Ideally, the pulleys atop the foredeck would have been held of the deck by the tension in the lines.  And I tried to keep them floating.   But between the stretchy line and the smallness of the parts...  it was too complicated to juggle.  And with collateral damage occurring to other parts, I decided it was time to glue those pulleys down and run the line.

 

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Amazing detail work - all those lines and pulleys - just keeping track of what you're are doing and where is an achievement unto itself.

[CANicoll]

Echoing Peter's comments.  Using Bob's Buckles was brilliant and maybe the only way to get that done.  I'd almost say don't worry about the pictures - to the eye this looks PERFECT.  The intricacy of the rigging is what captures the eye's attention, as well as the other deck details.  It is really fun to see your builds as I would never attempt anything like this (but the torpedo boat is capturing my attention!).

[DocRob]

The only thing amiss is real function, Gary . The way you made it explains how the mechanism works and I copy Chris about the appearance to the normal eye, which will look good and convincing.

Cheers Rob

[PanzerWomble]

So if you pull on the pulleys the nets deploy? .🙃

[GazzaS]

13 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Amazing detail work - all those lines and pulleys - just keeping track of what you're are doing and where is an achievement unto itself.

 

6 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Echoing Peter's comments.  Using Bob's Buckles was brilliant and maybe the only way to get that done.  I'd almost say don't worry about the pictures - to the eye this looks PERFECT.  The intricacy of the rigging is what captures the eye's attention, as well as the other deck details.  It is really fun to see your builds as I would never attempt anything like this (but the torpedo boat is capturing my attention!).

 

5 hours ago, DocRob said:

The only thing amiss is real function, Gary . The way you made it explains how the mechanism works and I copy Chris about the appearance to the normal eye, which will look good and convincing.

Cheers Rob

 

2 hours ago, PanzerWomble said:

So if you pull on the pulleys the nets deploy? .🙃

Thank you for the kind words, gents!

There's still some mystery involved for me in the deployment of the torpedo nets.  There is still no power source directly connected to the nets.  Were electric motors attached to the pulleys to operate them?  Or huge hand cranks (doubtful)?  Were they connected to the capstans for power?  Unknown.

[PanzerWomble]

9 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

 

 

 

Thank you for the kind words, gents!

There's still some mystery involved for me in the deployment of the torpedo nets.  There is still no power source directly connected to the nets.  Were electric motors attached to the pulleys to operate them?  Or huge hand cranks (doubtful)?  Were they connected to the capstans for power?  Unknown.

I suspect the capstans , assuming they had similar arrangement at the stern to pull them back ? Only a guess 

[GazzaS]

36 minutes ago, PanzerWomble said:

I suspect the capstans , assuming they had similar arrangement at the stern to pull them back ? Only a guess 

That is another mystery...   Even the Kagero book shows nothing happening at the stern.  Too bad there's no motion-picture film of them being deployed...   that I can find.

[PanzerWomble]

17 minutes ago, GazzaS said:

That is another mystery...   Even the Kagero book shows nothing happening at the stern.  Too bad there's no motion-picture film of them being deployed...   that I can find.

It's odd given how ubiquitous they were in pre war ships . 

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, PanzerWomble said:

It's odd given how ubiquitous they were in pre war ships . 

Even when looking through old warship builds at Modelwarships, it's hard to find anything useful.  If someone did use torpedo nets on their build, they rarely posted pictures of the fo'c'sle.

[Clunkmeister]

7 hours ago, GazzaS said:

 

 

 

Thank you for the kind words, gents!

There's still some mystery involved for me in the deployment of the torpedo nets.  There is still no power source directly connected to the nets.  Were electric motors attached to the pulleys to operate them?  Or huge hand cranks (doubtful)?  Were they connected to the capstans for power?  Unknown.

I’d think steam capstans?  When they needed to deploy, they needed to deploy fairly quickly without alot of piping to quarters for rigging the nets.

The Kaiser’s High Seas Fleet were all uncommonly attractive. Great subject.  1/350 is just too small for me. 1/200 at a minimum for me with the big ships of the line. 

[GazzaS]

Before I edited this post, I was bemoaning the loss of the armored conning tower...    wonder of wonders, I found it.  Still stuck to a blob of blutack and toothpick I had used to spray it black and check for potential reshaping defects.  Originally, the part had poorly defined vision slits.  So, I had chopped off the top...  replaced the vision slit area with segments of Evergreen plastic...   then glue and sand...   all the good stuff.

Before that, I weathered the coal chutes.  First with dark gray enamels to bring out the shape with shadows, then with a buff colored dry brushing to raise the height.

Then I started putting together the forward superstructure section which houses the bridge.

 

[Bomber_County]

so glad this one came down off the SOD. Stunning detail Gaz, I’ll definitely pull the KGV down when the Elco is finished……

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking great!  A beauty off the SOD that didn't deserve to be there!

[GazzaS]

On 4/8/2023 at 2:06 PM, Clunkmeister said:

I’d think steam capstans?  When they needed to deploy, they needed to deploy fairly quickly without alot of piping to quarters for rigging the nets.

The Kaiser’s High Seas Fleet were all uncommonly attractive. Great subject.  1/350 is just too small for me. 1/200 at a minimum for me with the big ships of the line. 

Surely you realize that 1/200 scale ships just have more tiny details than a smaller scale?  I've been watching Ron Calverly building his 1/200 scale Bismarck.  Plenty of tiny bits to sweat over.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Great save and so glad you are sharing it with us.

 

[GazzaS]

One of those parts of the ship build I have been dreading is the funnel maintenance rings...   or whatever the heck they are called.

On many ships. these bands looped around funnels and sailors used them to access all kinds of places normal men would fear to tread... without a safety rope or a net.. 

But for me, they represented a task I didn't think I could make look good.  And well...    they don't.  They are by Tom's Modelworks, and went on easily enough...    the first few.  But then the rest seemed to be some tiny increment too short.  If I had to do it all over again, I would have drilled the holes necessary and then thinned the funnel a bit.  Hopefully paint and distance will help to make things less awful.

Metal barrels?  Always!!

[DocRob]

Woah, these funnel rings look fiddly, Gary. Paint will help to hide the slight imperfections. Real ships watched closely don't look completely straight everywhere.

Cheers Rob