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[radiojoe]

Finished the first stage of the two basic superstructures, I'm glad I decided to use ply they are quite strong and light, just have to decide what comes next, I'll most likely tackle the bridge and work my way aft, still waiting for the funnel from sirmar, though if it's as I suspect a solid casting I may decide to scratch build my own hollow one to save a bit of high up weight we'll see.

[ballastanksian]

Solid funnel? That will weigh a ton! What is it made from? If made from a resin with mineral additive then it might be lighter but still a bit of a lump. I suppose you could hollow it out and save some time?

[radiojoe]

Yes the two radar domes are solid resin that I will hollow out the best I can, and the funnel is even larger, so I think I'll have a go at making a hollow-ish one 

[radiojoe]

Go another bit done today that I wasn't looking forward to, the bridge wall, the combined camber and curve plus the wrap a round ends make the piece a really odd shape when flat, but after a bit of trial and error "mostly error" I managed to get it done I decided to leave the nav light openings till I made and fitted the inner boxes this proved to be a wise move as it made cutting out the openings a lot easier with the corners strengthened by the boxes, next comes the real tricky bit the bridge house with all those lean out windows. 

[ballastanksian]

Previous experience shows that curving plastic with such cut outs, or similar drastic reductions in material can cause a fracture when bending or unpredictable behavior when bending plastic hot. So your idea to cut after is most wise.

Lovely look to that bridge, definitly inspiring Joe.

[radiojoe]

Thanks for the encouraging comments,  the next step seemed to be the main bridge with all those windows that I thought was also a bit daunting, but I dived in and got there in the end after constantly reminding myself to take my time as one slip with the scalpel would ruin a set of windows especially if it was the last window of a panel, to get the lean out I first tried scoring the panel but this tended to break with too much handling so I tried holding the panel under a steel rule and just bending along the line this seemed to work well, I used .5mm styrene for the two sides and the front mainly so the windows openings don't look too thick anyway I was quite pleased with the result, also did a bit of detailing to the hangar.    

[ballastanksian]

Damn fine Joe! I like the door frames.

[radiojoe]

More progress with the bridge structure and pre fitted the wheelhouse roof, this will be left off till the priming is done and the windows glazed, next I'll do the Olympus air intakes and funnel deck, the funnel has still not come from Sirmar, and I need it now to see how it fits in with the structure, the fittings were ordered in July and the fittings came in September minus the funnel that Barry said would follow, I know he only dose it part time but I think I have been more than patient, I've e-mailed and had no replies, so I have decided to put Sirmar down to experience and make my own funnel, regrettably I will not be using Sirmar again, scratch building the funnel was not as difficult as I had thought and was very gratifying the plus side is it only weighs 40 grams a resin one would have been a heavy lump, I still have the capping piece to do 

[ballastanksian]

I take my hat off to you Joe for tackling a difficult shape. I can see why it is offered as a solid resin piece, though I have seen some good methods to lighten resin castings using silicone plugs.

It is sad about your issues with Sirmar. As you say he does it part time, but one return message would at least have let you know of any problems he might have at his end outside of administering the range.

Re the cap, I have used a styrofoam blank covered with milliput or car body filler before now to create a light solid. Once was a railway carriage roof and the other was a space ship hull! I dissolved the foam from within once complete but you could leave it in as extra surface to glue onto.

Happy Boating, Ian:O)

[spooksgone]

The funnel looks good Joe. I intend to make my own for HMS Woodpecker. The funnels I got from Sirmar for my V+W destroyer were both more or less solid resin, took me ages to hollow them out. I'm enjoying the build. Cheers Joe

[rsm]

You can get hollow 1/96 909 radomes from Fleetscale, if you don't fancy hollowing your resin ones out. I have a pair and they are very light.
http://www.fleetscale.com/store/home/740-196th-909-radar-dome.html
They also have a funnel, but it is for Sheffield.
http://www.fleetscale.com/store/superstructures/507-1-96th-type-42-sheffield-style-funnel.html

[dougal99]

Here is the Sirmar funnel. It was partially hollow and I've removed a lot of resin (easy but messy) it now weighs 234gms. I have test floated the hull with most of the superstructure and fittings and it is quite stable even in turns. My progress is static compared to Joe's but I'm getting there.

[ballastanksian]

It is a crisp casting. I see no air bubbles or blemishes so top marks to Sirmar for that. Some of the stuff wargamers and military modellers have had to put up with over the years has to be seen to be believed.

[radiojoe]

Thanks for all info guys, the Sirmar funnel does indeed look fine but I've waited nearly 5 months I think that's it for me, I wasn't entirely happy with my funnel as it was,  I'd used .5 styrene to sheath it and the skin was I bit flexible so I thought I'd add another .5 skin now it is a lot stronger and also gave me the opportunity to cut out the vents before I bonded it on, it gives a recessed look to them that I prefer to mounting them on the surface.
I added the capping and I am now happy with it, and it still only weighs 55 grams,
I had seen the Fleetscale domes but didn't realise they were hollow, knowing I could always get them if my hollowing out of the ones I've got failed, I had a go at one it started out at 62 grams after hollowing out it is now just 22 grams which I think is acceptable if I don't screw the other one up I will use them. 

[Rob47]

Good info on the radomes, need two for Bristol, contacted Barry several times about the hull, but bit fed up with being told reply in next day, trouble is actually want a f/glass hull this time.

[ballastanksian]

That funnel has really come out well Joe.

[radiojoe]

When I made the second level of the bridge deck I forgot to cut out the transition passage before I bonded it down so I had to cut it out insitu it's a bit higher that it should be as I had fitted a base in the structure, I've used some modellers licence and put some steps to them, I remembered the transition passage at the base of the funnel so did this as I made the structure, next I'll make the Olympus air intakes before I permanently fit the funnel deck.   

[ballastanksian]

That was a good recovery Joe! To have carved out the excess wood would have required a very steady hand to avoid wonky door ways.

[John R Haynes]

Just tuned into your build . Out of interest I sold my Type 42 and 21 and Hermes hull moulds to Paul Simpson years ago now so I guess your hull is from my mould. These three ship models are in the NMM store but photos are on the Museums site.

[radiojoe]

Hi John, when the hull arrived I thought it had come from an old mould, as there was some areas of making good to do mainly port stem and transom, but will be fine when painted, apart from that all is well. 
Joe.

[radiojoe]

The Olympus air intakes are well on the way now, dry fitted to the funnel/deck assembly, although there was quite a few grilles of differing sizes in the fittings from Sirmar, there was only 4 of the size needed for the intake structure that requires 24, so I've made some of my own hence the different colour resin, I think for my next build which will most likely be a scratch build on a hull I'll make all or most of the fittings my self, I tend to fill my moulds carefully so as not to leave so much waste resin to sand off, unlike commercial resin fittings that are inclined to over fill and leave more resin to sand off than is in the fitting,

[ballastanksian]

Thats one big air cleaner, I bet Halfords do not carry those!

Have you given any thought to your next project yet or are you being untra disciplined? I have reference material for my third project so I can do a better job on the hull though I do not plan to start it until well into next year or even 2016.

Looking very nice Joe, she is definitly starting to come together.

[radiojoe]

Thanks Ian, I tend to concentrate on one build at a time, which is why I shelved this build to build the Envoy class tug that was a bit of a windfall,  haven't thought too much about my next build as yet as this one is taking up much of my thoughts, being my first total scratch build on a hull, but a RFA like Blue Rover looks appealing, who knows, maybe. 

[ballastanksian]

If you feel the urge, then a few minutes spent on the web looking at the RFA and taking some vital stats will give you a rough ball park for costs and materials without you committing to buying plans or timber:O)

I have become a bit addicted to buying plans for ships that I may never build or probably won't get around to for a decade. I have a few of them left in me:O)

[radiojoe]

 I've looked at a few RFA's including Orange Leaf that I often saw moored up on the end of the oil pier near to Gosport, just an idea at the moment,
The 42's have some tricky structures on them that I think adds to the satisfaction when you manage to scratch build it, I tackled the fwd mast today, and it came out reasonably well, I'm going to make the aft mast next so was studying it on he plan when I noticed I had made a mistake with the funnel deck, I made it too long as it only butts up to the mast and not under it, thankfully this was quite easy to put right,