Is it okay....?

MartinH-K · 05-04-2007

Look... I know its my decision but...
You know I'm going to build a BIG (manned) version of HMS Hood (Yes, it was going to be Repulse but I couldn't get sufficiently good plans).
Well, I was thinking of doing a major scale up of the model that's currently being sold with the HMS Hood magazine. The model comes out at about 1.05m which is about 4 or 5 times smaller than what I have in mind but the question I have is... am I cheating? Much of it will have to be with enhanced detail that won't show on the small version AND all the internal stuff will be MUCH harder due to the operational nature of what I'm going to do... firing guns etc. Is it cheating?

**Bunkerbarge** · 05-04-2007

That is entirely up to yourself. There is a guy who has just produced a fibre glass mold of the Bismarck that comes in at something like 8 foot. Is that cheating?

I am a great believer in you do what you want to do in the way you want to do it. How you acheive the result is entirely up to you and no-one has a right to say otherwise.

I am currently making a model of a steam coaster which is a Mountfleet kit. However the plywood overlays were not to my liking so I am planking the decks and making hatchboards myself. How much of what I am doing is cheating? Who knows and who cares!! I am making a model in my own way and enjoying doing it which is exactly what you should also do. Scaling up a model is a common practise for arriving at a larger size and using a kit to do it seems a good idea to me! Bear in mind you will still have to do all the research to determine just how accurate the kit is anyway!!

Good luck and keep us up to date with the progress.

duncan · 05-04-2007

Yes you are cheating if you dont use sheet steel riveted together but remember your boiler tubes will have to be hypodermic needle size and welding at that micro size is a specialist job ! Martin you couldn`t do better than beg , borrow or buy a copy of HMS Hood , the Anatomy of a Ship. I did buy a plastic kit of Invincible just to get a 3D feel for the shapes but I relied mostly on photographs and Jecobin plans. Better than plastic kits or the VERY expensive bit part magazines are card models. They can be scaled up very easily in your local print-shop. They may quiz you on the copyright but since it is for non-commercial personal use they will do it for you. Just specify the scale you want. Marcle Models have a Hood listed at 1:400 scale for £15, a lot cheaper than bit-parts and you get the whole thing to start where and when you like. www.marcle.co.uk Keep us posted. Have a look at http://groups.msn.com/MannedModelShips. RO5 is mine,31ft, plenty of pics of the build. On second page of pictures.

RickF · 05-04-2007

The Hood is such a well documented ship. Why not just buy a set of plans from one of the many available and build it from that?

Rick

duncan · 06-04-2007

Agreed Rick but might be a bit superfluous as it is going to be a manned model. The bottom of the hull will need canoe-like structure ( stitch and glue ?)and the shapes he will really need , topside etc. will be in "flat-pack" form if using the card model idea,templates with approximate location of doors, posts, lockers,handrails ,port-holes etc all marked in position on the scaled -up pages of the card model. Plus it will be in colour. Any use Martin ?

new to trains · 06-04-2007

marcle are just down the road from me !

jankers · 09-04-2007

MartinH,

I started building a blue flu ship from small plans in an old Model boat mag, and they left a lot of unanswed questions.

I would go for the best detail you can get, particularly as the finished model will be so large, it could save a lot of time 'down the road'.

J.

MartinH-K · 21-04-2007

That's a lot of good stuff here and I thank you for it. With the 1/450 scale Airfix kit and the 1/250 scale kit with the magazine AND with all the pictures etc I've been able to drag out, I've got quite a lot of detail. I've pretty much landed on a 1/40 scale model which will (I hope) translate to a 21'6" manned boat. I plan on putting in a drop sailing keel for stability which, when on display won't affect the general look of the thing. I also plan on all four engines being in place. Yes, I know, not really neccesary but, at least, authentic. I'll put up pictures from laying the keel to completion though I don't expect to start for a little while yet...
Thanks guys.

**Bunkerbarge** · 21-04-2007

This should be a really interesting build thread and worth looking forward to. There are many good books on the Hood which I would suggest you invest in even before laying the keel and as with so many subjects that were around for such a long time you will have to decide on which period to model her in and that will depend on what reference material you get together.

All you want now is someone with a 21 foot Bismarck and you are in trouble!!

jankers · 22-04-2007

I'm curious, are you planning on a 'walking' model? ie feet through the hull and on the lake bottom, or a 'lie in' with a full watertight hull?

J.