Heller 1/400 H.M.S. Hood.

[spanner570]

Very nice, sharp mouldings. Modelling knife for scale.


I recently spotted this kit running on ebay auction and couldn't understand why no bids, as it was offered dirt cheap by the seller.

A bit of digging and I found out why. In a review, this particular kit has the distinction of being the second worst ever large kit of the Hood. Hence no interest or bids.

But consider this, here was a large model of the ship going for a song, warts and all. Accuracy ranks about 'V' in the alphabet as far as I'm concerned anyway. I build for fun!
To get an ever so slightly larger 1/350 version that is 'worthy of building', but still needing work (According to the same reviewer) would have cost me £130/£160. A crazy amount of money for a bit of plastic.

I was the only bidder and won the kit for a total of £24. This, for a 660mm scale model of Hood. Even O.O.B. it's instantly recognizable as the Hood. That'll do me.

However, (and I knew this) the reviewer is correct, There is hardly any detail. A very old and plain kit, but hardly any clean up and all the parts, thus far, fit first time. I intend to add me some detail, most of which will be totally fictitious, but will hopefully 'liven up' the ship.

What follows during the build, will probably have any purists on here climbing up walls and tearing their hair out...but guess what?

So stash your gear and let's cast off........

Vice-Admiral Lancelot Holland.
Denmark Straits

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Couldn`t agree more Cap`n,
It`s a monster...... LOVELY,i shall tag along with much interest,
Landlubber Smythe!!

 

[BattleshipBob]

Count me in mr admiral sir, are you anything to do with the house of Holland ( if you know what the hell i am taking about ) lol

Hoping to add more floaty knowledge, by god i need it!

Herr Lutjens

somewhere by Iceland, may stop for more fish fingers, the lads in Bruno turret luv em!

 

[Dave Ward]

Ron,
This makes into a nice model - the Hood was a fairly plain ship, anyway, size & her lines were the impressive thing. One thing I urge you not to do is use the railings - I did on mine & it made it look so bad, that I stripped them all off again. If you could source 1/400 PE replacements, that would really kick it up another notch!
Dave

 

[Jim R]

Look forward to seeing this. It certainly is a very large model.
Jim

 

[spanner570]

Ron,
This makes into a nice model - the Hood was a fairly plain ship, anyway, size & her lines were the impressive thing. One thing I urge you not to do is use the railings - I did on mine & it made it look so bad, that I stripped them all off again. If you could source 1/400 PE replacements, that would really kick it up another notch!
Dave

Thanks for the warning Dave, but I'm going to use the supplied railings. I don't buy after market stuff.
Like you, I spotted they were way off, so I've cut them all down and thinned the cross section by scraping the plastic with a Stanley Knife. Near enough.....



Cheers,
Ron

 

[boatman]

HI 570 whats happening on this build ?
chris

 

[spanner570]

HI 570 whats happening on this build ?
chris

Thanks for asking, Chris. Nothing serious.

It's just that I don't do much model making in the summer months, preferring to be out and about, camping.

Now I've returned home to cut the grass and empty the letter box, I'll be doing a bit more sticking bits of plastic together,

As we won't be going off again for a week or two, I will post what progress I've managed to achieve so far in the next few days.........

Cheers.
Ron

 

[spanner570]

Despite my recent absence, I made good progress on this build before diving off for a few days.......

Having little interest in accuracy of a model, I usually build straight out of the box. Because it's so old and lack loads of detail, such as windows etc., this model will be the exception. I won't be making the 'Add-ons' accurate (such things are beyond me) in fact it will be mostly a work of fiction, so 'ta ta' all rivet counters....

The nicely detailed two piece hull and deck went together well, with little cleaning up. The scribed decking is fine too.

Even at this initial stage, she is instantly recognizable. Warts and all! That will do me....








This is where the fun starts!


Cheers.
Ron

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Welcome back. Inaccurate add-ons, I look forward to them
Jim

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Jim.
Good to have you aboard. Take your pick of cabins......

As I typed earlier, the 'fun' now starts.
The kit has the big boat deck (Whatever it's called) a lot narrower than it should have been for her last voyage to intercept Bismark. The deck should reach the hull edges, not fall short.

Normally, I wouldn't bother altering the thing, but I knew, if I left it alone, it would continue to bug me throughout the build for being an idle so and so!

So this is my first bit of major scratchery on the ship. I will use various thickness plastic card to widen the deck.

The strip of 'wooden' deck I've painted, is to show where the superstructure (Whatever it's called) should be flush with the side of the hull....




Before I butcher the deck edges, I've brush painted the plastic decks using watered down Vallejo Air 'Concrete'

The stern. Note I've purposely brushed on darker streaks to the boat storage section, reasoning there might have been a bit of staining in that general area.



...and the bow.
Note the errant brush marks on the turret tube thingies. If you brush paint, don't worry about such things. The marks will disappear during the painting process. The main object is to get a nice finish to the wooden deck.


Time to get the knife out....

Cheers.
Ron

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Ron.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[Tim Marlow]

Nice work on the deck. Colour looks spot on!

 

[BattleshipBob]

Can i have a cabin very, very far away from the rear magazine, ideally on Prince of Wales!

Cracking start Ron, more please

 

[Tim Marlow]

I always felt sorry for the chippies still fitting out PoW when it sailed…..but it was a lot better than being on one of Jackie Fisher’s follies!

 

[JR]

Permission to come aboard Admiral 570.
Off to a good start with changes already taking place.
Will sit with Bob.
453.

 

[papa 695]

Nice start Ron.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
Deck looks good. Interested in seeing how you widen that section of deck.
Jim

 

[boatman]

HI admril 570 sir permission to jion the ole gezzers Bob an John lol ? as they get all the cakes an tea
OLE GEZZER chris

 

[spanner570]

With such a crew list as I have now, we need fear no one!

Issue the rum!

....put some Coke and ice in the rum for 453.

Update.
Using plastic card, I made a completely new outer section and packed this out from the existing, making it flush with the hull edge. Then fixed two support stanchions. All fixed with polystyrene glue.












Happy with the alterations, I proceeded with some first coat painting. As a start, I'm brushing on Vallejo Air - 'Dark Gull Grey'






I was happy with the result so far, but then the proverbial hit the fan.

Deep down, I was NOT happy! More later in the build.........

Cheers,
Ron