Tamiya 1/350 Tirpitz

[hirschberg]

Hi all.
I have just brought this kit, this morning.
I wish to add a wooden deck, any advice on which is a good one to buy?
Also PE detailing.
I did a google search, there is loads, Eduard seem to do a good set. Plus a Chinese firm, I think called timos modelworld. Found
on ebay, saved in my watch list, they do a wooden deck, any good?
I have done some reading on this site and there seems to be some varing comments regarding wooden decks, I am a bit confused,
not too difficult in my case.
Has anyone made this kit, silly question, I'm sure there is.
All help greatly appreciated.

 

[peterairfix]

I don't know about the wood decking but I have the tamiya bismarck I did get edaurd PE set as there are no railings if your kit is the same I maybe the way to go I will be ordering wood decking so I will let you know how I get on.

 

[Mark1]

Hi I did start building the same kit a few years back and the eduard set for it came with four large sprues with handrails,aa guns and just about everything else, seems to be about the only kit where they supply just about all that you'll need. Including upper decks.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Stuart
Have a look HERE. Scalemates is a very useful site. Scroll down and there is a list of aftermarket stuff. I personally like wood decks. I also like Eduard PE.
Jim

 

[spanner570]

Stuart, and no disrespect to my buddy Jim and others, but think very carefully about purchasing so called 'Wooden Decks'. For one thing, the caulking is usually way, way too wide.

The plastic decking on Tamiya stuff is excellent, so consider simply painting them.

At the end of the day it's your model, your choice. I look forward to following the build whichever route you take......

Ron

 

[Mark1]

Hope you don't mind me posting pics but just to give you an idea of the eduard pe, there is still a vast amount that hasn't been fitted.

 

[Dave Ward]

Stuart,
jumping into a model with a wooden deck aftermarket part is a bit of a steep learning curve! I eventually got the method right on 1/700 Tamiya ships - cheaper, & I reasoned that If I could do it in 1/700, then 1/350 would be no problem! Wooden veneer decks are a Marmite thing - either hate, or love, nothing in between! I've bought mine from China - Wood Hunter is a popular brand. Applying to PE as well as wood decks - just make sure that the bits are for the paticular plastic model by a particular maker. Even that can turn out wrong - I bought a 1/700 deck for a Aoshima Yamashiro - but it was for a revised later model from Aoshima & didn't fit!!
This is the Tamiya 1/700 Gneisenau with Wood Hunter veneer decks.

The wooden deck would be a nice addition to the Tamiya Tirpitz, but I would say the PE would be more important - after all, you can paint the deck, but there's no other real way of reproducing railing! It depends on your confidence, and how deep your pockets are!!
Dave

 

[boatman]

I SAY go for it Stuart
chris

 

[hirschberg]

Thanks to Mark1 for the pics (no probs with the posting) and all the others who have givern advice.
I am definatley going for the PE from Eduard. I will paint deck first, if I like the look, great.
I can always fit the wood later, if not happy with the paint finnish.
Does that sound like a good idea?
I think I had better make a confession here. This will be only the fourth ship I have built, when it is finnished.
Airfix 1/600 HMS Ark Royal and HMS Belfast as a nipper, later the Revel South Goodwins Light ship, I think a 1/144
but not too sure about that, it is a fairly resonable size model, about half the lenght of the Tirpitz.
So, the Tirpitz will be a good test of my skills and more about my ability to stay the course with the build.
I do have a problem when building with being able to stay on course, I tend to give up at the smallest
hiccup. That is why the layout has taken 10 yrs so far and is still not finnished.
BUT I will get there, eventually. So please do not expect me to post pics of how the build is progressing
as to be honest, I am not sure as to when I will start it.
I am finding this forum to be really good, I think I will be staying, that is if you all can put up with me LOL.
Thanks
Stuart

 

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Stuart

I too am on a ship building adventure, 3rd ship is Tashkent, the 2nd HMS Daring was a total disaster but getting better, it has been a steep learning curve, i usually make 1 35 StuG's.

BUT the huge amount of help i have had and are still getting from the chaps has been superb. I will be using a wood deck shortly on a 1 350 Graf Spee, so you could see how i get on ??

I will for onboard for the build

Bob

 

[Mark1]

Thanks to Mark1 for the pics (no probs with the posting) and all the others who have givern advice.
I am definatley going for the PE from Eduard. I will paint deck first, if I like the look, great.
I can always fit the wood later, if not happy with the paint finnish.
Does that sound like a good idea?
I think I had better make a confession here. This will be only the fourth ship I have built, when it is finnished.
Airfix 1/600 HMS Ark Royal and HMS Belfast as a nipper, later the Revel South Goodwins Light ship, I think a 1/144
but not too sure about that, it is a fairly resonable size model, about half the lenght of the Tirpitz.
So, the Tirpitz will be a good test of my skills and more about my ability to stay the course with the build.
I do have a problem when building with being able to stay on course, I tend to give up at the smallest
hiccup. That is why the layout has taken 10 yrs so far and is still not finnished.
BUT I will get there, eventually. So please do not expect me to post pics of how the build is progressing
as to be honest, I am not sure as to when I will start it.
I am finding this forum to be really good, I think I will be staying, that is if you all can put up with me LOL.
Thanks
Stuart

Well that was my first ship and first ever go with pe so you should be fine it only ground to a halt because my inexperience and getting to engrossed in the build I didn't plan the stages of painting.I treated it as one model instead of series of smaller models, always said to myself I'll get another kit and pe to give it another go.....one day

 

[boatman]

IM THE SAME as Bob BUT im building a bit bigger with my tiger but im still learning on the build so go for it an please post pics of the build if poss as when its finished we wont see all the build
chris

 

[Tim Marlow]

Posting your build is a great way of motivating yourself to keep going Stuart. In addition, the support you will get is always positive and helpful. Just go for it bud.

 

[hirschberg]

Posting your build is a great way of motivating yourself to keep going Stuart. In addition, the support you will get is always positive and helpful. Just go for it bud.

Hi Tim,
I have used PE on some railway wagons. I spayed with etch primer, and then colour before fitting.
I notice here that the PE bits are fitted before painting, confused!

 

[Mark1]

Just a case of whatever works best for you and what your building.

 

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Tim,
I have used PE on some railway wagons. I spayed with etch primer, and then colour before fitting.
I notice here that the PE bits are fitted before painting, confused!

I have a hate, hate relationship with PE lol, i had a go at painting first, primed with mr surfacer 1500 then top coat but a lot of it has come off during taking off the sprue and fitting so next time will try brush painting after fitting

Big headache lol

 

[boatman]

I have a hate, hate relationship with PE lol, i had a go at painting first, primed with mr surfacer 1500 then top coat but a lot of it has come off during taking off the sprue and fitting so next time will try brush painting after fitting

Big headache lol

WELL Bob boyo thats what i do paint it after its been fitted with a small hairy stick
chris

 

[Tim Marlow]

I just fit it during the build then paint it in situ. I usually use cellulose primer (Alclad or Tamiya) for the model, which sticks better to brass. I only use water based acrylic primer on purely plastic models with no etch upgrades. In the olden days, before motor cars and aeroplanes, I used car primer. It was also cellulose and designed to stay on sheet metal! In fact, I’m hard pressed to tell the difference between Tamiya primer and duplicolor car primer. Absolutely ideal After that, any top coat of paint is fair game.
I did more or less the same thing in my railway modelling days, except I usually used epoxy to stick PE onto plastic rather than superglue. Epoxy sticks better and takes handling much more readily than CA, but is far less friendly to use. If it was going on to a brass structure then I mostly soldered it on…..

 

[hirschberg]

Hi Mark.
Do the Eduard frets include upgrades for the main mast. I have seen a rather cool brass array being sold
by a company Timos modelworld on ebay. I am intersted in. I have ordered the Eduard frets, so I suppose
that I will have to wait and see when it arrives, or can you put me out of my misery now?

 

[Mark1]

Hi Mark.
Do the Eduard frets include upgrades for the main mast. I have seen a rather cool brass array being sold
by a company Timos modelworld on ebay. I am intersted in. I have ordered the Eduard frets, so I suppose
that I will have to wait and see when it arrives, or can you put me out of my misery now?

Hope this answers your question