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Author Topic: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th  (Read 47892 times)

crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #175 on: May 03, 2017, 08:26:52 pm »

Wanted to put in some extra work tonight and had a good two hours to fill - decided to have a go at the RAS derricks and whilst initially contemplated making these using styrene rod, I decided against it for fear of these bending over time and settled for brass rod instead.


My soldering skills not being quite impressive  I thought I'd best use some kind of gig to hold things in place: made a rough sketch to get the angles and lengths correct, used some left-over plywood to make crude but efficient template, put everything into the slots, clamped everything using another piece of wood and then added the solder.
It seems as if one spends far more time cleaning the joints and removing the excess solder (first picture before cleaning, the lower one after filing) , but the result was quite strong and overall very pleased with how the two RAS points came out.
Finally put them in place against the front face of the bridge and the only thing left to do is to fix the eyelet at the extreme end, once the construction is further advanced.


The photographs in the background are of HMS Danae, one of the few Leanders with the simplified RAS derricks it seems.


Cheers
E
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #176 on: May 03, 2017, 10:07:12 pm »

I am learning that less flux and less solder will create a smaller and tidier join. Practice currently shows that too much of both is still creating lots of work %)

Your RAS derricks look good.
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #177 on: May 05, 2017, 08:19:02 am »

Thanks Ballastansian, good advice and will definitely be trying that out - I guess I may need to look for a different soldering iron with a sharper tip, mine is V-shaped and some 2 mm wide, which is a little too crude for my purposes. I believe there are smaller versions specifically aimed at the electronics industry (working on microchip circuit boards etc...)  which is probably what I need....


Next job will be the yardarms and would also like to have a stab at the handrails alongside the superstructure...I might start to like soldering after all...


E
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #178 on: May 06, 2017, 08:22:57 pm »

I get the gist that having two or three of different wattages is a common practice for the very point you make E. The lower watt ones can be very reasonably priced.

Ideally (and after a lottery win) one would have a soldering station with a mini moulding loft bench arrangement to jig up brass and metal parts held together for soldering in your workshop.
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #179 on: May 07, 2017, 06:54:19 pm »

A lottery win is everything we need ! Just imagine for a moment what it would buy, beginning with a very large, comfy, heated and fully equipped, spacious workshop ! ....
Will do a web prowl to see what I can find in terms of soldering irons, and if all else fails guess I will be paying far too much at my local hobby store, but am sure they will have something suitable !


Cheers
E
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #180 on: May 07, 2017, 07:16:17 pm »

Feeling very pleased, not to say relaxed and very zen ! Managed to put in no less than 10 hours work this weekend, and believe have a few things to show for it...at long last there is a marked difference compared to the previous general outlook - nothing to spur one on s seeing marked progress and the result of one's work !


So, in chronological order: finally completed the anti-fouling bottom hull section (need to re-do one particular stretch where there was still a tiny little blemish), so was subsequently also able to add the black boot topping - this immediately makes a very big difference I find, she slowly is becoming a proper warship, even if the grey is still to be sprayed .....


Something rarely seen on most models but I thought I'd have a go at it nonetheless: added the 4 cathodes and was particularly fortunate at having been given the exact dimensions by someone-in-the-know (thanks again Nigel). Two were sitting above the propeller shaft exists, on either beam, whereas the front ones are slightly more 'guesstimated', but believed to be near the front end of the bilge keels. So don't take my advice for these ones, but the fact is that the Leanders had 4 cathodes strips for sure. (And I believe is the case for most frigates and destroyers in HM's Navy). Still need to give them a coat of paint.


Something else which is very often lacking on most warship models are the diving lines - again photographs are patchy and there appear to be some variations amongst the various Leanders, but have added one line already using self-adhesive white tape. The only area where I was struggling with this were the curved ends of the bilge keels, where the tape could not be bent nor did it hold in place.
I will be adding the remained later, and again this is an area where some artistic freedom will used, especially in the rear section amongst the propellers and rudders, where the lines are somewhat zigzagging it appears.
It also appears that whilst most of the times these diving lines are white, ocassionally they are also black (as seen in a photograph of a dry-docked type 23)


Also sprayed the sonar domes, these appeared to be off-white in the 1970's before it became more commonplace to have them in the same anti-fouling red. Thought it also added  a splash of contrast at the same time.


Then moved on to do some work on the forecastle: added the front bollards, anchor chain plates, hawsepipes, rear breakwater, spurn water, capstan plates, capstan operating wheel, emergency escape hatch....
All good progress, only need to add two rolling fairleads, anchor chain stopping points, fire hose reel connections, breakwater supports and all the various vents behind the breakwater and that will be the forecastle completed.
Since I needed to give the deck in the VDS and Limbo wells a splash of green before being able to fix my rear deck in place, I emptied the paint remaining in the airbrush jar and used it on the forecastle deck - an immediate changeover and wonderful look I thought...


Lastly, added some minor details to the bridge front and also fitted the skylight housings all round the superstructure.
All in all a very good weekend I say !


Enjoy the pics


E
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #181 on: May 07, 2017, 07:18:55 pm »

Last set of photographs
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #182 on: May 07, 2017, 07:19:43 pm »

Squires carry a range of soldering irons by Weller (15watts and up) and Antex (12 watts and up) Ther Wellers start at £21 and the Antex ones start at £17. They carry the bits and accessoires for both ranges.
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #183 on: May 08, 2017, 10:56:25 am »

Interesting and thanks a million  - will have a look, the cost is not too onerous...


E
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #184 on: May 08, 2017, 08:18:47 pm »

Especially if you already have a larger one already.
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #185 on: May 22, 2017, 09:49:34 am »

Wanted to proceed with the rear deck which I still needed to glue in place but that meant that the Limbo was to be detailed first.
Started by making a detailed sketch of each of the 4 sides, using the plans but also adding various features by looking at the photographs I could lay my hands on. Believe the end-result is 90% correct, making allowances for the differences between individual vessels but also noting in the very early versions an accommodation-style ladder was in place before being replaced by more ordinary, bulkhead-fixed ladders or, in some case, discarding those altogether (front section of the Limbo well, leading onto the flight deck) .


The side panes were made of styrene sheet which were further detailed using photo-etched W/T door (Cammett's, no better than those !), brass wire, mesh sheet and once these were painted fixing them against the multiplex sides making up the well.


With that done, I proceeded to fix the rear most deck section in place, which will now allow me to finish the hull and concentrate on the various deck fittings and superstructure. Another year I reckon but making steady progress...
Also find it motivating and actually quite helpful to keep my focus, by setting one self interim targets for sub-components, before moving onto the next job - gives a sense of satisfaction and also avoids forgetting certain details which then gradually slip one's attention and end up never being fitted at all !


Finally also made the anchor chain plates leading onto the  capstans, using litho plate - quite pleased with how these have come out.


Enjoy the photographs.


E

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Capt Podge

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #186 on: May 22, 2017, 09:35:29 pm »

Judging by what you have done so far, the mortar well is going to become a major feature of your model - looks great so far... :-)

Regards,

Ray.
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #187 on: May 28, 2017, 05:50:13 pm »

It looks just like the ones I have seen in the little films on Youtube  :-)) And so much detail in such a small well.
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #188 on: June 18, 2017, 10:10:45 am »

Progress has been slow but picking up the slack again - needed to do a major putty job on the port deck, where there was a clear knuckle where one wasn't supposed to be - sanding and resanding, and a lot of it as I had to lay it thick in places, but finally got it right again.


With that out of the way, I sprayed the deck green and am now readying everything for a first coast of gray, involved a lot of taping and masking as can be seen !
The goal is still to finish the hull entirely before the summer is out, and can then switch to the superstructure in the winter - hoping to complete the model in 2018 !


Will send some further photographs hopefully later today as the weather is ideal for a quick airbrush job.


E
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #189 on: June 18, 2017, 10:12:07 am »

Had some trouble uploading photographs, hopefully it will work this time round


E
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #190 on: June 18, 2017, 10:13:11 am »

2nd set
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #191 on: June 18, 2017, 06:10:13 pm »

Wowsers, that is a lot of Tamiya tape, but worth it if you then do not need to spend ages touching up seepage or worse paint pulled damage or even wiping and cleaning off gum from the tape.

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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #192 on: June 18, 2017, 08:25:05 pm »

It is true that the asking job took ages, I reckon the better part of an hour at least !
But certainly well worth it, and would recommend it for it is easier to spend a little extra time upfront rather than having to redo thing afterwards....


Attached  the end result once everything was removed and a shine grey hull appeared - quite like the contrast between the black boot topping the grey hull and the spring-green deck: need some getting used to !
This little love child has also been baptised now, Argonaut it is and added the name to the stern and painted it red.


There is one thing that did slightly intrigue me when using the airbrush the other day, when spraying the deck: after drying there was a fine coat of  'dust', which came off when wiping a finger over the painted surface, as if some of the paint droplets did not stick ??
Anyone any idea what is causing this ? Is this the result of a wrong thinner ?


E
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Geoff

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #193 on: June 19, 2017, 08:28:53 am »

Re the dust, my bet would be it was just dried paint. If you are spraying in this weather the paint can dry before it hits the deck but as long as its just brushed off no harm done.

Keep up the good work

Cheers

Geoff
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ballastanksian

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #194 on: June 19, 2017, 06:40:02 pm »

My thoughts as I had a it a bit on M19 when I primed the hull the other week when we had a ration of Summer.

She looks great  :-))
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #195 on: July 07, 2020, 10:03:53 pm »

testing to see if I can add to this post


E
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warspite

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #196 on: July 08, 2020, 11:53:55 am »

I take it there is no update available? or are you collating your photo's  :-)) O0
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #197 on: July 09, 2020, 09:42:28 pm »

Had some trouble uploading the photographs, but here's the progress: did some work around the funnel, painted the superstructure, finished the gun turret, and various other bits and bobs. Back on track now and hopefully there won't be another 2 year break from this build !
E
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crabbersnipe

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #198 on: July 09, 2020, 09:53:02 pm »

Something wrong with resizing the photographs it seems....but you get the general idea :-)


If ever anyone could share some more info on the layout of the signalling paltform behind the main mast, containing the optical directors and searchlights, I would be most grateful - it is virtually impossibe to find any photographs on the internet of this part of the ship bizarrely enough....
Thanks in advance,


E
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derekwarner

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Re: HMS Argonaut - Leander Class Frigate 1/96th
« Reply #199 on: July 09, 2020, 10:44:39 pm »

That Vickers 4.5" Twin Mounting looks the goods :-))


A few interesting points


1. The little rectangular armour float glass prism windows for the Gun Captain were tinted light green and were some 2" thick........
2. The Sailors in the lower magazine wore raincoats during gun exercises as the hydraulic systems were renown as leaky  :-X


Derek
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Derek Warner

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