The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions > Navy - Military - Battleships:
HMS Invincible- The First Battlecruiser
raflaunches:
Hi everyone
Let me start at the beginning...
Last year at the International Model Boat Show at Warwick the WPMBC stand had a collection of vessels from the Battle of Jutland on display but alas no battlecruisers. On the Coventry MBC stand was a lovely rendition of HMS Invincible in 1/192 scale and little wheels starting turning in my head. With my Dean's Marine HMS Dreadnought almost complete in 1/96 scale and I was looking for a new challenge I fetched out my ruler and started measuring the respective hulls. As it turns out the hulls were almost identical in shape apart from the overall length and the built-up hull sides. I soon realised that I could use a 1/96 scale Dreadnought GRP hull from Ron Dean as a basis of a conversion- this happens a lot in the plastic model aircraft world- but I would need to cut the hull in half and extend by a full five inches! In December I bought a hull from Ron at the Dean's Marine Christmas Open Weekend and was immediately caught/questioned by certain Mayhemers what I was up to, partially because they knew that I already had a Dreadnought! At the same time I bought two different sets of GRP turrets (a mix of Dreadnought and the newer Bellerphron versions) and some vacforms sheets.
Whilst I was working out how I was going to extend the hull I was contacted by Ron Dean who was also intrigued by my project and offered to make the extension piece for me from GRP. So in February I paid a visit to Ron and collected the 6-inch extension piece (I asked for extra length to allow for adjustment) in return for a little present from myself. A week later I was deployed to Cyprus and the project was planned re-adjusted and re-planned for 10 weeks and yesterday the fruition of my plans came together...
So the last time I saw the Dreadnought hull in one piece.
I marked out carefully in pencil after measuring many, many times.
Then this happened! %%
I used a dremel with a rotary saw fitting to carefully cut the hull in half. A testament to the quality of the GRP hull I went through three blades to get through the hull!!!
This image was included but we suddenly realised how in-appropriate it was yesterday. <:( (101 years since 31/05/1916)
The extension piece was measured to five inches long cutting off the excess using the same dremel fitting. My plan came from the old Matchbox 1/72 scale Flower-class HMCS Snowberry kit. Using a seven inch long piece of 1/32" marine ply cut against the grain to allow the bending seen in these pictures to create a scarf joint.
With the two hull half's separated I used two steel rules to create the five inch space required to slide the extension piece in place.
The extension piece was slid in place...
This was the testing phase to see the best fit, whilst not 100% perfect due to differing GRP thicknesses I managed to get a decent fit which as expected requires filler to blend the pieces together but most of the hull detail on the original hull will be removed for the new layout, I only kept the detail to line everything up when I prepare for attaching the three pieces together.
warspite:
clearly the outside 2.5" either side of the cut is exactly the same as each 2.5" of the extension piece, so the unknown profile is the inside, as you say the Extension piece is thicker, so making the outside flush is more important as this should match the hull, bar the slight inconsistency as the hull curves, the scarf piece although is good as a strengthener, its going to pull your hull in at their joints, both sides of the join needed to be identical in thickness, something you could have achieved by packing out the hull side till it matched the extension piece thickness, did you account for that?
Bob K:
Nick: This is the hull I saw you carrying away from Dean's in December. I am cutting mine in half, you are adding a five inch section in the middle. Hull-cutters Anonymous %%
Just think of the amazing battle fleet that could be assembled at Mayhem next year :-))
Dreadnought:
I shall be watching this one with interest because :-)) I am also thinking about building HMS Invincible.
And funnily enough I'm also building HMS Dreadnought which I've cut in half to make it easier to transport.
Good luck!
ballastanksian:
Oh glee another interesting build log to watch Nick. Even with the irregularities that have cropped up due to the surgery, I reckon you have less filling to do than with some plank on frame/grp projects. She will look lovely with the two slightly different turret styles.
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