The Monitor HMS Roberts, Sword Beach ** Finished **

[JohnRatzenberger]

Still moving ... and healthier ... Dr appointment tomorrow.

Most the deck details are on - I have the boats on and will work the davits, but they really won't fit quite right. The paravanes and forward rafts are on and I need to add the cranes. I'll put up 2-3 cranes and leave the others on the deck un-erected.



Also got the director thingies on the directors - only thing not on the deck are the 20mm. I also need to make some paravane lead additions but that'll wait until I sort out all the mast parts.

I have the main top up in a test fit. Tomorrow I'll do some painting and glue it down before moving on to the back mast and try to get the main part done. That'll leave the upper platforms and yardarms, etc -- they'll be flimsy & fragile.



Now I'm into the put & paint mode so things may change rapidly.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Nuts, it is gout .... now moved from ankle to big toe .... Fortunately I'm healthy and if I make a few adjustments, like drinking more water, I may get rid of this occurrence and keep others down ... we shall see.

Working on the aft portion. The main top is up, needs the mast/yardarm section above. The aft top is up and also needs mast/yardarm section above. The kit parts were simply too flimsy and I used brass rod.



I also finished painting (decorating?) the boats then I put up the davits. The kit doesn't really represent these well, there should be some mounts/holders on the hull - I faked it best I could. The other issue is that most boats don't look as they could swing between them anyway, so suspend a bit of reality, I did the best I could.

[Clashcityrocker]

It's all coming along very nicely.

Nigel

[SJPONeill]

That's a cool-looking little ship, John...I've always liked these over-endowed vessels and I feel the need for one coming on...

Unfortunate about the gout...best wishes in getting on top of it...

[iggie]

That's looking excellent!
Reminds me of the cover illustration of a book by Douglas Reeman about a monitor (can't remember the title.... )

[JohnRatzenberger]

That's looking excellent!
Reminds me of the cover illustration of a book by Douglas Reeman about a monitor (can't remember the title.... )

Douglas Reeman is very good, usually ... The book is "HMS Saracen", which I have not read and probably won't as the premise, at least in the WW2 portion, is that HMS Saracen is providing convoy escort, a task this form of ship is wholly unsuited for ....

[iggie]

That's looking excellent!
Reminds me of the cover illustration of a book by Douglas Reeman about a monitor (can't remember the title.... )

Douglas Reeman is very good, usually ... The book is "HMS Saracen", which I have not read and probably won't as the premise, at least in the WW2 portion, is that HMS Saracen is providing convoy escort, a task this form of ship is wholly unsuited for ....

That's the kiddy! I not only couldn't remember the title, I couldn't remember the plot (And I've read it!).
As you say, convoy escort would not be a suitable pastime for a monitor.

[K5083]

That little ship looks totally cute with the sharp colors and all the small bits you are adding. I didn't even know this type of vessel existed.

August

[JohnRatzenberger]

I work all month for a "cute"

State of play today ....

Today I touched up paint around the boat davits and the masts & a few other spots.

I also dry-brushed a bit of white wavelets onto my water - doesn't show well in the glare.



And I started on the upper masts. I have made a mistake on the lower sections in that the rear mast top should have been higher than it is - I had no measurements and my eyeball was on holiday somewhere. To compensate I made a shorter upper mast section for the main and a longer one for the rear - not right but it's OK. The yardarms are on and I am making up two fancy radars from a Lion Roar PE set.



Anyway, no modeling tomorrow, so we'll see what happens Sunday. I might beg a couple days extra, but I think there is too much left to do rest of mast, anchor chain, railings, and rigging - not all of which are necessary for a completion, but ….

[rob_van_riel]

I work all month for a "cute"

I'm fairly certain our more usual motives for burning loads of time and money on blobs of plastic are harder to explain to 'normals'
Aside from 'cute' it's also one of the more unusual subjects I've ever seen built; August isn't the only one who never realised such ships actually existed, and it's certainly a beautiful model.

[lancfan]

I have never given the naval bombardment any thought at all and didn't know of such vessels, your model is an excellent job John and the seascape sets it off nicely.


David.

[JohnRatzenberger]

No pix today, the pressure was too much

I tried my best to make a pig's ear today. I found 1/700 oars and put them in the ships boats now paint must be touched up. Then I got the bright idea to rig the falls and a couple hours later I had lumps of CA, broken davits and the falls all clipped back off. I'll repair damages tomorrow and see it I want to try again.

I erected 2 cranes, one for paravanes and one for the rafts on the foredeck. The other paravane & raft cranes are laying down on the deck as are the two accommodation ladder cranes midships. Again some touch up needed - but no damages.

I jury-rigged a paravane "streamer" on the bow and have to paint/touch up around it.

I knocked the top section off the aft mast twice & fixed it. I painted the two radars but they are so flimsy that I have severely effected the wave lengths and will have to tidy them up.

Not started is railings and 20mm. The ship had 2 single and 8 dual 20mm, but the dual are really power mounts and not just a doubled up single - and the kit parts aren't very good, nor are the two singles. I have PE 20mm, but all singles, and I'm trying to decide if I should just do all singles and let it go ....

I also have to do some rigging on/between the masts ....

[JohnRatzenberger]

OK, today, I cleaned up the boats and started to re-rig the falls, this time using short pieces of thread rather than a continuous run - it'll be better, I think.

Quit fooling with the 20mm and used the 6 kit twins and two PE singles.

Added a couple lengths of PE anchor chain, dropped the idea of individual lengths.

Touched up various paint from yesterday & today.

Cut the rails. Had to modify some 4-bar by cutting off the bottom run - tiny work in 700 scale. Have one side painted, need to do the other side tomorrow then I can start running them.

Antenna are painted and ready to install.

Last step will be rigging on the masts & a few details here & there.









Be back …

[JohnRatzenberger]

No pix - too ugly.

Got all but 2 sections of railing on, will do last two tomorrow and then start touching up the paint. I hate 1/700 railings. Finished tha boat davits. Knocked off the top of the rear mast again.

All that's really left, other than the above, are antenna and rigging on the masts.

[iggie]

I admire your perseverance! It's looking excellent