James' Combrig 1/700 HMS Canada

[JamesPerrin]

I did an in-box review when I got hold of this kit shortly after it came out, which was after waiting a few years for it to appear. http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=6867;

Since then I've added Masters turned barrels for the main 14" guns the 6" secondary armament. I also had in the stash White Ensigns Iron Duke PE, this was from a time when I was considering building HMS Canada from scratch, I will be mainly using it as a source of railing which the kit oddly doesn't supply.



I've already been of the instructions several times and have even enlarged and annotated sections many parts are not labelled and it's open to interpretation which on the incredibly small PE is which. Tonight I've even ordered my nemesis, thin CA, as the standard stuff I use is going to be thick to work with at this scale.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Quite the project; I like Combrig and so will watch you work ....

[PaulBradley]

Looks interesting!

[Chuck Finley]

I did an in-box review when I got hold of this kit shortly after it came out, which was after waiting a few years for it to appear. http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=6867;

Since then I've added Masters turned barrels for the main 14" guns the 6" secondary armament. I also had in the stash White Ensigns Iron Duke PE, this was from a time when I was considering building HMS Canada from scratch, I will be mainly using it as a source of railing which the kit oddly doesn't supply.



I've already been of the instructions several times and have even enlarged and annotated sections many parts are not labelled and it's open to interpretation which on the incredibly small PE is which. Tonight I've even ordered my nemesis, thin CA, as the standard stuff I use is going to be thick to work with at this scale.

Are you going to use colourcoat paints on her? White Ensign/Sovereign Hobbies has a good selection of Royal Navy World War I paints. I think she would have been painted #2 Grey on her vertical surfaces. I have the same kit and plan on launching her this summer as well.

[JamesPerrin]

I was planning on starting this tonight but my daughter had other ideas and insisted I watch her not fall asleep for an hour.

[JamesPerrin]

Over the year's I've accumulated a lot of photos and references. My primary one though is my Great Grandfather's original ship's photograph. This was probably taken shortly after she was commissioned in 1915.



He served on Canada during 1918 we believe manning one of the 6" guns. I don't think he saw any action and the only thing of note was that he convalesced from flu on HMHS China.



I still in a quandary as to when to model her early or late. The problem with gathering images of a ship like this is that they are dated and ships undergo quite a bit of change in there time, unlike aircraft. Those of her when she become Almirante Latorre are interesting but possibly not hugely useful. I believe she would have had a Ship's Camel by 1917/18 when Jim was aboard so this would make an interesting addition. I've a Roden Ship's Camel in the stash purely 'cos of this.

[PaulBradley]

I was planning on starting this tonight but my daughter had other ideas and insisted I watch her not fall asleep for an hour.

Been there, done that!

[PaulBradley]

He served on Canada during 1918 we believe manning one of the 6" guns. I don't think he saw any action and the only thing of note was that he convalesced from flu on HMHS China.

Always nice to be able to personalise a build, isn't it? I'd still like to build my Italeri MTB as the one my grandfather served on, but I still need to confirm which one(s) he served on! I'd say your build should reflect the time of his service for sure.

[JamesPerrin]

Always nice to be able to personalise a build, isn't it? I'd still like to build my Italeri MTB as the one my grandfather served on, but I still need to confirm which one(s) he served on! I'd say your build should reflect the time of his service for sure.

That's the way I'm going so it looks like scratching 1/700 Camel is on the TODO list now

Apart from a few tiny broken but replaceable resin parts I've only found one flaw on this spectacularly detailed model. This will make a nice change from the constant filling required on just about everything else I build!



I started with something easy, adding the beautiful replacement brass 14" barrels to the turrets. As it turned out not quite so simple at the barrels are 2-3mm too long, they are intend for King Geroge V Class ships that came later so not necessary correct for Canada. I ended burying the butt of the barrel in the turret, this involved a 1.5mm drill hole and even then the butts needed filing down. I missed the slight elevation shown in the plans on the first turret which is amidships but added it the others - no idea if this is correct. I did read that even the kit barrels are a tad long for this turret as there is very little clearance with the rear superstructure. I used a clothes peg to hole the guns level and parallel to each other before applying CA. I plan to add the tarp shrouds to the base of the barrels which will cover any untidiness.



I decided to work on the rear superstructure first regards details and PE as this is relatively simple if a score of resin and PE parts under a couple of mm in their longest dimension can be considered simple. I managed to ping a ladder onto the floor but miraculously found before it got stuck forever between the floorboards.



The winch just behind the turret base is 1mm wide and has axle detail on the ends, the level of detail at which this has been machined is bonkers and 3D printing still has a way to go to match this.

There are lots of small bits to add which oddly means I can some useful work in 10-20mins sessions now I'm setup.

[PaulBradley]

Good start there, James.

[iggie]

Nice work with the turrets!

Kitchen towel soaked in pva makes good breech surrounds

[JamesPerrin]

I had an hour in the shed last night, the majority of which was spent trying to glue two tiny PE triangles edge on to a tiny PE square. I tried various ways of applying the CA to the triangle or the square or both how about some accelerator, dammit I've dropped a triangle and now the CA has dried. I gave up and used some Gator Grip (over priced PVA) and got them on in a couple of attempts. Just enough grip to break the surface adhesion to the tweezers and then I could apply CA with them in place. Thankfully I had to foresight to leave the square attached to the PE fret so I didn't have to try and handle that too. In the pic you can see the filed down need that I use to apply the CA.



The little piece of annoyance is a brace to the upper mast on the rear super structure. I'd already built the main mast and crow's nest. a hole in the little square needed to align with a hole in the crow's nest. I thread that with some thin wire to help align and hold the bracket in place before hitting it with CA. Here are the parts dryfitting to the superstructure



This is a steep learning curve and I'm coming to the conclusion that PE to PE joins are best held is place but some other method and then apply the CA. I've also been making use at last of a desk magnifier my then girlfriend now wife bought me, due to a combination of age and teeniness.

[PaulBradley]

That's some tiny PE......

[splash]

wife bought me, due to a combination of age and teeniness.

That's not a phrase any of us want to hear my doctor said you can get pills for it

[JamesPerrin]

That's some tiny PE......

There are hooks, pulleys and brackets for the derrick that are less than 1mm in any direction

Need more practice before facing them.