Varyag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, made a start on the Stern gun deck. This is just the pre painting of the rope ties, ventilators, windlass, and deck hatches. A wooden veneer sheet will then be put over, and weathered. I'll be adding two 152mm deck guns, the windlass, a ventilation trumpet, and two covered deck access hatches. This wont be fitted until ive fully painted and weathered the entire hull. Then at a later point, it'll get full railings and deck ropes. 

 

 

 

 

 

Building ships is ass backwards, you start right at the bottom, then up, in from railings then up the masts, Crazy. First paint on the hull, going for a really weathered look, she spent a year sailing from America, to Russia, to Germany, then to the far East. This is what she'd look like in Hong Kong in 1901/2. When she reached Port Arthur in China, she was repainted, with a red hull and green all over superstructure, after the scuttling and re floating by the Japanese, she was Painted grey, then given as a gift back to the Russians for the First World War, she was seized by the British after the Russian Revolution in 1917, then scrapped by the British in the 1920s. 

 

Back to shortening my life with Photo Etch grabhandles. Luckily this is a long term project. Will anyone notice I've added them? Probably not. But it will busy up the sides of the hull. Eight down,twelve more to do this side, then the other side. Then attach the Admirals walkway on the stern, it's doors, and covering bracings. Then rear Torpedo launcher door cover, nameplate and Romanov Crest. Then I can paint the upper hull. Hmm hardcore stuff. P.s. this is what I do for fun. 

 

 

 

Rejoice!! That's it for today. Grab handles all down the Starboard side. A few to glue down proper tomorrow. Didn't lose any to the carpet monster. Successful day. 

 

 

Today, I've been mostly building tiny decks. I wish this was 1/72, don't say that often. Built up the armoured conning tower, that sits under the forecastle wheelhouse. And applied the veneer, and a bit of a shadow wash. The tower will have two ammunition hoists, a spare anchor, and two stairways at either entrance. I'm actually starting to enjoy it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decks on. Hmm. Not looking too bad so far. Luckily placement of railings should be fairly straightforward. I've basically got a base now, from which to build up the superstructure, funnels, guns and everything else. I may well have found a new love, might need some more Pre-Dreadnought ships, much more interesting than WW2 or modern stuff, atleast to me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painted up and added the Bow Capstan.  

 

 

That's it for today. Very productive few hours, decks on, Bow and stern Capstans done. And one of the Ammunition hoist towers, which has two pieces of Photo Etch added. Pretty chuffed. Haven't gone mad yet either. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This might not mean a lot to most people, but to me, this is huge. My first ever PE stairway, I have had a huge fear of photo etch for years. I didn't break it or lose it. It appears to be completely fine, and exactly how it's supposed to look. That's one of twenty left to do. 

This might not mean a lot to most people, but to me, this is huge. My first ever PE stairway, I have had a huge fear of photo etch for years. I didn't break it or lose it. It appears to be completely fine, and exactly how it's supposed to look. That's one of twenty left to do. 

So far today I've been faffing about, adding missing machine rooms in the aft superstructure. It's winding gear, ventilation ducting, and storage lockers. But on the oob kit they are missing, so I scratched them from plasticard. Cool job done. I'll fill the tiny gaps later. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's enough for today. Got a fare bit done, aftstructure doors, and wall done. One of the access hatch covers. Aftstructure internal rooms done. Slow, but it's getting there. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was an interesting five hours. Managed somehow, to build the pilots wheelhouse bridge, on top of the armoured conning tower. For my first go with four flat bits of brass, I'm surprised I was able to build anything. Looks ok for a first go. Just dry fitted at the moment. I'll be putting in the ships wheel, a comfy chair, some cupboards, speaking tubes, and some very nice lyno, actually on the real ship lol. 

That was an interesting five hours. Managed somehow, to build the pilots wheelhouse bridge, on top of the armoured conning tower. For my first go with four flat bits of brass, I'm surprised I was able to build anything. Looks ok for a first go. Just dry fitted at the moment. I'll be putting in the ships wheel, a comfy chair, some cupboards, speaking tubes, and some very nice lyno, actually on the real ship lol. 

 

 

 

That was an interesting five hours. Managed somehow, to build the pilots wheelhouse bridge, on top of the armoured conning tower. For my first go with four flat bits of brass, I'm surprised I was able to build anything. Looks ok for a first go. Just dry fitted at the moment. I'll be putting in the ships wheel, a comfy chair, some cupboards, speaking tubes, and some very nice lyno, actually on the real ship lol. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for today, after yesterday's day off. Decided to tackle the rest of the wheelhouse and bridge area, rear storage shelter, starboard ammo hoist tower, front air vent trumpet, and the spare Anchor. Looking nice if I do say so myself. 

 

 

 

Doesn't look like I've done much, as usual. Ship modelling is even slower than my other builds. Mostly building, attaching air funnel trumpets. I also swapped the bow and stern air funnels, as i had them reversed. I'm basically working my way back from the Forecastle, and I'll get all the funnels, deck furniture and stairways done first. Very long way to go. 

 

 

 

Doesn't look like I've done much, as usual. Ship modelling is even slower than my other builds. Mostly building, attaching air funnel trumpets. I also swapped the bow and stern air funnels, as i had them reversed. I'm basically working my way back from the Forecastle, and I'll get all the funnels, deck furniture and stairways done first. Very long way to go. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PE stairs, I've been scared of them for years, time to bite the bullet.  

1/350 Zvezda Varyag, next to 1/700 Flyhawk HMS Prince of Wales. One day I'll tackle the little guy.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I've been mostly building the first funnel, adding etched railing to it, and ladders, scratching ships whistles, safety valves and building PE stairs. I think I'm getting the hang of this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's me finished for today. The pilots wheelhouse is now attached to the armoured conning tower permanently, I've detailed the inside with ships wheel, comfy chair, speaking tubes, cupboards, linoleum flooring magnetic compass and ships engine controls, none of which can be seen lol. Railings and stairs tomorrow. 

 

That's me finished for today. The pilots wheelhouse is now attached to the armoured conning tower permanently, I've detailed the inside with ships wheel, comfy chair, speaking tubes, cupboards, linoleum flooring magnetic compass and ships engine controls, none of which can be seen lol. Railings and stairs tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

 

As I'm using brass masts, I've scratched the barrels for the rope reels using plastic from the kit masts. Just adds a bit of extra detail.  

The other two rope reels I'm placing under the conning tower and wheelhouse bridge storage. 

Teeny tiny, eeny weeny. 

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for today. I've been working on the port side of the forecastle, added first ladder to access the wheelhouse bridge. Rope winch, underneath the storage basket area, finished the rope winch on the stern. And added doors to the Pilots Wheelhouse Bridge. Enjoying it all so far. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/350 Imperial Russian Navy Protected Cruiser Varyag. Lower Hull changed to red, as it was painted in 1902, in the Baltic, before Varyags journey to the Far East. I'm depicting her as she may have appeared in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, after visiting Singapore, on her way to Korea.