HMS LORD NELSON in 1:350

[Kiteman]

One gun or two, it is still an awesome looking beast. Great Project!

[Wizzel]

Cheers Haddock and MSea.  Great information.

[Haddock]

              Here's a bit of an exercise in "brass bashing". Each grill is made up of two parts so a bit fiddly, I'm quite pleased with the result.
             Next comes the for'ard spotting top, thought I should make a start on the masts. The canopy supports aren't provided in either plastic or brass. The secret is to get all four the right length so that the canopy sits nice and square. the method, which seems to have worked is to drill a suitable piece of card, plop it over the supports and use it to cut and sand to length. Job jobbed.
            You can see the result, with some more stuff added, including the start of the top-mast.
                  Last shot is the plastic top-mast which will be replaced with a brass effort.
Haddock.

[zak]

Lovely stuff.

[Kiteman]

Magic does exist and is called Haddock.

[Haddock]

                      Been doing some research and sussing out ways of "making things possible".
               I've decided to model the ship as she was in 1914, round about the out-break of war.
                    During 1914, she was the flagship of the Cannel Fleet which was commanded by Vice-admiral Sir Cecil Burney (he was promoted to full Admiral in 1916). I've found a picture of her in 1914 wearing the flag of a Vice-admiral so it looks to be spot on.
                An Admiral of the fleet would fly the union flag at the mast-head, a full Admiral, the cross of St George, a Vice-admiral, the cross of St George with a red spot in the top quarter adjacent to the mast and a Rear-admiral, the cross of St George with a red spot in both quarters adjacent to the mast. (thought you might like to know that).
                Next job is to check for any historical errors in the kit. All the specs I can find tell me that she was fitted with twenty-four 12pdr guns, all mounted above the level of the main and secondary armament. The kit depicts her with all 24, plus one atop each of the main and secondary turrets. There does appear to be "something there" where a gun could be fitted but I can't find any evidence, either photographic or written that they were ever fitted. So I chopped 'em off.
                 There should also be two 3 pdr's, one on the quarter-deck, can't find where the other goes as yet, looks like a visit to the spares box.
                 The rigging for the top-masts is attached to the ends of some of the gussets that support the spotting tops (thanks for the loan of the book Martin). If I were to follow the instructions, this wouldn't happen so a bit of "re-engineering" was in order. The positioning had to be changed, some of the lengths altered and the three that do the business lengthened with some 0.4mm rod.
                 HB would have you paint all the decks above the main weather deck the same colour as the rest of the ship, it just don't look right. I tried something a bit darker, still didn't look right. I know it was custom and practice to cover some steel decks with linoleum. To me it looks a bit more interesting so that's what I'll live with (artistic licence), darker grey for the gun deck and linoleum above that.
                 That's it for now folks, more to come in the fullness of time.
Haddock.

[Kiteman]

Awesome attention to detail, I raise my hat to you sir.

[MSea]

                   
                 HB would have you paint all the decks above the main weather deck the same colour as the rest of the ship, it just don't look right. I tried something a bit darker, still didn't look right. I know it was custom and practice to cover some steel decks with linoleum. To me it looks a bit more interesting so that's what I'll live with (artistic licence), darker grey for the gun deck and linoleum above that.
                 That's it for now folks, more to come in the fullness of time.
Haddock.

What colour will you use for the linoleum ?

[Haddock]

I've use Vallejo Model-air dark earth. Tamiya do a colour called Linoleum brown but it looks a bit garish to me. Some sources say use a red brown but I don't think all linoleum would be the same so I'm sticking with what looks right to me. I've used the same colour on Danton. It's surprising how colours look different when you get them next to each other.
Haddock.

[Haddock]

              Anchor chains fitted. there looks to be something wrong to me. The hawse-pipes look to be pointing towards the centre-line of the ship too much, making a poor run for the chain, not much I can do about it.
               All linoleum covered decks fitted. Anything above this will just be dark grey, more for interest than historical accuracy.
               Look closely, you might see some funnel-stays.
Haddock.

[Haddock]

                    Bit more progress folks, this is where all the time goes, more thinking than doing.
           Next little problem is the compass platform (part No G3), it goes on top of the wheel-house (etched brass again) the 1st two pics should explain it all. The etched brass looks too "skinny" to me, which agrees with my reference pics, so I've done a bit of "re-engineering". You can see the result, underneath, then perched in position.(not glued).
           Haddock.
You're probably thinking I should get out more, you could be right.
           

[Haddock]

                  Bit more "re-engineering". The brass efforts are the bridge wings. HB would have you stick 'em in place with no other means of support, you have to be joking! I can just make out a support strut on one of my reference pictures.
                 Here's the solution.............then both in place. The support strut is a scale 6" dia, hopefully it will look finer with a coat of paint.
Haddock.

[Haddock]

Seems like a good time to add the funnel caps.
Haddock.

[Kiteman]

I´ve said it before and I´ll say it again...It is a pleasure whatching you work, I learn so much from it. Thank you.

[Haddock]

Thank-you kind sir.