Cheers Andy, I've got the ones for the Hood and Bismark but didn't know they did the this one. That is now rectified - just ordered it and took your advice and got it for a tenner.
Graeme

Hi Graeme i have got four of these books there very good reference material cheer`s phil

If you are using Android there is an app called Resize Me Pro, I use it on mine. You just got to the gallery highlight all the pictures you want to resize and hit share, choose resize me pro, once it's done it comes with another share menu, if like me you can then send them straight to photobucket

Just a quick update. I have received 2 deliveries (8 issues) in the last 5 weeks. The first 6 issues contained the brass deck plates and the last 2 the first parts for one of the deck guns.

As I am lighting the model and want to light the navigation lights on the conning tower I am having to wait until I receive the conning tower parts to assess if I can use grain of rice bulbs as in the compartments or whether I will have to run in optic fibre. As this will mean drilling through the top of the hull I can't fix the removable deck in place ( a misnomer as it is only removable whilst being constructed and is then fixed in place) until i know what is required for the lighting.

I have started sanding the hull and will prep the deck plates soon but have been concentrating on other builds over the christmas/new year period - mainly sticking copper tiles on the Victory.

Graeme

I received another shipment yesterday which included the conning tower and on examination I find I can just fit grain of rice bulbs into the navigation light positions. It will take a little modification but shouldn't leave any noticeable damage.

So I have spent this weekend sanding down the hull. It still needs a little filler-sanding but is coming along nicely. No doubt the first coat of primer will reveal more work heeds to be done but its a start.

Graeme

Hi Graeme are you giving it the yellow filler primer after the grey primer is sanded still waiting for my parts to arrive to add more detail to the torpedo room cheer`s Phil

Looking good

Nice sanding!

Your hull is looking better and better!

Thanks for comments guys.
I have now just about caught up with the build. I have put the etch brass deck parts together (pics 1 & 2), sprayed the decks and hatches and attached the hatches to the decks (pics 3 & 4). These will now be stored carefully until later in the build.

I painted the upper hull surface black and cut out the control room roof as per the instructions, Pic 5.

I masked off the torpedo room, Pic 6, and then I then deviated from the instructions and attached the removable deck permanently before priming - the instructions said to mask and spray the first primer coat before attaching the deck - as I preferred to glue, fill and sand prior to the first coat going on. I then masked off the upper surface and gave the hull a final wipe down to remove any dust. Pics 7 & 8 show the hull ready for the first coat of primer.

I used halfords grey primer for plastic on the hull after first doing a test spray on both plastic sprue and etch brass sprue to check for adhesion and any reaction. I was concerned that it wouldn't adhere to the brass but was happily surprised when I found it was as least as good as any metal primer I have previously used.

I then gave the whole hull a coat of primer which as expected showed some areas that would require a little fill and sand (pic 9 shows an example) but overall I was pleased with the result, Pic 10.

I then started to make up the guns starting with the 88mm deck gun. Pics 11 & 12 show the gun completed and ready for painting. The only modification I made was to drill out the end of the barrel.

Well that's it for now, at weekend I hope the rub down the hull, apply any filler needed and give it a second coat of primer and maybe finish off the guns.

Graeme

Lovely work Graeme, she's looking good now with the primer on
Happy building
David