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Scratchbuilders!: Ships
This is a group for ship scratchbuilding questions, topics and projects.
Hosted by Mike Kirchoff
If i was a German Ship designer in WW2
CaptCrunch81
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Alaska, United States
Member Since: October 13, 2015
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Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - 02:45 AM UTC
I am new to this forum and I have been kicking around the idea of trying my hands at a scratch build for the 1st time. I was kinda thinking about using this as a chance to build a ship that I like without getting bogged down with a lot of fine details.

I was thinking what type of ship/boat would I have built back in Germany in the 1940's if I was a German Shipwright

So I was thinking that my guidelines would be this but they could change as I go!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST MORE GUIDELINES TO HELP ME OUT


1. Only use things that would have been around in the 1940's WW2 days.

2. I would build the hull and probably the cabin from scratch but NOT scratch build the weapons and other boat accessories trying not to get to hung up on the finer details trying to build a pictorial ship on my 1st scratch build.

3. I am thinking I would use other parts from other kits and use them on my boat and I think I could come up with a pretty bad ass boat.

Like I said, I am new to this forum but I think this type of build mite help guys that are new to scratch building come up with some pretty cool ships/boats. I am not sure how the whole Campaigns go here but it mite be a fun build for new and pro scratch builders alike

Please let me know what everyone thinks of my idea.
CaptCrunch81
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Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - 02:52 AM UTC
My 4th guildline, I think I would build it in 1/35 scale. because most of my old parts kits are that scale so I could easily use those parts if I needed to
russamotto
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Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - 04:51 AM UTC
Something about the size of an "E" boat, made as a raider with 5cm or even 7.5cm L48 on the foredeck and a 3.7cm flak on the rear, similar to the US Asheville class gunboats that came out later. Give it a 15mm or 20mm triple mount for each side, along with some MG 38s. Or something like a river gunboat or mortar support. The Soviets had a number of small craft like that. Just big enough to hold a good gun or two mortars and stop supplies and troops from getting into Stalingrad.
CaptCrunch81
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Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - 07:44 AM UTC
I like the sound of your 1st idea best. I am thinking I mite try to include a Italeri U-Boot Biber on the boats rear deck with a small boom crane to load and unload when it's out at sea. I was allso checking out guns. I am looking around at some different turret mounted guns ideas. I haven't found the right turret yet.
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Wednesday, November 04, 2015 - 02:28 AM UTC
Hi Dillon,
One type of ship you could take a look at is the
"Kriegsfischkutter"
This Google search returns a number of images:
https://www.google.se/search?q=kriegsfischkutter+bauplan&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB8QsARqFQoTCJTxmOHW98gCFYGFLAodWagMJg&biw=1189&bih=637

http://www.kriegsfischkutter.de/8.html

The Germans also converted various other smallish ships to auxiliary warships
UJ2209 was a French fishing ship (civilian name was Minerva) converted to submarine chaser, used in the Mediterranean:
http://shop.vth.de/bauplane-frasteile/schiffsmodelle/kriegsschiffe/u-boot-jager-uj2209.html

The UJ2209 is probably way too large (something like 6 feet in 1/35th scale ...) but maybe it could serve as inspiration. Pick a fishing boat type hull of suitable size and then let your imagination play. Look at the Kriegsfischkutter for ideas about what size of guns such a ship would be able to carry
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsfischkutter
1 x 37 mm FLAK, 2 x 20 mm FLAK + depth charges

/ Robin
captainchaos
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Posted: Monday, November 16, 2015 - 07:31 AM UTC
If your still looking for inspiration for your project google ww2 soviet tank turret gun boats, sorry can't post links from my phone. Some are very clean designs without a lot of detail you could build the German equivalent?
Littorio
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Posted: Monday, November 16, 2015 - 09:14 AM UTC
How about a Flak Lighter.

If you want lots of guns on a smallish hull, 2 x flakveirling, 2 x 88mm (in gun houses), 1 x 37mm and 2 x 20mm



Kawamura
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Posted: Saturday, January 09, 2016 - 08:30 AM UTC
I was thinking the same thing a few years back as I had 2x50 cals left over and ended up scratch building a LCT (scroll down a page or two, you can see it).

Great experience and glad I did it. The Flak Lighter is a good idea as it's hull does not have a complicated compound curve which is difficult to do the first time around.

Four suggestions:

1. Google "Dumas Laker" as there is a tutorial on building the model which has many techniques that translate directly to the project you want to undertake, ESPECIALLY the curvature of the hull.

2. This is going to be a least a 3' long model and maybe even 4'. Use "Basswood" wood for the skeleton and a plastic call "Sintex" for the skin (1/8" or 3/16" thick). CA glue will work to join the two. Even if you are building a static model, using plain Evergreen Styrene will be too rigid and breakable. Bondo is your messy friend.

3. Make sure to get "too scale" plans as being able to take measurements of the hull sides, footprint, super structure off the plans is going to be critical to the build. Be able to compute the blow up ratio as Fed-Ex has printers that can increase the prints so that they are too 1/35 scale (if that is indeed the scale you will end up using).

4. Be prepared to spend about $400-500 on this project; you will be shocked at how many times you will be running back to the hobby shop for more supplies.

Good luck but you will enjoy it.
TopSmith
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Posted: Thursday, April 07, 2016 - 03:59 AM UTC
Don't think Bismark in 1/35th. That would be gigantic.
Repulse36
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Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 - 08:01 PM UTC
The easiest thing to scratch build, is a model of a periscope with its trailing wake. Just create a scale-appropriate water base, frame it nicely and adorn it with a name plate. The scene would be "German submarine preparing for torpedo attack."

RobinNilsson
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Posted: Thursday, October 13, 2016 - 10:02 PM UTC
A few years ago a swedish modeller got frustraded that the advertised HMS Hood from Trumpeter (if I remember correctly, or was it ICM ??) didn't show up (it kept getting delayed) so he made a diorama showing a more or less smooth ocean, maybe a foot long and 8 inches wide, just "water" nothing else and a little metal plaque with HMS Hood, scale and manufacturer.
It was displayed at the national IPMS contest in Sweden, some laughed and some didn't understand the joke at all
/ Robin
retiredyank
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Posted: Saturday, November 05, 2016 - 03:12 AM UTC

Quoted Text

A few years ago a swedish modeller got frustraded that the advertised HMS Hood from Trumpeter (if I remember correctly, or was it ICM ??) didn't show up (it kept getting delayed) so he made a diorama showing a more or less smooth ocean, maybe a foot long and 8 inches wide, just "water" nothing else and a little metal plaque with HMS Hood, scale and manufacturer.
It was displayed at the national IPMS contest in Sweden, some laughed and some didn't understand the joke at all
/ Robin



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