1/32 Scale Mountfleet Round Table Minesweeper

[Georgeconna]

Bit of Pre Shading going down, White next, Was gonna do that colour last night but the Humbrol paint was like Cement and useless and it was a new pot..

[Georgeconna]

Hi Lads,

 

The Finishing line is coming up soon I hope unless the misses pushes me to lay a patio out the garden but we are in situ now for 20 years and never seemingly needed one till now. In Ireland we would use it for about 3 days I expect a year so complete waste of good cold cash, Pond enlargement would be better!

Anyhow a quick visit to Halfords last weekend before another a climb of Ireland highest mountain and which was Probably my 3rd retail visit over the past 8 months was taken to get some primer for the hull this was sprayed on and any blemishes dealt with.

Next was the Pre Shading of black and white to take the boring flat grey scape off of the hull. another cost of the Red needs to be done yet but took her out in the natural light to see what needed to be done and the pics below are the results. This was all done by Airbrush. A Badger 155 Anthem I have had for years.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking up at O'Sheas Gully

Looking at the trail up from Cronins yard.

Onthe way down the Zig Zags.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Georgeconna

[jhb171achill]

Stunning

 

[murrayec]

@Georgeconna Patios! - on the 'bright side' their great for all sorts of projects! wood work and metal work which is to messy or to big for in the workshop.... every modeller should have one!

I hope that helps?

Eoin

 

[Georgeconna]

2 hours ago, murrayec said:

@Georgeconna Patios! - on the 'bright side' their great for all sorts of projects! wood work and metal work which is to messy or to big for in the workshop.... every modeller should have one!

I hope that helps?

Eoin

 

thing is I have to plan a Track bed in there too Eoin with anyone noticing!!

 

[Georgeconna]

Hull Grey and the Red done, The Masking lines for the Black cheatline is done also so at Lunchtime I will start to mask this up, Should make it pop then.

Test Fitting of a lot of the deck bits also. Looking the bizz now!

Hopefully on the water at the end of next month!

Bit below the bow are from the Albatross which came to Grief Tuesday night due to Receiver issue. took off and then nosed in from 30FT. Shame as it was a lovely Flyer and Parkzone don't do them anymore but I will have to replace this as it was me Dads one! Dynam do a slightly bigger one. Hope he wont notice.

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Georgeconna

[Galteemore]

That’s cracking George. Museum standard.

[Georgeconna]

Cheatline done, Was worried this would bit come off giving the Curves, Lumps and bumps, Used a Pencil on a Square and ran it around the hull to get consistent height,  but it has turned up very nice indeed , Very happy, used anthracite grey instead straight black.

 

Edited July 18, 2021 by Georgeconna

[PJR]

On 18/7/2021 at 4:25 PM, Georgeconna said:

Cheatline done, Was worried this would bit come off giving the Curves, Lumps and bumps, Used a Pencil on a Square and ran it around the hull to get consistent height,  but it has turned up very nice indeed , Very happy, used anthracite grey instead straight black.

 

Stunning workmanship

[scahalane]

Great job, looks superb!!

[Georgeconna]

Front handrails being done over the past 2 days also the Bulwark supports are in....

[Georgeconna]

A few Gratuitous shots in the sunshine to see what the weather was like that I put on yesterday. Few more bits done, The Lifeboat davits rigged and the Life boat sorted with grab ropes around the sides. The Gun Platform Davit also rigged and there is another Davit on the main deck Rigged.

 

 

 

 

[popeye]

Very nice.

Will you have any crew to go with it? 

[Georgeconna]

37 minutes ago, popeye said:

Very nice.

Will you have any crew to go with it? 

Thanks Mate, Yep few white metal Figures to add in for sure!

[Georgeconna]

Small bit more done and the more bits that came in from Cornwall model boats enabled me to start the rigging. BTW did not get stopped for any customs so lucky again!

The Main things are the splinter mats on the handrails and the gun platform supports.

And the Mast has been glue in and the rigging started.

 

 

 

[Georgeconna]

Crikey have not updated this in a while! Up to this stage now so here a few piccys, Gallows are in, Ratlines are complete,  the Nav lights are in, The Aerials and done and a few other bits.

 

 

 

[popeye]

Will it have a crew?

Must be near done now.

[Georgeconna]

1 hour ago, popeye said:

Will it have a crew?

Must be near done now.

Nearyl done, Just stumbled on the Aerials set up as these needed to be removable from the Main mast. I tried some very thin brass wire but could not get the tension I liked and when too taught snapped the mast white metal cross bar. In the end the Daughters jewellery box and a nice sized elastic thread came to the rescue.

Oh yes the crew, These lads will have a big problem doing the Hoky Koky when it comes to the left arm.......say no more. 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Georgeconna

[popeye]

They look like they have been already torpedoed. 

[Georgeconna]

Started on the weathering, doing this inside is not great under artificial lighting so took it out side. I feel it is a Tad too heavy on the right side so I will blend this in a bit and work on the other bits, Less is more kinda thought

[Georgeconna]

Work on the small bits still on going, the Deadline of a year slipped by but now rush now. Still waiting for the sound unit and year later.....

thing is with doing something different is the new things you learn, I am making these things now, Called Kites. Used on the Sweeping line to get it down deep. Scratch built plasticard and some chain. Simple.

Now need another 2 to make.

[KMCE]

Nice work George.

The drag created by the kite, otter & oropesa must have been considerable, slowing an already slow process. 

I assume the lengths of chain on the kite would help to create the correct offset from the ship by adjusting their lengths?

 

Ken

[Galteemore]

It was slow and painstaking - thirty years ago I was doing it as part of NATO’s 10 Mines Countermeasure Squadron. Got very exciting when the sweep wires got close to crossing each other. But amazing to see when you cut a mine wire and saw the little black ball bobbing in the water…,

Edited December 23, 2021 by Galteemore

[Georgeconna]

Interesting stuff, How did ye get rid of them when they popped up.  Shoot a few rounds into them?

[Galteemore]

Yes - these were unarmed test mines, laid by friendly forces the week before. So when the mines appeared they were recovered for reuse. The SOP for real ops though was shooting at them with an SLR - 7.62 rounds can really have an impact. Modern 5.56 ammunition has a very different ballistic profile!

[Broithe]

2 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

Interesting stuff, How did ye get rid of them when they popped up.  Shoot a few rounds into them?

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Yes - these were unarmed test mines, laid by friendly forces the week before. So when the mines appeared they were recovered for reuse. The SOP for real ops though was shooting at them with an SLR - 7.62 rounds can really have an impact. Modern 5.56 ammunition has a very different ballistic profile!

A chap I worked with had been on minesweepers in the early part of the war. They were detailed to sweep a Scottish sea loch for 'friendly' mines. They were not privy to the number there and it was up to them to decide when they were confident that the place was 'swept'. The swept targets were to be contained in a net, towed behind the ship.

There was an observing officer, intended to ensure that their procedures were correct, but he spent his day in the wardroom, bored with the whole process.

Eventually, one of the crew was sent to declare "The area is swept, Sir"

"Is it? How many have you found?"

"Six, Sir"

Sir sobered up instantly, as he knew there were only five.

They managed to release them from the net and then took pot-shots at them until the real one announced its presence, and disappeared.

[Galteemore]

I did my service as a Reservist as a way of supplementing my student grant. The best way to maximise income was by going to sea for a few weeks which meant being paid but no way to immediately spend it - not many shops in the North Sea. I was incredibly incompetent and naive, and got into all kinds of scrapes. On one occasion I was given a go at steering the ship and had to be removed by the Officer of the Watch as I was endangering the vessel - it was zigzagging all over the shop close to another ship.  I was rather amused to discover that this very same officer wrote a novel a year or two later about an Irishman who joins the Royal Navy as an IRA sleeper agent and steers a ship full of explosives into a harbour. Can’t imagine what inspired him…

This is the book…https://www.bookdepository.com/Basketful-Sleepers-Ras-Sewell/9781858211459

Edited December 25, 2021 by Galteemore

[Georgeconna]

Well the 1st Voyage happened today and it stayed topside! Result, Nice solid ship to handle too, Well Worth the Effort!

 

[popeye]

Looks great and so much detail. It's a work of art. 

[Georgeconna]

Thanks Lads

Some short vids of it in action today down the Marina Park in Cork.

 

 

 

 

 

[murphaph]

You must be well pleased George. Looks the absolute business and as an aside, that park looks perfect for the hobby! My nearest lake is a proper lake. Always worried about losing radio contact and the young lad's boat drifting off!

[Georgeconna]

Thanks for the comment Phillip, Sure am delighted, Takes about 30 mins to get it sorted for sailing, Thats the down side.

The Park is a small park next to the GAA Stadium, was before waste ground so badly needed green space in Cork TBH. Not enough of them.

As you say no fear in Losing contact but the area is a tad small for Turning my one given one screw operation,  Mind you the 2.4 stuff will be out of eye sight well after you loose contact. It is handy enough now for Launching and recovery and the lads a gonna (sushh) insert some rings into the 'Quay' wall to hold the model boats.

Rumours are now the council what to run a road through it...

[scahalane]

Wow that looks amazing...and she can fairly move as well.