This kit was purchased "last century" (circa 1995 methinks or maybe even earlier) showing how old it is by the brittle nature of its plastic. Even then it was one of those re-release Airfix ships kits that I knew I "had to get when I saw it" otherwise it would be on my "missed and lost my chance to make it forever list" (another close call was the Fairey Battle - that is all but "decalled"). I missed HMS Repulse at the same time and it took me a decade before Airfix re-release that one courtesy of the Airfix "James May Spitfire revival". It was constructed, he says in slight disbelief that I managed to get it that far, circa 2001-2 when I had "time on my hands" (yes I was a post-graduate student) but remained in its raw plastic state for the next fifteen years "in the loft". Now after my recent run out with the Sink the Bismarck demonstration game it's time has finally come. There may even be a chance to sail it on the lawn in 2018 in a large scale Fletcher Pratt re-run of the destruction of the Bismarck, who knows.
Stage 1: Raw Plastic and in bits (see below):
Airfix Primer "Battleship Grey" Grey (01) applied with "most" bits place together - time has not been kind to those brittle masts I may have to yet replace them with brass wire (see below):
A Black Vallejo Wash is applied to emphasise the shadows (see below, looking a bit over the top at the moment, however a grey "base colour" is next):
And also by complete coincidence the KGV model fits into snugly into a wine box purchased from ALDI :) The only disappointment is the brittle nature of the masts (partly to do with the old plastic) which means I will have to revisit them with copper wire at a later date (see below):
Believe me it feels like an achievement simply getting this far, twenty years down the lane, give or take a year ;)
Next Stage: Timeline sometime in the New Year! What colours to paint with?
2 comments:
She's a beaut, I'm looking forward to seeing her finished.
Methinks this will be a slow labour of love ;)
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