Round Table class Minesweeping Trawler 1942/45 Scale 1:48 Built from the Calder Craft kit Sir Kay.

The ‘A’ Team, Frame


The last piece of actual construction is the ‘A’ frame boom supporting the SA Type A Mark II pneumatic hammer. The air driven ‘road hammer’ proving more reliable than the electric ‘Kango’ and was use right up to the end of the war. The white metal bits from Caldercraft looked very good in this case and I would have happily used them except they proved to be too short. I think not Caldecraft fault this time as their parts measure the same as the Lambert drawings they look to have copied. I have noticed a few inaccuracies in these drawings in the past but other wise they are very good.


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So I thought it better to have a go and make one from scratch , for the main struts I used some styrene ‘I’ frames that I bent using a hot air gun. I think it turned out ok.

As well as the frame I have added the forecastle deck detail including an escape hatch, a bow fairlead and a anchor chain stop, none of these where included with the kit. The anchor I painted as if it had a bit of rust.

On the hull I have added the ships pennant number and started to add the depth markings, they are meant to be 1/48 scale but look big to me, so I left them to have a think. The finished ‘A’ frame will not be added until I ‘weather’ the hull a bit.

Here are some more photographs of my progress. Rigging next.


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Cheers JJ..​

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The ‘A’ Team, Frame


The last piece of actual construction is the ‘A’ frame boom supporting the SA Type A Mark II pneumatic hammer. The air driven ‘road hammer’ proving more reliable than the electric ‘Kango’ and was use right up to the end of the war. The white metal bits from Caldercraft looked very good in this case and I would have happily used them except they proved to be too short. I think not Caldecraft fault this time as their parts measure the same as the Lambert drawings they look to have copied. I have noticed a few inaccuracies in these drawings in the past but other wise they are very good.


So I thought it better to have a go and make one from scratch , for the main struts I used some styrene ‘I’ frames that I bent using a hot air gun. I think it turned out ok.

As well as the frame I have added the forecastle deck detail including an escape hatch, a bow fairlead and a anchor chain stop, none of these where included with the kit. The anchor I painted as if it had a bit of rust.

On the hull I have added the ships pennant number and started to add the depth markings, they are meant to be 1/48 scale but look big to me, so I left them to have a think. The finished ‘A’ frame will not be added until I ‘weather’ the hull a bit.

Here are some more photographs of my progress. Rigging next.



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A very nice scratch build A-frame, Jack. It’s nicely detailed.
May I ask for what purpose they used that pneumatic hammer? I suppose not for hammering mines ……..
Regards, Peter
 
Hi folks,
Got a bit done this evening that I had been putting of for awhile.as I feared that I might not be able to make the little cable tensioners close enough to scale as they are quite small at 18 inches in reality, about 9.5mm to scale. the best I could make using 1mm dia. brass tube was 10mm from end to end. To look realistic I cut a 4x0.5 mm slot through the tube to represent the levering slot and fixed a small eyelet at each end. I needed these tensioners as strung between the last four struts is a flexible steel wire cable ( silver thread) rather than the normal rails. In real life the flexible cable is there so that the struts can be detached in order to facilitate mooring. Although mine are fixed in one position I think they look good. That's the forecastle about completed.

Some pics..

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Cheers JJ..
 
I have to say that I'm starting to feel sort of overwhelmed by the level of detailing. I'm building at the same scale, but you manage a level of realism that escapes me.

Question: the hull looks too pristine - am I missing something?
Thank you Paul for your encouraging comments. I think I am lucky in that by building a ship from the WW2 era I have a lot of photographs to look at and this gives me an idea of what I need to add. I must say I am getting to like building in this larger scale and might be tempted to build another, maybe something from WW1 next. As for the hull, I will be adding a few bumps and bruises near the end but I have to add some depth markings and other odds and sods first. All along the deck I have tried to graduate the 'grime' the boat getting dirtier the further towards the stern you go. Sir Kay spent her whole service life in British home waters so I wont be turning her into a rust bucket like the photos of some that returned from Artic convoy duty.

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By the way I think the difference between what you and I build is that I just build model boats while you build works of art.

ALL the best Jack.
 
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