QE2 Model 1:450 scale - finished at last! [Gunze Sangyo]

[Lynda Bradford]

Looking good Pete, what a pity that construction work has to stop to decorate the sitting room.    Looking forward to seeing more pictures. 

[pete cain]

Thanks for the kind comments, I enclose the last images for a while , because of sitting room refit as mentioned ,
 I hope not to be hijacking Alistairs original topic, I tagged this on because it's the same model..
  1 .     the  dockyard (hardly Clydebank is it?)
   2.     that magnificent flank, got admit to just holding it & gazing for ages at this   a thing of beauty is a joy forever they say...

[June Ingram]

Awesome photos, Pete, and awesome work on QE2's build !  Keep up the good work and I shall look forward to more pictures as she progresses.  QE2 is just so beautiful even in model form !   

[pete cain]

Can't hope to match Lachlan & Pete in the model stakes , but after a near 12month lay up here's another QE2 in a bit of a state , with bits positioned prior to fitting , glueing & filling....

[Peter Sutton]

great jod Pete, really fantastic work, well done.

[pete cain]

Once again, apologies to Alistair , who may think I've hijacked his topic, but this is the same model so I tagged it at the end.
  Just a little landmark on mine, that is, its 1 & only basin (in this case bath) trial, this model is very lightweight being plastic ,  I thought I'd give it a bit of weight & gravitas when being handled, & deceided to  balast it at the same time , so that she also sits nice & pretty in the water . Trials successful, shipped a wee bit of water in through the rudder , but that's not sealed anyway, now high & dry again , ready for upper deckworks to start.
 Thanks also to Mark for info regarding handrails (not included in the kit pack) which I've yet to order.

[June Ingram]

Awesome work, Pete, and thanks very much for posting about your work on your model and for the photos.  Yes, it does indeed appear that QE2's basin trials have been most successful and she is sitting very nicely in the water.  Please keep us up to date with photos and commentary as work progresses.  (Oh, and by the way, how much time does supervisor Jim spend in your shipyard ?   )

[June Ingram]

Hi Pete - How did your QE2 model sit in the water before adding ballast ?  How much did you add and where you add it ?  What did you use for ballast ?  Thanks !  June. 

[pete cain]

Hi June,  the model sat quite high out of the water, but reasonably steady, I say reasonably because I think these models were originally made to motorise &  sail on ponds/ park lakes, so would 've had to be made more stable, although there  are no hints in the instruction sheet (such as it is ) enclosed in the kit. The balast needed to be installed before the upper decks, so now seemed the best time to do it.
I'm  afraid I used trial & error with the amount, using photos as a guide from the real thing, I just loaded it up so that the white line was just above water level ,  as for the material , after rooting around the garage I deceided on ceramic wall tile adhesive, dense enough to give the weight needed,  not 'wet' as such - hardened in a few days, & got to admit it 'feels' right when handling it now.
  As for the overseer, he was in the house inspecting the inside of his eyelids again 

[June Ingram]

Thanks very much, Pete, for all of the very good information !  I didn't realize that these models were made so they could be motorized.  So a certain amount of trim had to be built into the model.  That is pretty good !  You did a great job with installing the ballast and that sure sounds like a good choice of material.  I am totally fascinated by seeing your model in the water !!     My best to Mrs. Pete, and to Jim, the overseer, who knew all was well in hand.  June   

[Brandon Sterkel]

Great seeing the progress on your model, Pete!
Can't wait to see the finished product!
Keep up the great work! 

[Lynda Bradford]

Good work! I like the model testing tank! 

[pete cain]

As always thanks to Alistair who started this topic,
   Seeing as how we are into Summer time & this is a Winter project , I'm packing the model away till October(ish), so thought I'd post a few piccys . (I'll have to do about 3 posts on this , my old computer cannot cope)
   Fore & Aft general views, with superstructure now in position.

[pete cain]

Close up of foredeck area, a hint of rigging on loading cranes, flagpole , transfers etc will be fit last along with paint touch ups.
 bit of a blurry rear view of QE2's beautiful tiering, these decks are supported (on the real thing) with round colums, I need to source something near to scale & fit them in due course.

[pete cain]

Photo etch kit (£1.00 coin for scale) for handrails along Prom deck & around davit areas, & elsewhere depending on what's left.
  This stuff is so delicate, a whole new skill to be learned here , bit glad I won't be  starting this next week  (kick the  can down the road a bit). Found this to be a whole new QE2 to me, in this 70's incarnation  she seems so colourful, not the greys & whites I witnessed on board .One mistake I'm aware that I've made is, painting the' bit under the bridge ' with wood effect, should be green, however bad eyesight & shaky hands dictate that this is how it's going to stay, I can live with that.