Jamie Bryant
Member
I'm currently building the Revell 1/400 Titanic model, it's 70cm long and extremely detailed, has anyone else built Titanic models?
JB.
JB.
Titanic Models
- Thread starter Jamie Bryant
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Michael H. Standart
Member
I have a kit which I haven't started yet because I have no room to manuever and I can't figure out a way to make it cat-proof! If you want some tips on how to make the most of this kit, you might want to click on The Titanic Research and Modeling Website. This is where a lot of the techies in the Titanic community hang out.
Dan Cherry
Member
Jamie,
My Titanic model is currently 'in the works', but is on hold until a) my schedule permits more than 10 minutes at a time to sit down and work on it and b) all the new technical details about Titanic are being learned and sorted out. There's nothing like finishing a model, fully rigged, then learning about a 'new' vent that compells you to work around intricate rigging to attempt a retrofitting. I've three 1/350 Titanic models that are at various stages of being finished, one super-detailed, one that I started and enough things gone wrong on it to prompt me to stop work on it and use it for parts, and the third I hope to make into a diorama someday - a 'fitting out' Titanic, or perhaps in an Arrol Gantry - I don't know... Time and ambition will tell.
As Michael points out, the TRMA (he provides a link to it, above) is the site you would want to visit to answer all your model questions. I co-wrote a tutorial for the 1/350 Titanic model several years ago :
http://rivetcounter.txc.net.au/
which gives a step by step in building a detailed Titanic. This was written just as PE supplemental parts were being made available on the market, so a portion of scratchbuilding can be eliminated by simply buying the PE sets. The tutorial guide is still useful in that it provides an alternative way to constructing a Titanic representation if budget does not allow for PE brass part purchases.
Dan
My Titanic model is currently 'in the works', but is on hold until a) my schedule permits more than 10 minutes at a time to sit down and work on it and b) all the new technical details about Titanic are being learned and sorted out. There's nothing like finishing a model, fully rigged, then learning about a 'new' vent that compells you to work around intricate rigging to attempt a retrofitting. I've three 1/350 Titanic models that are at various stages of being finished, one super-detailed, one that I started and enough things gone wrong on it to prompt me to stop work on it and use it for parts, and the third I hope to make into a diorama someday - a 'fitting out' Titanic, or perhaps in an Arrol Gantry - I don't know... Time and ambition will tell.
As Michael points out, the TRMA (he provides a link to it, above) is the site you would want to visit to answer all your model questions. I co-wrote a tutorial for the 1/350 Titanic model several years ago :
http://rivetcounter.txc.net.au/
which gives a step by step in building a detailed Titanic. This was written just as PE supplemental parts were being made available on the market, so a portion of scratchbuilding can be eliminated by simply buying the PE sets. The tutorial guide is still useful in that it provides an alternative way to constructing a Titanic representation if budget does not allow for PE brass part purchases.
Dan
Kyrila Scully
Member
I have the Revell model, but it's still in the box. I started the Academy model, but never got it finished. Anyone want to help me?
Kyrila
Kyrila
Brian R Peterson
Guest
I have the Revell model and the Academy model. I used the upgrade kits on both models and both are fully rigged.
I jerry rigged two Revell models into Olympic and Britannic, but seeing as I did not know then what I know now, they look somewhat childish in comparison to the Academy Britannic I am in the process of building now....my advice if you want it to be accurate get yourself a lot of sheet styrene because you will be making a lot of parts by hand
Best Regards,
Brian
I jerry rigged two Revell models into Olympic and Britannic, but seeing as I did not know then what I know now, they look somewhat childish in comparison to the Academy Britannic I am in the process of building now....my advice if you want it to be accurate get yourself a lot of sheet styrene because you will be making a lot of parts by hand
Best Regards,
Brian
Dan Cherry
Member
Hi, Kyrila,
the upgraded Minicraft kit on the market today is the definitive Titanic model, the most accurate and detailed offering to date. The Revell and Academy models need a lot of work to make a fairly accurate representation of the ol' ship.
Feel free to check out the tutorial - it was writen before the upgraded Minicraft kit was introduced, but it should make all that building ya have to do a little less stressful....I hope!
the upgraded Minicraft kit on the market today is the definitive Titanic model, the most accurate and detailed offering to date. The Revell and Academy models need a lot of work to make a fairly accurate representation of the ol' ship.
Feel free to check out the tutorial - it was writen before the upgraded Minicraft kit was introduced, but it should make all that building ya have to do a little less stressful....I hope!
Manuel Reiprich
Member
Hi Dan,
where can I get the exact measures of the upgraded Minicraft kit? I looked up on the Minicraft Site, but the only model I found was similar to the old model, which was to low ( the distance between c-deck portholes and b-deck windows was to little.)
And do you have still problems to integrate the forecastle deck into the ships hull? That was a major problem with the old model, I remember.
Best regards
Manuel
where can I get the exact measures of the upgraded Minicraft kit? I looked up on the Minicraft Site, but the only model I found was similar to the old model, which was to low ( the distance between c-deck portholes and b-deck windows was to little.)
And do you have still problems to integrate the forecastle deck into the ships hull? That was a major problem with the old model, I remember.
Best regards
Manuel
Dan Cherry
Member
Hi, Manuel,
The measurements of the upgraded Minicraft kit are the same - the upgrades they performed were cosmetic ones made to the steel molds, and ones they could do that were cost-effective. Some of the things they upgraded included moving the forecastle breakwater into a more accurate position, removing the Xs on the coaling doors, adding the third anchor and well to the peak, a new hatch cover for the forward hatch, the galley skylight on the fo's'cle, improving the well deck bulkheads so they fit better, among other things. Lifeboat decals and PE railings were also added to the kit.
I believe the B-deck windows and C-deck ports were NOT changed - this would have required extensive re-tooling, or even rebuilding, the hull molds. Minicraft went to great lengths to make as many improvements as they could, working with a number of researchers and model-makers to make this happen. I am away from my model kit at the time being, but if memory serves, this was something that was not done.
The model guide for the re-tooled Minicraft model can be found at the Rivet-Counter site:
http://rivetcounter.txc.net.au/Instructions/Titanic_Instructions_Rerelease/Titanic_PreRR.html
I hope this helps - if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
The measurements of the upgraded Minicraft kit are the same - the upgrades they performed were cosmetic ones made to the steel molds, and ones they could do that were cost-effective. Some of the things they upgraded included moving the forecastle breakwater into a more accurate position, removing the Xs on the coaling doors, adding the third anchor and well to the peak, a new hatch cover for the forward hatch, the galley skylight on the fo's'cle, improving the well deck bulkheads so they fit better, among other things. Lifeboat decals and PE railings were also added to the kit.
I believe the B-deck windows and C-deck ports were NOT changed - this would have required extensive re-tooling, or even rebuilding, the hull molds. Minicraft went to great lengths to make as many improvements as they could, working with a number of researchers and model-makers to make this happen. I am away from my model kit at the time being, but if memory serves, this was something that was not done.
The model guide for the re-tooled Minicraft model can be found at the Rivet-Counter site:
http://rivetcounter.txc.net.au/Instructions/Titanic_Instructions_Rerelease/Titanic_PreRR.html
I hope this helps - if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Manuel Reiprich
Member
Thanks a lot, Dan, I forgot to ask if they reduced the broadness of the model. I am also away from my model but I remember it was to wide.
I'm planning to make the ship competent to sink like the original ship. (build in compartments and weights and a little hole in the hull)
I have done this with the old revell model years ago and it finally works brilliant.(except for the break up, of course) It was very difficult to slow down the sinking after forward well deck submerged, but it does work with special bulkheads. Its a great fun.
Best regards
Manuel
I'm planning to make the ship competent to sink like the original ship. (build in compartments and weights and a little hole in the hull)
I have done this with the old revell model years ago and it finally works brilliant.(except for the break up, of course) It was very difficult to slow down the sinking after forward well deck submerged, but it does work with special bulkheads. Its a great fun.
Best regards
Manuel
Jamie Bryant
Member
I Have the Revell Model also, but the only thing is the colours are not accurate. For example the forecastle deck, the area where the cargo hatches are located needs a browny red colour aswell as the revell white, you just have to be vigilante.
JB
JB
Dan Cherry
Member
Yes, as far as accuracy goes in a basic model kit, the old Revell 1:570 and retooled Minicraft 1:350 are in my eyes the better kits to work from. There were a few kits introduced after the 1997 movie and though decent kits in their own right, a bit of applied research would bring them up to speed with the two kits I mentioned above.
Manuel, as far as the hull being too wide, I haven't measured the old vs. new, as I am too far along in construction to take an inside measurement - If the hull is indeed too wide, a few Evergreen styrene strips added to the outside of the deck pieces might do the trick - give the decks a little added width....
Dan
Manuel, as far as the hull being too wide, I haven't measured the old vs. new, as I am too far along in construction to take an inside measurement - If the hull is indeed too wide, a few Evergreen styrene strips added to the outside of the deck pieces might do the trick - give the decks a little added width....
Dan
Michael H. Standart
Member
Revell leaves a lot to be desired in terms of accuracy these days. A real shame as they used to be a fairly good outfit for that sort of thing. One of their very worst offerings in my recent memory was a very large kit...1:144 I think...of the USS Missouri (BB-63) as modified for her final commission. It was so bad that I can't believe anybody was actually willing to buy it.
I wonder where it was these guys started to go so badly wrong?
I wonder where it was these guys started to go so badly wrong?
Dan Cherry
Member
I don't know - the Revell 1:400 Titanic leaves a bit to be desired. I was trying to be nice in my previous post, but the funnels in the kit resemble Lusitania's more than an Olympic class liner. Also, molding the components in color styrene isn't a great idea when the color doesn't match the true hue of the ship.
For what the kit offered, the old 1:570 Revell Titanic model was a decent kit - I didn't particularly care for the solid railing bulkheads and it takes a couple of hours to cut and sand them all away. I see that in recent years, a new box was introduced in promoting this kit, but I don't know if the kit inside is the same, or if they retooled it, too.
As I've said before, it often takes equal energy to get it wrong as it does to get it right. As far as the 1:400 Titanic kit, they 'missed the boat'.
I will stick with my 1:350 Minicraft.
For what the kit offered, the old 1:570 Revell Titanic model was a decent kit - I didn't particularly care for the solid railing bulkheads and it takes a couple of hours to cut and sand them all away. I see that in recent years, a new box was introduced in promoting this kit, but I don't know if the kit inside is the same, or if they retooled it, too.
As I've said before, it often takes equal energy to get it wrong as it does to get it right. As far as the 1:400 Titanic kit, they 'missed the boat'.
I will stick with my 1:350 Minicraft.
Brian R Peterson
Guest
Hi Dan,
I agree with your criticism of the 1:570 kit, I have built many over the years adding more detail as I learned more about the ship.
My final product I have sanded the solid bulwark railings down and used chopped up sewing needles and fishing line for the railings, I carved out the forecastle anchor and well, I used fishing line for rigging and I used the decal set for all the windows because I had painted them all on once and it takes too long. It looks like a museum quality model I must say.
Regarding your new box for the 1:570 Revell Titanic, curiosity provoked me to buy one to find the answer, and it is the same 30 year old kit inside a new box.
I am equally disappointed with the large scale Great Eastern model I have from Revell, it lacks tons of details like the incorrect paddle wheels and missing fifth funnel.
I got the 1:144 Missouri kit for a gift on my birthday and I was so displeased with the lack of effort and correct details that I ended up selling it on Ebay.
To add to Michael's comment, like everything now a days lack of historical concern and money seem to be what have brought even the best model makers down to sub standard levels recently, such as Revell.
Best Regards,
Brian
I agree with your criticism of the 1:570 kit, I have built many over the years adding more detail as I learned more about the ship.
My final product I have sanded the solid bulwark railings down and used chopped up sewing needles and fishing line for the railings, I carved out the forecastle anchor and well, I used fishing line for rigging and I used the decal set for all the windows because I had painted them all on once and it takes too long. It looks like a museum quality model I must say.
Regarding your new box for the 1:570 Revell Titanic, curiosity provoked me to buy one to find the answer, and it is the same 30 year old kit inside a new box.
I am equally disappointed with the large scale Great Eastern model I have from Revell, it lacks tons of details like the incorrect paddle wheels and missing fifth funnel.
I got the 1:144 Missouri kit for a gift on my birthday and I was so displeased with the lack of effort and correct details that I ended up selling it on Ebay.
To add to Michael's comment, like everything now a days lack of historical concern and money seem to be what have brought even the best model makers down to sub standard levels recently, such as Revell.
Best Regards,
Brian
Steve Dever
Guest
Hi Everyone!
I will start by Thanking Dan Cherry for supplying me the details to find Brass deck rails for Titanic.I need help again with one of my other adventures.I construct 1/570 scale wreck sculptures with Air dry clay and Green paper garbage ties(twist Ties) don't Laugh the twist ties make great hull plates. My current problem is an inability to find a large detailed picture of Lusitania on the bottom.In past I have constructed Titanic(Of course) as well as The Empress of Ireland and Brittanic.Can anyone direct me to a site or post a picture!
Thanks in advance.
Steve Dever
I will start by Thanking Dan Cherry for supplying me the details to find Brass deck rails for Titanic.I need help again with one of my other adventures.I construct 1/570 scale wreck sculptures with Air dry clay and Green paper garbage ties(twist Ties) don't Laugh the twist ties make great hull plates. My current problem is an inability to find a large detailed picture of Lusitania on the bottom.In past I have constructed Titanic(Of course) as well as The Empress of Ireland and Brittanic.Can anyone direct me to a site or post a picture!
Thanks in advance.
Steve Dever
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