The detail view of my side wheel steamer. Note the vents from a Flower Class Corvette. The mast is from the steamer but has been moved and reconfigured into a more modern version.
Here is the steamer all primer painted. Overall, it turned out pretty good I think.
Starboard rear quarter view of the steamer. Note the 37 mm AA gun on the stern.
Looks ready for action. I do intend to paint it eventually. I tend to paint models in groups so I am working on some other projects and this one will be painted with them. I don't like dragging the air brush and compressor out and only doing a couple models.
This was a big project, convert a pre-American Civil War 1/128th scale steamer into a 1945 era German vessel in 1/72nd scale but I think it worked out okay. The model was all assembled when I got it, so I had to do the conversion work on a completed kit. I think it would have been much easier on an uncompleted model.
A similar conversion could have been done to make this ship into an ACW or American West ship in 1/72nd scale or maybe for pulp gaming in the 1930's. Loads of possibilities.
6 comments:
Bunkermeister:
Now THAT is impressive.
I would never guess that the scale is different from the original kit scale unless I had seen it HERE.
Good eye you got there.
Can't wait to see an iron cross flying from the masthead.
Glad you liked it Bob G.
Hi Bunkermeister,
Saw your alternation work, which is nicely done. I thought to do such things myself as there are nice models in 1:120 out there for our wargaming hobby. One question since you always have some good ideas. When I look at your boat I realize that the deck building between steering booth and stern cannon is still using the old scale details. Are you wanting to change them as well or am I missing some gimmick you used to make it feasible again.
Anyhow my request, great work and keep up with your fantastic blog
Welcome Gordon-David!
The small windows are not scale specific so they look okay as 1/72nd scale windows. I don't have any doorways on that cabin and the roof is high enough to accomodate 1/72nd scale figures so I am just leaving it.
Sometimes a project is not perfect, it just has to be good enough. If I wanted to continue the illusion a bit more, I would have put in a couple 1/72nd scale doors and perhaps raised the cabin a bit. Putting an angle iron shape of plastic along the bottom of the walls would have raised it, been easy to do and would have looked like decoration at the bottom of the wall.
I tried to do the project with a minimum of new parts and a minimum of work. I did end up buying the guns, everything else was in the spares box.
Hi Bunkermeister,
Thanks for the warm welcome. I must say your blog really inspires me. I am collecting myself and also in the same scales as you (1/87 vehicles and 1/72 figures), but cannot provide the same quantities of models or figures.
I have to restrict myself to smaller units like platoons as for budget reasons and since I try to paint them all... (guess you know how much time that usually takes).
Conversions are always difficult especially when in scale.
Thus I was a little nitty gritty asking you about the detail questions. I have thought of good conversions I could make but always failed on the question how to deal with the details that tell that it used to be different scale.
I wanted to know your reasoning and completely agree to your approach since the most important features are covered. Now I guess I will be more daring to try one or two of my own conversion projects...
AJ, conversions are a lot of fun and they give you something unique in your collection. Start small to work out your techniques and before you know it you are building the Reichstag!
The building on the front page of this blog.
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