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Dennis Meyers
105 articles

Graf Spee 1/700 Trumpeter

October 24, 2020 · in Ships · 6 · 2.8K

This is my first surface ship project since doing a few in my youth. This kit has no PE or resin but it has some very fine plastic parts.

I used nearly every type of tool, glue, paint and technique I know of. The last steps were particularly interesting and challenging; constructing the spotter plane and placing the rigging. Used Uschi .01mm rigging. Beware. It's like working with very elastic hairs. If you drop a strand and exhale, its gone. I had to sharpen my best tweezers to get a grip on it and used my strongest magnifiers and lights to see it.

I finished the project by putting it in a seascape and adding the wave action along the hull. This was a fun project in which I learned a lot, especially about sculpting water. Also gained a lot of respect for avid ship modelers.

Reader reactions:
7  Awesome

12 additional images. Click to enlarge.


6 responses

  1. Hi Dennis!
    This is a wonderful build, not only the ship itself, but also the spotter plane and that beautiful water representation.
    Well done in your ship building comeback!

  2. Very nice Dennis. Ships are another build that can be demanding. The aqua rendition looks very good.
    What a history of the Spee. It came and went Early in 1939 during the crucial 8 months months that Britain and France were the only ones opposing Nazi Germany. The Kriegsmarine got sucked into that one And lost a capital ship. One of many to come.
    Great work thanks for posting.

  3. Dennis, fantastic ship build. In a way it's refreshing to see a ship so finely done without PE. As meticulously as you've built your Spee, I'd say you likely saved your sanity by not doing it 😉 but like I said, it looks great as is, no doubt due to the excellent paint work. The rigging, tepremental as it is adds a worth-while detail. Well done!

  4. Believe it’s the first model of the Graf Spee I see posted anywhere. It’s a great model, like other mention even without extras. The sea turned out beautiful in my opinion.

  5. Great work, nicely done!

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