The Pocket BB's

**PAPER FAN** · #1 01-28-2022, 04:44 PM

I'm building all 3 of the heavy cruisers of the Deutschland class,
Lutzow (renamed because Hitler didn't want the countries namesake sunk), Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee. Funny, Lutzow pretty much survived the war.

GPM Lutzow and Spee, Fly Model Scheer. The old Fly model is hand drawn so I plan to copy and use most of the equipment from the Lutzow to build Scheer. It will be painted, has no cammo anyway for the time frame. The upper works and decks are the only parts from the Fly Model I'll use. The upper hull is like the Lutzow and the lower bow is like Spee, so I'll use copies of those parts. The Spee is a bit older but the detaill seems adequate even compared to the newer GPM Lutzow kit. Interesting, the image below pulled from the internet seems to show the Lutzow without bulges, but I believe they all have them and the GPM kit has them. I have 1 set of CNC guns, but have already modeled the main and secondary barrels and a friend is going to 3D print them for me. If this works, I'm done buying barrels. The lower image is of the period each ship will be built. Amazing the differences and I really love the bridge work on Lutzow the most, Graf Spee is the ugliest but simplest structure.

The lower image is pulled from this site, really nice images.

Naval Encyclopedia

**PAPER FAN** · #2 02-14-2022, 08:41 AM

My friend 3D printed 2 sets of barrels, I already have one set in aluminum. Results are fantastic.

**PAPER FAN** · #3 02-14-2022, 08:44 AM

Forgot upload

**Don Boose** · #4 02-14-2022, 11:32 AM

That's a lot of artillery!

Don

**PAPER FAN** · #5 02-14-2022, 04:44 PM

Multiple vessels.

**wireandpaper** · #6 02-14-2022, 10:00 PM

Very nice friend. I wish I had someone with a 3D printer!
Looking forward to your project.

**PAPER FAN** · #7 04-10-2022, 05:42 PM

Been a while, weather seems to slow my build times. Golf, yard work, sun all add up to slow builds.

All three are framed. I used the Lutzow design to frame ancient Sheer. The Graf Spee has a much simpler internal structure so I filled the hull with balsa and sanded accordingly. The lightest for the 3 is Graf Spee, followed by Lutzow which I used balsa to laminate. Unfortunately to local supply of 1/32" thick balsa has dried up so I laminated the Lutzow on art card stock. By far the heaviest of the 3 and to be honest cutting the frames was some of the hardest work I have ever done. The Graf Spee and Lutzow are both GPM kits but the older Garf Spee is lacking. It does not allow for rounded deck edges and the propeller shaft covers are much longer than should be. I didn't modify these but second guess, I should have just copied the Lutzow's. All 3 ships have unique bows. I added material to the Lutzow nose I used on Sheer. Think the images show each variant well enough.

I will use all of GPM's Lutzow to build up to the deck on the Sheer. Pretty much all of the Sheer kit I'll use are the decks and super structure. Each ship is very unique showing how the Germans used this to develop all of the lost interwar experience the other navies enjoyed.

**PAPER FAN** · #8 04-10-2022, 05:43 PM

additional images

**PAPER FAN** · #9 05-06-2022, 04:33 PM

The hulls are finished except the screws and rudders which I always place last or near the end. Sheathing went smooth for the most part. I redrew the Adm Spee's decks using classic Auto Cad including the colors.

**SmashedGlass** · #10 05-08-2022, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wireandpaper

Very nice friend. I wish I had someone with a 3D printer!
Looking forward to your project.

A company called Model Monkey produces 3d printed ship accessories. I've gotten some 5" barrels from them in 1:400 and they're quite nice.

Model Monkey(R) 3D-printing. Products for Scale Modelers.