French Liner France Hachette publication 1/250

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French Liner France Hachette publication 1/250

Receive the parts from 2011 to 2014 put aside and build summer 2018 from Mai to October
The French Liner France launch in 1960
It is a Hachette 140 weekly issue
The ship is 1/250 scale
126cm in length
13.5cm wide
30cm height

As I did a similar type of build before (Bismarck battle ship) I do not see major problem but we never know

1112 pages of instruction very well explain and real easy to follow with wonderful illustration

I put aside my other project to do the France this summer reason is toxic material that has to be use outside (Putty and Spray Paint)
Building the fame was simple just need a very strait plank to avoid any distortion on the frame as it is over 1m in length
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Now it is time for the putty
It is a steel ship the hull must not show any plank at all
So I use the same method that I use on the Bismarck
Bondo glazing & spot putty a lot of it and lots of sanding
2 advantages
Good bounding to wood
Easy to sand
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Spray paint the hull semi gloss white
Why semi gloss white?
White are the less forgiving color for defect on any surface
So a lot easier to spot those defects
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Did another coat of white paint to spot more defects
And found a lots of them
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So more putty and more sanding
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Thing is when the hull will be paint all those little defect will vanish
The bottom will be Burgundy with a small white line
Most of the hull where the port hole are will be semi gloss black and black is a forgiving color.
Only the first row of port hole will be white
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Ok problem
The instruction said to keep 4 opening for the propeller support they where use for the RC version
Ok I was a bit neglectful usually I always read all the drawing 2 or 3 time before start ANY build
This time I did not do it so now

Ok I have 4 holes that are not necessary and when the support will be install they will show
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Last coat of base paint
Hull will be finish for now
More parts to be install at a later time

I am keeping the white base for the bottom of the ship
That part will be paint Burgundy easier to have a white base Burgundy on white will enhance the color.
For the black section I will put first a flat grey primer because black on whit will be very difficult to do and need probably many coat but black on grey 1 maybe 2

At this time I am at issue 64 of 140
Page 483 of 1112
And put 145h on the build
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For now the structure suppose to be strait
Except for minor adjustment as per my previous Bismarck build I do not see major problem for the rest of the structure

Starting on the structure
Window and wall near the pool a the stern
And starting the building of the upper deck
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At this stage the structure of the upper deck is almost complete
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Binder 1 of 2 is finish
73 issue of 144 complete
555 page of instruction done of 1112
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Took some advance on painting the photo etch plate
It is nice out side so paint both side did 2 batch
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Install window frame that are just 5mm wide and hold on the opening by 0.3mm side
Lost the first one inside the hull lucky got spare and the part turn out on my table the next days photo nb 1 - 2 -3
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Photo 4 doors on the surface of the hull and finishing window that are on the stern deck
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Next step was to install top stern wall that is a etch plate that have to be bent to fit

Even the photo of installation show clearly that the part do not fit properly photo 1 – 2
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Photo 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 how the after glue it fit poorly I have try all the trick that I know
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And that is the optimum placement that the curve allow so lots of putty to do
 
Waiting for putty to cure again on the stern
I decide to advance some module
First I did the ruder from a thick press wood laser cut 19-1, 19-2
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Where it go 19-3 and final install 19-4.
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That was follow by doing the life boat.
Each live boat is constituted of 5 pieces the 2 launch of 11 it is lots of tiny parts
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I have start with the worst
20-1 is the first putty to fill the gap light sanding
20-2 second putty applications after sanding still need work
20-3 last filling and putty (in fact was 6 time with touch up)
20-4 paint and it is not bad at all
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Now the side
After preliminary putty to fill the gap I have to solve the problem of the difference in height 20-5, 20-6
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What I did is this
First using a reject thin plywood I made myself a pattern of the part that must fill the gap
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The cut it and split the thickness in haft 20-8, 20-9 and glue in place 20-10
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Putty paint, defect putty paint more defect more putty
20-11, 20-12, 20-13, 20-14
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Now the stern is acceptable
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Waiting again for some putty to cure for the adjustment of the bridge
I did some other work
First picture is the roof and wall over the swimming pool -1-
2 and 3 are the etch that cover the lower promenade deck
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The last one 4 I have to explain something
The way Hachette send the part you might received the installment some part that will arrive one day you work partially complete them 20step later to be install like 30 step later.
I learn the hard way when I build the Bismarck for the France I have wait to have all the installment so when I am stuck at one place I am able to jump step and take some advance. It is what I did for the live boat receive some in the installment 85-86-87-88-89-90 finish at 113 and install at 139 or from a etch plate some part that will be install much later it is confusing some time and have the potential of loosing part
And the qt of tiny part is well look at 4 that small part 20mm is build at step 91 of 8 parts one moving all with CA glue
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Another annoying thing 21-5 the instruction for the black painting of the deck wall was in 12 installments did it one shot same as installing the etch 21-6
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I will do the paint on the hull shortly as I want to do it before it is to cold outside to do it so here 21-7 an easy tool to do the water line water line done 25-8
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Lower portion of the bridge
It is a big etch piece that cover most of the bow section of lower bridge.
That pieces is glue on the wood frame bend to have the proper curve and bend at a greater angle at the extremity 22-1, 22-2, 22-3
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And again the plate do not fit properly
On the port side it is less pronounced took only the minimum of putty to make the correction 22-4 to 22-8 the defect will not show when the last coat of paint is done
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On the starboard side the gap was bigger and more putty was necessary also the plate was lightly damage that need also repair 22-9 to22-14
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