This is a quick build of a resin kit from Poland (Modelkrak) of the 1:700 scale ship "
AMUR"; a Russian naval minelayer from the Imperial period. The real ship was built in St Petersburg in 1899, and was the world's first purpose-built ocean-going minelayer. The Amur was sunk by the Japanese using shore battery howitzers at Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese war in December 1904. It is 91 m long and has two steam engines for the two screws. The hold carried 300 mines, which are dispensed through trap doors under the stern while underway.
I acquired the kit at the estate sale of Bill Wilson's collection on 03 May and quickly went to work.
The model is about 13 cm long. The Russian naval ensign on the stern post is hand made. The masts and yards are made from steel rod soldered together by me in a steep-leaning-curve attempt at soldering for the first time in 38 years. The rigging is real HUMAN HAIR from my wife (Thank you, Pam!). The smoke is from paint-dipped ear-cleaning buds pulled apart with tweezers. The water scene is made with two layers of gesso, with further gesso added to accentuate the bow wave and wake, etc. The gesso dries in a couple of hours and was painted gloss Tamiya gloss blue. Vallejo white was dry-brushed on for wave tips and bow wave and wake and foam. The base was a single-day project.
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| Russian Navy Minelayer AMUR |
The real one...
