Jump to content

Restoration of Bassett Lowke "Albertic" by michael mott - FINISHED - Scale 1:100


Recommended Posts

Terrific technique Michael, and a valuable mini-tutorial for us lesser mortals :)  Those rails look excellent in situ.

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent work on those railings Michael. Exacting, precise and well thought out. Your restoration is so interesting to follow.

 

Gary

Current Build   Pelican Eastern-Rig Dragger  

 

Completed Scratch Builds

Rangeley Guide Boat   New England Stonington Dragger   1940 Auto Repair Shop   Mack FK Shadowbox    

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the visits and Likes.

This whole process is a huge learning curve for me as well no matter how much I have learned in the past it seems that each step presents new challenges. The simple act of matching a colour can be quite frustrating.

 

I have been working on filling the lower divets in the hull and working at getting the colour matched at the same time, there is more orange in the hull read than I had thought.

 

post-202-0-72165100-1486609020_thumb.jpg

 

post-202-0-69805400-1486609045_thumb.jpg

 

The lighting selection in the camera gives me different things to look for and in daylight it is different again. The model will eventually be displayed again in a public space with modern lighting.

 

The stanchions are getting close to looking like all the rest.

 

 

post-202-0-19793300-1486609251_thumb.jpg

 

Michael

 

 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Druxey.... the best daylight is in the living room on an overcast day... but somehow I am not sure that that will go down very well with Judy. I think I am going to do a little rearranging in the room to take advantage of the window and spend some time on it next week, I have an appointment at the hospital Friday Morning which will require sedation so the weekend will be a quiet time, Get to drink nothing but liquid all day tomorrow. Oh Yeah!

 

Michael 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael..fantastic job for sure..do you have the replacement port holes as well?

 

Looking at you railing again...I'm thinkin it's almost too perfect...... :P  Hats off.

 

Rob

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rob I have the original portholes they pulled out nicely with the flush cut pliers before I started to fill the divets, they will push back in when the painting is done.

 

I had to pop the railing on loosely to see how colour matched and I am very happy with the match. In the pictures you can see the middle lower stanchions that are painted silver and the top rail and the two outside lower sets of stanchions look close enough to pass me-thinks

 

post-202-0-15763200-1486614722_thumb.jpg

 

post-202-0-46275300-1486614750_thumb.jpg

 

post-202-0-65596300-1486614767_thumb.jpg

 

That's it for today A very satisfying bit of work.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fantastic job fer sure.....

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just in my inventory alone,  I have several shades of red.......I do share in your frustration at times ;)    great job on the railings...they look real good!

 

good luck at the doctors.........I hope it's nothing serious.

I yam wot I yam!

finished builds:
Billings Nordkap 476 / Billings Cux 87 / Billings Mary Ann / Billings AmericA - reissue
Billings Regina - bashed into the Susan A / Andrea Gail 1:20 - semi scratch w/ Billing instructions
M&M Fun Ship - semi scratch build / Gundalow - scratch build / Jeanne D'Arc - Heller
Phylly C & Denny-Zen - the Lobsie twins - bashed & semi scratch dual build

Billing T78 Norden

 

in dry dock:
Billing's Gothenborg 1:100 / Billing's Boulogne Etaples 1:20
Billing's Half Moon 1:40 - some scratch required
Revell U.S.S. United States 1:96 - plastic/ wood modified / Academy Titanic 1:400
Trawler Syborn - semi scratch / Holiday Harbor dual build - semi scratch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael

 

Is making it better than the original allowed?????

Keith

 

Current Build:-

Cangarda (Steam Yacht) - Scale 1:24

 

Previous Builds:-

 

Schooner Germania (Nova) - Scale 1:36

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19848-schooner-germania-nova-by-keithaug-scale-136-1908-2011/

Schooner Altair by KeithAug - Scale 1:32 - 1931

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/12515-schooner-altair-by-keithaug-scale-132-1931/?p=378702

J Class Endeavour by KeithAug - Amati - Scale 1:35 - 1989 after restoration.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10752-j-class-endeavour-by-keithaug-amati-scale-135-1989-after-restoration/?p=325029

 

Other Topics

Nautical Adventures

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13727-nautical-adventures/?p=422846

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for all the positive comments.

I am beginning to sort out the lifeboats now that a few distractions are completed and mailed. I decided to set them up in some small rectangles of homasote so that each will be able to be handled as an independent model so that I can fix the davits and lines while off the ship model.

IMG_1868x1024.jpg.08814bca1793d8d501ef91e7b1be514c.jpg 

 

The small bits of card are some test pieces of card painted for replacing the missing seats in some of the lifeboats. I had thought of using some strips of Evergreen initially but they would not be as the original which are card. The interesting thing is some of the loose pieces when flipped over one can see that the model makers back in the day that this model was made must have simply cut up some packaging.

 

Capture1869.JPG.07113330b8176a10cd48a8acc2e9a7f6.JPG

 

Quite a few of the lifeboat seats have sagged into a curve some quite a lot, the painted card in also quite brittle, when i attempted to flatten one of the loose seats the paint fractured. Hmmm now the dilemma is do I replace all the curved seats.

 

Capture1870.JPG.9400940480c9f302954efbc6a9d2db01.JPG

 

some of the davits are seriously bent, and will need some delicate straightening.

 

 

Something I noticed while writing this post was a pleasant surprise, Judy had called me from the library and asked me about the weather it is snowing so I clicked on the weather tab without changing tabs and lost the post which was almost ready to submit. I was annoyed at myself and used the back button to see if it was still there and it appeared to be gone, I told myself off.

I went to rewrite the post and it all came back with a comment that it was restored!

So thank you for that Admin, I have lost a few in the past, this is a nice feature.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A difficult decision indeed on whether or not to replace the thwarts in the boats, Michael.  As this is a restoration, I think I might be inclined to replace them - especially as you'll be using the same material.  Of course, to be truly authentic, you'll have to find some of the same vintage packaging that the original model makers used! :)

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I might suggest leaving at least one 'original' boat's thwarts for posterity? Perhaps there is one boat where the warpage is not objectionably severe? Also, you might want to see if the curvature can be flattened by dampening the underside of the card with a wet brush. If this works, consider sealing the underside so that the card does not change dimension with atmospheric humidity.

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm looking John, I'm looking.

well I made an interesting discovery and I am not quite sure how I missed it but this one will be tricky.Capture8547.JPG.f2ea4b6c7ac4189d3a5d93b2bd517491.JPG

 

So easy to spot now but was more difficult earlier

 

IMG_1233x800.jpg.58e1d4518570dd8e90f2f440e77546a7.jpg

 

The davits that sustained the most damage were in line with the aft funnel and got pretty twisted up. I noticed that the arms were stamped out of sheet so Bassett Lowke must have either jobbed out the stamping or made enough of these to have their own small punch press or fly press. 

 

Capture8542.JPG.7ced9fe2f2193c362a4092bd7945f5fa.JPG

 

Capture8544.JPG.835a9ccafd1737ff137d21120bac03a4.JPG

 

I am going to be using one of the good davits as a pattern and will fabricate one out of some brass and paint it to look like the rest.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, druxey said:

I might suggest leaving at least one 'original' boat's thwarts for posterity? Perhaps there is one boat where the warpage is not objectionably severe? Also, you might want to see if the curvature can be flattened by dampening the underside of the card with a wet brush. If this works, consider sealing the underside so that the card does not change dimension with atmospheric humidity.

 

Druxey,Yes a good Idea I shall certainly give this some attention. three of the boats had no thwarts in them (no doubt swept up in the debris of the event)

a couple of the boats on the starboard side have one or two thwarts missing with most showing some level of random curvature. only one of the port side boats had all the thwarts intact. 

Capture8550.JPG.ded683cea4b333cc43678b777fc38f86.JPG

 

Capture8552.JPG.043fcb7ef93453a48838457b7f8582bd.JPG

 

Michael

Edited by michael mott
add to comment

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice production line Michael :)  Your approach to all this is enlightening; I am following with great interest.

 

cheers

 

Pat

If at first you do not suceed, try, and then try again!
Current build: HMCSS Victoria (Scratch)

Next build: HMAS Vampire (3D printed resin, scratch 1:350)

Built:          Battle Station (Scratch) and HM Bark Endeavour 1768 (kit 1:64)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice restoring work Michael,

and quite a task to get all those boats in order again, the result is good looking ;)

I`m just reminded of the boats fabrication I still have to push on when I get to that sequence...

 

Nils

Current builds

-Lightship Elbe 1

Completed

- Steamship Ergenstrasse ex Laker Corsicana 1918- scale 1:87 scratchbuild

"Zeesboot"  heritage wooden fishing small craft around 1870, POB  clinker scratch build scale 1:24

Pilot Schooner # 5 ELBE  ex Wanderbird, scale 1:50 scratchbuild

Mississippi Sterwheelsteamer built as christmapresent for grandson modified kit build

Chebec "Eagle of Algier" 1753--scale 1:48-POB-(scratchbuild) 

"SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" four stacker passenger liner of 1897, blue ribbond awarded, 1:144 (scratchbuild)
"HMS Pegasus" , 16 gun sloop, Swan-Class 1776-1777 scale 1:64 from Amati plan 

-"Pamir" 4-mast barque, P-liner, 1:96  (scratchbuild)

-"Gorch Fock 2" German Navy cadet training 3-mast barque, 1:95 (scratchbuild) 

"Heinrich Kayser" heritage Merchant Steamship, 1:96 (scratchbuild)  original was my grandfathers ship

-"Bohuslän" , heritage ,live Swedish museum passenger steamer (Billings kit), 1:50 

"Lorbas", river tug, steam driven for RC, fictive design (scratchbuild), scale appr. 1:32

under restoration / restoration finished 

"Hjejlen" steam paddlewheeler, 1861, Billings Boats rare old kit, scale 1:50

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happy to have you following along Pat

Nils, at least I didn't have to make them just fix a few up.

 

I have begun working on the missing davit replacement the first thing was to sort of measure it up I did this with a pair of vernier calipers and a pencil tracing.

 

IMG_8557x1024.jpg.8464e9efddec590250a59a5790e262ce.jpg

 

I could have used the mill drill out in the shop but it was snowing and getting late so just opted for a drill in a pin chuck with a #68 drill bit to spot the holes through the .020" brass for the side plates.

 

IMG_8555x1024.jpg.2d32e8c680cf0063d79559a900947bc7.jpg

 

After the holes were drilled I used the jewelers saw to fret out the sides these will be annealed before I bend the bottom section prior to soldering the three main body parts together.

 

IMG_8561x1024.jpg.fae72eba68f655ab164678e9dd4c0b56.jpg

 

I used some brown Testors paint brushed onto some different textures of card and the Stash tea box was the best to give the right amount of absorption of the gloss paint to leave it as a semi gloss.

 

the three following images were taken with different lighting the first Tungsten the second Fluorescent last one being Daylight I am happy enough with the results and as long as I am careful with the placement I think they will be passable.

 

Capture8566.JPG.8d4b77563c8f40ba98192b48c0d1ee2f.JPG

 

Capture8570.JPG.e8c07ef391324ed6a3f82a50dc24371a.JPG

 

Capture8571.JPG.41d09abedb6e33151caef53e89fa393b.JPG

 

 

 

Michael

 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Druxey and John, yes I will be doing that with a little clear just to maintain the idiosyncratic method of the originals. That will keep future conservers thinking.

 

Michael 

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Might suggest that the thwarts be sealed on the underside as is the exposed side. Reasoning being to stabilize from moisture changes and to create a flat I beam by having the web separating two stiff flanges resisting any bending from time and weight. Double coat if it does not detract from the desired finish. Like the Davit fabrication.

jud

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, philo426 said:

Outstanding work!I wonder how that magnificent model was ever allowed to be damaged in the first place?

Simple answer it was knocked over, the base was tall with a very narrow longitudinal footprint.

 

Michael

Current builds  Bristol Pilot Cutter 1:8;      Skipjack 19 foot Launch 1:8;       Herreshoff Buzzards Bay 14 1:8

Other projects  Pilot Cutter 1:500 ;   Maria, 1:2  Now just a memory    

Future model Gill Smith Catboat Pauline 1:8

Finished projects  A Bassett Lowke steamship Albertic 1:100  

 

Anything you can imagine is possible, when you put your mind to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Once the center of gravity is no longer over the base.... However, as the great comedian Spike Milligan once observed, "The ground. Very useful that. Stops one falling..."

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...