thibaultron

Add some more rigging, flags, spotlights, a few odds and ends, and this one is done.
I'm kicking around what to do next. Maybe a cruiser, I have the 1:350 Belfast and detail items. Or could do the 1:350 IJN Akagi, or the 1:350 IJN Nagato, or the 1:200 Mikasa...decisions, decisions...

Walrus

Ship railings and Walrus added...
 

Thanks you guys. 
Great encouragement. 

Thanks Eduado.
Kind regards,
Malcolm

Malcolm
 
I'm glad you saw my posting. The figurehad is mado of resin, you will have to paint it. Let me find the file in my computer and check the proce of the resin and I will send you the final proce.
 
Kind Regards,
 
Eduardo

I am working on the Confederacy and was short of 1/16 x 5/32 strips for the wales. I was experiencing difficulty obtaining
the basswood replacements (another story). I have always wondered what was so special about using other than kit supplied
lumber. I was going to stick to the kit lumber and do my best. I happened to purchase some boxwood and pear from Crown just to
experiment. 
Well brother and sister low experience shipwrights it only took one strip of planking with boxwood to understand why many of the
more experienced builders use other than basswood. The boxwood was harder, kept sharp corners and was just a pleasure to work
with. Looks good as it came from the vendor.
I don't know how much of more expensive lumber I will use on Confederacy but I learned a valuable lesson.
Regards, Harley

Frankie, I appreciated the description as well. It confirms what I was trying to do with my model's rendition of the furled headsails. I created a flaked sail, attached hanks, and threaded them onto the headstay. Then I wrapped the flaked sail with a separate piece of cloth to imitate the skin and secured that underneath the sail, between it and the jibboom. Then I tied everything down with furling lines. I was even able to simulate the reef knots.
 
 

Thank you, Gerald. So helpful!
 
Steve

Thanks Patrick.  It's only white primer, but it did change the look.  I think I'll be painting the hull for a while yet.

Hi Frank. 
 
Wow, you're really cracking along now.  It's amazing what a coat of paint can do.  She certainly looks totally different now.
 
Top job.  
 
Cheers. 
 
Patrick

Hi Elia, and thank you!  I've made 3 masts and 5 bowsprits so far, and I think the final versions will work.  The stain issue was only the latest problem with them.  
 
I assume your work in the Phoenix area is finished by now.  Let me know if you ever get back out to Arizona - I'd still like to get together with you.
 
 

Frank,
 
Wow - That is such a crisp, beautiful model.  I find it very enjoyable (and educational) watching your build progress.
 
I appreciate the spar staining issue you had; I'm still stewing over how to proceed with mine (though I'm certain I'll stick with the spars I've got).  
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Part 32 – Preparing to Paint
 
I’ve learned a few hard lessons since the last post – mostly having to do with thinking steps through and being sure of how things will work.
 
The bowsprit will be painted white, but there’s an area at the forward end that is left varnished.  The mast is also mostly varnished – only the area within a few inches of the deck is painted white.  Since the madrone wood that I used for the bowsprit and mast is very white I needed to find an appropriate stain to match the varnished areas of the mast and bowsprit.  I tried some stains on a scrap piece of the same wood, and unfortunately found that this wood didn’t take the stain properly – the stain wound up very splotchy, even after using a stain prep to condition the wood.
 
I tested some stain on a piece of castello and it was very satisfactory, so I decided to make another mast and bowsprit out of castello. This was work that could have been avoided if I had thought through the staining before making the mast and bowsprit.
 
Since the next major step in building Kathryn is to paint the hull, there were a few minor items I needed to finish.
 
The first of these is the scuppers.  Skipjacks have very basic scuppers.  These essentially are a few holes drilled through the waterway, as in the following photo of one of Kathryn’s scuppers.
 
                        
 
There are 4 scuppers on each side.  I marked the scupper locations, made a pilot hole using a miniature awl, then drilled the scuppers from inside.
 
                        
 
There’s a small trench in the waterway leading to the scupper.  I used a small diamond flame in a rotary tool to shape these trenches.
 
                        
 
The following photo shows the scuppers from the outside of the model.
 
                        
 
Kathryn has a small metal strip on the outside of the hull guards, presumably to provide additional protection from scuffing.  This strip can be seen in the following photo.
 
                        
 
I used a piece of half-round styrene to simulate this metal strip, using CA to glue the strip to the guard.
 
                        
 
Since the hull would be painted in an upside-down position, I made a jig to hold the model for painting.  The forward post goes through the hole for the mast, and the square block on the rear post keeps the model in a relatively secure position.  Both devices have some 1/16" thick rubber glued to the area that will touch the model, as cushioning.  The deck beams were covered with masking tape to keep stray paint from the interior.
 
                        
 
                        
 
A first coat of primer was applied.
 
                        
 
I’ll be spending some time fixing the imperfections that show up from the primer before proceeding with the actual painting.

For what it's worth, I am firmly in the #2 pencil camp.  For me, solid black is not subtle enough.  I have the privilege  of belonging to a club with access to actual tall ships.  I can go up on the Berkeley  and look down on HMS SURPRISE and CALIFORNIAN and see how real caulking looks.  Even so, scale distance is only 1.5 to 2 feet away.  Mentally factoring in the effect of distance on color and I feel the old #2 represents it best.

All:
 
Thanks for all your suggestions. The local art supply store had some of the Pigma Brush applicators available, so I bought a couple and used them on most of the bottom deck of the Vanguard...the part that is visible from above. I ended up with using line (.15mm) parallel to the planks, and used the brush on every other butt joint.
 
I like the way it came out, and I really think this whole issue of "caulking" is one of those that everyone has their own way that they like the best. None of my builds will end up in a museum, so it's everyone's personal taste that really matters in the end. 
 
I do appreciate all the feedback. I think it is really fun to see how helpful all modeler's are, and all the different techniques that we all use to basically do the same task.

If you only blacken one edge remember to fasten the planks correctly so you don't have two black edges together.

I tried adding pigment and it was never the same consistency.  Basic food dyes work great.  A little red and green makes dark brown.
Maury

You can also make your own black glue and have the shade the color you want from pitch black to light gray... get some pigment form the art store and mix that in with the glue.

Try some "black glue" which is available from a picture framing store.
You can control the amount of squeeze out based on how much glue you spread on the deck and how tightly you push the planks together.  One caution, keep your finger tips clean when you push the boards together!

If you use a number 2 pencil, as I do, Make sure you do not color only the top edge corner of the plank. Color the entire side edge. If you don't, when it comes time to finish sanding the deck, you may sand all the color off and wind up with no caulking. Please don't as me how I know this.
 
Regards
 

Dan: Thanks for the tip and the picture. We have a local art supply store, so I will give them a look-see and try it.
 
RMC: Thanks for the info...will check it our also.
 
BTW: I am changing the wood from the kit supplied to a harder wood which should help with the bleed. I tested some basswood and tanganika, and the difference was very noticeable. The tanganika did not bleed very much at all compared to the softer basswood using a black stamp pad. I just "tapped" the end twice on the pad and it gave me a good clean covering...especially when I only did one end. I then did a test with .10 thread on the butt ends and not a visible difference vs. the stamp pad pieces.

The brand is 'Woodcraft' made by Kuretake Co Ltd Japan. I used the chisel tip 6mm. It is very easy to use and has all the attributes of the Brush described above - acid free etc.   ..... I guess you pay your money and make your choice.
 
I am just about to go away for a few days and haven't the time to include a photo. 
 
All the best wiith your vanguard.
 
rmc (Bob)

Danny,
 
Thank you for that Awsome Tip on turning the plank over, I have always been to proud to admit 
I almost always slip and destroy my plank!. Especially when someone is watching me plank,
now all I have to do is flip my plank and magic! It's gone. However I well not admit I slipped (lol)

The best method I've found is to use a black "Brush" type Archival Ink Pen, available from most Art Supply stores. It's similar to a felt pen but the ink WON'T bleed into the timber. Use the SIDE of the tip, applied from the BACK side of the plank in case you slip, and on ONE edge and butt join of each plank :
 


 
  Danny