ChrisLBren

Agree with Doc Blake here - my dyed Pear with Fiebings on Confederacy has looked great for its 7 years - its all top coated with Danish Oil.  I cant even comprehend the thought of trying to plank a bluff bowed ship like the Morgan with Ebony....

Hey Group,
Back at it with Confederacy - all of the channels and chainplates are installed - now its back to the head timbers and finishing up the bow

Thanks guys - appreciate the kind words.  Mike, i top coated three coats of Fiebings (buffed with a tshirt after ever coat) with Danish Oil - which gives it a slight luster that mimics ebony.  Hope this helps,
Chris

Looks awesome Rusty - Im about to build out a workshop as well - you've given me some ideas...

Looks awesome Rusty - Im about to build out a workshop as well - you've given me some ideas...

In retrospect, I agree.

I have made a new bell and am much happier with it.  It is in better proportion and I was able to get a smoother finish as well.  Like the first one it is gold leafed.  The first three pictures show the assembly before a finish was applied.  The last two show things after a coat of Watco's.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Hey Jason
I scratched my lights on my Confederacy at the same scale without a problem using a miniature table saw - similar approach to making gratings - it can be done and your lights have fewer panes
Best
Chris

Hey Jason
I scratched my lights on my Confederacy at the same scale without a problem using a miniature table saw - similar approach to making gratings - it can be done and your lights have fewer panes
Best
Chris

Hey Jason
I scratched my lights on my Confederacy at the same scale without a problem using a miniature table saw - similar approach to making gratings - it can be done and your lights have fewer panes
Best
Chris

Thanks for the advice Gaetan - I used an Exacto #11 for all of these carvings on the quarter galleries - you are a master - ill give your blades a try on the next build which will have much less carving than this one.  

Mitchel - this thread is about finishes not shows.  JerseyCity - i bought this Bitumen thru Ebay UK -not sure if its avail in the US. Gaetan your expert advice/input is always appreciated !
 
And Nigel - yes you are spot on -  Dimitry's  74 model and his advice are my influence on this finish. The Bitumen works as a wash.   Just a few kinks to work out - but I'm close.....

Hi Group,
 
I've been playing around with my typical finish -3 Coats Pure Tung Oil (first one cut 50 percent by mineral spirits) and I've added Bitumen to the top coat and here are the results - thanks to Dimitry on the Russian forums for giving me this tip to age wood.  No simulated caulking added here - just wood sanded to 600 and then finish applied
 
This is the finish I will apply to my next build - La Jacinthe in 1/36th.  Ive added some photos to compare this new technique to my usual on Confederacy.  
 
Your thoughts as always are appreciated,
Chris
 
 

Ha! - yes I will use Bitumen - but not on this build - I just want to finally finish Confederacy after almost 5 years in !

No worries Mitchel - this thread somehow turned into a carving post !  Take care,
Chris

Thanks for the advice Gaetan - I used an Exacto #11 for all of these carvings on the quarter galleries - you are a master - ill give your blades a try on the next build which will have much less carving than this one.  

Thanks Nigel - to get on my soap box - I feel that finish and carvings make a ship model.  The one thing i learned very well on Confederacy - is to thin your first coat of oil 50/50 with spirits which will set you up for a uniform finish (as oil does not penetrate a hard wood like Pear uniformly).  I learned this thru trial and error.   There are many things I'd love to do over with Confederacy (one being not relying on Chucks resin carvings for the human figures on my stern !) - but thats another story - (a #11 Exacto and some courage - anyone can carve with enough persistence.) 
 
I'm formulating a very distinct approach on the next model - thats why I've picked a simple but beautiful schooner as a test bed for my ideas.  As a novice oil painter - a Sepia wash actually might do the same thing as Bitumen - its worth a test to compare the results.
 
Stay tuned,
Chris

Mitchel - this thread is about finishes not shows.  JerseyCity - i bought this Bitumen thru Ebay UK -not sure if its avail in the US. Gaetan your expert advice/input is always appreciated !
 
And Nigel - yes you are spot on -  Dimitry's  74 model and his advice are my influence on this finish. The Bitumen works as a wash.   Just a few kinks to work out - but I'm close.....

Hi Group,
 
I've been playing around with my typical finish -3 Coats Pure Tung Oil (first one cut 50 percent by mineral spirits) and I've added Bitumen to the top coat and here are the results - thanks to Dimitry on the Russian forums for giving me this tip to age wood.  No simulated caulking added here - just wood sanded to 600 and then finish applied
 
This is the finish I will apply to my next build - La Jacinthe in 1/36th.  Ive added some photos to compare this new technique to my usual on Confederacy.  
 
Your thoughts as always are appreciated,
Chris
 
 

Hi Group,
 
I've been playing around with my typical finish -3 Coats Pure Tung Oil (first one cut 50 percent by mineral spirits) and I've added Bitumen to the top coat and here are the results - thanks to Dimitry on the Russian forums for giving me this tip to age wood.  No simulated caulking added here - just wood sanded to 600 and then finish applied
 
This is the finish I will apply to my next build - La Jacinthe in 1/36th.  Ive added some photos to compare this new technique to my usual on Confederacy.  
 
Your thoughts as always are appreciated,
Chris
 
 

thanks so much dave, and yes, haha.....scale and accuracy is an issue......
     but, since the start.... i had to make up the lines of the ship by eye, since the drawings were of such low resolution, i couldn't tell one line from the other, aside from the most obvious ones...i even changed the shape of the bow...sooooo....i just decided that this is a fantasy ship, and everything, will have to be done by eye....a real challenge for the inner esthetic grey matter   i figure that even the kits are guesswork...
    the hull length without the beak is around 66"....so i'm guessing around 1/30 scale.......unless someone can correct me on this....oh..the waterline length including the rudder is 62-1/2"...i figure the total length just under 8 feet.....
    like i mentioned, i'll spray the windows with satin urethane to reduce the glitter once i get all the parts together......i'll turn the cannons on a dowel attached to a drill....then make a mold and cast them in plastic composite called smooth cast......again, i'll make paper cutouts and check them sticking out of the gun ports to see how they look....pure guesswork...unless someone would have some measurements.....hard to believe a ship like this would only have 18 pounders on the lower deck...the sovereign of the seas had 42 and 32 pounders......so i'm back to "just what feels right"........again, any enlightenment would be welcome...
   butchered a kids toy for the female torsos, although the boobs are kinda big...but what the heck, it's a french ship after all   made a mold for copies.....will place the same broads on the sides too
still have to decide what kind of sculpture to put where......will just have to rely on guidance from above........
    the confederacy was more relaxing, as it had all the info necessary....little guesswork....i should soon get back to doing the rigging on the confed in the evenings while watching a mystery or whatever .....
    the beat goes on
   
   
  

Thanks guys - appreciate the kind words.  Mike, i top coated three coats of Fiebings (buffed with a tshirt after ever coat) with Danish Oil - which gives it a slight luster that mimics ebony.  Hope this helps,
Chris

Hey Group,
Back at it with Confederacy - all of the channels and chainplates are installed - now its back to the head timbers and finishing up the bow

Those are the brands I'm looking at Toni - I like Lie Nielsen and Stanleys as the cheaper option since they're both in Imperial - the Two Cherries are nice too

Hey Greg,
My Delta does have a tilting table - so one less tool to buy...