Redshirt

This Fleuron is one of the most impressive models i have seen either here or anywhere else. What made you choose the 1:24 scale?

The technique is often used in miniature painting, especialy when quantity is required. While it isn't boat related this video pretty much shows (either to your customer or whoever else might want to learn it) perfectly well how it is done

Hi, ive got a small question. Sometimes it is necessary to cut slots/ recesses into a boat's keel before the frames can be added. The Galley Washington is an example for this. Now i wonder if it always takes a milling machine or if chisels are sufficient.

Thanks,

Daniel

I think you are overdoing it with the photo etching. Using copper tape and an appropriate stamp should do the trick (as described in the Art of Ship Modelling) at a reasonable price and without any detriment to either realism or aesthetics. If you don't have the book i can send you the page where Frölich's approach is described. It's in german but the pictures alone should be sufficient.

 

In German, the wood is referred to as Elsbeere.

In English it is called probably wild service tree?

But I'm not quite sure.

 

It might be Swiss Pear for the english speaking world (german wiki mentions Schweizer Birne as an alternative name for the Elsbeere) although some of the wood sold under the name of swiss pear appears to be actual pearwood so im a bit confused.

Hi,

Since my Jacinthe project ( a buildlog will be done once im certain that my extra bulkheads were lofted correctly) is advancing i will soon have to decide about the planks i wish to use. According to Boudriot the Anemone class shooner at 1:48 would have 0,8mm (1/31 inch) thick planks. Since this is a somewhat odd value i was thinking about using 1mm ( 1/25 inch) thick strips of wood (cherry or pearwood)  but im not certain if they are thick enough to permit proper bending. Can anyone give me some advice regarding this problem? Is 1,5mm better? Am i worrying too much?

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

If you can live with a somewhat older plan of the ship then try to get a copy of "Eich, Lothar: Risse von Schiffen des 16 und 17. Jahrhunderts."

the book itself is in german but the plans (1:100) don't require you to know the language. A word of warning, the Berlin plan is in all likelyhood somewhat outdated but afaik the overal archival situation of these 17. century ships isn't that great to beginn with, the plans themselfs are good and the book is quite cheap.

Thanks for the many suggestions

Hi,

As the title says, can anyone tell me a good and reliable method to cut a rabbet, especialy at the ship's bow?

I know that chissels and hobby knives are suposed to work somewhat adequately but im worried that cutting a clean line can be somewhat challenging with these tools. A milling machine will certainly work as well but tbh, im somewhat on a budget and simply cannot afford the money for one.

So i wonder, can anyone give me any good hints and tips? I saw many a finely cut rabbet here and wonder what tricks you use to achive this

Extremely impressive.

http://www.massiv-holz-werkstatt.de/

Best wood supplier i know of in germany. Good assortment of wood, high acurracy and good price.

The graphite one is superior imo. It achives the intended simulation of caulking while remaining suitably subtile without distracting from the wood.

The ship looks awesome. Predreadnoughts rarely get the attention they deserve and yours is a particularly well done model of one.

After seeing the rather erm, creative prices for good plywood (bad one is the devil i tell you, bought a relatively small plate for almost 12€ and the stupid stuff splintered at the edges...grrr...) i wonder if basswood is a suitable substitute. I have seen it's use for bulkheads once ( Gene from MSB built his Maggie Belle's bulkheads from basswood) but before i start to buy any wood i would like to have some aditional opinions.

Good old Pear might be a suitable alternative but since all kinds of frames usualy need lots of sanding, l am somewhat uncertain about using such a hard wood for them.

Hehe, perfect german engine...erm, modelbuilding

That certainly is a most impressive project on an even more impressive scale. IM especialy impressed by the detail of the 8 barreled  2 pounders.

Will you try to simulate a Semtex/ Corticence layer on the non planked areas of the ship? Was there even one on the Warspite?

A pity. The creative aspect of model building (from choosing the wood to filling out the gaps in the plans) makes it no less a form of art than creative photography or painting. Imo this Druid combined good artwork with the creativity that is demanded by art. The bunny suit foto is certainly creative but, at least in my case, it fails to invoke any kind of emotion or insight which makes it (for me) somewhat meh.

Thanks for the answers guys, they were definately helpful.

Now i know where to begin the taper and, judging from Eagle, the US 44 gun frigate and the Triton plans here, that the taper won't be much more than one or two milimetres at the stem and stern at the usual modelling scales. Even without definite informations for all ships, this will probably give adecent result.

Thanks for the quick answer. I have read a number of books, guides and shipplans for pof scratchbuilding yet non have so far mentioned the taper of a ship's keel. For example, I plan to build Victorine (once i have assembled the necessary tools) but Portia Takakjian's plans, while otherwise excelent, don't seem to give any information regarding that problem either. Now i wonder if i am missing something or if this detail is just usualy not included in sheer/half breath and deck plans and has to be found in secondary literature about the desired ship itself.

Hi,

After reading both the Triton plans and Modelshipbuilders amazing Eagle practicum ( and the MA thesis on which it is based) i came to finaly realize that keels aren't uniformly thick but taper at the bow and stern. Since im a completel newbie when it comes to scratchbuilding im not quite certain on how to achieve this effect or if a tapered keel is even necessary/ desirable on a scale model.

Can you please give me some advise on that matter?

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

Im always happy to see more of the far too often ignored workhorses of the fleet.

Hi,

please excuse the somewhat poor quality of the picture, once i have made some progress i will try to find a better camera

*edit*: The parts appear a bit oversized on the photo but that's merely the perspective.