hornet

If you are going to plank your deck after gluing in place, a good result can be gained by marking the deck where the bulkheads line up under it, predrilling (about a 0.8mm drill bit) through the deck and bulkheads, applying glue then nailing deck in place with pushpins or chart pins. I have found chart pins such as that arrowed below work better than standard push pins because the heads don't break off when nailing. Pins are easily removed when glue is dry.

My No 11 blades have a very short life expectancy. I find that I regularly snap the tip off them. This often occurs while the blade is still sharp. For this reason I tend to buy my blades in packs of 100 and I don't get too attached to them. In saying that, checking out how other's sharpen their blades sounds interesting.

I have found a use for broken No 11 blades. See glue scraper on following link.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/4679-the-kit-bashers-guide-to-the-galaxy/page-7

Speaking of windlasses, I found a black Lego cog which I was able to cut in half to make excellent gears for the scratch built windlass on my HM Supply

I used Zap-a- gap CA glue to copper the hull of my Sloop Norfolk. It was my first attempt at copper plating. Up until this time I had never had any health problems with CA glue. Even though I did the coppering outside on a deck, I too came down with symptoms similar to flu. In fact I thought I had a very bad cold and ended up taking a couple of days off work. The Admiral suggested that I may have been suffering from the effect of CA fumes. At first I thought that this could not be so as there was no warning on the bottle. However, after doing some research, I discovered that this was a fairly common problem. I now never use CA - even a very small amount - without a face mask.

Every time I browse this site, I learn something new. LOVE IT

I use polyurethane matt and satin but dilute 50/50 with low odour turps. On small areas I brush it on but on larger areas such as decks, I apply with a single action airbrush. I find this gives a smoother more even finish that an aerosol can. Because the poly is thinned, I usually apply at least 4 coats. It tends to dry a lot quicker than 100% poly. I agree with Geoff, Admiralty paints are excellent both for brush and thinned in an airbrush.

To Kurt's philosophy I would also add the following:

He who dies with the most toys WINS!!!!!!!

My Chopper II works well on anything less than about 2mm in thickness. After that I find that the blade tends to flex and a square cut is difficult to achieve. This is when my little Proxxon KS 230 circular saw takes over. I have found the chopper to be most useful for repetitive jobs like cutting deck planking.

Brick75 and Jparsley.

Buy or make yourself some planking screws and use titebond or quick dry PVA when planking. CA is more trouble than it is worth when planking. Home made planking screws shown on thread below.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3734-planking-screws-moved-by-moderator/

Being half way through my Caldercraft build of HM Supply, I too found many differences between the Caldercraft and the Artesania kits. After close inspection of the build by Dan Vadas I noticed the model seemed more `rounded' than the Caldercraft kit. When comparing them both to the Powerhouse Museum model, I could see that both kits had some similarities and some differences to this as well. Things became even more confused for me when I looked at a contemporary painting of the HM Supply (see below)

I think that the overall `shape' of the Caldercraft version is more accurate, but many other details are more accurately shown in the Artesania Latina kit. The Caldercraft kit was reasonably inexpensive and this may account for some of the omissions (like a ship's boat). With a lot of `bashing' I have ended up producing a hybrid of all four configurations. It may not be entirely accurate but I am having fun with it.

I too am fascinated by Shackelton's amazing feats of endurance. I purchased the reprint of his book 'South' as part of a Time Life Series - 'Classics of Exploration' many, many years ago. The story and the B/W photo's in this book are remarkable. I am very interested to hear that a kit of the 'Endurance' is coming out at the end of the year. Does anyone know who is producing it?

I have also found Admiralty Acrylic Paints to be excellent. The colours are authentic and they work very well when diluted for an airbrush. Even though they might not be considered 'cheap,' the fact that they give excellent coverage makes them, in my opinion, very economical. I also love the new lid which is a flip top and has a small lip at the rear which prevents paint spilling down the side of the bottle when opened.

Chuck, an example of a `served' rope. This pic was taken on board the Endeavour replica.

I purchased Alexey's motorised serving machine some time ago and made a modification which allows the reel of cotton used in the process to be mounted on a rod at the front of the machine rather than just sitting on the bench top. I have found it to be a useful addition. I also found greasing the shaft where it goes through the supports with fishing reel grease makes the whole machine work more efficiently. Check out the link below if interested.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/7712-domanoff-rope-serving-machine/page-2

Hi Bryan. As you move forward with your second layer of planking, you may like to consider using PVA wood glue instead of CA (superglue). The use of wood glue such as titebond, or my preferred glue a quick drying PVA from Selleys is not only much easier on your fingers because it is water based but is a lot more economical and has no toxic fumes - as CA does. You can use a gel type CA (this is not runny) on the end of the planks to help hold them in place while the PVA glue dries ( only a couple of minutes in the case of the quickset PVA). Using PVA allows you to move, adjust or even remove an reshape where necessary. CA is much less forgiving.

When you think about it, buying from Germany is no different from buying from the UK if you are buying off the net. Unless the dealer is within a reasonable distance you are unlikely to go to their premises.

Also, if you pay via credit card then the card company are equally responsible as the dealer that you buy from if anything goes wrong.

Proxxon appear to be a reputable company so I wouldn't think twice about buying from them.

 

Derek

Thanks Derek, but I was actually interested in John's ( Neptune) take on the warranty issue. I'm sure that purchasing from Germany would not be an issue if you were in the UK but could be if you are a zillion kilometres away in Australia.

LFrankCPA

check out the following thread

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/9623-low-sheen-finish-that-can-take-glue/

Hi John ( Neptune)

The price you quote for the MF 70 milling machine is excellent - compared to prices on offer in OZ. I have bought a number of Proxxon tools locally ( even if they cost a bit more) mainly because I am concerned about warranty backup when purchasing from overseas. How does purchasing this tool direct from Germany effect your warranty?

Cheers

Steve

Hi Hornet, I've just checked my settings, and while they are a little confusing, as far as I can make out I should be able to receive messages - in fact I have an old one from ages ago. !?

I'm not keen to 'clog up' your build log with my stuff Brian. I'll try resending the PM.

Hi Phil. Great idea - citric acid!! Lemons contain citric acid. Have you tried blackening the ball bearings with this or is the concentration not enough for the job?

Have a read of the post from Paul Garcia on this link from another modelling forum. It made me think about the marketing practices of MicroMark. The follow up comments on the thread are also very interesting.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47211/thread/1354040989/Micro-mark+rivet+decals+in+the+U.K

Brian, do you have messenger enabled. From my end it says the massage has been sent but not read by you. I've never had a problem sending a message before. Not sure what the problem is otherwise

From what I have read on this site and on links provided by members over recent weeks, it seems a pity MSW can't ban certain tool companies just like some model ship companies are banned. It seems as if much of what is sold by micromark is either dodgy, dangerous or ripped off from another reputable tool company. I will certainly never buy a micromark product no matter how big a bargain it is.

You may also want to shape and glue a couple of pieces of ply under the front and rear of the main deck ( part 21). There is quite a lot of flex in it where it butts up to bulkhead 8 at the stern end and bulkhead 3 at the bow end. I have also sent you a PM with a few pics and some other ideas I have used in my build so far.

My preferred support when planking is single malt whisky.

I have just used Birchwood Casey to blacken the photo etched dead eye straps for my HM Supply. I gave them a rub back with some fine emery paper first then soaked them briefly in the lid of a plastic take away container. They came out fine. Much easier than painting.

Thanks for reminding me David!!!! I also soaked in white vinegar after rubbing them back - before soaking in Birchwood Casey