kurtvd19

Ron: Look in MicroMark's catalog. Also Harbor Freight, Lowes, Home Depot and Menards carry the clamps. All of the clamps in the photo can be bought at any of these places - not sure if the small metal clamps at the left are available from MicroMark though. Kurt

Ken: Dry in Vietnam? Hot and humid - about 115% humidity all over SE Asia and then there is the monsoon season. There were times I'd have killed for a dry breeze. Glad the model is traveling well. Kurt

Travel safe Ken. Kurt

It sounds like the paint is pretty thick if you can see the primer under the paint and it isn't bleed. The fix is to either remove all the paint and redo it or mask next to the line making the line a bit wider and then don't prime but add a layer of paint out to the tape. Remove the tape and the previous edge should be hidden by the paint. I think removal and starting over might make a better job of it. Also, it sounds like the tape was pretty thick to allow a build up of primer and paint so the edge is able to be seen. Never use hardware store masking tape - it is too sticky and the edges are not straight and smooth and it's real thick. Use a good automotive or hobby masking tape. Tamiya tape is good as is 3M Fine Line tape. I have switched to FBS K-UTG Gold Crepe masking tape from Coast Airbrush (link below). It is a very thin tape that isn't too sticky - sticky tape can lift underlying paints - and conforms well. The thin tape doesn't let paint build up alongside it. https://www.coastairbrush.com/proddetail.asp?prod=FBS_K-UTG_Gold_Crepe_Masking_Tape Hope this helps Kurt

Rob: That book by Lankford is good and useful. Also look at Planking the Built-up Ship Model Jim Roberts (MSB113) at Model Expo. Both books are must haves for beginners. I can't recommend Model Expo's paints - very thick and the only paint that I have never been able to use in an airbrush - you can't thin the pigment size down. Contact me at my regular email about paints. Look at the various build logs here on the Bluenose to guide you as you go. Also download the instruction book for it now and look it over. Kurt

No you do not - you are asking on behalf of fellow European modelers not MSW. As long as you do not make reference to MSW wanting them to be distributors you don't need permission of any sort. Kurt

Navarino Models - 1/72 scale - Brockley Combe - 1938 British Cargo Ship The Brockley Combe was a small (171’ x 29’ x 13’) British cargo ship built in 1938 by the shipyard Charles Hill & Sons of Bristol City. It ran aground on May 12, 1953 in the Channel Islands and broke in two, with no loss of life. Charles Hill and Sons was originally Hillhouse and Company, established in 1772 with several name changes until Charles Hill took control in 1845 and named the company Charles Hill and Sons. Charles Hill and Sons went out of business in 1977 with approximately 560 ships built and over 2,000 repaired in their yards over their 205 years. The 1/72 scale model kit by Navarino Models of Athens, Greece builds into a model that is 29” long by 4 7/16” in beam. There are two sheets of full size plans and a six page instruction manual with twenty full color photographs to supplement the instructions. The kit is plank on bulkhead style with a two-part false keel and 11 frames of very good quality five-ply plywood, 0.242” (6mm) thick. The deck, bulwark, roofs and cabin sides are cut from 3/64” (1mm) three-ply plywood. There is also a bag of 21 plywood parts of various thicknesses of three-ply and five-ply. I did not observe a single void between the plies of any of the plywood parts. All of the wood appears to have been CNC routed rather than laser cut as the edges are char free and very smooth. The bulkheads fit to the false keel piece very snugly and being CNC cut there is no angle to the cut like with laser cutting. I dry fit all 11 bulkheads in place without any fit issues. Solid blocks of basswood are supplied for the bow and stern blocks that are carved to the shape of the hull to be planked over. There are also 20 pieces of 0.006” thick aluminum sheet pre-cut into 1” strips for the hull plating. Planking material is 1/16” (1.5mm) x 5/16” (8mm) basswood. The deck planking is 0.021” (0.6mm) x 0.081” (0.2mm) of an unidentified dark wood. Various other sizes of basswood strip are also supplied for the hatch covers. There are a number of very well cast resin parts with very little flash and no pinholes that I noticed. Brass stanchions, brass tube and rod, rigging line, eyebolts, brass wire, anchor chain, cast metal anchors, 3 blade nylon prop and eight each of 3mm and 5mm single and double blocks make up the misc. pieces. There are also British flag and ship’s name decals provided. The instructions are very brief and without the twenty photographs provided would not be adequate for a beginner. Prior plank on bulkhead construction experience will definitely be an advantage. Anybody with just a bit of experience should be able to build this model without a problem. I am looking forward to seeing just how the aluminum hull plating material will conform to the hull. Rivets are absolutely needed at this scale and the instruction photos show a good representation of rivets on the built up model. I plan to use a rivet press by North West Short Line but there are a lot of sources now for rivet heads for those without a rivet press. The photographs and plans show the placement of all of the supplied components of this vintage cargo ship, but supplemental research materials will be needed to make it an accurately detailed model. The supplied kit parts and instructions will provide a nice but not highly detailed model and like all kits can be upgraded with additional details to the builder’s level of detail with some additional research and some scratch building. I think that small cargo ships are underrepresented as a modeling subject and I think this kit is a good representation of a classic design. Review previously published in the Nautical Research Journal Issue 62.4 (Winter 2017)

Eric: I agree with Michael on this and it makes a lot more sense that this would have been the way it was done rather than a joint - it would be the strongest way to do it. Kurt

Elijah: Next time you come to a meeting bring the compressor and airbrush back so I can trouble shoot the combo. Maybe the brush needs disassembly and a deep cleaning. I will go over it thoroughly and make sure it's working properly before you try to use it again. I won't be able to do the night of the meeting though. Kurt

Elijah: Looks great. Did you get the airbrush working OK? I'm guessing you did... Kurt

Carl: There is a small fishing boat - the NRG's Generic Sharpie that fits the bill for a simple small craft. 200+ page monograph to guide the builder. The author did the monograph for the builder with minimal tools noted. All materials are standard sizes - no need for custom milling. Only one build going right now but you can see the info on either link below - the review of the initial announcement. Kurt

Yes, the vendor and model room is open to the public.

I found the source for the plans - right in my office in fact. The plans used for the model were the same plans used for the museum boat at the Camp River duBois at Hartford, IL. There was an article in the March 1993 issue of the Nautical Research Journal - Keelboat, Pirogue, and Canoe: Vessels Used by the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery by Richard C. Boss = pages 68-87. Incidentally the article is available at the NRG store as a downloadable pdf for $2.50. The article and plans can certainly be used to develop a set of model building plans. Kurt Link to museum site http://www.campdubois.com/

Eric: Do you know what they did for plans of the replica barge in the museum in IL where the expedition spent the winter? I saw the barge before it and the museum were complete and it was very interesting. A guy did a scratch model of this barge and took a gold medal last year at Manitowoc with it. I will contact him about what he used for plans. Kurt

I might mention that the Generic Sharpie has plans and a 200+ page instruction manual (a free download). There is currently one build log. Kurt

Toni: I heat my Sparex in a small crock pot that I got from the thrift store. You do not want to boil Sparex and the crock pot doen's get that hot. If you want to try the heated Sparex I have an extra crock pot you can pick up next time you are here. It does work better when it's heated. Kurt

Here is the corrected part of page 6 - cropped from the full sheet - with the notches added to the starboard side of the forward frame. This addendum will be included with all plan sets currently on hand. When new sets are printed it will not be required. Kurt GALLEY - PAGE 6 - Corrected Frame 6.pdf

No problem Al but I need time to get it done up - I am a bit late in delivering a museum commission so it's got priority right now. Kurt

The plans have been corrected. Chuck Passaro was able to make the changes and future sets will have the corrections. A sheet mentioning the omission of the notches will be included with the sets already printed - adequate as the detail is identical on the other side (P/S) of the frame. Kurt

Vince: It looks like you spotted an error of omission. I am sure Mick will speak up here if I am wrong, but it sure looks like they are in fact missing as there are matching steps on the aft face of frame 5. I will take the necessary steps to get this corrected for future plan sets when we do them up. Kurt

Practice will cure the tightening too soon. Kurt

Congratulations to Dave on being the first to qualify for one of the prizes we offered to the first 3 who start and continue a build log of the Generic Sharpie. Dave has selected a free day at the 2018 NRG Conference in Las Vegas as his prize and we look forward to seeing Dave in Las Vegas. I have been following this build with great interest. Congratulations again Dave. Kurt

In early April we announced the following incentive to motivate builders to start a build log of this new plan set. To date there has been one build log that qualified for a prize - Generic Sharpie by DocBlake - I notified Dave of his winning a prize and today he claimed his choice and will be attending one day of the 2018 NRG Conference for free (see prizes listed below). Congratulations Dave. An Incentive for Starting a Build Log The NRG’s Generic East Coast Oyster Sharpie plan sets have been selling out – we had to reorder prints 2X already BUT nobody has started a build log yet. As an incentive we have decided to reward the first three (3) MSW / NRG members who purchase the plans and start and continue* actual build logs** from the plans. The build logs should be started in the scratch built forum and labeled with Generic Sharpie – by “your ID”. When we have six or more build logs up and running we will set up a group build area for the Generic Sharpie build logs. The winners will be able to pick any one of the prizes listed below: Free registration for one day at 2018 or 2019 NRG Conference ($145 value) Shop Notes 1 and 2 set ($60 value) Nautical Research Journal – all content set 4 – CDs or 1 Flash Drive ($150 value) Continental Galley Washington Plan set ($65 value) 1 year NRG membership or extension ($50 - $62 value) THE RULES *“Continue” means that multiple posts containing build log content must be made for a minimum of 30 days after the initial post. Logs will be tracked by starting date and the first 3 that have continued for 30 days following their initial post will be declared the winners. **Note the words “actual build logs” – no fair showing a few pieces of wood and going no further just to win.

Phil: I like the one from Midwest Products for a large miter box. It's plastic but it holds up well. For smaller work I like the mini miter box from UMM. It can only be used with the saw shown in the photo - from UMM also. Kurt

Thanks for the input Richard. Mike mentioned something about accessibility - I will contact him and get an answer and get it posted on the web site as well as letting you and Chuck know. Kurt