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kurtvd19

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Everything posted by kurtvd19

  1. kurtvd19
    Chris: Use an index card or anything of similar size and a piece of double side tape. Poke a hole through the tape and card. Insert the end of the line through the hole, sticking the line down to the card as shown and wind the coil pressing the line down onto the tape. When the coil is the size you want, stop coiling and "paint" the rope coil with diluted white glue. Let it dry and remove from the card/tape. You can make multiple coils at the same time by using additional strips of tape. Kurt
  2. kurtvd19
    Geoff: Nice work. For the next Ships on Deck (January - December's strictly party) bring some of these photos on a flash drive so the rest of the club can see your work. Kurt
  3. kurtvd19
    Cathead: Great work. Between your build and Glenn's I spend too much time admiring your work - need to get some time in on my projects but you guys are distracting me. Keep it up! Kurt
  4. kurtvd19
    Cathead, you guessed right. Click on the link below to see Glenn's work. Glen talked at the 2014 NRG Conference in St. Louis on this wreck and their work. Kurt http://nautarch.tamu.edu/model/
  5. kurtvd19
    I agree that after several kits one has less need for good instructions. This is why I encourage new modelers here to stick to the US manufactured kits for several builds before they turn to the Italian stuff where the instructions are inadequate at best. With a couple of builds under one's belt there is a much better chance of being able to make sense of the very poorly written/translated instruction in those kits. But, this is a newer modeler asking for advice who doesn't have the experience that will enable him to just use the plans and/or photos. Kurt
  6. kurtvd19
    Too bad Midwest has stopped production of their kits - I recommended them to beginners all the time because of the instructions. Bluejackets instructions are very good - and if you find an error (as I did) they correct the error in future printings - that's true customer service. The newer Model Shipway kits have very good instructions. That said, almost any kit can be found with something lacking in the instructions. But that's what MSW is for - ask if you are not sure as it is easier to ask here than undo glue of remake a part. The Italian kit instructions are horrible. I watched the guy at Mamoli in Milan who was doing the English instructions for a kit look up each word in an Italian to English Dictionary and write it down. I had just been introduced to him via a translator as he spoke NO English and I spoke no Italian, but then I wasn't doing a translation! Mantua's are not much better in my opinion but a couple of the people there did speak enough English that we didn't need a translator. Kurt
  7. kurtvd19
    Les: Look into the Weller model WLC100. It is adjustable and the actual pencil iron is replaceable as well as the tips. I purchased the WLC100 a year ago and use it a lot. Check out this link to Paul Budzik's video on soldering. The unit he uses is very expensive commercial version similar to the WLC100. http://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/Soldering/soldering.html Kurt
  8. kurtvd19
    Les: Check out the video by Paul Budzik on soldering techniques. I have done a lot of silver soldering but hadn't done much with photo etch and a soldering iron (except electrical connections for R/C boats) and his video helped a lot - so did getting a good adjustable soldering iron similar to the one he uses but a few steps down in $$ - a Weller WC100. Kurt http://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/Soldering/soldering.html
  9. kurtvd19
    Ken: I am on board for this build too. Your first was so good this one should be something special. Kurt
  10. kurtvd19
    Gerald: While there isn't a specific heading for steel ships the build log of your model would be of great interest to a lot of us. Don't worry about leaving out tools as there will be a lot of interest in them too. Your work will be followed when you post it. I have been checking your web site ever since you asked about the bilge pumps. Kurt
  11. kurtvd19
    Experience with it yes - on a model no. Several years ago I used it to do a touch up job on a fire truck fender. It worked fine for that job (the pin striping repair was another issue) and the results are equal to a spray can finish - that is to say, not as good as an airbrush. If you can do a decent job with a spray can you can expect similar results with this item but it's only advantage over a rattle can is the ability to use whatever color you need rather than what might be available in a stock rattle can. I can't recommend this over an airbrush as you have no control over the spray pattern - just like a rattle can. An airbrush is the way to go for model painting. We don't usually paint areas big enough to need a spray bigger than an airbrush delivers and we most often are painting small areas that are better painted with an airbrush with a lot less masking needed. Kurt
  12. kurtvd19
    We were also shocked at their meeting room rental prices compared to their other rates and to other places nearby. The 2006 NRG Conference was held there - under former ownership. We are still pretty darn close to the Museum and the conference hotel is closer to the entertainment and dining area od downtown SD from what Mike tells me. Kurt
  13. kurtvd19
    Yeah they are high - like 10X what we can afford for meeting space! Kurt
  14. kurtvd19
    San Diego on October 6-7-8, 2016. Conference hotel is the Downtown Double Tree right up the hill within easy walking distance from the San Diego Maritime Museum. Kurt
  15. kurtvd19
    Hal: Welcome to the hobby. Don't try to cut through the piece in one cut. Take a light cut and then go over it several times to cut through the piece. If it's a thick piece, cut outside the line and then sand the edge to the line to avoid any tendency to angle your cut. Another thing to watch out for is the wood grain and the tendency of a blade to follow the grain - again light cuts will help to avoid this problem. If you are having a problem with the wood splitting along the grain and taking off a part of the piece you are making, make cuts across the grain first so that the tendency of wood to split along the grain doesn't affect your cut. This is something that will get easier with more experience. But be sure to use only SHARP blades. If the blade dulls either replace it or hone the edge - a sharp blade is a safe blade while a dull blade will not cut the wood well and can and will slip and cut you just fine. Kurt
  16. kurtvd19
    Marcus: The NRG Journals are preserved in their entirety on CD's that we sell - see the NRG Store on the NRG web site. We have every issue up to the last ten years available on the CD's with a new CD to be done next year at the conclusion of the next issue of the Journal that will include the last ten years. We also sell copies of many of the articles on the NRG web site for $2.50 each as PDF's that one can download and save to your hard drive. We are getting more articles up but due to a possible switch to the (internal - nobody will notice the switch) operating system of the NRG web site we are holding off putting more articles up to the web site as the webmaster doesn't want or need to do everything 2X. Once the change is made we will continue to post additional articles. Unfortunately the article you want isn't one of the articles now posted. It is a good article and I used it when I built the WEB several years ago. Send me a PM and I will email a copy of the PDF to you. Kurt
  17. kurtvd19
    Glen: Another great model in the making. I am avidly following your posts. After hearing your presentation at the 2015 NRG Conference in St. Louis on the Heroine I was hoping you would post your work on the model here. Thanks for sharing with us. Kurt
  18. kurtvd19
    I have found that the thinner the blade the better the chance of not breaking any parts and as Keith said, take light cuts rather than doing it in one cut. AN Xacto blade or in my opinion the best is a scalpel blade as they are very thin & very sharp. Kurt
  19. kurtvd19
    Ken: It's really looking good. Hooks look great - like how you flattened the hook portion. Kurt
  20. kurtvd19
    NICE work. It is looking great. Kurt
  21. kurtvd19
    Very nice work Ken. Kurt
  22. kurtvd19
    Toni: Great work. Like Greg says, the set up takes the time - but great results are being achieved. Kurt
  23. kurtvd19
    I usually have at least two going at a time as far as building goes. The research into future projects is also ongoing with multiple projects. As far as the keeping stuff organized, it helps that I have a 26' x 42' dedicated shop/office space with multiple benches and tables. The project being worked on at the moment is at the main bench with the other(s) on other tables or atop file cabinets. The various pieces that are not with the main part of the project are in plastic storage bins with either movable dividers or permanent dividers. It's easy to stack them as the parts can't get mixed. Keeping the research stuff organized is helped with file cabinets and plastic storage bins with hanging file folders - these too can be stacked. Writing is kept organized in the computer using a great writing program called Scrivener. Much easier to organize data and writing in it than in MS Word as each project has it's own "Notebook" and the dividers within it are sort of like a notebook where you just click on the folder and it's all in front of you. It's a serious writing tool - cheap only $40 but it has a real steep learning curve but once you know what you are doing it is great. Kurt
  24. kurtvd19
    Mike: Are you bringing any pickled moose lips to go with the beer? Kurt
  25. kurtvd19
    I just threw out that link as a FYI. I have the Micro Mark variable speed drill press with the extended column and like it a lot. I use it a lot but often just use my Craftsman drill press that sits right along side - but with the UMM micro chuck. Perfectly acceptable results using either. Kurt

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