xken

Well the smoke was only around one day and all is clear now. While waiting for the airbrush paint to show up I painted the bow splash wall and then realized that before adding the rails that it would be easier to locate and paint the tower windows first. I copied the tower face CAD drawing and made a paper location stencil cutting out the windows. Once taped to the front wall I dry dabbed black paint to define the locations and then used strips of blue tape for the final shapes of the windows and painted with a small brush using two light coats.
 
Then the airbrush paint arrived and I then painted the previously primed rails. It has been 45 years since I last used an airbrush, but just like riding a bike it all came back. I glued the top rail in place and then added the top deck, easier to get this rail in place first. Now I am slowly working my way up from the bottom adding the painted rails. I am glad the tower is not glued in place yet, because adding the rails is a tediously slow process to get right.
 
I might also mention that I added the window glazing before gluing the top deck in place. I used card stock for pattern development and then cut out each window as required and once finally fitted was glued in place with tiny wood strips to hold in place on the inside. Glad I built in the bottom access hole just for this purpose. I did have to enlarge the hole for better access.
 

 
This shows the typical taping process used.  
 

 

 

 

 
Now back to adding deck rails.

I glued all the decks together except the top Bridge/Nav. deck; need to still sort out the window installation. After the glue set I then sanded all the mating surfaces and then added glaze as needed, sanded, glazed and then primed and sanded. Finally once satisfied I painted white. 
When priming and painting I used the spray cans, first warming them and holding back with light coats to seal the glaze then painting again with light coats. The real fun was masking off the green decks prior to painting, I used 1/4" masking tape and made sure to burnish all edges to avoid any paint bleed onto the green. I cut a piece of strip wood with a bevel on the end as a burnishing tool. 

 

 

 

 
Before I can add the ladder ways I will need to sort out how to add the windows on all the smooth sides. Still waiting for paint to arrive from MicroMark, perhaps next week. Next I will decide whether to add window glazing or not, will do some testing.   

Jack,
Thanks, for the explanation. John here is an image as well as a PDF file of the working CAD drawing I will be using when time to start building. Yesterday I had a chance to see the museum building under construction ready for interior painting. The opening is planned for October to coincide with the Harbor Festival. The build is on hold for now until the building is complete due to budget constraints. But if I wish I can start at my own risk of not being paid for some time. 
 
I also have just been asked to consider two commissions for ME which will take priority at this point. 
 

 
 
Here is CAD drawing:  LCVP PLAN01.pdf
 
 

Nils, the crew look great and really add a sense of scale.

Jack,
Thanks, for the explanation. John here is an image as well as a PDF file of the working CAD drawing I will be using when time to start building. Yesterday I had a chance to see the museum building under construction ready for interior painting. The opening is planned for October to coincide with the Harbor Festival. The build is on hold for now until the building is complete due to budget constraints. But if I wish I can start at my own risk of not being paid for some time. 
 
I also have just been asked to consider two commissions for ME which will take priority at this point. 
 

 
 
Here is CAD drawing:  LCVP PLAN01.pdf
 
 

Jack,
Thanks, for the explanation. John here is an image as well as a PDF file of the working CAD drawing I will be using when time to start building. Yesterday I had a chance to see the museum building under construction ready for interior painting. The opening is planned for October to coincide with the Harbor Festival. The build is on hold for now until the building is complete due to budget constraints. But if I wish I can start at my own risk of not being paid for some time. 
 
I also have just been asked to consider two commissions for ME which will take priority at this point. 
 

 
 
Here is CAD drawing:  LCVP PLAN01.pdf
 
 

little update  :
 
some of the 1:48 scale crew members  will be of "multy culty" mix of mediteranian nations and "stranded" individuals.....
I had been gathering these cast figures long time already and managed to give them a paint touch now...
The chimney-tube of the stove (under the quarter deck) has been installed now, may be a bit unusual, but why not
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Jack,
Thanks, for the explanation. John here is an image as well as a PDF file of the working CAD drawing I will be using when time to start building. Yesterday I had a chance to see the museum building under construction ready for interior painting. The opening is planned for October to coincide with the Harbor Festival. The build is on hold for now until the building is complete due to budget constraints. But if I wish I can start at my own risk of not being paid for some time. 
 
I also have just been asked to consider two commissions for ME which will take priority at this point. 
 

 
 
Here is CAD drawing:  LCVP PLAN01.pdf
 
 

LCVP => landing craft, vehicle, personnel aka Higgins boats WWII

Kurt, I sent you a PM about the article and payment. Thanks to both Roger and Kurt! 

A quick update to show the bow mooring deck with the emergency hand operated anchor brake handles in place along with the ladderways on either side. Evan said that the brakes are normally electo-hydraulically operated and that the handles rise up and down with the anchor chain mechanism, hence the U shaped handles.
 
I thought I would share the steps to make these small handles and how they were soldered while indexed into horizontal ring.
 

 

 
Here is a unabashed plug for why I love the precision of my Sherline lathe turning down .020" locating pins on the handle shaft. My cutting tool is a parting tool ground down to a 1/32" cutting edge.
 

 
Here they are in place. Evan said that the ladderways allowed quick access from the deck sides or front if a winch failure happens.
 

 
Now to the rope bollards for both mooring decks. Still waiting to hear back about the LCVP project; may end up another hurry up and wait project. 
 

Kurt, I sent you a PM about the article and payment. Thanks to both Roger and Kurt! 

Roger, do you remember the year or the Journal numbers of the series?

A quick update to show the bow mooring deck with the emergency hand operated anchor brake handles in place along with the ladderways on either side. Evan said that the brakes are normally electo-hydraulically operated and that the handles rise up and down with the anchor chain mechanism, hence the U shaped handles.
 
I thought I would share the steps to make these small handles and how they were soldered while indexed into horizontal ring.
 

 

 
Here is a unabashed plug for why I love the precision of my Sherline lathe turning down .020" locating pins on the handle shaft. My cutting tool is a parting tool ground down to a 1/32" cutting edge.
 

 
Here they are in place. Evan said that the ladderways allowed quick access from the deck sides or front if a winch failure happens.
 

 
Now to the rope bollards for both mooring decks. Still waiting to hear back about the LCVP project; may end up another hurry up and wait project. 
 

Ken, thanks for the link and your assessment is correct a little too course, but will save for future reference.

Kurt, I sent you a PM about the article and payment. Thanks to both Roger and Kurt! 

Roger, do you remember the year or the Journal numbers of the series?

A quick update to show the bow mooring deck with the emergency hand operated anchor brake handles in place along with the ladderways on either side. Evan said that the brakes are normally electo-hydraulically operated and that the handles rise up and down with the anchor chain mechanism, hence the U shaped handles.
 
I thought I would share the steps to make these small handles and how they were soldered while indexed into horizontal ring.
 

 

 
Here is a unabashed plug for why I love the precision of my Sherline lathe turning down .020" locating pins on the handle shaft. My cutting tool is a parting tool ground down to a 1/32" cutting edge.
 

 
Here they are in place. Evan said that the ladderways allowed quick access from the deck sides or front if a winch failure happens.
 

 
Now to the rope bollards for both mooring decks. Still waiting to hear back about the LCVP project; may end up another hurry up and wait project. 
 

Ken, thanks for the link and your assessment is correct a little too course, but will save for future reference.

Cathead, I have to add a few more details there are two ladderways to be added at the end against the bulkhead and two wheels that I think work the anchor brakes while standing on the platform. Standby more to come. 

I have been working back and forth between the bow and stern mooring decks working on the various items. Here is a picture of the stern mooring deck.
 

 
Here is a close up of the ladderway on the starboard side formed from one of Tom's PE sheets. Also note some yellow caution paint on some components which I added per photos.
 

 
One of the more challenging items was a raised platform between the anchor winches that has a meshed floor. My wife had some ribbon that came on a flower bouquet that I liberated from her. I sprayed a section with gray paint let it tack off and then pressed it between two steel blocks to set flat.
 

 
Next I cut a pattern of the platform floor and bent a .020" brass rod around the perimeter of the pattern and soldered the joint.
 

 
I then hammered the formed shape flat and then filed it smooth on both sides.
 

 
Next I bent three U shapes for the legs and hammered the center flat for a mating surface with the frame when soldered together. Once all were soldered in place the legs were all cut to the correct length needed. I then glued a formed ladderway to the edge of the frame and allowed the glue to really set hard.
 

 
I then sprayed the platform frame with gray paint and using a medium thick CA glued the frame to the painted ribbon. Once the glue set I carefully cut it out around the perimeter.
 

 
Next came the rails cut and fitted to the frame and then the painted with the ladderway rails and steps painted yellow.
 

 
Here is the platform in place along with the rest of the fixtures on the bow mooring deck with the various yellow caution highlights.
 
 
 
Now back to adding more details.

Roger, do you remember the year or the Journal numbers of the series?

Roger, do you remember the year or the Journal numbers of the series?

A quick update to show the bow mooring deck with the emergency hand operated anchor brake handles in place along with the ladderways on either side. Evan said that the brakes are normally electo-hydraulically operated and that the handles rise up and down with the anchor chain mechanism, hence the U shaped handles.
 
I thought I would share the steps to make these small handles and how they were soldered while indexed into horizontal ring.
 

 

 
Here is a unabashed plug for why I love the precision of my Sherline lathe turning down .020" locating pins on the handle shaft. My cutting tool is a parting tool ground down to a 1/32" cutting edge.
 

 
Here they are in place. Evan said that the ladderways allowed quick access from the deck sides or front if a winch failure happens.
 

 
Now to the rope bollards for both mooring decks. Still waiting to hear back about the LCVP project; may end up another hurry up and wait project. 
 

Cathead, I have to add a few more details there are two ladderways to be added at the end against the bulkhead and two wheels that I think work the anchor brakes while standing on the platform. Standby more to come.