Chuck

John, I dont like those at all. You mean the clay instant mold stuff that you press the master into??? Our masters for ship model parts and decorations are VERY VERY fragile. They are also very intricate. If you want the smallest of details to transfer to your mold, stick with the poured type shown. Rather than use that stuff which will break or distort your master, Better control is achieved when you can isolate the master and pour the mold material over it so it seeps into all the small details...as it is less likely to damage the delicate masters. It replicates the small details and textures a lot better as well. That clay stuff wont replicate the details and wont work its way into the crevices etc. When you pull the master from the reusable putty the molds are almost always distorted. Especially if you have deeper cavities and undercuts. That is a cheaper type of mold intended for larger and less intricate masters than we deal with. If you have lots of small detailed texture or undercutting it is very hard to press that cheaper mold putty around your master so the mold replicates the most intricate of details. I know that it is a lot more expensive but in the long run its just plain better all around to stick with a pour type compounds of good quality. After spending many many hours carving and creating a master I really dont want to risk breaking it by saving a few bucks or a few minutes when making a mold.

THE MOLD BOX There are many ways to make a mold box. Some folks even use disposable plastic containers. Some make them out of wood. I prefer to use toy build blocks...LEGOS. This gives me more flexibility and I can reuse them to make any size mold box. Because you can remove the blocks one at a time after your mold cures it also makes removal of your mold easier in my opinion. CLAY ON THE BOTTOM In the photo below you can see the master already in position. Surrounding it is blue clay. This is the type of clay that never hardens. It stays soft and pliable. The clay is important for making both simple one piece molds like we are making and two or three piece molds which are more complicated. The clay is usually sold where you can buy the casting supplies. In this case it was from Micro Mark. PREPARING THE MASTER Some tutorials will instruct you to place the master in the clay directly. You would push the clay all around the part so no rubber from your pour will seep under it. This is OK for larger really simple parts....BUT In our case, the tiny intricate pieces (often made from thin fragile boxwood) would certainly break. If your clay isnt perfectly flat it would be problematic as well. That makes it more susceptible to breakage. If it doesnt break it will certainly flex and your mold will produce distorted castings. So I recommend that you adhere the piece to a flat section of wood. In this case a small piece of cherry painted red. Normally it wouldnt be painted but it wont have any effect on the mold making process because its acrylic paint. This gives you a great flat surface all around the master. As you can see in the photo above, the master is leveled in the clay and the clay is smoothed out all around it so no mold material will seep under it when you pour. Note that the master is also painted....not recommended but I really didnt want to carve another one....it did work out just fine in the end. It is also really important that you do your best to ensure the master is level in the mold box. You dont want it sloped one way or the other. This is important when you start pouring resin into the mold as you want the resin to flow properly into the mold. Remember that this is for simple pieces with a flat surface....once they master gets more complex you should think about the best orientation for the piece based on how the resin will sit in the finished mold. Hope that makes sense. BEFORE YOU POUR YOUR MOLD... The master and every surface of the mold box needs to be treated with a mold release. This is also readily available where you buy the casting materials. I am using what came from MM. It is shown in the photo above as well. Brush it onto all surfaces...but dont let it pool up anywhere. Just give the inside walls, the master and even the clay a light coating. It makes it much easier to remove the mold after it cures. This step is crucial when you make more complex two and three part molds. Some places recommend a spray on mold release but this is fine and you have more control brushing it on. Remember no puddles. MIX YOUR MOLD MATERIAL In my case I am using rubber mold material from MM. There are many varieties. Some are extra strength for longevity...tear resistant for masters with complex undercuts and small details...or heat resistant for making metal castings...the explanations are usually very clear on reputable supplier websites. In this case its just ordinary basic rubber mold material for resin casting. Unless you need to make hundreds of parts this is just fine. I have used the extra strength stuff though at times and it works well when you have to make 100 plus castings with small intricate features where the mold might tear. Most of the mold compounds available to you these days will be a two part 1 to 1 mixture. It is important that you stir the contents of both parts A and B before use and before you mix them together. Also make sure they are at room temperature. Too cold or too hot and it will affect the strength and longevity of the mold. It will also take longer to cure. I pour equal parts of A and B into separate plastic cups. They are clear plastic cups so you can see the level of material in each. You can see in the photo that one part is white and the other is blue. This is done on purpose so when you mix the two and stir it you can tell when they are thoroughly mixed. Pour them together in one plastic cup and stir (or fold) together. Try not to agitate it so bubbles form in the mixture. Easy and gentle stirring or folding. Once you see no streaks in the two colors and a uniform light blue color is achieved you are ready to pour. Most good compounds these day are self gassing. Meaning the trapped bubbles will dissipate after a few seconds. But if you were careful it wont be an issue. POURING THE MOLD When pouring the material into your mold box do it slowly at first. Either pour it into the lowest spot of the mold box or in our case, one of the corners of the mold box. Never pour directly on top of the master because you will trap air bubbles around certain areas and end up with a bad mold. Better to start in a corner of the mold box and let the material slowly FLOW around and over the master to ensure no air is trapped. This mold will usually take 5 hours to cure. BUT I always let it cure overnight. At room temperature !!!To de-mold...simply remove the lego blocks and carefully pull the mold away from your master. Try not to break the master if it is intricate. This is also why I prefer to mount the master on a sheet of wood because if it was directly on the clay it is more prone to breakage. STORING YOUR MOLDS Your molds wont last forever but one trick is to place them in a plastic zip-lock baggie and place them in your freezer. Otherwise they get dried out and weak over time....and it doesnt take long for it to happen. Just make sure the molds are room temperature or even warmed up before you use them again. The mold making parts A and B also have a very short shelf life. This can also be extended by storing them in a cold place. But anything of good quality will have a use-by date on it. The worst thing you can do is try to use old stuff you have laying around to make a mold.....it will be impossible to remove from your master and mold box if it doesnt set up and cure. Trust I have been there.....its a gooey, bloody mess. So better to get fresh stuff and use it sooner rather than later. Buy only what you need although its tough to buy less than 16 oz. containers. You can see the finished mold above ready to make some cast copies in resin....that next installment will come very soon. Hopefully I covered everything. Any questions????

You are correct....best not to show seams between hatches or fittings. They werent needed as one length would do teh trick and be much stronger.

The list of blocks and sizes are correct for syren....you can use the materials list. But yes, when you see a 3/32" block called for, that is the correct size. The problem is that what the kit gives you for a 3/32" block is closer to a 1/8" block. So its not the list that is incorrect but the product that is supplied. You will be safe making the block sizes called for in the materials list. Chuck

I will be doing a demo at my local club as a follow up to the carving exercise we had. I will also create a photo essay of sorts here on MSW. I have already created the test mold for the live demo and made a few test copies....but will be making more molds of other elements. I will demonstrate one method for making simple one part molds for these flat carvings as it is something that comes in handy for ship modeling. Especially for things like gunport wreaths etc. So look for the demo to commence in about a week. I am just waiting on newer resin and rubber mold material to arrive in the mail. It has a short shelf life. Using old rubber mold materials is also not good because it could ruin your master. I will be trying a few brands so I can talk about and review each of them. I hope you will find this a useful addendum to the carving section as it is somewhat related. I hope its OK with you folks that I post here in this area. Below is the first mold....a master carving....and two cast copies. Casting thin parts is problematic but its what we do as ship modelers so lets give it a go. Chuck

The main stay isnt situated on top of the shroud gang....just slide it over and around the back of the shroud gang...This is actually more stable and typical. Take a look at this contemporary model... although it is not a cutter, it is still typical of how the stay appears around the shroud gang rather than stacked "next in line" on top very neat. If that makes sense. It need not be stacked. Although mine did seem to fall that way naturally.

Looks very good Mike. I wouldnt move it like the book. Think about what would happen over time if on the actual ship it was there. Small movement in the mast would cause that rope to shimmy back and forth and move around. The top edge of that strap although not razor sharp would slowly act as a knife weakening and tearing/cutting through the stay over time as the mast moved ever- so slowly back and forth..... Can you picture that? Chuck

I dont want to hijack the topic but... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mazbot-7-034-Hole-Punch-Pliers-5-SIZE-Jewelry-Metal-Leather-HIGH-GRADE-HPP06-/280775730493 Ebay of course.

If you dont mind spending $20 bucks for a tool you wont use that often.....This one works really well to make thimbles. Its a jewelry metal punch tool. Works great. The aluminum or brass tubes we use are very soft so only light squeeze pressure is needed.

Fantastic news...look forward to seeing some progress. Chuck

Yes I know but the damage is done already.....I was too trusting and very naive. Maybe I should partner with them as was mentioned in another thread by one of our members . That is why all future Syren parts and kits will no longer be sold with plans that include laser cut patterns. For example...my new barge kit wont have any templates of parts....on the plans. The plans will NOT be sold separately. Because the parts are all included and laser cut in the kit, it isnt really needed. I will use photographs of the parts in the instructions instead. Its a shame really that it has come to this. I have also removed the station lines from the body plan on the plan sheet so if they want to steal the barge design they will have to do some work to figure it out. If they are even capable. Live and learn. I also no longer sell to Russia or China. I do get orders but I simply cancel them. Its a real shame I tell ya. I am very close friends with two Russian model builders in the states. They have family back home and brought this site to my attention last year and apologized on behalf of good Russian folks who dont condone the practice. And they admit that the issue of piracy is as bad if not worse than in China. They also pointed me to another Russian site which includes a free download of my Cheerful plans, Syren Plans and Confederacy plans along with the practicum...which isnt even finished yet for Cheerful. You can also download many books from Seawatch page by page in RAR format. But those guys will end up with the nastiest of virus' on their computers after downloading anything. Really bad stuff actually and they advised me not even to try it as it gives the site owners access to their computers afterwards. So I do get a small bit of satisfaction in knowing that if anyone actually finds the site and downloads my plans they will have some serious problems......afterwards. Some people say I get too upset over this stuff and its just the way it is and although they say publicly they dont condone it....they are not all that disturbed by it. But I must tell you....its not a fortune lost but how much money have I lost because of folks like this.....and from those who are willing to use them? Its very serious for the industry. It makes me want to stop even trying and hang it up.....whats the point right? At least that is what runs through my mind from time to time. I could get a job at Home Depot and come home after a shift and make models just to relax like everyone else. Working 12 hours a day in the shop seven days a week to make a living as a ship modeler pays about the same thing.....it will be far less stress. Maybe some folks wouldnt take it so lightly or wouldnt buy from them if they were the ones trying to provide for their families by making a living at it. I do wish they would think about that when they hit the buy button.

Yes indeed it is....that same scumbag company also pirated my lantern kits and other projects stolen from other MFGs....I removed the link. The Russians are just as bad as the Chinese. You would think with all of their master builders that they wouldnt have to steal other designs. But yes that company is bad news. They even use my assembly images taken from this site to help sell the lanterns. I made the unfortunate mistake of including the parts diagram in the downloadable instructions. Once again....You cant win!!! I have known about this company for some time now. When I first came across their site I had to laugh until I almost peed myself. Written in russian it says "Dont buy from a foreign supplier.....we manufacture all of OUR products in our own facility" If its out there they will find a way to steal it. They have also stolen and pirated Jeff Staudt's Batteau because the Model ship builder site hasnt used any protections.....not that this stops them. This company has already been added to the banned Kit makers list posted here. I guess I should be flattered right? Imitation the the greatest form of flattery or however that saying goes.... http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/181-banned-kit-manufacturers-on-msw-pirated-kits-prohibited/ Here is a link to the real thing.......buy the original and NOT the pirated Commie fakes Chuck

That looks excellent.....well done.

That is looking great Ben.....Everything seems back on track.

Thats a lot port lids....way more than are needed. Remember that not every port gets a lid. Only 7 per side. Chuck

You cant use auto trace...its just not accurate. It also creates too many nodes in your lines. Unfortunately there are no shortcuts and these "quick-fix" auto functions are just a way to do the job quickly and rather sloppily. The only way you will be able to really do an accurate job is to import the image and trace over it while making corrections yourself. Then as Druxey said, use diagonals and waterlines to fair and correct your traced lines. It is a very time-consuming process but its the only way you will be sure its correct before you start making sawdust. I usually import an image and scale it to whatever the scale is I am working on...say 1:48. But others find it easier to make the drawing full size so they can use the real measurements from Steele or a builders contract. I use Corel Draw X8. It works great and once you become proficient with using the dozen or so tools and functions needed it goes well. You can use small tricks and methods to speed up the process. I have taught several people over the phone how to use CD and in person. I can usually get them to the point where they can work on their own with good results in just a few hours. But they must understand lofting and fairing and ship design before they start using the software or the lack of architectural knowledge usually does them in. Its easy enough to learn the software....much more difficult and time consuming to learn and understand how draft frames and proof out and fair your lines, along with adding all of those important details not shown on an original draft or simple plan original. In the image posted above for example, you can see the original draft I will begin drafting and tracing over. Also added to the workspace is an image of a similar contemporary model. This is also scaled up to the same size as the draft. Rather than flip back and forth to a photo on a different file or on paper, having the photo right above my work is an excellent and convenient reference. I can quickly examine the contemporary model for features not shown on the draft or incorporate and design my parts to mimic those on the model. For example, I can quickly use the model to design the joints between the stem and keel to closely mirror that models construction because its right above my workspace and not shown on the draft. I usually have many more draft copies and photos in my workspace than shown here but this is how I work up a set of plans....once at a pont to fair the frames or correct inaccuracies in the draft I can hide those images while I create my own half-breadth plan or whatever third view I need to prove out my lines. I use waterlines and diagonals to correct my frames while creating my own Half breadth view from the body plan and sheer plan I traced. Chuck

Very nice....that is exactly how I will show the oars for my Royal Barge.....it looks great.

If not out at sea, the loose ends are belayed to a cleat which would be convenient. But if out at sea, the boom would need to swing freely so many contemporary models have the two loose ends belayed to the boom itself. This is also shown on many contemporary paintings as well like the ones shown.

Thank You very much!!!

Really nice planking job....I think you found the sweet spot and wont have difficulty planking anything in the future. Well done!!!

Thank You very much I basically use a lot of simple square knots. I try not to complicate things. Half the battle is using the right sized line. As soon as time allows I will try and put something together. Chuck

Here you go....if you can find an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of self adhesive label paper I recommend using that. It makes things a lot easier. I know you only need one sheet but for future projects it worth the investment. You can buy self adhesive paper that is micro thin on ebay.....25 sheets per pack. longboatfreizes.pdf

Nicely done Mike.....only a few more to go.

I am about to make the two yards for Cheerful and the center of each is eight sided. So I am going to start with a square stick and then turn it into an Octagon. I will round off the ends and taper them afterwards. I am using the 7/10/7 template to mark the stick so I can create the eight sided shape. When I was preparing my square stock I thought that everyone would probably benefit from the template I am using and created. It will save you time so you dont have to make one. Attached is a PDF template that is prepared with the correct ratios. I have been using it all along to make the masts and other spars. Its a very handy template to have. seventenseven.pdf Chuck

Beautifully done....it is refreshing to see some progress. I missed the updates.