Julie Mo
-
Posts
885 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by Julie Mo
-
Don, That is one really beautiful boat! I love the way you improvised and made it your own. And the detail to your work is more than impressive! Truly a wonderful job. Thank you for sharing. You've sparked my imagination for my build. -
Thank you, Mike! I see what you mean. And I would have painted myself into a corner had not you alerted me. One of the obvious benefits to taking forever to finish a model is getting advice like this before it's too late.
-
Mike, You have some really cool tools... and a lot of patience. Very nice work!
- 843 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- niagara
- model shipways
- (and 2 more)
-
While waiting for the glue pot and hide glue to show up, the lifeboat won over my attention. The instructions show to just lay the planks on the form and glue them edge-to-edge. No keel or frames. That didn't seem like a good idea so I took some of the planks designed for the 2nd planks on the hull and laminated a keel. Instead of using the same dimensions as the form, I extended the keel out a bit on the bow and took the bow a little out of plumb. Then I took an X-acto knife and cut a small dovetail section out of the keel and shaped one end of a plank to fit in it. The dovetail holds the plank in place nicely. Much better than nailing the planks to the form as the instructions call for. The keel scales out to about 4.5" x 4.5". The lifeboat scales out to a little over 13'. I do not know if that keel is the right dimension or not. I'll have to go with what looks good unless someone sets me straight. FWIW, here's what the instructions called for:
-
In Praise Of Lacquer
Julie Mo replied to Julie Mo's topic in Painting, finishing and weathering products and techniques
Mark, If you haven't already used it, boiled linseed oil works well bringing out the grain of the wood. It also gives it an aged look as it imparts a yellow tint to the wood. Wipe it on and just before it dries, wipe it off. Only caveat is it needs to be sealed with dewaxed shellac before applying a finish. Zinnser Seal Coat is a good choice for sealing BLO. After that, you can apply any finish. Dewaxed shellac does not react with any finish, other than alcohol based finishes. -
In Praise Of Lacquer
Julie Mo replied to Julie Mo's topic in Painting, finishing and weathering products and techniques
I set up a spray tent in my basement and installed a 6" fan, ducted to the outside. I would suit up in Tyvek hooded coveralls, nitrile gloves, goggles and a NIOSH P100 respirator before I started spraying. As I progressed through the spraying process, I would take pictures. One picture shocked me. This was taken right after spraying with an HVLP sprayer. I could not see the spray particles still in the air but the flash of the camera picked it up. It was a real eye opener. -
In Praise Of Lacquer
Julie Mo replied to Julie Mo's topic in Painting, finishing and weathering products and techniques
Mark, To do the rudder in the picture above I used Minwax gloss spray lacquer. I bought it at Home Depot. For the guitars I have built, I use Behlen Stringed Instrument gloss lacquer from quart cans and spray it with an HVLP sprayer. But for models, I wouldn't think that level would be necessary. For touch ups on guitars, I have used Behlen Stringed Instrument lacquer from a spray can. You can buy it on Amazon and even at Wal Mart. To be honest, I really can't tell the difference between spray cans of Behlen vs. Minwax. Maybe somewhere down the line the difference would be evident. That's something George Wilson from SMC could tell you. He's not a fan of Behlen but it's worked well for me. As druxey mentioned, you do need good ventilation with nitro lacquer. I took the rudder to the garage and sprayed it there. -
Igor, you are amazing! But I swear, you must have a crew of Lilliputians hidden somewhere.
-
I think I figured out what the drop plank method is Nothing is glued yet. I've decided to glue the 2nd planking with hot hide glue so I ordered a warmer and glue chips. I did find the new method much faster and probably the correct way wood planks would be laid on a hull. Thanks, Bill, for pointing that out.
-
In Praise Of Lacquer
Julie Mo replied to Julie Mo's topic in Painting, finishing and weathering products and techniques
I posted this to show what can be done with lacquer in a very short time. The actual time spent working was maybe 10-15 minutes and that included initially sanding the wood to 220, spraying the first few coats, smoothing down the bumps, final spraying and wet sanding with Micro Mesh to 12000. I won't be using this rudder on the model I'm building, but if I did, I would have sprayed some more coats and done a better job wet sanding it. I know a lot of modelers go to poly but, to me anyway, poly is too labor intensive and very difficult to make repairs later on. Poly is designed for pieces that will take a real beating, The models I see here should never be subject to that. Nitrocellulose lacquer is the purist's choice on guitars and other instruments. It brings out the beauty of the wood, lasts a long time and is easily repaired. It would seem to me to be the perfect finish for modelers but I don't see it here. Is there a reason for this that I am missing? -
I made a rudder from jotoba. In the image below I shaped the rudder then sanded it to 220. I sprayed it with Home Depot bought Minwax gloss lacquer. Three coats. Let it dry. Three more coats. Let it dry. Then knock down the high spots (I used a card scraper) and hit it with two more coats. I then wet sanded it to what you see here. The entire process was under an hour. FWIW...
- 25 replies
-
- 12
-
-
I'm probably sounding like a broken record but my favorite finish is nitro cellulose lacquer. I spray it on. It's great for decals, too. As far as scratches, if you get any, lacquer is easy to repair because the new coat melts into the existing coat.
-
Thanks, Jim. I've seen the videos before. I just wish the camera was was seeing what Chuck was seeing.
-
Thank you, Bill! The tape trick is perfect for what I'm trying to do. But I'm not sure I'm following the drop plank method. Are you saying instead of shaving the next plank to a sliver, to instead cut into the previous plank to accommodate the next plank? With the next plank being no less than 1/2 plank in width.
-
You're right about it taking time, Bob. The sliver of a plank in the picture below took me about 45 minutes to shape and it still isn't right. When I cut the plank with a blade, it developed curvature, so to keep the curve I used planes to shape it. That's why it took so long. My first attempt was to take a wider piece of veneer and shape it to match the profile needed at the stern. It just didn't look right being one solid piece. It has to be plank width to look right. Going in that direction requires a paper-thin taper at one end. I'll need two such mahogany plank tapers on the stern and one on the bow for each side. For the darker wood, I may need more thin tapered planks. I may go with sapele instead of the darker etimoe. For the upper section of the hull, I have ideas of making the two woods work something like this: I am not sure if it would be better to cut the long strip out after the diagonals are in place but I'm leaning against that. The point and arrow, I would think, should be cut out of the diagonals.
-
I couldn't resist trying. The idea of the planking identifying all the lines normally found on a sailboat was too appealing to pass on. I had to give it a try. Where the push pins are more plentiful is where the plank needed the most help. At the stern I steamed the plank to get it to make the bend. It still wanted to pinch and buckle so that's where the push pins on the other side became necessary. None of this is glued. I'm going to keep at it until it becomes obvious, one way or the other, which way I can proceed.
-
Keith, what deck caulking did you use? Teakdecking Systems? And just how small was that caulking gun you used? Can I rent you?
-
If you like the grain of a wood but not the tone or color, you can always dye the wood. Dyes penetrate deeply into the wood, unlike stains. Dye also brings out the grain of the wood and helps make it pop. I prefer TransTint dye because it can be mixed with water, alcohol or into a finish. As far as finishes, I prefer nitrocellulose lacquer. Nothing I have found brings out the beauty of the wood like NC lacquer. One of the other benefits of NC is you can lay down several coats in a day without having to sand between coats. A new coat of NC will melt into the previous coat. And it can be polished to a mirror-like finish if desired. Repairs are easy to do too. Another trick for making grain pop is boiled linseed oil. Wipe a coat of BLO on the wood, let it set just until it begins to dry and wipe it off. Then seal it with dewaxed shellac and finish with whatever you prefer. Here I used curly maple to make the neck then BLO, shellac and NC lacquer. This picture was taken immediately after spraying. Typically, I spray 10 coats of NC, let it de-gas (about 3-4 weeks) then wet sand and polish. And if you like the aged look, BLO is great because it imparts a yellow tint to the wood. But it must be sealed with dewaxed shellac unless you are finishing with an oil.
-
Before I jumped into model building, all my tools were for full size projects. Today I was trying to cut 2mm strips from 1/42 thick mahogany veneer. I tried an X-Acto knife, a veneer saw, a standard razor knife and a high end veneer cutter. I could not consistently rip 2mm wide strips. Then a light bulb turned on. I have a DeWalt DW745 jobsite table saw. I have a .23mm fret saw blade. All I needed was a zero clearance insert for the table saw. So I made one from 1/2" laminated MDF and ran some tests. By the time I fine tuned things, I was ripping 2mm wide planks fairly consistently. Not a Byrnes, I'm sure, but the cost for me was only some time. The block of oak is to keep the veneer down. The strip of cocobolo clamped to the fence sat tight against the table so the veneer didn't slip under. The saw blade is for cutting fret slots but worked well for this application.
-
Keith, I think adventure is in my blood, even if that often gets me into trouble. You are right about the wider planking at the stern. Again, something I hadn't seen in my mind's eye. Feel free to open my eyes anytime. As you can see, I need it and often. Thanks again!
-
Bob, I am sorry but I missed your kind comments. Thank you. I am indeed wrestling with how I will make what is in my head translate well into the finished product. I could have just followed the instructions and used the parts the kit supplies but it would never be truly mine. I guess I need to do something unique to walk away satisfied. And what that always brings is challenges, sometimes more than what I had envisioned. Somehow, in the end, I usually figure my way out but often I need help unpainting myself out of the corner. Thanks for piping in, Bob. I appreciate it. Julie
-
I couldn't get a good mental image looking at the model upside down so I flipped it... I also tried to bend a mahogany plank to follow the waterline. It was doable until I got to the stern, then... NO WAY that's happening. Time to put the thinking cap back on. Maybe I'll stick with diagonal all the way.
-
Keith, thank you for your input. It's always appreciated and makes me step back and look at the build from a different perspective. To explain my reasons for going in the direction I am, I guess it's necessary to discuss some of those ideas that have been popping in my head. As I envision the finished hull, it becomes apparent that most people who see the finished model will be viewing it from a purely aesthetic point of view. Few, other than those who understand boat construction, would notice any deviation from boat building standards. So, at the risk of making the purists cringe, here goes... Starting at the deck edge, lay two (2) mahogany planks parallel to the deck edge. Add one (1) fumed etimoe plank parallel and directly beneath. At the waterline, run one (1) mahogany plank running immediately above the waterline and two (2) etimoe planks parallel to and above the mahogany. In between that, lay the mahogany planks diagonally. The lighter mahogany would be bordered by the darker etimoe. Fumed etimoe & Mahogany veneers Below the waterline I would use the dark planking supplied with the kit. Then I would sand and spray lacquer on the hull, leaving the wood natural. No painting is planned. Still trying to get a good mental image of that, though. The only part that "looks" wrong in that mental image is the planking below the waterline. Maybe that would need to be run parallel to the diagonal mahogany planking. See what happens when a woodworker in love with the natural beauty of wood meets the world of model making? Worlds collide!
Our Emblem ®
