gjdale

Thanks Steven, That is of course the first thing I did - search the forums, but the search turns up no actual build logs - only a completed model in the gallery and some discussion about plans and figures. I’ve also tried other forums, but to no avail. If anyone can point me to an actual build log, that would be very much appreciated.

Introduction I have long had a hankering to build a small launch with live steam propulsion. The African Queen seemed to be an ideal choice of subject, however finding a kit to modify proved somewhat elusive. In the end, I settled on the Billings offering in 1:12 scale as it claims to be suitable for Radio Control (albeit using an electric motor). Here is a picture of the box art. The next challenge was finding a steam plant suitable for inclusion in the model. After an exhaustive search, I settled on a complete steam plant from Miniature Steam Models (MSM) in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 2” boiler with the “Avon” twin cylinder double acting oscillating steam engine. The steam plant comes complete with a boiler certificate and the engine is matched to the size of the boiler. For the tech heads, it has an 8mm bore and an 11mm stroke (and it is reversing). Overall, it is very similar in size to the “fake” boiler/engine plant provided in the Billings kit. Here are a couple of pictures of the steam plant as provided from MSM. What’s in the box? The Billings kit is fairly typical of the Billings offerings. The hull is provided as a single-piece vacuum formed ABS mould. The rest of the kit includes a variety of laser cut plywood parts, some strip wood (not particularly high quality), some brass components and some plastic components. As I will not be using the provided boiler/engine parts, a lot of these will be redundant. I was concerned by the apparent flimsiness of the hull, and my plan is to sheath the hull in timber, and then fibreglass over the top of that. To this end, I have obtained some 1mm thick Alaskan Yellow Cedar from Hobby Mill EU to be cut into planks as appropriate. I will also be adding some aftermarket timber for the deck planking, as the kit would have you simple draw planking lines onto the provided plywood. I’m currently in the process of placing an order for this with Hobby Mill EU. Instructions are, I believe, typical of Billings – which is to say, next to useless. This is not a kit for a beginner, although it is marketed as “Advanced Beginner”. We shall have to see whether I have sufficient skills to pull this off – otherwise, there is considerable investment “down the tube”. The Hull Here are a couple of pictures of the ABS hull. As can be seen in the pictures, there is a considerable excess lip around the upper edge. I will need to remove the vertical component of this before I can do anything else. My current plan is to do that, and then fit the internal frames to provide some stiffening before attempting the outer planking. Welcome aboard for what might prove to be an "interesting" journey!

Continued from previous post... The Loading Dock The Main Dock That completes the series of "glam" shots and brings this project to a close. I'd like to thank all of you who have followed along and offered support, encouragement and advice along the way. This has been a most enjoyable diversion into this style of modelling and I've learned a lot along the way. i do have another of these kits in my stash (Foss's Landing), but I've got a ship or two to build first. Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure!

Continued from previous post... The Saw Shed The Sales Office Continued next post...

Continued from previous post... Some of the individual "scenes". The Ship Under Construction The Yard Master (studying the plans) The Steam Box The Upper Yard Shed The Derrick Dock Continued next post...

Thanks very much Keith, Glen, OC, Jack, Yves, Mark and Ken, and also to all of the 'likes'. I didn't quite get around to posting the final "glam" shots yesterday, so here they are. There are quite a few, so I'll split across several posts, starting with the overall "spin" shots. Continued next post...

Very nice work on the bow and stern carvings Glen. And good thinking re the oars too! This is really starting to take shape now.

Thanks again for the input guys. I decided to have another crack at the water – I just wasn’t happy with the ripples, nor the smooth patches. So I did two more applications of the Water Gel Effects using a softer stencilling (I think) brush. My aim was to blend in/out the heavy parallel lines that could previously be seen, and also to remove the totally glass smooth areas. I’m happy with the result and am going to call “done” at that. Here’s a few shots of the final version of the water. Final "glam" shots to come later today....

Thanks for that input Glen. The photo you posted is pretty much exactly the effect I was going for (but still with the odd calm/still patch). I’m going to have another crack at this today - I have a couple of ideas/techniques in mind….

Neat solution to a tricksy problem BE. Looking very good.

Thanks Wefalck - that kinda aligns with my thinking. The “white foam” around the posts is actually just a trick of the light though.

Thanks for all the input guys, and also for all of the 'likes'. Finishing the Diorama – the Water (cont’d) So I acquired some AK Water Gel Effects (AK8007) and applied this with an old fairly stiff brush. The effect I was looking for was that of a gentle breeze across the water surface, with occasional clear patches of no breeze. As this is my first attempt at this process, I would appreciate some further feedback and/or guidance/tips to improve the appearance. Are the "wave lines" too distinct? Would I be better off using a more "stippling" method to remove/reduce the line effect? The good thing about this product is that I can add more to change the effects. Here is the first attempt. Thanks in advance for any and all input/advice.

Thanks Wefalck and Glen, You’ve convinced me to have a shot at adding some texture to the water surface. I’ve just ordered some of this:

Thanks Wefalck, that’s pretty much what I had in mind. 👍 I have no experience with any of the products/brands available though, so was hoping for some recommendations in that regard from those who may have trodden this path before.

Thanks very much once again for all the kind comments and the likes. Finishing the Diorama – the Water To complete the diorama, I added an external frame of 3mm plywood, that doubles as a dam for the resin water. Once glued in place, I sealed the inside joins with silicone and then used automotive masking tape to reinforce all of the seams before pouring the resin. I used Envirotex Lite resin as recommended in the instruction manual. I did several small test pours with varying combinations of paint to tint the "water", before settling on a mix of Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue and Black in about a 5:1 ratio. With the testing complete, it was time to take the ‘no turning back’ step and actually pour the water. All seems to have gone well. The pictures below were taken about two hours after the pour. All bubbles seem to have sorted themselves out and I have “embraced the creep”. Not sure yet whether I will apply some paint along the shoreline to change the colour there a little. The other thing I’m not yet sure about is whether or not to attempt adding some texture to the water surface using either a Woodland Scenics product or an AK Interactive product. I’m open to thoughts on this. Here are the photos with the resin still curing. Once I’ve made those final decisions, I’ll take off the tape and take some final “glam” shots.

Cry Havoc and let slip the Penguins of war!

That's a great looking sea wall Glen.

Continued from previous post... A few extra dock yard maties were selected from the Carpenter’s crew and placed in the overall scene. This chap is carrying a load of freshly cut timber over to the ship. Two more are at work on the ship itself. And here’s a close-up of one of these two. Here then are a few “spin” shots showing the overall diorama from all angles. The design of this kit is so clever, that there is no “front” side – take our pick! One thing I didn’t mention earlier, but can be seen in the above photos, is that I wasn’t happy with the light poles or telegraph pole, so I re-made these all from 1/8” dowel (the manual actually specified this for the telegraph pole, so I figured the light poles must be similar). The last task remaining (other than a little touch up here and there) is to pour the “water”. While I’m a little apprehensive about this as there is no going back, the instructions have very little to say about it, other than following the resin manufacturer’s instructions and doing a little test first. I’ve learned along the way that when the instruction manual does not go into great detail, then the process is generally straight forward. (Famous last words).

Detailing the Diorama Scenes (continued) A picture heavy update, so I'll spread this across two posts. With the “ground work” complete, it was time to start placing the remainder of the castings around the main building and docks. In doing so, I’ve used the pictures in the instruction manual as a general guide to placement, without copying it exactly. We start with the area outside the Sales Office. Once the castings were in place, the Sales Office Porch was added. This was built in the usual way over a provided template. A two-step set of stairs was also added. In the picture below, I have also added the old truck in its final place. The stairway to the upper storey was then build and added. A set of three laser-cut stringers are provided in the kit, along with a cutting guide for the stair treads. I got so engrossed in what I was doing that I forgot to take any “in-progress” pics of this process but it was a straight forward one. Prior to placing the stairs, the area underneath the stairs was detailed with the workbench and other items various. The workbench was a one-piece casting painted earlier, but legs and bracing were needed prior to final placement. I’ve also added a few scraps of timber under the bench. The left Loading Dock was next. Again, the shelving unit was a one-piece casting painted earlier. All other items are individual castings. Next we move onto the area outside the Yard Master’s Office. I obtained a set of HO Scale figures from Woodland Scenics and have used some of these to add some more life to the diorama. The set of figures I bought was a Carpenter’s Crew. Here I have modified one (by cutting the saw off of his hand) to represent the Yard Master examining the ship’s plans. Then it’s on to the end of the Main Dock. Looks like a lot of inventory has been delivered recently. And from another angle. The rear of the Yard Master’s Office also houses a range of parts and clutter. The right Loading Dock also gets its share of paraphernalia. The fence line is now added, complete with “rising damp” as suggested by a SWSM forum guru. Continued next post...

I wonder if small zip-loc bags might be a better option for you Ian? Just thinking they might be easier to place and you can get them in a variety of sizes, from tiny to quite large.

Congratulations Mark on another fine build. She looks fabulous and you should be justifiably proud of her.

I’m in!

I’m late to the party (again) Glen, but I’ve pulled up a chair next to Mark beside the bar. We’ll empty a few more bottles for you while we’re there! Best wishes for your friend’s recovery - she sounds like an awesome friend. Looking forward to following another epic build. 🙂

Thanks very much OC, Ken and Mark, and also to all of the "likes". Detailing the Diorama Scenes (continued) A couple of “housekeeping” items to begin with. Firstly, I built an extra ladder and hung it on the side of the Saw Shed using a couple of “S” hooks I made from brass wire. Then the Bumper was added to the end of the rail tracks. This is made from some scrap dowel. Two lamps/lamp posts are required. I found what I believe to be one lamp among the metal castings, but only one. It also requires a piece of brass wire attaching to it to form the lamp post lamp. Faced with the dual problem of being short one lamp and securely fixing wire to a white metal casting, I opted to make a pair of new lamps by turning them from brass rod on my lathe. In the picture below you can see my new lamps on the left, with the blackened original casting on the right. While I was turning these, I also bored out the back end to accept a 1.6 mm (1/16”) diameter brass wire. I then silver soldered the wire to the lamps. Here they are cleaned up and ready for blackening. The lamp posts were made from 7/32” (~5.5mm) diameter dowel. The blackened and buffed lamps were epoxied into holes drilled in the dowel and are shown below temporarily in place in the diorama. (The Telegraph pole can also be seen in the background). In the photograph, the poles look a little over-thick, although in the flesh they seem okay. I don’t know whether this is just a trick of the camera lens, or whether I need to redo the lamp posts. With these tasks complete, I was able to proceed to detailing the Derrick Dock. Here are a series of photographs of the detail in this scene. The end of the dock, with the shed and the Derrick both in place. The Derrick has since been removed for safe keeping until the diorama is complete. An overview from the pit side of the dock (minus Derrick) Looking down at the inboard end of the shed. A closer look at the inner end of the dock. And another view of the shed area. I’ve also done a little more work on the entrance road, adding some hint of vegetation growing between the wheel tracks. It looks like someone has just arrived to check on progress…. The final task for the day was to glue the main building in place. Detailing the various scenes around the main building will commence tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about the heart attack Michael, but very glad you are now recovered. Even more pleased to see you back at work on your magnificent model.