reklein

Nils...as you discovered..an ample application of a separating medium is needed to reduce the surface tension...so bubbles are not captured in the casting.  Your attempt worked out very well with split casting.  The real test will be when you finish the mating surfaces and the two halves mate perfectly along the keel.  It was logical on your part to produce a double ended boat...so your process would work well.  Nothing worse then trying to mate two sides of a boat if you cast a bow and a stern for both sides from the same mold.
Great job!
 
Rob

Carl,
many thanks for your appreciative words,...
the first casts unfortunately show some places where air bubbles had been trapped especialy in the fender rope region, but that could be solved with applying a little more seperation wax there. In all I`m also very pleased with the detail reproduction, I thought it would be more complicated...
 
Nils

Update :
 
further with boats production.......
It is my first attempt to make parts in silicone molds and to cast them out in polyurethan resin.
I`m quite satisfied with the result so far, and pleased that it worked out so easy....
Here a little documentation to share of the procedure (to whom it may concern)
 
Nils
 

making the boxes for the silicon molds, comprising baseplate and side walls
 

 
positioning the master model (halfside by halfside) into the box frame, holding it in place with a simple but adjustable support device
 

checking the horizontal centerline position....
 

two component silicone mixing relation 1:1, for the mold
 

seperating wax for the mold
 
 

 
the first mold half in silicon, the master inserted slightly more (0,5 mm)  than half deep
 
 

removal of the master half..., the lapstrake structure and even the fender-rope mold out well and precise
 
 

 
two components othe polyurethan resin and its catyliser (mix 1:1)
 
 

casting three halves at a time. The activated polyurethan resin has a working time of appr 2-3 minutes after mixing the two components together, before it starts to polmerisate and to turn to white coler as it does so
 
 

the result of the first attemt to cast the boat halves, now ready for fairing, trimming.
The activated resin batches (every batch at a time) is measured for 5-6 boat halves
 
 
 
 

Short excursion to Hamburg Harbour...
Some 50 Km from my home..
 
Yesterday evening my wife and I had an invitation to take a river trip with the live museum steamer and steamship-icebreaker, (built 1933) "Stettin" on the Elbe river. This weekend was the 828 th Hamburg harbour aniversary, and the ride went from 21:00 to midnight. It was rounded off with a beautiful firework over the harbour, and to be watched from board  the ship. The selfmade pics I would like to share with MSW fellow members in two parts....
 
Nils
 
Part 1
 

Maritime museum pier at Övelgönne for traditional ships and work boats, (Elbe river
 

This is the stem powered icebreaker "Stettin" at the river mooring ponton
 

The "Aida Prima" cruise ship passes by
 

The ship hull, all structures and interior make a very good impression
 

 
 

Bridge
 
 

 
Machine telegraph
 
 

I had the chance to be down in the engine- and firing room at the boiler furnaces during departure. The sight of the steam engine at work, the reciprocating piston rods, crossheads and cam levers in live action was just amazing and wonderful. The orders for the machine control came down per machine telegraph, the accompaning "ring, ring" 
was continuosly heard in the background
 
 

Bridge wheelstand with rudder position indicator and compass
 
 

Other side of the river was the container terminal, and during the ride many types of sailships were busy on the stream....
 
 
to be followed by part 2....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Not sure if you discussed this earlier Nils..but if you are going to cast the boats..are you casting them hull and cover as one?  A split mold?  If so..I have lots of experience in this..being a certified dental laboratory tech(In my past life).
 
Any questions just let me know......
 
Rob

Beautiful job,

The original Floquil formula was based on Xylene base - can be nasty with prolonged exposure - so make sure you have good ventilation when using it. But otherwise I would go ahead and use it. I still have several bottles of the original formula and as long as it as not dried out I can (and do) still use it. Still have some cans of their original solvent.  Ken that buyout was several decades ago. I think Testors retired the entire brand line due to issues with Federal VOC laws. 

If you mean his Saw operation guide, I created a PDF copy - see this link https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/14965-looking-for-jeffs-hobbymill-saw-operation-guide/&do=findComment&comment=466069
 
Richard.

Hello, here's a method for thinning stock that might be scaled down and adapted to your needs.  

The pictures show a 10" x 20" piece of rosewood that I'm planing down to  about a 2mm thickness for the back of an acoustic guitar.  I have made a base board from particle board and placed it on the flat top of the table saw.  Then I cut an L-shape from  1/8" or 7/64" baltic birch plywood, and a rectangular piece (attached to the runners).  The stock is laid on the base board, and prevented from moving by the short leg of the L-shape (acting as a stop) and the rectangular piece that is butted against it.  Then I use the Stanley No. 4 to scrub off most of the stock, and then I use a No.6 foreplane for uniform thicknessing, and then finish up with a cabinet scraper.  The No.6 foreplane is 18" long and so it can bridge the stock and it will plane off material until its sole rests on the 7/64" plywood.  By the way, waxing or oiling the sole of the plane greatly eases the effort of handplaning (and sawing as well) and does not interfere with finishing.

With practice, you will find that planing is much faster and more pleasant than sanding.  For most general woodwork, I would say that 80% of the work can be done with a No.4 bench plane and a No. 60-1/2 low angle block plane (not shown here), and these planes should be in any woodworker's armamentarium.

Guys
 
Just found this topic.  That is NOT Laserboard.   Its just a company using the "nickname" for what laser cutters call "lsaserboard.   
 
Laserboard is basically resin soaked kraft paper.   It is specifically designed for use as the backer for kitchen cabinets and veneers, etc.  It is sold in huge rolls and 4 x 8 sheets.   There are other backers available commercially BUT they are made with some nasty stuff that is poison.  It has some nasty chemicals usually.  But this one Brand does NOT have those chemicals (formaldehyde) that could kill you when you laser cut it.
 
Before I tell you the Brand Name....let me say that it is almost impossible to get unless you are a cabinet maker or contractor.   It took me years to find a supplier and basically I get the scraps from this cabinet maker whenever he fills  up a box with the stuff.
 
The Brand Name is "polybak".   It is wildly successful and used by model railroaders....but for whatever reason it has NOT found acceptance by ship model MFGs.  At least not yet.  As far as I know I am the only one who uses it.  Probably because its so hard to find.   You cant order just one sheet.   You need to order a ridiculous number of 4 x 8 sheets or a 250 pound roll of the stuff.  It comes in varying thicknesses but mostly its really thin.   The different sizes and colors have different properties depending on the commercial use it is being used for.
 
Here is the MFG's website.  They dont sell direct to the public.  There are very few distributors.....because in the industry most cabinet makers will buy the cheaper stuff because even though its NOT a danger to them.  It is a real danger to laser cutters.   
 
http://www.richwoodind.com/polybak.html
 
Laser cutters affectionately refer to this material as laserboard BUT recently that other company decided to use the name for its completely different and thicker material which has now added to the confusion.  The best way to find this stuff is to contact local cabinet makers or veneer makers and CONFIRM that it is Polybak and NOT another material that could kill you if you laser cut it.  Then beg for scraps.  Unless you can find a distributor that will sell you one or two 4 x 8 sheets.
 
Chuck
 
 

Beautiful job,

Beautiful job,

Beautiful job,

Hi Greg,
 
excellent work and super details  ..... also nice color giving...
Though it has something threatening for me, the close up shots remind (gunslinging midships section) me somehow of a fighting unit out of "Star Wars thrillogie"...
 
Nils

michael mott: Thank you, Mike.
 
Dear friends, the hull is finished. Now I can continue with propulsion ( it means, btw, to produce a lot of my lovely deadeyes )
 
Jan
 

Hi there, I will watch as well if you don't mind. I have done this chuck wagon myself and it was good fun. I left mine natural wood for the wheels and chassis rather than paint and, whilst I know they are supposed to be black I love to leave bits brass against the wood.
 
anyway, you have made a great start.
 
 

Hi,
 
I thought I would jump on the non-ship model build log bandwagon (or stage coach / bus if you prefer!) to try and bring more awareness to card models on the site.
 
The artillery tractor is in the popular card vehicle scale of 1:25 which provides quite sizable models depending on the subject (rail guns are absolutely massive!)  Detail wise I would say this model falls somewhere in the middle as probably more detailed than others but not as detailed as say a Halinski Sherman.
 

 
 
I was working on this prior to the Borodino until the build stalled doing the road wheels as these are pretty complex and a real head scratcher to work out the assembly.  Once I understood the orientation of the individual wheel spokes it became a struggle to fit them hence it being placed on the back burner.  Saying that, I haven’t forgotten about it and as my card modelling experience increases I am feeling more and more confident in revisiting it and finishing them off.  The main problem with tracked vehicles is the repetitive tasks such as multiple wheels and numerous track links which can be soul destroying.
 
The following series of photos show my total progress to date and covers 293hrs spread over 2 years and I last worked on it in June 2016 (as you can see I am not a quick builder LOL)  But will start chipping away at it again besides working on Borodino.

 
The main chassis with all the running gear attached.  The box structure consists of laser cut forms skinned as usual and multiple components cut, formed and attached using all the same techniques as covered in my Borodino log.  Thankfully I haven’t had to resort to painting except for the normal edge colouring (and the tracks which I will discuss below) and hope to finish it without painting.
 

 

 
 
Underside showing inspection hatches with 0.8mm laser cut card hexagonal nuts.  I actually find the repetitive nature of gluing and placing nuts very relaxing/soothing LOL. The 0.8mm nuts are the limit I can work with.  I also have 0.6mm laser cut nuts but try as I may I just can’t work with them.
 

 
 
Here is a selection of the various wheels showing the drive sprockets, rear idlers and track return wheels.  There are a surprising amount of parts used to make up just these wheels alone.
 

 
 
For the road wheels I had gotten as far as making up the 20 rims, the hubs and a trial of the wheel spokes before the build stalled.  The 20 completed wheels in 10 pairs will consist of 250 individual parts.
 

 
 
The tracks of these vehicles can be soul destroying depending on how you tackle them (some kits have laser cut track links available).  In this case the kit book provided 2 options. The 1st and easiest option is to make the tracks from continuous strips of printed paper, doubled up for thickness or option 2 which is to build each individual track link. Of course being a masochist I choose this option as I think they look better and have a more realistic shape and weight to them.  It goes without saying the time and effort required is far greater. 
 
The tracks consist of approximately 162 individual links (81 per side) and are held together with brass wire as link pins.  Very happy how these are turning out as the track is fully flexible and it contours over your fingers etc.  Due to the tedious nature of doing 160+ links I would tackle each step over a period of time coming back now and again to finish one step before moving on to the next.  I still have to add the grousers (treads – x4 per link) and the guide horns (1 per link) which are shown in the photos.  (Parts count on the finished tracks will be 1,620 give or take!)
 
I haven’t edge coloured these as I always planned on painting and weathering the tracks and as mentioned, hopefully the only thing to be painted.
 

 
 
Some photos showing it all loosely together.  I will probably start adding the track grousers and guide horns next as a precursor to getting the road wheels done.  The base of the crew cab also utilises laser cut card formers, although not necessary as the kit (as usual for all card models) supplies the templates for making your own.  But the convenience, fit and accuracy of laser cut forms far out way the minimal extra cost.
 

 

 
 
There is a vast array of card vehicles available for all interests and I suspect cover more obscure or less known prototypes than what’s available in plastic.  The usual suspects are also available.  The comparatively low cost and larger scale are also appealing and if painted are indistinguishable from similarly painted plastic kits.  Due to the sheer number of parts to do one of these kits you certainly get your money’s worth in build time for relatively little outlay.
 
Cheers
Slog

Hi All,
Internal gunwales and deck channels added ...

Propeller and rudder completed. I modified the hinge of the latter using 5mm brass tube fashioned into faux hinges with the horizontal supports cut from .5mm plasticard and run over with a pounce wheel to simulate rivets. The porthole surrounds are 4mm eyelets painted gunmetal and glued in.
 

And a couple of general views showing the paintwork.
 

 
 
 
 

Half the planking fitted. After all these years I think I've finally got the hang of using stealers! The detail of the propeller well shows the 3D printed part

I've put the topcoat on the rest of the body - pics will come tomorrow.
 
While waiting for the paint to harden I've made up all the Brasswork - two pieces for the sides of the roof and two for the sides of the driver's seat. These pics were taken straight after silver soldering, a fair bit of cleaning up will follow, as I intend to polish the brass instead of blackening :

To make this joint I filed halfway through both pieces - this brought them out level with each other instead of merely placing the vertical in front or behind the horizontal piece. It also made it easier to solder :
 

I had a lot of trouble with my gas torch - what should have taken me an hour or so to silver solder took me most of the day. Maybe I should replace that 8-year-old refill can?
 
To make the fancy bends at each end of the pieces the kit supplied a Jig. Here's how it works, the pics are self-explanitory :
 





 
  Danny

Thank you very much Johann,
 
the boat-prototyp was made very easy from two front halves of a little plastic boat. I glued the front-halves together in order to get a new "doubleender lifeboat".
The glued seam was faired a bit, and on stern and bow side I added a more straight post, and then the boat was "clinker Planked" with self adhesive overlapping foil stripes. Trust the pic-illustrations shall be self explaining....
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Update, boats
 
most of the boats will be closed and with canvas protection cover, this is my intention....
If it works out I will try to dome some with rolled back canvas, so the seatings can be seen. The prototype for the closed boat is shown in the pics. This will be the master model I take a mould from so to cast the other boats in resin (if it works that way...)
A fender rope is put around the side of the sheer, I hope it will form-off well in the silicone mould
The boats are 60 mm long, and in scale 1:144, two boats are a bit shorter, and the last 3 boats on each side (three story packed ought to be foldable ones)
 
Nils

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Small update...
 
all 40 raw davits have been made, now every one is being equiped with a lead for the pulley rope in the upper curve and a cleat on the vertical post, just above deck level.
The unprimered section will be painted when the davits are mounted, otherwise I would scrape off the paint where the post passes the bearings, when pushing through...
 
Nils
   
 
 
 

officer briefing two sailors on the aft deckhousing
 

Household latex paint is very thick as a result of the heavy pigment and will bury any detail. On the other hand if your woodwork is rough....... Hmm. If you were to model a water feature it might work pretty good over carved foam and then about 8 coats of Modge Podge over that. Might make passable water.

The acrylic model paints usually have a pigment size of one micron vs the latex house paint having an average pigment size of 37 microns.  No way do you get a scale appearing coat of paint from latex house paint.  The same goes for the pigments in hardware store paints - much bigger than model paints.  Note that all the house paints tend to advertise "one coat coverage even over...."
Only a model paint with finely ground pigments can give you a scale thickness of paint on the model (or at least a lot closer to scale than with house paint).
Kurt