FriedClams

Hello Keith, Good to see an update on the Tennessee - it’s a nice looking model. Sorry I can’t offer anything on the mystery object. It makes me think of a tank for compressed air. Hopefully someone will come up with an answer for you. Keep at it and keep healthy. Gary

Just catching up Kevin - very nice job you’re doing here. That was a tough call on the mast, but as others have said, it would have always bugged you. She is looking sweet ! Gary

Beautiful work Ekis. Your village is really coming along - nice work. I especially like the dusting on the statue and the half-timbering looks very authentic. Such a cool project! Gary

Just catching up CDW. Your aircraft turned out great - beautiful meticulous work. Love the clean details and the paint looks terrific. Very nice indeed. Gary

Another beautifully executed tiny marvel. Very nice Javier! Gary

Such clean and beautiful work from every angle. The carvings are a true art. Wonderful. Gary

Thanks to all for the "likes" and for stopping by. Yes I know of the salt masking method, but I too have never tried it. I've seen it used often especially on 1:24 auto/truck hoods, roofs and the like to great effect. It seems like a method that would work best on larger areas. Another popular method and one that I have tried involves the use of hairspray as a soluble layer between non-soluble paint layers. This method has many variations and I have seen modelers apply it very convincingly indeed. I like using the glass cleaner method - it is effective and I feel in control of the final result. Here is a link to a forum thread (non shipbuilding) that describes the process. https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=2165.0 Thanks for the comment Wefalck. And while I’m on the subject of rust I want to share a link to the website of Martin Heukeshoven. He builds rusty, derelict autos totally from scratch and as I understand, mostly from junk. They are large models – in the 60 to 130cm range and they are absolutely extraordinary. Click on the "Museum" link to access the individual models. The Ferrari sitting on the flat bed wrecker is my favorite. http://www.martin-heukeshoven.de/ I’m providing this second link directly to his galleries page. For some inexplicable reason the link to the "Museum” (gallery) does not appear on the home page when using my tablet. http://www.martin-heukeshoven.de/galerie A finer compliment can't be made. Thank you Druxey. You wouldn’t stay with me long Moab, I’m a ruthless and unbending taskmaster. Not really. Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad you’re finding something helpful here. Thanks Ken, thanks Jim. 1:48 is a pretty nice scale to work in. It’s large enough to allow for some detail, but not so large that you feel compelled to add a lot more. So I can fudge and omit details here that I couldn't at 1:24 or 1:12. The larger you go then more is expected. Thanks for your comments and I hope you are finding something useful here. Gary

Thanks to all for the wonderful comments and input on the trawl winch - I very much appreciate it. And thanks for the likes and stopping by. Trawl Winch Chain Guard and Aux Winch Head The trawl winch has an auxiliary gypsy head that is smaller than the main head. It is driven off the main winch shaft via sprocket and roller chain as shown in the plan view drawing. The chain and sprocket will not be modeled, only the outer guard. The guard that encloses the chain is made up of two sections of sheet metal as shown below. The drawing will be used as a template for the two sections. I begin by cutting a pattern for the guard from basswood. The “sheet metal" sections will be glued to this wood pattern. I’m using aluminum cut from the sidewall of a beverage can for the guard. The material calipers to about .004" or .192” in 1:48. That is pretty stout and equivalent to about #6 gauge sheet steel, but it will have to do. I only care about material thickness because one section folds over the other and will reveal an edge being held down by sheet metal screws. I choose aluminum over something like foil because there are several places where the material is unsupported by the wood pattern and has to be stiff enough to stand on its own. Here is the aft side glued to the pattern. The aluminum had to be sanded to remove the coating that is sprayed to the inside of the can. Then the other side is glued on and the edge is wrapped over the top and sides. The thick edge is filed to a thinner profile and cap head style sheet screws with washers are placed along the edge. The injection-molded screws have a 1/8” long shank, so holes are drilled through the metal and glued into the wood pattern. The screws are actually holding the aluminum down and the material tends to behave like real sheet metal – tight down under the screws and lifting slightly between them. The color of most machine guards today is yellow – “Safety Yellow" to be exact. But in the 1920s, decades before OSHA, any color was acceptable if there was in fact a guard in place to paint. Having worked in industrial environments most of my life, I cringe to think of the working conditions of an earlier time with exposed whirling gears and spinning shafts right out in the open. How many poor workers just trying to make a living were entangled and maimed due to a single brief moment of inattention? Heartbreaking. Anyway, this chain guard will be green. Coloring the guard has a couple of steps, but each step is simple. To begin, the aluminum is sanded for tooth and then cleaned with alcohol. It is then painted with a rust colored enamel as a base and allowed to thoroughly dry over night. This base is smooth and I'll explain why I think that is important in a moment. Next, a coat of uninspiring dull green acrylic paint is applied.. A toothpick is used as a handle. Rather than using a brush or an airbrush, I used a cosmetic sponge for an uneven textured surface. These sponges have a pretty tight cellular structure and can be bought where women’s makeup is sold. After the acrylic has dried for about an hour, I wet small areas of the paint with water and give it a minute or two to soften the surface. I then start picking at it with a toothpick to remove chips of the acrylic paint, which reveals the rust colored enamel underneath. I then apply three different rust colored pigment powders that are mixed with water and brush applied individually to simulate general rusting/streaking. Black is also applied around the shaft slots to suggest grease sling. Finally, I scrub and blend the pigments (which has already been done in the image above) with one or several of the items shown below - a toothpick, artist stump or one of the excellent modeling swabs from Tamiya. The pigments I use (Bragdon) have a pressure activated adhesive component that sticks quite tenaciously when scrubbed on and doesn’t require a binder. So I didn’t apply a clear topcoat. Never sneeze into an open container of pigment. The reason I stated that the enamel base should be smooth is because it provides a textural contrast to the dabbed on acrylic overcoat. Once the acrylic is chipped off, not only does it leave a slight depression, but it also exposes a different texture layer, which emphasizes that the paint is actually missing and is not just a color illusion. Glancing sidelight shows this detail to great effect. And the uneven textured acrylic paint suggests rust might be forming just under the paint surface. These effects are not that noticeable at 1:48 but in larger scales with thicker paint and greater surface area being covered, they can be quite dramatic. The main idea is to have a base color that will not be affected by modifying a water-soluble upper layer. There are many techniques for model “paint chipping" and everyone seems to have a favorite. YouTube has videos on most of them. But if in the end the weathering turns out nasty, I can simply strip off the acrylic paint with water (and the pigments along with it) and leave the basecoat behind - ready for another go. The guard brackets are made from 1.5mm per side styrene angle with glued on injection molded nuts/washers from Grandt Line Products. Paint and pigment are applied. The aux winch head is made from 3/16” dowel, profiled with needle files, painted and penciled. Glued together. The shaft bearing drool is oil art paint. The good thing about oil is that it’s still workable days after it is put on - the bad thing is that it's still workable days after it is put on. The guard isn't glued to the winch yet so double-sided tape is used to hold it in place for the photos. The crown of the deck will dictate the final placement. I put in some brake shoe attachment point details and brackets to the underside which is impossible to see and therefore rather pointless. But they are there. I’ve left out a number of details. The most significant omission is the pinion gear and shaft that would be located a tad to one side and directly below the main shaft. It connects the bull gear to a drive source. It would be a challenge at this scale to include and would never be seen. There are a few things I don’t like about the trawl winch, but they go away when I stop looking at these close-up photos. So the winch is done and I’m anxious to move on. Thanks for looking in. Gary

I look forward to following your progress on this dory. I love these small rugged little boats and the history behind them. It looks like a terrific kit and I wish you much success in your first build. Gary

Beautiful work - every bit of it. I especially like your anchors which are so precisely and cleanly made. Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing your work with us. Gary

This model is coming along wonderfully CDW, such careful and precise work. As others have mentioned, I too like your method of painting the inside of the clear canopy from the outside - very clever. A very informative and fun build to follow. Thanks for sharing it with us. Gary

The boats turned out extremely nice Kevin. I especially like the wrinkles and creases in the fabric covers. I would say the shrouds are steel cables. I scratch built a 1941 sardine carrier (70 ft LOA) and plans of the vessel called for 1/2” steel cable for the shrouds. That boat is about the same era as your trawler - so perhaps . . . I can’t say for certain about the davit winches, but every trawl winch or mine hoist or tugger I have ever seen winds/unwinds off the top of the drum, as in the first of your two illustrations. Keep up the great work. Gary

Dang ! You know what I mean ? Superb workmanship and a wonderful result Keith - just as I knew it would be. Such a concentration of complexity in so small a package. Wonderful. Gary

Nice diorama Clare - a charming scene. Good call on the boats. Yours are much more interesting and detailed than those shown on the box photo. Does the diorama get a base or surround? Good to see you back on the Kitamaebune. Gary

Some very nice (and I'm sure tedious) work on those blocks Vaddoc. Sounds like another 1:10 model in your future. Good to see forward progress on your Deben. Gary

Extremely nice work on the woodwork Michael. As Pat has mentioned above, the grain really looks beautiful, especially now that the tung oil has been applied. Matching the grain pattern down through the individual door panels is an elegant touch. Gary

I know I sound like a broken record, but - beautiful work Keith. Gary

Hmmm… The brake rods scale to just over ½” (.57”) in 1:48, and now that I look at them more critically, they do look - scrawny. So I pulled them off, drilled out the hand wheels, brackets, etc. and installed .02” rod as replacements. This represents a rod with a diameter just under 1” (.96” or 24.38mm) which is more appropriate and I do like the looks of that much better. Good spot Wefalck and thanks for bringing it to my attention. Here is a before and after: Before And After. Also I added the clutch control levers. Facebook ? - I didn't know that. I'm one of the few people that doesn't have a Facebook account, so I don't get over there very often. But I'm glad you found my build log, welcome and thanks for the kind words. I don’t recall the actual Kelvin value of that LED but 4800k rings a bell. I usually end up color tinting the LEDs so I like to start with a color that is quite white. I have found it easier to tint a bright white LED warmer than the other way around. I color LEDs by applying thinned acrylic paint directly onto the LED lense or by changing the tint of the "glass" that surrounds it. For this mast light, I painted the LED directly, leaving the fixture glass clear. I agree with you that the color temperature in the photo is too cool - it's also too bright. For the photo I simply drove the LED at max forward voltage and the intensity of it totally overpowered the tinting I had applied. On the finished model the LED will be much dimmer and the tinting will be able to reassert its influence - I hope. Thanks for your comment Bedford and for the observation. Gary

Thanks for the info on your paint choices CDW. I have used Mr. Surfacer 500 and 1000, but I’ve never tried their paint line. I’ll have to check out their “metal color“ products as it clearly produces some excellent results, at least in your skilled hands. Enjoying your log - very nice work. Gary

Dang ! I just found this build and am I glad I did. Such an interesting model - I had no idea a kit like this even existed! You're doing a wonderful job in constructing it Ekis. The church turned out beautifully, so charming. I will be watching your progress on the medieval village. Gary

Wonderful work on building the radial CDW - so crisp and clean. The engine has a great look and feel due to your coloring skills - the tubing/manifold looks very realistic. I would be very interested to know your coloring process. I look forward to future updates. Gary

I know what you mean Ken. I don't know how many times I've been satisfied with my work one day, and the next day . . . not so much. I think you're wise in taking the time to get the batten locations and gun ports placed just so as it defines everything afterward. Your model is looking straight and true and progressing very nicely. I'm looking forward to future updates. Gary

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful and generous comments on the winch. It's so nice to be able to share a hobby with like minded folks on such an amazing forum. And thanks to all for the likes and looking in. Hello Wefalck No threads for the hand wheel rods. I did try, but it's beyond my skill. The “rods” are .012” (.30mm) phosphor bronze and the closest I got to success was by giving the blackened wire a 180-degree twist inside a fold of 220 Emory cloth. But it looked - deliberately created rather than realistic. I always leave out what I can’t convincingly replicate if the detail isn't absolutely necessary. One negative can destroy the entire illusion. If this model was say - 1:24 instead of 1:48 then I would be compelled to try harder. I haven’t tried the 6B pencil for cast iron, although I will now - thanks for the tip. Highlighting “metal" with graphite is one of those techniques in modeling that never fails to impress me in how well it works. Using your finger to polish it works great, but have you tried one of these soft silicone brushes for tight areas and tiny work? It's magic and they are dirt cheap. And thanks for the suggestion of creating wire-rope by twisting small tinned copper wires togeather. A good idea. Thanks Gary

Thank you Keith, John, Druxey, Tom, Michael and Jim for your nice comments and encouragement - I truly appreciate it. And thanks for the likes and to those following along quietly. Thanks for the suggestion of the cup burrs Druxey - I didn't know there was such a tool. I couldn't find one small enough that would have worked in this instance, but I can see where they would come in very handy at other times. Thanks again and for the link. More Winch Stuff Progress on the trawl winch has been slow but inching forward just the same. The drum reels have already been made up from styrene but still needed to have the brake drum reinforcing segments added as shown below. Here is a 3D drawing screen shot of what the real brake drum would look like. This is my first stab at 3D CAD and the result is rudimentary and crude. I’ve done isometric projections before but not actual 3D constructions because I haven't found them terribly useful. But with advancements in 3D printing providing finer, crisper and more affordable parts, it’s an option I want to be prepared to take advantage of – and the printing technology is getting better all the time. Services are even available to print in wax for producing lost wax process metal components. But I’m a little conflicted about computer generating parts for a model, which is sort of strange as I have no problem using injection molded bits and pieces or white metal castings when it’s to my advantage – well, some other time. Some detail has been left out (back plate with bolt heads) because my circle cutter won’t go that small and I don't have a punch that size. The reels and drums were painted with enamel base colors after being cleaned in alcohol. I pushed the reels onto toothpicks and placed them in my portable hand drill to strip off some of the paint thickness and to scratch annular rings into faces of the reel surfaces. Pigment was applied hear and there. I wanted to wrap some wire cable into the reels as a separate piece from the cable and chain on the outer most layer that will travel out to the gallows frame. This lower cable will be clean and bright so a glimpse of it can be seen below the looser and rougher looking surface wrap when that eventually gets placed. Having the reel loaded with cable separately allows me to screw-up and rework the cable/chain leading to the gallows frame without having to rewind the reel itself. I’m using 7 strand stainless beading wire with a .019” diameter for the cable. Due to its stiffness, it resisted my every attempt at winding it onto the reels. So a simulation was in order. I first wrapped a strip of .010" styrene sheet repeatedly around the reel to build up the height. This was glued at every wrap. I then glued short lengths of the beading wire to a piece of paper (and to each other) in a width that would fit the reel opening. The wire slabs were cut to length, pre-bent around a ¼” dowel and popped onto the reels like wrist bracelets. Drum brake bands are made from .010” styrene. The bands are primed flat black enamel and sprinkled with green pigment power while still wet. Once totally dry, they were lightly sanded with 1500 paper for wear and then glued to the drums. Every sharp edge on these reel/drum assemblies was rubbed with the side of a #2 pencil. This helps define the outline of the shape and provides a metallic/chrome sort of sheen. The bracket frame for the hand wheels and clutch levers is glued to the winch frame. Some injection-molded nut/washers are glued on and the whole thing gets a base coat of black enamel primer. Several tones of grungy looking pigments are scrubbed in along with light rusting around some of the hardware. The main winch head is made from 1/4" dowel that is placed in the hand drill chuck and profiled with needle files. It was painted with silver over brown then spun in the drill, scratched with a pick and finally penciled. A washer and nut head is glued to the end of the main shaft. Then winch head is glued on. The main shaft, drum reels, bull gear and brake hand wheels are all glued into place. This winch is far from being done, but here’s what it looks like so far. Still left to do are the clutch shifters/levers; the sheet metal guard cover for the auxiliary winch head, the aux winch head itself; coloring touch-up, and other stuff that I’ve forgotten. Thanks for looking in. Gary

Just catching up Maury. Your model is looking great and I like the process your using on the chain plates. Nice work. Gary