FriedClams

Black boot-toppings came into fashion, when warships became grey, because harbour waters were full of oil and grime and that would leave nasty traces on the grey.
 
In many navies it was common to have have a white boot-topping above the coppering and this practice continued, when iron ships' bottoms were painted red.

This "variable waterline" was called the "boot topping" when I was in the navy. It was a black stripe between the minimum and maximum load lines. You can see it clearly in this photo of an oiler running high and dry. When it was fully loaded only the very top of the black boot topping was visible.
 

Thats right Eberhard, there was no scheme, but the Laeisz fleet was painted this way by purpose. Laeisz was proud of his Flying-P fleet and intended to easily recognize the P ships. The Laeisz shipping company is still working today, and they are happily follow this tradition e.g. the pride, but their ships are more colorful nowadays. I was talked one of their officer then in Hamburg.
 
 Also right Valery, however the white line was not antifouling paint. Red one was (either the pinkier tone mercury-oxide or more burgundy color lead-oxide) the antifouling. I had opportunity to paint them in real life so much time

To my knowledge, there was no paint-scheme for the German Merchant Marine in the early years of the 20th century. This was just the fashion of the day. One can see this is on many old photographs on both, sail- and steam-ships. Sometimes grey was substituted for black.

Valery, in 1912 the waterline marks were the standard Plimsoll mark, mandatory painted on midships since 1894. However, this isn't exclude to paint the big white line for better visibility.
 
Edit: Until 1930, the Plimsoll mark was required for all ship only who visiting British ports. It is required for all vessels since 1930 so you were right.

Laeisz Flying P ships were painted the black-white-red scheme because that time this scheme was the colors of the German Merchant Marine. However, the tree tone painting wasn't unusual that time, two almost identical examples are Balclutha (San Francisco Maritime Museum) and Wavertree (South Street Seaport Museum, New York).  Also, Pelican of London barquentine (built 1946) still sails with this color scheme
 
 

Keith, I do not use spray cans when painting, as they do not give the desired uniformity to the paint layer. I use airbrushes with nozzle diameters of 0.3 and 0.5 mm.
 
As for the light stripe, this is not the waterline. This is a strip of variable waterlines, it indicates the level of the minimum and maximum permissible draft of the vessel.
  Very often this strip was painted with a special antifouling paint (patent). Mostly these paints had pink, green  shades. Pink paints contain mercury oxide, which kills microorganisms and gives the paint a pink tint.

That's what I noticed. Maybe the "waterline mark" is actually just part of the paint scheme for this ship. 
This is SS Czar, built in 1912. It was built in Scotland. 

Valeriy. I assume you spray painted the hull. The waterline (white) band seems very wide. I assume it is to scale so is there a reason for it being so wide? The pedestals are of an interesting design. 

very nice painting Valeriy,
it looks great
BTW. those are the colors of the Laeisz flying P-liners
 
Nils

And now some paint on top.  

Perfect, Valeriy. 

I welcome everyone!
  The painting process took some time.
The photo shows the hull of the model after covering it with primer.

Also, you can get crushed glass chips online - 1-3mm and smaller from craft suppliers. Maybe fix with clear UV resin?

I just found your latest build and I am realty enjoying it.  I don't know how I missed it but I find your work very interesting and your use of the chalk and alcohol to weather the wood is very realistic.  Keep posting the interesting work you are so good at.
Kurt
 

Nice updates, Keith!  Good to hear Maggie is progressing even if at a slower pace.
 
I agree with all the above comments - would never have noticed a thing wrong if you hadn’t pointed it out. Looks perfect to me, but I understand how some things can just bug you when it’s your own project.  We modeler’s are our own worst critics.  
 
Have you ever considered Optivisors?  I have their plastic lens model that I simply couldn’t do without. I understand the glass lens models are even better.
 
Gary

Nice updates, Keith!  Good to hear Maggie is progressing even if at a slower pace.
 
I agree with all the above comments - would never have noticed a thing wrong if you hadn’t pointed it out. Looks perfect to me, but I understand how some things can just bug you when it’s your own project.  We modeler’s are our own worst critics.  
 
Have you ever considered Optivisors?  I have their plastic lens model that I simply couldn’t do without. I understand the glass lens models are even better.
 
Gary

That’s a good idea, Druxey.  Depending on how the ground glass looks, I might give that a try for size variation if nothing else. Thanks.
 
Gary

Nice updates, Keith!  Good to hear Maggie is progressing even if at a slower pace.
 
I agree with all the above comments - would never have noticed a thing wrong if you hadn’t pointed it out. Looks perfect to me, but I understand how some things can just bug you when it’s your own project.  We modeler’s are our own worst critics.  
 
Have you ever considered Optivisors?  I have their plastic lens model that I simply couldn’t do without. I understand the glass lens models are even better.
 
Gary

Nice updates, Keith!  Good to hear Maggie is progressing even if at a slower pace.
 
I agree with all the above comments - would never have noticed a thing wrong if you hadn’t pointed it out. Looks perfect to me, but I understand how some things can just bug you when it’s your own project.  We modeler’s are our own worst critics.  
 
Have you ever considered Optivisors?  I have their plastic lens model that I simply couldn’t do without. I understand the glass lens models are even better.
 
Gary

Greetings Fellow Modelers
 
Thanks to all for your fine comments, for the "likes" and to those watching quietly.
 
 
More Fish Hold Stuff
 
Continuing on with the fish hold, the next step was to build the back walls of the bunker partitioning.  In the drawing below, the hold is defined by the yellow cross-hatching and the back wall partitioning by the green lines.  The back walls are individual bunker partitions, but for this model I've simplified it as a single one-piece wall.  The blue dots are the vertical posts used to segment the hold into individual bunkers/pens.
 

 
 
To begin, I created a paper template of the area to be walled.
 

 
 
Planking was glued directly to the paper template.
 

 

 
 
Styrene channel was glued on at each post base location. The proper depth channel needed for this is not manufactured, but I found an “H” column that was close enough once modified.
 

 

 
 
The back wall pieces were then glued on.  A corner torn from a Post-it note makes a hands-free right-angle square.
 

 
 
At this point, I became aware of two errors that needed to be addressed.  First, the height of the perimeter partition walls, and the bulkhead end walls were too short.  This would allow a view through an open hatch to see above the walls.  It would be an extreme angle view to be certain, but a deck mock-up proved to me it was possible.  The second error is that the forward bulkhead end wall was placed 12 scale inches forward of where it should be. That's a problem because it interferes with the proper placement of the mast, which is unacceptable.  So, a second end wall was installed 12” aft of the first one.
 
In the image below the new (taller) end wall is on the right.  One would now expect that the two forward bunkers are 12” narrower than the other bunkers, but they are not.  The post spacing is correct from the aft bulkhead forward and only the forward wall was misplaced.  Indeed, I caught this error because the forward bunkers appeared to me a tad wider than the others.
 
Extra work caused by working carelessly.
 

 
 
Next, the four-sided posts for the bunker partitioning were made.  They are a five-piece styrene construction.
 

 
 
 
A construction jig is assembled. The styrene is modified “H” columns and strips from Evergreen.  Solvent cement keeps the posts from being inadvertently glued to the jig.
 

 
 
A channel is placed into the jig.
 

 
 
A flat strip is cemented on top of that. Two of these channel/flat piece assemblies are made for each post.
 

 
 
The center rectangular strip is added to one of the above assemblies.
 

 
 
Then both assemblies are cemented together.
 

 

 
 
The posts are glued onto the post bases.
 

 
 
One of the back walls is heightened, a channel extension is glued on, and a partition is installed.
 

 
 
The partitions are cut from blanks of edge-glued wood strips. A paper template of the partition is placed on the blank and the shape is cut free. They are stained with chalk and alcohol. I use alcohol to liquefy and apply the chalk because it penetrates the wood and evaporates off quickly leaving no time for the thin wood strips to warp.
 

 
 
I used “super thin” CA to glue these partitions in.  With the partition already in place, a drop of the CA at the top of the post races down the channel and glues most of the plank ends.  I have an extension tip on my bottle to help control the flow and I use the watery glue infrequently and cautiously.  I feel there should be a “skull and crossbones” on the bottle.  If you must use it, keep a can of fresh acetone at the ready.  A mishap will glue your fingers together instantly with the possibility of a trip to urgent care.  Am I exaggerating?  Not really.
 

 
 
The partitions are all in.  I'm considering partially filling a few of the bunkers with ice.  What do you folks think and what would make a convincing 1:48 ice?  It would have to be a non-soluble material.
 

 

 
 
I've installed 8 surface mount LEDs (one over each bunker) to light up the hold.  That seems like a lot, but they are small and their output will be adjustable.  Two wood strips holding four diodes each are assembled.  These LEDs are SMD 805 warm white and are attached to the strips with a clear (when dry) version of Gallery Glass.  For scale, the grid on the mat 1/2” (12.7mm)
 

 
 
Both strips attached over the bunkers.
 

 
 
Thanks for stopping by.
 
Be safe and stay well,
 
Gary
 
 

That’s a good idea, Druxey.  Depending on how the ground glass looks, I might give that a try for size variation if nothing else. Thanks.
 
Gary

Thanks to all for your comments, feedback and "likes".  It is so appreciated.
 
 
I do apply it to raw wood and yes it can get blotchy if I try to add too much color in one wash, especially on soft wood such as basswood.  Typically, I lay down one or two very diluted washes rather than one heavy wash and I don't mix the chalk/alcohol to a gain a paint-like solution.  It's mostly alcohol with a tad of chalk added in.  I dip my brush into clean alcohol and then pick up some of the powder that I scraped off the side of a chalk stick and brush it on.  If it's too much color, I wash on more clean alcohol to dilute and blend it.  When I'm doing a quantity of wood at once, I'll scrape the sides of the chalk directly on to the wood and then with a sopping 1/2" brush of straight alcohol, slop it all around.  But that is an on-bench process only - never on the model itself.  Play around with some scrap wood and you'll quickly see how easy, forgiving, controllable and versatile it is.  For deeper richer colors, the same process can be used with pigment powders but that is not as forgiving.  Thanks Paul.
 
 
Thanks for the tip on the ground glass.  I found a vendor that sells several grits in small quantities so I'm going to order some to take a look at it.  I'll report my findings.  I've only ever seen crushed/flaked ice used.  Thanks, Wefalck.
 
 
   
Jerome and Keith, thanks for your input and I agree - crushed ice and I think mostly flaked.  Especially today - what they used in 1943, not sure.
 
 
Good suggestion Jerome.  Thanks.  As mentioned above, I'll be looking at some ground glass and see how sparkly (or not) that is first.
 
@Keith Black  Thanks for the link on the snow/ice modeling, Keith.  I don't know if those products will work for me here, but I'll keep them in mind and add them into my info folder.  Night Shift is an amazing modeler!
 
@Paul Le Wol @Keith Black @Jim Lad @FlyingFish @TOM G @Glen McGuire  Thank you for your kind words on the work in progress. 
 
Stay well,  Gary

Thank you to all for the comments, likes and for following along.
 
 Quick update.
 
 The main's channel shrouds are done. The little 3mm deadeyes (far left) are crazy small to lace and attach. I'm glad there are only two per mast.   
 
 Other than weaving the main's channel shroud ratlines and attaching the main yard with both lifts and braces, from the main mast aft all the rigging is done. 

 
 Thank you again to all of you for your thoughtfulness.
 
  Keith

Our old cat Amelia who passed away four years ago could have cared less about the Tennessee. I never worried about her doing anything untoward. Now, our new cat Emma (Emilia), I wouldn't trust that knot headed cat for a second. She is NOT allowed in the shipyard.