Blackreed

As a beginner to boat building, I am finding several things here, the first is that finding a website like this may be the most important thing after making the leap into this hobby. I personally rate every model I build into two categories, difficulty based on the kit and difficulty based on the instructions.
 
I am currently working on 2 boats, the first made by Latina, I have experience with them I knew that my first boat would be easiest based on the quality of wood and the instructions are top notch, the titanic life boat is planked with bass wood, this threw me back, I became determined to accomplish this this way.
 
The second boat is made by Occre, the kit is easy enough, say level 2, the instructions are level 4, it's just pictures.
 
Now the biggest problem I've found in modeling is the terms, these terms make asking questions very difficult, in stagecoaches, water wheels, train cars the terms have been reused so many times over the years that it is very difficult to get advice or answers to the simplest things.
 
I know I am preaching to the quire here, no one could possibly be prepared for what it's like to watch glue and paint dry, there is no instant gratification in this.

Your work is amazing, so is the wood you started with, I thought you were going to make cabinets😁
 I looked into the bolts, you are correct they are expensive and I can not find them in bulk, threaded rod is by the piece, no savings there, and to find 1/16 rod in my bin I was looking at paper clips, I wasn’t sure how I would hold the brass rod while I threaded it, I do have it in plastic rod, the bolts would be easy to turn, but no realism there. Although it would make 4 sided bolts easygoing.
if you could move up to 1/8 inch it would reduce the price considerably.
keep up the good work.
everyone on this site is so amazing.
 

Very nice collection. Obviously your heart is in the right place.

It's basically done.  There are a couple more things I can do to it, but I may or may not. I'm calling it done. I have the MASTER KORABEL BRIGANTINE PHOENIX on the way from Model Expo, should be here next week. I may try to shoot for more patience and higher quality work on that one. We'll see how that goes. 
 
Here are the final pictures to wrap up this build log. Thanks for following along.
 
 

I have the yards on and most of the rigging done, there are a few more things I need to rig. Then all that's left are the flag poles, anchors and bulwark guns. Should be done in a couple days. 
 
 

I'm back to ratlines again. 
 
 

Finished the ratlines and got the forestays done.  Now I need to start on the topmasts. 
 
 

A few shots of this more or less finished rendition of the Italeri Fiat 806 Grand Prix, which is approaching the chequered flag. Bit of a change from wooden ship-building. First car model I’ve ever done now I think of it. Pretty satisfied with the result - the look I was going for was something 100 years old with some long gritty racing under its belt, with lots of oil and petrol flying about. It all went together pretty well. The only kit related issues were some body panel struggles at the front end - the engine cover plastic was pretty bad and hinging apparatus is dodgy, needs to be re engineered. I may redo so it opens to see the engine more easily.
 
 
 









 



 
 

Thanks Egilman. Here’s a few closeups so you can see all the warts in its current state, still a ways to go. What I’ve been doing to get the patina is as follows: For the red bits I first started with a grey primer, then airbrushed the final red colour, seems to have more depth and truer final colour that way. I bought three different reds, a lighter red, Ferrari red and Fire red, and after testing liked the latter for an old car like this for some reason. After the red I used a bit of black and water and brushed it on here and there, letting it pool or added more pigment in certain places to give an impression of grime. For the metal bits I started with a dark steel colour then messed about with a brush on top with the thinned out black wash. I also have a bottle of something called Matt rust which I dabbed on in certain spots. Really it’s just brown paint. Most of the contrasting metallic bits are mixes of copper, bronze and black. A 1:1 mix of copper and black gives you a pretty good rendition of an oxidized old copper pipe. For the tires which tend to look plastic and too black, I just rubbed them with a bit of talcum powder to make them less new, and the powder settles into the tread so you get to see that texture. I’m really just making this up as I go along, there are real wizards at this that could probably explain how to create perfect results with proper technique.
 

Wheels on…mounting the engine assembly and attaching the fuel line and all the tubes and hoses will be next.

Thanks Yves…bit of a hiatus as a couple of my design projects needed attention, but should be able to be back on the Fiat tomorrow. I’ve got most of the wonderfully complicated suspension parts in place and should be able to get the wheels on this thing next. I used the sticker provided in the kit as a mask and sprayed on the number rather than use the decal. Have started a bit of tentative weathering on some parts to give them a more vintage metallic feel, will be doing more. 

Thanks for looking in Diver and Egilman…
Apart from a couple of glued components the rear axle and spring assembly is put together with nuts and bolts and some fine screws. Everything has fitted pretty well for me so far. I’ve airbrushed on a base coat of dark steel on these mechanicals to begin with. As nice as these bits are, it’s mostly hidden and really it’s the finish bodywork that’s going to make or break this model. That will take a little time I think.
There are 33 steps to this model in the assembly guide, and this takes me to the end of #18. 

Thanks Lou & Ken…
We are moving along here, Now that the steering assembly is done & married up with the engine block, I can tackle the axle and wheel assemblies and add them to the chassis. I’m still going to spend a little time detailing the engine/steering assembly but component wise it’s pretty much all there. The steering wheel is wrapped in some strips of cloth to simulate leather. The kit had a couple of other steering wheel bits - an inner ring and a clear panel, but I didn’t like the look so will leave them out. Ok that’s not exactly the gospel truth. I actually busted the inner ring and got fed up with the fragile piece of crap it was, so said to hell with it and chucked it in the bin. 
  

Suspension Brackets
 
These hold the suspension itself which was a strong leather strap on which the cabin was mounted.  This was an innovation for the Concornd coach. Apparently the ride was not as good as claimed but it was less tiring for the horses.
 
These are made from 5mm wide brass strip.  They are made in two parts – an inner and an outer part:
 

 
The top section is rolled using needle nosed pliers in such a way that the diameter of the inner section is a slightly smaller than the outer section.
 

 
In this way the inner section will fit inside the outer section.  Since they are not symmetrical, it is important to realise that there must be a left hand and a right hand pair which are of course mirror images. The assembly is then bent into a curved shape using a steel socket of the appropriate diameter.
 

 
Clamps made from 2mm brass strip were then squeezed with pliers in order to hold the top section together. 
 

 
The brackets were then nailed either side of the stabilizers.
 
Support struts for each bracket were nailed to the rear axel or the front anchoring bar:
 

 
They were then silver soldered to the back of the suspension brackets. The instructions recomend the use of CA but i feld silver solder was more  secure and CA eill not take paint should any touch up needed.
 
Here is the final result:
 

 
Next links will be made to connect these to the suspension proper.
 
John
 
 

Well, Tuesday came and it was back to work full time....that seems like a bad habit I need to break one of these days
 
With that, progress slowed a bit.  The next steps in the instructions were mostly for assembling and painting some of the metal bits around the cockpit, including fuel and oil tanks.  I am still waiting on some Alclad Aluminum paint that I want to try on the tanks, but have painted the other bits.  I then skipped ahead through the instructions looking for other small subassemblies to build and paint.  So here's what I have:
 
Miscellaneous tiny bits:
 
Seat

 
Guns.  I did some dry brushing with silver, might have overdone it a little bit.

 
Tail skid:

Rudder and elevator:
 
And the instrument panel.   The kit includes some decals for instrument faces but I have not applied them yet.

 

Did a bit more work on the tail wing and some supports around the cockpit which I did not capture in a photo.  That completes most of the wood work for the fuselage.  I also used the airbrush to lightly spray on some "Golden Oak" stain and also some light brown Tamiya paint just to give the bass wood a bit more color and to hide some of the laser cut char which I had also partially filed off.  The kit instructions suggest leaving the char but painting over it with a "light wood" color.  I am very much enjoying using the new air brush.
 
The next steps are mostly painting some of the smaller metal bits for the cockpit controls, some engine bits, fuel and oil tanks, etc.  At least some of that work means waiting for the UPS delivery of some paint.  I may skip ahead and do some other subassemblies if I get impatient with that wait.
 

 

As mentioned, I have started the kit, and am on about page 18 (of about 270) in the instruction manual.  The build starts with a jig for the fuselage frames and then building up the fuselage.  And yes, 2 of the first 4 parts I glued together I did incorrectly.  But that is inconsequential I think.  
 
For the "required supplies" the instruction manual lists only CA but I have also been using wood glue for some of these bits.
 
Fuselage jig:

 
Frames around the cockpit and main wing spars.  Some of these frames are quite delicate and easy to break, as I have already done a couple times.  The photo etch pieces here I felt did not fit great as they were a bit larger than the wood piece that the wrap around.

 

 
Remaining frames in place, followed by front structure/firewall:

 

I’ve had my eye on these tram kits from OcCre for some time, having and being impressed by their Xebec Casador kit and finding the trams very appealing to look at. So on my Xmas wish list I put the Cornwall Models website page of all the team kits available and let my partner choose one. So it would still be a surprise. She got me the Berlin one.
 

 
So far I have completed the interior, gluing the bench frames to the carriage base and planking the floor and benches. The benches have been varnished and the floor painted what should be light grey, but I’m not sure if it’s currently a touch too dark.
 

 
Next I have prepared the window frames by staining them, painting one side of the doors green and staining the other and painting one side of the carriage ends a cream colour. For the green I used Model Color Deep Green and for the cream I mixed around two parts Model Color Ivory with one part Sand Yellow.
 

 

 
And that’s where I am currently. I’m enjoying the build so far, the parts are good quality, the instructions have photos as usual with OcCre, although some things aren’t too clearly explained. And it’s brought me back to model ships again, playing with wood!
 

The engine completed, except for some final finishing etc.. The replacement ignition wiring worked better than expected. I cut out the oversized rubber strands, poked a hole in the alternator or whatever that is and inserted a thin copper wire which I had painted a light red. On the engine block end I attached the rubber spark plug caps I had trimmed off back on to the end of the wire using basic neurosurgery practice.
Looks reasonable I think and more to scale. The big frame piece in front of the engine looks ridiculous to me but I’m assuming it is for attaching the body and won’t be visible on completion. I hope.

Thanks for comment Mark & Popeye! 
Continuing with making the engine, trying to make it look cool and non plastic like, but also like a 100 year old. Next steps will include the ignition wiring. The kit includes some tiny rubber caps, wires and whatever the apparatus at the other end, all in one octopus. This makes this fussy bit of work a deuced easy install, but there’s a snag. At 1:12 scale, the rubber wire provided is at least 1” in diameter, which looks way too big. My plan is to snip off the two business ends, reuse them and replace the rubber with smaller gauge copper wire, attached to both rubber ends somehow. We will see how that goes. 

Starting on the engine. Assembly’s a cinch after being used to a lot of wooden ship destructions. To make it look more engine like I brushed on some steel colour paint and then quickly dabbed it with a bit of talcum powder on the brush while still wet, to add a suggestion of texture. Seems like it will work pretty well to give a cast iron look. Long way to go with this but it’s looking like I’m heading for a bit of a grubby used look on this racer. I’m experimenting with some paint techniques, eventually I may do a warship of some kind. 

BUILD DAY 24 / 1 hr / (TOTAL: 66 hrs)
 
Installation of window side wash basins and the common W-C.
 
Figures 250-252:

 


 
 

Figures 246-249: Today I spent some time to install the furniture in the compartments. The train is starting to get the soul now!
 

 

 

 

Final Completion
 After a frustrating couple of months waiting for parts, the model is finally completed. I managed to source locally (relatively) some clear plastic rod of the correct diameter to complete the boiler gauge sight glass. 
 
I also took some time to write a constructive email to Model Expo with a detailed list of the errors in parts, and in the instructions, that I had encountered and asked only for replacements for the hoses and three bolts. I figured that since Model Expo claim a free parts replacement service this shouldn’t be too hard, especially since I had gone to the trouble of clearly identifying the issues for them.
 
Turned out not to be quite that simple. It was only after I involved the company owner (Marc Mosko) that I even got a response to my emails – the first email went completely unanswered for a month before I wrote a second time. Then a person in the parts department took it upon themselves to make it more difficult than it needed to be by insisting that I complete their online form for replacement parts, even though I had already provided every single piece of information on that form and more. That same person also told me that I would receive exactly the same parts as originally provided (never mind that the parts were incorrect). I was not prepared to put up with this nonsense so once again drew Marc Mosko into the conversation. Someone must have received the proverbial kick in the pants because I was then contacted by someone else in the parts department who couldn’t have been more helpful. The only further snag was that because of the cost of postage these days, they decided to include my replacement parts in a shipment to their Australian distributor, who would then forward my parts on to me. I can’t fault them for that – in fact it was a sensible approach. Anyway, the parts finally arrived on 29 Dec (more than two months since my first email) so Model Expo did make good on their promise and I’m grateful for that, even if their customer service is somewhat lacking.
 
Once I had the hose material in hand, it was a simple matter to cut them to approximate length, dip the ends in CA glue to stop them fraying and while the glue was still wet, insert the end of a paintbrush to open the ends and stop them sticking together. Once the CA had dried, the hose ends were trimmed to final length and the hose connectors inserted and glued in place. The hoses were then painted with a liberal amount of watered down PVA glue (50/50 glue/water mix) and left overnight to dry. This made the hoses relatively stiff but still malleable and able to be formed to some sort of shape prior to installing on the model.
 
So here at last are some final shots of the completed model. The Stbd side:
 
 
 
 A close-up of the Boiler Water Level Sight Gauge:
 

 
And the Port side:
 
 
 
Despite its many frustrations, this has been an enjoyable build and I’m well pleased with the final product. More importantly, the Admiral likes it, and it is now on display in a temporary home in the dining room. Now I can get back to finishing my Capstan project.
 

MainDeck furnishings, paddle wheels, engines, etc…
 

 
Finished up the hull trim, before proceeding with everything on deck. 
 

 
Scratch building the infrastructure for the transmission of steam power to the massive paddle wheels. 
 

 

 
couple of cutouts to give some perspective of just how massive this steamboat really is. 😆
 

 
started working on the framing around the paddle wheel housing. 
 

 
Steam engine parts. These pieces of wood will become the steam cylinders driving the paddle wheels. 
 

 
Two steam cylinders ready for installation. 
 

 
Steam engine transmission structure completed. 
 

 
A little micro Carpentry. 😆
 

 

 
Progress on the engine room, lots of details coming. 😎
 

 
Inspiration photo only, massive paddle wheels coming up … 
 
later… 🍻