Jump to content
Welcome to our new sponsor - Portland Scale Ship Co.! Specializing in Scale model ship kits and building chapters for the HMS Winchelsea and other ships ×

Tecko

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    357

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Tecko

  1. Tecko
    😄 So are we.
  2. Tecko
    Beautiful build @clearway. I am following and looking forward to what is next. I hope you are fine and well. Thank you for sharing. I am learning a lot from what you have shown so far. Thank you. From an old recruitment poster...
  3. Tecko
    I resized the deck width to 455 px. These are the master plans I will be using for building the ship. All the following scale conversions will be based on these plans.
  4. Tecko
    A new kit arrived. I was surprised how much bigger the ship is than the HMS Beagle (1:60) despite the smaller scale (1:70). I bought two books for reading while doing the build.
  5. Tecko
    According to resources, the ship was built in Scotland, and they would have been using imperial measurements. So, instead of a 50m base, I am going to use the 165 feet (stem to stern) by 30 feet (beam) as the base measurement. 165' = 50292mm, and 30' = 9144mm The plans I do have are slightly different from one another. I scaled both plans to 2500 px = 165 feet. In this case, the beam ought to be (2500px/165') x 30'=454.5 px. Both plans fall short, or in other words, both beams are too narrow. I am going to widen the beam to 455 px (114mm). So, the plan is to build a ship to 1:80 scale, or (165' x 12 x 25.4) / 80 = 628.65mm. Since the whole thing is an estimation, I will make it 630mm (stem to stern). The waterline to the stem deck is about 230px (58mm). Hence, I need to carve a ship from a 630 x 144 x 58mm block/sandwich of wood. Other deck items have different sizes. I have trouble understanding how plans of the late 19th century can be out of whack. Anyway, I will do what I can without going overboard and drowning in my own confusion.
  6. Tecko
    A book arrived today, The Home of the Blizzard. I found the above (top) plans in here, as well as this one... This book also covers the history of the ship (Chapter 18: The Ship's Story from Captain Davis's Narratives), which I have not yet read.
  7. Tecko
    I am not aware of any detailed plans for this ship, except for the information provided below. Stem to stern (s-s) length is 50m (165'). A good scale for me is 1:80, making the s-s length 625mm. Other than these plans, the rest of the ship's dimensions will have to be transposed from photographs. This will be my first scratch build ship. It would be easier if I had more detailed plans and cross-sections. However, I can avoid a lot of guesswork by not including the hull below the water line _ hence the diorama. Having the ship in water. The idea came to me when I saw this small photo of the SY Aurora. I was instantly mesmerised by it. At first, not quite sure why. Then I realised the reflection of the ship in the water. Here is an ideal use for a mirror and a grey (cold) backdrop for a display case. I am still working on the Hms Beagle, and later, the SS Endurance. However, the SY Aurora is invisibly tied to the Endurance. I could not build the Endurance without the Aurora. So, in saying this, this scratch build will more likely start much further down the track. But in the meantime, I will be adding bits of information to this thread in preparation for the actual build.
  8. Tecko
    Just letting you know... ... and I will be back onboard soon.
  9. Tecko
    Interesting project you have going here, Julie. Keep up the good work.
  10. Tecko
    Wonderful build @Glen McGuire. I was referred to this build by @Keith Black https://modelshipworld.com/topic/39535-help-needed-for-sy-aurora-plans/?do=findComment&comment=1129211 Thanks for sharing your successful scratchbuild of a SIB approach.
  11. Tecko
    I need to make six medium-sized lanterns and 4 large lanterns. The medium size uses a 3mm OD acrylic tube, and is about 6mm long. Here is my prototype. My old iPhone camera overexposes the bright areas, such as a light source. Here it is, making a warm-white LED, white. The CA glue had fogged up the clear acrylic, but it looks quite good. I am currently charging up my real camera, hoping it will take a good shot as my own eyes see the lit lantern.
  12. Tecko
    The stands are not yet installed. I am just seeing how they would function and look.
  13. Tecko
    Thank you @Cathead for your likes and interest. It is funny that you mentioned my unique take on it, just when I was wondering about the pitfalls of doing so. It is easy to get things wrong, especially when introducing lighting and figurines. People do things in the day they would not do in darkness, and vice versa. For instance, I wanted to have two crew members, sitting in a stored rowboat, playing cards. They would not do that at night without a lantern; yet they would not have a lantern to play cards in the daytime. So, that scenario, as much as I would like to have it, becomes a pitfall. Unless... hmm. Unless I avoid the prudent saying, 'keep it simple.' Now I may be heading into a deeper pitfall🤪. . . This is what happens when you believe there is no such thing as 'impossible'.😄
  14. Tecko
    Regarding what I am about to do to the model, here are some of my thoughts on paper.
  15. Tecko
    When will I start planking the boat? A few weeks ago, I had an idea of including lights in the model. This idea has turned into a multi-layer problem due to 'wiring'. Because there are more than two wires (+volts and ground), a simple socket attached to the hull won't work. Two wires are the simple solution where all LED lights are set to one prearranged degree of brightness. However, I want to be able to adjust the brightness of the different LEDs to suit the ship in its completed state. In other words, there will be a need to harness many wires exiting the boat through its two display standposts. These wires will be connected to a control panel that allows me to select lights and vary their brightness levels. I cannot start planking the hull until I sort out the wiring. There will be about twenty-one LEDs. Eleven of them will be in lanterns. Also, need to sort out how to attach the two hollow standposts to both the hull and the stand. I think I am very close to sorting all these things out.
  16. Tecko
    Very nice work. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build, if that is possible. Hoping the new year 2026 will bring you much joy in your creativity.
  17. Tecko
    Welcome @Paul White. I am a beginner myself. However, I do have a few transferable skills, like everybody else, which make this hobby quite manageable. Those transferable skills play a significant role in terms of the required tools to do the job. You may find that you do not need many tools at all. In my opinion, the main transferable skill is self-confidence. With it, any obstacle can be overcome. Anyone who thinks they would like to give this hobby a go already has the needed self-confidence to master it. So settle in, and have fun mastering what you already know you can master.
  18. Tecko
    The upper deck has not yet been attached. The 3mm LED is not ON; it's just the external light diffusing through the clear LED housing. This LED is actually a red LED for night vision.
  19. Tecko
    The helm's wheel was attached to the deck. The steering rope was fed through the deck and glued to the framework to show tension in the rope. I was not too happy about the cutdown version of the helmsman, so I operated on him again. This time, instead of just cutting his legs, I cut a piece out of his midsection and some of his lower legs. This made him more proportional in appearance. I found that Blu Tack works well to keep loose parts in place while gluing with Supa glue. Then I stuck the figure on some copper wire, as a stand, to paint it.
  20. Tecko
    Throughout the festive season, I fell (caught two bouts of cold in the middle of summer!). Being 70+ y.o. is vastly different from being 60+. Anyway, I did get to do a bit here and there towards the build. I hesitated attaching the upper aft deck due to needing to put the helm section underneath it, as well as a night (red) light. I decided it was best to put those bits in first. Since the sailors of the period were short in stature, even 1:72 scale figures were too tall for a 1:60 scale ship. I had to cut the poor helmsman down to size. I also amputated his arm to relocate it to handle the helm's wheel. I think the helsman will look better after I paint him. At first, I really botched up both the Marine and Binnacle compasses. They are bloody small! And my peepers are not exactly on the ball. I tried to drill out the Binnacle compass window, but that did not work out too well. However, to some degree, I was able to recess the red micro LED into it. My goal is to have some sort of light reflection onto the helmsman. Something like in the following image...
  21. Tecko
    If it is accurate, then the cannon balls need to be brass as well. 😉
  22. Tecko
    Hi Brant. Thanks for the compliment. Yes, I am still making a display case, but a different base design since I am no longer making a diorama. I have never made a display case before, and I am not a carpenter either, but I have confidence that it will turn out okay. My main concern is the weight of it all if I am using 3mm glass sheets. I don't like plexiglass/Perspex. Additionally, at this moment, I am unsure exactly how I will terminate the wiring. I am going to use ordinary PVC electrical tubing as hollow stands between the hull and the display base. The wires will be channeled through them. Because I plan to have some control over the lighting (switching and dimming), there will be a lot of wires exiting through the stands. Once the wiring harness is sorted, I can then start planking the hull, which I am looking forward to having a go at.
  23. Tecko
  24. Tecko
    While waiting for the glue to dry on the planking of the fore and aft upper decks, I painted the cannons with metallic brass paint. The cannons, even after two coats, have a tarnished look about them, which I like. In case you were wondering why I chose to brass the cannons...
  25. Tecko
    I tested both the red and warm white-colored micro LEDs and chose a different value for R (see above, post #101). The value for RV is 10k ohms. Here, R = 150 ohms. It's the right degree of maximum brightness from my point of view. Red LED

About us

Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research

SSL Secured

Your security is important for us so this Website is SSL-Secured

NRG Mailing Address

Nautical Research Guild
237 South Lincoln Street
Westmont IL, 60559-1917

Model Ship World ® and the MSW logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,929,264 & No. 6,929,274, registered Dec. 20, 2022)

Helpful Links

About the NRG

If you enjoy building ship models that are historically accurate as well as beautiful, then The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is just right for you.

The Guild is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to “Advance Ship Modeling Through Research”. We provide support to our members in their efforts to raise the quality of their model ships.

The Nautical Research Guild has published our world-renowned quarterly magazine, The Nautical Research Journal, since 1955. The pages of the Journal are full of articles by accomplished ship modelers who show you how they create those exquisite details on their models, and by maritime historians who show you the correct details to build. The Journal is available in both print and digital editions. Go to the NRG web site (www.thenrg.org) to download a complimentary digital copy of the Journal. The NRG also publishes plan sets, books and compilations of back issues of the Journal and the former Ships in Scale and Model Ship Builder magazines.

Our Emblem ®

Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research

Nautical Research Guild ® and the NRG logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,999,236 & No. 6,999,237, registered March 14, 2023)

×
×
  • Create New...