Paul Jarman

Sorry about, they do quite a bit of PE for various scales but I didn't check to see if they had 1/300. But the card parts you have in your kit look way better than the Amati set.. They look to be made with self adhesive. Have you checked out the 36 part log on YouTube? Your kit looks very good and will make fine model. Paul

Looks to be a very nice kit. I am currently building the Amati version. Will follow along with interest. I see that Occre are using the same Colour card for some of the detailing as Amati. I can replace all of mine with PE from Minibrass. You might want to consider doing the same if there are upgrades available. Good luck and enjoy building this version of this iconic ship. Paul

The bulkheads and keel dry fitted. it is now fairly obvious how far out bulkheads 3-8 actually are. I don't have the tools or the skills to build new bulkheads. I do however have plenty of spare planks from unfinished kits. I should be able to build the bulkheads to their correct size by gluing strips along the edges and so build them to the correct size. All the strips have been cut out and trimmed ready for the second planking. Real shame that Amati allowed this to happen and never corrected it. At the very least they could have recut the bulkheads to the correct size and offered them to builders of this kit.

Next project is the Amati Titanic. This is a museum quality model. The kit is very good quality. Will build into a very nice model of the Titanic. The instructions are very good. There is an 40 page colour booklet to go with the 10 pages of written instructions, which are very extensive. Plus there are 8 plan sheets. The down sides are the way the second planking of the hull needs to be cut from two sheets of ply using paper templets. The colour card cut outs to represent the windows and doors on the various cabin parts. Also the plastic benches are a let down. I will however replace all the card and benches with photo etch from Minibrass. I will start the build by cutting all the second planking parts out. I will then plank the decks before starting to put the kit together. I am unsure with the discrepancy with the 6 bulkheads. I have the template, but when I lay the bulkheads on it they are to small if I increase the size and to large a fit if I decrease the size. Will have to put them in place loose and see how the first planking sits on them. Have started by cutting the second planking out.

Brilliant news, Welcome to MSW AL. Paul

It is a matter of choice as John says,and I have debated the same question myself. It also depends how steady your hands are. I have shaky hands when I try to do fiddly bits and find it very hard to tie the rigging on. But I would also like to build a model of HMS Victory or any other sailing ship. Therefore rather than miss out on building a nice model of a sailing vessel I personaly would build with mast stumps. Paul

PC is finally back up and working. This is where the Rocket is up to.

Thanks Chris, Makes it a lot clearer as to what I am building. I will look into sending an email.

Finally finished the decorating. Next big project will be Amati Titanic. But before starting will be buying the Mini Brass PE replacements. Especially to replace all the coloured card parts. So before that I am building the OcCre Stephenson Rocket. Unfortunately I do not have a working PC and won't have for a few months. Typing this on my mobile. And for some reason cant download pictures from this mobile. Think it is because it is a cheap phone.

Hi Antonio, I use the glue micro tip extenters,if they are the same thing. They come in packs of 200 from Amazon. They can be cut to whichever size you need and are excellent for gluing small areas. I find that rocket glue works best with them. The Rocket max works best. I use them when I need to use superglue. And I discard and replace with a new tip after each use. Paul

Depending on the colour I would paint them on the sprue. As I would with most of the parts. If some parts are glued together and painted one colour than I would glue them together first then paint them. The only important thing to remember is not to get any paint on the area's that will be glued. Paul

Well done, its been nice to follow your build. Looking forward to seeing your next kit build. Paul

Try not to get to disheartened by this part of the build. I have the same problem myself. Some modelers can tie the smallest of knots with pefection others Can't. When I first started tieing blocks I used a piece of two by two wood to represent the block and practiced tieing with a shoelace. If you look at the blocks I have tied you will see they are not seized or tied with any fancy knots. I hold the block in a pin vice to keep it steady and just tie them with a simple knot or a fishermans knot. And to tie them to the mast I use an eyebolt and that works just fine. You just have to build up your confidence and keep practicing. It will work out in the end with a bit of patience. You also need to take into account Where the model is going to be displayed. If you are building on commission and the model is being displayed for public viewing then it needs to be perfect. If you are displaying it in your home then the knots won't need to be tied with such perfection. And you will look at your finished model with pride. And as you build more models especially large-scale kits you will wonder why you where so frustrated in the first place. Just hang in there keep practicing and it will all come together in the end. Paul

Thanks for the thoughts. I did consider buying another model kit as it was just the hull that had suffered but decided not to. Managed to damage some of my other plastic models as well,but they will be repairable. Paul

Had a slight accident whilst decorating. I had put all my models on the floor along with my stash of kits and other smaller items. Storing all of the large units first and carefuly placing all my kits and models on top of units as I stepped back I stood on the model. The damage is far to much to repair so the model won't get finished. Only redeeming factor is at least it was this model and not one of my wooden one's, they are now safely stored. As a result if a moderator or admin wishes to delete this build log to free up space feel free to do so. Paul

Welcome to MSW Joseph, You have found the best forum there is for this wonderful hobby. Looking forward to following your log when you start it. Paul

Finished building this kit a while back. It is a very good kit. I painted mine. You are going to enjoy building this kit. Only tip I can give with AL kits is to read and reread the instructions. You will love building the two staircases. Paul

Looking good, paint makes all the difference. You are now up to the really fun part of model ship building. Adding all the details is when the model comes alive. Paul

main body and the bridge completed. Have not added the PE railings to the bridge. Have picked out all the steps and other details on the bridge. Bit of touching up here and there and some decals to add then on to the containers. Have built the first block and started to paint them up. Each very small square represents a container. Around 140 to each block and 22 blocks in total. So around 2,000 containers to paint up. May take some time. I am stopping work on the model for a few weeks as I am about to start redecorating the flat. Paul

I had forgotten how quickly plastic kits can be built. This level 4 kit is fairly straightforward. The two hull parts went together without any problems. The hull is now painted. It helped that the waterline was marked on the hull. The deck has been painted and fitted. Painting the parts up on the sprues, except fort the containers. There so many to paint up in different colours it will be better to paint them in blocks rather than trying to keep tabs of all the different parts. Paul

Looks good to me. Nice job on the planking. Breaking the odd peace now and then is all part of the learning curve. As your skills progress breakages get less and less. Once you move on to the larger scale models you will find it a lot easier due to the size of pieces you work with. Wood glues are all a matter of personal choice and what suits you best and which you find easier to use. I personally only use the yellow glue on areas I know won't be seen. And on the superstructure which will eventually be painted. I use a good quality white glue for all the planking. And for areas that require a better bond I find a white anathalatic glue works best. I find those lamp magnifiers hard to use. A good headband magnifier works far better and comes with a variety of different magnifications. They also allow you to get closer to the part you are working on. It does take a bit longer to complete models as you move up through the higher end kits. The great thing about being retired is you can put in as much time as you feel like doing. You might find that with these smaller kits 3-6 months is about average. Once you move on to the larger scale models anything up to a year is good going. Move on to the big ship of the line kits and 2-3 years is average. Some modelers can spend up to 10 years on a model Keep up the good work, looking forward to your next update. Enjoy your golf as well. Used to play myself until I moved to far from the course I played. Paul

Paul

Yes, building,painting,and adding all the decals will certainly test my patience. Paul

Thanks Eric, That worked. Paul