king derelict

So now to try to recreate a 1/700 bit of a Norwegian Fjord. Please let me know if it is not acceptable to continue with this in the current thread or whether it should be moved. I hope the later posts will reintroduce HMS Penelope on the diorama with details like anchor chains added and possibly tenders out and about. The base is a 20 x 11 inch piece of extruded polystyrene which should fit the display box I have ordered. Further pieces from the sheet were cut to form the basic shape of the mountains. I used Weldbond glue to stick them in place and that seems to have created a good bond. Cocktail sticks were used to hold it all together while the glue dried. After 24 hours to let the glue set well I started carving the basic shapes to suit my idea of the terrain. The extruded polystyrene carves much better than expanded polystyrene but the blades on scalpels and hobby knives are not really long enough to make the cuts I wanted. Oh My! Is that a kitchen knife I see there? It has a very fine serrated and slightly flexible blade and it went through the foam very easily. Hopefully it will still do the same with tomatoes The ravine at centre will be a frozen waterfall I hope. After the tense breath holding working on tiny PE this is very relaxing for the muscles. I have an overall idea of what I want but teh details are being developed on the fly. Happy 4th July Weekend for some and Euro 2020 quarterfinals for others Alan

Thank you Popeye. I learnt a lot building this one. PE forming is an art all on its own. I think having better tools helped a lot on this build; using shorter runs of railing and generally using Gators Grip glue instead of CA. The last few details will be completed on the diorama.

Thank you OC. I feel I didn't overdo it this time and I like the result. There is a lot to learn there. Alan

Thank you Jack. Your AFV models are spectacular so your praise means a lot Alan

The PVA sealer sounds like a good idea. MDF soaks up water and paint. The PVA should give a bit more control. Its going to look very nice. Alan

Today I painted the last details, the shovel and the axe and touched up a few areas that needed attention. Then the weathering! I used the Steel paint from the Bare Metal Oilbrusher set I used very small amounts where I thought there might be significant wear. and then washed it to thin the effect. I used the AV Vallejo Rust, Stain and Streaking set for rust. I kept it to limited areas, mostly the corners of the track guards that might have got beaten up in training. I used the darker colours to get a deep, paint chipping effect and surrounded it with the light rust colour which I washed out with a wet brush. I added a light rust wash to the wheel centres and also brushed a small amount over the bare steel effects which produced a result that I like. I'm not sure if the decal on the hatches was necessary, the information is limited I think this is finished. I hope you like it. Thanks for looking and responding Alan

I'm sure it will be easier to work on the details if each wall is flat. The exposed brickwork looks very well done. Do you plan to add any texture when you paint? Alan

Thanks for the great comment Craig I have enjoyed this one a lot. Alan

Thanks Mark The tracks were harder than I expected but they do look good. Alan

Thanks OC, its a very nice kit. I will try one of the Renault tanks next I think

It looks like a very nice kit. I'm sure you will build it into something great Alan

Craig. Thank you; that means a lot. There are some of your invaluable tips incorporated into this model \. Its been a challenge but its also been great fun and it has boosted my confidence for The Prince Of Wales when it shows up. The wooden decks showed up yesterday along with a very fine metal anchor chain that might get commandeered for Penelope. Thanks Alan

And I forgot to add the photos to last nights update. My apologies Now off to do some experiments with the Oilbrushers Alan

Congratulations OC. She looks very tidy now. I want to try a modern ship. I have a 1/700 HMS Montrose and would like to build her as the the Black Duke; HMS Monmouth if possible Alan

The major task of the day was to complete the tracks by using the single links to bridge round the drive sprocket and the rear wheel. The detail of the single tracks is very impressive and they assemble very nicely on a flat surface. Unfortunately I found them very difficult to build up around the curvature of the wheel. The sprocket wasn't so bad because the teeth held the link in place and ensured the spacing. The rear wheel was more difficult ; the links didn't seem to like the radius and wouldn't lay up next to each other. I tried assembly a section on the bench and folding it around the wheel while the glue was soft but it still fell apart once the radius was tightened. Eventually I laid one link at a time and let the glue set before adding the next and got a reasonable result. It certainly looks better than the Airfix Churchill I built about 55 years ago. It had the elasticated tracks that you were supposed to fuse together with a hot knife blade. The track guards were installed and the details added. I put the turret in place - its a lot safer there; with the PE grab handles there are very few places that you can hold the turret. I put a couple of very thin black washes on to bring out the wheel details and panel lines. Next is the weathering. From Patricks notes this was mainly a training asset and I can't imagine any Prussian training establishment allowing their equipment to get too squalid. I do want to try the Mig Oilbrushers and see what i can do though. Thanks for looking Alan

Thank you for the kind comment Popeye. This is a great kit and I have enjoyed it a lot. Flyhawk put a lot of detail into a tiny tank. Alan

Thanks Egilman I should have checked the dry fit and registered teh misalignment before gluing. Your solution would have then been an elegant fix. As it was I stumbled through it. I do need to learn that the kit manufacturer isn't always delivering a perfect kit. Flyhawk is so good generally that I get lulled into a false sense of security. Alan

Thanks Patrick. I shaved a couple of the teeth and there was then enough room in the track links to accommodate the misalignment. I need to get in the habit of checking stuff like this before reaching for the glue. Alan

Thank you very much OC. This is the most complicated ship I have attempted. First wooden deck, most complicated PE and first use of brass guns. I have learnt a lot, had some very useful suggestions on tackling the work which has made it a better model so many thanks to everyone for that. I'm reading up on diorama techniques to try to create part of a snowy fjord. Alan

That is great. Raising the standard higher.

Back to making some progress here after being focussed on HMS Penelope. I painted the rubber rims of the road wheels and built up the overlapping wheels. I found the wheels to be very tight on the axles and had to open them up with the next size drill. The first section of track was glued into place and I found another slight issue. The drive wheel / sprocket inner and outer teeth do not align. The inner and outer halves of the wheel are assembled with a square key so there is no scope for mis-assembly there and it is present on both sides. Dry fitting the first few single track pieces suggest that there is enough slack on the holes in the track to accommodate the misalignment and still have some scope to make the track run straight and parallel with the wheels. Some cleaning up and installation of the remaining track sections and probably some light clamping to get the track to sag onto the wheels are needed. The track pieces are very nicely moulded and seem to go together well. I departed a little from the instructions to move the long lower section forward to engage the first teeth of the drive wheel in order to ensure the following single pieces would engage also. The track guards and small details will go on and then weathering and another experiement with the Rust and Bare Metal Oilbrushers Thanks Alan

The details condoned over the last few days. The railings were completed. For some reason I found the Flyhawk railings easier to install than my previous attempt using Eduard railings. The derrick and catapult were added with breath held! The Seafox was painted and the decals applied without losing any of them. A general clean up and removal of cat hairs and this morning with breath held even longer the Seafox was added to the catapult. It probably should have been further back on the catapult but the derrick was now in the way. There is a lesson in planning and I should have thought about this and angled the derrick to provide better access to the catapult. The 6 Ps in action!. I tried out the Rust Oilbrushers and was very impressed with the way it comes out. I think I was a bit heavy handed around the hawse holes and too light under the port holes but it was a first attempt and I don't think it ruined the model. There is a lot of pigment in one small dot of paint. This will be as far as I go for a while, You will note that the anchors are not present. I'm waiting to see how the diorama works out. If it comes together it will depict the ship at anchor. I have sent off for some 1/700 chain and hopefully that will take care of the foredeck and the anchoring of the ship. I made a start on the diorama base and determined the dimensions. The width of the diorama will be compressed putting the ship at anchor to the shore much closer than a careful captain would enjoy. I sent off for resin and the material to make a display case to go over it. The cost of the model pales into insignificance compared to the display case, teh diorama materials, weathering etc. But they all make it more fun.

Craig Many Thanks for looking into this for me. Your brush looks just like mine. In the Mig video they show the brush as in the screenshot below Although later images with paint on it do make it look thicker. The video shows its use on larger scale model AFV and planes so that also makes it look smaller> Waving any brush at 1/700 hips makes the brush look big. Thanks again. I still think its a very convenient way to use oils. I think I will get a few more colours to go with the two sets I already have.

The Rust set I got has the same brush too. Maybe I should contact spraygunner.com and see if Mig have made changes thanks Alan

I received the Bare Metal and Rust Oilbrusher kits from Spraygunner today and had a little session of experimentation with them. After watching the Youtube videos I was a little disappointed to find the brush is not the fine point shown in the advertising but a square ended quite broad one. The bristle ring that is supposed to wipe off the excess paint as you withdraw the brush wasn't present either. Maybe Mig have made changes. The finer brush would be nice because my initial conclusion is that the paint is very strong and only a little is needed (like ordinary oil paint I suppose). I did work up the courage to attempt a little rust on HMS Penelope and I don't think I ruined it. I was using the applicator brush to transfer the paint to a palette and then picking it up with a fine brush (which sort of defeats the point). So from the initial experience I like them and will use them in preference to oil from the tubes. Many Thanks for referencing them Alan