rshousha

Hi Steve, This is very nice. I'm sure I've done this by chance for something or other but to have it stated here as an actual technique is wonderful. I like it and will add it to the blog on glue. How long have you been building kits? Best Regards, Rick

Interesting. Hah, you are right about the laborious work and that's one of the reasons I switched from car models to ships. With ships, i find the fun is in creating detail and not perfect surfaces. So, perhaps I should just focus on that for now. The stuff is easy to cut, sand, and carve. it paints easily enough and will be just right for guns and decorations. I am working on a project where I still need a decent surface and for that I will get a piece cut in a curve and see what gives. However, in the meantime, do you have suggestions on sizes of pieces that people may want? Thanks, Rick

There's also perhaps the fact that I'm blasting the hell out of it with sunlight to get it to dry. Perhaps the Renshape is a little more porous than the Styrene, and is drying too quickly. Again, I'm trying to build a magic bullet here for another project (soon to be announced here!) Cheers. R

Hmm, that's pretty well exactly what I've done. I used to do car bodies (you can see them on my site at www.modellers-workshop.com ) and was working with those pretty well the way you described. I don't know which Ren product I have here. I'll have to check. Perhaps there is a difference between the qualities. What I've done is place a small piece of Styrene on the Ren and have been comparing the finish as I lay on each product. Since the Styrene starts smoother, it's easier to get the nice finish. I'm trying to find a combination of products that can get to the same finish as the Styrene, either in the same amount of time, or faster. The methods we've both used (primer, color, sanding, compounds, etc) is slow and laborious. I am hoping to create a magic bullet. Cheers, R

Great! This is exactly what I wanted to hear. However, I am having a hard time getting the mirror finish you mention. I've used automotive primer to seal the material and, after painting with Tamiya spray cans, I don't quite get the identical finish I am getting on straight polystyrene. It seems fine when I sand the two pieces, side by side, but then the paint still seems to be absorbed a little by the Renshape. Can you let me know what you do to get a perfect finish? If I am going to sell the stuff, I also want to be able to give instructions on use. Cheers, Rick

Hi Richard, This is the first link that comes up when you look for Renshape, for me, anyway: http://www.freemansupply.com/RenShape460MediumH.htm here's an excellent article on machining and they talk about Renshape about half way down. http://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/gcnc/full/ Again, the problem is not availability; the stuff is easy enough to get. The problem is it comes in large pieces and is expensive. Since I have access to the product, and a website that people find easy to use, I am considering buying some of this stuff and cutting it up to usable sizes for modellers. Cheers, Rick

Indeed, the stuff has been around for years and this is encouraging me to use the stuff for this project. From this, one can infer the excellent longevity of the product. I don't think most people can actually outlive the stuff, in fact. So, this is now a survey of what sizes of Renshape would be interesting. I have 4-inch and 2-inch blocks and can cut them to any size. Cheers, R

Greetings, I have come across a very interesting product that I am going to use for a project at the Modeller's Workshop. This product, Renshape, a high-density foam, is excellent for scratch-building parts and making molds. However, it comes in large sections and is quite expensive. I am considering buying some of this stuff and cutting it into small pieces so model-builders can use it. Please let me know if you are interested. If there is enough interest, I will start selling the stuff on my website, in small pieces. Best Regards, Rick Shousha Modeller's Workshop Montreal

Hi Tomhard, If you are going to forgo using those nails. I could sure use them myself. Would you be willing to part with them? Best Regards, Rick Shousha Montreal

I find myself using Titebond and Lepage's interchangeably, without thinking about them too much. Have you noticed a difference? Best Regards, Rick

Yup, that's the stuff. It works great. Apparently, the really white stuff is wonderful for school projects and is edible... Cheers, Rick

Hi, I'm not sure about the white glue. I used that stuff at the beginning of my building but once I changed to the yellow stuff I was much more pleased. Perhaps it requires a rethink on my part but I'm concerned that the white stuff is not quite as strong as the yellow stuff. Also the white glue can be washed away ever after it is dry so I wonder how durable it can be, it may be fine on ratlines as there is little pressure there but I wouldn't use it on the planking or the decks. The Constitution is an impressive model. Here in Canada, everyone builds the Bluenose first and, as a seller of kits, I sure wish I could find another interesting Canadian subject to sell. At least in the US, you have a few more American subjects that have nice kits available. Cheers,

Which model are you building? It will be interesting to hear about the holding power you need. What I've done to increase holding power is to coat the thread at the absolute last second and then snug the line. This puts a tiny bit of glue right inside the blocks, if you see what I mean. My experience with big boats is limited but I do have plenty of experience with boats of 1'=12" scale! Cheers, Rick

Hi, I only use the yellow stuff and i use it full strength on the knots. However, I do smear it on gently so it works itself into the thread. I don't drop it on like you would with the CA glue. Speaking of dilution, I did just use some with about 25% dilution for a flag. I just completed the Corel Wasa gun kit (really fun) and I used the glue in slightly diluted form to give the flag some shape. I should put up some pictures of that kit in a little while. Cheers, Rick

Which types of glue do I use for wood ship kits? It seems like everywhere I look people are using CA (cyanoacrylate) glue to do just about everything. However, as someone who has acquired an allergy to the stuff I’ve had the opportunity to try a variety of other products and have found some excellent replacements. Recently, a wood ship client asked me for CA glue for his models and I thought I’d write this note to describe CA glue and some other ideas I’ve learned since I stopped using the stuff. CA Glue CA glue comes in three thicknesses, thin, medium, and thick, in various names depending on the brand. The best known are Zap-a-Gap and Bob Smith. I’ve tried various brands and prefer the Bob Smith brand because it comes in a variety of sizes but the quality of Zap-a-Cap is just about the same. You can find a longer discussion about the glues I use in my models at http://modellers-workshop.com/january-2014-which-types-of-glue-do-i-use-for-various-jobs/ 5-minute and 15-minute Epoxy I’ve replaced all my CA needs with two-part epoxy and wood glue. For the epoxy, I use 5-minute epoxy and am very happy with the results. In fact, I have not found a single place where I would have preferred the CA stuff, having used dozens of bottles in the past. Yes, you have to mix a small amount every time you need to glue something but this gives you time to prepare a few parts in advance. I’ve never been able to prepare more than five or six parts at a time for gluing so this is really not a problem. The nice thing about epoxy is that is dries completely clear so you can use that to advantage when making, say, a bucket of water. I also have a couple of bottles of 15-minute epoxy ready but I’ve never needed them. Perhaps someone who can actually prepare a bunch of parts in advance might have use for that but I haven’t figured that out. I highly recommend using epoxy over CA glue for just about any job where wood glue is not suitable. Wood Glue For all my wood and knot needs, I’ve switched over to wood glue. After all, before the invention of CA glue, pretty well all wood models were built using this stuff. I use the two varieties shown below but I’d be hard pressed to describe the differences. I think the Titebond flows a little faster but the Lepage’s dries a bit faster. It’s not a huge difference. However, I have learned a trick about this stuff you might want to know. I always have at least three bottles on the go. There is the one in current use, which I refill from time to time from the other two. This is because the glue is thick and I can squeeze out a few drops quickly when the bottle is full. Otherwise it takes too long to squeeze it out. I use the first bottle until the cap inevitably breaks off and then the next bottle becomes the one in use. This way I am never frustrated by having a broken cap and I always have a full bottle to use. I also buy the smallest bottles of that stuff for this reason. If I were to buy a large bottle to use to refill the small one, I would end up with a small bottle with a broken cap and a large bottle that I can’t use to pour from. I use wood glue on all wood surfaces, of course, but I also use it for all my knots. I find the glue soaks into the thread and disappears, unlike the CA glue, that just kind of sits there on top of everything. Now, of course, one needs more clamping with wood glue, and more time, but isn’t that what modelling is all about? Happy Modelling to All, Rick Shousha Modeller’s Workshop Montreal

Greetings, This is an interesting thread for me because, as a supplier of kits, I see this problem, as well as other similar problems regularly and I'm working on what might be a solution. My impression is that builders would be very interested in getting a complete, CAD designed, laser-cut set of keel, bulkhead and deck pieces based on their line drawings. Some of the top quality kits I sell do have laser-cut parts although I'm not sure how the parts were originally designed. On the other hand, most of the commercial brands I sell have hand-cut bulkheads that are made with poor quality wood and that are not symmetrical or sized properly. Good bulkheads would help people get through this part of their models faster and more accurately. All this would translate into more fun and more models getting built. Comments? Best Regards, Rick Shousha Montreal