Ozark

Hello Daddytotwo Your ship looking awesome. I'm glad you are using all the after market stuff. I see you got the scale decks, wood deck. How did you like it, was there any issues with the installation of it. from what I saw, It looks like it went ok. I also om interested in getting the dead eye kit. How is the quality on them? Are the holes drilled correctly? Keep up the awesome work, Ozark

Hey Mike Hope everything is going ok, you haven't posted in a while. I took a big break also, but I'm back at it now. If you don't get back to work I will catch up to you. lol. Ozark

WOW it's been way too long. I took a small break that turned into a large one. At least I'm back at it. I think it was all the repetitive work on the cannons, and cleaning up the doors for the cannons. Chuck, I think you are right about just cutting the rope nice and neat, and it will work just fine. I find that if I use CA on the ends the rope will not fit thru the small holes. Here I have the doors all installed Here I have the cannons installed. I made a template of where the 4 wheels would sit. Then placed the template on the deck where the cannon will be, and used a dremel tool, to remove the paint from the deck where the wheels are. Worked really well. I have some of the rigging done on the cannons. Ill have some pictures soon. It's nice to be back. Ozark

Thanks Mike And Fright Well its been a while, truthfully I got frustrated over painting the gold scroll work. I just was't able to see it very well using my mag lamp. So I bought one that fits on my head and it was better. here are the results of that I'm not sure if I really should have painted it white before I did the gold. The close up pictures look worse than when I am looking at it just with my glasses on. So maybe people won't notice the imperfections. Here I have the captains quarters installed. I tried to print out a tiny picture to put above the seat but the resolution of my printer is not that great. any way it was a picture of Rose from the movie Titanic. the picture that Jack sketched of her topless wearing just the necklace. Just couldn't tell what it was with out a magnifier. Here I'm getting ready to add the lower deck cannon doors. I'm using Andy Mech's idea. But I think I will add some wax paper on top of the pencils, to keep from gluing the door to the pencils. You can also see in this pic the cannon doors all made up with the ropes already on. DO you guy's use bees wax on Syren's rope? because I do not see any fuzz on mine at all. I think it will be fine without. Also do you glue the end of the rope to keep it from unraveling. I'm in the habit of just touching the end of the rope to the CA glue bottle tip to keep it from unraveling. I just so it to every cut I make. Just wondering what you guy's do to keep it from unraveling. prolly Beeswax. Thank's Ozark

Looking great Mike I'm glad you are just a little ahead of me so I can learn from your techniques. I have also been concerned about installing the stanchions and rails. I'm thinking of using a net type material. I have noticed a lot of other builds use it. Ozark

Thanks for the input guy's. I ended up placing the cannon in the correct position and drew a line next to each wheel, then used a dremel to remove the paint on the deck. I figure if at least 3 of the wheels get a good bond it should be ok. Yes I know, don't laugh at my first attempt at weathering a deck. I should have taken more time flushing up the joints. I ended up sanding all the way thru to the plastic and had to repaint at the joints. I will have to do a better job on the top deck for sure. Thanks, Ozark

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I will just have to byte the bullet and remove the paint on the deck and on bottom of the cannon wheels. I feel that will make the strongest bond. Mainly i'm afraid of bumping a cannon barrel and knocking one loose after the top deck is already in place. I saw on here someone had made a template of the cannon wheel locations. and used it to locate where the paint needed to be removed. I think I will make up something like that. Thanks for the help, Ozark

I am ready to glue the gun carriages to the gun deck. I want to just use CA glue on the wheels. Or do I need to remove the paint and use testors cement? Thanks for your help. Ozark

Thanks Mike So, when you are wearing it, do you have any problems locating the paint jar to fill the brush, when it needs more paint? Or do you have to lift it up to see to do that? Ozark

Thanks Imagna and MikeU48 I have been working on the 32 long guns for the gun deck. they sure are a grind. I do not know why I obsessed about the flash but I had to try and get it all removed before painting. I'm really not happy with the quality of the molding, as you can see the carriage wheels were off quite a bit. All this work for something that will be hidden buy the upper deck. Here you can see the offset in the molding. But here I have them ready to remove the paint where the glue will go when I assemble them. I was going to fallow along with Andymech's paint scheme but when I painted some of the cannons Gun metal like he did, It just didn't look right to me. So I went with matt black Here you can see my attempt at making the gun deck look weathered and used. I turned out ok until I sanded all the way through the paint at the seams, and tried to repaint there. but It will be hidden any way. I will have to do a better job on getting the top deck's top surface flush before sanding. I still need some advice on what kind of high magnification you guy's are using when doing the very fine detail. I'm thinking about getting a 2.5 magnification head set. but the focal length is at 8 inches. I do not see that as a problem but when I need to refill the brush finding the paint lid or paint jar might be the problem, while wearing it. I do have a 1.75 mag lamp that i'm using but this picture shows the results from using it. to try and paint fine detail. here i've painted the white under coat for the gold paint. Just not happy with the results. Any way, thanks for all your input. Ozark

Nice looking ship Mike. I'm not too far behind you on my build. Ozark

Thanks Fright and Rcboater Bill Well I have made a little more progress. I painted the bulkworks green, and the lower deck sides white. I think that might be called the ceiling but not sure. that just does not sound right to me. Also glued the hull haves together with a square nut captured in the location for them. I just have the bolts in there to center the nut while gluing. Here I have some of the gun deck painted and about ready to glue them together. Here are the captains quarters pieces painted. I wish I could do more with the pictures on the wall, but I just cannot see that well, to do them. Thinking about printing out some small pictures and gluing them in place but I only have a black and white laser printer . time will tell. Here is the stern partly painted. I'm not really happy with the results but it's not too bad when your not looking at it under the mag lamp. Speaking of the mag lamp it is a 1.75 3 diopter, lighted mag lamp. it works ok for a lot of things but I need some thing stronger for the fine detail painting. I still need to touch up the stern, with black and it will look better after that I'm hopping. This is the white coat before the gold coat So Here iv'e decided that I need better magnification to be able to get the quality that i'm looking for. I'm searching on the interwebs for a headset with magnification. So any of you have suggestions on what I should get, and how much magnification do I need. The mag lamp that I'm using is 1.75 so I need something higher than that. Also the higher I go the closer I will have to be to the painting. I'm thinking about some thing like this https://modelexpo-online.com/DON-DA5-OptiVisor-w-Precision-Ground-Glass-Lens-Plate--Magnifies-2-12-x-8-Focal-Distance--_p_2010.html Especially now that I have a 20% off coupon. So what do you use when painting really fine detail? Also I experimented with liquid mask. the kind you brush on and cut out what you want to paint. but it didn't work as I expected. when I cut it, it broke the seal between the surface and the mask on each side of the knife as I cut it . not sure if I was doing something wrong or not. So you guy's use liquid mask with any success? Thanks for all your help and Ideas everyone, Ozark

Hello everyone I have a quick question about painting. Do you guy's dip the brush into the paint jar, or do you pour some out into a small container, and use it from there? I have tried it both ways. It seems that when you pour it out, it dries out some and turns thick.. but adding alcohol helps thin it out again. Thank's, Ozark

Thanks usedtosail I am really interested in the scratch building side of model building. Thanks, Ozark

Thanks Fright and Rcboater Bill Well I have some more progress to show. Tarbrush, you were right about the Tamya masking tape. It works great and it's easy to apply. So now I need to find some mounting pedestals and hardware. I think if I go with the square nut in the bottom of the hull, there is a holder for them molded in the bottom. I can find some pedestals online some where. Ozark

Hello Johann, You Sir, are truly a master craftsman. What planet did you say you are from. lol Ozark

Thank you Jim

Thanks Eric, I love all the advice I can get. Now that I have thought about it, that shinny rope will not matter much because at this point, i'm not going to do the sails. This model is a test to see if I A. have the skills and B. can see good enough, to be able to create some thing nice. But so far i'm having a very good time working on this thing. I love detailing every part to look the best it can. If I do that, when the model is done it should look great. So if I was to replace the three sizes of black rope. Can some one tell me what three sizes, and length I would need? The kit just says small medium and large. My caliper just quit working for some reason, I replaced the battery but still will not turn on. Thanks, Ozark

Thanks for the information. I'm going to have to rethink what i'm going to do. Ozark

Thanks for letting me know this. I hadn't thought about it. Are you talking about just normal temperature changes? That the wood will change,but the plexiglass will not. I do need a way to secure the top to the base. Any suggestions? Thanks for the reply,s guy's. Thanks Ozark

Thank's for the reply Eric Is this thread correct? It is what was in the kit, but I'm not too sure I like the shinny tan colors. I guess I need to know would you guy's use the shinny tan colored thread? Thanks, Ozark

As you can see, I have a very small area to work in, but I will set up a small table next to this area when the time comes. If I need to. I started cutting pieces to day at work to make a set of shelves about 3 inches deep to mount on the wall above the counter top. that will free up a lot of counter top space, If I can put all the tools and paints and stuff up out of the way. I think I might have to move the maglamp, over to the front side of the counter top, It will be in the way of the masts when they go on Here i'm ready to paint my first white hull stripe.

Hi usedtosail, That part looks awesome. Could you quickly explain how you made that. or maybe point me to a video or a log showing how its done. Some of the parts in my Connie kit are warped and i'm not sure if I will be able to use them. Thank's, Ozark

I noticed that the yard arms are warped in a way that when I glue the two pieces together the warp will cancel each other out. maybe. I have a question about Model Masters Acrylic paint. What do you guy's use to thin it when using a brush. Or do I even need to thin it. I have searched the net and found people use everything from water, alcohol, thinner, windshield washer fluid, I forgot to get the thinner when I bought the paints. I have a can of denatured alcohol in my garage. Can I use that? Am I the only person on this site, that does not have a cutting mat, on my work area? Thanks for all the ideas guy's I really appreciate them. Ozark

Yes, I tend to agonize over the details to the point where it takes for ever to get things done. I spent the last 2 weeks going thru buying, building, and displaying, the ship before I even bought it. I spent a week looking at model ship building sites before I decided to go ahead with it. Now I need to decide on my mounting options. I work it a commercial cabinet shop, that also makes wood molding. I figure on gluing up a nice piece of something like pecan. to mount it on and then make a plexi glass cover for it. I need to find some pedestals for it now, so I can insert the nut or whatever mounting it takes, before I put in the decks. Jim, I will have to think about trying to repair that or not. I don't know if I can make it look better or not. I might just make it worse looking. As always thanks for the reply's Ozark