Kusawa2000

Finally, Step 8 of the second session is over. 
 

 
I am letting you enjoy the plethora of information and guidance that CAF model is giving to the builder: Coppering !!! It is all in the name :-)
 
That tedious process is finally over, with close to 2,400 tiles cut, embossed, peeled and placed by hand. The number is very close to what the real ship used and that is a testimony to the size of the model tiles (25 mm x 8 mm). I would absolutely recommend the process of using the 3M copper tape, as it is so much easier to prepare, install and glue than pre-cut tiles with CA glue. The burnishing allowed with the copper tape also permits you to finish nicely, those delicate sections where a piece of metal may not fit perfectly.
 
Finally, if the cost is a consideration, know that I was able to finish this enormous hull with only two rolls of tape and I have plenty left for the rudder or any repair. Cost was $43 including shipping versus the $400 for the tiles + many glue bottles that the kit copper tiles would cost you. A big thank you to all the readers that have convinced me to go with the tape.
 

 

 

 
I am going to let it sit for a few days, as the copper is slowly tarnishing and acquiring that red and warm hue that I enjoy so much. After that I will seal it with Future Floor most likely.
 
Let's enjoy some pictures of the finished animal: 
 

 

 

 

 

 
For those who would be tempted to follow this process, here is the invoice for the two rolls of 3M tape: 
 

 
and the product: 
 

 
There are some variations in the color of the tiles, which is actually rather pleasant, but the more I wait and the more everything blends nicely like the foliage in autumn.
 
I hope you have enjoyed that approach. I know I was very hesitant to start it and I do not regret it in any ways. The only casualty of this process is that I no longer have a full nail on my right thumb, after peeling 2400 copper tiles from their protective adhesive backing. I am going to force on the brewer's yeast supplements to re-grow that nail....
 
Yves
 
 

Big milestone today, as the starboard side is fully tiled: 
 

 
Close to 1200 copper tiles went onto the hull. Each tile being 25 mm x 8 mm, cut, embossed and placed by hand one at a time. The beautiful side of the copper tape is that you can burnish each tile and make it blend with the neighboring tiles, for a more realistic aspect. Each tile is overlapping on two sides by a minute amount (usually under 1 mm).
 

 

 
Now, of course, I still have the port side to cover and blend the two sides together: 
 

 
Below are the reference of the copper tape used. Very inexpensive and with two packs, I should be able to cover the entire hull and may have some tiles left for the rudder.
 

 
Some close-ups pictures: 
 

 

 

 
Once both sides are ready I will let the copper tarnish to a beautiful red color and will seal it to prevent ripping the tiles and to block the oxidation to a certain amount. I have been running some tests and will be disclosing the chemical soon: no, it is not Wipe On Poly. WOP is not strong enough for such a large covering.
 
Without additional light, the reddish color is starting to show nicely: 
 

 
Yves
 
 

Hamilton: Try it on a few test plates first to see if you like how it dries and looks first. I suspect humidity isn't a factor but I live in a dry climate and the plates looked great after it dried but I dont know if there is a different result in a humid climate. And dont overdue it.. just enough to act as a sealer. 
 
Let me know how it turns out!
 
Mike Draper

Hamilton: Try it on a few test plates first to see if you like how it dries and looks first. I suspect humidity isn't a factor but I live in a dry climate and the plates looked great after it dried but I dont know if there is a different result in a humid climate. And dont overdue it.. just enough to act as a sealer. 
 
Let me know how it turns out!
 
Mike Draper

Hamilton: Try it on a few test plates first to see if you like how it dries and looks first. I suspect humidity isn't a factor but I live in a dry climate and the plates looked great after it dried but I dont know if there is a different result in a humid climate. And dont overdue it.. just enough to act as a sealer. 
 
Let me know how it turns out!
 
Mike Draper

Hamilton: What I did with the copper tape on my Model Shipways Constitution is to seal it with a wipe on poly (Matt). Just enough to cover it. It helped it to adhere to the hull. 
 
Mike Draper

Yves: Glad to see you are using copper tape. While it would have made life a lot easier if plates were provided, the copper tape allows you to tailor those plates to what you want. I have used copper tape before and had great success. Keep the great pics coming! 
 
Mike Draper

Chuck: I assume the 1 9/16 cannon you have referenced are available in your  'Ship model Cannon" section of your webpage?
 
Mike Draper

Hamilton: What I did with the copper tape on my Model Shipways Constitution is to seal it with a wipe on poly (Matt). Just enough to cover it. It helped it to adhere to the hull. 
 
Mike Draper

Thanks for this tip Mike! I'll try it out next time for sure!
hamilton

Hamilton: What I did with the copper tape on my Model Shipways Constitution is to seal it with a wipe on poly (Matt). Just enough to cover it. It helped it to adhere to the hull. 
 
Mike Draper

Hamilton: What I did with the copper tape on my Model Shipways Constitution is to seal it with a wipe on poly (Matt). Just enough to cover it. It helped it to adhere to the hull. 
 
Mike Draper

Yes, they are. 

Little update...
 
I now have another 5 boats available:
 
Cutters:
20 foot
22 foot
24 foot
25 foot
 
And a 36 Foot Admirals Barge
 
Ship’s Boats (various types) – VANGUARD MODELS
 
Thanks to James Hatch!
 
Also, I started Indefatigable designs a few weeks ago, and am currently nailing the hull designs. Throughout all this, I have had terrible toothache, culminating in tooth removal yesterday, so still feel like a bear with a sore head...
 
The pics show the very first assembly of the first parts I cut for Indy, and other pics show the second cut of modified parts. Hull design is now set in stone, so onto deck and bulwark stuff.
 
I decided to include full deck beams to scale, also scale distance for the upper and poop decks. I am still working on these.
 
The only parts that are glued on the assembly are the gunport parts.
 
This is quite large...

Mike, beautiful job on that pagoda! I actually have this kit and want to get to it. But, I did a quick weekend build of a 1/150 scale version of the same thing. It's a new kit and they use printed paper for some of the detail, which works really well for the small model. I agree that Zootoyz.jp is the way to go if you want to buy a Woody Joe kit.
 
EKE, I have the hull started for Woody Joe's 1/75-scale kit of the Dutch-built corvette Kanrin Maru. Maybe I mentioned this earlier in this post, but Woody Joe does their homework. I purchased some plans from a museum in the Netherlands and used it to check the Woody Joe kit's hull, and it's spot on. I think you'll find the same is true of the Cutty Sark (as well as the Susquehanna).
 
 
 

I have bought several of there temple kits and the kit of the Yamato and there work is amazing. The wood is well cut and the instructions are pretty intuitive even though they are in japanese. I dont know about there ship kits but if the temple kits are any indication I would recommend them very highly. Here is a pic of the Joruji Temple model I built a few years ago. 

Yves: Glad to see you are using copper tape. While it would have made life a lot easier if plates were provided, the copper tape allows you to tailor those plates to what you want. I have used copper tape before and had great success. Keep the great pics coming! 
 
Mike Draper

Yves: Glad to see you are using copper tape. While it would have made life a lot easier if plates were provided, the copper tape allows you to tailor those plates to what you want. I have used copper tape before and had great success. Keep the great pics coming! 
 
Mike Draper

Yves: Glad to see you are using copper tape. While it would have made life a lot easier if plates were provided, the copper tape allows you to tailor those plates to what you want. I have used copper tape before and had great success. Keep the great pics coming! 
 
Mike Draper

I just started on the coppering..... The beginning is not too tedious, but I am sure it will not be the same in a few days....
 
The tiles are made one by one, using the chopper tool:
 

 
I am using 3M adhesive tape and that helps a lot as the tiles are easy to install, do not require any glue and can be burnished in position for a nice fit.
 
As mentioned before, the copper tiles provided by CAF are not of the right size and require the use of CA glue. Below you can see the difference in size between the CAF tiles and the ones I am building: 
 

 
The CAF tiles are rather expensive (I think the set for Bellona is about $500 plus shipping) and the 3M tape is a lot more affordable. The real tiles were 4 feet long by 15 inches wide. At the scale of 1/48th, it means a tile of 2.5 cm (1 inch) by 8 mm. The 3M tape is 7.98 mm wide which is perfect for this use.
I am using a wheel to mark a line of nails all around the tile. In my humble opinion, it looks more realistic than the traditional porcupine tiles provided by kit makers. Also, the holes are indented into the tiles instead of protruding out, which is contrary to the real way this was done. Copper nails were hammered into the tiles and there were no bumps visible.
 
The real ship required 2741 tiles and about 2.5 tons of copper nails (according to the Anatomy of the Ship book). The overlap was about 1 inch and a half, which is close to 1 mm at 1/48th scale. I am setting the tiles starting from the keel and from the stern, and overlapping them, until I reach the flotation line and the bow.
 

 

 
Yves

The delicate and crucial phase of marking the waterline is done, after careful measurements on the plan and according to pictures: 
 

 
I am using the little Model Shipways kit, which works relatively well, as long as you use a flat surface all around the ship.
 
The hull will be copper tiled under the flotation line and double-planked over it. Following some exquisite models found in Museums and Art galleries, I have decided to glue a tiny separation all over the flotation line. This is done with a 1 x 2 mm mahogany wood strip, carefully glued with CA glue. The strip is flexible enough to marry perfectly the curves of the hull. This approach is not described in the CAF kit nor are the mahogany wood strips provided.
 

 

 
With that nice separation in place, I can now move to the upper parts second planking, using the 0.4 mm x 8 mm maple strips, provided abundantly in the kit.
 
Yves

And thus, we are starting the delicate (for me) double planking task. I am doing one quadrant at a time and started by the easier (relatively speaking) bow. 
 
Before: 
 

 
And after: 
 

 

 
This is not perfect and will probably ruffle the feathers of the experts, but it does look good to me after a nice coat of Wipe-On-Poly on top.
 
Yves

If anyone asks you why Monty Python is so funny even today, ask them to tell you about their worst story of customer service and then play them the "dead parrot sketch"... a lot of things just dont change.... 🙂 
 
Mike Draper

Yes it will have them.