ScottRC

Drilled in the hawse holes in the bow. Fun stuff. Heart attack city. Was thinking I was going to scratch the deck, hull, drill unevenly, etc. but it worked out. Was a bit more complicated as my bulwarks at the bow are not as high as those pictured in Chuck’s practicum. Upon examination, I think my bulwarks are more in line with the plans...a bit shallower at the bow...there just enough room to drill the hawse hole between cap rail and deck.  
 
Aligment was was a challenge. I used string and a pencil. Haha. Marked point on inside of the bulwark on both sides with a pencil, then drilled a pilot hole (#37 drill bit) on both sides of the bow. I was off center a bit and the starboard was a bit low. So as I went up consecutively into larger drill bits using my pin vise to widen the holes, I applied lateral pressure gradually as I drilled to try and compensate a bit for the drift of the original pilot hole. 
 
Proof is is in the pudding. Came out fairly decent. Used a toothpick to clean up the fringe wood splinters in the holes. I can always widen again if needed, but tested the size with the rope needed and it seemed ok.
 
took me a while to do this little task!  Done for the night!
 
Moving on. 👍🏽🍺
 

With a big excitement I finally started the plating work. As I said earlier, this is quite new for me because I had never done this work before. First I was trying different glues into some scrap wood, and realised that contact glue is not suitable for this work, because if you apply glue on both surfaces, then let them dry, and only then apply them into hull, it must be right at the first time. Not possible to adjust the location of the plate any more. So this is why I selected slowly (4 hours) curing epoxy to be my glue.
 

Tools for the work. Very useful are a flexible measuring tape and especially the toothed wheel to make the rivetings. Those two were found at admiral`s sewing box. At front is a 50 mm wide belt cut from a reel of 0,05 mm thick aluminum foil.
 
 

First plates glued. They bend very nicely at one direction, but not so good into the second. But all the hulls of old iron ships that I have seen are like a surface of a potatoe bag, so no worry. It might have been better to choose 0,1 mm foil instead of this thinner one, but here we go.
 
 

Lowest belts done on both sides.
 
 

When I studied the old photographs I noticed that the second belt from above was under the neighboring ones, so this is why I made that as next.
 

And after a few day`s work the whole hull was plated. Not so good as the old masters did 100 years ago, but enough for me. In the mean time I made the rudder and checked that there was enough room for the propeller which is 60 mm diameter and bought from Cornwall Model Boats.
 

The openings for cabin windows were also done after the glue had cured.

Administrators: I know this isn't a builders log but I wasn't sure where I could post it, sorry.
I finished getting the stain to the tone I wanted my Confederacy and just removed the masking tape from the black planking.                                                                                                   I'll put some WOP over it. The lower counter and beakhead bulkhead are the same finish. I did a version of trenells only at
plank ends and around the sheave fittings just to give it a touch of realism.
Next will be the 1/16 trim pieces. I found some 1/16 doublebead trim on a model railroad site.
It should work fine.
Cheers, Harley
 

 

 

the life boats were added first........

then the depth charge racks and the decals that are near to them........


the clock decal crapped out.......I ended painting the clock on there {white}.   the decal on the starboard side suffered a tiny bit of damage,  but not enough to matter.

the ship's boats along the railings will have a davit over them.....painted the parts at this time.  it took some time to cut the decal out,  but I got one on one of the 'choppers......I like the way it looks.

the next pair of decals to go on,  were the name along the stern....port and starboard.

then.........the decal I dreaded the most........the one that goes lengthwise on the helipad.   as I thought it would,  it broke into segments........I did them the best way I knew how.

then the second segment........which went as well as the first.   it wasn't until the last segment....somehow,  it became stuck to the underside of my hand......near my little finger!   I don't know how..........perhaps during my fidgeting with the second segment,  my hand rested on the decal.  pulling it off,  I had wet the decal paper in order to make it easier to straighten out the crumpled decal.........the damage was done      I managed to lay most of it.......I'm hoping that either paint,  or cut up decal can fix it.


yea........I was not happy.  I'll do what I can     meanwhile,  back at the 'choppers,  I got the other side done on the first 'chopper,  and started the second one.
     having to cut out these decals is going to be a pain......but the other decals I'm going to use will be a lot more user friendly.......they're from a Revell kit.

for now,  I'll continue with the helicopters..............OH WOW!!!!!   I found it!       I had lost one of the French markings I cut out earlier.......I just found it....it was tucked under the cardboard I have here on my desk {the box top....I took the sides off of it}.   it doesn't take much to make me happy.....good thing   
 
 

Evening folks,  I decided to have a go at some painting today  as I can not do any second planking till I get some more wood plank supplies and a plank bender I have ordered,  I decided to paint the upper hull in a Black band and also did a few coats on the wale.
 
Here are the pics.
 
OC.
 
 

So last night I hit the hull with 320 wet sandpaper, here's the result.

 
Then I shot more primer, tonight I'll do the 600/wet routine (again)

I have had the same problems with painting copper over gloss surfaces and vise versa until I was taught the following technique:
 
 - Spray a coat of matte clear over the entire model, including your topcoat, this will seal the topcoat and give both the tape and bottom paint a textured surface to "bite" into.
 - Lay your mask down, as was said, the Tamiya range of masking tape is the best.  They now make tape that fits contours.
 - Spray a coat of clear over the mask at your demarcation line, this will add an additional seal.
 -  Then spray your next color and let sit for at least a full 24 hours if its enamel.  It takes a long time for this to cure.  If not fully cured, it will peel off in sheets.
 - De-mask, inspect, wipe clean all mask residue with a mild solvent, then spray on a few light coats of clear gloss, let sit and enjoy the finish.
 
Scott
 

I have had the same problems with painting copper over gloss surfaces and vise versa until I was taught the following technique:
 
 - Spray a coat of matte clear over the entire model, including your topcoat, this will seal the topcoat and give both the tape and bottom paint a textured surface to "bite" into.
 - Lay your mask down, as was said, the Tamiya range of masking tape is the best.  They now make tape that fits contours.
 - Spray a coat of clear over the mask at your demarcation line, this will add an additional seal.
 -  Then spray your next color and let sit for at least a full 24 hours if its enamel.  It takes a long time for this to cure.  If not fully cured, it will peel off in sheets.
 - De-mask, inspect, wipe clean all mask residue with a mild solvent, then spray on a few light coats of clear gloss, let sit and enjoy the finish.
 
Scott
 

Hi All,
THX for the likes and comments...just a quick update, hull and trim are painted,  copper still needs weathered, going to try some stuff called
Liver of Sulfur, supposed to turn copper a dark brown, which is what I'm looking for...had to mail order the stuff should be here this week.  Sponson skirts need some touch up, waterwheel houses are just placed on deck for the pic nothing secured as yet

Hey everyone,
Another update...but first thanks for all the likes, you're definitely right Pop, this has dried for at least a week so we are good to go.  The nastys are all repaired and final primer dry so I moved on to dressing out the sponsons...
started by laying out the location of the holes to be drilled for the sponson support

The supports were made by bending some solid core wire to the correct shape and CAing in place

then the skirts were added


next the Paddle wheel houses were trimed out...
a couple pieces were soaked and pre-bent

then cut and attached

and finally the main hull trimmed out with the rub strip added all the way around



 
Well that's all for now, may get a color coat on the upper hull tomorrow, will have to see...some chores await first.
THX for looking in
J

Preparing Sails

Reviewing kits supplied parts to begin with Masts and Sails

I will have to improove the kit solution for the cockpit gratings and some other Deck's details.

The Revell Kit looks pretty accurate, I´m comparing this Kit Stern as well to shape the Stern.

Still shaping the hull and adding the Keel-

Today, shaping the Hull
 

Robert, did you start your Bluenose? Is it posted? I'm looking for any Scientific build log. Ive faound a beatifull Robert E Lee. and a Cuttu Sark, I'm going to look for a Bluenone. Thanks a lot for your good wishes!
 
Scott, from the Land of Sunflowers and Tornados. I wnated very bat the Scientific Sea Witch, it's the biggest kit and I think it is a beatifull Clipper.
 
Tim, Ive checked many times your America, it looks really great!
 
Eduardo

Working on the Keel It is quite hard to controll the UNIMAT

Jesse Lee,
 
It wont really resemble a MSW Syren with the changes you have made, first class. The stern, rudder, and wheel in addition to all the other refinements changes the whole aesthetics of the build. Kudos this Buds for you

Noticed that I hadn't done the rudder chains. Started to do it like the instructions say but after reading what Dubz says about this I did it the way he did. 
 
Jesse