AJohnson

Hi Andy, Mind if I pull up a chair, I am contemplating a future 1/72 scratch build of my own, so would love follow your progress. 🍿

Ah, another great painting of probably the most famous "Scylla" 👏 - There are plenty of photos and a 'Pathe' newsreel on YouTube about her Arctic Convoy exploits, the anti-aircraft duties, dealing with icing and Winston Churchill addressing the crew on top of the aft gun turret! Think one of the gunnery officers wrote a memoir of the time, I think called "Flagship to Murmansk", but have not got a copy yet. I'm building up reference for when Trumpeter finally release their 1/350 version of her. Thank you for sharing. 😀

That is a lovely painting, instantly recognisable as an Apollo class cruiser, by coincidence I’m researching one of her sisters - HMS Scylla for a project I have in mind to build all five of the HMS Scylla’s that have served in the RN (due to a family connection).

Thanks Dave, I have two unfinished models to return to, the Vanguard "Nisha" and a Caldercraft "Bounty" I do have a few plastic aircraft kits in stock, one of those might get built this year. As to new ship builds, think my next will be a kit-bash of Caldercraft's "HMS Snake" into HMS "Scylla", but I need to finish the ones above before I launch into that!

Finishing touches on my first dabble in the Card model world. I made the lattice lantern windows using the kit template and glued thread, fiendishly difficult to bend into a tube, but it sort of went into shape. Glazed with some thin clear sheet, topped off with a tiny weather vane. This little model now has a spot in our nautical themed Summerhouse, as approved by the Admiral. Finally a picture of the real thing taken on holiday a few years ago. Thanks for the likes and follows on this first trip down the card "rabbit hole" I have another to do, but first I better get back to my neglected "Nisha"!

Looking good and very neat, can appreciate that now after dabbling in this 'Dark Art' a little! 👏 I have used Google translate on a recent Polish purchase and it is good enough for small chunks of text that would do for kit instructions I think. post #3332

Beautiful work Glen! 👏

Nice detailing. 👍

Don’t worry, those sails look the business. Your Nisha is going to look very fine 👍😀

Hand railing for lower and lantern galleries added (after second attempt). Now attempting the diamond pattern for the lantern glazing, and adding the top, slowly getting the hang of laying out thread on templates and gluing into place, but it is a bit fiddly!

What Mark says and “Hello” from the other side of “La Manche”. 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Drut.

My vote is for 8 or 5. 👍

Evening All, This update has taken a little while as I have found the process of rolling card into tubes a bit of a challenge! 😣 The main tower is together now and attached to the Keeper's house, the recessed optional windows made it difficult to get a nice curve as the backing card to the windows would not bend as easily, so the tower is not quite the sweeping curve of architectural beauty it would otherwise have been... 😆 oh well, onwards! I get the feeling card modellers are glutens for punishment, if the fiddly next stages are anything to go by. Four chimney pots about 8mm high and 4mm square, topped with a rolled tube for the stack; I rolled these around a pin to curve them. I'm now on with making handrailing out of glued thread on the provided template. Following Chris's hints and tips closely. I will keep you all posted on how that goes.

Keith, I am very sorry to hear of your loss, terrible to lose a child no matter their age, not as you say how it should be. I hope in time you find comfort once again in your build, but understand it has lost much meaning for you at this sad time.

“Interesting” is one way of putting it! Such a complex shape, to get your brush into every nook and cranny. 🤔

Looking very neat! 👍

Another thing to consider is this “waste” often ends up useful for making bits and pieces for scratch built items and details. I keep all my laser cut sheets in a box, you never know when they might come in! 😉

Same issue happened on the Matt/Satin finishes on my build. I needed to touch up a sprayed area and it never looks the same when brush applied; it’s how the tiny bits of pigment lay when drying and the thickness of the paint layer compared to brush applied, all down to the reflection of light. Two choices, mask up again, flat down your first coat and reapply or try a varnish. However the varnish option is never 100% effective - ask me how I know! 🤣 Regarding the worry about masking tape on already spray painted areas and lifting paint, one option is to try a loose paper mask held just off the model. Tear a ‘rough’ hole in the paper so you feather the spray edge to help blending and try masking all other areas with tissue that won’t stick to your existing paint. This isn’t an option near light contrasting paints, say near your white rubbing band. Good luck! In all the years I’ve painted models (mostly plastic aircraft before I fell down the MSW Rabbit 🕳). I can count on one hand those models I am happy with the finish of, so you are not alone. Keep up the good progress 👏

I’m more from the “Uri Geller” school of ‘magic’ as my lighthouse is a bit “bendy” in places! 🤣🤣🤣 But yes I agree, I am also in awe of people like Chris and the Polish Paper Ninja’s 👏😲 I’m at the Karate Kid “Grasshopper” stage, but having fun trying something new. 👍

That looks good, same as you I just used a light rub of Danish oil to bring out the deck details. 👍

Absolutely not, not my scheme really, I’m just copying the “Pilgrim” I reference on my log and like the contrast of the inner bulwarks and plain timber heads. I don’t think these hard working craft had much in the way of decoration or colourful schemes beyond some white trims, rubbing streak and maybe some scrolling or a name at the bow. Though who knows the more successful skipper/owners might have indulged in the odd embellishments.

Yep, I get my primer and undercoating rattle cans from DIY or Car service places.

Hi, regarding painting the key is preparation before the final paint coats. Rubbing down sanding, filling and then a primer coat and repeat. I did that process several times as there is nothing like a layer of paint to draw attention to surface imperfections. 😨 For the primer a rattle can is fine if used carefully, more thin coats than a single heavy coat. If the undercoat is good then brush painted top coat is perfectly doable. Just use good quality artist brushes, flat brushes not pointed. I personally use enamel paints mostly but also acrylics from brands like Caldercraft. Again don’t try and cover in one if brush painting, a few thin coats are better, but obviously this takes patience. If you are nervous of doing this on your Nisha, build a mock section using scrap planks (sanding, filling and priming it as the model) and practice on that first. Good luck! There is a painting hints and tips section on MSW.

Sound advice from Craig, some masking tape to protect the Bow/stem and keel whilst fitting/shaping/sanding the second planking would help. (I damaged the very tip of the stem on my build - don't worry we all do it! 😏) Once I had worked out how much to taper the planks I worked from the bow back, getting the front to sit in as neat as possible, as Craig said, some of the inside edges of the planks at the bow might need shaving thinner so they sit snug into the Bow Rabbet.

Moved on to the Keeper's dwellings. Firstly as with the tower I cut out the printed windows and glued in the optional recessed windows. These still need to be painted white at the edges and have window sills added and this time painted green. I will do this at a later stage as there is also a green plinth around the whole perimeter of the building. Also scored the folding edges before cutting the walls out. The instructions get you to the rear part of the dwellings first part #22 (nearest the tower) as this part has two internal extensions that help reinforce the front part of the building. This all went fairly straightforwardly, with the exception of the two small (and very tricky - for me that is) porch extensions and small flat roofs. I've made a bit of a 🐷's ear of these, but the glue stuck so well and quickly, trying to readjust them made some sections of the card delaminate and others tore. 😖 Deep breath and carry on - this is my first card kit and so not expecting it to be a looker! 😆 Final part for this session was adding the roof to give the whole assembly some rigidity. The fiddly part of this was the roof capping part #25. This was very thin and needed pre-painting along the cut edges to match the pale grey. If I could do this again, I would not have tried to keeping the whole part in one piece, as it was difficult to keep in shape, so cutting it into two or three sections might have made things easier - another lesson learned. 👍