Jack-in-the-Blue

On 4/25/2023 at 1:41 AM, Overworked724 said:

Man…I really don’t like the way the copper patina ended up after a year in storage. I’m seriously considering ripping off the copper plating and committing to a full redo. 

I believe that after a few months at sea copper plating turns green, brown, anything but 'copper' coloured. 😏

Good luck with your latest and perhaps last move. Four in a year is brutal, I've done three postings in the same period so I know. 🙂

1 hour ago, Dr PR said:

Another thing to remember is that things happened much more slowly two centuries ago. A tall ship with sails aloft would be visible for 10-15 miles from the deck of another ship, or more from the mast top. Those ships moved at 6-8 knots max, so even if the two ships were sailing directly at each other at their best speed it would be an hour or two before they closed enough to duke it out with the short range cannons of the day. It

Aye, very true. Trafalgar was a perfect example of that. Being a physical coward myself, I can’t imagine how it felt watching the battle approaching all morning at walking pace. I’d have been a wreck! 
 

I neglected to mention how much I like your model. You have done a fine job of this fascinating vessel. 

4 hours ago, theoracle09 said:

CA glue leaving a residue as it dries. It's not where the glue was applied, but it creeps around the area for whatever reason

I think that might be staining caused by the aggressive vapour emissions from the CA. I’ve seen similar marks form on plastic surfaces a little distance away from the actual glue. Perhaps better ventilation, forced draught of some kind, is what we need?

The painted planking looks exactly right to me. It’s just like the real thing, as seen on ships like SS Great Britain in Bristol. Outstanding work!

I was a plastic modeller of fifty years experience (and an airbrush user) who only recently became a novice in wood kits. I’ve stripped acrylic paint dozens of times so I’m speaking from experience here. I’ve also tried and failed with abrasives. 
 

Stripping the paint = thirty minutes and no damage to plastic. IPA is not toxic or even unpleasant. It’s also cheap. A few sheets of alcohol wetted kitchen roll will wipe away even thick paint like yours. You may need a toothbrush in heavily recessed details such as around the prop shafts and rudder. 
 

Abrasives will clog straight away, take ages and destroy the plastic surface details. You will need lots of paper. You won’t be able to sand around the details. 

If you do decide on sanding use wet and dry paper with lots of water, under a shower perhaps. And let the paint dry and cure really well - several days!
 

I suggest trying both methods on a small inconspicuous areas before committing yourself. 

Good luck. Let us know how you get on. 🙂

41 minutes ago, DMM said:

How do I fix it? 

I suggest that you strip it all off the plastic with IPA and start over with thinned paints in multiple coats giving plenty of drying time between layers. 

On 9/2/2023 at 5:24 PM, DMM said:

can I use 91% isopropyl alcohol to wipe it off? Will it melt/damage the plastic if I soak it in 91%?

Yes you can. Isopropyl alcohol won’t damage polystyrene but will dissolve acrylic paint. (I am assuming you have used acrylic paint because of your suggested solvent.) 
 

Personally I would remove the paint that you don’t like and start again with primer and topcoat. Painting over the gloss is risky because gloss paint isn’t a very good base layer. Sanding it might lead to unwanted scratches and texture showing through. 

1 hour ago, chris watton said:

25%

42 minutes ago, myxyzptlyk2003 said:

at least 50%

I'm sure I read somewhere that it wasn't original practice to taper below half of the plank width for strength reasons; a blunt ended stealer being preferred? Of course that doesn't matter at all if there's going to be a second planking on the top (which can follow whatever rules you like).

4 minutes ago, theoracle09 said:

I definitely don't mind cutting corners a little bit if it'll save me time and the result is hidden anyway.

I just did my rudder in exactly the same way, and I think it looks fabulous. Mine isn’t quite as good as yours because the cut outs are the wrong shape but I can live with that.

I have found that when I run out of edge bending it’s time for a stealer. Maybe that would help?

7 hours ago, theoracle09 said:

If you look closely you'll see a gap big enough to give away the fact there aren't any rods or anything between the rudder and the post. This is just a suggestion of iron work on the rudder. I didn't end up drilling a hole into the hull for the rudder, I just cut it down and shaped the end to sit flush with the outside of the hull. No one will see it anyway

What a sensible idea! 

It’s very good. Well done!

Im trying to resist buying one for myself. 😁

2 hours ago, myxyzptlyk2003 said:

No easy answer to this one.     As you state you have not been a wood model builder before, I would absolutely advise you to  stick with a "modern"kit.    One of the Vanguard models would be an ideal beginner kit for someone with only basic to moderate skills.  

I agree entirely. My first build and so far only completion was the Vanguard Models Zulu fishing boat. If you can find one of the smaller Vanguard models second hand, I think that would be perfect. They do pop up from time to time, as one of the ones I found was an HMS Alert - box worn but contents pristine - Price £102. 

(Er, I may have drifted into bragging, sorry. Only you guys understand. There's no-one else I could tell. 😏) 

1 hour ago, greenskin said:

my wife already told me that it goes to the living room :).

Well she's a keeper. 😉

Thinks: I wonder if it's possible to use black fishing line for deck caulking...

1 minute ago, Old Rentner said:

 I did find that the hull paint was much more secure following the application of the varnish.

Good save!

39 minutes ago, newbee said:

Thanks for your faith in me Jack.

You are welcome. I will encourage you every step of the way (which may be a long one...)

39 minutes ago, newbee said:

I have formed a lip roughly along the middle of frame 14 for the 2 X 5 mm strips to fit into. I am really hoping this works.

Oooh, creativity!

39 minutes ago, newbee said:

 

Normally I find that if things are going too smoothly a major problem comes up unexpectedly.

You know, even if your chances of finishing this to standard that will satisfy you are slim, imagine what you are going to learn in the attempt! Even better, think of the things that you are going to have to invent! 

Speak not of Major Problems, he is outranked by General Opportunities!

10 minutes ago, Bob Cleek said:

I suppose we just have different definitions of the word "appropriate" in this context.

I agree entirely. "Appropriate" is something of a weasel word, very ambiguous, undefined; it's definitely a matter of opinion what it means. 

I suggest that the builder choses his own definition for terms like this for the pragmatic reason that if they canvas opinions, they will get a gazillion different ones and still have to chose which one they prefer. 😄 But I don't know...

21 minutes ago, Bob Cleek said:

I would caution you to steer clear of older second-hand wooden kits unless you are thoroughly familiar with a given kit....Checking the building log section for kit reviews will alert you to any potential problems with any given kit.

Excellent advice. I was able to find logs or at least reviews for every kit that I bid on at auction. It tales only moments online and saves a lot of pain. (It's also a good way to find out whether the kit is from a pirate manufacturer.)

I believe the appropriate colour is the one that you, the builder, like the best. 

19 hours ago, Keith_W said:

I am not happy with how I applied the stanchions, they are uneven and look like they need a visit to a good dentist. I will tear out some of them and replace them so that they are more straight

As a new guy here, I don’t presume to tell you what to do with your project, but personally, I like a little imperfection in a model (which is very convenient given my limited skills 😁 ). For me the crooked stanchions add the ‘human touch’. They give the model ’soul’. I admire the skills that produce ‘perfection’ but don’t love such models.  Many beautiful people have crooked teeth. 

I have recently bought several pre-owned wooden ship kits from eBay. All were reputable European and American brands. About a third were out of production. All were complete and in good condition. All but one still had the wood sealed in its moisture barrier packaging (and I suspect the exception didn’t have such packaging when new). I limited my bids to half of the retail price and paid about a third of the retail price overall.  
 

I can neither recommend nor condemn the practice because I might just have been lucky. This is simply some data for you to consider. 

Seriously, does an ekranoplan count as a sea-vessel? It can only fly over water. It could perhaps be considered as a ‘super-hydrofoil’ or a hovercraft?

That's a beautiful build and a very useful log. I have one of these models and your experiences will help me lots. Thank you.

21 minutes ago, Danstream said:

Any suggestion is welcome

I like your oil work. You don't have to limit your palette to black. Yellows and browns also work really well for fluid leaks as well as for general muck and grime.

The closer we look, the nastier it gets. 🤮 However, I still have confidence in you. 🙂