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rtropp

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Everything posted by rtropp

  1. rtropp
    Hi, I have the Model expo medium compressor and airbrush combo. It is my first airbrush so cannot say how it compares to others but it works just fine for me. I was having some difficulty working out the amount of thinner to use with the model expo paints so, to make it easier to get started, I bought a set of badger acrylic airbrush paints which are pre thinned. Piece of cake. Add a few drops of color and spray. The medium combo works just fine. I went on youtube to see some videos to get a better idea how to use it. One site had some downloadable exercised... dots, curves, etc to start getting used to handling the brush. Once I started using a two handed grip it got a lot better. I have a question for the more experienced members. When spraying wood, do you need to use some sort of undercoat or preparation? If so, what? Thanks Richard
  2. rtropp
    It is difficult. It is especially irksome since the quality of the kits may be declining. The replacements I sent in are for bad parts. Not build errors. there is a lot of excessive burn. And from the look of the kit i have more that i will confront further into the build, which will translate to a lot of delay. If the manufacturing quality is deteriorating the volume of requests can only increase. And from what I understand the Parts Manager is part time, two days a week. Others in the build site are reporting similar frustrations. It's sad because eventually the word will get out.Also, the company being up for sale cannot be helping matters with their personnel. Not sure where all this is going but it is a shame. They were one of the most dependable and highest quality companies until recently. I hope they figure it out. Richard
  3. rtropp
    No, I know they have plank on bulkhead and frame. I am currently working on the Syren which is plank on bulkhead. But, I did not know they had double planked kits. Richard
  4. rtropp
    I'll be darned. I went back to their site and typed "plank on bulkhead" into the search and a number of ships came up. More than a few were Model Shipways. Richard
  5. rtropp
    I wonder if those are model shipways kits or imported kits that model expo sells. while model expo has a parts replacement policy for their own kits they do not extend that to imported kits they sell. Richard
  6. rtropp
    Mick, very helpful, thanks Richard
  7. rtropp
    I do not think any of theirs are double planked. But, I learned from some in an earlier thread that it should not be too difficult to buy the wood strips in the right size from one of the recommended model wood suppliers and just add the second layer of planking. Richard
  8. rtropp
    On the whole, does OcCre have good instructions for their models. The picture of the instructions you show on the first page looked pretty good. Was it like that for all their kits? Thanks, Richard
  9. rtropp
    Mark I was referring to the mini scroll saw, not the 16" which could be a little large for my workspace. In addition to size, I also thought the rip fence and miter guide that come with the mini would be useful. This model is similar to the Proxxon 115 !. hence the comparison and decision point. I didn't see a tilt table being that useful unless I went for a mini table saw later. Even then I am not sure it would be worth the extra cost. Richard
  10. rtropp
    Rusty, That is helpful. I think I will have to try my hand with some of the better quality wood obtainable from sites like lumber yard. I plan on getting either the Proxxon or Microlux scroll saw. I was leaning towards the Microlux but, since I work indoors, I am loath to work without a vacuum attachment. By the way, I read in one of the forums a tip from a modeler whose wife (a quilter) showed him a way to create templates. You use freezer paper, copy the shape on one side then put the wax side down on the wood and pass a warm iron over it. The wax melts to the wood providing a great template stuck to the wood but removes very easily without leaving any residue on the wood. Richard
  11. rtropp
    Rusty, What did you use to cut the small parts out of the sheet, such as the stern stems or the even smaller parts? I tried cutting the Syren's stern stems to replace bad parts. It was not a pretty sight. Richard
  12. rtropp
    Received the badger, airbrush paints and it made things a lot easier. Now I know what it should look like. Next I need to learn to control the brush. It still feels awkward. I went online and found a site that had downloadable training guides, first dots, then lines, then circles, etc. They have been helpful in getting used to the double action, although I admit I am still pretty ham fisted. I suspect I will go through most of this batch of paint just practicing. I have to admit, as a retiree who would not mind something that would provide extra income, there seem to be a number of uses that could work. But, that would be a conversation on a different site. Thank you for getting me off to a good start. Richard
  13. rtropp
    Chuck, Thanks. Richard
  14. rtropp
    Thanks Rob, I appreciate your feedback Richard
  15. rtropp
    I have the kit Syren with Chuck's excellent instruction. My question is that since I own the kit, don't I also own rights to use the plans? I began to think that with great instructions, and the initial experience I get from building the kit, wouldn't that be a good ship to try my hand at scratch building? Or, does it sound crazy to build two of the same ship? Richard
  16. rtropp
    Rob, just saw your comment on preferring the Mantua over the Constructo. Can you say why? Also, can you say anything about the quality of the instructions for either.
  17. rtropp
    En la imagen adjunta es el manual para la Victory. Me gustaria ver unas cuantas paginas de la misma. Teno la oportunidad de comprar la Victory. Quiero ver si puedo seguir las instrucctiones ademas de el plan. Para me es deficil en Espanol. Pero es una Buena practica. Gracia Richard
  18. rtropp
    Ben, Thanks for the dissertation link. It is really packed with information. Richard
  19. rtropp
    Already ordered the opaque so will give them a whirl. The opaque ones are supposed to be thinned for air brush already. Will the user experience be similar for both or are the marine colors different in use? Right now Color is not as important as practice. Richard
  20. rtropp
    Lecsandro, me gustaria ver fotografias de algunas del las paginas del manual. Quiero ver si son las instrucciones que pueda seguir. Yo soy un orador ingles y este es mi pobre intent de escribir en espanol usando mi Iphone para traducer. Gracia Richard
  21. rtropp
    Well, I finally had a chance to test out the equipment. I started by thinning some acrylic tube paint that I already had. I didn't want to waste any of the model specific paint while learning how to use the hardware. I thinned the paint way too much. After watching a YouTube with Ken Schlotfeldt, I learned a great deal but, come on on now... thin it like two percent milk??? I went through half a quart. Didn't even have any cookies!! So, being an analyst by vocation, I realized I did not have a baseline to work from. I have ordered Badger Air-Opaque Airbrush Ready Water Based Acrylic Paint, Primary, from Amazon. I figured this would allow me develop the baseline with which to compare other combinations. They should be here tomorrow. Richard
  22. rtropp
    Floyd, I wasn't sure about starting a build log. Two reasons. I hate to take time away from the build itself. Second, I have seen a lot of the build logs abandoned and I suspect that abandoned logs indicate abandoned kits. Since this my first real attempt at this, I did not want to start something if I wasn't sure I would finish it. Also, was not sure I would be producing the quality I would want to share. (handy with tools has not been my strong suite in the past.) My confidence is growing so I have been toying with the idea of starting one. I have photos from the beginning of my build so I really could. Just need to carve out the time to do it. below is work as of a couple of weeks ago Richard
  23. rtropp
    Russ, I have ordered the saw tool from Micro Mark. (of course, since I was there, I ordered a couple of other "necessities." Augie, I have already written to ME for replacement parts. This is the second time I have had to stop and wait for laser cut parts that fell apart. It would have been a lot better if someone had done quality checks of the parts as they were being packed. The burn should have been easy to detect with only a visual inspection. Heck, I am new to this and I am learning what to look for. I appreciate your tips and have started doing my own inspection. Andy, I worked on one piece for about 10-15 minutes doing as you suggested, flipping frequently to slowly eat away at both sides. First a piece of the outer ply came loose. Then a piece in the narrow neck crumbled. it looked like the center (inner ply layer) crumbled from burning. The same happened earlier in the build with a couple of the bulkheads but they were big enough to patch except one, which was replaced. These stern frames are much smaller and fixing is much more difficult. Thanks to all of you for the help, Richard
  24. rtropp
    I am in the early stages of building Model Expo's Syren. I have just had a frustrating experience with the eight, laser cut, stern frames. Six of them crumbled almost as soon as I touched them. Another had part of the outer ply missing. It appears that the inner ply was burned and came apart at the touch. I have just sent in for replacements, hopefully they will be usable, but it lead me to think that I should try to remove all the laser cut parts now so I can put in any necessary parts orders now rather than losing time... and motivation on the build. Whew... long lead-in up to get to the point. As I look at the remaining parts, many are small... really tiny. That leads me to ask, is there a best way to remove laser cut parts from the sheet? I have been using x-acto blades with small repetitive cuts, but even the sharp pointed blade seems too big. Would appreciate any advice. Richard
  25. rtropp
    Mark, do you have experience with the harbor freight chop saw? If so, does it work well with short pieces, i.e., timber around gun ports and other very small lengths? Richard

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