bcochran
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Everything posted by bcochran
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I am trying to add some chrome trim like I've seen on the real boats. The model leaves off a bit of detail, and it is a judgement call whether to try and add it or not. You can go overboard if you are not real skilled. Some folks on this board are geniuses with adding the bling. Depending on your ability, you can reach a point where the law of diminishing returns kicks in. I try to get to a point where the model as a whole has balance when it comes to detail. I have gotten to the point where what I do detracts from the appearance. I hope to hell to not go there.
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I took thinner and cleaned off the paint as much as I could, then sanded, cleaned again and repainted. The roof looks better. It takes a few days for this paint to dry well.
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Well I sanded the cabin roof and repainted and it still looks like crap. There are animal hairs in the paint and some of the knockout marks are still visible. More sanding and repainting, needed. This is adding time I didn't want to take.
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I wanted to mention that this boat kit is a lot more fun to build than my Cutty Sark and Robert E Lee were. I didn’t finish the rigging on the Cutty Sark, maybe I’ll get back to it some day. There were two other Cutty Sark builds going when I did mine and both of those builders were an inspiration to me. Anyone who completes a full rigged ship has my admiration. I don’t have the stuff to deal with the fragility of a plastic sailing ship. Parts are constantly breaking do to my clumsiness and I had to find ways to recover. The Robt E Lee was easier, less fragile and I put a lot of time in researching steamboats. This model has big pieces that are easy to work with though some extra thought is needed to get it together correctly. The big pieces makes it less risky to work with. Any do overs I have with this is because of painting mistakes. BUT! This boat requires I learn R/C boat skills which I didn’t bring to the build. I am 77 years old and retired which frees me from needing to add new work skill sets to my tool kit in order to keep up with competing co-workers like I use to have to do. I can pick my battles now or leave them. I gave up on the electronics of this boat last December but now I am going to give it another try after the boat is built. Another thought is that I can fantasize about really owning a boat like this. There are old used Chris Craft boats for sale on the internet. I could afford to buy one but I am not sure about the storage, restoration or upkeep. You’d have to make it a big part of your life. I do live near several good harbors, Santa Barbara, Morrow Bay and Port San Luis. I think it will remain a fantasy. Playing with the model on the pond will be fun.
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The windows, blinds, curtains and some deck fittings are done. A bit of progress today.
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Here is a disappointment. The cabin roof is full of knock out marks. I painted it yesterday and today upon examining it I saw the marks. I am going to have to sand them out and repaint it.
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The framing of the cabin is assembled and has a first coat of paint. I ran out of my red brown. I ordered more, which should arrive in a few days. I order it from a hobby shop in Burbank, and they ship the day you order. The cabin is removable.
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1956 Chris Craft Constellation Walk-Through Live-Aboard Boa.mp4 Here is a video of the real deal. It is of a 36ft 1956 Chris Craft Constellation. The model is of a 54 ft 1956 Chris Craft Constellation.
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Again, this is my prototype. I like to keep it in front of my nose for inspiration, especially when things aren't going right.
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I am trying to build the cabin so that it lifts off to get at the electric components. I also want to paint the framing as one piece. There are no alignment pins, so attaching the pieces together correctly is trial and error.
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Here are a couple of videos that someone made of their Lindberg Chris Craft Constellation K Sensei .... A classic that gets better with age.mp4 Lindberg Constellation....... K Sensei.mp4
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Well, the decks are finished and mounted to the hull. Time to give the boat a gloss coat at this stage. Also, time to go back over what everyone told me about the electronics. I bought a carry/stand to use to take the boat to the water, so I better get the motors to work.
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I used epoxy to fix the front deck in place.
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Thanks Mark, I was a radar repairman in the Army in Vietnam in 1967-68 but I don’t remember much about electronics today. I can sure use your help. I am going to work on the superstructure while learning what to do with the electronics.
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I am emailing the instructions to you today
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Something else I thought was weird. There are no raised borders at the places where the hull windows are to be glued in place. You just glue them to the inside surface of the hull, which at places does not have the same flat plane as the window. The windows are larger than the opening they cover, there is no "fit" to them. I used canopy glue, which dries clear and should hold the window and plug any gaps so that water cannot get in. If the window should fall out, it will fall inside the hull.
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The instructions to this kit can be confusing at times. An example is the instruction on installing the mounting brackets that screws go in, to hold the rear deck piece in place. The instructions say to mount the brackets about 6 1/2 inches (16.5cm) from the stern. Since the holes in the brackets need to line up with the holes in the deck, so the screws go through both, there isn't any "about" about it. Also, there are no markings showing where the brackets should go. To get it correct, I marked the hull where the mounting bracket holes should line up without measuring the distance from the end of the deck. I didn't know where that spot was either. I glued the brackets in place and tested how they lined up with the deck using a long tooth pic. After the glue dries, I'll attempt to put the screws in. You must tap the brackets with the screws before mounting them. The instructions do not say to glue the front deck to the hull. I think you should because there is only the rear deck to hold it in place and that doesn't seem sufficient to me given all the superstructure that goes on the front deck. Also, the only access I need under it is to set the batteries in place, and I can do that with the deck glued down. Another issue is the slight warp in the front deck keeping the tip of the deck from sitting on the hull tightly.
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Here are some folks I bought a while ago to sit on the boat. They're shouting to me, "hurry up and get this boat built so we can go for a ride on the water!"
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Ok, I have been gone for 8 months now. Do I qualify?
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No, not dead, just procrastinating.
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Hi schooner, Sorry for the long time between your post and my reply. Thanks for all the advice. I just now reopened this build log. It has taken me over 1/2 year to get back to wanting to attempt it again.
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