yvesvidal

John,

That is a great build of a very old kit. I cannot believe that they did not design this hull as planked, as that shape would be very easy to plank correctly.

I am glad that you managed to "insert" some planking into its building .... 😉

These paddle boats are some of my favorites and I will be following your build with a lot of interests.

Yves

Dave,

thank you for the thorough answers to my questions. Yes, I think I am going to go with the tape too, as the tiles offered by CAF Model are too small and way too  expensive.

Yves

Chris,

Thank you for correcting my false assumptions. I like brass (the metal...) but agree with you that 3D printed resin is way superior for accuracy and details.

Yves

10 hours ago, David Lester said:

 

David, 

This copper tiling is looking fabulous. Could you tell us what kind of copper ribbon did you use (Brand)? Thickness? Backing (clear or black)? Width? How did you prepare the wood of the hull to get a good adhesion?

I will have to copper tile my Bellona (1/48th) soon and I am trying to learn the process and follow the recipes of people who had successful results.

Thanks in advance.

Yves

Very promising kit. I like the details on the gun carriage wheels.

The 3D printed guns are very crisp and usually better detailed than brass guns. I understand that brass guns would impact negatively the final price of the kit with so much armament, and 3D printed guns will reduce, weight, cost and already have the right color.

Yves

Chris,

I am very glad to see the Master of Cruise Liners back on the saddle. Still waiting to see that 1/200 Titanic kit.... 🙂

Yves

On 12/3/2021 at 11:29 PM, CDW said:

Are the session boxes purchased separately or are they subdivided that way in the whole kit? Quite nice the way it's broken up into sessions, reminds me of the way you worked on the 1:48 Corvette in modules. It makes a large project like this seem much more manageable.

Beautiful ship, and huge!

Craig,

Each session is purchased separately.

Yves

Kevin,

you may want to organize all these wires as they will not fit inside the hull.

Also, the light leaking out of the modules will look ugly, through the openings of the deck.

Yves

5 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Looks great, Yves.   Is the whole hull double planked in the kit or "parts of it"?   

 Mike,

Nothing is double planked. The hull is supposed to be copper tiled and that is probably where I am going. Above the water line, I am planning to use the maple planks of 0.4 mm thick (same width as the main limewood planks, 8 mm) and pretend to have a nicer planking arrangement.

We will see how it goes.

Yves

Well, there is not much I can do at the stern at this stage of the hull building:

It is time to move the construction crew to the bow: 

Yves

Turangi,

This is a gorgeous diorama, beautifully executed. The model is stunning and the long wooden planks are perfectly displayed.

I would just place a few 4x4 pieces of wood to insulate the planks from the ground. Wood was never placed directly on the ground.

Yves

That Vallejo Royal Blue color is stunning. Beautiful hull.

Yves

I just glued the rear gun deck section. The hull has been coated with resin and so the deck can be installed permanently: 

The figures (AMATI 35 mm) may be a tad too small, although 35 mm is about right for 1/48th scale: 

A goofy picture: 

Yves

13 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

Amazing video of a Superb large scale model  - 

OC.

Not really a "scale model" per say, but Stefan D. is currently the Master at 3D rendering and has published a large number of absolute references and books on the subject of Battleships.

Yves

Oh, I forgot to present the stand.... available in Session #4 only..... Shame on CAF for that one, since you really need it during Session #2. On top of that they cannot even spell Bellona correctly....

Yves

Second quadrant completed. Of course, lots of sanding remains to be done.... but the overall shapes are there: 

I am leaning very strongly in favor of a coppered hull. Copper tiling has always been a fascination for me (the glittering of the metal...) and since Bellona was tiled later in its existence, it makes sense to try to do it. Besides my planking is far from being presentable as such and will require a second planking in the non-tiled sections (above the water line). I also suspect that the bow is going to be even more difficult to plank than the stern...

Therefore, I am learning about the tiling process by reading what the members of this forum have done on their models. 

The deep blue is the one that matches the best, the English paint used on these period ships.

Inside the hull, I am brushing some acrylic resin on the wood, to seal it and increase the bonding strength of the planks to the bulkheads. There is an enormous amount of pressure and tensions taking place and I do not wish the planks to start coming out, in a few months or years. Planking has been done with Thick and Quick Titebond glue (or is it Quick and Thick?) and I trust them to a certain point. The only glue I trust fully is the two components epoxy, slow curing glue.

Before brushing the resin....

And after ! I noticed that the lime/poplar wood  provided by CAF Model was occasionally splitting. Soaking that wood into resin is probably a good insurance for the long term. Interestingly, no resin seeped through the hull....indicating that it is waterproof.

Just for fun, I could not resist trying the various gun deck pieces: 

And the Upper deck and misen mast: 

It is getting exciting....

Yves

Don't feel bad Zack. We all go through these challenges and defeats. It is part of the learning process and the mastering that comes well later.... 🙂

Yves

Superb ship, Maurino.

Yves

Magnifique !!

Yves

Some progress on the planking. I almost finished one quadrant of the ship: 

Most of the planks were placed in this crude jig: A little dipping in pure alcohol and then placed between the nails - 

Four planks can fit nicely, while drying in shape. When released, they rebound a little bit, but are more willing to comply to the difficult shape of that hull.

Now, I just have to do the other side, with more than 24 planks....

A first pass of "scraper" and some rough sanding took place. I am still debating if I will paint the hull (anti-worms white) or copper plate it. I would love to do the copper plating but need to learn about that process. Non-covered section of the hull may require a second planking made with 0.4 mm thick maple planks, provided in the kit. 

I still have plenty of time to think about it....

Yves

Congratulations John. Such a beautiful and unusual model, extremely realistic and built like the prototype.

Yves

Kevin, Some fierce competition coming my way... I will be following with a lot of interest.

Do not neglect too much the Panart, Enterprise and many other kits you have, though.

Yves

On 11/21/2021 at 5:14 PM, rvchima said:

Is the Gee Bee, the 1/32nd scale William Brothers kit?

Yves

Alan,

You have been officially promoted to Creality Ender V2 Field Support Manager !!!!!

WOW, what a difference in printing.

Yves

Very interesting project. Surprise or Sophie? I like both.

Yves