yvesvidal

Beautiful planking. Very well done. Yves

A quick update on the BENSWORX Virtual kit, slightly improved. I have been working on the main bridge and this is the result. The main bridge is printed in one large part: Resulting in this solid bridge: There are pros and cons with this way of doing. The Pros are that the part is very sturdy, easy to remove from the main cabin (for RC application) and relatively easy to finish. The Cons are that it does not offer too many details and makes the planking of the bridge, a tedious challenge. The original bridge was surrounded by canvas stretched on a tubular structure. The 3D print renders some of that aspect, at least from the inside. Anal modelers will likely cut everything and build the sides from soldered brass wires, covered by a thin canvas made of fabric. I thought about that .... for about one minute. Planking takes a lot of precise and small cuts and is labor of patience. I used two varieties of wood and I am not sure if the central part is planked or not. It probably is.... On the rear wall, the small shelves are used to store all the pennants and flags. This is again highly simplified on this 3D kit. A coat of AGE-IT finishes the wood and gives it a nice blond hue: Then, it is the relatively easy task of gluing all the parts, after painting them. The radar enclosure is unfortunately simplified and would have to be entirely rebuilt, if you wanted to replace the solid PLA by transparent films. Overall, the end result is not too bad and blends harmoniously with the rest of the ship. The shielding panels are installed, in the front and sides of the bridge. The rear wall of the bridge was apparently not protected, according to the pictures I saw. The two Oerlikon guns were printed using a resin printer. I need to find some Canadian sailors to populate that bridge..... The radar (above) is carefully painted to simulate the inside of the radar enclosure (dark). That part could be represented with a canvas covering it, if you decide to picture your Corvette in a harbor. The staircase going to the main deck and the ammos storage bins. I have added a small windshield which is not part of the kit. Overall view of the beast: I still have to work on the mast and finish the 6th module, comprising the depth charges deck and stern. I hope you are enjoying that big project. Yves

The Modelling News: Preview: Border Model's new 1/35th scale DKM Type VII-C U-boat conning tower & deck That could be interesting.... Yves

There it is.....available sometime in 2022: Yves

I have come to the stage where I need to copper plate my Bellona. I really dread that process since I have never done it before. Your technique (and mistakes, too) will come handy when I tackle that monstrous project. Yves

It is looking really sharp. I love the sprayed number on the front. It is very realistic. Do you have plans to build the FIAT Mefistofele too? I also saw that Italeri announced the Buggati 35 in 1/12 scale. Yves

These wheels would have to be 3D printed or laser cut to be perfectly precise and aligned. What a challenge!! Is it possible to build all four at the same time, stacked on top of each other? This way, alignment errors would be minimized. Yves

Superb work on that beautiful ship. Yves

Kevin, You wanted to do a diorama of a wreck! Maybe that went beyond your wildest dreams...... Sorry to hear about this. Fortunately, there are plenty of other projects (U-552, Enterprise, Tall ship) waiting for your return. Yves

Very nicely built. Congratulations. Yves

With liquid plastic glue, you don't even have to put glue on the parts. Do that instead: - Clamp the parts together - Using the brush, applicator or needle, cover the seam between parts with liquid glue. - Wait a minute or two.... et voila. Clean, perfect welding between the parts. Yves

Beautiful build and great model. Yves

For the decals "Compagnie Internationale....", you may want to use Micro-Sol if you can procure that chemical: http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MD&Product_Code=MI-2&Category_Code=FINPROD It works beautifully to stick the decals next to the surface and to get rid of the micro air bubbles underneath. Yves

Kevin, Hope you recover fast. The great weather of the islands will help you immensely. You should also take daily some zinc and vitamin D3 to stop the replication of the virus. And get as much sunshine on your skin as you can. Yves

Very nice "distraction"..... Where did you get that kit? Which scale is it? Yves

Definitely use a plastic cement such as Ambroid, Tamiya, Testors, UHU or Faller. The best are the liquid ones with needle applicator. Yves

Great work. It is almost as good as a POCHER kit and I wish Italeri would not have kept that large plug under the rear section of the car. Yves

WOW!! It is coming along rather nicely. The blue color is spot on. Will you spray a coat of satin clear to lock everything? Yves

Fabulous. Yves

Beautiful. I love the color of the wood. Yves

Very nice benches that you put together. Glad that you started that kit as we do not see many of them. Yves

Great choice of kit. I am hoping to purchase that kit one day as well as the other kit produced by Italeri. I will be following your progress with intense interest. Is that kit a re-packaging of the old PROTAR kit? Yves

Ah James, you like them broad and curvy.... Yves

I think you are ready for full wood construction.... Yves

Planking of the hull is now over. Phew !!! That was a major task ! An enormous amount of sanding needs to take place but that will be for later. Let's take a look at the instructions from CAF Model: The above steps have all be completed, although in a different order: - Step 5 - Step 6 verification. - Step 4 (minus part 24 which will be glued much later on). - Step 9 (wales) - Step 3 (planking of the hull) Hull has been planked and coated internally, with epoxy resin. The stern has been built (it was actually built before the planking) and the Part #25 has been glued. On the other hand, I am not placing part #24 yet, as it includes eight windows and would be automatically broken at this stage (not sure why the instructions only shows 6 windows...go figure....). To coat the inside of the hull and protect the wood in the long term, I use an epoxy resin: easy to mix, odorless and fluid enough to be brushed inside the hull: Planking the hull was done in a very conservative way and I would recommend this approach. The wood strips provided in the kit are not of great quality. Quite a few strips did split, providing me with two nice triangular shapes, that can come handy occasionally. Technically, the planking would require a set of 25 planks from keel to wales and three sets of planks per side (Bow, stern and side), or the equivalent of 75 planks. CAF model provides exactly 150 strips of 3x8 mm wood. Some of the planks (a small number fortunately) were 10 mm wide, some were made of a very soft wood, some made of very hard poplar or white wood. Basically a lot of disparities in the strips. Because of that, I went with a very conservative route and tried to use as much as possible the left overs and cuts. I managed to plank the entire hull with exactly 103 strips and have 47 left of various qualities. The next set of instructions calls for the following: Although I have glued the rear decks, I disagree with the approach of gluing all decks at this stage and prefer to wait until the hull is completely done. After a thorough sanding of the hull, the flotation line should be marked and coppering (tiling - A) as well as a light second planking (0.4 mm thick) in the visible wood sections, should be made. Step #9 has been done in part, as the wales (B) were glued before the start of the planking. Upper hull and channels (C) will come later (see below): I am going to take a break on this hull, in order to try to finish the 3D printed Corvette that I have neglected for a few months. In the meantime a few pictures of where we stand: Hope you are enjoying this massive build log. Yves