yvesvidal

Great model. Thank you for presenting your build log.
 
Yves

Great model. Thank you for presenting your build log.
 
Yves

Great model. Thank you for presenting your build log.
 
Yves

Great model. Thank you for presenting your build log.
 
Yves

Great model. Thank you for presenting your build log.
 
Yves

The big bat is finished now, that I found the courage to paint the figures. The young boy with the broken toy plane is exclusively painted with Scale 75 acrylics. I had to strip the oil colors off his skin, because they never cured and I couldn´t touch the figure for further painting.

Thank you all again for participating in this log, which helped me a lot in form of encouragement and practical information.





































Cheers Rob

Well, here are my feeble attempts in figure painting. I try to do one or two figures per build, but often shy away, because painting these is always like a burde for me. Nonetheless, i try to improve my skills and sometimes force myself to finish the figures.

The mechanic is painted with acrylic colors from Scale75, except for the skin, which was painted with oil colors.


 

 
Cheers Rob

slightly better than on the dustbin

Thanks to everyone for dropping in….like the sound of the Manx bike for a future project, and am totally humbled by Kim’s house motorcycle model collection. Just some more cabling to finish, decals and final detail painting etc and I’ll wrap this up. Still have to go back and reset the slightly troublesome fork/frame connection so it works correctly. For the saddlebags I glued on a bit of old thin denim on the plastic and then stained it. Probably not quite scale but hoped it would visually suggest a canvas type fabric. 

Thanks all for the likes and comments and joining in. 
 
I continue to prep the various body parts and panels and wings.  Some of these parts, especially on the front cowl area, the fit is surprisingly poor for a tamiya kit.  I guess they've come a long way.  Some of the parts are just about done, others I am waiting for the putty to dry so I can sand it smooth and others I am waiting for glue to dry before applying putty.  Once all are good to go, I'll use the splash paints dark gray surfacer and then probably use Tamiya LP-1 gloss black lacquer.
 
For the first time, I've been using the vallejo acrylic based plastic putty.  It is much nicer to work with than the lacquer based tamiya putty though I think you need to let it dry longer before sanding.  It is a little hard to see in the picture, but the tube has a built in pointy applicator which is very handy.
 
It is also interesting to contrast this with the Lotus 49.   Just about 10 years separate the two cars.  The "body" of the lotus 49 was not much more than a simple oval tube, which is quite different from this one.   The large increase in complexity in those 10 years is easily evident even in kit form; I estimate this kit has twice as many parts as the Lotus 49 kit.
 

Long over due update. Lots of outdoor yard work to do. So haven’t had much time to work in the shipyard. Sorry, I crammed a lot of stuff in one post. I got all of the bulkheads glued and I faired the tops of the bulkheads for the gun deck. I used a flexible ruler with sticky back sand paper to get the job done. The kit comes with the choice of using the laser cut deck or planking the laser cut deck with 1x5 mm planks. I chose to plank my deck as I think it will offer a better look. I used basswood planking that I milled myself on my mini table saw. I’ve then cut the planks to length and sanded the ends with my Ultimation sander and cutter. For imitating caulking I used a colored pencil for the end grain on the planks because the ink will suck into the pours and make the ends not as sharp. And a non-bleeding ink archival pen for the long grain. Once the planks were laid and sanded smooth and level I applied linseed oil. Once I have a few coats of linseed oil on, I will treenail it with birch wood toothpicks. I don’t like bamboo toothpicks because the grain is porous . I made a photocopy of the laser cut deck before I applied the planking so I have a reference for the tree nail pattern. I really like how the deck came out with all the variation and color and tones of the basswood. I was thinking of using Maple on the main upper deck. But I am thinking I will not have as much variation and wood tones as the basswood. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Sorry for any typos as I am doing this post on an IPhone at 11:30 at night

Hello Model Ship World,
I am starting a new build log of the HMS Ontario in 1/48 scale by Maris Stella. I have been trying to get this kit for a while and always missed someone’s auction or it would run out of stock. So as luck would have it I won the kit in a raffle held by Olha Batchvarov’s you tube channel. 
The kit came with all the upgraded blocks and cannons. And all the 3d printed parts. So far I got the slipway built and the keel. Thanks for looking. Hopefully I started the build log correctly. 
Thanks for looking!
Chris

Another problem. I started cleaning frame assembly Af and there’s 2 sets of uprights and they’re not the same length or shape. Which parts are the correct parts for frame Af and to which frame set do the other parts belong?
 
Best Regards …. Rick

Chuck had me second guessing myself if I used the correct floor for frame OX.  Because I never break up or throw away the billets, I was able to put floors 1a and Af  back into the billet and confirmed I used the correct floor. 
 
 Best Regards …. Rick

If we recall, I used served sewing pins for the futtock staves on the lower masts, providing something a bit more firm than just a served line.  The futtock staves on the upper masts are smaller in circumference however, so instead of pins I opted for #28 beading wire - which worked quite well.  I did have to put a very, very thin coat of tacky fabric glue on the wire before I served it however to get the thread to stay put instead of just having the wire rotate with the thread doing it's job.
 
 
 
Next step was measuring the length of the stave for the given mast - which ended up being 7mm for the main and 5mm for the fore mast. This small size was quite tricky to work with - so I coiled a knot on each end first, then attached it to the shrouds.  As a note - I touched each end of the stave where it was cut with a black sharpie to cover the exposed wire.
 

 
The staves were attached just far enough below the sister blocks to allow for the two foremost shrouds to be pulled apart a bit and all four shrouds to be evenly separated as they have a tendency to overlap where they come together in the limited space below the heads.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

As I illustrated above - Added the additional stays to the upper main and fore masts.  It definitely adds to the complexity and bulk on the mastheads, but still looks good to me.  And more importantly, I've utilized those extraneous deadeyes. 
 
 
 
 
 
   I guess we can just rest assured that this would be the most stable 14-gun sloop in the Navy! 
 

Finally finished up the Main upper shrouds today.  Nothing special about them - served just past the hounds and hooked to the deadeyes. 
 
 
 

 
Here is a tip however - that I figured out way too late. As in, after replacing / repairing three futtock shroud hooks that had snapped off from the tension of the lanyards, etc.  I shoved a toothpick into the chain to relieve the tension on the hook while rigging - then eased / twisted the toothpick out after the rigging was tied off.
 

Deadeyes - Backstays - and Shifting Backstays....
 
As continue to work on the shrouds and stays, I've noticed some conflicting information regarding the number of deadeyes and their corresponding stays. This is certainly something of which to be wary when you're working off a few different plans - i.e., a kit build but also guided by Steel, The Fully Framed Model, and sometimes Lees.  TFFM has the fewest stays - and Chris Watton's plans for the Peg have the most. TFFM specifically mentions the Swan class only having single stays off the masts, and Steel specifically mentions three pairs for ships of 74 guns or larger, two pairs for 74 to 20 guns, and a single pair for 18 guns and smaller.  However Chris' plans show multiple stays off the main and fore.  Chris' plans also show Royal Stays  and a shifting back stay off both main and foremasts - which are not shown in other guidelines. As a result - if I continue to progress using primarily TFFM  - I'll end up with some unused deadeyes.  In fact - even on the final images of TFFM's Swan - there are unused deadeyes - which I've also seen on Dan's Vulture as well as BE's Peg.
 

 
Here's the thing - I know my personality; I'm the guy who has all his stuff positioned specifically on his desk.  So having unused deadeyes is going to drive me crazy.  As such - I'll be diverting from TFFM and Steele and including enough additional stays to use the deadeyes. So - I'll have two back stays and one t'gallant stay on the fore, three backstays and a t'gallant on the main - and I'll forego Royals (Lees says they weren't introduced until after 1810) and shifting backstays - because I'm running out of room on the top masts.  
 
So here's what I'll have:
 

 

Greetings Fellow Modelers
 
Thanks to all for your fine comments, for the "likes" and to those watching quietly.
 
 
More Fish Hold Stuff
 
Continuing on with the fish hold, the next step was to build the back walls of the bunker partitioning.  In the drawing below, the hold is defined by the yellow cross-hatching and the back wall partitioning by the green lines.  The back walls are individual bunker partitions, but for this model I've simplified it as a single one-piece wall.  The blue dots are the vertical posts used to segment the hold into individual bunkers/pens.
 

 
 
To begin, I created a paper template of the area to be walled.
 

 
 
Planking was glued directly to the paper template.
 

 

 
 
Styrene channel was glued on at each post base location. The proper depth channel needed for this is not manufactured, but I found an “H” column that was close enough once modified.
 

 

 
 
The back wall pieces were then glued on.  A corner torn from a Post-it note makes a hands-free right-angle square.
 

 
 
At this point, I became aware of two errors that needed to be addressed.  First, the height of the perimeter partition walls, and the bulkhead end walls were too short.  This would allow a view through an open hatch to see above the walls.  It would be an extreme angle view to be certain, but a deck mock-up proved to me it was possible.  The second error is that the forward bulkhead end wall was placed 12 scale inches forward of where it should be. That's a problem because it interferes with the proper placement of the mast, which is unacceptable.  So, a second end wall was installed 12” aft of the first one.
 
In the image below the new (taller) end wall is on the right.  One would now expect that the two forward bunkers are 12” narrower than the other bunkers, but they are not.  The post spacing is correct from the aft bulkhead forward and only the forward wall was misplaced.  Indeed, I caught this error because the forward bunkers appeared to me a tad wider than the others.
 
Extra work caused by working carelessly.
 

 
 
Next, the four-sided posts for the bunker partitioning were made.  They are a five-piece styrene construction.
 

 
 
 
A construction jig is assembled. The styrene is modified “H” columns and strips from Evergreen.  Solvent cement keeps the posts from being inadvertently glued to the jig.
 

 
 
A channel is placed into the jig.
 

 
 
A flat strip is cemented on top of that. Two of these channel/flat piece assemblies are made for each post.
 

 
 
The center rectangular strip is added to one of the above assemblies.
 

 
 
Then both assemblies are cemented together.
 

 

 
 
The posts are glued onto the post bases.
 

 
 
One of the back walls is heightened, a channel extension is glued on, and a partition is installed.
 

 
 
The partitions are cut from blanks of edge-glued wood strips. A paper template of the partition is placed on the blank and the shape is cut free. They are stained with chalk and alcohol. I use alcohol to liquefy and apply the chalk because it penetrates the wood and evaporates off quickly leaving no time for the thin wood strips to warp.
 

 
 
I used “super thin” CA to glue these partitions in.  With the partition already in place, a drop of the CA at the top of the post races down the channel and glues most of the plank ends.  I have an extension tip on my bottle to help control the flow and I use the watery glue infrequently and cautiously.  I feel there should be a “skull and crossbones” on the bottle.  If you must use it, keep a can of fresh acetone at the ready.  A mishap will glue your fingers together instantly with the possibility of a trip to urgent care.  Am I exaggerating?  Not really.
 

 
 
The partitions are all in.  I'm considering partially filling a few of the bunkers with ice.  What do you folks think and what would make a convincing 1:48 ice?  It would have to be a non-soluble material.
 

 

 
 
I've installed 8 surface mount LEDs (one over each bunker) to light up the hold.  That seems like a lot, but they are small and their output will be adjustable.  Two wood strips holding four diodes each are assembled.  These LEDs are SMD 805 warm white and are attached to the strips with a clear (when dry) version of Gallery Glass.  For scale, the grid on the mat 1/2” (12.7mm)
 

 
 
Both strips attached over the bunkers.
 

 
 
Thanks for stopping by.
 
Be safe and stay well,
 
Gary
 
 

Well, it has been a long time since I have updated my build log.  That doesn't mean I haven't been working on the Granado, but it does mean I am slow as molasses (particularly with things I have never done before).  I have been working a lot too.  However, enough of the excuses, and a wee bit of an update on where it all stands at the moment.  Here are two photos of my progress with the preparation of the masts, yards, bowsprit, gaffs, etc for the rigging of Granado:
 

 
I still have things to touch up, and the mizzen mast needs some Danish Oil wiped on it still....but it is progress.  We are heading inland for a short time, and I will work on the Sphinx while there and send some pics of that soon.  Then back out to the Island before I eventually head to Spain and Portugal for a little international science and adventuring.  Hope all is well with everyone, and thanks for stopping by!!!!

The preliminary design for the stern carvings are now complete, I’m going to review them and make any adjustments necessary and proceed with the prototype sets. Looks like I need to get moving on the model so I have something to attach these beauties to.
 
JJ

I’m back in the states, making  a pit stop home to laser cut a few things, I should be back at it in a week or so. Will post some updates as I begin my planking journey. 
For now here are some photos of the Everest base camp trek, which took me above 18,500’ and through 32 miles of rough Himalayan terrain but the views were simply spectacular!
 
JJ
 

Yupp....I have always done this on every ship model that I have made showing the scuppers.  Works like a charm.