gieb8688

In home dock..

Poster versus model..

Another night with slow progress. Just had time to paint the copper base layer in the rudder. Next up is (what I anticipate will be) the last bit of copper plating on the model. I am still amazed at how much better this plating turned out than my last attempt. 

Finished the copper plating on the main hull! Although a pale shadow of some other models on this site I am actually quite happy with the results. A vast improvement over my previous work on the Revenue Cutter. 

Next up are the forcap rails general bulwarks detailing. Also, I need to copper plate the rudder as well. 
 
On another note, Bluejacket sent me a new instruction manual with the previously indicated errors fixed which I thought was really an awesome customer service gesture! Especially at no cost 
 

More progress on copper plating! Mostly starting with the main open area and will fill in the custom cut pieces all at once. 

More progress on plating tonight! 
 
I have found that shaping each plate before flying it down allows the plates to sit much flatter and look way nicer. 



Overall happy with the progress! 

More progress this afternoon around the bow and along the keel. 
 

Starting the copper plating process tonight! It is a little bit slow but super rewarding. Next step is just more plating  
 

I took the opportunity to do some touch ups along the inner waterways. There were a few unsightly gaps that became obvious after the initial primer. 

After some sanding and primer the forecastle modification doesn’t look bad!  

I just realized a mistake in the plans/instructions so heads up for anyone else making this model. The forecastle waterways should be installed at the same time as the main waterways. These are “LPY1G” on the lasercut sheet. There is not mention of them on the plans or the instructions (that I have seen). Anyways, was looking through the pictures of the completed model and noticed my mistake. This will require some additional painting/priming but shouldn’t be a big issue. Of further note, the instructions make no note of having to lengthen the inner bulwarks over the top of the forecastle and rear deck so a few filler pieces need to be scratch built. 


The cutouts for the forecastle waterways. 

The scratch built inner bulwark extensions being glued in. See the forecastle waterways glued down. 

@Keith S thanks for the compliments! The smaller scale is definitely a learning experience for me as well. 
 
Airbrushed around the gun-ports and inner bulwarks white. Difficult to see with the white primer but it looks fairly good. 

Next up is to mask the insides of the gunwales and along the gun ports to pain the rest of the hull black. 

I am still planking away on the first planking layer. This is how I  get myself in trouble, ( but I  always seem to manage a way out), I  lined off my hull and put tick marks for every plank on each bulkhead indicating the amount of taper  needed and theoretically everything would work out even .... BUT .... as usual I  get scared getting closer to the bottom and just had to go start from the bottom and plank up. 


Now hopefully it all works out. AND .... I  was waiting for glue to dry so I  was sitting looking at my book by John McKay to check details and discovered a flaw, a problem, something wrong, (at least in my eyes ). The grates on the gun deck in my kit have doors on the end .... hatch covers ????? ... I  don't know,  but the book  shows stairs in both these locations. 
 


Now, in my mind, this is a problem, .... could I  cut these openings and install stairs? ..... yes .... should I ? ..... I'm not sure.... the kit calls for the doors here... in reality, they are stairs, but once the life boats are installed, no one will ever notice whether they are doors or stairs, but I  will ( sometimes I  hate being a perfectionist). Now don't get me wrong cause I am taking artistic license in the fact I  do not plan on painting the outside of the hull or coppering it, so I will probably follow the incorrect kit plans when installing the wales because they will divide the colors of the wood. So does this give me permission to use hatch covers instead of stairs? .... maybe ...... no not really.... do I  want to cut the deck out and cut up the gratings I built? .... not really .... so why do I  feel the urge to make this detail correct? .... I  have to think about this. What would you guys do? By the way, there are no stairs in  the kit for here. ( asking myself, why does that even matter?) ...... sheesh... back to planking before I  burn brain cells out.
 
Mark Frazier 
 

MikeE,
 
They must throw anything they have lying around in these kits.
 
What I  did , after a light sanding to level the deck surface, was use a .5mm drafting pencil ( mechanical pencil you load .5 mm lead into), with a ruler, I drew a line on the seam between the boards and across the ends of the boards.  Depending on how heavy a line you draw makes it darker or lighter. Then used 220 sandpaper to sand the decks a little more so the lines were all even colored  and not too dark. This simulates the caulking between boards. Like the photos of my decks here:


  I  finished the decks with a gloss acrylic coat I  got at the art supply store.  I brushed it out thin so it wasn't real shiny. They came out good.
 
After the finish sanding, you may have to lightly touch up some areas with the pencil again before finishing. Just use light pressure to keep the line matching the surrounding areas.  ( if you get it too dark, just hit it lightly with the sandpaper).
Mark Frazier 
 

thanks for the comments and views everyone- got the main topyard painted and varnished and rigged the main yard lifts - soooo glad i didn't glue that rail infront of mainmast in place yet!
 also rigged the halliards to the main mast breast stays- not sure if i got it right with the mainyard lifts but billings just had them belayed to the pin rail!


take care all and have fun.
 
Keith
 

thanks for the likes and visits to the log everyone. finally got all the gunports in place and work progressing on the figurehead, also painted the mouldings on the forepeak. If modelling billings Vic with the ports closed you will find yourself six lids and twelve hinges too short!
 

 

 

 
due to all the handling of the lower hull I will have to remove the old laquer and re-do it- when I am sure I wont have to handle the copper again. On top of all this fun I have also started on the great little ships 1/72 flower class corvette upgrade for the revel (old matchbox) kit  
 
Have fun all and keep building!
 
Keith
 

Just a quick update- couple of more coats on the yellow stripes- can't believe its a year since i was doing the stern gallery windows- woooosh goes time 

 
Keith
 

More progress  today  while listening to my Aircraft scanner  at all the aircraft  going over the pond to the US  (not)   been so quiet.
 
Anyway on with mossie,   where were we  -  oh yes masking ready to paint the Black on the right side fuselage, same procedure  wide soft brush and gentle steady  brush strokes, then dried with the dryer between coats, I put about four layers down  then moved on to the next masked section, then when it was dry I removed the tape,   it was leaving a small ridge (cant be helped even with burnishing the edge  - till I get some Tamiya tape)  so it was a case of a light wet sand - that tended to remove a little too much Black  - so back on again.
I took about three attempts till I was happy with the finish  - then I buffed the whole paintwork to get a shiny surface ready for the decals.
 
Next I decided to do the bottom of the  first wing  freehand with my wide brush  (its about  3/4 Inch)  I started  with the section closest to the fuselage  - it needed no masks as I was controlling the flow of paint  - four or five coats and it was looking quite good, next I masked the top part of the engine cowling  and started to apply some Black all over the nacelle  - again about Four or Five layers, and I left it there for the night.
 
Here's the pics  as stands at the mo.
 
OC.

Found some  great video footage  -
 
 
 
OC.

Hi all,   would you believe it I have spent 5 hours on this today  -  plan was to add some more piping  this I did using two thicknesses of fuse wire,  first one (thickest)  I placed along the upper section, then I added a couple of thinner pieces,   after  fitting these  I then turned my attention to the radio, this was made up  then painted nato black, I then picked out the details and added a bit of highlighting.
Next off was to work on the radio operators seat/back plate, this needed  reducing in height and straightening,  then  it was painted  (plate same colour as  floor/walls  and cushion a redish brown)    I finished off for today  by cutting out and fitting the pe  straps (fiddly little chaps)  I secured the top  then glued the assembly in place - then I pressed the  straps down onto the seat  with a dab of ca under the strap.
The ca straps are pre painted  so dont need painting  poss  just a bit of flat top coat to seal them.
 
OC.

Little job for tomorrow  -  I need to doctor the stage I have done slightly  - firstly I will paint a section flat black, then create some pipework out of fuse wire  this will be pained alum, I will then add a few more details.
 
Here is a worked pic to show what I will be adding.
 
OC.

Hi all,     more progress today  in between cooking our sat  curry,    next stage  was to  construct the cockpit/cabin floor and  radio deck - these sit on top of the bomb bay,   so after  fitting these sections together - I painted the  radio ops leather cushion (for this I made up some semi brown colour)  then I painted  the floor and  and sections  the same green as the bomb bay, then a quick wash and  highlighted edges with flat alum paint dry brushed.
 
Also I took a pic of the PE  I brought  for it  (looks quite good).
 
OC.

Here are a few more walk arounds:
 
 
 
This is Kermit Week's unrestored plane not the restored flying plane here in Everett. 

I understand its the same green interior throughout  (the same  interior green as I used in the bomb bay),
 
Here is a  pic  showing the green shade       (internet pic   courtesy  of the owner)
 
OC.

More progress  in the bomb bay  - I assembled and weathered the four bomb racks, these were painted flat alum  then I ran a wash over them.
 
Oh  and look at what arrived  in the post  -
 
OC.

Hi all,   some good work  today  -  I  put  some  interior green down  then ran some washes  over it,   after I worked on the three sub frames - painted and washed, then when dry (quickly with a hairdryer)  I then did some highlighting   - lots more to do yet as it still needs the bomb rails and brackets.
 
OC.