gieb8688

The lanterns are painted and installed:

I also damaged the flag locker while drilling holes, but it will be okay.  The damage is very minor.
 
Once the glue dries, I’ll paint the supports and touch up the stern, where I damaged it drilling holes.  The stern on this model is a brass sheet, and when I started this model, I didn’t have the skills to make my own.
 
I could make my own now (and will for all my future builds).  

My skill level has increased exponentially during this build.  A lot of those increases have been a result of things that I have learned on this forum.

All 3 lanterns are carved:

 
Making progress:
Next up: painting the lanterns!

The larger one is about 5/8 in or 16mm for the metric types.
The third and final lantern for the stern is roughed out and just needs finished.
 
Then I’ll paint all 3 and figure out how to mount them.

Thank you very much for the likes and just for stopping by!

I set up on the back porch today, to carve outside.  I could not pass up the weather.

The main lantern is carved:

It’s made out random square hardwood stock, that I had, that was the right size.
 
This is the second attempt, the first one failed catastrophically.
 
I’m not the greatest at three dimensional carving, but I’m getting better!
 

The flag lockers are done and a few minor detail pieces have been added.

I rough made the Ensign Staff.  It started out life as a bamboo kitchen skewer.  It still needs the cap piece, to be painted and three sheaves added.

I am done with most of the deck furniture now.
 
I am going to start at the stern and work my way forward, finishing all the rigging fittings, boat davits, remaining hull fittings, hammock cranes, etc.  To that end, I’m going to start with the lanterns and a couple of fittings on the poop deck.

Speaking of the flag lockers:
 
Once they dry, I’ll paint them.

Thank you both very much!  Thank you to everyone for all the likes and just for stopping by!
 
The brackets are trimmed and installed!

The buckets have been hung and glued!

Once they are dry, I will use add some touch up paint.
 
Quick note: this model is 1:98 scale, which is pretty close to the 15mm war gaming scale. I am used to painting and modeling in 28-32mm scale which is approximately 1/56 and 1/48 scale, respectively.  This difference in scale has made a lot of difference for me for this model.
 
Next up, I need to build the chart cabinet.  That will be made out of card.
 
Quick question, would the front of that cabinet have been covered at sea, or would the front of that have been left open?

One pile o’ buckets and brackets!

I made a couple extra brackets, just in case.

Forward progress for the first time in a long time:

The fire buckets are painted and I put a drop of gloss coat in each of them to simulate water.
Next up, several need new handles, and they need brackets, which will be made of annealed wire.

Step one is finish the fire buckets:
 
I am putting them on stick pins and painting them black with a gold “label” on the outside face.

All damage (that I’ve found) is now repaired!

 
Game on!

With this update, I'm now finished through Step 5 of the construction process. The forward companionway and the locker aft of it were easy enough. The superstructure was more challenging. It consists of of two sections, which I prefer rather than having the whole thing as one piece. The forward half had joiners to bridge the gap between the port and starboard walls. But once I got both halves finished and placed them on the deck for a test fit, I discovered that the walls of the forward half were about 1mm too long on each side. So, I had to remove the joiners, trim off the excess length, and re-do the folds -- nothing too difficult, but it took a little time to do carefully and make sure everything fit correctly. I then glued the two sections of wall to the deck, added a replacement joiner to the forward section, and also added some thick cardboard to the insides of the walls to make them straighter and more rigid.
 

 
Next up will be the various life jacket lockers. Incredibly, they actually have the words "life jackets" printed on them, which -- at this scale -- can only be read under high magnification; at normal viewing distances, they just look like a smudge. 😜
 

MODULE #5
 
Alright, time for a few updates. I am leading multiple fights at once with this model and cannot really work one module at a time. So without waiting, let's go to the Module #5.
 
As a summary, here are the sub-assemblies that I have created on this model: 
 
Module #1: the bow or stem - Finished as you could see in previous posts.
Module #2: the Gun and Edgehog - Not much done so far.
Module #3a: The Wheel house. Soon to be unveiled...
Module #3b: The deck - Nothing so far.
Module #4a: The Galley - Almost completed - Mast being developed....
Module #4b: The Funnel house - Completed.
Module #4c: The Dinghies.... a lot to do.
Module #5: We are talking about it below....
Module #6: the stern and the depth charge launchers - Nothing much.
 
The kit was developed around the HMS Agassiz and that particular section of the model does not match the Snowberry. The kit engine room is way too short and the rear platform located between the charge rails and the rear of the engine room is too wide. It looks like a dance floor and does not fit Snowberry.
 

 
When you look at pictures of the Snowberry and actually most reworked Corvette, the engine room is much longer and comes close to the rear of the charge launchers. Modifying these parts is not easy because of the curvature of the cabin and of the decks.
 

 

 
If I was a wizard in Sketchup, I could have taken the existing engine room parts and extended them, before printing. But I am not that wizard. So, we are going to have to do it, in the traditional modeler way: cutting, gluing, sanding....and repeat.
 
Also, Snowberry has a set of inflatable Dinghies/Rafts sitting next to the funnel and two stairs linking the main deck with the rear deck. These aspects are completely missing on the Virtual kit. Some modifications are in order: 
 

 
Here you can see a piece of deck that I printed, using a deck joiner part and changing its size. I sized it exactly at 33 mm wide, 140 mm long and 1.6 mm thick. It fits perfectly between the main deck and the engine room roof, and will provide the base for two ladders/stairs going down to the rear deck. The rest of the space will be used for a couple of rafts.
 

 
Now, we can see that the rear of the engine room is getting more realistic. The additional section is made by printing again the forward engine room walls and cutting the first panel off. These left and right panels are then glued to a second print of the rear wall. That is the beauty of printing your own parts: you can do it as many times as you want.
 
From an aerial perspective, we now have the following: 
 

 
Below is the details of the engine room roofs: 
 

 
The rails provide a way to fit the roof in place and hold it tight, until its permanent gluing. Painted: 
 

 
Another major milestone, once everything has been fitted and tested many times, is the gluing of the engine room to the hull. Here again, I would recommend keeping all the hull join parts intact, as they are very useful to hold everything in place: 
 

 
Notice how well the kit is designed with the perfect indentation of the engine room walls into the very thick deck of Module #4: 
 

 
Then the 1.6 mm thickness of the engine room deck, fits perfectly flush with the main deck. More pictures of this major milestone: 
 

 

 

 
The U shape profile is used to prevent the sagging of the engine room walls, when you install the wooden decks.
 

 

 
Hope you enjoy.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 
 

The display stand has been finalized: 
 

 
The ship is secured by two #10 bolts and rests on soft piece of Balsa wood, stained with cherry wood color.
 

 

 

 

 
It may not be the prettiest display stand, but it it is sturdy and allows me to store the project vertically: 
 

 
It even holds by itself.....
 

 
I will keep using the Kit provided stand to work on the model. It is a lot lighter and more maneuverable: 
 

 
Yves
 
 
 
 

I wanted to publish these pictures which are showing some interesting perspectives. Both vessels are at the same scale 1/48th, and have been the epitome of nemesis: 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
It makes for an interesting comparison.
 
Yves

Hello to MSW & NRG!
 
My last twelve hours have been spent constructing the keel, deck & keel supports, bulkheads, and bulkhead frames. The images I will show demonstrate a rough hull beginning to take shape. I am certain glue and wood filler is very much visible in my attachments, but for me, I have constructed this manner for additional strength. The directions state epoxy or my choice of adhesives and all that was present for me beginning the hull was Tite-bond wood glue. Although the glue is water soluble I add epoxy at a later stage for waterproof qualities. I have also included a bow block to shape and begin planking within a day or so. I must state as well, my learning curve I have created goes beyond instructional materials. I love to research the adhesive qualities of various forms. I also love to improvise when necessary. At any rate, I am displaying three construction images that are rough, but I have begun. I am also including an image for a yachting model I am designing to build myself as another model for a personal appeal and goal. I welcome all friendly faces to see for yourself but please bear in mind, no sanding has been completed. There does remain much, much sanding to perform. To make the job easier I am using a Proxon modeling belt sander to sand all wood-filler and glue spots to a smoother finish. Upon completion of this I will be painting the heel, and bulkheads white glossy. 
 
This is an interesting model in the design features that the vessel does not sink in a rough sea state and resistance is minimal. I have always had a love for the Coast Guard lifeboats because they cut the water fiercely fine and the powerplant powerful enough to accomplish her mission of saving lives at sea, coastal areas, and even rivers. I will be engaging more and more into research of this fine watercraft vessel. A powerhouse of life-saving equipment and I want one for recreational purposes. 

Major milestone today, with the permanent gluing of the floor (Deck #4) of Module 4 on the hull: 
 

 
This piece of deck is very stiff and thick: 3 mm!  It brings an additional stiffness to the hull (not that it would need it...). It is glued after careful placement of the forward sections of decks (#2 and #3). Deck #4 holds the tall funnel but more importantly the mast. As such it must be strong and resilient. Note that Deck #4 also rests and is glued to the large white couplings, used to connect the hull sections.
 

 
The Deck section #3 holds the wheel house and the very top heavy deck. It is made of PLA of only 1.5 mm and may sag a little bit, under the load. To prevent this problem and make sure that the decks #3 and #4 sit perfectly flush, I have added some support in the front of Deck #4. This is made using the "Deck_D_Lip" part with a 1.5 mm strip of styrene on top: 
 

 
With this approach, the deck #3 sits perfectly flat and flush with deck #4.
 
You could glue all the decks at once and be done with them. But then, working on each independent section becomes a challenge as this hull is large. I'd rather work on a small section at a time and then place it on the hull, once it is finished.
 
Yves
 
 

Some pictures of the Galley: 
 

 

 
The galley combined with the other structure: 
 

 

 

 
Overall view of the beast, as it stands today. I have not glued the Module #4 yet. Most likely, I will first glue the floor, then each of the small superstructure on it. Then, there are still a few details to be added, dinghys, davits, stanchions and other little stuff. The mast will come later on as it quite prominent on that model.
 

 
Yves

I have to agree. It is the galley. However the galley has an “extension” . See photo.

A few progress on the Smoke Cabin (as it is called....). First the birth of the funnel: 
 

 
And its completion: 
 

 
That is a large part. It does require some sanding and care, too look presentable. Next, other parts required for this assembly, are printed: 
 

 
The funnel stack is somewhat crude and will need some additional details. The ladder is from the kit and three brass tubes are added around the funnel, to make it look more realistic.
 

 
Again, using the same Calder Craft stanchions, the delicate building of the railings is started. Some 0.6 mm brass wire is used to fabricate the railing. It is then glued with CA and painted white to simulate the tubing found on the prototype ship.
 

 
Wooden protections are added on the sides, following the 3D rendering seen previously. These parts are extra and not provided in the kit.
 
The funnel is now added and this is a delicate task: all brass tubes have to go in their respective holes and the funnel has to have the correct inclination, which is helped by the printed part.
 

 
On the deck various chest and cowl hoses are installed. The trunk located between the two cowls, is identical to what is provided in the kit, with its height reduced by 50%. The vertical lockers (see below) are identical to the lockers provided in the kit, but reduced to 50% of their width and length.
 

 
The rigging is made with elastic wires found at Michael's or Jo-Ann's.
 

 
This section is complete and I just have to install the painted cowls, on top of their respective tubes.
 
Yves

MODULE #4 (Galley and Smoke Cabins) 
 
This is the second module that I am building. As indicated earlier, the careful installation of the deck floors and precise setting, allow you to approach each module in an almost independent way. For our next installment, I have decide to concentrate on the Galley Cabin (where the mast find its anchor) and Smoke Cabin.
 
Before showing the implementation, let's quickly review what the Virtual kit is offering us: 
 
Decks D and E are glued together and coupled with two joiners. I have printed the Dagger plates and the D lip but will not be using them. These parts are for RC builds, to allow an easy access to the inners of the vessel: 
 

 
The Galley Cabin is depicted below: 
 

 
And the Smoke Cabin below: 
 

 
Overall, these sub-assemblies are rather crude and need some pimping up. The mast is printed with long parts, the crow's nest and the top part. I have decided to use a mast made of a wood dowel, instead.
 
The large smoke stack is nicely provided in the kit, with a ladder and the whistle pipes.
 
Since I am trying to depict the HMCS Snowberry, I needed to find more details of these areas. Unfortunately, the archive pictures are very hard to study in this particular area and not of a great help. Fortunately, I found a 3D rendering of what the Snowberry could have been at one point or another: 
 

And this is what I will be trying to model.
 
Yves
 
 
 

Here is a picture of all the parts going into the building of the windlass: 
 

 
The Deck #B, covered with fine planks of basswood and stained to show the outrages of the North sea: 
 

 
The main 4 inches gun will be part of Deck #C and is not described in this section. The platform has just been assembled to see how things fit together.
 
Below is a picture of the Snowberry after her refit: 
 

 
And here is the model. I have tried to depict all the major components, visible on the deck. 
 

 
The large ring at the bow is a piece of brass tube (not provided in the kit)
The cleat are from the kit but have been closed with small strips of styrene, to reflect the real cleats.
The two round vents are not provided in the kit and are tack pins, inserted in the deck.
The central mushroom vent is not bent...sorry.
I am also missing the two tall and thin tubes located ahead of the gun platform. Not sure what they are....
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The stanchions are 20 mm high, two holes and are provided by Calder Craft. They are inserted with a #60 hole and CA glue to secure them. The railing is done with Bead Stringing wire which is very realistic of a steel meshed wire used on the bow of these ships. Its diameter is 0.46 mm allowing it to pass easily into the 0.7 mm holes.
 

 
That concludes the Module #1 (bow). I will be presenting another module in a few days.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 
 
 

MODULE #1 : the Bow
 
Well, after finishing the hull, I had a very strong urge to start at least one section of the Corvette. Following you will find the suggested implementation according to the kit and my realization, based on the kit and on pictures of the Snowberry.
 
The kit provides for a relatively detailed windlass: 
 
 
 
Anchors and guides are also provided in the kit and are very easy and quick to print: 
 
 
 
Overall, this is the end result: 
 

 
That bow is perfect for a generic Corvette and will fit most of the Lower Class ships and variants. However, the HMCS Snowberry that I am depicting after her upgrade is not exactly equipped in the same way. Finding historical pictures of good quality is a challenge, for that particular ship but a couple of archival pictures are in high resolution and offering numerous details.
 
Yves

A few updates. I have been waiting for more than a week for the stanchions. Age of Sails handled my request quickly, but placed my shipment on a ground Fedex carrier....$14.00 for an envelope of not even 2 ounces....
 
Anyway, patience is a must have when you try to build models during a Plandemic. 
 
As I mentioned before, the hull is now finished.... I am lying: I need to paint the rudder and the propeller and glue them to call it complete. 
 
I pretty much reached my objective which was to build the hull, with this new (to me) 3D printing technology. The long and tedious work done on the various pieces of decks and their perfect fitting on the hull, allows me to approach each segment of deck as a sub-project whenever I feel the urge to do it. That is important on a large model like this one....it is very easy to be overwhelmed.
 
So, to display the hull and most importantly to protect it and be able to store it vertically, I have also built a display stand.
 

 
The main board is a "step" made of pine of 4 feet long by 10 inches wide. It is your traditional step found at Lowes' or Home Depot. The good thing about these boards is that they are very sturdy and will not warp. On top of it are glued, 1/2 x 1/2 inches pieces of maple wood, colored with Cherry wood stain. The main board is stained with Natural color and varnished with Polycrylic Semi-Gloss, using a foam pad for application.
 

 
Two #10 (5 mm) nuts are glued inside the hull to provide for a strong and discrete anchor: 
 

 
Yves

Hello,
Finally got back to the shipyard to start the new year.  For the first time in many decades, the foremast is now fully rigged!!  Purists will no doubt see errors in the running of the lines, but for the overall look and feel of the model, I am satisfied with the results.  Two more to go!! 
Thanks,
Mark