modlerbob

Time to paint
 
Between “new house” chores and trying to hook a few more trout before the streams get too hot there hasn’t been much new with the model.
 
I did get the stack put together

and I scratched some “J” vents for the fuel tanks that will go along the bulwarks and the superstructures

I finally stopped stalling and broke out the airbrush and got to work on that. I chose Model Master's Ocean Gray since the early Liberty's were painted darker than Navy Haze Gray and given the scale effect this is what I was looking for. It has a little more sheen than I wanted but I'll be giving everything a coat of Dull Coat at the end so it should not be a problem.


 
With most of the big parts painted things should start moving along at a more respectable pace now.
 

I've been making my way through the rigging. I've been picking my order as I go, doing what seems to make sense next, with an overall game plan of avoiding getting my fingers and tools twisted in the rigging that's done. 
 
So I tend to work on related systems (e.g. Forestay and associated halyards) rather than in the layers of standing and then running rigging. I'm also trying to minimize doing the more intricate work on the boat itself. Like the parrels - I much preferred doing those on the workbench than on the mast under the forestay. 
 
But it means working several steps ahead; Igor example, I needed to have the tops'l yard ready to rig and on the topmast before I installed the flying jib stay. So I'm working several steps ahead.
 
The whole thing is fraught with peril, and I've made a few layering mistakes. But nothing I couldn't re-rig free of damage.
 
Next up are the topmast backstays, and the rigging for the tops'l yard. 
 
I haven't been finishing off lines lines as I go. I can see where it will cut off access to some of the cleats that aren't yet occupied - especially at the bow. That will be a tedious last step. 
 
The big lesson I've learned is to let the lines sit overnight before gluing in the cleats and washing the line with dilute white glue. They have a lot of stretch in them and they need to settle.. and I've caught a lot of errors that way.
 
I'm enjoying the rigging. I thought it would move a bit faster, but im in no rush. 
 
Here are some photos. 
 
 

Hola a todos:
After almost a month I have new updates.  One important decision was to put or not to put the sails, and finally I decided that this will be my first model ship with no sails and present the ship as if it were on a dry dock or cradle.  However I decided to place most of the rigging except those that hold the sails. Here you can see the rigging of the main mast finished.
 
Next step, the Foremast rigging.
 
Saludos, Karl
 

Night view of Royal Caroline

And here are some pics from the room, where I keep all my models:
 

Nothing more to report here, but I ran across this amazing build of the exact same Shipyard 1/96-scale paper model kit on the German paper model forum Kartonbau.de. OMG, what an incredible build. I'm completely blown away. I highly recommend checking this out for yourselves. 
 
I took the following photo of the completed model from the builder's blog, but there are MANY more great photos there, and hopefully this will inspire people to check it out.
 

 
The URL for the build log is: http://www.kartonbau.de/forum/hms-mercury-1779-1-96-von-shipyard-construction-reports-ships/board5-ships/t25313-f6/?l=2&l=2
 
The blog has already given me ideas, including starting over! 
 
Clare
 
 

Well, as long as I'm posting things here, I might as well post a few photos of some recent work I did on the Mercury.
 
When I have a chance to use laser-cut parts, I take it if they are sturdy enough. In general, laser-cut parts tend to use thick cardboard. Any pieces I cut for myself, I make from many layers of laminated paper, and they tend to be sturdier. So, there are places where I don't really like laser-cut parts. On a paper model, the nice thing is that laser-cut parts are an option. There always seem to be printed parts you can use instead, if you prefer.
 
But, in this case, these large parts go together quickly, and they're easy to use. I've been switching to the use of Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics instead of the Renesans brand acrylics. I LOVE the Renesans brand, but they're only available when you buy the boxed Shipyard kits. I've looked, but they are really hard to buy here. I have a supply, but I've been needing to test out alternatives I can recommend.
 
The main issue now is that I've found that some of the paints that Ages of Sail has been getting in the kits they sell are drying out on the shelves. In a kit of the Crowdy Head Lighthouse that I got off the shelf at Ages of Sail, the paints were mostly dried up. I found that with some work, and a little water, I was able to revive them. But, not everyone is going to want to go through that. I tried several acrylic brands, and I found the Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics seem to have the most similar coverage characteristics. I still prefer the Renesans brand as they go on VERY FLAT. Liquitex has a slight sheen unless you can apply it thinned with water.
 
Anyway, I decided to give the deck a wash of paint to kill some of that printed paper look. 
 
I also used the HMS Mercury Detail Set I bought from GPM.PL to make the new parts you see here instead of making them from the printed paper parts in the Shipyard kit.
 
 
 




You'll notice I painted the forward bulkhead. The kit doesn't mention anything, but it does show a photo where that bulkhead is black. I figured it was close enough to the bow to just go ahead and paint red. It's unlikely it will be very visible anyway.
 
Another thing you may notice is what some might consider a cheat. If you look at the gap in the inner and outer bulwarks parts, you'll see strips of wood I inserted to stiffen the walls a little and to keep them from bowing too much.
 
You can see that I still have some inner bulwarks pieces to add. Then, I can paint around the remaining gun ports and then turn my attention to the stern cabins.
 
Clare

I'm not a big fan of using CA for rigging.........for the very reason you see in some of the pictures.   it seeps down the thread and makes it stiff and hard to shape.   for most of the rigging,  I used white glue.   I ran into a bit of trouble with the spanker sail........punching holes in the wrong edge.   I took the one out of the Flying Dutchman kit to replace it.........I'll either trim the other sail,  or fish around in the box of sails for something that will work {I have an abundance of these sails from the Cutty build}.   of course the angle of the gaff didn't match the original sail and I compensated for it......but  I also forgot to do this with the replacement sail.   no harm though,  cuz I was able to do it.   

I added  a single block on the upper step of the main mast for the upper mizzen stay sail.   as I did with the main mast stays,  I will do with the mizzen stays,  tying a double block to each one of them.


they came out just as well too    I did the mizzen back stays before rigging these two.


the running rigging needs to be done,  in regards to the spanker sail.  eye bolts were added on both bulwarks,  and one was added to the rudder.   after I add two more eye bolts,  I can ad the monkey chain.


and this is where I leave off again.   there one more stay sail to hang,  and then I can move on to the yards........eight of them....seven will have sails.   more soon!
 
thanks for look'in in  
 

I've had to stop the one plank at a time method I was using and address all those tricky cuts, twists, curves  and bends at the stern

Finally some more progress - I've created and installed the sampson posts and the windlass.  Both are glued on deck.  I would like to run black thread down from the pump handles to the windlass to simulate the wire, but it's fairly tricky work.  Maybe I can blacken some brass wire for the same effect and glue in place.
 
 

Next up is the 2nd largest hatch - the main salon companion way and trunk.  This took me a little over 2 weeks to complete, it's the first to have a planked top and some very small and thin molding.
 
The main issue I had, after creating the initial box, was to get the edges to overhang by 1/32".  I wanted this to be as precise and consistent as possible.  The box itself is created with 3/64" thick walls, which one the forward and aft edges, meant there was only 1/64" of available gluing space for the 1/32" frame.  
 
Here was my solution:
 

 
I used clips to sandwich a 1/32" thick scrap piece between the edge of the frame and another piece to mark the edge of the piece to glue.  I did this on all 4 sides, then glued in the larger of the edge pieces first:
 

 
With those in place, I managed to glue the thinner fore/aft edging:
 

 
Now, I made each plank to fit the newly formed frame, labeled them and stained them before gluing.
 

 
The rest is more-or-less straightforward:  plank the top, create the sliding hatch and small access hatch with portlights:
 

 

 

 

 
Here it is on the ship:
 

 
Also, I did add 1/32" x 1"64" molding below the top by sanding down a 1/16" x "1/32 to 1/64" thick and the slicing it in half.  The resulting pieces are super fragile and difficult to manipulate, but I was able to glue them in well.
  I hope to repeat these techniques for the final, largest hatch, at least for the framing and planking.  The hatches on top will be different, but no new skills required, I hope.
 
 
Andy.

Ok, this weekend I finished up the Engine Access hatch.  
 
First, I created the 4 sides, lettering them to know which to glue to which:
 

 

 
I added a thin 1/32" roof, and stained and glued it to the frame, after painting the frame.
 

 
The plans call for 2 small 1/64" steel rods to be hung by some very very small mounts on the side of the hatch.  I used 26 gauge electrical wire from work, and made the wood mounts with lots of careful filing and sanding.
 

 
Finally, the top hatches - one on each side, and each has a portlight installed at the top.  I used 1/32" inch wood for this, and sanded the extensions down to 1/64 as best I could.  The top hatch covers were also sanded down to 1/64" thickness.
 

 

 

 
Andy.

I'm still painting, and plan on blackening eyebolts and gluing those in soon.  For now, here are the inner bulwark planks painted a "white grey", closest I could get to the cream specified by the plans:
 

 

 
Andy.

I finished planking the bulwarks today.  Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, the light wasn't the greatest this afternoon.
 
The continuous scupper between gunports 2 and 5 is at 1/32", so pretty noticeable.  I also had to add a basically a stealer when doing the port planking at the transom to fill a gap, but it's barely visible.
 

 

 

 

 

 
I think next would be to try and finish the transom - add the framing pieces (fancy piece) and the sides as well as the center decorations.  Also, next up is some of the railing details - pin rails, add the eyebolts, ladders, etc.
 
Andy.

I am contemplating for my next build either the Caldercraft Diana or Model Shipways Essex. Both have Anatomy of the Ship monographs available, and Lennarth Petersson's book with all its wonderful details about rigging the frigate Melampus would also be highly informative for both. Both have wonderful build logs available on this site. Which should I choose? 
Any thoughts?

Thanks to all for your kind words. Thoroughly enjoying rigging. It's my favourite bit. Every separate line and block is like a little model of its own!

Hey, Bob, thanks for the nice comments. Sorry for the slow reply but I just returned from vacation. You ask a very good question about the order of standing vs running rigging installation. I, too, had read the same advice as you, but obviously went the other way. I spent a bunch of time thinking through my workflow, particularly as I was adding sails, and I felt that the standing rigging would be in the way of rigging the sails properly. I even set up some "test" rigging to explore this, and kept feeling like the shrouds got in the way. Of course, things ended up getting in the way in my approach as well. So it may or may not have been the right way to do it, but I did very much appreciate being able to tie down all the running rigging on the belaying pins near the mast without having to work around and behind the shrouds.
 
As for the kit, yeah, if you have it already and don't mind the challenge, might as well go for it. Obviously it can be completed into a reasonable finish, and I learned a lot from struggling through it. But I wouldn't purchase it again, there are too many better options.

This the Revell PT-109 that I painted as PT-117.

Peterson designed Hermphrodite Brig Fritha in 3/8"=1' in POF would suit me just fine. Plans are available from Peterson's son Bill for a price and she's an absolutely stunning vessel. At that scale she's big enough for detail but not so big she won't fit in the house.