johnegert

Jesse---- It's basically a wood carving, painted and polyurethaned.  I start with a piece of basswood about 1/4" thick, carve the ship's bottom outline so it sits a bit into the wood, draw the swell patterns on it that I get from looking at paintings, drawings, and photos, and use two gouges. First, I note the wind direction, then use a larger gouge to make the basic patterns of high and low, keeping the cuts perpendicular to the wind direction. Next, I use the smaller gouge to go over most of the larger cuts to create more "chop". I steel wool the board to get rid of fuzz, then prime it with spray can primer, and steel wool between coats. Then, I use acrylics to paint the surface--this is the part that I can't really explain--- I look at art books for ideas-- and use some heavy acrylic white for wave tops, wakes, etc. When totally dry, I give it a couple of coats of spray polyurethane. After the ship is glued down, I fill any little gaps around the hull and add a bit more white, trying not to overdo the effect for sailing ships. Usually, I already have a frame ready, and mount the whole mess like a pane of glass with glazing points. I like gold frames for Napoleonic ships--- looks good with the yellow ochre and blue. This seems like a lot of fidgety work, but, if you have SHARP tools, it goes fast and is fun. The hardest part is to design the sea pattern, but the materials and tools kind of help in that work, if that makes sense.

john

Thanks, Mike---- Im trying to write a build log on a 1:300 HMS Cruizer class on the kit build thread. Its twice as large as this Victory, but still pretty damn small.....

john

Hollowhead---- RIGHT! Nothing but the finest! a blue handtowel....

Thanks for your comments

john

Thanks for your compliments. TRIPPWJ!!! We may have found a barrier to your ongoing progress as a modeler--- DO NOT USE YOUR FEET!! Even if you had a fully opposable big toe, work done with your toes is bound to be of inferior quality--- learn to play violin instead....

Thanks again, Ms Anja and the ineffable Dafnoid

john

DS,  The model is from a kit by Skytrex in their Trafalgar series, which seem to have been discontinued for a long time. It was modified a fair bit to sharpen the detail, but they were really nice little castings to begin with. The sails are brass, and all the rigging is wire down to about .002, bought from Small Parts. The base is basswood carved with my beloved Flexcut gouges, painted with acrylics, and polyurethaned. The oddest departure from usual methods is that the ship is painted with artist oils, which I dearly love, and which give the model a painterly look that I like. The frame is by our local ripoff specialist to whom I wish nothing but crappy miters for the rest of his life........

john

Thanks, Martin.... The main issues for me are lamps powerful enough to tilt the grid. I have a monstrous Triple Daylight job that is capable of inducing 3rd degree burns from a foot away. To that I add an Ott light even closer to the work. I have a visor/magnifier but I don't care for it much-- I lose depth perception with it. Though I am older than Megalodon scat, my unaided near vision remains really good. Unfortunately, my distance vision does not allow me to ID the gender of passers-by until I am already fondling them---- an unhappy scene.

john