channell

I'm not saying much but I'm still following along with great interest, Jason. Truly an inspirational job so far; I just love how clean, sharp and exact everything is. 

Great furniture... are you gonna add a full interior to the captain's cabin as well? 
 
Hoping to see Miss Swan dining with the crew as well but that might be too much to ask.    

There are no whales 16,000 ft down for one so you are firmly in "artistic license" zone already.  
 
...but there's NOTHING wrong with that! Go for broke... may not be a 100% accurate depiction of the wreck but it does look cool! My $.02: Make the diorama as interesting as possible. 

Cargo Hatches
 
After too long away from this build it’s time to get back to work so I’ll start with some modifications to the cargo hatches.
 
The kit provides some nicely laser-etched wood that replicates the individual hatch covers, they are mounted on a smaller supporting piece:

 
I’m going to show hatch nr1 as “secured for sea” with the hatch covered by it’s tarp. Using the appropriate width of Tamiya tape, with each piece overlapping the previous one to the smallest degree possible, I was able to get the effect I was looking for - a tarp with prominent seams. There is more to do on this hatch to include the straps that hold the tarp in place but I’ll get to that later.
 


 
Hatch nr2 will be partly open with 2 rows of hatch covers removed and hatch nr4 will be completely open with all the hatch covers off.
During my photo research I came across a lot of different styles for hatch beams to include oblong weight reduction holes, beams shaped like trapezoids, and some with bars and rod braces. Fortunately for me the ones used on the Hopkins were about as simple as possible; I-beams with circular holes and the ends notched to fit into the beam brackets so it was simple to fabricate them out of plastic I-beam stock. With the exception of 1 beam left in place on hatch nr2 the rest will be placed on the deck, where with the hatch covers they were just stacked on the unengaged side while the hatch was open. The beam brackets are just plastic strip.



Next I will fabricate the individual hatch covers that will be shown in stacks and modify the hatches some more.

Hi there all,   remember I filled in the windows with PVA  - it set well  and gives a nice impresion of period glass,   I also decided to construct two high back chairs form bits of scrap, they will look ok as shadows through the cabin windows,  I have also been working on the ships bell and bellfry.
 
Lots more to do but loving all the bits and pieces.
 
OC.

Thanks everyone as always for continued interest....
 
Jim - not going to be able to put canon rigging off much longer....ugghh
 
The area around and immediately aft of the pumps is really quite congested and requires some planning.  The main jeer and topsail sheet bitts were scratched, parts from the kit look a little oversize to my eye.  Pillars were made square in section after studying as many pictures as I could find, these seem to be a mix between square and round, but I don't think my turning skills are up to making round ones.  Side blocks and fake sheaves were also added. 
 
For the aftermost stanchions, I followed the AOTS diagrams which shows these to be of smaller dimension.  All of these items will require some final finishing.  The capstan step was cut out of a single piece of 2mm boxwood and 'joints' faked by scoring with a knife and filling with pencil lead.  This took a while with just hand tools and I couldn't help but think of a toilet seat from the end result!  These details will be visible but obscured so forcing myself not to be too fussy.  The base of the capstan itself as sanded back to the pawl rim which sits in the hole in the capstan step.  (This requires a lot more finishing to get the surface to be acceptable)
 
Pictures are hopefully self explanatory.  I've shaped some box for the elm tree pump shafts and I've placed an offcut just to get a sense for positioning....
 
And to mystery that's been puzzling me for a while (and Rob alludes to in his Ethalion log), how does the placement of the pump brakes reconcile in the this workspace in such close proximity to the capstan and companion? 
I seem to recall reading 'somewhere' that some stanchions were removeable which would explain the location around the capstan  - once both sets were removed this would make this workable.  In later ships, these seem to have been replaced by hinged iron columns which makes a lot of sense.  if anyone could corroborate that would be much appreciated! Lastly, given the pump brakes also extend to this area, these would really be a permanent accident waiting to happen at the foot of the ladder to the quarterdeck which must have received quite a bit of use.  I can't find any reference to this, bit I have to suspect that pump brakes were removeable, and unshipped when not in use.  On the Artios class, there is a set forward, and 2 sets aft - in normal seagoing routine I would speculate that not all banks would have been needed, but could easily have been placed in the event or expectation of an emergency.  The last photo below from Victory seems to show exactly this, and it also makes the square section joining each brake much more functional.  Again, if anyone can point me to sources would be much appreciated!  
 
 

Cheers Gents, appreciate the support, comments and likes...
 
Welcome aboard Ian 🙂
 
A rather dreary rainy day precluded any other activities so as able get a decent amount of time in.  Spent most of the day completing the cannon carriages, these really are incredibly time consuming and seemingly never ending, but can now report are complete.  I did decide to cheat a little on those carriages that will be mostly obscured away from the waist.  Rather than continuing to use the  pins to simulate bolts which are incredibly fiddly, the carriage bolts were simulated using a fine tip black pen and then touch of dark iron paint to tone it down.  Pins have been used on all the carriages that will mount in or immediately about the waist.  The macro photo below shows the 'real' bolts in the foreground and the 'cheat' in the rear.  At real life viewing distance these are difficult to tell apart if you didn't know - the difference really being the lack of about 8hrs of cursing.
 
Experimentation with the cap squares and royal cyphers next...
 

Thanks for the positive comment! I really like your Bissy build too, she builds up to a really impressive model once you throw aftermarket stuff at it. 
 
I love the concept of the deck but I wish the execution was better... it's the worst fitting wood deck  I've ever used, has quite a few inaccuracies compared to the Pontos deck and it wasn't cheap either. I hope the high-end aftermarket set guys like Pontos look into printing HQ wood decks instead of laser-cutting them in the future, the idea has merit. 

Thanks for the positive comment! I really like your Bissy build too, she builds up to a really impressive model once you throw aftermarket stuff at it. 
 
I love the concept of the deck but I wish the execution was better... it's the worst fitting wood deck  I've ever used, has quite a few inaccuracies compared to the Pontos deck and it wasn't cheap either. I hope the high-end aftermarket set guys like Pontos look into printing HQ wood decks instead of laser-cutting them in the future, the idea has merit. 

Thanks for the positive comment! I really like your Bissy build too, she builds up to a really impressive model once you throw aftermarket stuff at it. 
 
I love the concept of the deck but I wish the execution was better... it's the worst fitting wood deck  I've ever used, has quite a few inaccuracies compared to the Pontos deck and it wasn't cheap either. I hope the high-end aftermarket set guys like Pontos look into printing HQ wood decks instead of laser-cutting them in the future, the idea has merit. 

It just doesn't get any better than that in 1/350 scale. Epic scale work Kopp...

It just doesn't get any better than that in 1/350 scale. Epic scale work Kopp...

Evening all,   more work on the pearl today  - I  attached both upper hull parts, these needed to lock into lugs with careful positioning and gluing, after being held in place with bands,  I  fitted both port and larboards sections then fitted the poop deck,  I have also started to fit some edging strips agains the deck/bulwarks  - these were cut and fitted in sections allowing for the water outlets on the deck,  I am doing the same to the poop and forecastle decks.
 
A few pics that also show my shipyard mess on the table.
 
OC.

Thanks for the positive comment! I really like your Bissy build too, she builds up to a really impressive model once you throw aftermarket stuff at it. 
 
I love the concept of the deck but I wish the execution was better... it's the worst fitting wood deck  I've ever used, has quite a few inaccuracies compared to the Pontos deck and it wasn't cheap either. I hope the high-end aftermarket set guys like Pontos look into printing HQ wood decks instead of laser-cutting them in the future, the idea has merit. 

It just doesn't get any better than that in 1/350 scale. Epic scale work Kopp...

It just doesn't get any better than that in 1/350 scale. Epic scale work Kopp...

It just doesn't get any better than that in 1/350 scale. Epic scale work Kopp...

I finished the top mast. Then suddenly I started to grave for some rigging. Few hours later the beast was rigged!
Tried to get it as accurate as I could with the reference I had available. Also rigging being one of the things I strive to get better aswell!
Maybe some mad rigging project next who knows!
 







 
Also finished the Harpoon launchers if you didn't notice!
 

Back to old camera.
 
Just to prove I've worked a bit!
 

And just some overall shots.
 
The bridge didn't sit perfectly (had some warp on the other side) and needs some minor filling and fixing but nothing too serious.
 

Thanks Richmond! 
 
 
 
Hit a milestone; the hull is done, PE is complete and Bissy is finally getting her final colors...
 

 

 

 

 

 
I first planned to paint the upper hull in Model Masters "grau" but it didn't look right so I went with Tamiya "sky grey" instead. On the real ship the hull was painted a somewhat darker shade of grey than the superstructure and this color goes nicely with my upper hull paint choice (Model Masters Litchtgrau); I am purposely aiming for lighter hues than real-life for scale effect and am admittedly more interested in a model that looks good than fretting over exact color matches so hopefully the infamous Teutonic rivet counters that haunt the darker reaches of the model interwebs don't go all gestapo on me.  
 
 It's a big hull to paint with a little airbrush but (along with the white primer) it's a good way to get an ever so slightly streaked look that adds some depth to the hull. It took a couple hours to get done.
 
Next comes the red anti-fouling paint and last the dark grey boot top; I'm giving at least a full day of dry time between each so I don't have to worry about pulling up any paint with the masking tape (always a lurking problem on Trumpeter big boat plastics). 
 
Until next time...
 
 

I've been using some bits meant to clean the nozzles of 3d printers for my tiny hole needs... they seem to hold up a little better than normal micro bits and cut great on the soft Trumpeter plastic. 
 
I've been a man possessed this week; have been working every evening on Bissy.  I rimmed the wood deck with .010x.030 styrene strip and brought the entire perimeter of the hull in alignment through a mix of trimming the wood deck edges and sanding/shaving the hull sides. After that, I masked off the deck and got yet another coat of primer on.  
 
Looking forward to installing the hull photo-etch and hopefully getting at least the final upper hull grey sprayed on by the end of this weekend. 
 

 
 

Thanks for the positive comment! I really like your Bissy build too, she builds up to a really impressive model once you throw aftermarket stuff at it. 
 
I love the concept of the deck but I wish the execution was better... it's the worst fitting wood deck  I've ever used, has quite a few inaccuracies compared to the Pontos deck and it wasn't cheap either. I hope the high-end aftermarket set guys like Pontos look into printing HQ wood decks instead of laser-cutting them in the future, the idea has merit. 

Hey all, made some more progress... 
 
I ran into a bunch of issues with the Scaledecks wooden deck; turns out it doesn't fit particularly well.
 
First off, I noticed the width between the deck and the hull edges was gonna be very off; I thought I might have sanded the sides of the hull too much but now I wonder if the deck itself wasn't the problem. 
 

 
Both the bow and stern decks didn't fit properly either; the cutouts in the wood deck didn't quite match the corresponding moldings on the plastic deck. 
 

 
This pic shows how far off all the stern cutouts are; turret Dora and the molded deck fittings closest to it it fit OK but the further aft you go, the worse the discrepancy got...

 
I have 3 unused decks for this kit but I really wanted to get the look of individual planks that the Scaledecks offering provided, even though it was by far the worst fitting of my options. 
 
Anyway, I decided it would be best to jump ahead and get the deck installed before painting the hull so I could try to even out the edges of the hull and integrate the wooden deck better. 
 
First I painted the barbettes, stairways ect in the final upper hull colors (Model Master Acryl Lichtgrau with Vallejo grey-black "baseboards"). I airbrushed the grey-black bases first, then masked them off and painted the light grey. Then I went to work getting the deck down...
 
I had to patch the front of the deck in a couple of places and extend the "metal" of the prow to get everything looking good...
 

 

 

 
Unlike other wooden decks I've used, this one leaves it up to the builder to integrate the separate pieces together...
 

 

 
On the stern where fit was the worst I had two choices; split the deck into multiple pieces and assemble it piecemeal or shave it flat and rebuild the deck fittings... I chose the latter:
 
 
 


 

Somehow it all came together and other than a fairly lousy fit on the barbettes of the aft most secondary guns it turned out all right. I think I might add some kind of "molding" around the barbettes to cover the gaps for that issue. 
 
And for fun, here's the newly "decked out" hull next to Bissy #1;  there is a BIG difference between this PITA of a deck and your standard "stick on" wood deck in my opinion, worth the effort though I think it should have fit better for what it costs. Buyer beware. 
 

From here I can seal the deck, even out the "gutters" around the perimeter of the main deck and then mask it all off easily before painting the hull. Until next time! 

I bounce back and forth between PVA (elmer's) and CA (thin, regular, and thick); usually PVA for the very small parts and CA for stuff that needs a little more strength. Afterwards I prime/paint it with an airbrush... on less detailed sections like PE bulkheads I'll prime it with Tamiya rattle-can. 
 
I like to cut PE from the fret with those rectangular single edge "safety razors" because PE messes up blades fairly quickly and they are cheap yet still fairly exact in cutting. I cut the PE on a little square of clear plastic sheet that I buy at the big-box home improvement store. Getting parts on is done with tweezers of various shapes or if I get lazy, a tantric monkish telekinesis chant that I learned in the Himalayas a few years back. 
 
Seriously though, the secret is just using magnification (I use an optivisor), as little glue as you can get away with, doing good, clean prepwork before you start gluing and practice, practice, practice... plus checking and adjusting parts as necessary after you get everything glued on.  It's easy to knock stuff off that's only held by a small amount of PVA but once you get the paint on, it helps "lock" the parts in place so they won't go anywhere unless you butter-finger the finished part. 
 
Sorry, no instructional video; it would suck anyway because I'd have to hold my phone in my mouth while I filmed, half of the video would be of my butt in the air as I searched the carpet for the pieces I drop and there would be A LOT of cussing. 
 
Anyway, I did some more puttering yesterday... more cleanup, finished up the wing bridges and made an attempt at painting "wood" on the PE deck plates around the bridge:
 

 

 
Now I am turning my attention the back half of the main superstructure and getting deep into miniature demolition:
 


Just for kicks, here's more or less what a section of the superstructure looks like OOTB (although I've already began drilling and cutting out vent holes):
 

 
The Pontos advanced set goes a long way towards improving the details of the kit!