BLACK VIKING

It´s time for some heavy wear and tear for the Kampfanzug. Unfortunately, the hairspray wasn´t working like planned, possibly due to many layers of paint and varnish on top. Right, plan B, scratching, chiseling, grinding, sanding and rubbing was incorporated using a variety of tools, to achieve different looking wear, a messy affair.



I don´t like the effect right now, as it doesn´t look like my planned sandblast treatment, but it will have to do as a first stage for weathering. I will try to accomplish the sandblast effect with sponge chipping and stiff brush dabbing. 
You can clearly see, that one side is almost stripped of paint, while the other is relatively unharmed. I want to simulate a one sided sandblast, to add some dynamic into the weathering.







Cheers Rob

Ok time for a bit of paint 

8
 
In the previous post, something went wrong at the end.
 
Here are some more pictures to end this topic
Thanks for all your likes!
 




 
Constant

As usual, the rigging is not going as fast as I’d really like, but it is proceeding. I have given up with the model aircraft tissue for the furled sails, as it was proving too hard to fold up. So, it was back to tissues from the supermarket, which though flimsy when split into three sheets, are easier to work with.
 
I have hit an unexpected problem, and would be very grateful for advice. The question is whether it is right to fit a driver-boom (spanker-boom if you prefer). I have done so, but have been wondering if this was in fact correct, even though Longridge has one in his Anatomy of Nelson’s Ships, as does Petersson in his very useful book on Rigging Period Ship Models. There is an obvious difficulty, discussed at length elsewhere on Modelshipworld, in that the driver-boom would hit the flagstaff as the ship went about.The model of HMS Mars in the National Maritime Museum shows the problem, with both boom and flagstaff fitted. This is not an acute difficulty, as presumably the flagstaff could be dismounted, or folded down. I thought that paintings might provide an answer, and Nicolas Pocock’s Ships at Spithead, 1797 (https://www.meisterdrucke.ie/fine-art-prints/Nicholas-Pocock/1503372/Ships-at-Spithead-1797.html) shows three ships with no driver-boom. Equally, his picture of the frigate Triton, built in 1798, does not have one. Pocock’s sketches of Agamemnon are not clear enough to determine the answer, though that showing the engagement with four French frigates in 1793 looks as if there may be no driver-boom. Sorry not to reproduce the pictures, but I’m hesitant to include them given possible copyright issues.
 
Paintings and drawings, of course, are not photographs, and may not be correct. Interestingly, Steel (The Elements and Practice of Rigging And Seamanship, 1794) provides a table of boom-lengths, which shows that 64 gun ships should have no driver-boom, no jackstaff, and no ensign staff. Driver-booms were just for smaller vessels. Surviving ships are not to be trusted, as the rigging is modern, but Trincomalee has driver-boom and flagstaff, as did Victory (not sure of the present position). As for Agamemnon herself, there is no clear clue. The ship was refitted at Leghorn late in 1794, and I suppose it is possible that a driver-boom was installed then. I am inclined to remove the boom, but to leave it for now and ponder the issue further. It may well be correct either way. What does anyone think?  
Please excuse the unfinished ends of rope etc in the photo - all will be tidied up in due course.

While waiting for all that to dry I plunged into the 14 cannons for the quarterdeck.
 
There are 12 regular sized 12pounders and 2 long 12pounders. Also, there are 2 longer carriages for those 2 cannons....keep an eye on them!
 
Cut them all out, sanded them clean. Next I cut out the axles. I remember receiving a post on the Ship of Scale site from AllanKP69 who suggested I use a drill chuck to round out the square axles so the wheels fit on them.
 
I used a chuck that holds 1.7mm drill bits in my cordless Dremel style tool. It actually did the job! Some easier than others, but it would just grind down the square into a circle and the wheels will fit perfectly!!!! It is a rechargeable device and I had to keep it on the charger when doing this.
 
I also wanted to add breeching rings to these cannons. I think they will be very visible and wanted that look. I have .64mm brass wire, it is too big but I wound it around a 1.7mm drill bit and then cut them into little ringlets. From there, I had to cut them into half or one-third moons.
 
Gluing them to the back of the cannon was hard. Using CA glue, it gets all over the place and is very frustrating!!!!!!
 
When I blacken the cannons, the brass wire won't blacken so I'll have to touch it up after.
 
I also collected all the pieces for the 2 cannonades. I'll begin working on them tomorrow! 
 

Thank you for watching and see you tomorrow!

3
 
At the stern there is always a fence, sometimes equipped with a bench, against which the skipper leans while sailing. This is also where he operates the rudder and levers for the engine. I made this fence out of 2 mm thick brass on which I also soldered the supports.
 
It was then mounted on the aft deck. A hole was drilled through the deck in which a tube was glued in which the rudder pin can turn. The rudder blade and propeller, both soldered to brass, were then mounted. On the model, the tiller can move and the propeller can also rotate in a tube lengthwise of the model.
 
Underneath the propeller is a steel beam that is mandatory in every narrowboat to prevent damage to the thresholds of the locks and the propeller itself.
The tiller has a characteristic shape that is the same for every boat.

After the hull under the upper bumper had been painted completely silk matt black, work could start on the interior.
 
Constant

Painting and decaling the Kampfanzug is relatively time consuming, as every layer of paint or varnish has to dry properly. I sprayed some yellow areas on the weapon arm and weapons and brush painted many details.
A coat of Pledge went onto the camouflage as a gloss base for decaling. The supplied decals were good to work with, luckily. I had different experiences with Hasegawa´s MaK decals, which were rigid and won´t settle on curved surfaces.
On top, I put a matte coat, using the matte varnish from Winsor and Newton Galeria, for the first time. I need some more experience with the stuf, but like the result. 
I used Pledge and the water based matte varnish to hopefully be able to activate the hairspray under these numerous layers.
Next will be heavy weathering, the most important step of this project. I hope, I can achieve the desired look.







Cheers Rob

Well, Marc... I agree with you regarding the plank lines. The photo below from your Pinterest site clearly shows the plank lines match trhe sheer lines of the wales.
 

 
I have come too far on this 1671 SR path to ignore an inaccuracy like this. So with a little bit of Tamiya putty... 
 
The good news is that there really is no issue at the bow or amidships. My "new" wales start to sheer up closer to the stern. Now, after light sanding and the rescribing, the hull truly will look like Frankenstein's Monster, but nothing that some primer and the eventual paint scheme won't cover up.
 

 

I thought this pic captured the plane pretty well.

And part 3 

Lots of subassemblies getting ready for final cleanup and prep work prior to initial priming and base coating.

I only build in plastic every once in a while, so I’m having to recall some skills.
 
I will now vouch for Roden’s quality.

There is very little flash and the molding is nearly perfect.
 
Everything has been going together pretty much perfectly.
 
I will warn inexperienced builders that there are no alignment pins on the fuselage halves.
 
I have never built a WWI plane in plastic before.
 
The rest of them were balsa for me.

Pretty much done, flywheels and belts will be added after painting 

Installed the riding bits (glued in place) with the cross piece eyes and hooks on both sides of the bitt pins, and the standards on the forward riding bitts.
I need to install the carlings and ledge beams before I can put the forward riding bitt standards in place.
Then I came make the two small ventilation scuttles.

Work in progress
 
Im workin on this ship slowly.  Already more than 1 year long.   With some conversion 

And FINISHED!!
 
Thanks all for the tips, feed back and encouraging words through out, I really appreciate it and makes the build a lot more enjoyable.
 
I’m about to start quite a few months of training to fly another aircraft type for work which also involves moving, so I’ll not be able to begin another project until at least the 2nd quarter of next year! But already thinking of a project. Perhaps try a diorama of a plane at the bottom of the English Channel in resin. Something different but early days in the ideas area. Anyway back to this build!
 
After taking the pics I realised I hadn’t added the Nav lights or taken off the masks from the 3 underwing identification lights, so I’ve since done those.
The matte varnish works well I think, didn’t dull it down much.
Really hard to photograph a NMF plane as a slight change in angle makes it look so different. 
I learnt a lot and in the end I’m happy with how it looks.
Thanks again for joining me. I hope you like it too

Agree 100%.

Although I've only been a MSW member for a couple of years, I have a lot of respect for the work our administrators and moderators to do to keep MSW afloat.  Folks like ccoyle, mtaylor, cpassoro, jhatch (my apologies to any admin that I may have missed) deserve our thanks from the general MSW membership.
 
I'm sure being an administrator or moderator on MSW may feel akin to trying to herd cats.  
 
Please join me in recognizing them and offering a big THANK YOU to them for their efforts.
 

Very inventive use of the dryer sheet, it looks great!

Fantastic sails, Glen! 
 

That has to be the most creative idea yet, Keith!  I hope you are not losing sleep over this problem either!  😃
 
Back to the Flying Dutchman though, and the sails in particular.  While watching the movie, I loved the eerie look of the Dutchman's sails - kind of a cross between thick cobwebs and varicose veins. 
      
 
 
A couple of days ago while I was throwing a load of clothes in the dryer, I looked down at my hand and realized I was holding something that just might work for the Dutchman's sails - one of those Bounce anti-cling sheets.  I took one and brushed it with a grayish-black wash.  It looked promising at first glance so I cut out all the necessary sails and gave it a go.
 

 
 
 
I attached the sails to the yards.  I liked the coloring and the veiny effect, but the bottom edge was too clean.  So I shredded it a bit and then was satisfied with the look.  I also started adding the lower shrouds and ratlines.

 
 
Here's where she sits now with all sails in place except for the fore stay sails.  The main and mizzen masts are glued into the deck.  The fore mast is dry fit.
 
 
 
Now it's time to do the special rigging on the fore mast that will allow it to lie down over the bow instead of sternward like the other masts.  
 

Current status
I suspect I'm going to get into trouble with the bowsprit this way
 

I’ve now added the exhausts and light exhaust stains by just a light brushing of soot pigments. It’s only visible from some angles and it’s very fine so it’s a nice effect. 

 

I played abit more with light grubbing up the inboards of the wings and around a few panels. It’s very interesting to weather a NMF paint job. From one angle it’s in your face visible and move your head slightly and it vanishes! So I’ve gone very light with the oils.
I think this is all the weathering I’ll do now. Reduced some of the effects like the fuel stains and where foot wear would be just added another light layer. Tomorrow I’ll start on the matte varnish layers and if I get that right should give a slight chalky effect which will tone it down and also add a tinge of oxidised effect… or ruin everything!.. one way to find out!

Been giving it some time between each oil wash session to help avoid removing to previous work! But did an all over wash to help with panel lines and just tone the new shine down. I’ll not do much more apart from some work around the underside and engine exhausts and stains. I’m hoping the matte varnish will nicely tone it down to an oxidised look rather than a grubby look as they were kept in not bad condition so can’t grime too much.




Its in the final stages now

Interesting execution of the Victory
 
Personally I don't like all the aesthetic choices of the cutout (the white gunports), but everyone can decide for themselves to adjust that.
By the way, you have to be a bit of an idiot to rig 104 cannons lol😆...or you'll go crazy after rigging 104 cannons🤣