vaddoc

You are very right Wefalck, enamels have a much better self leveling potential as they take a long time to dry. But this is counterbalanced by the hair and dust particles they attract. Still, modern acrylics with a bit of retarder can have fantastic self leveling when applied by brush but they need speed, extra care and the margin for error is small. Their coverage is appalling - I am already at coat number 9 and still needs more.
 
Because of the above, I was determined to use enamels on this boat. I rushed to buy some of the Humbrol enamels before they are pulled out of the market - apparently one of the ingredients is now banned in Europe. I decided on the colors. And then I used acrylics! 
 
I must admit I am not giving this boat my full attention due to work and life commitments so I expect a bit sloppier results - We ll see how it turns out!

Dear all
 
Paint has been splashed onto wood, so time for another update.
Also, as this boat is approaching completion (in my time, this means less than a year), I ve been thinking about the next one. I have some thoughts involving multiple masts, we ll see...
 
In any case, I decided to do some caulking on the deck. I do not think it needs it and almost certainly it is historically inaccurate but this boat from the beginning was about having fun and cutting (some) corners for speed. I ll use Osmo filler mixed with black acrylic paint. This needs Tung oil to shine black but maple does not take well to Tung oil, needs to be sealed first or will come out very blotchy.
 
So floors came out again and were sealed with my favorite Americana Decoart water based sealer (I dislike Shellac)

Of course the hull needed some more attention again.


The floors were covered with masking tape.

Then put back in place, all screws replaced with wood nails, sanded smooth

Then the mixture was slapped on!

Wait until dry

Then sanded off

Tape off, Tung oil on - done! 

It is not perfect by any stretch but it is done! 
And now it is time to paint the hull! Lots of masking done (which immediately failed)
 

Then I sprayed some Humbrol grey primer. The photo really did not get the color well!


Then the waterline was marked and the hull masked further

I used grey primer because I intended to use Humbrol enamels. At the last moment I decided to use acrylics, completely different colors. This is why enamels are dead.
 
So first coat of Valejo Ivory is brushed on. It looks dreadful:

And yes as expected, the hull is moving again! 


And after 5 more coats, still looks terrible!


It will get better. Maybe I should have used enamels!
 
I am almost certain the waterline will mess up the whole paint job. I will try and tuck the masking tape down well but I am sure the red paint will find a way underneath. We ll see
 
Till next time, take care all
 
Vaddoc

I think that the biggest problem is not just the complexity of the built but the time needed to invest. In my first two boats, on some days I could spent 7 hours building. Now, with work and familly commitments increasing I struggle to find any time at all and I am sure my current project will take years to complete. But it is a good idea to have a built log, I find it very motivating.  

Update
 
Hull is all smoothened out and aft rounding rails (brass halfround) are mounted. The other rails will be from halfround nutwood strips.
All is ready for metal plating now. Am preparing for railings, starting with forecastle deck. First dry fit for foremast and lightmasttower
 
Nils
 

rounding rails fitted. These are bent to shape, so that there is hardly no stress for springback when glueing on, also to avoid messing with the glue (CA)
 

a bit of wood filler will do to smoothen curves
 

 
 

masts in dryfit
 

checking railing hight, the railing for the forecastle is a special bit ( 400mm length ) I found on the web, as the last available piece. It is of chemical etching and the brass has 0,6mm thickness, that appr. twice the thickness as I used on my Ergenstrasse rails. Unfortunately the source company does not exist any more, what a pitty. This railing type can be inserted into prior drilled holes of 0,8mm diam, and the hight of the top line therefore adjusted to the required hight, I will solder on mini washers as stopper  on to the fastening posts, so that the chosen hight can be permanently fixed for 1:87 H0 figurines after glueing in.
 

I wish I could get more of this railing type Here a dummy with the desired hight
 

here are the fist two templates for the aft round metal plating
 

What a nice subject Nils and truly enjoyable to follow, although your pace is lightning fast! Never heard of a mushroom anchor.

Dear all
 
Hull is completed!
 
All gaps are filled and it is sanded to 400 grit. It is very smooth to touch! The next photos were taken with the Admiral's fancy iphone as my cheap one was not up to the task. I must admit the quality is phenomenal.







Inside is very rough but it will not be visible.

Now, I am not sure how to finish  the hull. I have decided I will not paint it.
Now, I though that Tung oil will make the filler invisible. It does but only viewing it from certain angles. From others, the filler stands out the same. I oiled a few strips of pear and beech and this is the colour they take. The pear will be much less blotchy.

I am really not sure what to do, leave the pear and beech light with the pink hue or darken them to this drastically different more wooden colour?
 
I think now I should put this project on hold and start planking the yawl. This is a project I am getting a bit apprehensive with, I think it will be very difficult to figure it out and very difficult to convince the beech to wrap around the hull. The frames also look too flimsy and too far apart for the task. 
The two hulls side by side. Note the bow of the yawl, how did the builders of old got the planks to take this turn?

Best wishes to all
Vaddoc

What a nice subject Nils and truly enjoyable to follow, although your pace is lightning fast! Never heard of a mushroom anchor.

So the paint has settled further and it actually looks pretty good! Especially the red and Turquoise are really nice. Some photos bellow in natural light. The hull of course is rough despite so many cycles of filling and sanding. Never use Beech!




But look what the postman dropped, all the way from the colonies across the pond!

Till next time
Vaddoc

Dear Friends
 
Another quick update to share some photos!
Mark, it is Valejo matt acrylic paint, it is just that the photo was taken immediately after the coat went on so still wet.
 
@64Pacific Thanks Scott, welcome!
 
@KeithAug Keith, I do not think Humbrol enamels will be arround for long so if you use enamels, stock up. I bought some of the enamel varnish.
 
So I carried on with painting. The white paint has exceptionally poor coverage. I must have put on 15 coats, not with the greatest of care I must admit. But it came out alright - modern paints are so forgiving. I am not sure what the shiny areas are but it does not matter, these should disappear after varnishing.
 
I then masked again and added the red waterline. The red color has much better coverage


I could have sanded the paint but I decided not to bother. Also, I should have first painted the red zone, mask and then paint over. I did not really pay much attention but in the end it came out fine, I just had to mask and remask again and again.
 
Then, I added the turquoise - very nice color, excellent coverage. I was more careful this time and came out much better.

 



There is a masking line that shows, I masked without thinking. I could have sanded it off but did not bother, it actually looks ok.
I will now give it a couple more days for the paint to cure and then I will protect the paint with enamel Humbrol varnish. I am dissapointed with the water based ones - Poor adhesion and not as hard.
 
So next I started work on the rudder. In the plans it is only 1.5 inch thick - that is 4 mm in the model. So I made a card template and cut three pieces to laminate

Waiting for epoxy to cure - then the rudder will be painted in same colors.
 
Take care all
Vaddoc

Ah someone, who also read Heraclitus ... for me almost all that is almost all I remember from my A-level in Ancient Greek nearly 50 years ago 🥴

So the paint has settled further and it actually looks pretty good! Especially the red and Turquoise are really nice. Some photos bellow in natural light. The hull of course is rough despite so many cycles of filling and sanding. Never use Beech!




But look what the postman dropped, all the way from the colonies across the pond!

Till next time
Vaddoc

Dear Friends
 
Another quick update to share some photos!
Mark, it is Valejo matt acrylic paint, it is just that the photo was taken immediately after the coat went on so still wet.
 
@64Pacific Thanks Scott, welcome!
 
@KeithAug Keith, I do not think Humbrol enamels will be arround for long so if you use enamels, stock up. I bought some of the enamel varnish.
 
So I carried on with painting. The white paint has exceptionally poor coverage. I must have put on 15 coats, not with the greatest of care I must admit. But it came out alright - modern paints are so forgiving. I am not sure what the shiny areas are but it does not matter, these should disappear after varnishing.
 
I then masked again and added the red waterline. The red color has much better coverage


I could have sanded the paint but I decided not to bother. Also, I should have first painted the red zone, mask and then paint over. I did not really pay much attention but in the end it came out fine, I just had to mask and remask again and again.
 
Then, I added the turquoise - very nice color, excellent coverage. I was more careful this time and came out much better.

 



There is a masking line that shows, I masked without thinking. I could have sanded it off but did not bother, it actually looks ok.
I will now give it a couple more days for the paint to cure and then I will protect the paint with enamel Humbrol varnish. I am dissapointed with the water based ones - Poor adhesion and not as hard.
 
So next I started work on the rudder. In the plans it is only 1.5 inch thick - that is 4 mm in the model. So I made a card template and cut three pieces to laminate

Waiting for epoxy to cure - then the rudder will be painted in same colors.
 
Take care all
Vaddoc

What a nice subject Nils and truly enjoyable to follow, although your pace is lightning fast! Never heard of a mushroom anchor.

What a nice subject Nils and truly enjoyable to follow, although your pace is lightning fast! Never heard of a mushroom anchor.

What a nice subject Nils and truly enjoyable to follow, although your pace is lightning fast! Never heard of a mushroom anchor.

So the paint has settled further and it actually looks pretty good! Especially the red and Turquoise are really nice. Some photos bellow in natural light. The hull of course is rough despite so many cycles of filling and sanding. Never use Beech!




But look what the postman dropped, all the way from the colonies across the pond!

Till next time
Vaddoc

What a nice subject Nils and truly enjoyable to follow, although your pace is lightning fast! Never heard of a mushroom anchor.

Thank you Keith,
 
the Elbe 1 is equiped with an old U-boot diesel motor of 650 PS for propulsion. I fitted a 4-blade prop (like shown in the Plan, although I see a 3-Blade one in one of the dry dock pics. The 4-blade in 20 diam. brass with M3 hub looks better to my eyes.
 
Here a few details I made yesterday ......
 
Nils

the stb. side anchorshaft

inside of the shaft blackened

fitting of the anchor fairlead

anchor dryfit, (40 mm long anchor with with slip in shaft )

this is the deck- level support and guide for the 13mm tube of the lighttower. The lower 13mm socket is fixed to the squarebar obove the keel

this takes up the lower socket for the foremast, the deck will also be equipped with a reinforcement at the point of going through. Here the stong "backbone" , (directly over the keel) which also takes uo the spindle press-in nuts can be seen
 
 
 

Update 
Preliminary check :
I made a black dummy for the white lettering on the later bright red hull. On the plan there are shown 20mm high letters. I will purchase  them from very thin white selfadhesive foil.
There are three criteria to fulfill:
 
1) a halfround bumper rail on hight of the main deck will  be horizontaly fitted to the hull, whereby the rail needs to run exactly on mid hight of the letters (letters E + B ), or slghtly below it.
    Hopefully the foil of the letters will follow and remain sticking tight to the area around the rail without partially lifting off.
 
2) the horizontal line for the portholes, in adequate distance beneath the deckline, has to lay horizontaly exactly in the lower blanc spaces of letters E + B
 
3) the drill holes for the portholes have to be clear of the hulls frames in those areas (This also mirrored for the other side of the hull)
 
Nils

Dummy with 20mm high letters
The outside diameter of the silicone glassed brass portholes will be 6mm, these have to be fitted into the hull without cutting away the broadness of the  lettering too much
 
 
 

Update
 
installed the anchor port fairlead into the forward side wall and fitted the operational Hall-anchor. also the bulwarks, the deck and fitting the deck in on the deck beams and between the bulwarks not permanently glued in yet, and the upper bulwark tops still have to be trimmed. I left an outcut in the deck for later access to the interior. The insides of the bulwarks and the vertical transverse frame (fore and aft)  have to be painted before glueing in the deck
 
Nils

mushroom anchor brought out

stb. bulwark mounted

all deck beams checked for smooth deck fit

the planked deck

bulwark flush with upper side

operational Wall-anchor fitted

port side bulwark

deck neatly fitted in (dry fit) . 
 
 

Updeate
 
made the mushroom anchor with chain today
 
Nils

the size of a pin needle in the background

and against the pod
 

Update
 
for the rounded areas I found a solution. It`s going to be a mix of planking (forecastle), and balsa fillers combined with brass curved sheet plate
 
Nils

in the narrow roundings I used 3mm wide strips, in the more flat areas 8mm and 10mm strips

there is a supporting framework installed

for the poop 5 stacks of balsa  combined with with a brass sheet part
 

Thank you John,
in the moment I`m a bit stuck with considering the construction of the upper poop and forecastle top rounding covers. Of course one way would be to shape balsa support parts, but I would rather have smaller frameworks to shape by means of planking the 3-dimentional areas .....
 
Nils
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Update
 
today the deck beams were installed, and the overstanding upper frameportions cut off.
I also received the steel concave shield 21,3mm diam. of the mushroom anchor, for soldering on the anchorshaft
 
Nils

the deckbeams for forecastle and the main deck are on

 

this is a pressed and cut out steel round 21,3mm Diam.
 
 
 

Update.
 
Today I took her (cut) off the build platform, and had my first look into the hull, am pleased with it so far.
Outside against the bow-post and the side skin I installed the integrated round pod that later on takes up the mushroom typ anchor, (3 tons in real weight).
Its the first time she settles on her own standplate
 
Nils
 

the pod for the mushroom anchor later on. It faces downwards to a certain angle and ends a bit above the waterline

its made from 20mm round beechwood. The face is light convex, as it fits neatly into the concave shape anchor

the overstanding upper frames will be cut off

a sight into the hull

here to be seen one of the spindle counter nuts, and the resting foot lug for the light towers stand tube. This is also why I built in the squarebar on the topside of the keel
 

 

the shining through narrow plank gaps are filled with white cured wood glue. the hull at this degree of building is extreme light