catopower

I had a little more time to work on my V108 yesterday. It doesn't really look much different, but I managed to add those cowlings on the af deck, and added the next assembly to the bridge superstructure. And, while I'd added the rudder last time, I managed to knock it off, so I'm leaving it off until a later stage. Chris, in his tutorial build log, mentions not knowing what these things are for. I don't know either, but I'm wondering if they could be smoke generators? Or, maybe they're just exhaust vents for blowing the hot air out of the engine spaces? Added to the bridge superstructure and added one of the skylight hatches. For mounting the superstructure assembly, I followed Chris's example of adding some guide strips to the deck. This helps align the parts and gives the glue a good surface and makes the added assembly pretty solid. And, finally, I added the little bollard or capstan assembly on the forecastle. There were too many little rings for me after making other parts, so I just cut some thin slices from a styrene rod instead, and painted it all black. These close-up photos make the model look so much worse than it does in real life. Or maybe my eyes are so bad, I can't see the missing paint, etc., except in close-up photos. Question: Not that I'm going to add any, but should there be some kind of screen inside the stacks? Right now, you can look down inside and see the big support piece there. I painted it black, so it's harder to see, but if there were a screen, you probably couldn't see any junk inside, so I'm just wondering.

Since I had the time, I didn't want to pause the build right after a difficult session. So, I figured I'd make the funnels and the tracks for the torpedo launchers. For the torpedo tracks, I built them before I looked again at Chris's build log and his idea for making construction easier. Mine turned out okay, but I just had to glue the outer edge of the ring on, little by little, to keep it straight. The funnels are nice, large parts, changing the look of the slowly evolving model. I painted the interiors black, but you can still see he white areas of the superstructure. I'll finish that painting after the funnels are glued into place. For now, the torpedo launcher tracks and the funnels are only dry fit I still need to clean-up and paint the insides of the torpedo launcher tracks, but then I think I'll glue them into position. I think I'll leave the funnels unmounted until I decide if I'm going to try to detail them any. For now, they're pretty safe like that, and they make the model look more like a ship.

Thanks for the nice comments Richard, GrandpaPhil! Propellers and fairings... It's enough to make you want to stick to waterline models! 😀 But, now that these are done, I like the look, just not from TOO close!

Well, since Ages of Sail sells Vanguard Models products (and other those other European brands) and is in the US, that's still an option for US buyers, and no special paperwork is necessary. Pricing WILL need to be adjusted to cover the additional tariff cost, but as of this moment, it hasn't happened yet. There's been discussion about it, but I don't see anything happening before next week. Shipping to some countries though, is going to be tough. Canada requires the US sellers to collect the tariffs for them, and will bill the selling company. But, since this stuff is mostly products of Europe, there should be a way to ship that stuff to Canada without requiring tariffs anyway. But, it means a lot of paperwork.

You know, sometimes modeling in paper makes a ship seem to progress so quickly. Then, there are those items which make you feel like you're doing eyeball surgery on bugs. Adding fairings that fit around the propeller shafts. I've had to remake parts about four times. Fortunately, I had printed extra parts sheets. I discovered that my propeller shafts were too big, so I went the next size down on the paper clips. The first shafts were about 1mm diameter and the new ones are 0.7mm. These tiny fairings wouldn't fit around the larger shafts, but the should fine with the new ones. Hopefully, I don't lose any more of these little parts, after it took so much effort to cut them out, roll them, and glue them up properly. The shape looks a little rough, but I'll bend them more nicely after the glue dries. I have to admit, I started wondering if I could just leave these things off. Would anybody notice? And... Finally done with the underwater portion of this build! That part of the ship doesn't look too bad now. Adds a lot of detail. But then, at this stage, anything will add a lot of detail. Still, this is the part that made my head hurt the most, and it's over. I do feel I spent way too much time stressing over this part. But, I also spent a lot of time on it today. I'll consider next steps. I'm considering adding the propeller guards next, but they kind of stick out from the hull and are pretty flimsy, so I'm wondering if I should wait on them and add some deck or superstructure details next...

Inspired by Jan's (Amateur's) completed V108, and our recent ship modelers' gathering, where I brought my incomplete V108 to a new guy who is interested in both WWI era ships AND is "paper curious", I brought my V108 out of mothball. It's crazy that I started this 8 years ago... 😧 I'm waiting for a day off to work other projects in the works, but this one, I'm just taking a little spare time here and there to work on. The propeller shafts and struts kind of stopped me in the tracks, and I was reluctant to look at them again. But, I just put my head down and pushed forward. Managed to build the support struts, even though I found their construction particularly confusing. Did I build them correctly? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure what I have will work. For the propeller shafts, I wanted some steel rod, but couldn't find any in my stash. I ended up improvising, as I don't want to order parts and wait for them to show up. I found a large. paper clip, straightened it out as best I could, and cut it to size. I think it works pretty well. These aren't glued into place yet. I need to make the various fairings for the shafts first. I'll try to take less than another 8 years to post progress on this...

You know, when I put aside a project, I'm often amazed when I look at it later and realize how long it's been since I'd worked on it last. Kitamaebune... nearly 4 years! Fortunately, with some opportunities to display a few ship models this year, I was reminded of my past displays in San Francisco's Japan Center. So, a couple weeks ago, I contacted the bank that owns the room with its display window, and asked about the possibility of setting up my Japanese watercraft display again. About a week later, I got a positive response, and am now on schedule to set up my model display from October 21 through October 27. That gives me some time to clean-up and rebuild my display materials. So, I took my Kitamaebune model to the most recent local ship model meeting to get me thinking about it again, with the hope that I'll have it ready for the Janpantown display, and maybe another model display about a week before that. I still hadn't figured out how I'm going to end up making the sails! Back and forth... back and forth... Clearly I just have to do something. I rethought a couple ideas, and then I dug through the materials I had made before, now about 4 years ago. Realizing that I really just need to try SOMETHING, even if I'm not thrilled with the results, I found some sail sections I'd made before. I don't even remember when I did this. As the work pretty well fit my current line of thinking, I decided to start with these. I broke out the ironing board and iron and flattened out the sail work. The cloth is stiff, so clearly stuff I treated with Terial Magic. Also, the outer-most stitching I'd glued with Aleene's Tacky Glue to hold the stitches. Having found a test sail panel I'd worked with before, I figured I could cut the cloth very close to the glued stitching, and you can see how this worked below. The bottoms of the panels are cut and folded over now, so I should be able to insert some wire in the foot to help give is some shape. As you can see in the photo below, I used an idea from the Takasebune's sail, creating the appearance of the sail hanging a bit loosely between the seams, where the sail will be tied to the yard arm. The sail panel on the right has been trimmed, the panel on the left is yet to be done. Let's see if I can continue the work without changing course again or shelving the project!

A wonderful finish Jan! It's funny, because I started my V-108 a long time ago and just a couple weeks ago, took a look at the unfinished model on the shelf (which is setting along side numerous other unfinished builds) and thought I should finish mine too. So, your recent posts are very timely! Only problem with mine (or maybe I should say, one of the problems with mine) is that I need to reprint my parts sheets and I'd switched to cheaper inks, so the color is way off. I think I'm going to have to buy the expensive OEM inks, just to get the part colors to match up better, as I don't want to start over from scratch. Anyway, congratulations on another completed model!

Would be odd, since they copied his work.

As has been pointed out, Mold Shipways made the HMS Vanguard kit under license for a while, like they did with the Robert E. Lee kit. The MS Vanguard kit doesn't include the optional parts for HMS Elephant or Bellerophon. As Chris points out, the MS fittings may be different from the Amati ones as well. But, you can always buy Amati parts if you need any of them. Ages of Sail should have them.

And get yourself a big, thin plastic sheet or bag, like the kind that cover clothes from the dry cleaner. Cut it, so it will drape over your "resting" model projects and keep the dust off for you.

When I bend planks using an electric plank bender, I do this off of the model and I don't use any special jigs. Most of the first layer kit material is very porous and doesn't really need much water. When you heat the plank, move the head of the bender along the wood, much like ironing a shirt. You don't want to hold it in one place or you only burn the wood. I do the work on a flat wood surface, gently pressing the iron along the wood, while holding the other end up off the surface, creating bending pressure. Try not press too hard, or you will break or crush the wood. As the wood dries out, apply more water to it. You don't want it to dry it out. As CPDDET says above, you can do this while the wood is on the model as well. You're basically steaming the wood, loosening the fibers. This should allow you to bend the wood to shape and soften it temporarily, so you can also bend the wood by hand, edgewise, as needed. It just takes practice, and you'll find your own way that works best for you. Later on, you can learn about more advanced methods of planking, a technique called spiling, and various details of how actual ships and boats were planked. It's your first wooden ship model, so just have fun with it!

Oooh, rigging. Lovely! Are you going to bring this to the next SBMS meeting? And what's that Jutland book or game under the model kit box??? Inquiring minds want to know... 🤔

If you find some on sale somewhere, please let me know!

Awesome Xebec, Catela!

Hi JJ, Ages of Sail has it, but only as part of the Caldercraft paint sets.

Hi Julie, those templates look great, and I'm surprised at how closely the wooden hull fits them. I'm curious, do you have your own laser cutter? Or are you using a maker space somewhere? In any case, between you doing all this research on the Forester and other west coast lumber schooners, and Bluejacket developing their kit, I'm starting to feel like I should resurrect my C.A. Thayer build... 🤔

Wow, outstanding build, Bryan!

Hi Gary, your Rainbow is looking great. But, that Charles P. Notman looks awesome. I clearly need to check out your build logs.

Yay, my HMS Wolf got some recognition on papermodeler.com, as one of my photos of the model has been put up as "Picture of the Month"! Funny, but I think it's "admiralty style" form gets it more attention than if I rigged it. I think a lot of modelers may be averse to rigging, and it kind of shows what you can do without going down that traditional path. In fact, the biggest negative comment I noticed from modelers at the IPMS show last month was that they'd never have the patience to deal with all the rigging. So, I'm wondering if it might be possible to get some of these people interested in ship modeling if they focussed on building an admiralty style model. To that end, I'm wondering if I should resurrect my 1/96 paper HMS Mercury model with the intent of making on a launch ways with launch flags? 🤔 Ah well, maybe that's best saved for another topic (like maybe the HMS Mercury paper model build).

Thanks Druxey, that's what I was wondering... and hoping, as it would certainly make such a kit conversion easier.

Yay, SaltyDog, a Shipyard build! And, a laser-cut kit to boot! As Chris said, the copper with tarnish over time. I spray mine with some dull cote lacquer. This keeps me from getting finger prints and oils all over the surface. The copper will still tarnish over time. Nice progress for 2 weeks!

Welcome, Paul! I built the Swampscott Dory a loooooong time ago, the latter part of the First Age, I think. That's a beautiful boat. I was even thinking of building another one after all this time. I recall mine ended up with a slight twist in the hull. Not noticeable at all from the side. But, when you look from the ends, you could see it. Hope to see yours either in progress or finished, or both!

Steve, I love your model and it's stylish appearance. Prince de Neufchatel was always one of my favorite subjects. Hope to build her someday. In the meantime, I'll just stare at yours!

Hi Ron, no the base isn't paper, but wouldn't it be cool if it was? 🙂 On the flag, I think the quality level of the paper model works well with the kit flag, though I had to hit it with some matte lacquer due to the shine that you Also, I'm mostly trying to illustrate how nice the kit turns out. The only thing not of the kit is really the deadeyes and blocks. If I end up eventually rigging the model, I would consider at least printing my own flags, like I did with the Yacht Mary model I recently completed. I'll get to the silkspan flags at another time. On the base, I just bought a walnut board from the Rockler woodworking store in the area, a 48" x 5" x 3/4" I believe. Cut it and routed the edges and a little sanding and satin finish. I'm in trouble if I need a wider board, as this is as wide as they carry. But, this works for most of my models. Anyway, that and the Amati brass pedestals sure beat the cardboard cradle that comes with the kit. It's not bad for what it is, but I much prefer brass pedestal or rod mountings.