Bob Cleek

One has to distinguish between 'plating' and 'galvanoplastic'. Technically the processes are similar, but the product and the set-up is different.
 
Plating is, what is called a redox-reaction, whereby a metal is reduced from its soluble salt-form (broadly speaking) to the solid metal and deposited onto a metal or conducting surface. The redox-reaction can be purely chemical, then we talk about chemical plating, or it can be induced or supported by an electrical current, then we talk about electroplating. In the latter case most of the metal to be plated onto a conducting surface or another metal is dissolved from a solid electrode of that metal. The solution is thus continuosly replenished with that metal.
 
Chemical plating can be done with a variety of metals. I just googled and there are many commercial kits available on both sides of the pond. The process can be done as a dipping or a brush-on process. It normally requires a metal surface and with the right chemistry, most metal can be substrate for chemical plating, though aluminium probably not, due to it quickly forming oxide layer.
 
I regularly tin-plate etched or machined parts to give them a silvery look and to facilitate soldering. Often only the addition of flux is needed. Self-tinning solutions can be bought either ready made or as dry mixtures of the salts. They are also used by the fraternity that produces home-etched printed circuit-boards.
 
Electroplating also can be done with many different metal. The surface to be plated can be a metal or any other conducting surface, e.g. a graphite lacquer. Not all metals can be plated on every other, so nickel-plating on steel requires a first plating in copper. Again kits are available on the market for doing this in a bath. For repair purposes also so-called tampon-plating kits are available. Here a felt 'tampon' is soaked in a solution containing the metal to be plated with, a cable is clipped to the part and the tampon pressed onto the surface to be plated. These kits are availble easily from jewellers supply shops for copper, gold, rhodium, silver and some other metals.
 
Galvanoplastic is similar to electroplating, but a thicker layer (up to several miliimeters) of metal is deposited, with a corresponding need of electrode material. The model normally is non-conductive material, such as wax, plaster, wood or plastics that is made conductive by a graphite or silver lacquer. The process can be done as positive or negative. For the positive one a model of the object is made and then covered in the conductive lacquer. The final object is slightly larger than the model and some of the surface structures will have been evened out during the process of plating. Alternatively, a mould can be made from the object to be reproduced and the inside of the mould is covered with the conductive lacquer. The metal electrode and the salt solution is put inside the mould. The process reproduces every detail of the mould. It has been used since the 1840 to reproduce coins, statues and other metal objects.
 
Today, CNC machining opens up new possibilities of model and mould making. Models can be milled or 3D-printed from jeweller's wax for either lost-wax casting in brass or for galvanoplastic. I German colleague now prints 3D-models in wax and has them cast. And @Valeriy V here on this forum CNC mills cores for ventilators for his cruiser VARYAG from wax and deposits copper on them to form the ventilators. The wax is removed by heating. One can do this also with acrylic glass or styrene and dissolve the plastic in acetone. The negative process with a mould has the advantage, that several copies can be drawn, while for the positive process you need a new core every time.
 
As a kind of curiosum I should mention another process. I know an octogenarian in the UK, who sculpts the decoration for his model of the ROYAL OAK (1769) in Z-brush, has them 3D-printed in acrylic resin and then vacuum-plated with gold. This process, called 'sputtering' is a preparation step normally used in electron microscopy, when you want to examine fine surface details. In EM only a one atom layer of gold is required, for plating you need a bit more, of course. He is lucky that his sun is a researcher with access to the facilities. The process is not cheap because of the machine-time and the amount of gold needed. However, the results are just phenomenal - beats every carving with respect to detail and definition ... well, not exactly a low-cost option, which was, what this thread was about
 

At least 10 years ago there was an article in the Nautical Research Journal about the construction of a model of the gunboat USS Bennington.  I believe that there was a connection to the San Diego Maritime Museum.  The author formed cowl ventilators by electroplating a metal plug that he had cast.  The plug was cast from a metal used by gunsmiths to cast impressions of gun cylinders.  This metal (maybe called Cerro?) has a melting point close to the boiling point of water.  After electroplating, the plug was immersed in boiling water leaving only the electroplated shell.
 
Roger
 
 

Thanks, wefalck! That adds some more information to it all.  Every bit counts. One of the interesting things about modeling boats, and building full-sized ones, is that so many different crafts and technologies have to be explored and, to one extent or another, mastered. I find it fascinating. (Other's don't and buy kits. There's no accounting for taste.)

I don't see why one couldn't use the process for brass as well, although I think it might be faster to build up thickness with copper and then brass, nickel, or gold plate the copper. In the days of real chrome trim on autos, I believe they plated the iron with copper and then the copper with chrome.  The plating process is the same for any metal, although the electrolyte mixtures may vary, I think. All the brass and copper fixtures on the old "boardroom models" of the great ocean liners were gold plated. It wasn't "realistic," as they were all painted on the prototypes, but it was a style in modeling at the time. 
 

Very interesting. It begins to be clear that you can electroform or electroplate items relatively easily at home with copper, but us ship model builders would need parts made of, or at least look like made of brass. So I think it is not possible to apply brass surface directly on conductive paint, but you need first to electroplate the part with copper.
But how about gold plating, can it be applied directly on conductive paint? Gold plating could be perfect on small items, it will look like polished brass, never oxidize and very thin layer of gold doesn't cost very much more than plating the parts first with copper and after that with brass.

It looks great. Nice work!
 
In your video above, you showed a picture of the Smith's "Tiny Torch" as a possible solution to your now-solved soldering problem. You expressed concern that using a torch "on the model" would be risky. That's true, of course, but as the owner of one of these little gems, I have to say that with tinfoil shields in place on a model, I'd try it without too much hesitation... as a last resort, certainly.
 
I'd encourage you to add a Little Torch to your tool collection. I expect if you did, you'd find your soldering iron gathering dust thereafter. (For one thing, irons require contact between the iron and the pieces to be soldered which usually creates movement that results in a cold joint.) The flame can be as small as a grain of rice and is super hot with propane. I use Benzomatic disposable gas and oxygen bottles from the hardware store and the pre-set regulators for the Benzomatic gas bottles. Hotter flames can be obtained by using acetylene, mapp, or hydrogen gas and oxygen. The high heat permits much more localized melting of solder than a soldering gun or iron. It also provides the higher temperatures necessary for silver soldering and even for melting small amounts of metal for small castings. 
 
There's a surprisingly wide price range for the Smith Little Torch because the less expensive ones are Asian knock-offs. The more expensive US-made ones have wider selections of nozzles and I think some of the specialty nozzles have sapphire tips, which may also explain the price variations. (Tips can be purchased separately.) I got an inexpensive kit, including pre-set regulators and hoses, for around fifty bucks online from the Harbor Freight catalog. (I don't think they still carry it.) It was fine, save for a leaky hose clamp, a problem which was quickly diagnosed and easily remedied. Being bought from Harbor Freight, a US "discount" tool supply outfit known for its low prices and commensurate quality, I figured I'd take a chance on the cheap one and wasn't disappointed. If I were a commercial jeweler, I'd spring for the US-made one, but found the Harbor Freight one fine for modeling purposes.
 

https://store.cyberweld.com/smlitoou23.html
 
https://www.wish.com/product/55826ae0f7533125ccf5d466?hide_login_modal=true&from_ad=goog_shopping&_display_country_code=US&_force_currency_code=USD&pid=googleadwords_int&c={campaignId}&ad_cid=55826ae0f7533125ccf5d466&ad_cc=US&ad_curr=USD&ad_price=39.69&campaign_id=7203534630&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsf6l8y26AIVCB6tBh371gLGEAQYBCABEgIAcPD_BwE&share=web
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Shellac, applied to the back of the paper, should cause the paper to adhere well to just about any surface. 

She's coming along nicely under Our Blessed Mother's watchful eyes, Kevin.  
 
If I were you, I'd use paper plates of scale thickness applied to the hull unless the plates were all butted and backed, rather than overlapped. I'd wet the paper where it needed to follow any tight bends and glue it with PVA and then give it a coat of shellac, making sure it soaked in well. You shouldn't have an problems with the paper plates coming loose if they are shellac-impregnated. Once the shellac is dry, the surface can be sanded as may be needed and getting a good paint job should be no problem.
 
It will take some experimenting, but you also might consider running a ponce wheel (which you'd have to make yourself to get the right spacing, I expect) over dampened paper laid on a slightly resilient surface. That might produce slight "bumps" that would simulate rivets well. I expect some types of paper would work better than others for this technique, but I have no idea which.
 
The first consideration is how she was plated. There are several styles, e.g. butted edge to edge with backing strips, overlapping belts, bent lapped edges, and so on. That will dictate whether plate seams can be scribed into the hull or overlapping "plates" will have to be applied. See: https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrUi2jUQzlej3kAdFAPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTEycGpnZHQyBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjg0OTJfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=ship+hull+riveting+patterns&fr=yhs-elm-001&hspart=elm&hsimp=yhs-001#id=35&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmodelshipworld.com%2Fuploads%2Fmonthly_02_2015%2Fpost-246-0-52774900-1424910653.jpg&action=close )
 
There are also different styles of riveting. It was not uncommon to see outboard below the waterline rivet heads countersunk to produce a smooth surface to increase speed and fuel efficiency. And, of course, the rivet patterns have to be accurate, as well. That would require some idea of the framing layout. Having the plating plan is a huge help there. I'd offer the observation that, more often than not, rivets are overdone. If they are done, they really have to be to scale or the hull looks like it's got the pox. This thread might be helpful: 
 
 

I'd look online on Craigslist.  Lots of saws there that were barely used in one off projects that are now for sale.  I picked up the Dewalt a few years ago that had been barely used, with stand, light and extra blades, for like under half of retail.  I think you'd do better going that way than buying a Micromark tool (which generally don't have great reviews).

Talking about madrone makes me nostalgic for my native Northern California, where it is common in mixed forests with redwoods and Douglas fir. It's a highly-esteemed fuel for homes with wood heating.

Well, since I already started, I finished one outrigger in cherry. Satisfyingly strong and light, but I'm sure a false step could see it crumpled.
The tip is a real fiberglass fishing pole... well actually, an ice fishing rod blank... perfect size!
 

 
3 feet of outrigger, light as a feather:

 
 

 
 

The term yellow cedar is a bit of a misnomer it is actually a cypress. although it does cut and plane and smell a bit like cedar It is a beautiful creamy wood and I am going to plank the Launch "skipjack" with it.
 
Michael

If you red cedar sample is straight grained and cured it will work nicely for planking and decks. It can be carved fairly easily too as that is the primary wood for totem poles and NW coast native art. Be sure to use a mask while sanding and machining the wood as it is an irritant. Also the sanding dust can be irritating to the skin. Yellow cedar trees look similar but the wood is a nice yellow-crème color. It has the same irritants the red cedar does. It is better to carve because straight grained wood is non-splintery and will take detail nicely. While harder  than basswood it doesn't fuzz like basswood when sanded. Yellow cedar best for carving and planking, Basswood best for sheetwood and carving. Red cedar good color and nice for planks and decks. More irritants than the other two.

All of those accessories above are very useful. I'd urge anyone to get them all at the time you buy the saw. I expect you'd save a good bit of money on shipping charges if it were all shipped together. The sliding table may seem like a chunk of money, and it is, but it's really worth it. You can build your own, but if you want to replicate the accuracy the saw is capable of with a sliding table, get the factory-made one. It's a beautiful piece of machining, too. 

It is indeed disappointing, but such errors are one of the drawbacks of kits generally. It's very difficult for anyone starting out to discern which kits are the really good ones. Fortunately, MSW contains a lot of information on kit quality that is invaluable in that regard. Kits provide valuable experience to one degree or another and, at some point, one realizes they've built enough kits that they can "ride a two-wheeler without training wheels" and start seriously kit-bashing and scratch-building.
 
In the grand scheme of things, it's a very small detail. Frankly, nobody other than an eagle-eyed modeling wonk is ever going to notice it and I'm sure to uninitiated eyes it will appear just as it ought to be. In fact, from an artistic perspective, the exaggeration of something that's supposed to be there but otherwise can't be seen at scale may well satisfy the eye of the beholder. Don't let it discourage you!  Our first models are never out best. Modeling is a process and it would quickly get boring if each successive model we build doesn't pose new challenges and new opportunities to "beat our personal best." Perfection is probably impossible, but the exercise of pursuing it offers continuing satisfaction from a hobby that can keep one interested for a lifetime. Do the best you can with her, as you obviously are. The care you are taking with this one shows you've got what it takes. Models are like a lot of things. You'll always cherish the memory of your first one, but you'll get a lot better at it the more you do it.
 
 

1.   The problem of securing planks to deck beams can be addressed in a variety of ways. 
 
a)   You can drill a small hole in the plank where a trunnel would be set and use a push-pin through that hole to temporarily hold the plank against the deck beam until the glue dries. Then plug the hole with a tiny wooden peg of the same material as the plank. (Drilling a small hole first prevents splitting when the tack is placed.)
 
b)   You can use a small dot of fast-curing CA adhesive ("Super Glue") on each deck beam with wood glue on either side of it to "tack" the plank to the deck beam. The wood glue will then dry while the CA holds it and will provide the primary bond.
 
c)   You can glue the planks as you have done, but also drill small holes through the plank and into the beam and drive scale trunnels into the holes to hold the planks down. The trunnels have to be sized to fit tightly into the holes. When water-based wood glue is applied to the small trunnel pegs, they will swell slightly when the water is absorbed and hold the plank fast. This method is tricky and will take some experimenting to master.
 
d)   You can glue the planks as you have done with wood glue and use a plank bending iron or similar heat source to heat the top of the plank above each deck beam. The heat will cause the wood glue to harden and hold very quickly. Care must be taken not to scorch the top of the plank, of course.
 
I'm not sure what sort of tape it was that transferred to the deck planks, but it's adhesive is probably soluble in acetone or "Goof Off," a solvent sold in paint stores to remove paint splatters. "Goof Off" is great stuff for modeling purposes. It will remove most paints and varnishes and works well for cleaning air brushes, etc. It is much less aggressive than acetone and won't eat down into painted surfaces below the paint you want to clean off of them. Try a bit of "Goof Off" on a soft cloth and see if that removes the tape adhesive that has transferred to the deck surface. It that doesn't work, exercise the "thermonuclear option" and wipe it off with a soft cloth with acetone on it. Do this in a well ventilated place and be aware that acetone fumes are explosive, so keep it away from open flames. Lighter fluid can also be used instead of acetone. (Carbon tetrachloride ("cleaning fluid") also works great, but it's not readily obtainable anymore due to its toxicity.)  The dried shellac should be impervious to these solvents, but you should take a scrap piece of planking stock and shellac it, then test the solvent on that piece when the shellac dries to make sure the solvent isn't going to damage the shellacked surface. Also, if you put the pencil marking for the seams and fasteners on after the shellac, test this in a similar fashion to make sure the solvent won't spread the pencil lead all over the deck surface and make a huge mess.
 
If there weren't so much pencil lead on the surface, I'd say that the tape adhesive could easily be removed along with the shellac beneath it by simply applying alcohol to the shellacked surface and wiping it all off and reapplying the shellac, but I fear doing so would end up spreading a mixture of alcohol, shellac, and pencil lead all over the surface which would probably end up requiring the whole surface to be sanded clean to repair that mess.
 
Alternately, you can lightly sand, or better yet, lightly scrape with a sharp edged blade, the deck surface to remove the tape adhesive and see if that works. Additional thinned shellac can be applied over the scraped area. This will take some care. You can also sand or scrape the entire deck, removing the pencil-marked plank butts and fastener "dots" and refinish the deck entirely. This would permit you to reconsider your planking length and butt spacing, which can be determined by use of standard construction practices. (Use the search engine here to find discussions on plank length and plank butt spacing.) Plank fasteners would never be black, as you've depicted them, but rather would be wooden, being either trunnels (pegs) or metal fasteners (spikes or screws) in counterbored holes covered with wooden plugs. From a scale distance, these would be invisible. Their appearance can also be faked by using a piece of scale metal tubing (the diameter of the plug you want to mimic) with its edge sharpened. The tubing is tapped with a small hammer to create a light circular indentation which appears as a plug on the face of the plank. Some obsessive-compulsive modelers have gone so far as to employ this technique using hypodermic needles to obtain very tiny "plugs."  
 
2)   There's no problem whatsoever with excess glue in places where it doesn't show. In fact, the structure of a bulkheaded model can be considerably stiffened and strengthened by applying generous fillets of glue or epoxy at all hidden joint angles where the backbone and bulkheads meet anything else, particularly the sub-decking.
 
Hope this helps!

Yes. Finishing wood has become one of those things like mousetraps, everybody's trying to market a better one. At best, they haven't come up with much of anything better than the old tried and true methods. (Although some of the polyurethane "bar varnishes" are remarkably durable.) Norm Abram was always touting Minwax's "wipe on poly" finishes on his New Yankee Workshop, along with all the newest Delta stationary power tools. The show's sponsors were, you guessed it, Delta and Minwax. Nothing wrong with Minwax wipe on poly if you don't mind paying the same price for half as much expensive material cut with cheap paint thinner. That kind of marketing would get a dope dealer whacked in a hot minute. Woodworkers are more easily duped than junkies are, I guess.
 
By the way, I seal all my wood and card material on models with shellac. It's a very good moisture barrier which minimizes wood movement when the ambient humidity changes.  Softwoods like basswood can be sanded after sealing with shellac and will not leave a "fuzzed" surface. Shellac stiffens paper and card stock and prevents adhesive "bleed-through." It's what confectioners use to make jelly beans and M&M's shiny, too. Shellac has lots of uses.

To summarize, there are different approaches. The easiest and most fool-proof is shellac. Varnishes and sealers are messy and can leave brush strokes if you don't know what you're doing. Most cost a lot more than shellac and denatured alcohol and have much shorter shelf-lives.
 
Do this and you shouldn't have any problems:
 
Get the Zinsser clear shellac and a quart or gallon of denatured alcohol at the paint or hardware store. (Save the Amazon shipping.) Stir the shellac in the can before use. Use a brush to apply it. Apply full strength out of the can to some scrap wood of the same species as what you intent to seal on the model. Just apply generously, or even just dip it in the can and shake/wipe off the excess. It is the consistency of water and will soak right into the wood. Let it dry (a few minutes) and see if it looks okay. If you think it's too thick, add some denatured alcohol to some shellac and repeat the testing process. Make sure the surface is totally clean before applying any finish. Use a "tack rag" from the paint or hardware store to pick up the dust. Keep the tack rag in a zip-lock plastic bag and it will last a long time. You can also use a bit of masking tape to pick up dust with the sticky side. When you have it like you want, apply to your model with the brush.
 
If you have properly prepared the wood surface prior to applying the shellac, you shouldn't need to do anything more for the finish. If it is too glossy (applied too thickly,) the excess shellac can easily be removed at any time with denatured alcohol. If the surface was dusty, you can rub the sealed surface with rottenstone and pummice, bronze wool, or a scotchbrite pad. (Bronze wool avoids the rust problems of steel wool, for a price.)
 
Clean your brush with denatured alcohol. Take care in cleaning the edge of the can and lid and replace the lid well. If your shellac ever thickens, you can easily thin it by adding more denatured alcohol. There's no risk to your health using these materials. 
 
You should have no concern about adhesives sticking to a surface sealed with shellac. In any event, all parts of a wood and metal model should to the greatest extent possible be secured not only by an adhesive, but also by some sort of mechanical fastening. This is usually a small peg set with glue into a drilled hole. 
 
Shellac is also very good for sealing rigging knots and stiffening rigging lines and coils of rope so it hangs naturally on the model. An application of denatured alcohol will easily soften the dried shellac to permit untying if need be. (Unlike other adhesives!) 

Truer words were never spoken! 
 
Anyone in the market for a scroll saw should google "scroll saw ratings" and read what the woodworking magazines say about what's on the market at the various price points. There are many scroll saws on the market and their quality runs from exquisite to complete junk, but the prices don't always correspond to the quality. Always buy the best tool you can possibly afford unless it's a tool you expect to use but once and forget about. Also, don't over look the used  market. Craigslist and the like sometimes have high quality and high priced scroll saws selling for a fraction of the original retail price.

Truer words were never spoken! 
 
Anyone in the market for a scroll saw should google "scroll saw ratings" and read what the woodworking magazines say about what's on the market at the various price points. There are many scroll saws on the market and their quality runs from exquisite to complete junk, but the prices don't always correspond to the quality. Always buy the best tool you can possibly afford unless it's a tool you expect to use but once and forget about. Also, don't over look the used  market. Craigslist and the like sometimes have high quality and high priced scroll saws selling for a fraction of the original retail price.

Truer words were never spoken! 
 
Anyone in the market for a scroll saw should google "scroll saw ratings" and read what the woodworking magazines say about what's on the market at the various price points. There are many scroll saws on the market and their quality runs from exquisite to complete junk, but the prices don't always correspond to the quality. Always buy the best tool you can possibly afford unless it's a tool you expect to use but once and forget about. Also, don't over look the used  market. Craigslist and the like sometimes have high quality and high priced scroll saws selling for a fraction of the original retail price.

Take a look at this saw from Home Depot - looks almost like a twin - and a lot less $$
One thing about Micro Mark - they have a lot of stuff but if they have it for sale it's commonly known that nobody sells the same thing for more than Micro Mark.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-International-1-2-Amp-16-in-Variable-Speed-Scroll-Saw-with-Flex-Shaft-LED-Work-Light-BT8007/206347735?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-205419917-_-206347735-_-N

I’d save the $50, approx towards eventual purchase of a Byrnes saw.
 
Roger

It's certainly coming along nicely!  It's good you buttoned her up with plenty of insulation and "creature comforts." It always pays to have a workshop that you can use to sleep in on those occasions when you're thrown out of the house.  
 

If I could have given two "thumbs up," I would have. Wood is much more forgiving than metal, but safe procedures should always be followed no matter what. A broken mill bit can be a somewhat costly accident, but a broken piece of bit launched towards the operator's face can result in a problem money can't fix.