knightyo
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Everything posted by knightyo
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Hello, Back around 2008, I used what I "thought" was copper tape to plate the hull of my Syren. I've always been curious as to why my copper plates didn't ever appear to "age". Wefalck mentioned in one of my posts that it appeared that my plates were constructed from copper painted paper as opposed to actual copper tape. This makes sense as you can see that the "paint" is flaking from the paper in the below photo. Soo..... This is irritating. Now, how to remedy? I've been thinking about redoing the plates with legitimate copper tape for the next go-around. However if I'm going to invest that much time in redoing the plating, I want them to look far more authentic. The very bottom photo is from Alex Baranov's Cumberland log which I find to be striking. However Alex creates his plates from brass. I've been scouring the web for tutorials on this process, but have been coming up empty. Yes, I've been tempted to send him a message requesting assistance, but don't want to impose; especially if there are readily viewable tutorials out there that I just haven't yet found. Is anyone aware of brass plate tutorials? I guess I'm not wedded to the idea of brass... I just want my "next" plates to look more like Alex's than my own feeble 2008 attempt. Alan
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I learned the hard way to have a healthy respect for non-powered tools as well. Back in 2008 I lost my grip on a piece I was carving, and within milliseconds, cut the tip off of my middle finger. The tip grew back, but feels very strange to this day whenever it makes contact with anything. Alan
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I was intimidated by the hobby for years due to people indicating how hard it was. I finally realized that the hobby is as easy or difficult as you wish to make it. Since you are already used to working with your hands in the plastic medium, I'll bet you could tackle the USS Syren by Chuck Passaro (sold by Model Shipways). His instructions are fantastic and far superior to the instruction provided in most kits. I've also noticed that he pops into people's build logs on this site to offer advice/encouragement. You can't go wrong with a well-designed kit and the advice you receive in build logs; it also greatly helps if you leave comments in others' build logs who are building the same kit; they will be more likely to view your own build log and forewarn you of upcoming sections they may have found challenging and offer tips/tricks. In addition to the USS Syren, it sounds like Chris at Vanguard Models also provides high-quality instruction materials. I haven't built any of his kits, but can tell by the posts I've seen on the forum that he also provides exceptional instruction. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of Chuck or Chris' kits. They both also have links to their sites in the right-hand margin on the home page. Alan
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It's ironic that few people partake of non-electronic hobbies any more, right when we start getting access to unbelievably detailed parts. Those splinter mattresses are really nice. (Thinking your ships fleet would look really cool in a larger glass display cabinet with little lights softly illuminating them from above and below. It might be time for a wall cabinet). lol Alan
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I agree with Mark. Don't feel bad if you have delays. I have a work in process log from 2008; I've got to be the recordholder in that respect. Also, check out the builds by RGL. He also works in 1:350 plastic, and shows fantastic weathering techniques. Alan
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Hi Mark, We just purchased a home in Brownsville. I figured there'd be a group or two in the Portland area, but not sure about Eugene/Salem area. Alan
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It's great to see another Idahoan joining the group. It sounds like the local group Mercator mentioned is a good one. I'd join myself, but will be moving to Oregon in about a week due to my job. Alan
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Just a quick note about copper tape. This zoomed-in photo shows the copper tape I used for my Syren. The tape was applied around 2008 or 2009. In the middle section, you can see where "flaking" is taking place. I'm not sure if all copper tape is like this or not. Alan
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When I was around 40, I was visiting my parents over the holidays and was in "my" room working on one of the little quarter gallery pieces for my Syren. (I used to carry a small toolbox wherever I went with parts I could work on during downtime). My older sister happened to stick her head in at one point, observed what I was doing, and proclaimed "you won't be able to do that much longer". As you can imagine, my verbal reply to her was more polite than the reply in my head).... But, I blew off what she said, and didn't think anything of it. I'd always been able to hold small pieces in my hands without magnification and work on them with perfect clarity. Now that I'm in my 50's, I dearly wish I could have my 40's eyesight again! I think it is indeed important to encourage younger modelers to enjoy the hobby as much as possible in their free time, as our abilities decline incrementally over time. Alan
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Thanks Druxey, I really enjoyed the content on that page. Alan
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If you have time, check out Netsuke carving on YouTube. It's just unreal what some of those artists carve; I think they mostly all have to create their own tools tho. Alan
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The bottom-most pieces on each side give me the shivers on the difficulty scale. The carvings look great! Alan
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This is fantastic! I'm wondering if there should be an old oil can on the bench along with an old coffee can to hold misc bolts? Alan
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Welcome! I'll be joining you in the rain in a few months. Currently in Idaho, and moving to Salem "ish" area for a new job. Looking forward to your Swift log. If you are redoing sections of the older kits with higher quality wood, they should come out great. Alan
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Man those sails look fantastic. I've always shied away from incorporating sails because mine always looked like old undershirts. It would be great if Tom provided a tutorial. That's probably one of the least-understood skills (I think) in ship modeling. Alan
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- medway longboat
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Fascinating times. My aunt was a WASP in WWII, and may have flown these. I definitely remember hearing that she flew Mustangs. As a little kid, I was very intimidated by her. She was as tough as nails. Alan
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Micromaster 3D parts for tribal class destroyers
knightyo replied to RGL's topic in REVIEWS: Model kits
That detail is insane. Really, really great parts! Alan -
The HMS Queen Elizabeth with the newly arrived American F-35's would make an interesting project. That's an interesting joint multinational deployment about to take place. It could even be an international modeling project. One of you could do the air wing, one could do the ship, and it could then reside in my living room when finished. Everybody wins! Alan
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The Bitumen Experiment
knightyo replied to ChrisLBren's topic in Painting, finishing and weathering products and techniques
Below is a pic of an experiment I ran on my swiss pear. The left column is just unfinished, the middle column is pear with Formby's Tung Oil Finish (which I learned isn't actually Tung Oil), and in the right column are pieces which had Pentart Patina liquid (50/50 mix of mineral spirits/Pentart) applied over the top of dried Formby's. I'm going to keep experimenting to see if I can get something between the middle and right columns. Maybe starting out with a 90/10 mix of mineral spirits/Pentart; it was surprising how dark and strong that medium was. I'd love input on the combination of these two products or similar products, as stains/finishes is an area in which I have the least amount of knowledge. Will these products react with one another over time? Should either one not be used to begin with? My goal is to reproduce a fairly "aged" look to swiss pear with a finish that will last a long time. Alan
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I now realize that I have sinned. Mark, I'm sorry for derailing your log; I just wanted to provide a quick photo of my experiment since I knew you were using the same type of wood that I was. I'll post my experiment in the proper forum, as it really does seem like there could be some very robust and fascinating conversation on this topic! Alan
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Hi Bruce, According to the can, Formby's is comprised of tung oil and other "fine penetrating oils". The can also indicates that it contains aliphatic hydrocarbons. No, I have no idea what those are. The guy in the video below tipped me off about the tung oil finishes. He has a few other products on his bench, one or more of which might be available on your side of the pond as well. He indicates that most of them, unless they specifically state "100% tung oil" on the bottle/can, are usually only 5% actual tung oil, with the rest being resins, etc. Is this a bad thing however? It sounds like these products result in a finish which won't need to be reapplied periodically which tung oil apparently does. I can't fathom having to reapply a finish over a completed ship model, so I'm thinking these alternate products might be the way to go. I do wonder however, if the Pentart is ok to apply over the top of the Formby's and how that will hold up over time. It seems like we have a few chemists on the forum, so I might bring this up in the Finishes section to see if anyone has additional information on this point. With the amount of time we spend on our projects, it would be horrifying if the two products didn't interact nicely over time. Alan
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Another thing you can do is experiment with the type of finish to apply over your pear. Below is a pic of an experiment I ran on mine. The left column is just unfinished, the middle column is pear with Formby's Tung Oil Finish (which I learned isn't actually Tung Oil), and in the right column are pieces which had Pentart Patina liquid (50/50 mix of mineral spirits/Pentart) applied over the top of dried Formby's. I'm going to keep experimenting to see if I can get something between the middle and right columns. Maybe starting out with a 90/10 mix of mineral spirits/Pentart; it was surprising how dark and strong that medium was. Alan
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I'm thinking safety glasses are probably in order for Popeye moving forward. Alan
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Rope-where to go since Syren is no longer making it?
knightyo replied to bear's topic in Masting, rigging and sails
When it's time for me to make my rope, I'm going to purchase Chuck's rope making device. He published a tutorial for it, and it looks like it would be very satisfying to use. Alan
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