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tarbrush

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  1. Like
    tarbrush reacted to ndeconte in Orca by ndeconte - FINISHED - 35" movie replica   
    Decided to get the Pulpit roughed out this weekend. 
     
    Started with cutting some 1/8" Basswood into 3/16" wide strips, 5 @ 7.75" long and 8 @ 16" long. Glued them together starting with 2 16" doubled up for the outside edge with a 7.75" next and then continuing till I had a total of 13. 
     

     
     
    Once this was dried I cut the four middle strips back 1/8" shorter then the overall length to make room for the roller which will be in the end of it. Then I glued the last .75" of the opened end together, closing up the end.
     

     
    Now that the unit was completely glued together I sanded the surfaces smooth to the desired 1/8" thickness and sanded down the edges to the desired shape. Now this is ready for final sanding, detailing and staining/weathering.
     

     

  2. Like
    tarbrush reacted to Juan Muñoz Carrasco in Santa María by Juan Muñoz Carrasco - FINISHED - Nao - America discovery ship   
    Wednesday July, 31th, 2013.
     
    Nao "Santa María", Captain  America discovery.





























  3. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    If you drilled the holes correctly the fiber optic should fit snuggly into the lamp. It is this cable that will mostly hold the lantern to the bulwark after gluing so it should have a good fit. The natural plastic curve of the optic cable should follow the curve of the hull.
     
    This is the lantern with a little light put to it.
     

     
    Once you are happy with the fit use your flat black paint and paint the optic cable as far as you can without affecting the cable that will be in the lantern. This helps prevent side firing light from showing up.
     

     
    Paint the cable for the entire transit of the ship, again to prevent bleed through and side firing light,
  4. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    Next prepare some of the fiber optic cable. You will need a fair length of it to run to outside of the ship. Most of mine were at least 24" long. Taper the lantern end with a bit of emory board to 'rough' up the end. This will allow better light transmission at the tip.
     
    Before

     
     After

  5. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    Next get the micro-brush (item 6) and some flat black paint. Paint the top, bottom, and hole for the oil container flat black. This prevents light bleed through from these areas. Be careful to avoid the lantern lens.
     
     
     
  6. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    Ok. On to the next step. This is what we are trying to get to:
     

     
    To continue on finalizing the lanterns a hole must be drilled in the center bottom to a depth that approximates the oil container in the above photo. The drill bit or hole size works out to anywhere between 0.020-0.025 inch's. Most small hobby micro-drill sets have these sizes.

     
    Just do this using the hand drill to get better control. Turn the piece 90 degrees every few twists to ensure you are boring perpendicular to the bottom of the lantern.

     
    When complete it looks something like this. (I made the hole larger than the above description for photos. Also some redish background light  appears in these photos as artifact). 

     
  7. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    Here are a few pics to replace a thousand words.
     
     
    The file loves to jump up the lantern while lathing...hold it firmly but with light pressure to the plastic stock

     
    This shows the caliper measuring the cap length set to 1.5mm while the drill is turning.

     
    Measuring cap width at 1.2mm

     
    This pic shows the body of the lamp. It is 3mm. I marked it using the calipers while the drill was turning and it scores the plastic to show the next area to work.

  8. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    Next work out the blue shaded area working toward the scored mark.
     
    Once this area is worked with the file use the fine sanding stick (item 5) to lightly smooth the cut areas

     
    Stop the drill press once the base of the lantern is cleared and snip it off a little higher than you need for the lantern. Remove the pin vise chuck and discard the left over material (or save it for other uses - jigs, etc.) You may need to pull hard to remove the stock. In fact, I used vise grips a couple of times. Be careful not to damage the pin vise chuck though.

     
    Do some final fine file shaping and smooth the base flat. And it should look something like this. Total lamp length should be 6.8mm. This one is a little on the long side. I suppose I am a little out of practice. Expect that until you get the feel for shaping the plastic at this scale. After 2 or 3 you will be turning them out like the next pic.

     
    And after you have worked a few they will start looking like this...Some of these are better than others. You should make a few more than you need so you can reject the ones that won't work as well for you. I spent about 10 minutes shaping each item and about 5 minutes centering them in the chuck.

     
    Next up...how to drill them and finalize them.
  9. Like
    tarbrush reacted to lambsbk in Fiber optic Lanterns ca. 1845, 1/96   
    Several members over the last few months have inquired about some fiber optic lanterns I incorporated in my U.S.S. Constitution build and how to make them. Although some trial and error will occur for you (as with any new applied technique) I will highlight some of the details of the process I used to hopefully allow you to avoid some pitfalls. Let me start with tools you will need. Although this lantern process may seem tedious it is actually a lot of fun working with them and the rewards of lighting previously unseen areas of your build can't be beat. They do get easier as you do more of them.
     

     
    The tools I used are as follows:
    1. Calipers (used to gauge the size of the plastic while it is being turned and shaped) These are EKG calipers that were given to me long ago.
    2. Double end pin vise from Micromark tools:  http://www.micromark.com/double-end-pin-vise,6729.html item #21104. I took mine apart and only used the large chuck (beneath the hand grip in the photo) to secure the plastic stock.
    3. A slightly curved and cut paint stirring stick with blue painters tape applied. This is used to clamp the fiber optic into the ships bulwark and protects the model from the bite of the clamp. I added felt (not pictured) between the clamp as well  for the same reason.
    4. A plastic jig made from extra 1/8" plastic stock. More on this later...
    5. Fine modelers sanding stick (or simply spray glue fine sand paper to another paint stick).
    6. Micro brush - I believe this is a Microbrush product (http://www.microbrush.com/hobby/howtobuy/area.asp).
    7. 1/8" Square clear plastic stock. This one is acrylic. I got mine from US Plastics item 44135 (http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24195&catid=440&clickid=searchresults) BUT they only come in 6 foot sections! Shipping was more than the product...but there was plenty of it to experiment. Pictured is a 16" section.
    8. Miniature drill bits. Any will do...mine are Micromark (http://www.micromark.com/20-piece-micro-size-drill-bit-set-with-index-61-80,6758.html)
    9. 3" or 4" grip clamp to compress the fiber optic into the bulwark.
    10. Leather punch for cutting out lantern reflectors.
    11. Medium file with sharp fine teeth. Dull files will increase friction and thus heat, melting your stock.
    12. An accurate ruler for setting the calipers.
    13. A hand mini drill (Mine: Micromark http://www.micromark.com/micro-hand-drill,7045.html)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    NOT pictured:
    14. Drill Press
    15. Fiber OPtic cable (I bought plastic cable on Ebay - 0.75mm)
    16. Dremel tool with a 1/32" engraving bit.
    17. Beader's snips or tree snips.
    18. Emory board
    19. Flat Black Paint
     
    Next I'll describe how I used them.
  10. Like
    tarbrush got a reaction from Sasha131 in Why not paint your ship?   
    BassicBill, sorry about the slow response, my internet has been out since yesterday.  I just went and snapped a couple of pictures of the old girl, she got knocked around pretty good on my cross country move and I have repaired her yet.  shame on me.  but here a couple of pics.


  11. Like
    tarbrush got a reaction from marktiedens in Why not paint your ship?   
    BassicBill, sorry about the slow response, my internet has been out since yesterday.  I just went and snapped a couple of pictures of the old girl, she got knocked around pretty good on my cross country move and I have repaired her yet.  shame on me.  but here a couple of pics.


  12. Like
    tarbrush reacted to uss frolick in 16-gun brig captain's cabin furniture   
    In researching my biography of Captain Johnston Blakeley, USN, 1781-1814 - Shameless plug: "Blakeley and the Wasp: The Cruise of 1814", Stephen W. H. Duffy, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2001, I came across this little gem.
     
     
    The following enclosure was in a letter dated March 27, 1811 from the Washington Yard Commander, Captain Thomas Tingey, to the Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton, Washington Navy Yard:
     
    "Sir, I have the honor to enclose a requisition, of Lieut. J. Blakeley [Commander] of Cabin Furniture of the [uSS] Enterprize.
     
    In submitting this indent for your consideration, I feel it is my duty to state that, when this vessel was fitted from the Yard in 1808, she was furnished with silver table spoons, tea spoons, and other usual plate, with chairs, table clothes, and all the customary articles for the cabin: Not one single material of which was returned with her."
     
    I consider it also incumbent to inform you, that all the vessels equipped from this yard have been furnished with bosun's calls, of silver, very few of which have ever been returned."
     
    [Note: Lieut. Johnston Blakeley, was just then assuming command of the newly repaired Enterprise. Blakeley would immediately set about re-rigging her as a brig.]
     
    "One dozen dishes
    Ditto Soup Plates
    Ditto shallow plates
    Ditto small plates
    Ditton tureens - one of tin
    2 bowels
    2 sugar dishes
    1 dozen wine glasses
    1 dozen tumblers
    2 quart decanters
    2 pint decanters
    2 salt cellars
    1 looking glass
    2 tea kettles
    2 sugar canisters
    1 tea tray
    2 waiters
    12 table spoons
    12 tea spoons
    6 iron table spoons
    1 set casters
    1 soup ladle
    1 dozen large knives
    1 dozen large forks
    1 dozen small knives
    1 dozen small forks
    12 table clothes
    2 ditto covers
    12 towels
    2 brooms
    2 candel sticks
    2 pair steel snuffers
    1 cork screw
    6 chairs
    1 coffee mill
    1 pepper mill
    2 brass cocks
    2 brass canisters
    1 mattress and [1]pillow.
     
    The above  is a list of the furniture wanted for the use of the US schooner Enterprize, washington, 25th March, 1811, J. Blakeley approved and submitted."
     
    Blakeley was, or course, to go on to glory in the second corvette named the USS Wasp. But he found it very difficult to procure these items for his Wasp in 1813 using, as he stated, this very list, due to wartime shortages in Newburyport, Mass, and Portsmouth, NH. But by this time, the stressed Navy Department was not so picky. The official indent, dated Baltimore, 1813, for use in all the six new corvettes then building [Wasp, Frolick, Peacock, Erie, Ontario and Argus] contained but one word: "discretionary".
  13. Like
    tarbrush reacted to ndeconte in Orca by ndeconte - FINISHED - 35" movie replica   
    Biggest changes so far would be the front windows of the cabin. If you compare the blueprint frame to the screen capture you can see the difference. 
     
    So I created the front of the cabin separate from the window frames, this was I can hinge the window frames so that they can open.




  14. Like
    tarbrush reacted to Script in Lackawanna by Script - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters -1/8" to 1'   
    Thanks Wayne, Keith,
     
    FYI, the guards are just off the edge of the pictures having donuts and coffee so don't try anything!
     
    After installing the timberheads it was decided they should be white...less obtrusive and a cleaner look for a pleasure boat......
     
    Started building the all brass pilot house and cutting the planking for the cabins.  The cabin doors are also brass.  I'm not sure how to mount them....flush to the wall or framed out to be flush with the planking........
     

     
    Jim
     
     




  15. Like
    tarbrush got a reaction from Farbror Fartyg in Wreck Diorama by Farbror Fartyg - The wreck of an old wooden ship   
    hi Farbor,
    This is going to be the coolest diorama!  I love your idea of the diorama in a box with lighting so the diorama is like a night light.  I am really excited about this project.  A fluyt would be awesome.
    For painting, I think an airbrush would be the best way to achieve the effects of silt accumulation.  I recently got an Iwata Revolution airbrush and I love it, very easy to use.
     
    ok, I will be sitting on the edge of my front row seat on this one!!
  16. Like
    tarbrush reacted to Ray in HMS Diana 1794 by Ray - FINISHED - Caldercraft - A 38 gun Heavy Frigate   
    The side rails
     I masked at the top of the waist side rail and at the bottom of the sheer rail and painted royal blue in-between I the added the rails, making sure to leave spaces for the channels and fenders, I decided to leave the rest of the rails until after the top deck goes on, and I have worked out the position quarterdeck bulwark at how high it will be.
     
    Painted section


     
    Sheer rail going on

     
    Gap for channel

     
    Both rails on

     
     
     
  17. Like
    tarbrush reacted to catopower in USS Saginaw 1859 by catopower - FINISHED - 1/8" scale - paddlewheel gunboat - first ship built at Mare Island   
    Brass Etching
     
    The next issue I dealt with was the tracks for the pivot guns. Having recently purchased a brass etching kit from Micromark, this was one of two perfect opportunities for making use of it, the other item being the wheel house fan decoration (My first test was actually to make some trailboard decorations for the Yacht America, but that’s another subject...). The Micromark kit contains pretty much everything you need to get started right away. It is a chemical etching process that uses a photo resistive material to transfer your artwork onto the metal. 
     
     

     
     
    You begin by creating your artwork as a negative image printed onto clear transparency using an inkjet printer. By negative image, I mean that the metal will remain where the page is blank. The areas to be etched away are the areas where ink is printed onto the page. Of course, you will have to have software to create the artwork on your computer. I used Adobe Illustrator for this - a very old education edition that still works well on an old computer.
     
     
     

    Here, I made the fan pattern for the wheel houses
     
     
     
    The next step is to clean the metal you are going to etch really well to get the photoresist film to stick well to it. This is a critical step as any dirt or oxidation may cause  bubbles in the photoresist film and the process will not be satisfactory. Note that the photoresist is light sensitive so all work with it must be done in very low light conditions.
     
    The kit includes a laminator to get the photoresist to adhere to the metal. If all goes well, the next thing to do is to sandwich the artwork and the photoresist-coated metal between two pieces of included acrylic and clamp them together using provided clips.
     
    Then one of the parts that takes some experimenting to get right. The photoresist must be exposed to a light source, like a 100watt lamp shining close to the work for about 10 minutes. When done, the metal is washed in a diluted solution of Sodium Hydroxide, otherwise known as Caustic Soda or Lye and it’s nasty stuff. It will burn your skin. Believe me, I know. 
    Carefully, the unexposed parts of the photoresist are washed away, leaving bare metal exposed for the etchant to do its work.
     
    Next step is to actually immerse the metal into the etchant. This is the easy part as it’s mostly a matter of waiting and periodically checking progress.
     
     

     
     
    The kit uses Ferric Chloride as the etchant and includes a plastic tank for the etchant bath with an air pump used to keep the etchant circulating. The stuff is good for several uses, but takes longer with each use as the etchant is expended. The bad part of all of this is that the expended etchant has to be disposed of properly, and legally, taking it to a hazardous waste facility.
     
     

    A close up of the “Witches Brew”
     
     
    Rotating the work every 10 minutes, the metal will finally etch through
     
     

    Checking the progress of a project
     
     
    Once the etching is done, the piece is removed and the photoresist is removed using a full strength bath of Sodium Hydroxide solution, and it’s done.
     
     

    The completed etched fan decoration for the Saginaw’s wheel houses
     
     
    Next time, getting back to the pivot gun tracks.
     
    Clare
  18. Like
    tarbrush reacted to catopower in USS Saginaw 1859 by catopower - FINISHED - 1/8" scale - paddlewheel gunboat - first ship built at Mare Island   
    The Saginaw had a non-collapsing type of funnel that is quite tall. I think this is a feature that make the ship really stand out to me. Something about that look on a ship with sails I found very appealing to the eye.

     

    Luck had it that I the dimensions of the needed tubing was very simple. At 1/2” diameter, I could just pick up the brass tubing from the K&S stand at the local Ace Hardware. And, as it turned out, I could also get tubing 15/16” in diameter there which made a perfect fit inside the 1/2” tubing, making for a sleeve that could help me a little in construction.

     

    The funnel tubing was cut 3-5/8” long with a slight angle at the base to accommodate the rake of the funnel. The length was measured for the funnel to sit atop the deck house. I used a length of 15/16” tubing to serve as an inner sleeve that would extend up into the funnel part way and down through the deck house and seat into a shallow hole in the deck.

     

    The stack itself is supported by a pair of eye bands, one at the very top and one 15/16” below that. The top band has four eyebolts in it for support guys, the lower one has only three and are offset from the ones above and are centered aft.

    The diagram shows the two eyebands and the locations of the eyebolts. 

     



     

    I went through two funnels trying to attach the eyebands nicely. The first attempt was done by soldering the eyebands into place. However, I did such a poor soldering job that I had to do a lot of filing, which just resulted in a bad looking funnel.

     

    On the second attempt, I ended up just using CA glue and that made a very clean attachment. Once in place I drilled out the eyebolt locations and ran the eyebolts into place. By running the eyebolts through the bands and into the funnel, it seems to help  further secure the eyebands from pulling out of position.

     



     

    Finally, I sprayed the whole thing with primer and painted using a few coats of Testor’s semi-gloss black acrylic paint.

     

    Clare
  19. Like
    tarbrush reacted to marsalv in Royal Caroline by marsalv - FINISHED - Panart   
    Thanks Jan
     
    Stropped bocks - I used my serving machine. Method of producing I learned from the Russian (Ukrainian?) modeler.







  20. Like
    tarbrush reacted to marsalv in Royal Caroline by marsalv - FINISHED - Panart   
    Thanks to ZyXuz and mtaylor - I'm glad you like it
     
    I finished the belfry. I was a little angry at that, but in the end it looks pretty good. The most difficult was the production of the upper arch for me.




  21. Like
    tarbrush reacted to marsalv in Royal Caroline by marsalv - FINISHED - Panart   
    And the last two pictures sheet bitts with belaying pins. Belaying pins were a little bigger, so I decided to reduce their length.


  22. Like
    tarbrush reacted to marsalv in Royal Caroline by marsalv - FINISHED - Panart   
    Thanks for all your compliments
    Edwin - the hold down for the drill is part of Micromot drill stand MB 140/S (http://www.proxxon.com/en/micromot/28606.php?list).
     
    Today I will post some pictures from sheet bitts production. It was a great challenge for me, what I can make from the wood. The result you can judge for yourself.
     









  23. Like
    tarbrush reacted to marsalv in Royal Caroline by marsalv - FINISHED - Panart   
    Hand pumps are finished. It was quite hard work (at least for me), but I like the result.


  24. Like
    tarbrush reacted to greatgalleons in Friesland by greatgalleons - Mamoli - Scale 1:75   
    with most of the decking furnishings done I'll start on the open deck cannons, my rat catcher is trying to steal the spot light!





  25. Like
    tarbrush reacted to greatgalleons in Friesland by greatgalleons - Mamoli - Scale 1:75   
    so I'm done with the castings around the gallery and stern , I'll move on to the bow section




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