rvchima
-
Posts
651 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by rvchima
-
Planking Planking begins at the keel with the garboards. These are large, laser-cut pieces that didn't quite fit. The instructions say to score the aft parts of the garboards lengthwise on the inside to help them follow the compound curvature. I scored one, soaked it in water, and it promptly split when I tried to install it. That was patched later. The other side worked much better without the scoring. Planking continued down from the subdeck. I soaked the planks briefly in water, and glued them one frame at a time with medium CA and finger pressure. The gaps between the planks will require filler later. There is only one layer of planks, so no opportunity to fix this later. Models of the Seguin on-line often show a beautiful varnished hull, but the planks would need to be varnished before assembly. The instructions say that the original color scheme was copper red below the waterline, and white above. That's what I plan to do. "A little caulk and a little paint, make a carpenter what he ain't." She looks pretty good after a lot of sanding, but still needs filler. The hull is flimsy with only one layer of planks. I coated the interior liberally with Titebond glue, but couldn't reach everything because of the sub-deck. It would be difficult to make this model watertight for RC. I had my doubts about planking the stern like this, but after sanding the shape looks fine. The real deck needs to be fit before planking the bulwarks. I'll need to do some varnishing and painting before that. That means clearing out my spray booth, AKA garage, next.
- 67 replies
-
- 10
-
-
Framing Nice to see some new names. Thank you for following. I actually started building in early August and have put in about 25 hours so far. The framing and rough planking are complete. I didn't take enough photos but here's what I have. Yes, Gary, the model only has 5 frames, and one of them doesn't amount to much. The frames are built up out of laser-cut pieces and straight stock. They don't quite line up with the plans so you have to guess. The keel is built in 3 layers that leave a perfect rabbet for the garboards (first layer of planks.) Assembling the keel, frames, and upper deck was really tricky. I cut a dado in a long board to hold the keel, then tack glued the frames in place. I glued the 4 subdeck pieces together, transferred the width between the frame uprights to the subdeck with dividers, and enlarged the notches to fit. I carefully put the subdeck in place and held it down with tape. Then I flipped everything over and glued the deck to the keel and frames from front to back with CA. Whew. There are 2 heavy stringers for strength. Some of the pre-cut notches lined up, and some had to be enlarged. The joint at the bow took a lot of trial and error, mostly error. The stern has 2 brass tubes for the rudder and prop. The rudder tube has a beam attached to the rear deck that is quite flimsy at first. There is an interior tray for motor and servos. The plans show much larger pieces for the tray but it's not clear where they go. I am just building for display and won't use them anyway. Bottom view of the frame.
- 67 replies
-
- 11
-
-
-
Introduction Back in May I was working to complete my Amati Bismarck model when my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I thought that something smaller, with plenty of wood to cut, and no plastic or photo-etched parts, would be a nice change. I had actually had my eye on Bluejacket's Seguin kit for a while and asked for that. I built Bluejacket's Arleigh Burke destroyer in 2016 so I know that they make quality products, and I have bought lots of miscellaneous parts from them in the past and know that they provide good service. There are only two other build logs of the Seguin on MSW, and neither of them got very far. I hope to show some completed photos eventually. What's in the Box Instruction manual, flags, and nice gold-printed labels. There are lots of photos of cheap, souvenir models of the Seguin on line, but almost no nice photos of a completed model. The photo on the cover of the instruction manual is one of the best. The inside of the manual has been photocopied so many times that many of the photos are hard to make out. This really needs to be reprinted. Two sets of (almost) full-size plans for details and framing. Note that the plans say "For identification only, images may not be actual size of lasered pieces." They are very close, but I always prefer to trust the plans over the laser-cut pieces. Five sheets of laser-cut pieces, perfectly cut with minimal charring. Nicely scored decking and paneling, miscellaneous wood stock, and (cherry?) cradles for a stand. The instructions say to take the large solid block and remove anything that is not a lifeboat. I may look for an alternative. Laser cut pieces for the cabins. Basswood and mahogany sticks, and dowels. Cast prop and wheel, brass pieces, rigging thread, and poorly-cut model rocket body tubes for the stack. Oh no! There are some photo-etched eyelets in that bag! My wife bought the optional paint set and cherry base. I usually rout my own base but this one is very nice.
-
Ted, Is this Holland America's "Voyage of the Vikings" cruise? The itinerary sounds similar. We took that cruise in 2016 and it was one of the most interesting trips I've ever taken. I know that you'll enjoy it. Some advice from someone who just had Covid on a cruise: Get tested just before you go. Wear a mask on the plane and around crowds at airports. Take some rapid test kits. Take cough syrup, throat lozenges, nose spray, and a whole bottle of Tylenol. Pack the liquids in a zip-lock bag. If you don't need this stuff you can leave it behind at the end and have more room for souvenirs. Have a great trip! Rod
-
I really appreciate all the Bismarck information and very interesting details about the ship. I do wish that I had worked more slowly to take advantage of this discussion. But I know that Harry will use it.
-
I love the exposed brass against the gray parts and black decks on your model. It really highlights all the work that you've put into your model. I had the same experience with color mismatch from the iPhone camera or perhaps all the LED lights in my house. I eventually edited all of my photos in Adobe Photoshop Elements and just ran the "Auto Color Correction" option on everything. That seemed to help a lot.
-
When you don't have any idea what something is, don't you just love how someone on this site has the answer and photos to prove it? Thank you to Joe100, and beautiful work as always Harrry.
-
Those tiny struts are really difficult. You have to attach the top end so that you can paint the entire assembly, but it's hard to get the angle set. Yours look perfect.
-
Looking very good sir! You will never notice the "gap" after everything else is attached. Did you get your PE railings yet? How do they look? It is hard for me to imagine that there are only four part-works issues left to go, but I suppose that you have a great many parts just ready to attach.
-
The Best Laid Plans ... I rushed to finish my display case before my son came for our July 4th holiday. We have a nice, finished attic, and my plan was that he and I could carry it up there where it would not clutter up the living areas of our house. We moved it awkwardly from the basement to the second floor entrance to the attic stairs, where there is a full-sized door followed immediately by a steep staircase. Wouldn't you know it, but when we angled the case to go up the stairs it would not fit under the door frame. We studied the situation for a long time and finally decided that that the case was not going in the attic. Luckily we have a guest bedroom on the second floor with room for a display case, and that's where it ended up. My glass shelves and doors all fit perfectly (whew), and so did the three models. The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen are both 1/200 scale, and the Arleigh Burke is 1/196 so they look good together. I could probably squeeze my U-boat in there too but at 1/72 it might look out of place. I put rows of LED light strips over each model. They are very intense, impossible to photograph, and I'll probably never use them. My advice to anyone planning to build cabinets for large models: Make separate cabinets for each model Make them stackable like an old Barrister's bookcase Forget the LED lights
-
Very nice! I like the aluminum paint on the funnel exhausts. I am almost as happy to see this coming together as you are.
-
Display Case I am building a display case for my three warship models - the Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, and Arleigh Burke. I started trying to model it in Sketchup, which I have used before. I wasn't happy with my original design so I started over with some simple sketches, and finished with a hand-drawn 3-view. I took a LOT of drawing in high school and one class in college, which immediately became obsolete- except when I want to make something. Here's my final 3-view from 8 days ago. You can see that this is a BIG piece of furniture. The Bismarck is 50" long, but acrylic sells in 48" sheets, so that set the width. The Bismarck will be hidden a little behind the frames. The models are all around 14" high, so there will just be enough height for the three. Later I went back to Sketchup and got some better views. Last Friday I went to the lumber yard and bought $400 worth of cherry. Here's what I've finished since then. A few days ago I ordered hardware and LED lights: $150. Today I ordered 2 glass doors for the sides and 2 glass shelves: $225. I also bought the acrylic front panel $115. I haven't added it all up yet, but I think it was WAY more than I ever expected to spend on a display case. It will keep the dust off of three models, but right now my shop in our finished basement is covered with dust. Final photos soon.
- 215 replies
-
- 11
-
-
-
Your photos look like the Bismarck is trapped in an ice floe. 😀 I don't remember what hole size I used. But cut out one stanchion and test the fit on a scrap of wood before you drill everything.
-
Very interesting! I've never seen anything like this. Some of the products still have you drilling holes though. While you're waiting for the postman, try rigging 4 or 5 of the included stanchions on a scrap of wood. I think that you will find that it's easier than you expect. Spray the entire lot of PE stanchions with primer and one coat of gray first. Use a pin to mark the holes and drill with a tiny drill bit in a Dremel at low speed. The holes don't have to be very deep, so they won't poke through. Maybe 1 stanchion in 20 had to be cleaned out with a bit in a pin vise. I did that after they were installed and just backed up the stanchion with a scrap of wood.
-
Ted, Beautiful work on all the fiddly bits. The decals look perfect. Your model is starting to look very interesting with all the exposed brass. And with the Missouri and the Yamato under the bench, you will be busy for a LONG time! Rod
-
Harry, Nice work on the deck. It looks like the gap is just about right. Some of the stanchions are braced like an upside-down V (a lambda?) with the upright into the hull and the brace a bit higher glued flush on the deck. Cut one out and try it just so you know what to expect. There are plenty of spare stanchions. Don't trust the specified hole dimensions for the turret mounts. Attach dowels to the turrets and then drill the holes undersized so that they fit tight but can still swivel.
-
Ted, I use medium CA on a toothpick to glue parts together or to the deck, then hit the joint with thin CA from a glue looper. Every 5-10 joints the looper gets clogged, so I burn it off with a Bic lighter and wipe the carbon off with a paper towel. I used the same loop for my entire model. Incidentally, the many plastic bags that all the PE and plastic parts come in make perfect surfaces for holding little puddles of CA ready for the next joint. Just don't rest your arm in it. Rod
-
Those protuberances are rangefinders so the gun crew can fire independently of the three main fire control stations. After the ship entered service it was found that the rangefinders on the first turret were frequently flooded with sea water, so they were removed.
-
Hi Chap, Thanks for that!! I could paint these but I don't want to tempt fate, I'd rather have something that I can just "Place" to achieve the desired result. Just had a look at the site, this might just be the ticket!!🙂 (Australia is not too far away so shipping shouldn't be too costly.) Could you please detail exactly the item you ordered? Good to see you back, I was wondering where you had got to.... 🙂 Cheers and Regards, Harry. Hi Ted, Yes, great to see you back! Nothing like moving to spoil a hobby. I'll be following your build with interest. Rod
-
Bismarck by rvchima - Amati - Scale 1:200 - WWII German Battleship - FINISHED 530 Hours, 225 Days The Bismarck is finished and my bench is cleared off, ready to start a new project. I kept a "diary" of my build, and it took me about 530 hours over 225 days. I took off a couple of weeks around the holidays and all of March, so on average I put in about 3 hours per day. Your mileage may vary. This is the most expensive kit I've ever bought at close to $700 US. I also spent around $200 for brass props, glue, paints, and pedestals and wood for the base, so my hobby cost about $5 per day. My wife is happy that I'm not into real boats. This is also one of the nicest kits I've ever built. The wood is excellent, the laser cutting is perfect, and the photo etched parts are superb. The two instruction manuals are the best I've ever seen. The plastic parts were not quite as good. Some had molding cavities that had to be filled, and the many staircases were made from some more flexible plastic that did not glue well. I've made three kits by Amati now - their Bismarck, U-boat 47, and Arno XI Ferrari hydroplane. They were all excellent kits, and I highly recommend any of them. Final Photos All guns to starboard. The Bismarck with the Prinz Eugen "light" cruiser by Aeronaut, both at 1/200 scale. The Bismarck is on the mantle at the moment but won't remain there long. Probably only until my wife comes downstairs.
- 215 replies
-
- 16
-
-
-
-
Harry, I made the markings in Photoshop and sent you the file by private message. You should be able to print them yourself.
-
Hi Harry, Thank you for your kind words. It's been a pleasure "working" with you, and I am keen to see your ship finished too. I will keep up with your build log, but if you have questions just message me directly to make sure that I see them. What's next? My wife has me signed up to build a decorative arbor for the garden. A 1:16 Sopwith Camel by Artesania Latina. I've built Model Expo's Fokker Triplane at the same scale. A 1:48 scale Seguin tugboat by Bluejacket Shipcrafters. Mostly wood, almost no PE or plastic to fiddle with. Sorry Harry, I don't know what you meas by "deck transfers."
-
Rigging I finished the rigging yesterday and am working on the handrails. It's all done with 0.2 mm black monofilament line, which has been a pleasure to work with. It's extremely strong, doesn't kink, and glues solid with a spot of CA. There are 4 double antennas tied to tiny triangular PE pieces. I clamped the pieces to a stick to get the two lines the same length. Here's the rigging in all its glory. I left this photo at full resolution so you can see the lines. The handrails comprise about 150 PE stanchions on each side of the ship threaded with three layers of monofilament line. I was dreading this task, but it's only taking about one hour per line. You can literally pull one end of the line and tighten it the entire length of the ship. I finally made a new base for the model using purpleheart wood. The color looks good with the anti-rust color of the lower hull, and it will turn a little browner with age.
- 215 replies
-
- 13
-
Our Emblem ®
