RMS Titanic by popeye the sailor - Academy - PLASTIC - 1/400 scale

[GLakie]

Sure doesn't look easy working at that small of a scale, but I know with your ingenuity, it'll pass muster with no problem.

 

Cheers  

[augie]

Nice save, Popeye.  

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

I know you can do it Denis. Looooking gooood so far.

Havagooday

Greg

[popeye the sailor]

thank you gentlemen.......I thought it was better to try working with the supplied parts,  rather than try and order the P.E.  {would be interesting to see how that would go over with them}       I felt like I was spinning my wheels there for a moment......nice to be moving in a positive direction.  I had to make a couple repairs on the railings,  so I'll let them set for the time being and allow the cement to fully cure,  before I attempt to clean them up the rest of the way.

 

thanks Gary.......actually,  I'd rather be building the Billing's kit along side you.....I am sooooo jealous!       this is only 26 1/2 inches........compared to your whopping 51 inch build.  I hope you can find a remedy for your problem with the kit.   if you haven't seen the TRMA site,  have a gander.  they don't have all the answers,  but they cover quite a bit and the articles are pretty good 

 

thanks also to all who hit the like button 

Edited May 28, 2015 by popeye the sailor

[Old Collingwood]

Hey there  great work going on, the decking reminded me of what i had done with my wood planks on my other build, i used a self mixed solution of dropping a wire wool spongy type thing into an air tight container with vinegar, this was left for afew days, this was brushed over the wood planks and had the effect of bleaching just like holy stoning.

Also with the hand rails would i be correct in thinking that they would be white metal work of uprights and middle/lower sections, and probably a wooden hand rail running the top length, i once traveled on a smaller pleasure liner and this had the same hand rail arrangement.

 

OC

[popeye the sailor]

whoa.........74 inches!!!  must be the Warrior that's 51 inches.  one of these days Gary......I hope to attempt a build that size.  glad to hear you have that site to work from 

 

 

I hope to do something like that with the handrails.......they are like that throughout the entire ship.   there's quite a bit too!   I like the color of the decks.  the sand that is still on there does give it some different hues.   I did the fore deck and the stern.......came out pretty good.  these two deck should be slightly darker due to the different woods used.   spotty progress today,  but I did get something done.   I'll post the progress soon.

 

at the moment,  everyone's clammering for food...........better go man the grill 

[popeye the sailor]

so......as far as the railings are concerned,  they have been set aside for the moment.  I had to fix a couple repairs while cutting out the rungs,  and I want them to dry totally before I start fidgeting with them again.

 

I went back to the bridge deck and added a couple more parts....some benches and a pair of vents.

 

 

the fore deck and the stern section were repainted.   the sand color that didn't come off did make these parts look a tiny bit darker,  but it's OK........these decks were planked with pitch pine and will appear darker anyway.

 

 

I was looking for the hold covers for the foredeck........I found them in the last place I would expect to look.  they were on the clear plastic sprue!  this is a bit strange,  since they are to be painted flat white.  what a waste!  I already painted them here.

 

 

I painted the inner structure areas on the boat deck......let these dry.

 

 

...and I began to assembly the cranes.

 

 

note that I painted the inner wall structure on the front section of the boat deck.........I did the same thing with the A deck,  which has three of them.    not that anyone will ever truly see through the windows,  I painted these areas.....I went darker with this deck.   I want to put all these decks together,  to see if the stairways need to be done.  I'm thinking no.......but I will if I need to.....not a problem.

 

 

the outer wall structure has been painted flat white.   it was clamped in place and all the tabs were fitted in their slots.  I dabbed these slots from underneath with cement.......makes for a much neater job.

 

[popeye the sailor]

ohhhhh wait.....what about those chrome parts I've been soaking?  well.....I checked them,  and they look ready.   so, I brought them all to the kitchen counter and set up the plastic bags again.   pulling them out one by one and scrubbing them with the stiff brush,  they cleaned off well enough to be thrown in the tub of soapy water.  when I was done,  everything was triple bagged and thrown in the trash.   the parts are tiny......I used a strainer to rinse them off after washing.

 

 

when they were dried off.....this is what they look like now.   I used a dime for reference.

 

 

the A deck when I turned it over.........

 

 

some assembly was done to the fore deck......four of the capstans and two of the hold covers.   I'm kinda miffed about the hold covers.   clear parts are nothing but pure styrene......the hardness hasn't been compromised by the addition of color pigment or additives.  even though I took care to get them off the sprue,  marks can still be seen.

 

 

...and of course,  the A deck with all the clamps off of it

 

 

there are some small part to go on there yet........then I can get going on the boat deck.   I will continue with the fore deck, and begin work on the stern.   the fore deck has two lengths of chain {plastic} that needs to go on there........I want to sub in a couple pieces of actual chain.   I have been looking for a good picture of the chain routing.........if anyone has one,  I'd be pleased to see it.......can't find one out there,  anywhere!   {so far....anyway} 

[Omega1234]

Hi Dennis

 

I've been a bit hit and miss on following yours and other builds over the past few days...but I'm back now!

 

Lovely job you're doing, I must say and, your commitment to the authenticity of colours is really shining through.

 

Nice work!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

Edited May 29, 2015 by Omega1234

[popeye the sailor]

the outside world does take it's toll.  doesn't it.     not to worry my friend...it will always be here when you get back.   I have found that the kit color scheme isn't totally correct.   this kit has some really nice detail.........with the trove of information out there,  I see no reason not to define the colors for the next person who builds this kit.   although just a tad smaller,  I'm sure that the Revell kit would benefit from this as well.   I still wish that some of the molded detail {bollards,  hold walls, etc.} wasn't molded onto the parts.   it would be easier to do texture work to the decks...with the way they are molded,  I'd be concerned with creating paint piling in the corners and such.  thanks for the good word,  my friend 

[augie]

Brake fluid looks like it did the trick!  Four capstans !!!!

[GLakie]

She looks great Dennis.  Glad to see you're attacking this with your usual attention to detail!  

[src]

Very nice work, at the rate you're going you'll be done in no time. 

I dint know about the clear vs colored styrene. Is it possible they ran out of room on the other molds and it was cheaper to do those two parts in clear rather than create a whole new mold?

Sam

[BenF89]

I may be able to help you with the routing of the chain on the foredeck; I have several books that I can look at that should have that information.

 

You might also consider not looking for plans, but looking at photos of the wreck. The bow is one of the most photographed parts of the wreck, and the anchors and chains are still in place (or at least they were when most of the pictures were taken). There is an amazing overhead mosaic of the bow section taken by the towed camera sled ARGO from when Ballard discovered it in 1985 - when it was still in pristine condition, unseen or untouched for over 70 years.

 

I did a little digging for images, and this one is (1) a neat picture, and (2) shows roughly the routing of the chains.

 

 

But I will try to find something more 'official' when I get back to my bookshelf later today.

 

[NenadM]

Just a idea ...

 

Maybe you can watch movie "Titanic" on a another way, watching only ship details, not story, and capture details of ship you are interested in. Maybe you got some idea from that approach.

 

I found interesting details accidenty caught on camera watching youtube tourist's clips of "my" ship

 

Just maybe

[BenF89]

Just a idea ...

 

Maybe you can watch movie "Titanic" on a another way, watching only ship details, not story, and capture details of ship you are interested in. Maybe you got some idea from that approach.

 

I found interesting details accidenty caught on camera watching youtube tourist's clips of "my" ship

 

Just maybe

 

I concur. I've watched it that way several times; the sets were made with excruciating attention to detail, with several experts and many archival documents involved. A fellow named Ken Marschall, an extraordinary marine artist who is known for his incredible tenacity for research and his amazing attention to detail, felt he was actually on the Titanic itself while visiting the sets to provide feedback on their accuracy. If you want to get the best possible representation of that ship (in a non-technical format), the movie "Titanic" is the place to get it. 

Edited May 29, 2015 by BenF89

[mtaylor]

Looking great, Denis.   You'll solve the railing problem, I'm sure.  

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Augie,  Mark, and George.  I'm finding it quite a challenge to enhance this kit.  with all challenges,  there is a solution.   I will try    thank you!

 

thanks Sam......Have you ever had a kit where the plastic seemed soft.....or peel off in layers when you tried to shape the parts?  raw styrene is actually tough to bend......breaks before you can get any kind of bend in it.  any addition to the mix will cause it to lose it's brittleness and become more flexible.  for this kit,  there are probably 6 to 8 molds to make all the sprue panels.  I'm sure that the planning for the sprues is done by computer.....logic has nothing to do with it.

    in the instance of wood kits,  looking at the arrangement of the parts panels in the instructions........but the actual parts panels have a different arrangement.  I have seen this with Billing's kits.  all I can say is........at least I have the parts

 

thank you Ben.......I have not seen that picture.   before I even got this kit,  I watched just about every you tube vid on the Titanic and her sinking.  that is my question.....comes through the hawse holes.....runs back along the guides,  to the capstans.......but where does it go from there?  I'll show you what I have to work with.....very sad.

     the chain supplied in the kit is two plastic parts,  about an inch or so long....

 

 

I have the two outer capstans in place at the moment.....there are two smaller ones that will sit on those square platforms that the guides lead up to.

 

 

if those capstans were in place,  the chain would wrap around it from the inside,  and out towards the bow again.  I

wonder if there was a sort of chain gate that they  went into,  leading below the foredeck

 

 

we happen to have the movie.......I can't believe you said that Nenad.........ignore all that gooey,  kissy face stuff!  why...... it's the spice!          there has been some debate though about how the ship was 'on set'.....mostly concerning color, believe it or not!   even historians and experts have been baffled as to what the correct colors were...."White Star Buff"  is the most controversial color.  I appreciate the help Ben....if you do come across some pictures,  I'd love to see them.

 

as for you Nenad........I have Monday and the rest of the week off,  this coming week.  we'll set our watches,  make some popcorn.......and watch the movie together.  first one that cries........buys lunch!    is that a deal?   

 

I didn't get anything done today.....got tied up with 'home work'.   I'm going to go review some you tube vids.   I'll have an update soon.  thanks for the kind words and to those who  looked in 

 

 

 

[BenF89]

As promised, pulled out a couple books that I thought would have the info, and snapped some pictures.

 

The chains come up through the hawse pipes, aft along the races, around the capstans, and then make an immediate 90 degree turn down into the chain locker. See the attached pictures; they are taken from "Titanic: A Model Maker's Manual" by Peter Davies-Garner, and "Titanic: The Ship Magnificent Volume 1: Design and Construction" by Bruce Beveridge et. al.

 

Hopefully these pictures get you what you are looking for.

 

[popeye the sailor]

thank you VERY much Ben!   I knew there had to be a pair of chain gates somewhere!    looks like I have some modifying to do.  I'll see what I have in my scrap pile         I really appreciate the help 

[NenadM]

".....ignore all that gooey, kissy face stuff! why...... it's the spice!"

 

But, there is a moment you could slide aside, Denis. You can easily get idea to make/reproduce famous painting scene ...

 

Edited May 30, 2015 by Nenad

[UpstateNY]

Hi Popeye,

 

If those chains are only an inch long, then goodness knows how small some of the other parts are! Hope you have your microscope at the ready!

 

She is looking good and I really like how the deck color came out.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[BenF89]

Anytime! I love talking about this ship and providing any information I know. However, if you are looking for really good information on making the ship reasonably accurate, or trying to get ideas for how to tweak things, etc, I would really recommend one of the books I mentioned - "RMS Titanic: A Modelmaker's Manual". It's 150 pages, and goes step-by-step through the author's construction of his own 18 FOOT long model of the ship (!). He incorporates tons of detail in the model that may be over the top in 1:350 scale, but the book is chock full of photos of the Titanic and her sisters, along with detailed drawings of really anything visible from the outside - superstructure side wall elevations, deck plans, vent details, etc. It's a really great book - especially if you want to go on to do a larger scale model like you were talking about. It would be well worth the small investment.

 

Not to discount the other book  - Titanic The Ship Magnificent. But that is an extensive two volume set that has details about the ship that I didn't even consider wanting to know about! It's a great set if you're a Titanic junkie. The first volume is Design and Construction, and has all the engineering details one could ask for; the second volume is Fitting Out, and goes deck-by-deck through all the details of how the ship was furnished, down to details of how they assembled joinery bulkheads and beds, or the assortment of soap dishes that were used for the second class cabins, or the types of fancy toilet paper holders in the various themed First Class staterooms! It's a bit of an investment, though, and is almost TOO much information if you're not a gung-ho Titanic enthusiast. I think I barely qualify, and as such, there are still whole chapters I haven't even looked at yet - and I've had it for over 5 years.

[popeye the sailor]

I'll reserve that scene to something along the lines of Idle daydream,  Nenad 

 

I couldn't have guessed any better Nigel.....I measured those two pieces,  and they are exactly 1 inch!   the railings are going to be a task.......they are in tiny sections!   I guess I can feel lucky that they molded quite a bit of detail into the deck parts.........I'd need more that my optivisor to cement them in place!  I'm glad you like the deck color......very glad I did the 'about face' and changed it 

 

well Ben......I thank you anyway    I've seen so many pictures already.  I'm not a big Titanic junkie,  but I find the history and the story about her very interesting.  should I ever get the chance to build a larger scale model of her......I'll be sure to look that book up!  if you find any other points  that might be doable,  give me a holler     I'll see if I can comply 

[clearway]

Theres also an old book that came out after the movie called Anatomy of the Titanic by Tom McCluskie who works/ worked for Harlem and Wolf and its a step by step guide from the keel up in Photos and words- unfortunatley of course all the pics are in black and white so white star buff remains a mystery!

Keith

[kpnuts]

The white star buff will always be a mystery, to all but you are doing great work regardless.

[GLakie]

Here's an article about that very subject in .pdf from www.titanic-cad-plans.com http://www.titanic-cad-plans.com/whitestarbuff.pdf?9d7bd4

[popeye the sailor]

looking back,  the funnels are made of an orange plastic.   I'm sure that a light coat of a light sand color,  will bring out the hue.  we'll see what I come up with gents     thanks for the article George......I have not seen that one    the work week is done,  so I hope to have an update soon.

[mobbsie]

No progress yet or update, come on Denis, your slipping.    

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[bdgiantman2]

Dennis, your Titanic model is looking great. Here in San Diego, I know a guy who made a Titanic model and substituted all the plastic decking with real wood as well as installed a lighting system. From what I saw, it looked really cool, especially when the light were turned off and only the model got lit up.

 

Brian