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

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

At that size, it's amazing feat of endurance and a very steady hand if you ask me. Again well done!

Greg

[augie]

Those are individual strands of copper wire?  Outrageous.  Don't know if you tried it but, since you're painting the wire, scuffing it with some fine sandpaper (maybe 400 grit) then wiping it clean with acetone might help the CA grab it a little better.  

 

But it doesn't matter.  What you have is outstanding.

[GLakie]

That's a nice bit of ingenuity Dennis! 

[src]

Very nice work on the rails Dennis, we have some super fine stranded wire at the shop if you suddenly get a bout of OCD inspired S&M and want to get all three rails in, pm me and I'll send you a length.

 

When it comes to buying new toys I have always found that a pointed look at my better half's collection of footwear a very strong persuader. That and telling her she is the most beautiful woman in the world to me never hurts either.

 

Sam

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

You are a smooth talker Sam, but it helps sometimes I think!

Greg

[Omega1234]

Hi Dennis

 

Clever work on enhancing those railings!

 

I'm looking forward to see all the decks assembled, as well, because that's when it'll all start falling into place.

 

Nice work.

 

Patrick

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Patrick........that will still take some time.   does make me wish I had the one with the P.E. upgrade......but as long as it looks good,  I'm not kick'in!

 

thanks for the good word!

[BenF89]

Huh. I couldn't see the hole you're talking about in the pictures, but I can't think of anything off hand that goes there. 

 

As for the ship's wheels - there were three of them. There was the primary helm, located in an enclosed wheel house within the structure of the forward bridge, at the forward end of the boat deck (the wheel house was just forward of the officer's quarters). The pedestal for this telemotor helm is still on the wreck, as it was brass. A picture is below:

 

 

The second wheel was forward of the wheel house, in the bridge proper, between the engine telegraphs. This was used primarily in restricted waters, where better visibility from the helm was needed. 

 

The third wheel is the one that's causing your head scratching. The structure on the poop deck is called the docking bridge, and again, was used only during in-port maneuvering (well, it probably wasn't ever used on Titanic, come to think of it....). There was also an engine telegraph on the docking bridge. Think of it like the limited set of controls seen on some modern ships' bridge wings.

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Ben,  the telegraph on the docking bridge would be a docking telegraph; common on large ships prior to efficient radio and used to transmit orders and reports re making fast and letting go mooring lines.

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

the only helm I have seen to do anything with is on the poop deck.   the others are superficial and hidden.  it's good info though........I haven't assembled it yet to the  docking bridge  {guess this would be what that particular strip of deck is called}.   thanks for the info and it's use 

[popeye the sailor]

this week has been busy......I've been bouncing from the table to mowing the lawns......to raking up a particularly nasty area by the garage......wiring up outlets and motion detector lights on the garage.  I think this week has been very productive so far      ahhhhh,  but this is the last day of it........I had taken Monday off and it will be back to work for me on Saturday.   I think I'm going to book another vacation........soon...............I want it! 

 

the roofs on the structures that populate the boat deck,  have a pretty distinct bit of paint work.   the funnel platforms need to be painted......but one does not have a distinct platform.......but still has the pattern design to be laid out for it.   I was thinking about it,  while working on another aspect......and then it hit me........make a masking template     grabbed the masking tape and laid a strip over one of the funnel platforms......cutting out the center where the funnel is to be cemented.

 

 

then I cut around the shape of the platform.

 

 

the area in question is here........

 

 

removing the newly formed template and laying it down on the area,  I found that I didn't need the entire template.  so,  I cut off the extra and folded it over.   painting went well.

 

 

then,  I took care of the anchor chain,  painting it black.   I was going to simply replace the chain......but this will be good practice for me.....   I also added the winches on the lower level of the part.

 

 

here is the hole that I mentioned Ben.   yes,  the hole to the very aft is for a flag staff........but I went through the entire set of instructions,  and could not find a part that goes here. I will probably end up blanking it out later.

 

 

I almost had an oopsie moment.....adding enhancement #3 to the cranes.   I wanted to drill a couple holes near the tip of the booms,  to add cables.   they look silly without them.   the drill slipped off it's mark......not just once.......but twice!   it was looking pretty bleak for this to work,  but after patching up the damaged crane with some plastic putty,  I got an idea.

     I would simply lay the ends aside the pulley at the tip and call it good.   I can touch them up afterwards.

 

 

I soon had them all rigged.......

 

 

I was painting up the ship's wheel and helm.....such a tiny part.........and finally cemented it in place.   I added a couple more parts,  and that finishes the stern / poop deck assembly.   I can put it aside now.

 

 

for the bow.  the last two parts to be added are the extra anchor,  and the stanchion.......I believe it would be used as an aide with hauling up the anchors......not completely sure.

 

 

I'm beginning to miss wood

[NenadM]

Nice work Denis

 

Caught by the wood magic? Be carefull, my friend, wood magic is so much stronger than a blood magic, which is, according to R.R.Martin, the strongest magic ever. I do not believe him, because he do not ever builds wooden ship models

 

On the other side, I never heared about plastic magic. But ... watching and following your modeling work, I concluded you are some kind of wizard, so maybe there is a plastic magic somewhere arround you

Edited June 5, 2015 by Nenad

[BenF89]

Jim,

 

Thanks for that piece of info; I had always assumed the telegraphs were all engine related. But it makes a lot of sense; I was thinking they would have had to be on the telephone to the primary bridge the whole time. Man, I need to brush up!

 

Dennis,

 

You're correct on the anchor crane forward - as the name implies, it was use for anchor handling. Interesting point - when the bow hit the bottom, the force swung the crane around 180 degrees, so it now faces forward. So as a kid, whenever I drew pictures, I drew the crane forward, and it took me a long time to believe the paintings and photos of the ship afloat that showed the crane in its actual stowage position facing aft!

 

As for that mysterious hole; it may be a carryover for another similar type kit, or just an oops. I reviewed some photos of Olympic's poop deck, especially the docking bridge area, and I didn't see anything other than that centerline vent.

[popeye the sailor]

I worked with plastic before I got bit by the wood bug........I do have a couple plastic kits in the closet,  but I found new fun with wood.....hard to say if it's magic or not......do what you enjoy,  and enjoy what you do     thank you Nenad 

 

yea.....the  hole is odd to me too.....I'll dwindle down the parts and see what I have left.   we can only deal with parts that the kit contains.......that is,  unless the enhancement you want to do,  is doable in the first place.   but it is good to talk about the ship and what is covered in it's assembly......after all,  it is a build log      I was browsing through  ' old model kits .com ' ....saw the Olympia and the Lusitania.....they would be cool,  but the scale is too small!    I want something bigger!    ........like the one Nils is doing        thank you my friend~!

[Guest Tim I.]

Dennis,

 

I am a later comer to you build log, but I really like your work so far on this kit. I built plastic ship kits for almost twenty years before switching to wood models a year or two ago.

 

In boxes in my attic I have most of Tamiya's 1/700 scale US and IJN Navy's from their waterline series from the late 1990's. On the shelf I have Tamiya's new tooling for the IJN Yamato about halfway complete.

 

I stopped building plastic kits because I was unhappy with the quality of the kits being offered. For example bad toolings, excess flash that when cleaned really did not look right and took excess filling to get it right, and very delicate sub assemblies. 

 

My wife also purchased an Academy kit the new USS Indianapolis tooling. The kit came with the wood deck applique as well as a considerable amount of photo etch. I may tackle it some day. 

 

As for Academy kits, I have found there quality (the most recent toolings) to be on par or if not better than Tamiya. I have also heard a lot of buzz on this kit of the Titanic (i.e. it is the one to get / the best model out there).

 

I think you are doing a stellar job on your Titanic, and honestly learned something new about taking chrome off with brake fluid!    

I would have whipped out my airbrush and based over it. I am also impressed with your brush painting skills, bravo! I am greatly enjoying your build log so far, and look forward to following it to conclusion.

 

- Tim

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Denis

Re that hole at the end of the stern, I've been looking at the net and here are some photos I've found.

Hope they are a help. It appears to be an ensign staff.

Havagooday

Greg

[popeye the sailor]

sorry for my late reply Tim.....work pulled me away...      thanks for the good words.....and yea,  I can agree with that.   unless a person has some skill in scratch building and modification,  plastic kits can be quite daunting.   some detail missing.......incorrect detail and {or} location of said part,  are just a few of the problems one can come across.   I do like the Academy kit......I've resided myself to the fact that all kits have their quirks.....so now I just throw it on the table,  and away I go      The TRMA site....most of these folks {in the forum......a very odd forum,  by the way} utilize the Minicraft kit of the Titanic.  I'm not a huge fan of Minicraft,  but after seeing what the contents of the kit looks like,  I'm tempted to pick it up the next time I see it.

 

 

this is the minicraft kit contents......there are some really major differences.   I think this is 1:350.....slightly larger than the Academy kit.  

 

 

thank Greg........yea....that's the flag staff.   I showed the hole in question a few pictures ago.  it's really not a big deal....I merely posted the info about it,  just in case someone out there buys the kit and stumbles on it.....they won't get all weirded out by it       if I don't find the  {missing}  part soon,  I'll simply fill it in and paint over it.   glad to know I haven't lost one of my pet peeves.........the hole that goes nowhere 

[popeye the sailor]

I was going to hold on to this,  until I had a little more meat with the potatoes,  but awwww what the heck.......I may as well post it now.....it's Friday's progress.   it's the beginning phase for the paint work of the hull.   if I'm going to attempt lighting this model,  I thought it would be cool to drill out all the portholes.   the admiral had to go to a doctor's appointment......I began at the table,  but soon retreated to the front porch.   when she came home......I guess she was unnerved with not finding me in the house.......I dunno.....she seemed relieved when she finally tracked me down.  

 

 

 

it took a while..........I used three different size drills to do this.....but they are all done

 

 

 

 

 

now I guess I'll try and touch up those screw tunnels 

[GLakie]

Lot of holes there Dennis!   Did you drill all those out by hand?  Must have taken hours! 

[Omega1234]

Hi Dennis

 

Just looking at the last few photos of your drilling efforts, it doesn't take much imagination to think how good the ship's going to look all lit up at night.

 

I look forward to the next update.

 

All the best

 

Patrick

[Jim Lad]

Great idea to drill out the ports for lighting, Popeye.  She'll look great at night.

 

Jiohn

[augie]

Nice!  Now when do you start applying the rivets to the hull ?

[mtaylor]

Rivets, Augie?  I'm waiting to see if Popeye will put glass in the portholes and maybe make some open...   I wouldn't expect working portholes... or should I?

 

Wonderful work, Popeye.  That many portholes is like treenails... real dedication.

[GLakie]

That's it!!!   Rivits instead of tree-nails.  We really shouldn't give him any ideas.     

[augie]

Oh, I'm sure he'll add the glazing.  The real challenge will be the brass porthole rings.

[popeye the sailor]

a big thanks to everyone for the kind comments.   some of you even want to see me go over the deep end........when I was doing the railings,  the admiral said I was crazy........when she saw me drilling these holes,  the admiral said I was crazy.   I can imagine what she would say if she saw me doing rivets and porthole rings.........I'd be in a tie-back jacket before you could blink!  suggest it to me when I have the Billing's Titanic   

 

I do have something for glass mark........or I could just go mental with the window maker.  not sure if I'll do it though......I'll look into it. 

 

thanks also for for you folks who hit the like button! 

[Jack12477]

And maybe even lace curtains for the First Class cabin windows/portholes

 

Nice work Popeye !

[src]

Looks great Dennis. Whats you plan for the lighting? Any plans to light position lanterns/lights?

 

I would imagine there were outdoor lights for Leo and Winslette to take a romantic stroll at night. Some fiber optics maybe?? I'll go back to my corner now. 

 

Sam

[augie]

Leave off the outdoor lights so that they just fall overboard.

[mtaylor]

It's plastic.. do NOT use a candle.      :o