marking water line

[ross]

hi guys,i am new to model boat building, just completed (mantua morning star) and now trying something a bit bigger and more challenging, i have a question . i am just completing the hull on the constructo bounty 1/50,that i have single planked,can you tell me how,where,to mark the water line,and would it be correct to paint the water line, (brown.white) many thanks,ross.

[dgbot]

The waterline will be marked on the plans.  make a stable stand that will keep your model at the correct position. On a flat surface measure up to where the plans show the line.  Make a fixture with a pencil and run it completely around the hull.  As for painting,  check to see what the rules werefor that era and time

 

David B

[Blue Ensign]

Hello Ross,

 

Looking at the drawings in The Bounty by John Mckay in the AotS series of books, the waterline starts off right under the Main wale amidships. He states that she was coppered when taken into Naval service in 1787, but if you wish to display her uncoppered but painted she would probably have been payed with 'White stuff' over wooden sheathing, to give an off white shade of colour.

 

If when you have marked the waterline as indicated by David, it appears to sag towards the bow and stern when viewed from the side this is an optical illusion brought about by the rounding of the hull. To counter this  just bring the line up a fraction from where it starts to round until it satisfies your eye.

 

Once the line is marked I use Tamiya tape to mask the area for painting, and it also gives another opportunity to check all round how the waterline looks on the model.

 

Good luck.

 

B.E.

[bogeygolpher]

Try this for an inexpensive marker.

 

 

[ross]

thanks for all the info , and pic for the marker,think i will go with the white stuff, best get started,hope to post a log shortely,again many thanks,ross.

[Modeler12]

I took a similar approach. Instead of a paper cup, I used a piece of wood and made marks on the hull all around as shown below. The marks were made on the pieces of tape. After that was done I ran a piece of tape all around matching the marks. All of this was done before finishing the copper plating on the hull but the same could hold if you paint.

 

However, it is important that the hull sits level fore and aft as well as sideways. You can see how I fixed the sideways, but the fore/aft was done by locating the waterline on the bow and stern and then I used shims to get the hull the right height from the table top.

 

[Lisa Firth]

I have marked the water line and would love to have a sharp painted/finished water line. Many web sites recommend some thin

model tape. Is that the way to go? This is my first ship model.

[Keith_W]

Lisa, I have found that Tamiya masking tape is ideal. You need to rub it with a fingernail to get it down into the nooks and crannies before you start painting. As added insurance, make sure you build up paint slowly at the area which is masked - a large wash of thin paint is more likely to seep under the tape or between the planks due to capillary action. 

 

I have another way of marking the waterline. I mark where the line should be fore and aft, and also make a couple more marks in between using the plans. I then use a thin strip of plank and tape it to the model, using the marks as a guide. At once you can see what the waterline looks like. No need to use shims, no need to level the model, no need to erase pencil marks (which are surprisingly hard to get off) if you mark your waterline wrongly. 

[dgbot]

Tamiya tape is great for a waterline once you burnish it you are ready to go.  One word of advice.  Remove the tape right after you paint.  Otherwise you could have some trouble.

Davd B

[bogeygolpher]

Lisa,

 

I have successfully used what is called "Chart Pack Tape" for the waterline.  You can find it on-line and in most office supply stores.  It comes in a myriad of colors and sizes.  The 1/16" white is what I used on the Bluenose II.  After painting the colors above and below the waterline I applied the tape exactly on the waterline and covered it with clear lacquer. That was almost 25 years ago and I have never had to replace the tape, it remains as white as when I put it on.  

 

Trying to mask a consistent 1/16" spacing all the way around the ship I consider to be a daunting, if not just about impossible, task.  That's what lead to this solution.  Of course, I'm always looking for easier methods.  Building ships is complicated enough without trying to find ways to make it more difficult.

 

Good luck.

Edited February 15, 2014 by bogeygolpher