Montanes by mtdoramike - FINISHED - OcCre - 1:70 scale - next donation project

[mtdoramike]

Hi Craig, actually the plates are 1/4" wide by 3/4" in length, which is the same size that I used on the Victory.  

[mtdoramike]

I know what you mean Tomasg, but that copper really looks sweet when it's done and the wow factor you get is way above what you get with the natural wood finish. It takes a certain person really appreciate the look of natural wood and I am one of them, which is why I plan on very little painting on this model compared to what I did to the Victory. My wife agrees with you.

 

 

mike

[tomasg]

Yes i understand, it s a difficult dilemma. I like the style of OcCre and Artesiana Latina emulating the color with wood, i also appreciate the painted hulls to a degree. I guess nothing else can be done but to buy different kits

 

Tomas

[dgbot]

Mike, what did you use for the adhesive?

[mtdoramike]

The tape comes with adhesive on the back. You have to remove the white paper on the back of the tape and then stick it onto the hull. But you need to have a smooth hull and sealed with something like paint or poly. It will stick to the bare wood, but just not as well especially if you don't get all the dust off of it. I have used this method for the last 20 years on numerous ship models and have never had any of the copper plating fail. Now the copper tape is a tad thinner than the actual copper plates that you can get from Cornwall, plus you have to add the rivet markings yourself where the actual copper plating comes pre-marked.

 

 

mike  

[donrobinson]

Hi Mike, I hate to be a pain, but you say you put the tape on then measure each plate and mark with a pencil then come along and score each one to separate them. Does this mean you are cutting right through the copper tape? I apologize, I am a bit of a slow learner at times

[mtdoramike]

No apologies needed mate, The stupid question is the one that was never asked. So if you have any questions, ask away. Yes, the tape is scored with my hobby knife once it's measured and marked out with pencil. This is to mainly so definition between the plates. But this needs to be done once the tape is applied to the hull and also make sure and not get too heavy handed with the knife. Here is a couple of pictures of the plating progress.

 

 

 

mike 

[dgbot]

Your coppering is looking great.

David B

[donrobinson]

Thanks for the explanation Mike, that looks real good

[mtdoramike]

Took a break from the coppering and decided to add some detail like the rubbing strakes, which are painted black and will be some of the few painted parts on this model.

 

 

mike

[mtdoramike]

Sorry for no updates in a while, im down in the islands due to family emergency and will not be back for a few more weeks.

 

Mike

[toms10]

Mike,

Family always comes first, even second and third.  Everything else comes after that.  Hope everything works out well for you and your family.

 

Tom

[fnick]

Hi Mike

 

No need to apologise. Like Tom said family comes first.

 

Nick

[mtdoramike]

Well we are back from the Islands, but my Mother In law still was recouping from Pneumonia when we left. But got a call that she might not be doing as well as we had hoped so might have to fly back down within the next few days.

 

 

mike

[mtdoramike]

I'm back and have been a bit busy and made a little progress on the Monte.

 

 

mike 

[toms10]

Wow Mike, that looks fantastic but I am not really surprised.  The color scheme with the copper plates really works.  Keep up the great work and keep the pics coming.

Tom

[mtdoramike]

Thanks Tom, the next thing is to install the bulwark caps/railings and the dummy cannon.

 

mike

[CDW]

Mike

 

Are you placing the tape on the hull first, then scribing and adding the "rivets", or are you scoring and making rivets before placing the tape?

I tried the latter first, and it did not work too well for me. The tape was too delicate for that.

 

PS: very glad to see you're back!

Edited June 18, 2016 by daddyrabbit1954

[mtdoramike]

I make the rivet marks before placing the tape onto the hull. But once the tape is applied, I go back and measure out the first row with a marked ledger board at what ever the length is for each plate, which in this instance is 3/4 of and inch. Then I mark it out and then score it with the xacto knife. Then I just more or less eye ball the rest of the plates offsetting each row from the last.

 

But you could just as easily make the rivet marks once the tape is applied. But to me, I find it easier to just set down, and pull tape and mark it down the length with the rivet wheel I use. I can mark a third of the roll of tape in about 15 minutes, then roll it back onto the spool of tape, which usually enough to work with for one sitting.

 

 

mike    

Edited June 18, 2016 by mtdoramike

[donrobinson]

Very nice Mike, your coppering looks fantastic. She is really shaping up

[mtdoramike]

I have had a couple of great offers, but I stood fast and declined. I had a couple of offers to buy the SOS Sovereign of the Seas kits and although it was hard to do, I said no thanks. But it was a tough call. Then I had a fellow that wanted a Dos Amigos plank on frame with the side cut out to show the slaves inside the hold of the ship as a commission work and I turned it down as well and referred them else where. Fortunately or unfortunately, I intend on this being the last model I build.

 

 

mike   

[mtdoramike]

Thanks Don, but what I always like to point out is that with a cheap camera and the right amount of lighting you can make a souse ear look like a silk purse. hahahahahahahahaha

 

 

 

mike 

Edited June 18, 2016 by mtdoramike

[mtdoramike]

The Monte is now actually mounted to the display board and not just sitting in it's cradle. I started installing the dummy cannon upper and lowers. You can see how much they protrude out of the gun ports, which is about 1/8th of an inch. They would have stuck out a bit further, but this is the result after I elected to inset the cannon mounts a little bit further into the hull. I really like this look a lot better than the suggested option that was instructed by the kit instructions. But I must say, I was a bit concerned for a while not knowing what the final result was going to be before hand. But I like the result better.

 

 

mike      

[Jparsley]

Wow the colors on her are beautiful Masterful work my friend

[mtdoramike]

Thanks JP.

[mtdoramike]

Well, well, well, I should have checked this BEFORE I started installing the guns, but you know the old saying "would a, should a, could a, hind sight is 20/20. But once I started installing the upper cannon on the opposite side of the Monte, I quickly although not quickly enough realized that OcCre failed to supply enough of the smaller dummy cannon. I'm missing like 7 dummy cannon. But in it's place, I have an over abundance of standard length cannon of the same caliber as the small dummies. So what to do, what to do? I decided to back up and punt and made a MUCH larger hole inside of the cannon port so that I could slip the length of the full sized cannon into the gun port and then using 5 minute epoxy and bracing around the cannon as to make sure it points in the right direction and doesn't move while it dries. With this option, no one really knows about this punt except for me, wellllll and now you. The only difficult this about this is, you have to make sure and keep the same amount of gun barrel protruding out of the cannon port as you look down the side and make any adjustments BEFORE the epoxy dries.       

[toms10]

Where there's a will there's a way.  Overcoming obstacles using ingenuity is half the fun of this hobby.  You will feel that much prouder in the end.

After all, in this hobby it is what you see, not what you "know" that really counts.

Tom

[mtdoramike]

hahahahahaha, I know what you mean Tom, it's all and illusion anyway.

 

 

mike

[mtdoramike]

OK, I got down to the nut and bolt of why I was shorted like 7 of the small caliber dummy cannon that were to be placed inside the upper gun deck. I contacted OcCre and was told that this kit when first manufactured was supposed to have dummy cannon on bother lower and upper decks, but they had received requests for the ability to actually use rigged cannon and carriages on the upper deck mid-ship where the center deck has been cut out. This is why there is a lot of full sized cannon and well as ample enough carriages provided to do this if you want. But the instructions don't give you this option, it shows dummies to be installed on both upper and lower decks. They offered to send me the missing dummy cannon at no charge even though I explained how I bought this kit second hand. They said it was most likely an older kit, which I have to agree. But either way, I like the look of the dummies and it saves a bit of time having to mount and rig the cannon and carriages in that area so no harm done.

 

I just want to make sure that if anyone who see's this build and buys this kit and wants to build it that there is two ways of doing it and it seems the manufacture is leaning more towards the 8 rigged and installed cannon mid-ship.

 

 

mike 

[mtdoramike]

I would also like to mention here that the cannon carriages provided are not wood, they are preformed metal, which I do not care for and might look to replace them with wood carriages if I can find any suitable replacements. If not I will use what is supplied.

 

 

mike