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Antiquing a wooden ship


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Good day everyone!

 

After multiple searches here and on google I'm not finding any info on finishing a model to have a museum quality antique finish.

looking for any info or personal experience you may have. Or direction to where it might be here at MSW.

 

 

 

Sincere Regards,

 

Bill

Passion is Patience...and I am a carpenter in any scale.

 

 

Current build;  Endurance - 1:70 scale, Occre

 

Current build;    H.M.S. Surprise - 1796, 1:48 A L

                                    

 

 

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Hello Bill...

Hmmm... first time I hear about a Museum Quality Antique finish. I hear about Museum Quality built ships.

 

Could you please elaborate? What do you mean by Museum Quality Antique finish?

 

Do you mean that the ship looks like it was built 200 years ago?

There aren't but two options: do it FAST, or do it RIGHT.

 

Current Project Build Log: Soleil Royal in 1/72. Kit by Artesania Latina.

Last finished projectsRoyal Ship Vasa 1628; French Vessel Royal Louis 1780. 1/90 Scale by Mamoli. 120 Cannons

 

Future projects already in my stash: Panart: San Felipe 1/75; OcCre: Santísima Trinidad 1/90;

Wish List: 1/64 Amati Victory, HMS Enterprise in 1/48 by CAF models.

 

So much to build, so little time!

 

 

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One of the Vasa builds has a great antiqe finish ,but I dont think he explains much about it. I'll give you a link if I find it.          check out md1400cs Vasa build or Moonbugs Santa Maria with a good antique type finish.   

 

 

Bill in Idaho

Edited by reklein

Bill, in Idaho

Completed Mamoli Halifax and Billings Viking ship in 2015

Next  Model Shipways Syren

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Hello Bill...

Hmmm... first time I hear about a Museum Quality Antique finish. I hear about Museum Quality built ships.

 

Could you please elaborate? What do you mean by Museum Quality Antique finish?

 

Do you mean that the ship looks like it was built 200 years ago?

Yes, making it look like it was built 200 years ago. I'm sure I could figure it out but no since in recreating the wheel so to speak :)

 

Thanks Bill in Idaho :)

 

 

bill

Edited by Bill Hime

Passion is Patience...and I am a carpenter in any scale.

 

 

Current build;  Endurance - 1:70 scale, Occre

 

Current build;    H.M.S. Surprise - 1796, 1:48 A L

                                    

 

 

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Bill, 

 

The Russians do a lot of that using bitumen or a compound there of.   I've heard of it and seen the results but haven't a clue how it's done.  However, the results are incredible.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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Hi Bill. There is a technique called weathering, intended to make things like cars, tanks, ships, etc. to have a weathered, abused look, which can be used to make something look very old. I have used it extensively in my plastic building days. It involves a technique called "dry brush".

Not sure if this is something like what you are looking for. Please look at post #5 in this thread.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3962-how-to-make-plastic-look-like-wood/

 

Please let me know if it is and if you need further explanations.

 

Best regards

 

Ulises

Edited by Ulises Victoria

There aren't but two options: do it FAST, or do it RIGHT.

 

Current Project Build Log: Soleil Royal in 1/72. Kit by Artesania Latina.

Last finished projectsRoyal Ship Vasa 1628; French Vessel Royal Louis 1780. 1/90 Scale by Mamoli. 120 Cannons

 

Future projects already in my stash: Panart: San Felipe 1/75; OcCre: Santísima Trinidad 1/90;

Wish List: 1/64 Amati Victory, HMS Enterprise in 1/48 by CAF models.

 

So much to build, so little time!

 

 

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Bill, 

 

The Russians do a lot of that using bitumen or a compound there of.   I've heard of it and seen the results but haven't a clue how it's done.  However, the results are incredible.

Yes Mark,

The Russian models is where I have seen it. I love the richness of the wood finish on some of those models and would love to reproduce it for mine.

 

 

 

Bill

Passion is Patience...and I am a carpenter in any scale.

 

 

Current build;  Endurance - 1:70 scale, Occre

 

Current build;    H.M.S. Surprise - 1796, 1:48 A L

                                    

 

 

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There's a series of DVD's (or maybe it's CD) by Dr. Micheal, Russian Master on a lot of their techniques.  I don't know if he goes into finishes though as I've not seen the videos.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I had to 'antique' a ship model for a TV company a few years ago. After much experimenting we discovered the most effective results were with spaying the whole model with well thinned down wood stain (dark oak). The trick was not to spray regularly as if you were trying to paint it, but to use more random passes gradually building up the color to the level of age you want. It doesn't require a lot and is very effective. (on TV anyway)

 

Dan.

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Chris Lindons build the Freisland has got some amazing finishes. He uses Citadel Warhammer paints. Made it look old and weathered. He also explains for us how he achieves those results. Best of luck.

Regards, Scott

 

Current build: 1:75 Friesland, Mamoli

 

Completed builds:

1:64 Rattlesnake, Mamoli  -  1:64 HMS Bounty, Mamoli  -  1:54 Adventure, Amati  -  1:80 King of the Mississippi, AL

1:64 Blue Shadow, Mamoli  -  1:64 Leida Dutch pleasure boat, Corel  -  1:60 HMS President Mantra, Sergal

 

Awaiting construction:

1:89 Hermione La Fayette AL  -  1:48 Perserverance, Modelers shipyard

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Great information everyone!

 

Mark, I will look for those CD's. I think the work of the Russian masters is the bar I want to set for my own builds..of course over time ;)

 

Ulises and Dan, Those techniques definitely have application!

 

Scott, I'll have to take a look at Chris Lindons, Freisland.

 

Dirk, Thank you for the link. That is what I was looking for. That link has a great discussion about the use of Bitumen which builds that feature natural wood finishes.

 

I can't say "never" but my goal for my own work is to avoid paint and celebrate the beauty of different exotic woods. This is partly the reason I'm staying with larger scale builds, 1:48th and above. This opens up the use of species that would be otherwise too coarse grained at a smaller scale. Not to mention, can stand up to a firmer hand rubbed finish.

 

 

 

Bill 

Passion is Patience...and I am a carpenter in any scale.

 

 

Current build;  Endurance - 1:70 scale, Occre

 

Current build;    H.M.S. Surprise - 1796, 1:48 A L

                                    

 

 

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I understand the goal is to make the new model look like an old model, and not as a new model of an aged ship (aka weathering), which is something else. Since this is basicly the same as faking antique furniture, I suggest you google just that: not for ship models but for how to make fake antiques - bitumen is regularly used for that purpose so I guess that is where that particular idea came from. Probably you can find more ideas in that department, since modellers usually are better at "weathering" :)

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Thank you Matle.

 

I've been building furniture and cabinets for 30 yrs or so. Bitumen is not something I've seen readily available. My grandfather taught me to use tannins, inks and even shoe polish to create aging woods on historical restoration projects.

 

I'm looking forward to working with it ;)

 

Here's the link dubz posted above;  http://modelshipworl...men-experiment/

 

 

 

Bill

Passion is Patience...and I am a carpenter in any scale.

 

 

Current build;  Endurance - 1:70 scale, Occre

 

Current build;    H.M.S. Surprise - 1796, 1:48 A L

                                    

 

 

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One needs to be careful using bituminous compounds: they never completely 'set'. The alligator-skin cracked surface one sees in old varnish is caused by bitumen: it slowly 'crawls' over time. Some old paintings have the same problem where bitumen brown was used by the artist.

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series  http://trafalgar.tv

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Here is what I found about the use of bitumen by old artists, the key is not to use more than what turpentine can dissolves.

 

 

http://www.naturalpigments.com/art-supply-education/asphaltum-bitumen

 

''Although many aspersions have been cast upon the use of any asphaltum in oil painting, it is interesting to note these comments by Church. The disadvantages attending to the use of these coal-tar browns and of ordinary asphalt are two-fold. Not only are they treacherous on account of their easy fusibility, but they are liable to stain contiguous pigments by reason of their solubility in oil or varnish. When used successfully by the older artists they were always introduced sparingly, or were largely commingled with more solid paints."

 

Basically, it is the same principle for aging wood; dissolves bitumen in turpentine and then add oil. There is a maximum of bitumen that can be dissolved in turpentine. Passed this point bitumen sinks in the bottom of the container.

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