Philadelphia by Elijah - Model Shipways - 1:24 Scale - Continental Gunboat

[Elijah]

Thanks guys, I think it looks pretty good. Russ, I did intend on staining within the two hours of applying, but that first try didn't work out. 

Edited January 22, 2018 by Elijah

[Tigersteve]

Nice finish!

Steve

[mikiek]

It's gorgeous dude. You have the best luck when it comes to staining. I still remember the finish on Phantom. They both look like real boats - not stained or painted, just used. A little bit of matte varnish on top of this will seal it up nicely.

[Elijah]

Thank you Mike and Steve!  The way the stain turned out definitely reminded me of the Phantom. I have a quick question. Is wood that has already been stained harder to glue with wood glue than unstained wood? Thanks!

[Tigersteve]

Not at all from my experience. 

Steve

[wool132]

Wow! Looks really good!

Jonathan

[mikiek]

I guess I will have to differ with Steve on this one. For me CA is the worst, I've had times where it took 4-5 minutes for it to dry. Wood glue is a little better. If at all possible scuff up the stained glue site with some sand paper first. Most glues want to get down into the wood fiber. Anything sealing that up is problematic. A quick sanding can bring up a little of the fiber.

[Elijah]

Hello again! Some moderate progress to report. The gun carriages have been partially assembled, so as to make staining them easier. All of the wooden parts have been created, except for the fasteners that keep the trucks from sliding off. The gun barrels are beginning to shape up, but I need to get some filler before I can put them together and paint them. Kurt recommended I use Bondo Glazing and Spot Filling Putty, #907. So far, I have been unable to locate it in any brick-and-mortar shop, so I will likely have to purchase it online. I will also eventually need to replace a swivel gun, as it has a major hole caused by a bubble that looks irreparable. The rudder has been built, as well as the tiller, but I don't think I have any photos of that yet. As I was making some metal parts, I decided to try my hand at making some miniature utensils to be placed on the model in the future. I made a butter knife, which, looking back, wasn't so great. It quickly disappeared to the next dimension, so I made a spoon. The spoon was successful, so I tried making a fork. That worked too, until I accidentally broke a prong off, so I trashed it. I then thought to make a new, better knife. I modelled it somewhat after the way I had seen swords made in a museum. They have a metal blade and interior handle, though the handle is not round, but has 90° edges. The base on the handle is wider, so as to prevent the exterior handle from slipping off. The knife was done much the same way. The handle was made of 1/32" cherry veneer, the same that was used on Phantom's planking. The squared off handle was 1/32" square, so the veneer stacked with it nicely. After the three layers we're stacked, the handle was sanded into shape. I think that these should go well with he fireplace that will go on the boat. All of the wooden parts for the rudder and tiller have been completed, and they are waiting to be stained. Essentially, I have a number of wooden parts waiting to be stained. Pictures to follow, some maybe later than others.

[Elijah]

[Elijah]

[Elijah]

[Elijah]

[Elijah]

[Elijah]

[EJ_L]

The gun carriages are looking good and those utensils are awesome! That will be a great detail to add life to the model.

[Canute]

Elijah, you should check into an auto parts store for the Bondo spot glazing putty. It's used to putty over dents on autos, but works well on models, too. It is a little smelly, so work with it in a well ventilated space. You may also consider latex gloves and a vapor mask, too.

 

The cannons and table ware look good.

[mikiek]

I'm glad you're back buddy. I get worried when I don't hear from folks for a while. As Ken mentioned auto parts shops should have Bondo products. I love your miniatures! Maybe a few tin cups?

 

Every time I scroll past one of your deck photos I stop and gawk at your stain/finish. I still think it's one of the highlights of your build.

[Landlubber Mike]

Really nice work Elijah.  Love how your stained hull came out!  Amazing!  Can I ask what stain and preconditioner you ended up going with?

[Elijah]

(Landlubber) Mike, thank you very much! The finish was mostly blind luck, really. I used the standard Minwax pre-stain conditioner, but didn't actually stain the interior until days later. The interior was stained with Minwax Classic Gray stain and when applied, had a bit of a sheen to it, which I took down with some sandpaper.

 

(mikiek) Mike, tin cups is a cool idea, but it may require I get a soldering iron first. We'll see. It would certainly be fun to try!

 

Ken, it seems I'm due for a trip to the auto parts store. Finding a good space to do that kind of thing is a pain though. I wonder if the garage has any outlets, but then it would all depend on the weather, as I would need to have the front gate open. Though, I have gloves and one of those 3M masks. Speaking of which, its a shame the filters only last 40 hours of use or 30 days, whichever comes first. They are not cheap. 

 

E.J, I'm hoping so! 

[alde]

It looks really nice Elijah. Great work.

[mikiek]

21 minutes ago, Elijah said:

 I used the standard Minwax pre-stain conditioner, but didn't actually stain the interior until days later. The interior was stained with Minwax Classic Gray stain and when applied, had a bit of a sheen to it, which I took down with some sandpaper.

 

It is one of the most real looking wood finishes I've seen on a boat build.

[DocBlake]

Great progress, Elijah!

[rafine]

Everything looks great Elijah.

 

Bob

[Elijah]

Thanks Al, Dave, Mike and Bob! 

[Osmosis]

I have been quietly following along with this build for a while now as it is on my short list of future builds. I hope you won't mind me stealing some of your ideas. What a great project you have going keep up the great work.

 

Best Regards

[mikiek]

Elijah - it has been killing me since you started this build and even before when I see pix of this kit.  I feel stupid asking this - either there is a real obvious answer or I am really missing something. Either way it has nothing to do with the quality of your efforts.

 

What is the story with the hull on this kit? Is it just a representation from the waterline up? The way it is always shown in pix it couldn't possibly stay upright for long. And out of curiousity, could you show a photo of the underside of your build?

Edited March 11, 2018 by mikiek

[Elijah]

Thanks Art! Use whatever you find useful.

 

Mike, the actual vessel had a flat bottom. This wasn't really a stability problem, as it was only meant for sailing on lakes. I can attach a photo later, but its not very interesting. As the bottom wouldn't really be viewed, the kit has no planking for it. 

[Elijah]

[Chuck Seiler]

On 3/10/2018 at 7:28 PM, mikiek said:

Elijah - it has been killing me since you started this build and even before when I see pix of this kit.  I feel stupid asking this - either there is a real obvious answer or I am really missing something. Either way it has nothing to do with the quality of your efforts.

 

What is the story with the hull on this kit? Is it just a representation from the waterline up? The way it is always shown in pix it couldn't possibly stay upright for long. And out of curiousity, could you show a photo of the underside of your build?

 

What you see is what there was.  As Elijah states, it was flat bottomed with no keel.  With 2 x 9 pounde guns and 1 x 12 pounder...plus all the other supplies it had an extremely low center of gravity.  Even so, it only drew about 6 inches when fully loaded (if I recall correctly).

 

 

Here is how Philly currently appears.

 

 

 

Here is Philly in her heyday(as photographed from one of the British gunboats during the battle.

[Elijah]

Spring break has come, so it seems I will be away from the shipyard for a while. In the meantime, I intend to get some reading done. Sorry for the wait!