USS Constitution by Michael G - Revell - Scale 1:96 - PLASTIC - Newbie Build!

[Michael G]

 I am going to document this for better or for worse. I have put some putty in between two of the upper deck pieces to see if I can help lessen the seam.  My first attempt ended in me doing my best to sand and scrape off putty because I accidentally separated them. I have to hope that the paint covers this well enough in the end... fingers crossed! 

[Ulises Victoria]

Just remember this: Paint paints!  

 

Paint doesn't work as a filler or sealer or mask...

In many cases, paint just accentuates what you are trying to hide.

 

Best regards

 

Ulises

 

[Michael G]

34 minutes ago, Ulises Victoria said:

Just remember this: Paint paints!  

 

Paint doesn't work as a filler or sealer or mask...

In many cases, paint just accentuates what you are trying to hide.

 

Best regards

 

Ulises

 

 Do you have any suggestions? I have done my best to not allow the putty to hold any texture or anything, but I did have to scrape it off and do it again, which led me to mess up the built-in wood texture in the plastic.  I am just hoping that does not show. 

 

Here  are a few pictures close up of the first seam.  I tried to do it from the bottom and fill it up towards the top in order to avoid it showing too much on the surface, but you can see my horribly failed first attempt where I scraped a bunch of it off. You may not be able to tell but I also ate away some of the texture with mineral spirits. 

[Ulises Victoria]

Hello Michael. As far as I can see, there is a line that will be seen in the joints at this moment.

 

What kind of putty/filler are you using?

 

I have to say making those joints disappear has to be one of the toughest jobs a modeler can attempt. You have to make the joints not seen and at the same time, not to erase the wood grain marks.

 

You may try to dilute your putty a bit so it can fill the joints more easy.

You have the right idea when scratching the putty residue to replicate the imprinted wood on the plastic, only I'm sorry to tell you, that's one hell of a job to accomplish right!

 

In a worst case scenario, I would put a very thin and narrow piece of plastic all along the seams trying to simulate a reinforcement that most likely was not in the real thing. I most of the time prefer to do something that is out of reality but that looks good, instead of let something to be seen and that I just don't feel comfortable with. Not many people will notice that, I can assure you, and we...

well... we will forgive you!

 

Hope this helps and wish you the best of luck!

 

 

[Michael G]

I have a couple guys prepared for the cabin (see pics), and I'm considering placement, and I realize there is just about zero light once the spar deck is installed. I want to illuminate the cabin. I've  seen some other pretty advanced set up's with people putting LED light strips throughout the gun deck, but I don't know that I have the skill to pull off what I have seen. Any ideas or tips on illuminating the cabin? That's really all I'm concerned about is being able to see something when I look in the back window.  I was hoping to find something like a single wireless LED dot or something like that. 

[Michael G]

4 hours ago, Ulises Victoria said:

Hello Michael. As far as I can see, there is a line that will be seen in the joints at this moment.

 

What kind of putty/filler are you using?

 

I have to say making those joints disappear has to be one of the toughest jobs a modeler can attempt. You have to make the joints not seen and at the same time, not to erase the wood grain marks.

 

You may try to dilute your putty a bit so it can fill the joints more easy.

You have the right idea when scratching the putty residue to replicate the imprinted wood on the plastic, only I'm sorry to tell you, that's one hell of a job to accomplish right!

 

In a worst case scenario, I would put a very thin and narrow piece of plastic all along the seams trying to simulate a reinforcement that most likely was not in the real thing. I most of the time prefer to do something that is out of reality but that looks good, instead of let something to be seen and that I just don't feel comfortable with. Not many people will notice that, I can assure you, and we...

well... we will forgive you!

 

Hope this helps and wish you the best of luck!

 

 

It's a tamiya white putty. Never used anything like this before. Not sure how much of the log you've read, but this is only my second venture into model ships, my first being much simpler in the 1/150 scale uss United States. All of my experience so far comes from advice from people like you!

 

In hindsight I think I should have immediately wiped all the putty from the surface, but I've already messed that up, taking some texture off with the mineral spirits and allowing too much putty to dry on the surface. I will soon test the paint. I wanted to see if I could figure out a lighting solution before I go much further though (see my previous post). 

 

Amyway, thanks for the tips, and I'll keep you posted with my results. 

[Michael G]

 I am hoping I can elicit an opinion or two here. I found a string of tiny lights powered by a small battery pack. I could put it in there and let it go, but when the batteries die that will be it. I am trying to come up with a way to have access to the battery pack when the ship is complete.  

 

 My options are to have the battery pack hang out one side of the ship, which would ideally be the "back" side  when it is eventually displayed, or to run the string through one of the gun ports in the front or back, or to run it through the cabin. If I do any of these the battery pack will just hang out, but I'm hoping not terribly visibly. One other option is to somehow hide it on the deck, perhaps in a canoe.  However, doing that it will be smack in the middle of the ship somewhere. I would just have to disguise it the best I could. I don't know that that's a realistic option once I have all the rigging up. 

[Alex1201]

19 hours ago, Michael G said:

 My options are to have the battery pack hang out one side of the ship, which would ideally be the "back" side  when it is eventually displayed, or to run the string through one of the gun ports in the front or back, or to run it through the cabin. If I do any of these the battery pack will just hang out, but I'm hoping not terribly visibly. One other option is to somehow hide it on the deck, perhaps in a canoe.  However, doing that it will be smack in the middle of the ship somewhere. I would just have to disguise it the best I could. I don't know that that's a realistic option once I have all the rigging up. 

 

What I saw on one build log was to drill a hole through the keel and to the base.   Your gun deck is in place, but it might be possible to drill from the bottom up and fish the wire?

If it's going to show, the least visible place might be along the rudder hinge, and then you could bringing it out that hole in the transom. 

 

Is it thin enough to stick to the bottom of the spar deck without being visible? Then you could get to it through the holes under the boats to change batteries, or maybe even flip the switch?

 

Where did you find that?

[Michael G]

7 minutes ago, Alex1201 said:

Is it thin enough to stick to the bottom of the spar deck without being visible? Then you could get to it through the holes under the boats to change batteries, or maybe even flip the switch?

Is the switch on the battery pack?

 

Where did you find that?

I got it on Amazon, 2 of them for $7! I'll put the link at the bottom of this post. The battery pack is 2"x1" by some really thin thickness, and the switch is on it's head (on the thin side). If I had planned a little further ahead, I would have run it through the hull, but I'm not sure that will be doable at this point without some damage. I may try though. I like that option best if I can make it work. Other than the battery pack the thickest parts are the actual lights, and they're maybe 1/8" (they're kind of a weird lopsided teardrop shape)

 

If I just needed the switch, I'd hide it under the spar deck, but when I need to change the batteries that wouldn't work (I don't think). Where you mentioned was actually my first thought, but as I look at it more, I just don't think it will work once all of the rigging is up - I'm afraid it will be too difficult to reach in and maneuver it without breaking something. I also thought maybe I'll put it there where I can just reach the switch, then leave it off unless I am showing it off, and hope the batteries last forever...but I don't like that risk.

 

As I've been typing, I've decided I want to try and get in through the hull. It's a bit risky, but since the gun deck is not glued in place, maybe I can make it work. I think I'll try to go up through the space for the screws. If that does not work, I'll probably try to go out the back of the cabin, and down towards the rudder. Not ideal, but I think the tradeoff of having a light in the cabin and potentially throughout the gun deck is worth it.

 

Thanks for the input! Here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VFMC5GE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

[Alex1201]

8 hours ago, Michael G said:

I've decided I want to try and get in through the hull. It's a bit risky, but since the gun deck is not glued in place, maybe I can make it work. I think I'll try to go up through the space for the screws. 

I drilled out the holes for the screws, and it is a very thin layer and easy to get through. You could tell where they were from the outside, there was a dent.  A small drill bit went right through, and then I made the hole bigger.

It would be a shame to remove your gun deck after all you had done.  Worth a try to fish it with a stiff wire through a hole you drill, or maybe remove and replace one of the grates. 

[Jim Rogers]

I would make a wooden platform stand, hollow out an area in the bottom for the battery pack and switch probably on the aft end and snake the lights up through the pedestal and into the hull. 

 

[lambsbk]

I am just now catching up to your log. Great start.

 

Concerning the lighting - I also experimented with these effects. Beware the rice lights as they get HOT and will melt your model  wherever they touch. They were not available when I started but LED's are getting very small and simple circuits are easy to fashion - I would look to this source for your lights. Do it now before the deck is any more enclosed. Just give them a "lamp look."

 

Good luck.

 

Dave

[lmagna]

Hello Michael G

I have been working with pretty much the same thing, only it is with the 1/350th Minicraft Titanic that I am making for my admiral as a kind of night light. Here was my solution for the battery situation.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5-10m-LED-Mini-Silver-Wire-String-Fairy-Party-Wedding-Light-Controller-Adapter-/401346315583?var=&hash=item5d721ac53f:m:msovzGbpbO8O4fm6l_c32vw 

 

These lights are pretty much the same as what you have but there are many more lights available if you want. Plus they will plug in so that you will not have to bother about batteries down the line. The inline switch also allows for some brightness control and of course some somewhat useless flashing modes. I wish it had a flicker mode instead of flashing. In my case I am placing many of them into the hull to shine through the drilled out portholes. Then I am lining all the under decks and cabin interiors with foil to stop light leaking through the lighter plastic of those parts.

 

I also will be installing the lights through the keel but I think I will be able to hide the female plug inside the hollow stand with the switch in a convenient location.

 

Good luck on your installation. 

 

Lou

[lambsbk]

In regard to your question about the yards on the gun deck those, I believe, are the stunsi'l yards which extended the main sheets laterally for maximum wind reception - especially when there wasn't much wind. Some modelers have placed them more appropriately alongside the dead-eye channels and secured them with hooks. I believe that is what I will do with them as well.

 

Dave

[Michael G]

So many helpful comments - thanks for all the input! I'm slow going on this light thing because I need to block off a good chunk of time to carefully work through my options. Very hopeful that I can get up through the hull. In the very beginning, I did enclose the nuts in the bottom of the hull in preparation for eventually mounting this, but it looks like I will need to fully flesh that out now if I want to make the lighting work. 

 

I'm hoping to be able to focus on this in the next week and a half or so - screwing with this thing upside down at this point is not ideal because my fingerprints show all over the copper part to the point I will probably have to repaint it, and I've got to be very careful with the port covers and just in general not to break anything. Meaning I need to probably get out into the garage rather than in my office to do this. 

 

Thanks all, and stay tuned!

[popeye the sailor]

to remedy the finger print issue,  I've found it useful to spray it with a flat lacquer.   metallic paint can be very unforgiving,  since it never fully cures to a hard finish.   be glad your not dealing with silver........it's the worst    aircraft models benefited from this technique as well. 

[lambsbk]

I CAREFULLY bored a new hole mid keel to transit my fiberoptics - the right size bit and a careful drill press can do that for you. You will be glad you included the bolts for mounting. I am already using them to hold the ship fast to the cradle while working. The pic link below shows it from the inside.

 

 

Dave

[Alex1201]

22 hours ago, lambsbk said:

I CAREFULLY bored a new hole mid keel to transit my fiberoptics - the right size bit and a careful drill press can do that for you. You will be glad you included the bolts for mounting. I am already using them to hold the ship fast to the cradle while working. The pic link below shows it from the inside.

 

 

Dave

The spots in the keel are so thin, seriously, I just opened it up with a drill bit by hand.  Made a pilot hole with the small manual drill.  Then widened the hole with a larger bit twisting with fingers.

Flip it over on something thick enough to support the flat middle sections.  I thought of an advantage to this test. If any port covers or cannons come loose, better to find out now than later that they needed more gluing. 

 

I also have mine secured via the bolts in the bottom, to a simple plastic lid to one of my parts containers.  My first stand was scuffing the copper, and my fingerprints were a hot mess.  I've done my second coat of copper and should seal it now. 

[lambsbk]

But mid-keel is full thickness. I will check the size of the bit I used and post it later. I turned the model upside down and carefully centered the bit on my drill press putting the hole squarely between the keel exterior. Several smaller bits were used consecutively. 

 

As far as the temp stand goes - you should cradle the model somehow. I chose to do some wood  work with a cut out closely matching the hull. I lined that with felt and mounted it to a board - seems to be holding. I was concerned the bolts would eventually wear through the plastic laterally.

 

Lastly - about the cannon port doors - well, you are almost certainly going to loose some of them on the way. Just glue them back on as needed.

 

Dave

[Alex1201]

On 7/21/2017 at 3:08 PM, lambsbk said:

But mid-keel is full thickness.

.... I chose to do some wood  work with a cut out closely matching the hull. I lined that with felt and mounted it to a board - seems to be holding.

Dave

Of course, mid-keel.  I was being dense and only thinking of the bolt holes.

 

I thought about making a cradle.  I don't have tools, but I have a friend with a scroll saw if I can make a pattern.  And felt... The simple things we don't think of. Sigh.

 

[Michael G]

Eureka! The opening where the rudder enters the underside of the cabin wall is just enough to fit the strand through! It will of course have a little wire coming out the back,  but I can run that to whichever side of the rudder makes the most sense when I finally display it.  Now I need to figure out how to carefully attach and secure the lights, but at least I have made it to that point. I have been agonizing over this for weeks!  The last photo is me holding the pieces in place with the light on to show the effect. 

[lmagna]

Great job!

 

I am certain that you will love the final results when you are done and it will be a blast showing guests when they come to your house and see the ship.

 

You might want to set the spar deck in place temporally and see if there is any light leak through the plastic deck before you install it permanently. if there is then you will be able to block it with either paint or foil on the bottom of the upper deck.

 

Looking forward to your further progress

 

Lou  

[lambsbk]

Dido...

[Michael G]

Wow...Dave, your model build is stunning! I'm at a crossroads of despair and motivation after seeing it

 

My next step, following securing the lighting, is the spar deck. It's another piece I have put off and agonized over because I want to lessen the seams, and I want my wood grain to look good, yet I don't yet have the skill or experience to come close to what you did! One day...

[lambsbk]

Actually don't despair...at least you are MOVING ON to the spar deck. 

 

Kit bashing comes at a cost. Progress is slow. Do your build in a way you will enjoy. This model can go from the simplest to complete bashing and it still looks great when finished.

 

The wood effect is not hard to replicated with a little paint brush if you want. I think I described it in my early build log but it came from Andy (andymech) here on this forum. Check out his completed Connie build when you have a chance. Candy for the eyes.

 

Dave

[popeye the sailor]

have you thought up a way to hide the wires as they run along the mid ship opening on the spar deck?  if you affix them along the inner bulwarks,  you'll still have the lights and the wires and stuff will be hidden

[Michael G]

 

20 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

have you thought up a way to hide the wires as they run along the mid ship opening on the spar deck?  if you affix them along the inner bulwarks,  you'll still have the lights and the wires and stuff will be hidden

That is likely what I'll do. I haven't started on it yet other than pushing the wire up through the spaces, but just about any other way I do it would create bright spots as you look in through the ports.

[Michael G]

The lights are coming along nicely (sorry no pics yet...soon). I am gluing them up against the bulwarks right underneath where the spar deck will go. I do have a question though! The only problem area I see is that when I look through a gun port hole, I will have bright spots from the lights up against the other side from the actual led's. Any ideas for damping down the brightness of the bulbs? I was thinking maybe my clear gloss or something would dampen it a bit without affecting it too much. I don't want to hurt the lights of course or create a burn hazard. 

 

 

[lambsbk]

Resistors work great. Calculate the need based on the wattage and voltage of the LED set. Often the LED's act as there own resistor but you can add to it and reduce the brightness.

Edited August 8, 2017 by lambsbk

[lmagna]

I agree with Dave

 

By simply adding a resistor in line close to the switch on your unit you can change the brightness of your lights considerably. You may want to get a little higher wattage resistor just in case though, as the current drop you might want for all the lights in the string might cause some unwanted heat at the resistor. You are working with pretty low voltage and LEDs so this may not be an issue but you may still want to check it out.

 

Another slightly more labor intensive method if your lights are not putting out much heat, would be to get some Evergreen Plastic white tubing that has an inside diameter large enough to fit over the lights. Cut the tubing lengthways in half and make short covers over each light. You should get a difussed light through the plastic and if you leave an opening between the top and under the spar deck you should also get light shining upward rather than outward. You could also paint or otherwise cover the plastic to dim or direct the light anyway you want.

 

Someone with more experience may also have other ideas like totally burying the LEDs completely under the gun deck and running strands of fiber optics the terminate in the location you want the light to emit from.

 

just some ideas, hope one or more of them are useful to you.

 

Lou