Trajta by mikiek - FINISHED - Marisstella

[mikiek]

Thank you Don. The one thing I didn't do as suggested in the manual is an initial wipedown with linseed oil & thinner. I'm not sure if that is for cleaning the wood or conditioning it or all of the above.  Have you done that with any of your Marisstella builds?

 

Kinda makes me wonder if linseed oil could replace the Natural stain I used. I suppose it would give the wood that wet look and then you only apply some lacquer or varnish. Will need to pick some up and see what it can do.

[mikiek]

Answered my own questions and I'm impressed. Per the manual, I mixed some Linseed Oil & thinner and applied that to the foredeck - applied thick but wiped it up immediately. Then it needs to dry - I left it for about 3 hours. So that was the mixture on raw wood. It looks really nice! So nice in fact that I wanted to put some on the aft deck which I applied stain to last nite. Sanded it first with a 600g sand sponge then applied the oil. Again, very impressive. I don't think the pix show it very well but the wood has a very deep, rich look to it.  Zoran - you are on to something!  I'll be doing this from now on for stained areas.

 

 

 

 

So I need to stain the fore deck and will be ready to finish off the other deck items.

[Don Quixote]

That's so beautiful I'd like to see is on the main floor of my house!

[mikiek]

Thanks man - wouldn't that be something! Can't wait to get some varnish on it.

[mikiek]

I don't know why but installing the bulwark rail proved difficult. If I understood the pix in the manual it's one stick that sits on the waterway running from stem to sternpost - 4mm x 2mm laying edge on. And it is supposed to have notches taken out of the bottom edge to match the scuppers in the waterway. So you have to lay the stick in place, mark where the notches go, file the notches and then hope when you install it they all line up.

 

Try as I might, I didn't feel comfortable gluing the whole stick at once. Not enough hands. It was going to take some CA in spots for a quick join and white glue in others to get the best bond. Dry runs were proving that it wasn't going to happen. So I ended up cutting the stick in 3 pieces - much better. I could hold the piece down with 2 hands while the CA set. I'll give myself a C on lining up the scuppers and unfortunately the opening is too small to try to adjust it now. Several other tasks were contingent on getting these rails in so I can move on now.

 

An observation - this 1 stick constitutes the entire bulwark. I guess at scale it means this piece raises up 10"-12" above the deck. That's not a lot of protection for a boat that could go offshore.

 

Here's the bulwark

 

The scupper notches

 

 

 

 

 

[donrobinson]

I've never used linseed oil yet but have been wanting to try. Did you use the boiled linseed oil or the raw?

[MarisStella.hr]

Thanks Mr. Mike ... The described varnishing procedure in the instructions is high rated....

Zoran

[mikiek]

Don - I used the raw linseed oil - for no particular reason. Saw them both at the store, had no idea of the benefits of one over the other. I'm just a "natural" kind of guy so I see raw and boiled I choose raw

 

I will say, days later, I see a difference in the foredeck and aftdeck. Each got a different combination of applications. First off, I think I could have added more thinner to the linseed/thinner mixture. I  just eyeballed it and may have more linseed than thinner - the manual suggests 40% linseed, 60% thinner.

 

The aftdeck got some pre-stain conditioner, then the Natural stain, then the linseed. I did it this way because at the time I didn't have linseed oil and as usual I couldn't resist getting some color to the wood. So it was conditioner and stain and about 2 days later the linseed.

 

The foredeck (which was completed after the aftdeck) got the linseed first, then stain (I forgot the conditioner ).

 

Days later I am noticing the foredeck darkened up as time went on. Right after the stain application it looked similar to the aftdeck but has since darkened some. One thing I am wondering. I mixed the linseed in a bowl when I did the aftdeck and just left  the bowl uncovered on the bench. A day or so later I used the same mixture on the foredeck. I can't help but wonder if a lot of the thinner had evaporated so I was applying mostly linseed. So there's one thing to watch out for - proper ratios and keep any extra covered.

 

The manual says to wipe up the linseed immediately, which I did but using a paper towel. I'm thinking something more absorbent like microfiber or at least a cloth rag would be a better choice. I would also give the linseed a minimum of 24 hours to dry. More time would be even better. This will give you a more accurate idea of the final look.

 

Lastly, I wonder if when using the linseed mixture, maybe you just forego staining all together. The linseed did add a nice luster to the wood even before the stain.

 

Don't let this sound like I had problems. I did not. Using the linseed mixture is quick and easy and if it could potentially eliminate the need for stain then it ends up be economical as well. As I posted earlier, I will use the process going forward for any staining I have to do. That said, I will continue to refine my process. The key I think - good ratios, effectively wiping up excess and allowing sufficient time to dry.

 

One other note. I needed to stain the upper portion of the hull which has some spots where I had to apply some filler (paintable/stainable). You probably are aware of my feelings on trying to color filler   I did apply the linseed first and it did seem to darken up the filler somewhat, bringing the filler color closer to the wood color. Staining afterwards brought the color even closer. Not perfect but better.

[mikiek]

Zoran, if you're out there - Don.  I can't find any place that specifies the mast rake. It really doesn't look like there is any but I need to be sure.

[Don Quixote]

Try this: use the symbol @MarisStella.hr

 

Don will be notified that's he's been mentioned in a post.

.

 

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by JustBlowingInTheWind

[MarisStella.hr]

Hi Mr. Mike ... About the mast rake: the waterline drawn at the drawing sheet no 1 is perfectly horizontal... So, it is easy to determine the mast rake (if any) using this line...  

Just follow the drawing, You can not miss it...

Regards,

Zoran

 

[mikiek]

Got it. I have not looked at that sheet too much yet. Speaking of waterline would that typically be painted on the side - a stripe like on a square rigger? Or, I know you suggest painting the underside of the hull - is the waterline designated by where the paint stops?

 

Is waterline really even shown on these boats? I'm asking because I was hoping to take the dark green paint up higher than the where the waterline is on the sides.

 

 

[MarisStella.hr]

Mr. Mike, Yes, the Leudo (Trajta is a type of Leudo) was painted dark green as well, so this is ok... But, under waterline there was used the tar in the beginning, but later on some other colours were in use: so the hull under water line could be painted dark red, dark green or brown (in this case the hull should be natural wood, matt black, light blue etc.)... The deck was natural wood because it was the working area (for handling the fishing tools, nets etc.)...

Regards,

Zoran 

[mikiek]

Hey everyone. I'm still finishing the hull details and the few deck toys that go with this build. Everything is looking good - no real problems. I did have that question on mast rake angle, turns out there isn't any for Trajta. Straight up & down. I keep thinking back to that mast foot that I glued in the wrong place. What a nightmare that would have been if I had not caught it. I've also painted the hull. Above the paint line the rest of the hull is wiped down with the linseed mixture and stained. Most everything on the deck is just the linseed. I'm still liking that on the walnut.

 

Here's a few shots:

 

 

 

 

The bitts

 

Hatch covers - yes I know one looks crooked. Per the plans!

Door to the forward cargo hold - I glued this one shut

 

Door to the aft cargo hold - I glued the door off to the side so you can see in.

 

The deck

 

I have not put varnish on anything yet although you would never know it looking at the deck.

 

[donrobinson]

Fine looking model Mike, I like the green

[mikiek]

Thanks for stopping by Don. I like the green too although I wonder now whether I should have darkened it a little. That's just plain ole Tamiya J.A. Green. I was trying to avoid some special mix. Painters remorse?

 

One thing strange I realized - I did the usual masking tape to get a clean edge with the paint. The upper part of the hull - including where the tape went - was already treated with linseed mixture and stain. When I pulled the tape up it appears to have lifted some of the color off. Look closely at the pix, you can see right above the green edge the plain wood is lighter in color. Unfortunately the tape has already made its way to the garbage so I can't check the adhesive side to see if it has stain on it. Anyway, I thought stain soaked into wood, not cover over like paint. I use Tamiya masking tape and have never had a problem like this before, although I've done a lot more painting than staining up to this point in my career.

[mikiek]

A bit of confusion for me. Tholes & pins for the oars? Old manual says 6x6mm and 3x3mm, make thole pins , tholes....  I don't see any reference in the new version.

 

For the oar holders I used 6x6 for the base. Could probably do the same for tholes but 3x3 will sit on the rail better.

[MarisStella.hr]

Hi Mr. Mike... May I suggest to color the hull, between the waterline and the topgallant rail, light (really light) blue ...

What is You opinion ?

Regards, Zoran 

[mikiek]

Zoran - an interesting idea. I'll consider any idea. Here's my thoughts:

 

I am trying to imagine how light? Sky Blue? Sky Blue with white mixed in? White with a few drops of blue mixed in? Maybe you have a photo of what you had in mind?

 

Are typical leudo hulls completely painted? I remember you said the bottom used to be tarred, is that still done? Would the tar be applied like caulk (in between planks) or spread over the entire bottom? The only tar I see around here is the stinky black stuff they use on roads. Is there some sort of marine tar that is different?

 

I like having some of the hull showing natural wood. Right now that's above the waterline but it doesn't have to be. Although stripping the paint off the bottom half of the hull might get a little messy.

 

If I left the green on the hull with blue above it, I'm not sure how those two colors would look together. I can try it on some scrap. To match the colors better,  I could darken the green but probably not lighten it easily.

 

So if you were about to paint a clean Trajta hull and you wanted to use light blue for the upper portion how would you color the bottom part?

[mikiek]

Made a sample stick with the current J.A. Green that is already on the hull and a light blue. I'm not over-wowed by it, but at the same time I can't say I don't like it. Zoran, is this the blue you had in mind?

 

If the boat were painted like that it would kinda remind me of the European fishing boats you see in the tourist photos. The ones where the boats are dragged up on the beach and they're a rainbow of colors. Keep in mind for some reason the green on the stick looks darker than the same green on the boat.

 

You guys let me know what you think.

 

 

 

Also wrapped up the rudder  (except for paint) yesterday. I'm going to leave it off for know. It is supposed to hang down slightly below the keel which makes keeping it on the work stand difficult.

 

 

 

[russ]

Mike:

Your model is coming along wonderfully. Very nice details. 

 

You might consider doing a mock up of the side planking using both colors to get a better idea. Just glue up several pieces of scrap planking on a piece of scrap wood and then paint the two colors on to see what you think. 

 

Russ

[mikiek]

Hi Russ and thank you.  I think that is my usual m.o. , make a big (or too big) surface of scraps. My immediate problem is that just to be able to paint that stick I had to add thinner to the pretty much empty paint bottle and scrape down the sides just to get a couple of brushfulls. I'll need to order some more. What do you think of the blue?

[russ]

Mike:

The blue is pleasing enough, but beyond that, I really cannot say anything useful. I am not that familiar with the period colors for that region, but if you are happy with it, then I say go for it. The pastel color is probably appropriate. 

 

I have a Hobby Lobby near me where I get my paints and in this case, I would buy a few different variations and then run some tests to see what looked best. 

 

Russ

[MarisStella.hr]

Mr. Mike, it looks good to me...

Thes light blue is the right one ! ...

Yust go up to the topgallant rail (leave the topgallant rail unpainted, as well as the deck and everything inside the boat...

Would You make some example of a tiny bit lighter blue, just to compare it ... ??

 

The rudder needs to be finished with a strip at the bottom ...

then painted in the same colors as the model.

Under woterline green, up to the level of the topgallant rail light blue and unpainted to the top (the tiller unpainted)...

 

Regards, Zoran...

[mikiek]

I now have some more J.A. Green ordered. Zoran, that blue was 5 parts white, 1 part sky blue. I will try 6 parts white and maybe 7, but as Russ commented I should make a simulated hull side and try another sample.

 

What kind of strip goes on the bottom of the rudder? Wood?

 

There is also a piece #49 on one of the laser sheets. It is small and triangular. What is it for?

[donrobinson]

Looking good Mike, would that piece fit on the bottom of the rudder? Just guessing

[mikiek]

I'm not sure Don. It's on the same laser sheet as the rudder but I'm not having any ideas  as to where it might go. In my experience pieces like that have gone on the stern post, but it doesn't seem to add anything there. The part is shown on the plans but it is all by itself in an inset.

[MarisStella.hr]

Hi Mr. Mike ...The rudder has to be completed with a piece of the strip remain, for the strip at the bottom ...

Triangular part is to be glued at the right side of the hull, at the stern (P1 and P6). It is the foot support when walking into the boat ...

Zoran

[mikiek]

Thank you Zoran - I would not have thought of a step.

 

I lightened up the blue, or at least I tried, 10 parts white - 1 part blue. It didn't seem to change much. Running with Zoran's idea I tried a stick with very pale green. The color is washed out in the photos but it is interesting in real life. I don't have enough dark green to do a larger test surface so sticks are as good as it will get for now.

 

 

 

 

[Don Quixote]

To hard to judge withe the color washed out. It's that old pre-2018 technology.