RMS Mauretania by Richmond - 1:250 - CARD - designed by Sarunas Vilkas

[Richmond]

I am attempting my first ever card model "RMS Mauretania" a free download from papermodelers.com, she is around 1m long. Its a bit complex for a first build, but it was free and I hope I can learn from my mistakes and gain some useful tips from the forum to enable me to tackle a published card model from SHIPYARD probably HMS Mercury.  I will try and be as open and honest as possible highlighting the stuff ups, I will obviously make, and the lessons I have learnt from those stuff ups. I have been working on the model for several weeks now and will post the beginning of the build in due course. 

 

Here is what the finished product is meant to look like 😕

[Richmond]

My first mistake!, it looks like I have inadvertently posted this in the incorrect section of the forum. Hopefully the administrators can fix this one up.

[Edubarca]

Beautiful model!! Where can I get it? Thanks and congratulations.

[Richmond]

EDUBARCA

 

I downloaded it from a forum I am member of at papermodelers.com. It is free to join.

 

I would be happy to send it to you subject to the administrators not deeming it falling foul of copyright or other issues.

 

I would have to wait for their confirmation of such.

 

Regards

 

RICHMOND

[ccoyle]

Hello, Richmond. Yes, this will be quite the undertaking! Before you start, may I suggest that you have a look through our card modeling in tutorial in the card models section? There you'll find the basic techniques to get you started. Also, check out any of Dan Vadas's card model build logs, as he does a very good job of explaining how he does things, and his results speak for themselves. He is currently working on HMS Hood.

[ccoyle]

Just now, Richmond said:

I downloaded it from a forum I am member of at papermodelers.com. It is free to join.

 

I would be happy to send it to you subject to the administrators not deeming it falling foul of copyright or other issues.

 

I would have to wait for their confirmation of such.

 

Thanks for asking! It should not be assumed that by giving Paper Modelers permission to distribute his work that the author is giving blanket permission for anyone to do so. The courteous thing to do would be to sign up at Paper Modelers (I'm also a member there, BTW, and it is a fine site) and then download the model from them. As you noted, it's free to join there. Cheers!

[Richmond]

CHRIS

 

Thanks, I have been looking through your tutorials and builds, Dan's work as well as Captain Slog's. Unfortunately, for me, some of this viewing was post build commencement. 

 

RICHMOND

[Richmond]

Well, there has been some progress. So what has been achieved, well not a lot as I have gone back to the drawing board as I found my laminating and cutting to be unsatisfactory.  

 

I have finally found a local art supplier who stocks 1mm card (my previous attempts of gluing 5 x A4 pieces of photographic paper to achieve 1.5mm thickness were horrendous, however laminating smaller index card achieved better results).  I started out with black card which was very unsatisfactory as the black comes off  when you are cutting and defaces the printed face which looks very untidy.  I have now found some white card. To achieve 1.5mm thickness I laminate two pieces of index card to the 1mm. 

 

Figure 1 - I found an interesting video on Youtube by an American lady who goes by the name of Sea-Lemon, she has nearly a million subscribers. She has made a DIY press made out of two bread boards which you bring together by tightening wing nuts. Today I purchased some pine shelves cut in two and have started to make my own press which is 600mm long. To me this is preferable to book stacking. The photo sort of shows roughly how it will look when complete, bolts and wing nuts will replace the clamps at each corner - you can see the square washers which I will use on both sides.

 

Figure 2 - I have reprinted all the hull sections with graph background (which doesn't show up on the low res photo). I have coated the paper with 3 coats of Dulux clear coat spray, coating was recommended by Chris in several of his builds. Once this is dry I will start the lamination process.

 

Figures 3 & 4 - I have printed off the whole pdf and placed in plastic sleeves and then use the plastic sleeves to store the parts as they are produced. Not sure if was Danny or Chris who came up with this idea, if it someone else please pm and I will edit the post. By the way the yellowing you can see is a result of me not reading Chris's post properly and I ended up using a clear varnish spray (idiot) - thankfully this will not show up once the build is complete.

 

Figure 5 - I have added a graph paper background of the design pdf to assist me with lining up the slotted cuts on the bulkheads - they must align and be at perfect right angles - failing this as I found to my distress causes major problem with alignment and twisting of the centre section if you try and bodge it.

 

Anyway here are some photos, apologies for the poor resolution, I will try up my game on this front.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Richmond

[Dan Vadas]

Hi Richmond,

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of Card Modelling. I'm pretty well a total convert from the other media (for the time being at least ).

 

On 9/2/2018 at 7:51 PM, Richmond said:

I have coated the paper with 3 coats of Dulux clear coat spray

Oh dear - MISTAKE. You'll find it very difficult to get PVA glue to adhere properly without removing the Clear coat from those areas that need gluing. I use a Nitrocellulose Clear Lacquer for the initial coating, as it appears to be made from something close to the make-up of paper (don't ask me the chemical formula, I just know it works ). The stuff isn't cheap - around $35 to $40 per can - but it works brilliantly. It's available on Ebay from THIS SITE among others. I'd suggest buying two cans of it - cheaper in the long run.

 

On 9/2/2018 at 7:51 PM, Richmond said:

I have added a graph paper background of the design pdf to assist me with lining up the slotted cuts on the bulkheads - they must align and be at perfect right angles - failing this as I found to my distress causes major problem with alignment and twisting of the centre section if you try and bodge it.

Don't stress about keeping the centre bulkhead square at this stage. Everything will line up when the outer bracing is added, if there is any. If not then feel free to add as much extra card as you like to get things squared up before skinning the hull. Gluing some graph paper underneath the deck pieces would assist greatly in aligning the bulkheads later. (I just thought of that idea when reading this log, so thanks for the inspiration ).

 

Good luck with the build (and your other one). I'll drop in from time to time.

 

Danny

[Richmond]

DAN

 

Thank you, I am not a great lover of EBAY but note it is available from a few music shops in Australia at about the same expensive price that you quote, if I am really lucky it may be available to purchase from  musical instrument shops in Darwin. 

 

I am making slow but good progress this weekend, I will post an update to the log soon.

 

RICHMOND

 

 

[Richmond]

There has been some 'significant' progress on the Mauretania. 

 

All hull sections have been printed out and laminated to 1.5mm card. You will again note that I applied a graph paper background to the PDF, this allowed for greater accuracy when cutting the attachment slots.  All parts were printed on to 200GSM sprayed with a Dulux clear coat (however it has already been pointed out this wasn't a good choice).

 

Parts were glued to the card using Selleys Interior PVA decanted into a disposable plastic bowl purchased in bulk from a catering firm and pasted onto the card with a large brush. I utilised a wallpaper seam roller to ensure a good and neat  fit of the paper to the card ensuring a clean attachment with no undulations. I ensure I kept everything clean of glue by utilising a damp cloth in between rolling and dipping the roller into water before each roll. 

 

NOTE - a clear coat makes a major difference when laminating especially when there is water around it really protects the paper and prevents soaking and sticking of paper to roller.

 

After drying parts were cut from the card using a craft blade. I then remarked all the slots and extended the slot ends with pencil marks and coloured in the cut out in red pencil to ensure greater efficiency and accuracy when cutting, the pencil marks were erased after cutting was complete. For final cutting I used a straight edge (a metal rule)as a guide or 90 degree metal rule when cutting the slots. French curves or plain free hand were used for radiuses. I then used an Xacto with a number 15 blade for punching / chiselling out the ends of the narrow slots.

 

NOTE - I really find the craft knife with snap off blades to be the most efficient option when cutting card; my Xacto and No 17 blade have been put away as it blunts too easily. 

 

The design  of the end bulkheads left a little to be desired, with the proximity of horizontal and vertical slots undermining the stability of the structure.  I got around this (or tried to get around this) by laminating to Balsa and even trying some additional engineering on top of this - however although results were OK on the bow bulkhead the stern has proven to be troublesome due to the grain of the Balsa - I will probably end up 'halfing' the piece and glue independently to each side. Obvious modifications were required to the lateral slots to accommodate the thicker lamination. You should be able to pick this up from the photographs of the lateral at the bow.

 

NOTE - You may be able to pick out that the laterals and horizontals come with 'jigsaw' connections between parts - I did away with these as I just couldn't see an upside in utilising them.  I joined the laterals and horizontals together with balsa from a child's craft pack available at a chain DIY store (Bunnings).  I  cut these with an Zona Ultra Thin Kerf Razor Saw and associated Zona Mitre Box and drilled both the timbers and the card! using a Dremel and the associated Dremel Drill press.  Timbers are attached both sides of the pieces and fastened with M3 bolts which I purchased very cheaply in packs of 200 from a chain electronics store (Jaycar).

 

Next up clean up of parts with an eraser and assembly of the superstructure and on to the dreaded skinning. I am really not sure if the voids need to be filled with foam to provide a better base for applying the skin, hopefully we can discuss at a later juncture. 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by Richmond
Out of focus and duplicated photograph

[Dan Vadas]

Hi Richmond,

 

You have gone way beyond "the contract" with the hull framing. It's not necessary to clear-coat it for one thing - save that for the visible pieces.

8 hours ago, Richmond said:

The design  of the end bulkheads left a little to be desired, with the proximity of horizontal and vertical slots undermining the stability of the structure.

A common problem with some kits. If you do another card model after this one, consider using Laser-cut framing if available - it saves a LOT of work, and is reasonably priced.

 

A solution would be to fill the entire bow/stern section with card or balsa and sand to shape.

 

8 hours ago, Richmond said:

I am really not sure if the voids need to be filled with foam to provide a better base for applying the skin, hopefully we can discuss at a later juncture.

I would be avoiding foam (although I've never actually tried using it). If there are any unstable bulkheads then glue some extra card between them longitudinally. DO NOT glue the hull skins to these. You can bring the extra card bracing out to the (inner) level of the skin to help with avoiding accidental crushing when picking up the model, but leave it unglued from the skin.

 

When I first started card building I glued extra card to the faces of the bulkheads for a larger gluing surface. This proved to be a mistake, as you need to use as little PVA as possible to avoid the "starving cow" effect. The glue tends to pull the skins inward alongside where it meets the bulkhead. 1.5mm thick bulkheads are more than adequate for gluing two sections of hull skin together, even though they may not look like it at first. You will get better at gluing thin card edge-to-edge as you gain practise.

 

Danny

[Richmond]

Thank you Danny for more sound advice.

 

I will examine the stern in more detail and consider the knock on effects - something that comes to mind immediately (at work) with the balsa infill is the horizontal structure each side of the lateral  - I assume I would have cut these off at the stern section of the hull as they wouldn't be required anymore? 

 

RICHMOND

[Dan Vadas]

17 hours ago, Richmond said:

the horizontal structure each side of the lateral  - I assume I would have cut these off at the stern section of the hull as they wouldn't be required anymore?

More than likely, if they are a problem or nuisance.

 

Danny

[Richmond]

There has been further progress on the Mauretania. 

 

The vast majority of hull sections have been assembled (all except two bulkheads).   I have not fitted the final bulkhead at the stern as this was a poorly designed piece and as Danny has mentioned it may be better to use balsa here. Also I need to tidy up the bow section and tighten some of my fasteners.

 

I have also assembled the cradle.

 

All parts were glued with PVA and clamped as required and I ended up with some reasonable alignment of the horizontal sections.  You may be able to discern from the photographs the lateral sections which were clear coated and those which were not. From left to right parts 1, 2 & 3 were coated. Part 4 at the stern was not clear coated as this was a rework piece and you may be able to note the dirtiness of the piece. I know it will never be seen but it is a reminder to keep your work area  and hands clean. Not such an issue on something that will be covered but a good discipline to have throughout the rest of the build.

 

Another issue is over handling - the more you handle the poorer state the parts end up with. I really need to reduce the amount of dry fitting next time around.
 

HELP - I would appreciate some tips on wicking. I do own some Zap Thin CA but was reticent to use it without some clear guidance on how to wick including how to apply and in what quantity and would be interested how far my  1oz /28g bottle would last. ZAP is not available locally and I have to mail order from Melbourne. I haven't seen any thin CA in our local DIY Chain; for any Australians out there can you get thin CA in Bunnings?

 

I have some minor warping /twisting of the main lateral towards the stern but nothing which cannot be sorted when I assemble the initial deck pieces. 

 

So next up fitting of the lower deck structures which hopefully straightens everything up and then onto some skinning. 

 

REMINDER TO MYSELF - Never attempt a future card model which doesn't have laser cut hull sections

 

 

Edited September 30, 2018 by Richmond

[Dan Vadas]

10 hours ago, Richmond said:

it is a reminder to keep your work area  and hands clean. Not such an issue on something that will be covered but a good discipline to have throughout the rest of the build.

Absolutely .

 

10 hours ago, Richmond said:

Another issue is over handling - the more you handle the poorer state the parts end up with. I really need to reduce the amount of dry fitting next time around.

This is very true, especially on hull skins and the like. Once you crease a piece it's almost impossible to get it out again.

 

10 hours ago, Richmond said:

I haven't seen any thin CA in our local DIY Chain; for any Australians out there can you get thin CA in Bunnings?

More than likely, but I wouldn't bother too much. I don't use it for anything other than gluing Photo-etch. I use PVA glue exclusively, an acid-free Craft Glue that's a fair bit thicker than wood glue. It comes in various brands, mine is "Mont-Marte" and is available in Craft stores (which may be a problem in Darwin , but try Spotlight at this address : Jape Homemaker Village, Tenancy 7E, Bagot Road, Millner, Darwin. My local ones have a good selection of Craft supplies).

 

Danny

[Richmond]

I did forget to mention that I have not yet glued the starboard side horizontals sections

 

Nor have I secured the upper horizontals on either side (which should be apparent from the photographs).

 

As the reverse does not have the printed guides I will have to measure the drops from the port side and transfer these starboard. This is something I should have attended to before fixing the bulkheads, a lesson learned but its really not much of a game changer.

 

I actually printed out a mirror of the kit - but never did put it to good use, it would have been perfect on the lateral.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Richmond

[Mirabell61]

Hi Richmond,

 

thanks for sharing your card model build log here, its a very interesting ship and I love the lines.......

 

Nils

[Richmond]

No problem Nils

 

Regards

 

Richmond

[maaaslo]

id like to come back to Danny's comment regarding foam. although you cannot see a single ship built or finished by my hands, I have completed a handful of hulls to a very good finish. thanks to construction foam. you need to use one that does not create large bubbles in the process of curing. after curing the whole thing looks like a log of foam. then I take out a trusty carpet knife and carve off roughly all excess. I finish with sanding it smooth using sound paper grain 180-240. if I want to be very fancy, I would use plaster, or wood filler to make a nice smooth surface for the first skins to go to.

process creates a solid surface that is ready to work with, does not push in (this can be very annoying especially when skinning large hulls, like Bismarck or Hood, Yamato and others) and most importantly, gives it a needed rigidity. 

this method been used excessively on Czech paper model forums where I found it and learned it. it has been used by Martanek if I am not mistaken and Doris did contemplate on the idea (again, if not mistaken).

nowadays, it has been mostly abandoned, as it violates the rules of paper modelers cups and championships. something about using paper and minimum of non-paper materials. but if you build for your pleasure, why not?

[Richmond]

Pavol

 

I wouldnt mind giving it a go, I don't intend entering the Mauretania in the World Cup of paper modelling this year! 😊

 

However, wouldnt the expansion try and push the card?

 

Richmond

[Richmond]

Firstly I must state that I am finding this model extremely difficult and it has required some rework however I have, at last, made some 'significant' progress.

 

So what has been achieved, well I have fitted the first layer of decks and I have completed the lower level skin.

 

I must say I found the skinning to be the greatest challenge so far - how they expect you to align and abut two skins on 1.5mm of bulkheads and decks manufactured in card I do not know.

 

Luckily I thought ahead and 'thickened' the bulkheads and decks with balsa - I know this is against the 'rules of card modelling' but it suited me at the time - the same effect could have been achieved in card but it would have been more difficult to sand.

 

When gluing I switched halfway through from PVA to UHU multi purpose glue as I found I needed greater grab, however this is because I had got the basics incorrect!

 

I was gluing each skin in one go which leads to 'glue disasters' and dents as you try and hold the skin all together with your hands as you wrap it around the hull until grab is achieved.  

 

However whilst work was in progress I received some great advice from Slog who recommended that each skin should be fitted in stages working from one side to the other.

 

Glue at the deck the top (or the bottom as the ship is upside down whilst you glue it!) , set along the glue line with a plastic spatula or such, let it dry and then move upwards slowly to the keel, then around and up again around to the opposite deck, always gluing gradually. This produced far better results as I didn't need to handle the whole skin just the part I was gluing.

 

By the way I also adopted the edge colouring methods in water colours (refer the video I posted in the painting section) and this makes a massive difference to the visuals on abutting skins removing the white edges of the card.

 

Anyway after some rework the results, other than the glue marks which being UHU cannot be cleaned off, are, I  believe, passable given this is my first ever card model.

 

I will replace some individual skins I am not entirely happy with and there will be some tidy up especially for those skins that end at the keel rather than  wrap around and also for the few times I didn't get 'true' abutment between skins - maybe some GSI Creos Mr Surfacer and then paint.

 

However I will leave it for you to decide from the photographs.

 

By the way I will edit this log later to change all the photographs to landscape (apologies just noticed how visually wrong this all looks)

 

Edited January 3, 2019 by Richmond
Deleted out of focus photograph

[Captain Slog]

Hi Richmond,

 

Well done on finishing skinning the underwater hull; in my opinion you are past the worst part of card ship modelling and it turned out looking great!  Far better than my previous 2 underwater hulls which were so bad I had to fill and paint!  I look forward to seeing your next progress shots as from what I can tell from the download it builds into a very nice model.

 

There shouldn't be any rules if building for yourself! I for one will do anything humanly possible to get something looking half decent enough to move to the next stage.

 

Cheers

Slog