Queen Anne Barge by Beckmann - 1/24

[Beckmann]

It has been About 6 weeks now, that I startet building the Queen Anne Barge, I purchased in 2018 from Chuck Passaro. It is a very special and beautiful model kit he created. The instructions are excellent. For those of us, who are still curious about new techniques and challenges. there can be learned a lot.

I don't start my build log right from the beginning, because I somehow missed taking photos at the early stages. It is probably not too interesting anyway for there are other and better build logs about this model. At the moment I am at the point to deal with varnish and colour, so things get difficult, because one can ruin a model at this stage very easily. For now just some images.

Matthias

[Chuck]

That is looking excellent!!!  Its good to see someone taking such care with their paint work.  Very nice progress.

[pythagoras]

Matthias,

I hope I can make mine look half as good as your barge does. I will be starting it this May. Looking forward to following your log.

Pythagoras (Tom)

[Beckmann]

Thank you for your comments.

In February we have been at NMM / Greenwich. I must say, I was a bit disappointed, for ther were just a few models on display. I thougt, I would see all the famous models like HMS Amazon and HMS Winchelsea ;), but no, they are obviously all stored away. What a pity.

But anyway I saw Prince Frederics barge, and it is such a Beauty. I like the dull shine of the red painted parts of the interior and the contrast to the gildet ornaments. Here are three photos I took so you see, what I mean.

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by Beckmann

[Beckmann]

Yesterday I just sandet everything again with steel wool, I am unhappy with the colour I use, it has a sort of ugly glittering, which is not what I want. I will go and get a more dull colour and try to add the dull shine afterwards maybe with a wax polish or varnish, I have to try different options. I also sandet the little inbord frames and added som gilding paint on one of them, to see how that looks like. For the wooden parts I use spreadable ( I hope that is the right word) shellac, which has a lovely shine.

Matthias

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by Beckmann

[Beckmann]

Für deutsche Leser: meine Unterlage ist übrigens nur die Mecklenburgische Kirchenzeitung und keine fromme Kampfschrift.

(Sorry, I just explained for german readers, that my underpacking ist just the regional church magazin and no religious tract)

Edited March 20, 2019 by Beckmann

[Beckmann]

I bought some dull/mat acryl-Colour, type cherry and added some drops of black colour to darken it a bit. Then I painted everything twice, so it covers well.

On the spare piece I tried out from left to right: wax polish (not good, does not really connect with underground and looks dirty), varnish, and shellac, whiped on with a cloth. Wiping on shellac is probably the most elaborate way, but one can control the gloss level very well. So I probably go for that.

The gildet frames look nice on the red underground. They still need treatment, but I think I will go for gildet ornaments, frames and moldings.

Matthias

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by Beckmann

[Chuck]

One thing you might want to try is a spray fixative.  I will spray the entire model with a light spray of matte fixative or dull coat.  This really evens out the red paint.  You should give it a try on those extra pieces.  I spray from about 18 inches away from the model and it really does wonders for the finish.

[Beckmann]

You mean the stuff, artists take to secure a charcoal drawing? Okay I will get some and try that out.

[Chuck]

Yes that stuff...but the matte finish.

[Beckmann]

I added the thole  pins at this stage of the building, so the finish covers all of the parts being painted red.  

I also got the fixativ  and some other stuff to try out what will look best.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by Beckmann

[Beckmann]

I made a test ob my spare   pieces. To be honest, you can hardly see the difference.  The fixative (on the right side) is a tiny little bit more mat

I like both surfaces.

 

[Beckmann]

First thin varnish coat  is done. I took the lacqer spray , for the red colour shines a bit more under it. I will go twice over it.

[Beckmann]

Summary of Surface:

sanding, primer

sanding, first coat of colour

sanding, second coat of colour

sanding, third coat of Colour

first varnish coat

second varnish coat

That's it now. When working on it, I remembered, that when I made an apprenticeship as a joiner / Carpenter, some 25 years ago, we used to water the wooden surfaces. The wood fibers stood up, and when you sandet them down, you hardly had to do any sanding at all anymore. I don't know, why I forgot about that. - Next time -.

 

At the Moment I am busy doing the moldings. I haven't done that before, so I had to practise a bit. First thing to do was to make a scraper, tiny enough for these small strips. I used an old metal scraper About 2 mm thick and milled the profile into it with a little cutting wheel from the dremel. It worked quite well. The shaping of the strips also worked well. 

[Beckmann]

Hello everybody,

The ornaments, frames and moldings werde gildet and added to the hull. At the moment I am busy preparing the rudder.

Matthias

[Chuck]

Really fine work.  The guilded carvings look fantastic.

[Beckmann]

Thanks Chuck,

I have a problem, I don't know, why it occured: The keel ist bending about 3 mm upwards in the middle. During the planking I had it on the frame all the time. I preformed the planks with heat, so they were not very much forced in place. Is there a way to prevent this? Certainly not any more at this stage of building, but I would like to know, what I did wrong. I will post a photo of the problem later.

Matthias

Edited April 15, 2019 by Beckmann

[Chuck]

I have no idea...could be a few things.  My guess is the frames were not securely glued into the keel allowing for some movement.  Or the base was warped from the beginning and and just not noticeable.  There isnt much you can do about it at this point though.  I am sure nobody will notice.  Impossible to tell in the photos.

 

Chuck

[Beckmann]

Here you can see better, what I mean, but you are right, it is not too much noticable.

[JpR62]

Superb work. She becomes beautiful with the ornaments in place.

[Beckmann]

The flag staffs, the tiller and the nailing is done now. Here are some photos. 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Beckmann

[Chuck]

Just beautiful!!!  😃

[Beckmann]

At the moment I am busy making the oars. I had some Problems, sanding the blades in shape, because they kept breaking off. Maybe it is an idea to make the pole and the blade out of one peace. The adhesive Surface between them is very small.

[Beckmann]

Yesterday I installed the oars. I like them being in place like seen on the photos, it gives an Impression of speed. Although this is quite a space-consuming way of displaying the model, I think I will go for it. I also made a mirror-baseboard, so one can see better the unplanked bottom of the model. Next I will made the showcase.

Matthias

[CaptainSteve]

She looks magnificent, Matthias !! I love the mirrored baseboard - great idea.

[JpR62]

She is beautiful ! I really like having put the oars in place and the baseboard is pleasing. Stunning work !

[Chuck]

simply beautiful work....well done.  Great display.

[Beckmann]

Hello everybody,

to finish this build Log, here are some photos of the Display case. I altered the baseboard by reducing the mirror-surface. I think it looks better like this and confuses not so much, if one looks at the model. The mirror area still allows , seeing the unplanked bottom of the barge. Now I just need to finish the varnish of the baseboard, and thats it done.

One word to Chuck:

Thank you for this fantastic kit, it was really fun to build it. Looking at the barges in NMM, Greenwich or the book about the Kriegstein-Collection makes me think, how nice an oarsmen-crew would be. Maybe one day, you should talk to your chinese carver, (Jack was his Name?) to develop a resin-casting for one ore two types of oarsmen. This is such a popular model, I am shure you will sell hundreds of oarsmen, to man all the barges. How many did you sell by now? Maybe 150 barges, that is a demand of 1500 oarsmen :) !!!

Matthias

Matthias

[Chuck]

Simply beautiful presentation.   You make my kits look so good!!!  Best marketing any business could hope for.   I did contemplate making some figures.   But I dont want to overwhelm my casting guy.   He is going nuts right now working on the castings for Winnie.

 

Chuck

[Tigersteve]

Beautiful presentation and model!

Steve