18th Century Longboat by Shaz (Robbyn) - FINISHED - Model Shipways

[SkerryAmp]

Robbyn your paint job looks fantastic!!   What, if any, flaws that may exist will get overshadowed by the rest of the model as it gets put together - I can't see anything that jumps out as .     Trust me, I am the master of the   building these things :blush: :blush:

 

 

-Adam

[Shazmira]

Question,

I am putting the floorboards in and I am wondering are they supposed to be laid along the curve of the hull, or should they provide a level place for one's feet from one side to the other of the hull?

[dcicero]

Can't say anything about the model because I haven't gotten that far yet, but I would think the floorboards would be flat.  If they curved, I would think all the gear in the boat would slide to the center.

 

 

Dan

[Shazmira]

Dan, that is what my logical mind is telling me as well.

[amateur]

Still, Chuck Passaro let his boards (not the aft and forward platform) go with the lines of the hull...

See: http://www.thenrg.org/chuck-passaro---nrg-member-ship-model-photos.php

 

Jan

[edmay]

Hello Robynn,Paint job looks good,5 stars.Edwin

[tlevine]

The floorboards sit on the ribs (frames) of the boat.  In order for them to be level, the ribs would have to be built up to support the floorboards.  Additionally, David Antscherl, in his design of the cutter for the Swan class, also shows the floorboards as running with the curvature of the hull.  And if the ship-model-god says thats how they go...

[Shazmira]

Thanks everyone for getting back to me. I had taken a closer look at Chuck's log and I do see them following the line of the hull so that is what I did. Working on those fragile little platforms now   ugh!

[Shazmira]

Made a little bit of progress.

I was really unhappy with that top rail last I posted an update...so I tore it off, made a new one, and did a better job of keeping the edges sharper with this soft basswood. Made it much easier to keep the white on the "sides" rather than floating up to surround the red paint. Then I installed my floorboards and platforms. i wanted a richer color, so I stained them with minwax red mahogany.

 

 

scribed, then stained and installed the risers. and as you can see the clamps dented the soft basswood, so had to sand and touch up paint again

carved and sanded the front wall of the "foot locker"

Then scribed and installed my thwarts

 

Now I am working on the larger thwart, and doing the metal work on it. Should have it installed tomorrow.

[augie]

I knew it.  A couple of days away, you come back and take a look and bingo.......a new version emerges.

 

Very nice work Robbyn .... and a great decision.  Proud of ya 

[gjdale]

Nice work Robbyn. I see you're well and truly on your way to the darkside when you pull off pieces you don't like and remake them. Good for you!

[themadchemist]

Wow  and with everything else going on in your life.

She's looking good.

 

For some strange reason I'm not at all surprised you re-did the rails

[Adrieke]

very nice work Robbyn

[mtaylor]

Robbyn,

 

Well done on the rework.  I think we all knew that was coming.    

 

Yeah.. the darkside has you in it's grip.  Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

 

Auctions are sometimes great.  Usually not for things like antiques, or power tools, though.  I did see a local yard sale that did have some very good prices on power tools recently but again, that's rare.

[Jay 1]

Your re-work looks great, and I like the color contrasts you used with the stains. Mmm from what you've said, and also from what I've also experienced, replacing key basswood pieces on a build with harder wood is the way to go--adds a little to a kit's cost but perhaps saves on hassle and etc. with fighting with basswood.

[lamarvalley]

She looks great Robbyn I knew it... rather than strip the paint tho you stripped the whole rail... and a good decision it was . Much crisper....

 

I wonder how much time we, as modelers, spend redoing... not complaining cause if it ain't right... fix it til it is but just wondering... I think a good quarter to a third of the time I have spent on my san fran has been in the rip out and redo phase. And you seem to have the same disease as me

[4whelr]

Robbyn,

Your boat is looking awesome.

 

As to auctions, I have a family member that works in the auction business.  When I asked if I could get any good deals at an auction, he said, "Occasionally, but that people get somewhat aggressive in bidding. It becomes a competition for many people and they are willing to pay any price just to win. Better to just buy the thing new."  Just what I learned.

 

Eddie

[Shazmira]

Jay, I have decided to order boxwood from hobby mills for the Syren. I refuse to fight with this soft crappy basswood on that build as well!!! Great for first planking, but absolutely useless for anything else

 

Randy, you are the one who gave me the idea to "strip" it off several pages back lol, I just took it to mean strip the whole piece off

 

Eddie, I like to go to auctions, and have gotten some very good deals on many items...just NOT power tools it seems. I try to leave other half at home when I go, because he falls in that catagory you mentioned...it becomes a "got to win" and he usually ends up paying much more than the item is worth. Me I go in with a price in my head...if it goes over more than 5-10 what I had in mind, I just walk away. Personally I would prefer to buy my tools new (with a warranty), or gently used by someone I knew took care of them. However, if I could get a really great deal I would buy them, that way, if they are aboslute garbage I am not out much and can still afford to replace with a new one.

[Shazmira]

First a picture for Sjors without the bow or stern cut off

Fought with this thwart...Made two of them as per the instructions and both snapped in half when I tried to fit them between the frames and under the rails. So I got a little creative and fashioned my own little fix for the problem.  UGHHH close up really shows all those nasty basswood fuzzies.

Close up of completed piece...sorry for the blurriness, but at least it hides the fuzziness

Went to work making the seats and locker lid next, I think I have them shaped and fitted correctly. I also decided to add a little "groove" to help hold the back "frame" for the toolbox lid. I think I will also glue a small strip of some scrap below this to offer some support.

The view with the "frame" dry fit

Painted seats installed. I can see now I am in a bit of a "fix" I measured my risers, but it seems they are too high, there is very little space between the tops of the seats and the underside of the top rail. I see looking ahead there are some corner piece to be added and there is supposed to be a gap between those corner supports and the tops of the seats. Well, mine will not have much gap...the only way to fix this is to strip out everything to the floorboards and move it all "down". I don't feel like that kind of a redo, and I don't foresee any issues other than "looks" to leaving things the way they are. If I am wrong, someone please tell me now so I can do it over if need be.

 

[Sjors]

Thank you Robbyn for the wonderful picture !

 

It's not the first time that wood snapped and it will for sure not will be the last time….

When that happened, the scratch skill are coming     

Very nice young Lady !

 

[mtaylor]

Looks good Robbyn.  We have to remember that the macro lens is not our friend.  If it looks good at normal viewing distance, it's good to go. 

[Shazmira]

Thanks to everyone for the kind comments and encouragement!

Remember, if it looks like crap, then tell me!!!!

 

Tom, I understand the whole priority thing believe me, most of mine center on keeping a mortgage paid for on a house I don't live in....hopefully it will sell very soon now that it is on the market!!! Then I can switch my priorities to my shop and all the tools that will fill it

 

Small update, finished the seats and tool box, complete with faux hinges per Chuck's instructions. I think it works ok.

working today on all the knees, got them shaped last night, trying to get them painted now. so hopefully more pics to follow

 

[newbuilder101]

Looking great! I like the colour change on the internal parts, and the faux hinges look terrific too!

[Adrieke]

very nice and i woudlnt have known the where false ones if you didnt tell

[augie]

Looks nice!  Chuck has a whole ...... boatload...... of suggestions like that.  You're going to enjoy Syren.

[Shazmira]

Spent the afternoon creating the windlass and handles, I think they will work.

 

Have a question, the instructions say to paint the rings, and eyebolts black. The waterbased (ME) paint I have is NOT sticking to the brass and I do not have access to anything like blacken it. Is there something I can do to treat the brass first so the paint sticks?

 

Windlass handles

 

windlass and handles installed, as are the oar locks

 

close up of the windlass

 

[augie]

I know the parts you are talking about are very small and that using primer is almost unreasonable.  Sometimes brass has a coating on it so you might try soaking them in acetone for a while then drying them off carefully before trying the black again.  You could also try thinning your paint quite a bit and using multiple coats.  The first 2 will look terrible but it just might 'take' after that. 

 

See if you get any other suggestions and let us know how you make out.  GOOD LUCK!

[src]

Robbyn,

Ammonia should blacken brass. try Augies acetone first then perhaps some vinegar to "pickle" it. that might give the paint a bit more bite, we do this a work for galvanized steel. Maybe if you have some scrap to test on first? If none of that works re clean and try the ammonia. I dont know if household ammonia will get it dark enough for you, but it might be worth a try. 

Sam

[amateur]

Humbroll or Revell enamel paint will do the job.

Be caefull with amonia: it does balcken, but it also corrodes the material quite rapidly.

The blackened stuff is far more brittle than the untreated material (at least, it was when I tried ammonia as blackener)

 

Jan

[lamarvalley]

Your windlass and model look great Robbyn

You say you don't have access to anything to blacken it... if you have a gun shop anywhere nearby they probably sell brass black for bluing gun barrels and such. Not pleasant stuff but with eyewear, gloves and a bit of ventilation it blackens brass and copper as long as the metal is cleaned very well beforehand.