Sea Witch by Moltinmark - FINISHED - Lindberg - 1/96

[Moltinmark]

I noticed this model in a local outlet store for about 40 usd and had a 15% coupon thought might as well try a plastic ship

[Moltinmark]

Glued the 2 halves of the hull together and painted flat black above the waterline, copper below then taped off the water line and painted it white. Painted the inside white

[Moltinmark]

Drilled holes in bottom of hull and thru the mounts to attach to the 1×8 oak plank. The square holes are for the masts

[Moltinmark]

Stained and shellacked oak mount plank. Added felt feet on the under side

[Moltinmark]

Painted the figurehead gold. Added the chains for the anchors, dolphin striker and bow sprit lines

[Moltinmark]

Sanded the deck pieces to take the gloss off of them and make them look more like wood

[Moltinmark]

Decided to do 1 side of ship as it would look later in life by greening the copper and am still considering other aging steps fo the one side. The other side I will make pristine like the day she launched. 

[Moltinmark]

I've actually been working on this a couple of weeks now but just started the build log today after I had joined model ship world yesterday. Painted the masts, yards, crows nests and plan on touch ups when I cut them loose to install them. The kit comes with formed plastic sails but I think I won't use them. Either no sails or stored sails made from sheer curtains

[Moltinmark]

Thinking of using a fine brass brush to put thin fine lines to reveal the darker brown plastic underneath tan paint for wood  grain and do the ends in white and flat brown 

[Moltinmark]

What a fantastic site. Spent the morning looking around to see if this model had any logs to reference. Did find a review of the kit that seemed positive and that JFK had a sea witch model in the oval office. There were quite a few references to " bright" work on the masts and yards. Am I correct in assuming this to mean light colors in the topside and masting?

[Sea Hoss]

Welcome to MSW... your Sea Witch is looking nice so far. I think it would be awesome if you did most of the remaining build using wooden parts. I built a USS Constitution several years ago (Revell- plastic) and wish I would have done the masts and deck things in wood. Just an idea.

[Moltinmark]

Thanks Hoss 

Have seen that mentioned a few times in my research. Was there a specific reason you would use wood? Looks or over coming plastic's non stiffness and creating rigging problems? Some say if rigged correctly no problem with plastic. Thanks again for your input

[Sea Hoss]

Ya, I just think the wooden  masts etc. are something that cannot be captured in plastic. Just my opinion. I'll be watching your progress.

[Moltinmark]

Had to drill 50 some odd 1/32 holes for the masts assemblies and their caps. Assembled the foremast, main mast and the mizzen mast. They look pretty good.   Painted one coat of flat tan so that the darker brown showed through and brushed them with small brass brush.  kind of looks like wood I think. 

Edited December 6, 2020 by Moltinmark
Forgot pics

[Moltinmark]

On 12/5/2020 at 2:06 AM, Sea Hoss said:

Ya, I just think the wooden  masts etc. are something that cannot be captured in plastic. Just my opinion. I'll be watching your progress.

I think I can get another kit and that one will use wood on the decks, buildings, fifes masts ect since this one is fairly close to being done. When I got this I was thinking it would give me experience in rigging a multiple mast ship. Thanks Hoss

[Moltinmark]

Well I finished final paint touch ups on the hull and mounted to the oak plank I had left over from my first ships (Le Renard) display case. Installed the decks and populated it with the furniture

[Kelp]

Nice work on the Sea Witch.  You were asking about brightwork.  It means to leave the wood in it's natural color, usually varnished.

 

Looking good!

 

Don

[Moltinmark]

Started rigging the shrouds and stay lines and the bowsprit. Heavy black .070 stay lines nylon that came with the kit. Light .40 black shrouds core. Is there any quick reference guide on the types and characteristics of the commonly used products in modeling?

[Moltinmark]

I am amazed at how stiff the mizzen is already without the back stays. I was worried about how flexible the plastic was but it is going to tighten up nicely

[Moltinmark]

Work continues on the standing rigging. Running one line at a time on each side and clipping a heavy duty paper clip on it to create tension and then gluing them in place. And when I put the four stay lines on the tighten up and stiffen the masts. I then glue the false Deadeye assemblies over the top of the backstay lines as you see in the aft of the ship in the picture

[Moltinmark]

It's official. Putting sails on 

[Moltinmark]

If I can figure out how to move

Shirt sails here it explains how I did this 

[Moltinmark]

I apparently followed the illustration too good. Did the standing rigging stay taut or did they release them in port? Will only 20 sails most. And maybe try. Main mast unfurl !!! 

Plastic tougher to rig because of bending. Than wood

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Moltinmark
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[Moltinmark]

Finished standing rigging and started running rigging. Still experimenting wth the sails. Didn't like the 1st set of sails. Second set so so. Will now try silk span. I don't really like that the sails will cover most of the rigging. Might just put furled sails on 

[Moltinmark]

2nd set of sails

[Moltinmark]

Mizzen sails mounted and running rigging completed. I set the yards about 10 degrees from square of center line. 

[Moltinmark]

[Moltinmark]

On 12/27/2020 at 1:07 PM, Moltinmark said:

2nd set of sails

Didn't like the first set of sails so I cut shape of sails with appox 1/4" excess overlap of the thermal formed sails that came with the kit. I soaked the sail in very hot water to soften the the linen to hug the forms of the thermal sails by brushing them and  then Painted them fully with a 50/50 water fabric glue solution being careful to brush the " sides " flat against the forms and down onto the flat area beyond the shape of the sail and let dry. I then cut out the sails with scissors. The jib and stay sails were cut at the extreme edge of the form of the sail. The square sails were cut at the extreme point of the sail top and bottom with the sides cut just beyond the corner of the flat plane of the sail. This gives strength to the shape of the sail. I now have a very lightweight sail that I can hang from the masts without deforming the plastic masts or existing rigging that appear fully wind filled and have vague outlines of panels within them. I wasn't concerned with any hems as I am at 1/96th scale and think that they wouldn't be visible

[Moltinmark]

Also the fabric glue prevents any fraying of the sails. 

[Rach10199]

Such a great job! I'll be happy if mine turns out half as fine as this👍