Half Hull Planking Kit by modeller_masa - FINISHED - NRG - 1/48

[modeller_masa]

Hello,
This is my last project of this year.

 

I was going to upload this post after  completion, but I decided to upload current status. I would like to hear advices regarding planking work.
 

 

The hull fairing is the most difficult and important job. Hull fairing determines all the planking plan. I didn't understand it on April. It was a reason I stop this kit for half a year.

 

 

No smile garboard

 

 

I found that the garboard and the first strake must be under the first waterline before too late.

 

 

Fixed.

 

 

 

For easy work. I jumped to the black wale strake. After that, I splitted lower frames into three segments.

 

 

This black wale strake also determines all the planking plan and shape of the ship, so I shouldn't have decided to go it first easily. It affects all the lower planks.

 

 

Broken, but not a big problem.

 

 

This is a big problem. wrong position.

 

 

Added thickness to counter. Planks will go to the yellow tape. (Shorter counter area)

 

 

Carefully peering into Toni's pictures... and understood!

 

 

Determining how to device the fore end.

 

 

The yellow tape (by height) is the best for good lining.

 

 

Peering into Toni's pitures again... and AHA!

 

 

Measure - printing - adjusting lines - marking - planking, again.

 

 

Mistake. The pink is corrected line.

 

 

Getting hard to bend strips... This is a digital temperature controlled iron.

 

 

Oops. Another mistake. (Very short plank between two frames.)  No time to make the strip again...

 

I think I should have to measure all the length of frames when I did hull fairing. I had to draw all the height lines of each planks and black wale strake before I attach it. Also, it would be better if I gave gentle curve to each frames for easier bending. It is very difficult to understand the idea, but I finally learned it from this kit with Toni's guide. (Too difficult to follow it! 😫)

 

If you found any more mistakes or have advices for better result, please feel free to leave a reply. One of my issue is that a minimizing gap between upper and under planks. (Light leaks.) Sanding a little by little is too time consuming.

 

Thanks for introducing this education kit, Toni, and thanks for reading.

[modeller_masa]

 

As I progress more planks, gaps between planks are smaller than before.

 

 

My method is giving a slight slope to an edge of a new plank. It makes more consistant looking surface and less light leaking. But I'm not sure this is the best way yet...

 

In addition, each line of planks are not looking good in my opinion. All of the planks tend to be slightly wiggly... I would say that the biggest reason of the issue is that wrong hull fairing and inaccurate cutting, but fixing the issue is too difficult for newbie. I think filling spaces between frames with balsa wood and making a fish shape hull rather than a frame-bone shape may help to get a proper hull fairing lines more easily for newbie.

[Cleat]

Thanks for the pictures.  I've started my Half Hull project and was wondering how the transom was orientated and I noticed it in one of your pictures.   

[modeller_masa]

I made the line tapes using powerpoint. It's minimum scale is 0.01mm, so it is more accurate than human hand. 

 

Also, don't hesitate to make planks. You can buy additional 1/32 basswood sheet at anywhere.  

 

[modeller_masa]

 

I just finished most of the progress.

 

 

 

As I make a new plank, I'm doing better than before. The last result is almost identical to the museum grade wooden model ships! ...... in my delusion. 

 

The finish line is just around the corner. I'll do wet sanding tomorrow and run to the end.

[Ryland Craze]

It is looking good.  You will be surprised at how well it looks once the hull is sanded.  I have never wet sanded a hull and in my opinion I would just sand it starting with 220 grit and maybe finishing with 400 grit, but no wet sanding.

[modeller_masa]

 

Almost done. 

[modeller_masa]

 

I took pictures before I apply varnish. I'll apply the Black Bison wax polish.

 

The last work is making mount. It will take about a week.

Edited December 17, 2020 by modeller_masa

[modeller_masa]

 

It's done. The present time in South Korea is Dec 24th 11:30 PM. 

 

Merry Christmas!

[bruce d]

Lovely!

메리 크리스마스

 

 

[Matt D]

That’s a beautiful model and a beautiful display plaque.  Merry Christmas to you, too!

[kurtvd19]

Congratulations.  It looks great and you learned from the experience.  That's a win-win for sure.

Kurt

[JeffT]

Well done!

[modeller_masa]

13 minutes ago, kurtvd19 said:

It looks great and you learned from the experience. 

Definitely. Toni's education kit is a bit difficult to swallow at once, but now I'm full of confidence.

 

Here is a bit bitter critic of this planking kit. I know some people who began build logs of this kit occasionally stop at a particular point : Hull fairing and a little amount of planking work. I understand why they stop. I also stop at the stage, and restarted after 4 months with encouraging myself. It was quite difficult to overcome 'the monster stage'.

 

I don't think the Toni's instruction is wrong. Just... 'the planking technique' is a bit tough to swallow at once. Now I'm tasting the sweetness of knowledge, and understood that everything she wrote is correct and each word includes several meanings in various perspectives. In this case, a simple way to get over it is just following the planking progress without fear of mistake. My first part (garboard~#1 section) was terrible because of poor comprehension on manual. However, as I made more planking with tons of mistake, I was able to find what is wrong, understand what should I do in the next time, and reduce my mistakes.

 

This is a tutorial kit. It is understandable that you who are new to ship model may want to make this kit nicely, but not all of you need to make a coursebook nicely when studying. Consider this kit as a textbook. Don't hesitate to break planking strips and draw dirty marks on it. It is true that this kit is difficult for new comer, but not far beyond your powers. Only thing you need is guts. And...... if you overcome it and finish this kit, taste of knowledge is so yummy that you won't wait for the next ship build. This is what I want to say to people who stop build logs of this kit.