Rattlesnake by javajohn - Model Shipways - 1:64

[Gregory]

17 minutes ago, javajohn said:

I'm wondering how best to remove the fuzz to make it look better.

I've found using very fine sandpaper,  400 or finer usually works for me.

[whitejamest]

To add to what Gregory says, I'd recommend sealing the wood first with wipe on poly or the like. Then sandpaper will be all the more effective at removing fuzz. 

[javajohn]

Thanks everyone.

 

I'm not sure why I chose red for the bulwarks. The kit instructions do suggest grey. I have a can of shellac that can be used as a sealer. I'll try that. I prefer shellac over wipe-on poly only because I don't need extreme ventilation to avoid breathing the fumes. I was planning on it anyway before painting.

[javajohn]

I got sidetracked on other projects and stopped working on my build for several weeks.

 

After I finished the covering boards, I decided it was time to paint the inner bulwarks. Wow, did I screw that up! Even my wife says it's awful. The issue is that I did not read about the paint I was using enough to understand that I was using the wrong paint. I combined a red ochre and crimson to get the color I wanted. What I didn't realize is that the crimson paint I used (Liquitex) is semi-translucent. To further exacerbate the issue, the Liquitex thinner also adds translucency to the paint. The translucent pigments are also quite glossy, so now I have a mirror finish that doesn't really cover the wood. I was using very thin coats and assumed it just took a lot of coats, but after 6 coats, things were looking worse and worse.

 

I didn't see this, or more accurately didn't pay attention to it when I painted the waterways. So, now I'm thinking I should just paint over with just the red ochre (a fully opaque paint).  It is really thick so I can dilute it with water. The other possibility is to use the gray model shipways paint that came with the paint kit.

 

Should I try to re-sand the bulwarks to remove some of the offending paint?

 

 

[Gregory]

No need to apologize..  There are more builds that never get finished  compared to those that are..

 

Too bad we all cannot get paid to do this, and be able to pay someone else to do the chores that take us away from ship building.

[Dave_E]

Perhaps do a semi hidden area as a sanding experiment to see how much you can get off? And then apply your chosen color to see what the turn out will be?

[javajohn]

Well, I managed to eke out a few more hours to work on the Rattlesnake.

 

Anyway, I salvaged the inner bulwark painting by sanding with 400 grit. I repainted with Liquitex Red Oxide. I thinned it this time with plain water and the results were much better. I also finished the covering boards and even did a small bit of carving on the step that you can see in the photo (although it's a bit hard to see).

 

I painted the outer bulwarks as well and noticed a few problems, but I think I can live with them. When I used shellac to seal and prep for sanding, I did some research and found that you have to sand the surface after the shellac dries, otherwise acrylic paint won't stick to it. You can see that in the covering boards where I missed a few spots and the paint chipped off.

 

The paint really shows all the areas I didn't sand very well.

 

I still need a few more coats of paint and lots of touchup, but all in all, I'm satisfied considering I'm working with basswood and I'm not a good painter!

 

Next up is to plank the hull.

[whitejamest]

The colors look great, she'll be a beauty. 

[Dave_E]

36 minutes ago, whitejamest said:

The colors look great, she'll be a beauty. 

I concur! 👍😀

[Delphic Oracle]

Following along as I hope to get back into this same kit by year's end.

 

I chuckled heartily at the shims for the center pieces, as I had to make that exact same adjustment!

[Gregory]

Something that makes you go " Oh wow " when you are copying the plans and building  your own.

 

A little redesign after running into issues with the backbone ver1.0.  I will be updating my log soon.  The scrap pile is growing

 

[Oldsalt1950]

All of us Rattlesnake builder have a growing scrap pile. 🤣

[javajohn]

Thanks all for compliments on the color. Things have been slow (I work full time and am usually busy on the weekends, so rarely can spend a lot of time modeling). Anyway, I have placed the battens for the upper belt and will finally start hull planking this weekend.

 

I'm going to pre-paint the top edge of the first whale black which I think will give me a crisper line than trying to use masking tape. I hope that works.

 

I did finally buy a really good light for my modeling station. I've been struggling with poor lighting for a while and decided enough is enough. The company where I work gave me a generous gift certificate, so I splurged and bought a Neatfi Ultra task lamp from Amazon. This thing is insane - 3500 lumens and very large, completely illuminating the whole space with no stark shadows. Here's a picture showing my messy modeling area. There are no other lights on in the room. Now I'll be able to really see all my mistakes!

 

[Dave_E]

Hi John,

 

Very nice workstation my friend! At first glance that ship looks like it’s in distress. What ship is it?

[javajohn]

@Dave_E I don't know the name of the ship in the print. We bought it years ago from a picture framing shop. The ship is not in distress; The seas are rough and the wave in front of the camera gives the impression that the ship is sinking.

[ccoyle]

It's the Belem.

[javajohn]

I'm making slow progress on the hull planking. I've finished 1/2 of the first of three belts. As I started planking toward the stern counterblock, I came to the realization that the shape is a bit off. I think the planks are supposed to lay a bit more vertically. There was a lot of twisting involved to get them stay put! I think it will turn out OK, I'm just a bit worried about how the next three planks will lay.

 

My method if shaping the planks is to use a proportional divider and ships curve to cut the shape. I then use my soldering iron to steam the planks into submission.

 

 

That lower plank on the starboard side will probably need a do-over. It doesn't lay flat against the counter planks. I might try wood filler first, not sure. Opinions? I think I'm going to need some stealers too.

 

 

[Dave_E]

Looking good John! How long is each plank? What are you following for the planking?

[javajohn]

Thanks @Dave_E! I'm following the instructions and plans using the butt-shift method explained in the manual. However, I cheat a bit and try to lay down a long plank across 10 bulkheads where I can instead of 5, when the plank would curve a lot. When there's a lot of bending involved, it makes it easier to keep the run of the planks smooth. I'm not sure I'm explaining this very well, but here's a picture.

The start of the whale (the top-most unpainted strip) is a single strip going from the keel to bulkhead F (outside the picture). I scored a line at bulkhead C to suggest two planks meeting. You can see the same thing on the middle plank at bulkhead B. I'm not sure any of this will show up once everything is sanded and painted, but we'll see.

 

If I was doing natural wood, I'd probably lay down each plank individually. 

 

This close-up really shows my lack of skill sanding/painting on the bulwarks!

[Oldsalt1950]

Its looking good John. I'm painting my hull, my planking skills need a lot of improvement before I can do natural wood.

 

jim

[Dave_E]

Thanks John, Just my .02, but I thought the same of my planking on the Lady Nelson and afterwords thought “show me a perfectly planked ship (in real life) and I’ll show you a museum piece”. After all the wooden recreational and fishing boats I’ve seen (even the Lady Washington), planking imperfection seems to be part of the game, especially over time. Your bulwarks look fine! 👍😀

[javajohn]

Just a status update - I took about three months off from ship modeling to work on some personal things and other projects. All is well and I will be back at it.

 

Planking continues.

[Ed Ku20]

John, your Rattlesnake is coming along beautifully!  I did full length planks on my Bluenose.  But I did not use the "Belt" method for trimming the planks width-wise.  I forced in some stealers at the end.  I am going to try to do a full blown planking job on my Ratt.  However, I think I will slip in a full length strake every now and then to help align the butted ones better.   At the end, a really good sanding & painting job covers a lot of sins however!!

 

I'm following your build now!

 

Thanks,
Ed

[javajohn]

Ed,

 

you are absolutely right about sanding and painting. My planking looks awful at the moment, but I think once it is sanded it will look much better. I've had a few problems with the basswood not bending the way I want it to, but I hope I don't need to use any filler on the planks before I paint. I have a few gaps between the planks that I'll fill with sawdust and glue once I start sanding.

[javajohn]

I've been able to take some time off work during the holidays. I used some of this time to work on the hull and complete the upper two belts. One more belt to go!

 

The lines at the bow are a bit wavy and I see where I did a not-so-great job of getting the battens correct. You can see some clinkering at the bow too, which I've learned is a common problem if the planks aren't edge bent very well.  I also did not get the lines correct at the stern and ended up butting 7 planks instead of 6 against the transom on each side. I think it will be okay in the end once everything is sanded and painted.

 

I'm going to plank the garboard strake next followed by the rest of Belt C. Then it is trim, fill, sand, sand, sand... 🙂 

 

To everyone, have a Happy New Year!

 

John

 

 

[Dave_E]

Planking looks good John. I remember my first (and only) bulkhead framing (Lady Nelson)… I wanted to scrap it. Months later, as I look at it finished, I think “what was I all upset for”? 😄 Press on! 👍

[Oldsalt1950]

Almost there on the hull planking. Are you going to double plank?

 

Jim

 

[javajohn]

Thanks, Dave and Jim!  I'm not going to double plank. I figured since it will be painted, I'm not going to worry so much about the quality of the planking. However, this has been a great learning exercise for me.

 

I recently bought a Veritas miniature block plane after finishing most of the planking. I wish I had it earlier - it saves so much time trimming the planks and getting a smooth surface edge. It has quickly become one of my indispensable tools.

[Kenneth Powell]

Planking always looks better after a little sanding. The micro thickness differences and gaps are the model's 'beauty marks' and makes it look like a real planked ship once it's painted.

I used very little filler and liked the results.

- Kenneth

[javajohn]

The garboard strakes are in. I didn't use any filler pieces at the stern (bulkheads K,L,M) so over-zealous clamping bent the soft basswood and ruined one of the planks. I didn't pay attention and didn't realize the mistake until the glue had dried.  So, I removed and replaced the plank as best I could. Here's a photo of the repair - you can see the gap at bulkhead K. I had clamped around the bulkhead instead of on it since I could get better purchase with the clamps I have.

 

In hindsight, I think I was supposed to narrow the plank a bit so it would lay flat on the bearding line at bulkhead K. I don't think it will make too much of a difference when all is said and done.

 

John