USS Maine by ERSRich - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - 3/32

[alross2]

Appreciate your craftsmanship 🙂.

 

[alross2]

Now that you are at this point, let's talk a bit about the bottom color.  After the original display model was built, I discovered a doctoral dissertation from Florida State University that focused on a news reporter named Sylvester.  He was present at the raising of the wreck in 1912 and commented that the bottom was as green as the day she was lost.  A follow-up conversation with Dana Wegner (Curator of Ship Models at the David Taylor Basin) indicated that during her last yard period, an experimental bottom paint identified only as McInnis Green was applied.  We couldn't come up with a color chip so I used FLOQUIL Dark Green to repaint the bottom on the original display model just before she went to the Naval War College.  I also have my doubts about her having a black boot top over the red anti-fouling, although there is a photo of her in drydock that shows what certainly appears to be one.  If I were to build the kit again today, I would paint her green or leave off the boot top over the red.  

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by alross2

[yvesvidal]

21 hours ago, ERS Rich said:

Vallejo grey primer, thinned with Vallejo thinner was applied with an Iwata RG-3 mini gun, @20 psi.  Smoooooth….   Let dry overnight.  Vallejo is an acrylic primer  that adheres well to shellac, metal, and brass.

My experience (and others...) is that the Vallejo primer should be avoided on brass and PE parts. It works very well on plastic, but will peel from PE/brass parts in a very frustrating way. 

 

You may want to verify your painting, before going any further.

 

Yves

[ERS Rich]

41 minutes ago, yvesvidal said:

My experience (and others...) is that the Vallejo primer should be avoided on brass and PE parts. It works very well on plastic, but will peel from PE/brass parts in a very frustrating way. 

 

You may want to verify your painting, before going any further.

Thanks.  
 

Have used the products for many years on mixed media aircraft (plastic, PE, metal, resin), as well as wood ship models.

 

Never had a bad result.  

[ERS Rich]

21 hours ago, alross2 said:

We couldn't come up with a color chip so I used FLOQUIL Dark Green to repaint the bottom on the original display model just before she went to the Naval War College.  I also have my doubts about her having a black boot top over the red anti-fouling, although there is a photo of her in drydock that shows what certainly appears to be one.  If I were to build the kit again today, I would paint her green or leave off the boot top over the red.  

Now that is really cool!  Love Dark Green hull.  Great to know, thanks.

[alross2]

6 hours ago, ERS Rich said:

Now that is really cool!  Love Dark Green hull.  Great to know, thanks.

We're both talking about the hull below the waterline, right?🙂

[ERS Rich]

On 2/1/2023 at 10:04 PM, alross2 said:

We're both talking about the hull below the waterline, right?🙂

Aye, aye, sir! 😎

[ERS Rich]

Forward Superstructure Deck

 

Glued a piece of deck to the superstructure.  Next is to trim the deck flush with the sides.  Flush trim bit on the router table was a thought, but flat chisel is the way to go.  Chisel will easily get into the corners.

The chisel needs to be very sharp.  The method is to use the superstructure sides to guide the chisel.

 

Below it’s kind of fun to scoop off pieces of wood.  An instructor once described it as cutting down hill.  Be careful on the long sides, the wood may split across the top of the deck.

Below the chisel is used to make small perpendicular “relief cuts” and the superstructure “stops” the chisel.

Finally the chisel can cut off the nubs, using the superstructure side as a guide.

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by ERS Rich

[Joe100]

This is turning out so well!

[ERS Rich]

On 2/11/2023 at 2:35 PM, Joe100 said:

This is turning out so well!

Thanks, giving it my best shot!

[ERS Rich]

Prime Coat - Four More Times

 

Applied four more coats of primer.

 

Between each coat, first sanded with 400 grit to remove bits of dust or paint droplets. (There is a droplet above and to the left of the sandpaper)

Then patch defects with plastic wood applied with an x-acto spade blade, then sand smooth with 320, then 400 grit.  Vacuum the dust and wipe with a cotton rag.

Two views of the hull, ready for the color coat.

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Cradles

 

Made two cradles to hold the hull when marking the waterline.

 

First used a contour gauge to get the hull cross section at the fore and aft screw holes.

Next marked two blocks and cutout the semicircular sections with the band saw, and smoothed the curve with the spindle sander.  Drilled the holes with a hand drill and made the counter sink in the block with the counter sink tool on the left (available from Lie-Nielson).  Last lined the block with green felt.

Blocks installed.  Looks like the forward block bottom needs to be cut down a bit.  I’ll do that on the Byrnes table saw.

Edited February 17, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Cleaning the Photoetch

 

Cleaned the PE with Birchwood Casey degreaser.  Applied generously with swauber applicator.  Bloated dry with a paper towel and buffed with a second dry swauber.

 

Note the AV primer on the props did peel as yvesvidal said, so will be using a different primer.

 

 

 

[yvesvidal]

13 hours ago, ERS Rich said:

Note the AV primer on the props did peel as yvesvidal said, so will be using a different primer.

 

I am sorry you had to find out the hard way. I realized that with horror, while building my large 1/48 U-Boot. The Vallejo Primer on all PE parts, had to be carefully scratched with a nail and then some brushes. I ended up using Tamiya primer or automotive primer and it worked like a charm.

 

Yves

[ERS Rich]

Superstructure Bulkhead Prep

 

Used a half round file and a sanding block to even up, and remove the laser residue along, the bulkhead sides.

[ERS Rich]

Superstructure Trimming with Half Round

 

Use a toothpick, to apply a thin bead of carpenters glue along the deck edge.  Start with a small drop on the tip and roll the toothpick as it’s dragged along the deck edge.

After the trim is installed use a new toothpick to cleanup any squeeze out.

For curved sections I use an electric tea kettle to generate steam for bending.

Several pieces are used to make it around the curve.  The first piece brings us halfway around.  Superglue is used at the beginning and end of the piece with carpenters glue in between.

The next piece brings us to the end of the curve, note the end of the first piece is trimmed at an angle with a flat chisel to make a tight joint.

Trim the piece with a nail trimmer.  A pattern file is used to dress up the joint.  This end of file cuts on the thin edge,  the wide side is a safe edge.  Rotate the file around the half round to avoid making a flat spot.

The results.  The pattern file is shown, available from Lie-Nielson in Maine.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Forward Superstructure Photo Etch

 

Cut the photo etch from the sprue with an Xacto on a hard surface.  Clean up the nubs with a diamond file - the Tamiya file has a fine cut and quickly removes metal.

To help with vertical alignment use a piece of stock against the half round trim. Notice the pencil marks at the base, to help with fore/aft alignment.  The porthole panels were installed first followed by the ringlets.

 

Use a rod to form the 6” gun casement panels.  The rod set is from Small Shop.

It’s important to get the casement panels shaped correctly so they fit easy along the bulkhead.  I needed to file the bottom of the half round trim with a wood file and the casement panel with the Tamiya file.

 

To get the general shape, first hold down the aft end against the bulkhead, then make sure the aft hinges are at the correct angle.  Then continue to wrap with the fingers.  Next fine tune with the rod by working fore and aft from about the middle of the piece.

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Painting the Forward Superstructure

 

The top was masked, leaving a 1/8” wide perimeter around the outside edge.  1/8” white pinstripe tape was applied first to the super structure outside edge, to act as a spacer, then the Tamiya masking tape along it’s inside edge.  
 

The bulkheads were sealed with shellac, and the brass primed with Mr. Surfacer primer.  Mr. Surfacer works very well.  Plan is to prime the remaining PE sheets with Tamiya primer.

In my world, “Buff” is Tamiya Desert Yellow (XF-59), thinned 20% with Tamiya XF-20, and was applied with a Paasche Talon configured with the #2 tip, @20# pressure.  

 

My favorite Rickover quote is “the devil is in the details, but so is salvation”.  Here the paint reveals gaps between the half round trim and the deck, that needs to be filled in.  And notice the end grain along the rounded edge needs to be filled and sanded.  I’ll let the paint cure for a few days before this work.  Going to give Mr Surfacer 500 a shot for the filler.

At the end, Tamiya Airbrush cleaner is run through the brush and exhausted into an Iwata airbrush station.  I had my plumber friend make up a manifold with a 0-30# liquid filed gauge for greater accuracy, and ball valves from Paasche, available from Coast Airbrush.  The table is by Artograph, shown without the hood.

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Hull Painting - White

 

The plan is to paint the hull above the waterline white, and below the waterline dark green; so white first, mark and mask the waterline, then the dark.  
 

Considered Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, decided on Vallejo Air 71.001 White, seemed less intense to me.

 

Dusted the hull on the table, fans on, with a soft brush.
 

The setup is Paasche Talon, #3 tip, @22#.  Paint applied in coats.  Each coat is 50 drops paint, 10 drops flow improver.  Starting with empty cup, 1 drop thinner first to flood the nozzle, two drops flow improver, 50 drops paint, 8 drops flow improver.  Stir mix in cup well with a stirring stick.  
 

Found this volume of paint to be enough for 1 coat from bow to stern on 1 side.  Paint was applied in a circular motion, with the airbrush always moving.  Also a q-tip moistened with thinner is at the ready to clean the tip.

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Hull Painting - Dark Green

 

Leveled the model and marked the waterline.

Set the model on its side on a red rag, and applied a single continuous piece of Tamiya masking tape along the marks.  Then lightly burnished the tape with a wooden tongue depressor.

 

Finally used construction paper to make a skirt around the model.  Applied Tamiya XF-26 Deep Green with the Iwata RG-3 mini sprayer @20#.

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Progress Photos

 

Pleased with the results.

Edited March 7, 2023 by ERS Rich

[yvesvidal]

Very clean and precise. 

 

Yves

[ERS Rich]

Painting the Waterways

 

An exercise in masking….

 

Used Tamiya 3mm tape as a spacer at the edge half round hull trim, then masked along its inside edge, and construction paper to mask the remaining deck.

Then removed the white tape.  Not shown is I masked the top edge of the half round.

Then painted the waterway Tamiya Desert Yellow XF-26, with Paasche Talon #2 tip.  Next masked over the waterway and painted the top edge of the half-round white.

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Progress Photo

 

Turrets painted.  Turrets and gun barrels dry fitted.  Happy Friday!

 

 

 

[ERS Rich]

Finishing the Hull

 

Last steps to finishing the Hull are drilling the holes for the deck stanchions and turnbuckle eyebolts; and anchor bill top plates.

 

This brings us to the top of page 14 of the instruction book.

 

First photo shows drilling a hole with an Amati pin vise with #76 drill bit.  Stanchion hole locations were marked off using plan sheet 2, starting from the forward superstructure and working aft.

 

Second photo shows painted anchor bill plates in place.

 

[ERS Rich]

Finishing the Forward Superstructure

 

The completion of these steps bring us to page 16 of the instruction book.

 

Filed the parting lines from the metal fittings.  File set purchased at Home Depot.

Next primed the fittings with Mr Primer, thinned with Mr. Color; then painted with XF-26.

Next made a photocopy of the deck, cutout the openings for the fittings, and installed them.  And removed the template.

Next installed the bow break.  The challenge here is to get adhesive on the thin edge of the styrene without a mess.  So dry fitted the break, applied tape on the deck along the edges, removed the break, applied adhesive to the deck, reinstalled the break, slowly removed the tape before the adhesive dried.

Finally installed the hatch coamings, and cleats.  Cleats by Syren Ship Model Company

 

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by ERS Rich

[ERS Rich]

Middle Superstructure Fitting

 

Have to fit the superstructure to the deck camber.

 

Started by planing the bottom with a plane with a convex sole.  Plane sourced from Veritas woodworking.  Planed to as close to the edge without going over.

 

Next is to scribe the sides so they fully contact the deck.  Here I used a pencil to mark where the the part touches the deck.  Then the convex plane was used to carefully remove marked wood, planing along the edge and from outside to inside.

 

 

[Rick310]

Nice build!!  Great job with the airbrush!!

[ERS Rich]

1 hour ago, Rick310 said:

Nice build!!  Great job with the airbrush!!

Thanks Rick, it did take awhile to get the hang of it….

[ERS Rich]

Midships Superstructure - Part 1

 

First made a photocopy of plan for a template.

 

Reckoned that the position of the gun turrets drives the assembly so fitted the turrets first then built the hammock lockers.  Cut stock with a Byrnes table saw.

 

Rough trimmed the plywood pieces for the bulkhead sides with a papercutter.  Then glued to block.

 

Trimmed the bulkhead bottom and top flush.  Used a 5/32” wide piece of stock as a temporary sill for the horizontal bulkhead cut In front of the 6” turret.

 

Trimmed with Tamiya precision saw in an X-Acto holder.  The red handle tool is a flush cutter, typically used to cut veneer or plastic board edge banding, sourced from Fastcap.

Turret dry fitted.

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by ERS Rich