RMS Titanic by NavyShooter - 1/100 - 3D Print - Pond Float display - Halifax Public Gardens

[KeithAug]

Excellent progress - almost ready for her maiden voyage😬

[NavyShooter]

OK, so having carefully fiberglassed the keel and sealing things up nicely...now is the time where I go back and start drilling holes.

 

The fact that this model will likely see some rough handling over years of use means that having a full length keel strip to protect and strengthen it is a very good thing.  To accomplish that, we're going with a 1" by 1/4" strip of aluminum, one on the inside, the other on the keel.  

 

I've got the holes drilled, and if I'd been smart enough, I would have measured the length of the stainless steel screws I needed first...but I didn't, so I need to go back to the hardware store tomorrow after work.  Note, I intend to have the 2nd screw hole back setup with an eye-bolt rather than a bolt, that way there's a ring to attach the anchor line to below the waterline.

 

I have 4 cans of fiberglass resin, and 50 pounds of lead shot.  My intent is to pour the resin along the edges of the interior strip, and put a layer of lead shot in it along the length of the keel.  The estimate is that it will require 200 pounds of weight to get her down to the right waterline.  Putting 50 pounds of lead shot inside will help a bit I hope. 

 

 

[NavyShooter]

Here you can see the bolt holes - somewhat irregularly spaced, but one per 3D printed segment.

 

You can also see the eye bolt that I installed that we will attach the anchor to.

 

There is a rubber washer/spacer between the strip and the keel, with a dollop of silicone sealant applied underneath the spacer/washers. 

 

Lastly you see the whole external keel strip in place - I ended up running a bead of sealant down each side of the aluminum strip as well.  Every little bit helps I guess. 

 

 

[NavyShooter]

And here you see the superstructure assembled into two halves, with the funnels set into place.  Once I've got the hull complete, I'm going to worry about the superstructure and how to bolt it on.  I have an idea for that though...more to follow. 

[NavyShooter]

OK, so, a bit of puttering around over the weekend, and the hull is now masked and painted.

 

I learned that her 'waterline' is not actually flat - as can be seen from the attached "Antifouling" attachment, it angles up to the bow and stern.

 

That has been replicated to the best of my ability.

 

 

[NavyShooter]

And, whilst I was waiting for the paint on the hull to dry, I glued together the remaining parts of the superstructure, and put a layer of resin and some strengthening swaths of fiberglass on the joints on the inside.

 

 

[NavyShooter]

Here's 25 pounds of lead shot epoxied into place along the keel.

 

A start to what we'll need.  She'll probably take another 150+ pounds.

[NavyShooter]

Some work on the Focs'le and the superstructure.  

[NavyShooter]

Some white paint applied to the hull...still some touch-up to do.  

[NavyShooter]

We had our monthly Guild meeting yesterday, and I wheeled the model into the museum to let the group have a look at the progress.  She's huge...and starting to look more complete.

 

(Yes, I do use a lightly modified baby stroller for moving the ship.  Our Guild President uses a 4 wheel camping dolly thing, but I found it very unstable when he top-loads it.  This thing folds up small, and with a wide wheel-base, it works well for stability.)

 

After I got her home, I started doing a bit more tidy-up painting.  There was a bit of red that overlapped the black on the hull, so a bit of tidying and spraying there to get sorted out.  Then I looked at the superstructure, and decided to get some more white and some gray on around the funnel bases.

 

Good news is that the gent from the Guild that's working on the lifeboats and davits took on the task of tidying up and painting the funnels for me as well, so he has those in hand now.  I'll see what I can get done over the next few weeks.

 

NS

 

[KeithAug]

On 1/21/2024 at 9:51 PM, NavyShooter said:

Yes, I do use a lightly modified baby stroller for moving the ship. 

After all, she is your baby.🙂

[NavyShooter]

OK, 

 

Had some time out in the garage last evening and got the rest of the 'details' painted on the Focs'le.  All that's left is a bit of touch-up with the tan for a couple of over-runs, and the stairs/ladders.  

 

I also have some paint work done on the upper decks, and the red vent interiors really make them pop!

 

I think I have some white-bleeding issues with my cell phone camera that I have to figure out as well...sorry gents.

 

[NavyShooter]

Alrighty...I did some minor touch-up work tonight on the hull, some drips and over-runs were repainted, so now there's basically very little left to do on the hull...so I rolled it onto its side, got out a roll of painters tape, and put a yellow stripe down the port side.  I'll put a second coat on tomorrow and then do the Starboard side. 

 

Things left to do with the hull:

  - Yellow Stripe (Stbd) - 2 coats

  - Yellow Strip  (Port) - 1 coat

  - Drill holes for mast supports

  - manufacture mast supports

  - install mast supports and interior hull brackets for them

 

I'm intending to make the mast supports out of aluminum rod, and will chock/block them into place in the hull with a pile of resin and cloth. 

 

Pictures will follow!

[NavyShooter]

Here's the stern....getting there!

[NavyShooter]

The masts are going to be aluminum rods, and here are the bases for them.  I have to make cross-bars that will go in the hull, drill the holes in the deck, tap the cross-bars, then epoxy the bars into place. 

 

[NavyShooter]

Here's how the base of the mast mount will work.

I have to spin a taper onto the mast itself, but it's a good starting point!

[NavyShooter]

The 2nd Mast has been started - and that's as far as I'm getting this week. 

 

Tonight the ship gets loaded into the truck and I head into the Halifax International Boat Show with her (and a couple of others) for the weekend!

 

If you're in Halifax (Nova Scotia) this weekend, feel free to drop in and see her in person!

NS
 

[NavyShooter]

All set up at the boat show!  Here's some of the Guild's other work on display!

[NavyShooter]

One of our Guild Members spent the weekend puttering about with some paint behind the table, and we have our Funnels painted now!

A great show, some interest and a few minor donations to the cause.  

 

The only problem was the weather....we had a full blown snow-storm most of the weekend.  At one point I had a 3 foot drift of snow behind my truck!

[NavyShooter]

This week we've got a layer of epoxy clear coat applied to the hull.  

 

I put a test-shot on part of the stern, then tonight we got the whole outer layer covered. 

 

Planning on a second coat, just for certainty.

[NavyShooter]

Not much to report - I got a new can of epoxy and have put the 2nd coat on the hull.  I'll let that dry for a couple of days to fully set then flip the hull over and get the upper decks coated too. 

 

[NavyShooter]

Here's the lifeboats and Davits laid out in place on the upper decks just aft of the bridge.  I decided to see how they'd look.

 

The superstructure now has a base layer of epoxy sealant on it, it'll get another once I get the funnels, davits and lifeboats installed.  These are just sitting there for looks.

 

I made myself a 'to do' list of items that I have to get to on this project, and the list is getting short.  Only a bit of painting left (the windows in the skylights for the staircases) and I can almost see the end of this.  I'll be happy to have this off the bench and get back to my Bonnie project. 

[NavyShooter]

OK, getting down to the details - I knocked off a few things from the 'to do' list.

 

Mast bases installed in the hull tonight (2x4 blocks epoxied in place)

Masts installed in bases (epoxied into the wooden block)

Upper decks of hull given first layer of epoxy sealant

Upper deck air vents painted

Skylights painted

 

I have to do some touch-up on the skylights tomorrow - there was some paint bleed unfortunately. 

 

No pictures - nothing really major to show....

[NavyShooter]

OK, 

 

Some pictures - here we go.  I got the funnels back from the Guild Member who was painting them for me on the way home from work, and I decided to get them installed tonight.  Each of them is both epoxied into place, and bolted into place with a stainless steel threaded rod.

 

Then I lined up the Davits (YES, I KNOW THEY ARE NOT WELIN DAVITS, I DO NOT CARE AT THIS POINT) and glued them in place. 

 

Here's my 'to do' list:

-Glue down lifeboats
-Seal Funnel tops 
-Epoxy 2nd layer on superstructure 
-rigging 
-LED solar light SOS

 

I'm almost ready for a test float as well.  I've been collecting some scrap steel to use as ballast. 

 

[Ian_Grant]

Same Ryobi drill I have - a surprisingly good tool.

 

Look forward to seeing this ship next time we're down east.

[NavyShooter]

16 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

Same Ryobi drill I have - a surprisingly good tool.

 

Look forward to seeing this ship next time we're down east.

Hopefully you'll get to see the HMCS ST THOMAS with her out on the pond!

 

I'll see what I add to the pond the year after that....I have been engaged by the crew/leadership on the HMCS Sackville - we'll see if I build one of those next. 

[NavyShooter]

I spent tonight doing the 'minimalist' rigging that I planned to do.  Put a string around the funnel band, tied lines to that, then glued the lines down to the deck.  There will be a layer of epoxy added over all of this, so the lines will STAY PUT quite nicely.

 

The 'to do' list is now getting quite short. 

[NavyShooter]

A couple hours of work tonight, and we have everything except the LED light system and the main mast rigging complete.

 

I 3D printed the funnel caps and glued them on. 

 

This is hopefully the last layer of epoxy put on.  Note - I filled the lifeboats with epoxy so that they wouldn't fill with water when she's in the pond.  There were a few bubbles visible, so I took a trick I saw in a 'night shift' video and used a bit of flame to clear them away. 

 

Basically - she's ready for launch at this point.  I need to get some outdoor photos on a nice day though I think.  

 

Here's tonight's work:

 

 

[NavyShooter]

OK, I got the masts painted this evening (hopefully they're supposed to be black...?) and I got the last of the rigging complete.  I'll see about getting her out of the garage tomorrow if things are nice out and getting a few pictures.  

 

All that's left is:

 - LED Flashing SOS System

 - Float Test

 - Ballast installation

 - Foam installation

 - Launch.

 

 

[NavyShooter]

OK, 

 

I got her out this afternoon and snapped a few pictures in the sun.  

 

The ship is, effectively complete less the LED lights and ballasting/foam/float test.

 

Here's the imagery.  Bear in mind - she's sitting on a 4 foot table.