RMS Titanic by MisterMeester - Trumpeter - 1/200 - PLASTIC

[MisterMeester]

Returning to the project after a somewhat lengthy and unexpected hiatus.

 

So, last May, Mr. Boyd amended his Hull Corrections document to include some double strakes that are missing on the kit hull. Honestly, my first reaction to this was "Ugh. More corrections. I'm NOT doing them.". But alas, it's winter and I've done them. (Well...not ALL of them. To be explained later).

 

I purchased some 0.25mm x 4.0mm styrene strip for this task.

The thickness is very close to bang on (perhaps a wee bit thick), but the width is not.

I used a set of calipers to scribe two strips to 3.75mm wide and then trimmed them with a #18 blade. Having said that, I found I still had to trim the width of each strake a tad more just prior to cementing in place. With using strips, I was guaranteed to have one edge perfectly straight. 

 

Port Fwd....

 

I struggled with the Port Fwd section somewhat and had to fill quite a few gaps. I used Milliput Superfine epoxy putty.

 

Port Aft.....

 

Port Aft went quite a bit better....

 

Starboard Forward....

 

Starboard side went very well. Just one small gap to fill in the forward section.....

 

Starboard Aft....

More on the yellow and blue circled sections in a bit.

 

Starboard Aft went well also....

 

Regarding the strake circled in yellow, (both sides, Port and Starboard), two images above.....this is already flush (on the kit mold) and adding a strake here would just create another inaccuracy, in that it would then NOT be flush as reference photographs indicate there are strakes above and below this strake. To make this "flush" would require adding strakes above and below it as well. Therefore, I did not add a strake here.

What is missing, however, is a lower panel line here, as indicated....

 

Panel line added, Port Aft.....

 

Starboard side aft. I used the edge of an erasing shield as a guide for the scriber, (both Port and Starboard).....

 

And the result....

 

And finally, regarding the strake circled in blue.....

Again....this part of the kit mold is already flush. To add a strake here introduces yet another inaccuracy. For the same reason. Referencing historical photographs shows that there were strakes above and below this strake. To make it accurate would require strakes above and below to be added as well.

But that begs the question, where does it end? I have come to the conclusion that the kit hull has LOTS of inaccuracies. How much? 20%? 30%? I have no idea and I'm not about to try and find out.

My model is not going to be a museum piece. Myself and my wife are essentially going to be the only ones who see the completed project. And anyone else who does see it will not know in the slightest.

Having said that, I still have lots to do to the hull to correct other inaccuracies. I have already committed in my own mind to do so. But chasing the inaccuracies of the double strakes ends here, for me.

 

Thanks for looking. Suggestions are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Mark  

 

Edited January 30 by MisterMeester

[MisterMeester]

Continuing onward. Mini Brass Hull Details PE aftermarket kit. This is my first experience with photo etch. Looking forward to it. I think I'll do the Condenser Discharge Ports first.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[MisterMeester]

First ever experience with PE went well. Very pleased with the results.

 

Started with the Condenser Discharge Ports. I did the Starboard side first....

 

 

 

 

And the Port side. For this side I decided to give the provided template a try. I think it helped a bit, but not essential.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to working with the rest of the PE and getting on the hull.

 

Thanks for looking. Suggestions are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Mark  

[yvesvidal]

That detail will look good, once painted.

 

Yves

[Force9]

@MisterMeester Love seeing the progress... And I appreciate the observation that improving the kit accuracy is likely to be a never ending quest.  I do, however, like the choices you're making in the near term.  

 

(and I see that you've figured out the Mini-Brass TEMPLATE provided for the placement of the discharge openings.  Interesting how many modelers think that is an additional part to be placed somewhere on the model!)

 

Fun stuff

 

Cheers

Evan

[MisterMeester]

@yvesvidal I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it will all look painted up. Thanks for the like.

 

@Force9 Thanks. I may still at least scribe panel lines for the one double strake I passed on. Haven’t decided yet but leaning that way. Thanks for the like.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[king derelict]

I admire your determination to create an exceptionally authentic model in spite of the problems that presents. Excellent work on the hull and the PE is a great start. Looks very good 

alan

[MisterMeester]

Progress has slowed somewhat. Wife had hip surgery three days ago and most of my time has been devoted to that lately.

 

Continuing with the Mini Brass Hull Details PE sheet....

 

I applied the zinc anodes and reinforcement plates in the vicinity of the stern frame. Zinc anodes are the smaller squares, the reinforcement plates are the larger.

 

Not too happy with how the zinc anodes turned out. I did the Port side first.....

I have a $15 CDN manufactured pick up tool, but it proved to be useless, so I crafted a homemade pick up tool made from a round toothpick and blue tack (as seen in the next image). I suppose the ball of blue tack is too large for these applications as, upon placing the zinc anode, I could not actually see the photo etch piece. I figured I'd just get it on there (CA glue already applied) and then shift it into position accordingly. However, the CA glue set up immediately and it is what it is. The zinc anode should be butted right up to the plating below it.

 

The Starboard side.....

The placement of the pieces here are what I intended to achieve, however, the zinc anode and the adjacent plating below clearly do not align exactly, indicating that I did not quite get the angle of the upper end on that stern frame plating correct.

Bottom line is, the placement of the zinc anodes, one side to the other, don't match and the Port side zinc anode placement is inaccurate (too high; should be right up against the plating).

I considered trimming the styrene on the Starboard side, to match the Port side, but that plating matches now as it is, so that would just change one problem into another. I also considered trying to pop off the Port zinc and reposition it, but I had visions of the piece flying off into the carpet monster's gaping mouth if I tried that.

In the end, it is what it is. This model will not be displayed in the middle of a room with both sides in view. One side will be up against a wall. Not sure which side that will be yet. Depends on which side has more mistakes. Chalking this up as a learning experience. One of my next tasks will be to make another pick up tool with a much smaller ball of blue tack.

Further, technically the reinforcement plates should be flush with the plating around it. Having said that, I'm okay with how I placed those.

 

I proceeded to then move on to the so called "Safety Bars". Some of the Sidelights (aka Portholes) on the Titanic had bars over them to protect them from the Anchor Cables. Nine on the Starboard side, (five double and four single), and ten on the Port side (five each). I got as far as cutting them from the fret. Here's a picture with a dime for scale reference to indicate just how tiny this PE is.

Four single bars are in the left container, five double bars in the right.

As I cut these from the fret, they bent from the knife pressure. That's how delicate they are.

Another hurdle I have with these, besides just trying to get them glued on, is that most, if not all, still have an attachment nub remaining on them from the fret. I'm interested in advice on how I can file and/or sand these nubs off, seeing as they are so tiny. I'm thinking glue them in place first and then try dealing with the nubs once they are secured in place. Any suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

In the meantime, I've decided to move on from these, for now. Instead, moving on to the second MiniBrass PE sheet I purchased, Coaling Doors and Cleats. Beginning this sheet with the Coaling Doors.

The only reason I purchased this sheet is because there are two molded Coaling Doors missing from the Trumpeter hull.  But seeing as I now have the sheet, I figure I might as well do all 44. There are 22 Coaling Doors on each side.

I'm not even sure where the Cleats go. Haven't researched that yet. (Instructions are lacking).

 

The black circle represents a Coaling Door as molded by Trumpeter.

The red circle represents a molded door already chiseled off by me. Happy to see the indentation remains. Will aid in positioning.

The blue circle represents one of the two missing coaling doors. A porthole was here in its place, which I had previously drilled out. Hence, the putty fill.

 

Thanks for looking. Suggestions are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Mark 

Edited February 7 by MisterMeester
Typos

[Jim Lad]

Mark, when you eventually get to painting the hull, remember that the zinc anodes weren't painted, and thus need to be painted a dull zinc colour for the model.

 

John

[king derelict]

For picking up PE I use a cocktail stick and rub the end on a piece of beeswax. For small pieces I use a dressmakers pin again rubbed on beeswax. I assume candle wax might work too. It’s easier to see where you are placing the part.

Great progress.

Alan

[MisterMeester]

@Jim Lad Yes, thanks. I was thinking silver or aluminum, but perhaps there’s a color available that’s closer to zinc. If you know of a brand and color code off hand, please share.

 

@king derelict Thanks for the ideas. I happen to have beeswax. Will give it a try.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Jim Lad]

If memory serves me correctly, weathered zinc looks very much like lead. You should be able to find a suitable paint that's available locally to you.

 

John

[vossiewulf]

John is right, Google says it's a mottled surface that works out to a medium light gray. I like Alclad II metal paints, I would probably use the dark aluminum.

[MisterMeester]

Progress update:

 

Not much.

 

I decided to scribe the panel lines after all, for the remaining Double Strakes that were missing, but already flush. So, now there is at least representation of them. Turns out that will be moot anyway. To be explained later.

 

Continuing with the Coaling Doors, I have those all applied now.

 

Prep for adding the indentation for one of the two doors missing the indentation.

 

And removal of the molded door itself in advance of attaching the PE replacement.

 

Starboard side Coaling Doors complete.

 

Proceeding onward, I was puzzled over where the Cleats, on the same PE sheet as the Coaling Doors, go. I had no clue. So, upon researching this it finally became apparent that the instructions for the MiniBrass Coaling Doors and Cleats PE sheet is buried in the MiniBrass Stern Plating Instructions pdf document. Sheesh!

Not only that, but the instructions for the MiniBrass 1:200 Titanic Hull Details PE sheet are buried in the same document. Sheesh x2! Absolutely no mention of this in the title of the document. Just “Stern Plating Instructions”. Ridiculous. Rant over.

So, it turns out the Cleats are actually associated with the Coaling Doors. A pair of them are to be attached above each door. I’ll be leaving that for another day.

I was also curious why the MiniBrass Hull Details sheet has only five so called “Gangway Doors”, when there are 16 total molded doors on the hull (8 each side). This research led to discombobulated thoughts on what the heck is accurate and what isn’t, strategy, and a potential change of plans on which direction to go with some aspects of the hull build.

I learned that the five doors provided are optional doors for E deck, and are to be used to compliment the MiniBrass 200 HULL PLATING PE sheets.

I also learned that the KA Detail Kit has PE hull doors for the model. I missed that the first time I looked through the kit. So, at this point, I decided to go with the KA doors.

 

I began with Port Forward. The KA instructions indicate a door goes here (red circle).

It is also “implied” (my term) from the Starboard profile hull plating diagram in a particular reference book, that there should be a door here (again, red circle) so I attached a KA door here.

As well, it appeared to me that some other modifications were required. The raised feature within the blue circle is not in said diagram and needed removal. Further, the lower portion of the raised feature within the black circle needed to be trimmed.

 

Here’s an image of the work done.

 

But wait! The KA instructions are wrong, and the hull plating profile perused is that of the Starboard side, not the Port side!

I forget the sequences of events moving forward from here, but upon researching the doors more I discovered the following:

-      There are instructions for MiniBrass’ Hull Plating PE sheets (who knew?). I was previously aware that MiniBrass has these sheets 

        available, however I had assumed that using them requires major plastic cutting surgery. After reading through the instructions

        (that I just discovered), it looks to me that the application of these is not as hard as I originally thought.

-      Also discovered in said instructions, apparently, there is no such door on the Port side, such as what I just applied.

-      Unfortunately, there is no Port profile hull plating diagram in the (to remain nameless) reference book to point this out.

-      However, perusing a photograph in another reference book confirms this. No door here (red circle). Looks like I got the other

       modifications wrong as well (blue and black circles).

 

Also, while working on this door application I couldn’t help but notice (for the umpteenth time) the rivet damage I’ve incurred to the hull prior to having the cradle I have it in now. Prior to the cradle, I just had the hull on two boards with hand towels as protection. It didn’t always work out. Not to mention some of the rivets were inadvertently chiseled away by carelessness while chiseling something adjacent. Sometime a go, I purchased an HO scale 3D rivet decals sheet to help rectify this, but they just aren’t the same.

 

Taking into consideration….

-      the rivet damage….

-      that the Trumpeter hull rivet detail is actually quite lacking overall and that the MiniBrass PE kit captures the actual rivet detail….

-      that the MiniBrass kit looks to be not that difficult to apply…..

-      and the MiniBrass kit should take out further guesswork of what goes where….

I’ve decided to order the MiniBrass 200 Hull Plating Kit.

 

Oh, and the scribed panel lines to indicate the missing Double Strakes…. those will be replaced correctly by this PE.

 

In the meantime, I’ve applied the Trumpeter provided PE parts 48, 49, 50, and 51. Condenser Intake screens.

 

Next work will be on the Prow Hawser Port. This piece was purchased from Shapeways.

 

This will require some plastic surgery and putty/sculpting application. Intending major patience on this. Even if the first cut takes me an hour, it takes me an hour. Hoping it goes well.

 

Hopefully what I’ve described makes sense. Believe me, to achieve an accurate representation of the Titanic with this kit is a major challenge and I’m often lost myself. I can only image the experience of what others just reading about it is.

 

Thanks for looking. Suggestions are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Mark

Edited yesterday at 02:07 AM by MisterMeester
Formatting bullets; Typo

[yvesvidal]

I can't wait to see some paint on that fantastic hull.

 

Yves

[MisterMeester]

10 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

I can't wait to see some paint on that fantastic hull.

 

Yves

Me too! Aiming for late Spring, early Summer. It has to be painted outside. In the garage at the very least, but it’s not heated and not the best lighting.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[king derelict]

Your exceptional detailed work is going to result in a spectacular model. It’s quite a puzzle seeing how the aftermarket stuff integrates with the kit and you have done a masterful job of conquering the inadequacies.

alan