Cat Esther by GrandpaPhil - 1/64 - CARD

[GrandpaPhil]

The starboard side has carriage bolt heads.

Time to add them to the port side!

 

Then it will be time to paint!

[GrandpaPhil]

I got my new Excel razor saw blade today and realized that is the third blade I have gotten for that handle.

 

I originally bought that razor saw in the mid 1990’s and model making has always been my go to hobby.

 

That means that 2 blades lasted me nearly 30 years.

 

I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of them, especially with how much I build.

[GrandpaPhil]

I’m about 2/3 done overall with the carriage bolt heads.

Edited March 9 by GrandpaPhil

[GrandpaPhil]

I just made a major mistake.

 

I punched a large hole in the bottom of the hull with a pair of needle nose pliers pushing a stuck stick pin into place.

 

I pulled the “flaps” out, filled the hole with max hold CA and put another pin in place.

 

Hopefully, once the glue dries and I paint the model it won’t be too visible.

 

Fortunately, it’s on the bottom of a model of a flat bottomed ship.

[GrandpaPhil]

I punched another hole in the hull, in the bow area this time.

 

I pulled the sides back out and applied a large amount of max hold CA, so we’ll see how that dries.

That bottle of glue is getting old and therefore thickening up anyway, which is working to my advantage here.

 

It’s a good thing that I am planning to make this ship a well used workhorse anyway, so a patch won’t be entirely out of place.

 

Depending on how it looks after painting, I may rough up the rest of the model to make the ship look more well used.

[GrandpaPhil]

Esther has all of her carriage bolts now, all 4200 of them:

The holes are patched and should not be too noticeable.

 

Either way, she will be painted in the style of a wargaming miniature, like all of my models, and will be weathered.

 

This model has been a learning experience and I have been enjoying building it.

 

Next up, I need to cut the holes for the scuppers and the large set of holes that the rigging passes through, and then it will be time to seal and paint the ship.

Edited March 12 by GrandpaPhil

[firdajan]

This is a very quick progress, the ship looks very good ! 

 

Jan

[GrandpaPhil]

Thank you very much, Jan!

 

Esther is sealed and ready to paint:

The next step will be to paint the entire model black, after the sealant cures over night.

[GrandpaPhil]

The first coat of black is on:

I need to let this first coat dry overnight and then I’ll add another coat tomorrow.

 

For the non-wargamer painter, I am using mostly the same techniques that one would use to paint a Warhammer army.

 

I begin by making the model all one color.

 

I am using the black as a primer coat over a coat of acrylic sealant, which is what is making the black stick to the model.

Using black as a primer assists me in doing several things.

 

Firstly, it helps to give the model depth.

 

Secondly, it helps makes the model look a little grungy, since this is a workboat.

Lastly, it makes the colors that will be layered on stand out a little more.

 

Once I get two to three layers of black on the model, I will begin drybrushing shades of brown on the model utilizing a makeup brush like I did my Sampang.

 

I will begin with a dark shade of brown heavily applied and work my way through successively lighter shades of brown, successively lightly applied, finishing with a reddish brown on the hull, bulwarks and bulkhead.

 

The deck will be finished with a lighter brown or dark tan, very lightly applied.

 

Several of the wales, and trim, will be painted a dark burgundy.

 

The waterline will then be marked off and the bottom painted a dingy white.

 

Then all bolt heads above the waterline will be finished a medium gray, representing a faux metal iron.

 

At this point I will paint the transom painting depicting a Dutch woman holding a platter of fresh baked bread, representing the wife of the guy who owned this ship (wife, guy and ship are completely fictional, but ship is supposed to be representative of the type in the middle to latter half of the 17th Century).

 

Then the entire model will get sealed and construction will commence again.

 

Later, after I finish the hull and paint the added details I will highlight the hull to give the impression of light hitting the ship.

Edited March 16 by GrandpaPhil

[GrandpaPhil]

Working on layering up shades of brown:

[GrandpaPhil]

Making progress:

The deck looks like old wood.  The outside looks like old wood and the area below the waterline is painted.

 

Next up: the wales and railings need painted and then on to most of the carriage bolt heads!

[GrandpaPhil]

The initial base painting is complete, to include trim, minus touchups and sealing a second time:

Esther has her full complement of decorations.

 

This includes caryatids which will be left a wood color:

And, a transom painting of Esther holding a platter of fresh bread with her home in the background:

I do not usually do 2-dimensional painting, and certainly not portraits, much less in miniature.

 

However, I think that came out well enough.

 

I did the painting, but the layout of the picture is the work of an AI image generator.

[Baker]

Nice work 👍

[GrandpaPhil]

It’s time to make the rudder:

Once I install the rudder, Esther will have caught up to the Revenge.

[GrandpaPhil]

Added banding and made holes for eyebolts:

Made the rudder and discovered a crooked band when I took the picture:

 

Fixed the band, primed the rudder black, made 50 eyebolts:

The piece of strip on the left side is the rudder banding that goes on the hull.

 

I use a straight edge and a pounce wheel to make my banding.

 

The eyebolts are made of blackened annealed wire from a hardware store.

Edited March 24 by GrandpaPhil

[GrandpaPhil]

I just had the ultimate confirmation of my construction methods.

 

Esther just survived being dropped on her nose from workbench height, with no damage.

She weighs close to 8 pounds now from all of the stick pins and other reinforcement.

 

I guess those 4200 stick pins did some good, lol.

Edited March 24 by GrandpaPhil

[GrandpaPhil]

Rudder’s on and many eyebolts have been installed:

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Working on the inner bulwark fittings:

Staghorns are made, pin racks are in process.

 

As mentioned in my Revenge build, I am going to be making belaying pins in the near future for both models at the same time.

 

I want to try and carve them, because at 1/64 it would look better to have actual belaying pins.

 

Those will be among the last fittings that I make for this model.

[GrandpaPhil]

I’ve been on a wargaming/RPG miniature kick the last couple weeks.

 

I needed to build something that is not a ship and that could be finished in a relatively short period of time, so I built something that is 40K-ish:

I think I have about 15-20 hours in that.  

It should be noted that I am a little out of practice painting so this is not the best paint job that I have ever done, but it will do.

 

It will be going in my curio cabinet now.

 

I might paint another few miniatures after I finish Esther.

 

Time to get back to our regularly scheduled program!

 

This doesn’t look like much yet, but there is a windlass there:

 

Edited March 31 by GrandpaPhil

[GrandpaPhil]

Now it looks more like a windlass:

Still not perfect, but it’ll look a lot better once everything is cleaned up and painted.

[GrandpaPhil]

Working on fittings and belaying pins:

The fittings look really rough right now because they need final painted and the belaying pins are for both this model and the Revenge.

 

I am making 170 of them, 48 for this one and 110 for the Revenge, with a few extras for those pieces that will inevitably go flying.

 

They are 8mm long and carved from bamboo toothpicks.

[GrandpaPhil]

Making progress on those belaying pins:

[GrandpaPhil]

55 down, 115 to go:

That’s a stack of scalpel blades sitting next to the belaying pins.

 

The silica and fibers of the bamboo seem to dull out the blades relatively quickly.

 

That’s okay though, it’s the nature of the beast.

 

[GrandpaPhil]

I can tell that I like to build card models.

 

I have stacks of cereal and snack boxes stacked up next to my toolbox.

 

I also have large boxes saved for center keel plates and other large pieces of a ship.

[GrandpaPhil]

96 down, 74 to go!

[Coyote_6]

Whew - that's a lot of pins, sir.

 

Keep it up!!!

[GrandpaPhil]

Here’s all 170 belaying pins for both Esther and Revenge:

[GrandpaPhil]

The next round of fittings just needs some paintwork and then they will be ready to install.

The staghorns and pin racks are getting pinned to the bulwarks (attached with steel pins reinforcing them).

 

I’m pretty happy with how the belaying pins turned out.

Edited April 11 by GrandpaPhil

[GrandpaPhil]

Working on detailing out the hull, deck and bulwarks:

Windlass and added rings (handles) to the deck hatches.

Stern with rudder.

 

All new pieces still need sealed in.

 

Still have two ladders and a handful of bitts with two fife rails to make.

 

Once I make and install those, it will be time to touch up paint, seal the model and complete the weathering.

 

Then it will be time for the hull rigging and some chain plates/deadeyes.

I’ll use the same method I used for making deadeyes for the Prince de Neufchatel to make the deadeyes for this model.

 

I would like to make actual chainplates for my deadeyes this time.

[GrandpaPhil]

The ladders are made:

Ladders are that one fitting type that gives me fits.  They are the most difficult piece to make for me.

 

I utilized the mimicry of Amati’s method for their kits that I learned about while building Revenge.

I simulate having grooves cut in the side with card and slot the rungs in place.

 

Those were the last difficult fittings that I needed to make.
 

The sealant is currently drying on them.

 

In the meantime I am working on the fife rails for the mast bitts.

 

They will be 4 layers thick.

 

Bitts are relatively easy to make.

 

Once those are in place, I can touchup and seal the entire model.

 

Then I will make anchors and add hull rigging.

 

After that it is chainplates and deadeyes.

 

I really want to make everything for this model like I did the Prince de Neufchatel, which is still my favorite build, but this one and Revenge are tied for a close second.

 

All three of those models were me playing around and seeing what I am capable of.
 

So, I will use dowel rods to make the deadeyes and wood strip to make the blocks.

Edited April 13 by GrandpaPhil