Albatros by AlfredoCampos - OcCre - 1:100 - weathered

[AlfredoCampos]

The Albatros by Occre will be my second ship, after the Bounty Launch also by Occre. In the Bounty - a great learning experience - I decided I wouldn't follow planking instructions and would do a proper "full plank from stern to bow" planking.

 

For the Albatros, the challenge I'm going for is weathering. I realize it's subject to debate, some people love the effects, others consider models shouldn't be weathered. Personally, I like it.

 

Have researched a few techniques, the next post will be about some tests.

[AlfredoCampos]

Here I present you with the result of five weathering techniques. Or, to be more specific, variations of 2 or 3 techniques.

 

Techniques:

1) Plank sides penciled, dashes of black paint and sanding, wash of walnut in a 1:2 ratio.

2) Plank sides painted black, wash of judean bitumen (1:4) and sanding, wash of indian ink with alcohol and sanding (4 drops per 4 ml, unintended mess up).

3) Planks glued with bitumen colored glue, dashes of black paint and sanding, wash of judean bitumen (1:4) and sanding, wash of indian ink with alcohol and sanding (again with the wrong proportion). Second wash of 1:4 bitumen.

4) Plank sides painted black, dashes of black paint and sanding, wash of judean bitumen (1:3) and sanding

5) Plank sides painted black, dashes of black paint and sanding, wash of judean bitumen (1:3) and sanding, wash of indian ink with alcohol and sanding (1 drop per 4 ml).

Note: all were more sanded, particularly in the middle, as all weathered parts will have different amounts of sanding according to use.

 

My opinion:

1) Hate it. Period.

2 and 3) I very much like the plank sides painted black in 2, more effective as caulking simulation than pencil or colored glue. On the other hand, the second bitumen wash (in comparison with 4 and 5) made it a bit too yellowish. Also, the mistake in indian ink proportions messed up the result.

4) Increasing bitumen wash proportion to 1:3 and applying only once gives a less yellowish look than 3, which look better to my eye, but maybe a bit orange. I also like the result of black paint dashing and sanding as simulating humidity.

5) Now with the proper proportion of indian ink wash, I think it gives a nice result in highlighting caulking and humidity, and also in toning down the orange in 4. Maybe a bit too dark, I may dilute the indian ink even more.

 

So, now I'm inclined to go for either 4 or 5. Would love to hear your opinions!

 

[ccoyle]

Looks like you have arrived at a good result.

[AlfredoCampos]

Well hello again. While not in here, in facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/520157015499544/permalink/1841930423322190/) this discussion on techniques generated quite an interesting discussion, not so much on techniques but on to weather or not to weather. I'll spare you the details, but essentially I've decided to do 3 more tests, trying different aspects of that discussion.

 

6) Just a wash of 1:3 judean bitumen and a wash of indian ink solution (1 drop for 4 ml). This tries to simulate weathering on a well kept ship, with no signs of humidity.

7) A previous sparce dashing of black painting and, after sanding, number 6 again. This tries to simulate weathering on a less kept ship, where humidity will be applied but sparingly, only in recesses and by the waterways.

😎 Number 6, but using 1:3 and 1:2 bitumen washed. Tries to simulate replacement of planks but didn't go very well.

-- In all cases plank sides were painted black instead of simply penciled.

 

 

All taken into account, I've decided to basically combine 7 and 8:

- use black paint on the edges of planks

- use black paint on specific places, recesses and by waterways

- use a wash of 1:2 bitumen and reapply on some planks here and there, followed the 1d:4ml indian ink wash

 

In the picture you can see the deck already planked and etched with furniture places (for which I used a print of the 1:1 upper view in transparent paper. This will guide the sanding in more and less weathered places, that is, those more tread on.

Also the "upper" deck, already nailed with toothpics and with black paint applied.

And finally the upperdeck wall, nailed, painted and already sanded, ready for the washes.

 

 

Thank you!

[vvvjames]

Hoping this continues! Love the work so far and am interested to see a weathered version of the Albatros

[AlfredoCampos]

Well, this has been a long time without publishing. To those interested, I'm very sorry.

 

I haven't been idle, though, and will publish some pictures on the work done: weathering the deck and inner "deck walls" (don't know how its called), first and second planking. Nowadays making and weathering all the deck structures.

Hull weathering will be done after christmas, when i will gift myself some stuff.

 

Bellow, three pictures of the weathered deck. All planks had their sides painted and "nails" were made from toothpicks. The darker areas are where deck structures will be fit, leaving some dark areas around them. The lighter areas are obviously those more tread upon. I probably overweathered, may still clear it a bit more after fitting all the structures.

 

It can be seen that I had some trouble curving the "deck walls". Where the curve would be more steep, it bent instead of curving, but its partially solved already and will ahead be more hidden.

 

Edited yesterday at 06:28 PM by AlfredoCampos

[vvvjames]

That weathering looks fantastic, and don't worry too much about the bulwark, the rail will cover it up!

[AlfredoCampos]

Some pictures of the first and second planking and problems found.

 

As noted earlier, I discard Occre's instructions on planking as it is not realistic and, instead, use the traditional method tappering planks to have the the same number of planks in the stern, middle and bow. At the bow, I needed a drop plank in the first planking and two in the second.

 

First, two pictures of the whole ship's first planking and its stern. As can be seen, I still struggle with getting exact measures, although it can be perfectly solved with filling and sanding.

 

The two following pictures show the bow in more detail. In red circle, an area which I believe may be influencing a problem I'll show ahead, which may come from excessive bevelling of two bulkheads in that area.

 

The hull's first planking after filling and sanding. Surely not perfect, but very smooth it seems. At least the mess in the bow and stern were solved.

 

Finally, two pictures of the second planking at the bow, where planks clinked: something which also happened in my previous (and first) model.

 

I'm really not sure why this happens, first in my bounty launch and now again. I used a planking batten to divide the hull in two, did all the measures at each bulkhead, tapper accordingly and still... Nothing that cant be solved (as I'll show in another post) but it sure is frustating.

 

I get the feeling, as said with the previous pictures, that I may be bevelling the bulkheads in that area too much, causing an indentation in the hull, what do you experts think? Should I use more than one batten to help with measures?

 

Thank you!