Gjoa Build Idea - How do you make a ship look so cold it makes you shiver?

[DSiemens]

I've been contemplating an idea and I have to many current projects to start it but I'm really curious if this is feasible.  I came across a 1 gallon chemical bottle at a thrift store that looked a bit dirty but overall pretty good.  I purchased it and got it home and found that it had chemical stains that I can't get out.  I know there's a method using copper, polish and spinning the bottle a few thousand times but I don't have the money or means.  I almost got rid of the bottle but I had another thought.  The chemical staining is white and looks very much like frost.  What if I were to build a ship in an arctic scene and make it look really cold?  I'm thinking the staining on the bottle would add to the effect.  What better ship to use then the first ship to navigate the North West Passage the Gjoa.  In order for this effect to work though I have to include a lot of ice floating in the water and ice and snow on the ship.  I've never done this before so I thought I'd open it up here.  How do you make a ship look so cold it makes you shiver?   

[uscg909717]

I've done snow on 1/25 vehicles using thinned Elmer's glue brushed where I want the snow to be, then dump sweet-n-low on it. Let the glue dry, then turn upside down and shake off excess. You can buy sweet-n-low in a box in the baking section of grocery stores so you don't have to rip open 1,000 little packets. I don't know the best way to do ice...maybe experiment with different glues that will dry clearish/whiteish...Elmer's again?

[DSiemens]

Thanks!  That gives me something to experiment with.  I have heard of some baking products molding after a while.  Do you know if that's true of sweet and low?  

[wefalck]

You may want to have a look at my building-log on a Dutch botter frozen-in at the Volendam harbour: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/68-zuiderzee-botter-by-wefalck-artitec-resin/?p=80030

 

 

The materials used are finely ground sugar and acrylic gel resp. varnish.

 

wefalck

[DSiemens]

Thanks Welfrac that's exactly what I'm looking for.    

[Peaksol]

Maybe this can be to help?

http://www.faller.de/xs_db/DOKUMENT_DB/www/_blaetterkatalog/epaper-FALLER_Modellbau_2013/page429.html

[DSiemens]

Peaksol It looks great but I'm afraid I will have to learn more German.  I started to learn but ran out of time with work and school.  

[Peaksol]

Sorry for that. It is a kit with "snow" for dioramas.

Faller is a well-known and old/classic German manufacturer of model railway buildings and other accessories

Maybe Google translate may help out?

Anyway, in the "snow and christmas" space there are tips and tricks for how to create it on model railway sites and forums.

[DSiemens]

Peaksol you bring up a good point.  If any one knows how to make snow and ice it's the rail road modelers.  I guess I've been spoiled since Google chrome usually translates the page for me.  Since it's more of a magazine format it couldn't.  Copy and paste might work though.     

[wefalck]

You will probably find that most of the 'modelling products' are just overpriced items you can find in other realms as well. I tend to use what is easily available everywhere.

 

Way back in the 1960s my grandfather, who was a regional director in a big insurance company, had Faller as a client and once he took me with him to visit them … great for a little boy

 

wefalck

[Peaksol]

I suppose your model ship is the Norwegian polar ship Gjøa?

I happen to be Norwegian, living close to the museum where Gjøa is exhibited.

There are more polar ships in this museum, the most famous is Fram.

Fram is designed to survive the polar ice.

The framing is heavier, there is double planking and the hull is shaped to bring the ship up rather than down when the ice pressure from the sides is strong.

The web site http://www.frammuseum.no/Visit-the-Museum/GJOA.aspx?lang=en-us contains more detailed descriptions, both of Gjøa and Fram.

 

Myself I only build wooden constructions for a small model railway.

I admire you guys building model ships, with all the curves and irregular shapes.

[DSiemens]

You will probably find that most of the 'modelling products' are just overpriced items you can find in other realms as well. I tend to use what is easily available everywhere.

 

Way back in the 1960s my grandfather, who was a regional director in a big insurance company, had Faller as a client and once he took me with him to visit them … great for a little boy

 

wefalck

 

Welfalck what you say is very true.  As a ship in bottle builder there are few kits so I scratch build and improvise.  So many things you find at a regular grocery store can be used to build.  I once planked a cutter with match sticks.  Bamboo skewers have become my go to item for masts and yards.  I often say ship in bottle building is the least expensive hobby out there.  That is the case because as you say "modeling items are just overpriced items found in other realms."  

 

That would be a fun place to visit especially as a kid.   

 

I suppose your model ship is the Norwegian polar ship Gjøa?

I happen to be Norwegian, living close to the museum where Gjøa is exhibited.

There are more polar ships in this museum, the most famous is Fram.

Fram is designed to survive the polar ice.

The framing is heavier, there is double planking and the hull is shaped to bring the ship up rather than down when the ice pressure from the sides is strong.

The web site http://www.frammuseum.no/Visit-the-Museum/GJOA.aspx?lang=en-us contains more detailed descriptions, both of Gjøa and Fram.

 

Myself I only build wooden constructions for a small model railway.

I admire you guys building model ships, with all the curves and irregular shapes.

 

Peaksol thank you very much for the links.  This is getting me pretty excited by the idea of this build.  I should slow down and finish my others first though.  So many ideas so little time.   

[AntonyUK]

Hi.

We has to do a snow diorama some years ago.

Our snow was powder from a fire extinguisher.

The powder being non settling we had a small fan fron a PC.

This was blown out in small tubes under the base with pulses.

This looked like snow being Blowing around.

This was all enclosed in a sealed box.

recycled Air was taken from the top of the box. (mode we had to make)

Worked for us.

 

Regards Antony.

[DSiemens]

Antony Thats sounds like a cool idea.  I hadn't ever thought of a fire exstinguisher.  I wonder what the admiral would do if I decided to fire one off so I could model a ship.     That does make me think though there are a lot of white powders out there I can use for snow.  As mentioned earlier theres sugar and sweet in low.  I think I'l take one of my failed ship hulls and do some experimenting.    

[Senior ole salt]

Perhaps this painting hanging in the Fram museum Oslo Norway might help.

 

BTW the ship is there too.

 

 

 

S.os

 

 

[DSiemens]

If you mean help by giving me more reason to start this project you may be right.  Great painting.  She really is a pretty ship.  If I were to build her it would be the biggest ship in bottle I've ever built which is perfect since she's relatively simple.  She would be a good start into building bigger ships.    

[mtaylor]

Daniel,

 

Safe  your money and fire extinquisher.  Try bicarbonate of soda... aka baking soda.