HMS Snake by drtrap - Caldercraft

[drtrap]

Thats a nice looking rudder Stergios, glad you're back in the shipyard.

I'm trying at least to follow your progress Jason, and Jim's too as I can.   

[drtrap]

Hi guys!

I'd like to ask you, how have you secured gratings assembly? Have you used watered pva browsing for all the strips?

Thank you

[drtrap]

I've mesuared the dimensions of the deck openings as 2,35X2,35 cm approximately, and I'm about to cut the strips to these lengths before assembling and gluing the gratings.

Hope to be in the right way...

[drtrap]

I've mesuared the dimensions of the deck openings as 2,35X2,35 cm approximately, and I'm about to cut the strips to these lengths before assembling and gluing the gratings.

Hope to be in the right way...

Yes, I'm in the right way!

[Beef Wellington]

Hi Stergios, just to confirm - yes, diluted PVA glue is the way to go.  You can dry assemble the grates (which I found very fiddly) and then use a cheap brush to soak the dilute PVA glue in - seem to recall I used about a 50% dilution.  When dry assembling I found that if you put the pieces on some tape, it helps hold things together until you can glue.  Also be careful to ensure they are 90% corners, I needed to redo one or two as they had slipped, but I simply soaked in rubbing alcohol and then re-glued - very easy to fix once you know how.

[drtrap]

My way to fix and dry-fit properly the catheads and brackets...

[drtrap]

Hello again to everyone!

As I'm about to place an order to my kit supplier I'm thinking to use some kind of walnut wood staining to "enhance" grating wood borders, masts etc.

Have you used or do you think to use any kind of wood enhancing material (except wood varnishes) to improve the final results?

Thanks.

[drtrap]

Trying to study the carronades installation and figure out my next steps...

I'm not seeing any instructions for the guns eyelets, hooks etc except a single comment about the breech tackle only....so I wonder whether those fittings belong to the extra-aftermarket items...

Have I missed anything?

Thank you

Edited May 19, 2013 by Stergios

[Beef Wellington]

Hi Stergios, yes, I think we're on our own on that, although there seem to be plenty of references.  I ordered some extra blocks and copper ringbolts to allow them to be rigged more fully (3mm double and singles which seem to be that smallest doubles that can be found), Jim has some good pictures of the ones he has rigged.  I'm still debating on how I want to approach this but hope to have some pics soon.

[drtrap]

Hi Stergios, yes, I think we're on our own on that, although there seem to be plenty of references.  I ordered some extra blocks and copper ringbolts to allow them to be rigged more fully (3mm double and singles which seem to be that smallest doubles that can be found), Jim has some good pictures of the ones he has rigged.  I'm still debating on how I want to approach this but hope to have some pics soon.

Hi Jason, thank you for replying so promtly!

I've seen Jim's pics of the carronade and I wonder whether 2mm blocks are matched better (in ratio) with the size of standard carronades,carriages and slides provided with the kit....

[normanh]

"mm blocks are best suited scale size for the caronnades, I posted a couple of pictures in my NMM thread in the Museums section - shows how they were rigged in a period model of the Crusier.

 

Norman

[drtrap]

"mm blocks are best suited scale size for the caronnades, I posted a couple of pictures in my NMM thread in the Museums section - shows how they were rigged in a period model of the Crusier.

 

Norman

" mm blocks? Do you mean 2 mm blocks, Norman?

[drtrap]

"mm blocks are best suited scale size for the caronnades, I posted a couple of pictures in my NMM thread in the Museums section - shows how they were rigged in a period model of the Crusier.

 

Norman

Could u please provide the relative link of the pics in the museums section, Norman? I can't locate them...

[Beef Wellington]

Stergios, 2mm blocks would probably be best, but no-one supplies double blocks in a 2mm size, 3mm is the smallest I could find.  Also different manufacturers seem to measure their sizes differently.  I stuck with Caldercraft for consistency.  I bought a 'block sander' from Model Shipways, basically it acts like a rock tumbler and should take of the sharp edges, this also has the benefit of making the block look smaller.  I'm still experimenting but will post a pic when I can.

[drtrap]

Stergios, 2mm blocks would probably be best, but no-one supplies double blocks in a 2mm size, 3mm is the smallest I could find.  Also different manufacturers seem to measure their sizes differently.  I stuck with Caldercraft for consistency.  I bought a 'block sander' from Model Shipways, basically it acts like a rock tumbler and should take of the sharp edges, this also has the benefit of making the block look smaller.  I'm still experimenting but will post a pic when I can.

...very interesting option Jason!

Wait to see your results.

Goodnight.

[drtrap]

This unexplained wear of the No 55 walnut stern facia lower border is my current problem (as walnut planks splintering...).

It is supposed (and is real) I did'nt trim it or sand it al all, but this unpleasant lower border's (and around the left gunport) peeling-like appearance must change.

I'm think to test walnut wood stain to sort out this current concern.

Any advice or experience on this?

Thanks again. 

[drtrap]

Finally I've found the supplies we were looking for...

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/918-sources-for-boxwood-blocks/

 

Anyone in Europe ??

Edited May 20, 2013 by Stergios

[Beef Wellington]

Stergios -  think you have a couple of options, taking the stain approach you suggest but you can only be the best judge of whether you are happy or not.  Something to consider would be to paint it black which would also be a valid approach.

 

I think ther blocks you reference are only available from the person who manufacturers them and not through retail stores, would love to see them if you decide to buy them.  They look very nice, but they aren't cheap!

Edited May 20, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[molasses]

Chuck P mentions here:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/918-sources-for-boxwood-blocks/page-2?hl=%2Bblocks+%2Bchuck#entry38771

that he will have boxwood single and double blocks as small as 2 mm in the near future. Perhaps he still has some of his pre-production blocks available.

[drtrap]

Chuck P mentions here:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/918-sources-for-boxwood-blocks/page-2?hl=%2Bblocks+%2Bchuck#entry38771

that he will have boxwood single and double blocks as small as 2 mm in the near future. Perhaps he still has some of his pre-production blocks available.

Yes, I saw it.

That's a possible final option for me...

Thanks!

[drtrap]

I've tried twice with these darkners to "paint" dark/black the carronade fittings, but no result.

Perhaps this is due to the nature and quality of that soft metalic alloy ...

[normanh]

I've had no issues paint the white metal fittings using a Revel Tar Black Acyrlic paint and even the Admiraty Enamal paints now discontinued sadly. I have found the paint covers well. The parts you have shown look like the trucks for the carronades and yard fittings for the stuntbooms.

 

 

Norman

[drtrap]

I've had no issues paint the white metal fittings using a Revel Tar Black Acyrlic paint and even the Admiraty Enamal paints now discontinued sadly. I have found the paint covers well. The parts you have shown look like the trucks for the carronades and yard fittings for the stuntbooms.

 

 

Norman

Yes, those parts are the fittings for the carronades. I painted them yesterday using admiralty's matt black and I'm satisfied with the result. I plan to "seal" that black using vallejo's matt varnish....

[drtrap]

I was trying all the day to deal with the 1st carronade's assembly just to familiarize myshelf, but it's impossible. 

So I should be grateful if you would kindly help me about the consecutive steps of this procedure.

I've glued firstly the swivel bracket and the back-wheels easily but when I tried to fix and glue the trunnion brackets, the carronade and the 1,5 mm brass rod (en block) that was a nightmare....

Thank you in advance.

 

Stergios

 

PS: 1] Did you use carpenter or CA glue for all the above?

2] I'm very dissapointed with those cheap materials of the standard Caldercraft's kit. I would prefer to pay more just to have the opportunity to deal with precise and of upper quality basic units of the box...... 

[Beef Wellington]

2] I'm very dissapointed with those cheap materials of the standard Caldercraft's kit. I would prefer to pay more just to have the opportunity to deal with precise and of upper quality basic units of the box...... 

 

Well, Stergios, still not too late to explore other options.  I took the plunge right when I bought the kit for the same reason and didn't feel I had the skill to make the white metal carronades look anywhere near acceptable.

[drtrap]

I have tried temporarily to place a couple of carronades on the deck.

It's clearly obvious that the 1st gun completed on the carriage is too high (and without placing the relative sills into position (!!!) ). 

In my opinion besides that the 2nd carriage without the swivel bracket and back wheel assembly is more suitable acoording to the gunport....

Any thought or suggestion?

Possibly another indication and option to call for aftermarket guns and carriages ?? 

[drtrap]

One step before paint it black?

Possibly, but for the moment I'm trying to diminish the abnormalities using my pen sander.

Next step, two layers of matt varnish just to restore a kind of sea-wear walnut.... 

[drtrap]

The best team for me, just to create a warm and sweet matt black layer...

[drtrap]

Tiller arm in place, dry-fitted, no trimming needed.

Can you estimate from the relative distances and especially from the aft platform and the last gunport whether I'm in right place to start the tiller's and wheel's rigging?

[drtrap]

Deck fittings still in progress

Edited June 3, 2013 by Stergios