Santa Maria - Ship Shape - 1492 1/72 - CARD - SHIPYARD

[Ship Shape]

Well, I'm back, yeppie........and again, I wade into the fray with a build.

I was torn about work being done on a plastic kit, or a card kit I started a few months ago.

The plastic kit is a very involved project and I just want to build to completion w/in a year if possible.

So the card kit won out.  And just what kit am I talking about.........a Shipyard 1/72 Santa Maria, all laser cut kit from Poland.  For those in tha know, these are as complete a kit for a card model as one is going to find in one box.  Comes w/everything one needs to build a truly wonderful vessel.  This will be my 2nd time building one of their laser cut box kits, the 1st was a French Lugger and I will admit, I rushed the painting and I really did not care for the look after done.  These kits come w/tube water base paint, of which I have since learned, is done in layers to achieve the desired look.  I however will not go this route this time, but rather try something new, we will see how it pans out.

These kits are not cheap, I believe I paid $140.00 USD f/this one from a dealer here in the US, Paper-Model Store.com, great guy to deal with.

I also will use for the corrections the copy of  Xavier Pastor's Anatomy of The Ship, The Ships of Christopher Columbus.

Yes I know, photos............will come soon.

Please feel free to ask or point out as you see the need and we all will learn from this build.

Rick

Edited July 30, 2014 by Ship Shape

[Ship Shape]

A few photos to wet the appetite..........

Edited July 30, 2014 by Ship Shape

[Ship Shape]

As you can see, I have already removed the laser cut frame work f/hull from sheets.  This kit did not come with the glue the 1st did, however I still have 2 tubes of the glue left that came with the Lugger and I also have discovered what I believe to be one of the best CA glues I have ever used in card modeling from GPM.com......uni-flex klej cyjanoakrylowy.......short f/CA!  This stuff is just outstanding, does not soak thru the card and when dry, is even flexible with no after effects, ie: white powder from the CA curing out.  I love this stuff and use it in all my modeling now, that a CA is called for or needed.  The other glue is a type of contact and stinks to boot, funny, it is used to re-sole boots.....made a funny  .

So there it is, I have seen this kit done up and it builds into a very detailed rep of the Santa Maria, however, I will build just a tad different than comes in the kit.  We will get into that shortly about the research side of the project.  So for now, happy modeling, don't glue your fingers to the table and watch the pointy end of the knife.

Rick

[mtaylor]

Rick,

I hope a build log is in the offing.  This looks to be a nice model.

[catopower]

Hi Rick,

 

On the contact cement, are you by chance talking about Pliobond 25? I started off using that contact cement, and I swear smells like cat pee. I had to put the model in another room because of the strong odor – it completely filled the room wherever the model sat. It worked great, but I had to switch to something less noxious because we do have a cat here and neighbor cats that come around and it was causing us a lot of confusion – did a neighbor cat get into the house?

 

I'll have to try out the GPM CA. I've been using regular BSI stuff, which works great, but I'm thinking about ordering something from GPM anyway, so I'll get some of the CA at the same time.

 

I've only been working on a paper model kit for a couple months, 1:96-scale HMS Alertn, but find them really fascinating. I hope you'll post a few photos of your hull planking process. 

 

 

Clare

[Ship Shape]

Howdy all, has been a few months and I have been busy and not much model time.  I am starting back to work on the Santa Maria.

Right now I am double checking that all the ribs are ready to glue to the keel.  Though it is laser cut, you still have to remove the little nibs left from the cut process that holds the part to the sheet.  One area I have ran aground is @ the stern.  Instructions get abit vague here as to the correct orientation of part IVX.  But careful study of the instruction booklet w/photos helps figure this little detail out.  For those building, if you follow the process of all the numerals showing in the same location f/all the ribs this is correct except for the above listed part.  This one must be turned around and the doors align.  After that is figured out you take it all apart and after cleaning the nibs, you are ready to reassemble and glue.  Here is a tip I learned from another card modeler.  When putting a frame together made of card, we want to apply a bead of glue on rib and insert into slot of keel.  Then we go back and lay a bead of glue down the four corners of the slot.  Now yes, this is a solid way to glue, but remember, we are working w/card or paper.  Glues is a moist medium applied to card and as it dries, it can and does warp/twist.  That is why when you assemble a card frame and it is dead straight/level and after drying out for a week, you begin to notice little twist working their way down the keel.  Now alot of this has to do with the type glue, and how much.

So I sand, prep ea. rib, slide onto keel, keep it @ 90 degrees and then just spot glue down the joint.  I do this on all sides.  I like Duco Cement for this operation as it dries fast with little shirkage.  After all the ribs are in place, sand and fare the whole assembly to prep for covering.  Just one of those things one learns over time when working w/card.  PS: this holds true of wood as well.

[Ship Shape]

Well here is what I have done, I completely took the dry assembly apart of the frame and sanded all parts to remove nibs and high spots.  Will now take ea. piece and if needed, adjust to get a perfect fit following the tick marks as supplied on the ribs and keel. 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2014 by Ship Shape

[Ship Shape]

Sanded, adjusted and Duco Cement............frame is assembled.

Next is to fair the ribs/hull........I will use a sponge sanding block for this little chore.  Using a wood block w/sandpaper might remove/too aggressive for the laser cut card.  I did not do this on my last laser cut..... Le Coureur.  This resulted in a few uneven spots that was not noticeable, but I knew they were there!

Next up after fairing will be the sub-deck material being added.  I will use the printed decks as comes in the kit.  On my last build, I replaced w/wood and though it turned out nice, it was not too scale and the printed deck in this kit has the pegs rep'd on the deck, a detail one is hard pressed to emulate.

 

[Ship Shape]

Just so you know, I use different glues for assembly........ea. one has its purpose.  The glue in the green tube Klej Butapren is some of the best glue I have ever used.  This glue and another tube came in the 1st laser kit I bought.  The Santa Maria did not have this in it when I purchased this kit.  The Ansercoll Pu-Falco is very much like the Duco as is the UHU.  The Blue Bottle Uni-Flex is a card use CA and I love this stuff.  Now does one need all this to build card, no, but after many years of building card models, I have acquired these and learned how to use for the different types of assembly/dry times.

[mtaylor]

Rick,

 

Please open a build log. This is NOT the proper place to do one.  Thanks.

[Ship Shape]

Rick,

 

Please open a build log. This is NOT the proper place to do one.  Thanks.

My Bad, I thought this was where you covered card modeling.  If possible, can you move this thread to where it needs to be.  Thanks

Rick

[Sjors]

Hi Rick,

 

Found you !!!!!!!

 

I can not help you because the only thing I make fron card board is a paper plane     

I will looking over your shoulder to see what you are doing with the Santa Maria !

 

Sjors

[Ship Shape]

Due to another card build taking place here, I pulled all this back out and am finishing the glue up of the frame.  Hope to have a few photos up by the weekend with some advancement in the build.

Rick

[catopower]

Hooray! Build That Ship 

[Canute]

Rick, where'd you get those glues? I've seen Duco around, but those other must be from Europe?

[ccoyle]

Yes, especially the butapren, which apparently isn't available in America.  I still don't know to this day exactly what sort of glue butapren is, but I do know that it is the glue of choice in the Polish card modelling community, and they include some of the finest practitioners of the art.  I sure would like to know why the stuff is so special.