Bluenose by mrcc - Billing Boats - 1:75

[mrcc]

The next day, I masked off the deck and hull and spray primed and painted the stanchions and waterway. I must say much quicker and easier than painting by brush. The only problem is in a few spots where the Tamiya masking tape was not pressed down firmly enough, I had some creeping of the paint underneath. I have since scraped off some with a razor blade and sanding, but there still is a blemish on the wood. It is a tough and tight corner to completely erase the blemish. Any suggestions how to completely rid the paint blemish?

Edited October 15, 2014 by mrcc

[mrcc]

My post today is more recent work where I painted my yellow cove line and then masked off and painted below and above the masked off strip. I will do one more coat of "sea blue" from Tamiya and then pull off the masking and see how it looks. from there I will affix my chainplates and then paint the rest of the hull above the waterline.

[7 Provinces]

Good progress Julian!

I like the way you deck and stanchions look now.

What kind of paint did you use? Is it acrylic or an enamel? And: is the damage only superficial or did the wood suck up the white paint?

When it is only superficial there is nothing that beats careful removal of the upper layer with a chisel or an abrasive tool. If you have problems reaching the spot: have you considered a chisel like the one by x-acto (there are other brands as well of course)? Or to use a Dremel-like tool with a small engraving stone? 

If the wood sucked up the paint it is more difficult. But I can imagine that the mahogany would not suck up that much paint, given its density. Maybe after removing a bit by abrasion you can touch up little spots with a bit of mahogany stain? 

Another direction of thinking: I saw on pictures that a deck gets very weathered over time, especially at the edges I suppose. Maybe as a last resort you could consider a "weathering" which would cover these white stains... Or leave them be, or put something on it.

Look at this picture for instance: http://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/Bluenose/archives.asp?ID=196&Language=

Chains and hooks lying around and even lots of white where you also have white. I understand that this might not be what you envisioned for your model, but at least it would be a realistic alternative...

 

Good luck on this one and let us know how it turned out!

[mrcc]

Thanks Jan-Willem for your reply,

 

I used Tamiya flat acrylics, quite thin and easy to apply.

With regards to the blemish, it seems to have really soaked into the wood. I will spend more time on it this week, whether sanding or scraping or both!

Edited October 17, 2014 by mrcc

[7 Provinces]

I wish you good luck with that!

[mrcc]

Since my last post, I masked with only the smallest width of tape I could find, 1/8 inch to create the cove line. I then masked back the cove line to create a more scale representation, covering with the darker paint, overlapping, thus creating closer to a 1/16 inch line.

[mrcc]

This is the present state with the masking tape present just for some detail touch-ups. I still want to do a couple coats of red and then varnish the hull.

[mrcc]

Here is a picture of the chainplates. I pierced the railing and anchored the fore 5 on each side directly flush to the hull. This picture is the aft chainplates, notched in the railing just slightly, ready to be anchored onto the hull. These are not flush to the hull along its full length, obviously sitting up off the hull where the railing runs. The other note is that when laying out the angles of the chainplates, I stuck the dowel in the mast hole and basically eyeballed the angles of the chainplates to get the best orientation with a mark on the dowel representating where the shrouds are to meet above. They seem to be OK and line up well, but time will tell when I begin the rigging.

Edited October 25, 2014 by mrcc

[mrcc]

Finally some progress...

 

I am very pleased with where my skills are as compared to my yet uncompleted first build (HM Granado). I have found this Billing Boats kit very enjoyable to date to build. I am enjoying all the various stages and aspects of this build, especially with regards to painting. Though the kit instructions are minimal, I find that I am doing more research and more study, which I particularly enjoy. The only concern is all, and I mean all the variations you see on the Schooner Bluenose models with respect to the current and past builds you see on the internet. Though there is the Nova Scotia archives, the resources and pictures are all black and white and quite limited in number of pictures available. Although it is my sense that the Model Shipways kits is perhaps more historically accurate, with more details included in the model and kit, it certainly doesn't distract from the "fun" factor in this Billing kit. I hope my opinion does not change when I start rigging the model given the absolute lack of instructions available in the Billing Boats kit.

 

In the following pictures, I am showing some of my prep work now going into the deck fittings. I have also posted some details in affixing my rudder to the hull. The one mistake I noticed is I used from the big batch of fittings supplied by Billing Boats, some mast fittings as pintles, that I trimmed down and glued onto the rudder.

 

This is the problem with the old instructions supplied with my kit with respect to the lack of a clear detailed parts list. I have already sourced from Cornwall Model Boats these mast fitting to replace the 3 of the 4 that I used on the rudder.

 

I then drilled three holes on the base of the hull and with epoxy secured the rudder to the hull.

 

The only question I have to others is should I glue down the cardboard strips (I already precut as shown in the second picture) to the hull and if so, what glue would work best on the already painted hull?

 

Edited November 11, 2014 by mrcc

[mrcc]

The last few pictures here show the cabin and its assembly and the ship in its current state. I must admit that I think there is no more beautiful lines of any fishing schooner ever built than the Bluenose. I am partial of course having visited Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and have seen the (albeit newer) Bluenose II in the harbour in the water. 

[clearway]

really coming along nicely there.

Keith

[bhermann]

Julian -

 

Nice looking deck furniture!.  About the cardboard strips, I think there would be something on the ship side that represents the gudgeons the rudder hangs from.  The MS plans show they don't extend past the sternpost onto the hull, so the strips in the photo appear a bit long for this.  They would be in line with the pintles on the rudder but lower so the pins on the pintles can drop into the fittings in the gudgeons.  I don't know about what would be best to glue them on with.  I used white glue to attach some paper to the bottom of my mainmast pin rail after I broke it while cutting it loose from the billet.  That worked just fine for that purpose.

 

Bob

[7 Provinces]

Hi Julian I like what you write about the "advantages" of the Billing Boats kit. You are right, it does make you look for answers where you normally would have followed the kit, which is interesting indeed. Amongst all the downsides of the kit (of which most could be easily corrected in a re-issue IMHO), you are fully right in saying that it is anenjoyable build indeed (to be honest I cannot compare to other kits yet). And yes, it is a ship with beautiful lines.

 

When glueing cardboard always be careful with water-based glue (like the white glue). I haven't tried this, but I would probably use a good universal hobby glue. In Europe this would for instance be UHU Hart, but I have no idea if it is available in Canada. I would probably carefully roughen up the area of paint where the glue is going to be. You could do so by glueing some sandpaper to a stick with the same width as your cardboard strips and either use a ruler to run the stick along or cover the parts not to be sanded with tape.

 

anyway, she's looking nice! Have you decided what to do with the deck yet? Do I see this right, you sanded the deck but did not varnish yet?

[mrcc]

Thanks Keith, Bob, and Jan-Willem and of course the "likes". It is always nice to know that some-one is around the corner ready and available with help and advice.

 

Bob, my plans is of course to cut the cardboard smaller and apply them just as you suggested.

Jan-Willem, no UHU Hart glue here in North America... and the deck I think will be a simple coat of varnish and yes the deck is sanded, ready to go. 

 

Cheers,

Julian

[mrcc]

The next challenge is whether I can trust a 26 year old decal. These are the decals of "Bluenose" and the scroll work on each side of the bow and the scan of the image is shown below, which is a challenge itself given the transparency and difficulty getting the contrast and shading correct to obtain a useful image. 

[7 Provinces]

You're probably better off painting it by hand. AFAIK the scroll work was buff or yellow anyway...

[bhermann]

Julian - I agree with Jan-Willem on this one.  The same yellow as the cove stripe is called for.  I put how I handled the scroll work into my log rebuild after the MSW crash.  If you are interested take a look here:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/217-bluenose-by-bhermann-model-shipways-2130-164/?p=5102

 

The post that follows describes my experiences with decals (home printed in my case).  The decals in your photo look a bit sketchy to me - and the age can't help!

 

Bob

[mrcc]

Thanks Jan-Willem...

 

You are likely right... the primary concern is the lettering and what approach would be best.

I know I can buy decals that I can produce with a laser printer. Of course I can buy lettering individually and apply them but not sure how they would look.

[mrcc]

Thanks Bob... you are also right!

 

I reviewed your log again (Thanks) and yes I know what I need to do now. I will attempt the scrolls by hand and then print out the decals of Bluenose, in my case, with a laser printer. 

[mrcc]

I finally have some progress to report...

 

I created a primitive template in order to transfer my scroll design to the hull. I then put multiple coats of yellow on and in the future will cut back to a more refined scroll with the darker sea blue color covering the bulk of the outer margins of the scroll.

 

Pictures to follow of the finished scroll...

[mrcc]

Finally I added some detail to the rudder adding the gudgeons to the hull side. These were details not included in the Billing Boat kit and I simply made them out of cardboard and glued them down with wood glue which seem to attach well to the painted hull. I have since painted them a slightly darker shade than the hull, but still red, and they look excellent. I have unfortunately forgotten to take and include a picture of the finished product.

Edited December 18, 2014 by mrcc

[mrcc]

Lastly, do any of my fellow Bluenose builders know what this is...? It is a bit of the deck furniture that rests on the aft deck just above the foredeck with a slight overhang. I have looked at numerous pictures of Model Shipways and Billing Boats kits and logs and not sure if I should prime and paint the whole thing or drill holes where indicated and then prime and paint a wood color. I do not think this piece is historically accurate as I have seen so may variations of the item and I am unsure really what to do with it. My Billing Boat plans are really vague...

[7 Provinces]

Hi Julian,

 

I have not spent so much time on deck furniture yet, but I kind of assumed there would be pins on top of this structure to tie ropes to. The front mast also has a structure for this if I recollect correctly, though that one looks different.

The only picture I can find which shows (part of) this structure would be this: http://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/Bluenose/archives.asp?ID=201&Language=

But I cannot say there is much resemblence. 

Maybe Bob knows more, from the MS perspective.

 

Other than that I'd say: when it's not there, don't build it 

[bhermann]

Julian -  that object is part of the fore boom sheet.  In the MS version there is a slot in the top of of the piece where Billings has the five dots and a cast metal piece that goes  underneath the top between the side pieces.  There is a ring on top of of the cast piece that extends through the slot.  A shackle and a block are connected to the ring and they are rigged to a block on the boom.  If you look at posts 29 and 44 in my log, you can see the piece installed just ahead of the mainmast.  Unfortunately I didn't add the shackle and the block before installing it    If you would like a closer photo let me know amd I will try and get one.  Heck, I may try to add the shackle and block, if so I will update my log with it.

 

Bob

[mrcc]

Thanks Jan-Willen and Bob... you guys are such great resources!

 

I just can not figure out why and what Billing Boats had in mind when they added that inset (outline) with the 5 dots as there is no historical correlation anywhere / whatsoever. I wonder if at one time there was pins in those dots / holes for tying off ropes?

 

Cheers,

Julian

[7 Provinces]

Julian, I have no idea either what Billing Boats was thinking.

It does not appear in the instructions at all (I just checked, I am not yet at this point with my build  ), only on the plans. 

On the box there is one picture where you can just make it out and there it just appears stained or painted brown. No pins no nothing.

On the picture which link I posted yesterday (zoom in!) it seems that the square is cut out and some metal part (a ring?) is partly sticking trough to which a block is attached, just like Bob wrote only you cannot see the cast metal part since the dory is blocking the view.

To me this looks much like the construction which I already had a look at when planning to change part 29 of the kit (planned but did not do it yet). Here is the picture which I was looking at for that: http://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/Bluenose/archives.asp?ID=196&Language=

To a total layman as I am this looks to be a very similar contraption.

Maybe Bob can shed some light on this?

[Mfelinger]

 

I greet all present,

If I understand correctly, you are looking  a place for this part (I hope that these pictures will help):

 

regards, Matija

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2014 by Matija

[mrcc]

Thanks so much Jan-Willem, Matija...

 

Very clear now between the Nova Scotia archive photo that Jan-Willem dug up and of course the beautiful work and photos from Matija's scratch build log which tonight I am going to thoroughly review.

 

Cheers!

Julian

[mrcc]

Just tidying up a few things... Billing Boats call this item a "round stick" in the parts list.

Not exactly sure what it is but thought it was likely some barrel containing "something".

 

I painted a cardboard strip (that I made) metal black and affixed with white wood glue.

The deck now has two coats of Humbrol oil based matt varnish and it looks much better that what the pictures can show.

Edited January 5, 2015 by mrcc

[mrcc]

My final post this evening is a look at the scroll work that has been "refined" by painting back with the dark blue...

I have seen so many variations of the scroll work on the Bluenose and realize that this is not historically accurate but nonetheless I am pleased with how it looks. A little more touch-up and then I am going to add the lettering above the cove line and the hull will be ready for a varnish.