And now for something completely different!
This is a kit I picked up the EXPO up in Altoona. It's Sea Port Model Works 65' Workboat / Lighter. I've build a few Sea Port kits over the years, mostly very small stuff. The biggest being an N Scale Sardine Carrier for Cuse. This one is a little more complex than any I've done in the past.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121109-462401269.jpeg)
Hard to believe I hadn't even opened the box. Here's the fun part, breaking the seal to see what I'm getting myself into. :D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121110-46242723.jpeg)
The kit comes with a relatively thick instruction book.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121110-462431149.jpeg)
Plus various sealed packages of laser cut parts, metal castings, resin castings, plastic windows, etc. and a resin cast 'waterline' hull which will make it appear as if it's floating in water when placed on a flat surface.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121110-462441732.jpeg)
The first thing I noticed is the hull has a bit of curve to it. It doesn't lay quite flat. If I hold the back end down the front sticks up pretty far. We'll take care of that a little bit later.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121110-46245527.jpeg)
I started by cleaning the castings up with files, sanding sticks, emery boards, etc. This is a metal cowl casting and I used a fine sanding stick to smooth out the little bit of a part line that it had.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121247-462471926.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
Bob,
I'm in on this one for sure. It will be "a beaut" when finished.
Tom ;D
I will be following along as well Bob.
Should be a fine model when finished and looking forward to learning a few things from you along the way.
Enjoy and all the best,
--Paul
I took the resin hull casting and soaked it in hot water to try to make it pliable enough that I could straighten it out. No dice. Maybe I didn't have the water hot enough. No problem. I took a heat gun, set to it's Lowest, and directed it back and forth across the bottom of the casting (nothing to hurt down there) until I could set it down on a flat surface and hold the both ends down while it cooled. That did the trick. If anything I may have gone the other direction a wee bit but not noticeable.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121248-46248813.jpeg)
For some of the resin castings I removed the flash by sanding the flat side until the flash disappeared.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121248-462491210.jpeg)
Some of the window castings had a tiny bit of flash that I removed by gently scraping it off with the tip of an X-Acto knife.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121248-46250152.jpeg)
I removed the window castings with a sprue cutter.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121328-462522009.jpeg)
I touched up the window castings with an emery board.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121329-462531723.jpeg)
You can't really see it that well in this photo but the life preserver castings appeared to missing parts of the rope ring that goes around them. I was trying to figure out what to do about that.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121329-462541979.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
Bob,
Looking forward to this one !
Only have one resin boat kit on the shelf here.
Thanks for taking the dive and hope that it will make me purchase a second one.
Tommy
You know what they say. When all else fails read the instructions. It's true in this case. The instruction address the life preservers. They say to remove the rope ring. ;D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121329-462552057.jpeg)
I started cutting out all the laser cut parts. I found one window where one cut was missing which prevented removal of a piece where a window pane should go. ???
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121432-462561669.jpeg)
I carefully made my own cut with an X-Acto knife and steel ruler. Problem solved.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121432-462572480.jpeg)
The resin castings got a bath with a mix of Deep Purple and water. I forget who recommended the Deep Purple cleaner to me years ago when I was working on a resin kit but I have a lifetime supply of it. ;D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121432-462582433.jpeg)
This is the last picture for today. I plan on painting the boat Red/Black/White. After priming with Floquil Earth I airbrushed the inner side of the hull with Floquil Caboose Red. Then I masked off the parts I want to stay red when I airbrush it with Grimy Black. This was a bit tedious. After doing this I sprayed the masking tape with the Caboose Red again to seal the edges. Once that sets I'll sprat it with Grimy Black, cross my fingers and hope the black doesn't bleed under the masking tape.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111020121432-462592332.jpeg)
That's all for today. There's a lot of pieces to this. I'll be painting castings for a quite some time. :o
Thanks for following along!
Quote from: ACL1504 on October 11, 2020, 12:42:45 PM
Bob,
I'm in on this one for sure. It will be "a beaut" when finished.
Tom ;D
Thanks for following along Tom! This should look good next to Red Hook Wharf when I get around to that building that one. ;)
Quote from: PaulS on October 11, 2020, 12:45:35 PM
I will be following along as well Bob.
Should be a fine model when finished and looking forward to learning a few things from you along the way.
Enjoy and all the best,
--Paul
Thanks Paul! A slight deviation from a structure for sure but it should be a fun kit to build. May take me a little while but I'll get there. I hope. ;)
Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on October 11, 2020, 12:49:11 PM
Bob,
Looking forward to this one !
Only have one resin boat kit on the shelf here.
Thanks for taking the dive and hope that it will make me purchase a second one.
Tommy
Thanks Tommy! Thought I'd try something different for a change. Should be fun. I'll be experimenting a little bit with weathering too. I want it to look like a boat that's spend more time working than it does being keep in tip top shape. ;D
Looking good, Bob.
I'll be watching your progress on this one for sure.
Cheers, Mark.
Following along , I have this in my stash to do also.
Quote from: mark dalrymple on October 11, 2020, 02:03:00 PM
Looking good, Bob.
I'll be watching your progress on this one for sure.
Cheers, Mark.
Hi Mark! Thanks for following along. I've been having fun with it so far. ;)
Quote from: Janbouli on October 11, 2020, 04:46:57 PM
Following along , I have this in my stash to do also.
Great to have you following along Jan! You'll be able to see what you're getting into when you decide to tackle this one (which I look forward to). :D
Great job so far. It looks like they upgraded the kit with laser cut wooden parts. My kit is all resin parts on which I am not so keen on.
Mike :(
Quote from: madharry on October 12, 2020, 12:01:37 PM
Great job so far. It looks like they upgraded the kit with laser cut wooden parts. My kit is all resin parts on which I am not so keen on.
Mike :(
Thanks Mike! Glad to have you following along. I seem to recall that when I bought this one at the EXPO a few years back there were two versions available and I went with the upgraded one. :D
Neat kit and something a bit different for you Bob.....I'll be looking in. :)
I found it Bob.
Interesting kit and detail parts.
Count me in on this one.
Jerry
Quote from: GPdemayo on October 13, 2020, 08:34:44 AM
Neat kit and something a bit different for you Bob.....I'll be looking in. :)
Hi Greg! It certainly is something different. In more ways than one. More often than not I like the colors used as pictured on the kit box and go with that paint scheme. This time, even though the mostly white scheme pictured in the instructions is really nice, I'm going to go with a black hull, red and some white trim. I'm anxious to see how it comes together.
Thanks for following along!
Quote from: Jerry on October 14, 2020, 11:46:31 PM
I found it Bob.
Interesting kit and detail parts.
Count me in on this one.
Jerry
Glad you found it and glad to have you on board Jerry! :D
Hey Bob:
Looks like you are having fun with this one. Looks great so far. Will be following along.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on October 15, 2020, 10:36:28 AM
Hey Bob:
Looks like you are having fun with this one. Looks great so far. Will be following along.
Karl
Thanks for following along Karl! Yes, this one has been fun so far and it's allowing me to experiment a little bit. It's basically building a somewhat complex little structure that mounts on top of a resin hull. ;)
Bob
I just got caught up on your build thread. Looking great so far - I will be following along.
Quote from: S&S RR on October 16, 2020, 08:47:30 AM
Bob
I just got caught up on your build thread. Looking great so far - I will be following along.
Hi John! Thanks for following along. ;)
Time for an update. I started weathering the walls and windows. I dab a piece of sponge in some Dove Gray acrylic craft paint and then dab that on a piece of paper until almost all of the paint has been removed. Then I lightly dab it on the walls and windows to leave little specks of the gray which represent spots where the primary color, red in this case, has peeled away and the primer beneath it is showing.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114244-463862035.jpeg)
I repeat the dry sponging process using Khaki. This is for spot where even the primer has peeled away and it's down to the bare wood underneath.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114244-464061674.jpeg)
Next I brush everything with my Alcohol and Ink mixture to tone it down a bit. If I had any really offensive spots of gray or khaki from the sponging I can gently scrub them with the A&I mixture and they'll dissolve.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114244-464072121.jpeg)
I experimented with some AK Interactive paints/washes to paint the deck. I used the three colors shown applying them from darkest to lightest. I would have applied more if I had reached a point where I thought it looked acceptable.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114244-464081389.jpeg)
I then removed all the masking tape from the hull after I finished airbrushing it. It came out okay. Only minimal touch up here and there, with a brush, was required.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114245-464091151.jpeg)
I checked the fit of the deck. It didn't. But the instructions pretty much say it needs to be sanded to fit and should be sanded from the bow end and along the sides. Took a bit of sanding but I got there.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114340-46410231.jpeg)
More in a few.... ;)
Before I glue the deck in place I wanted to weather the hull. I'm always experimenting with ways to produce rust and rust streaks. This time I thought I'd try artist oil colors. For the first application I went with Yellow Ochre and applied streaks to the hull. I'm not to worried about how it looks at this point because most of the yellow will be covered up by the application of darker colors later on. I apply a small dot of paint and then take a wide brush that has been dampened, but not soaked, with odorless mineral spirits and drag it lightly down over the spot. If it doesn't look good just wash it off with the mineral spirits and try again. Very forgiving because these paints take a long time to dry.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114341-464111875.jpeg)
After the Yelow Ochre had dried for a day or so I repeated the process using Burnt Sienna.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114341-46412641.jpeg)
Again, dragging a flat brush damp with the mineral spirits from the top down to blend things together.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114341-464131547.jpeg)
I got a little bored with painting stuff so I decided to assemble the various doors. These are layers of components and some of them are the peel & stick variety.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114341-464142345.jpeg)
Two of the doors have port hole like windows in them and there's a couple of tiny round trim pieces that are also Peel & Stick that need to be applied to them. Those required tweezers to apply. :o
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114445-464151107.jpeg)
The kit includes some laser cut glazing so I used that for the doors and windows. I used MicroScale Industries Micro Krystal Klear to glue them in place.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114446-464162378.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
Most of the walls for the cabin consist of a lower and an upper part. The instructions suggest taping some wax paper down over a flat surface to edge glue these parts together. So that's what I did. I taped a piece of wax paper over one of the marble blocks I keep on my work bench (left over from disassembled bowling trophies).
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114446-464171482.jpeg)
I weighed them down until the glue set to keep them flat.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114446-46419844.jpeg)
Kind of hard to see here but the inner wall for the cabin has a small indent in it to fit over the deck. The problem is the deck is thicker than the indent and there's a little gap on both sides.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114533-46420657.jpeg)
There's also a tab on the inner wall that's used to position it on the deck. But it sticks too far though the slot and out the bottom. The floor won't sit flat on the hull with that tab sticking out. So I made the notches on the inner wall a little bit deeper and then shortened the tab so it doesn't stick out.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114533-464212024.jpeg)
Back to the main deck. It's been sanded to fit and the hull has been weather so I'm going to glue it in place. I opted for 2 part 5 minute epoxy for this. I put a couple of equal sized dollops of glue on a piece of paper and then mixed them together.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114533-4642235.jpeg)
Then I applied the mixed glue to the bottom of the deck at various spots.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114533-464231205.jpeg)
Then I put the deck in place and held it down until the glue set. The deck has to bend a little to conform to the shape of the hull so holding it place was necessary.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-231020114533-464242103.jpeg)
That's all for today. Thanks for following along!
Like I've said before your tutorials on how to do things is excellent. A lot of good information even if you don't build a ship.
As always outstanding work Bob.
Jerry
Quote from: Jerry on October 24, 2020, 09:08:53 AM
Like I've said before your tutorials on how to do things is excellent. A lot of good information even if you don't build a ship.
As always outstanding work Bob.
Jerry
Thank you Jerry! I've learned so much from everyone that posts on this forum as well as it's predecessor. I enjoy sharing what I've learned works or, in some cases, doesn't work for me. ;)
Bob,
Looks like this one is a true craftsman kit !
You doing a great build. Step by step photos are the best !
Hope you do another boat in the future.
Tommy
Looking really good, Bob.
Love those little round windows in the doors!
Cheers, Mark.
Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on October 24, 2020, 12:56:58 PM
Bob,
Looks like this one is a true craftsman kit !
You doing a great build. Step by step photos are the best !
Hope you do another boat in the future.
Tommy
Thanks Tommy! Yeah, I think this one qualifies as a true craftsman kit. On just one of the walls for the deckhouse I counted 20 pieces that made up the assembly between the wall components, doors, glazing, trim, etc. :o It's a fun one. Definitely something different. ;)
Quote from: mark dalrymple on October 24, 2020, 01:50:54 PM
Looking really good, Bob.
Love those little round windows in the doors!
Cheers, Mark.
Thanks Mark! Those little round windows are a neat little feature of the kit. Little being a key word here. :P
Time for a short update. I started to assemble the Pilot House/Deck House. Some of the walls are tab in slot so it's kind of hard to mess it up. The first one I glued into the floor was the one I shortened the tab on and deepened the notches. I used a square to keep it straight although the side walls will help with that later on when they're added.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110819-46595365.jpeg)
I assembled the walls of the deck house. This one side wall is made up of 20 individual pieces. :o
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110819-465962401.jpeg)
There are two short side walls at the rear of the deck house that angle inward a wee bit. As such I test fit them and then sanded the edge to roughly the same angle to get a decent fit with the side wall/rear wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110819-465971699.jpeg)
Okay. When I got to this point in the build it was decision time. I had to make up my mind as to whether or not I was going to add lights to the boat. The pro's are it would look cool. 8) The con's are that I pretty much no I won't be able to make the interior accessible should the light's ever need to be repaired, there's not much room inside and the running lights are solid resin casting really not designed to be lit up. I opted to do it the hard way and light it up. I started by adding some copper tape and running wires through the base so I have a positive and negative bus to work with.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110820-465981154.jpeg)
Next I installed three lamp shades out side the Deck House. I'm not going to light up the interior of the Deck House. Here I just opted for the exterior lights.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110820-46599739.jpeg)
I had an evil plan in my head for lighting up the running lights. I hope it works! I carefully drilled out, from the bottom up, as much of the 'globe' as I could. I had to be sure not to go too far and the bit had to be centered beneath the globe
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110922-466001768.jpeg)
More in a moment.... ;)
Next I used some liquid masking tape to mask off the globe. I did not prime these pieces along with the rest of the part when I initially painted everything because I hadn't made up my mind as to whether or not I was going to light this up.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110923-466011819.jpeg)
At this point in the build I had to set everything aside an prep a bunch of teeny weeny, itsy bitsy LED's for those out side lights. I used up the last three I had soldered lines to for the Deck House and needed one more for the Piolet House and two for the running lights. These require very fine magnet wire leads be soldered to them. To prep the wire I use a trick I learned from Slim ("Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber ;D ). I taped the wire to a piece of PVC pipe and wrapped it around the pipe like so.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110923-466021212.jpeg)
Then, using a steel ruler and X-Acto knife I cut the wire into a bunch of shorter pieces.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110923-466031089.jpeg)
The next step is rather tedious. The magnet wire has an insulation over it that needs to be removed at each end. Supposedly you can stick the end in a blob of hot solder and burn it off. I've never had much luck with that so I use a trick I learned from someone else who used to frequent the forums and sand it off with an emery board. I use an Optivisor and try to get a clean separation I can see which is important later on when I go to solder these to the pads on the LED's. I want the insulated part to run right up to, but not onto, the pad. That way I don't have an issue with the positive and negative wires touching each other which will cause the LED to not light up.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120110923-466041260.jpeg)
You can't really see much here but this little jig holds the LED upside down and one of the wires in position to be soldered. These are not the of thing you want to hold the tip of the soldering pencil against any longer than necessary. I put a little flux on the pad and then just touch the tip of the soldering pencil (this is a low temp solder and soldering pencil) right at the wire just long enough for the solder to flow.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120111005-466052240.jpeg)
Then I trim the excess wire off with pair of Friskar Micro Shears.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120111006-46606179.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
I took my time and did a large batch of LED's. I had 30 white, 5 red and 5 green. A couple of the green didn't work out and I dropped one or two of the white one's. One they disappear on my work bench I look for them for a few minutes but not for too long. They're almost impossible to find again.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120111006-46607254.jpeg)
After priming and painting the running light boards, first with Floquil Earth and then with Floquil Reefer White, I removed the liquid masking (obviously dried at that point) and then painted one with a translucent green paint and the other with a translucent red paint (being sure to get the correct color on the starboard and port sides).
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-071120111006-46608561.jpeg)
I'll glue a green LED into the globe I painted green and a red LED into the globe I painted red and hope that they're bright enough to shine through the thin resin wall and paint. Fingers crossed!
That's all for now. Thanks for following along!
Hello Bob, the lights and the wiring are incredible. I don't know where you get the patience for such fine work. Nicely done. Jeff
Bob,
Fantastic job on the LEDs. I know you "LOVE" wiring the itsy bitsy little suckers and I admire you for doing it. I've tried it and now I just such it up and buy mine from Evan Designs.
The workboat with the LEDs looks wonderful.
Tom ;D
Bob
Your build is coming along great - I have trouble enjoying the LED installation, too. They sure do add another dimension to the build though.
Love the LED install. I've got a bunch of LEDs sat here waiting to be installed on a diorama.
Great work.
Quote from: nycjeff on November 08, 2020, 11:13:01 PM
Hello Bob, the lights and the wiring are incredible. I don't know where you get the patience for such fine work. Nicely done. Jeff
Thanks Jeff! The lights do take a little patience (and time) but I almost hate to build something and not add them these days. They can add so much to an evening scene. 8)
Quote from: ACL1504 on November 09, 2020, 07:51:24 AM
Bob,
Fantastic job on the LEDs. I know you "LOVE" wiring the itsy bitsy little suckers and I admire you for doing it. I've tried it and now I just such it up and buy mine from Evan Designs.
The workboat with the LEDs looks wonderful.
Tom ;D
Thanks Tom! You know, I think the part I dislike the most is trying to bend the tubing into a realistic shape for a goose neck lamp (although on the boat these are just straight 90 degree bends, no goose neck). I seem to have a hard time getting that U shape. Some times I end up with a V and the tubing pinches the wires at the bend. :o But it's worth fussing with. ;)
Quote from: S&S RR on November 09, 2020, 10:45:43 AM
Bob
Your build is coming along great - I have trouble enjoying the LED installation, too. They sure do add another dimension to the build though.
Thanks John! The lighting certainly does add another dimension. Dang Slim for getting me hooked on it. 8)
Quote from: Rusty Robot on November 09, 2020, 10:53:14 AM
Love the LED install. I've got a bunch of LEDs sat here waiting to be installed on a diorama.
Great work.
Thanks Rusty Robot! I'm looking forward to seeing you latest build all lit up. It's coming along great! :D
Quote from: ReadingBob on November 09, 2020, 01:21:27 PM
Quote from: S&S RR on November 09, 2020, 10:45:43 AM
Bob
Your build is coming along great - I have trouble enjoying the LED installation, too. They sure do add another dimension to the build though.
Thanks John! The lighting certainly does add another dimension. Dang Slim for getting me hooked on it. 8)
Me too!
Bob you must have the patience of a saint!!
That is some very fine work and your so dam good at it!!
Jerry
Hey Bob:
Can't wait to see this finished. Great job so far.
Karl
Quote from: Jerry on November 12, 2020, 08:19:35 AM
Bob you must have the patience of a saint!!
That is some very fine work and your so dam good at it!!
Jerry
Thanks Jerry! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle those little LED's anymore after I had cataract surgery. I had one tuned for distance and one for close up. But with the 10x Optivisor on I can still do it. ;D
Quote from: postalkarl on November 12, 2020, 05:02:06 PM
Hey Bob:
Can't wait to see this finished. Great job so far.
Karl
Hi Karl! Thanks! I'm getting there. This is a challenging little kit. It sure has a lot more parts than I thought it would. :o
Well that was quite an adventure. I went to resize photo's so I could upload them and the app I was using, Photo Reducer v4.10, decided it wanted to install and update but the windows that came up were in French and the update failed. So I had to find something else to use to resize the photos. I had XnView installed but never used it. I figured out how to resize them in that app and uploaded them so let's see how they look. ::)
I continued working on the Deck House/Pilot House assembly. This was a fairly complex little structure made up of a bunch of components.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113654-469601607.jpeg)
I knew I'd need to feed power up to the upper Pilot house assembly so I added two wires and fed them through holes I drilled in the floor.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113654-469611981.jpeg)
After the floor for the upper pilot house was installed the support columns for the lower Pilot House front walls had to be trimmed to fit. I carefully sawed them off level with the floor.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113654-469621200.jpeg)
For the upper Pilot House the front wall is made up of supports and three laser cut braces that hold them in place. The middle laser cut brace has to be glued in place using the window frame as a guide for placement.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113654-46963485.jpeg)
The lower portion of the upper Pilot House front wall has to be broken, or cracked, at two places where it bends around the supports. I used a steel ruler as a guide and gently 'cracked' the micro plywood.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113654-46964411.jpeg)
This is where things got really dicey. The lower Pilot House front wall, the one I just cracked, has tabs on the bottom of each section of the wall that seat in the floor. Or at least they should. Tab in slot is not my favorite kind of construction. Less so when the tabs don't fit in the slots. I sanded and sanded but still had a heck'uva time getting the wall to seat properly. It was too thick. In hindsight I should have scored through a layer of the micro plywood at the bottom of the wall/top of the tab and used a chisel blade to remove one of two layers of thickness rather than trying to sand them thinner. Oh well. Live and learn.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113809-469651314.jpeg)
More in a moment.... ;)
After assembling the upper Pilot House I wanted to test the lighting. I wasn't sure how well the red and green LED's would show through the white resin cast globes. Turns out they showed a little too well. The light came through areas I didn't think it would. Areas that had been primed with Floquil Earth and then painted with Floquil Reefer White. I had to brush paint a couple of coats black over those areas and then paint them white again to eliminate the light bleeding through.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113809-469671250.jpeg)
Time to start adding things to the deck. The cowls, some eye hooks, etc. Stuff that would be hard to add after the Deck House/Pilot House assembly is glued in place. I drilled holes where indicated in the deck.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113809-469681750.jpeg)
Then I glued the parts in place. For the brass eye hooks I touched them up with Polly Scale Grimy Black after I glued them in place. I figured handling them with the tweezers would have knocked some of the paint off had I painted them first and I'd have to touch them up after the fact anyway.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113809-46969658.jpeg)
The Deck House/Pilot House assembly was glued in place and then I started adding the roof details like the smoke stack.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113909-469702277.jpeg)
The kit comes with white thread to be used for the stays and rigging. For the black lines I simply colored the thread with a Black Sharpie.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113910-469711500.jpeg)
Then, per a recommendation in the instructions, I ran the thread through some beeswax to protect it from moisture.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113910-469721711.jpeg)
More in a moment.... ;)
The black thread is fed through a hole in the smokestack and tied to some brass hand rails added to the roof. For the handrails the instructions say to cut a pieced of brass wire to the indicated length and then use block of scrap wood to raise it off of the roof. Instead of doing that I cut the wire a little longer than indicated and then bent the ends so I could drill holes in the roof and mount the wire directly into the holes. First I tied the thread to the end of the rails.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113910-469731933.jpeg)
Then I gave the knot a little drop of glue to hold it in place.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113910-469741022.jpeg)
After the glue set I trimmed the excess thread of as close to the knot as possible with a pair of scissors.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113950-469751893.jpeg)
The mast an boom fit into metal castings. A test fit proved they need a bit of sanding a each end to fit into the castings so I sanded away until they fit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113950-46976143.jpeg)
I painted the mast and boom. While they were drying I started drilling holes in some of the metal castings where the instructions indicated.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-131220113951-469771183.jpeg)
That's all for today. I have to go figure out how I'm going to work around the deck cleat casting I lost before I proceed too much farther.
Thanks for following along! :D
Great job as usual Bob , and sharing the close ups is so nice.
Bob, if you need more/different thread for rigging, try the -beading- section at a craft store.
dave
Nice progress, Bob. I use XnView for my photos, works well enough for me.
Jeff
Really nice going Bob.
Mike
Hello Bob, I think that after you finish this model you may need some more eye surgery. Everything in this kit is so small and intricate. You are doing your usual great job. Jeff
Beautiful work. Your precision is perfect especially on those small parts.
Jerry
Quote from: Janbouli on December 13, 2020, 12:40:11 PM
Great job as usual Bob , and sharing the close ups is so nice.
Thanks Jan! I really appreciate having you follow along and commenting. :D
Quote from: deemery on December 13, 2020, 02:16:23 PM
Bob, if you need more/different thread for rigging, try the -beading- section at a craft store.
dave
Good tip Dave. The kit came with plenty of thread (I think). It's just all white and needs to be colored. The black was easy with the Sharpie. For the Tan the instructions say to use Americana Khaki but I have a marker that should do the trick. ;)
Quote from: madharry on December 13, 2020, 05:20:43 PM
Really nice going Bob.
Mike
Thanks Mike! Nice to have you following along. ;)
Quote from: nycjeff on December 13, 2020, 06:10:45 PM
Hello Bob, I think that after you finish this model you may need some more eye surgery. Everything in this kit is so small and intricate. You are doing your usual great job. Jeff
Thanks Jeff! Yeah, this one turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected. Definitely not for beginners. ;D
Quote from: Jerry on December 14, 2020, 12:41:27 AM
Beautiful work. Your precision is perfect especially on those small parts.
Jerry
Thanks Jerry! It's tried my patience at times but I'm slowly getting there. ;)
Bob,
Beautiful job on the work boat. This will be a real eye catcher for sure. I've been trying to talk myself into building the Seaport/Sheepscot Tug Boat but can't seem to pull the plug.
The weathered red is very nice Butty.
Tom ;D
Bob
The boat is really looking great - it's all about the details. I can't wait for your finished pictures.
Looking most excellent Bob..... 8)
Wow Bob - nice job ....
Doug
I'd contact Seaport to see if they'll send you an extra cleat, or if they sell more of them. Otherwise, check https://modelexpo-online.com (they're in Florida :-) ) to see if they have the part or something close to use as a replacement.
dave
Quote from: ACL1504 on December 14, 2020, 07:02:11 AM
Bob,
Beautiful job on the work boat. This will be a real eye catcher for sure. I've been trying to talk myself into building the Seaport/Sheepscot Tug Boat but can't seem to pull the plug.
The weathered red is very nice Butty.
Tom ;D
Thanks Tom! It's been quite a challenge but I think it'll look pretty good anchored near Red Hook Wharf if/when I get around to building that one. ;) I decided I wanted to build something other than a structure for a change of pace. I am ready, however, to get back to structure building. ;D
Quote from: S&S RR on December 14, 2020, 07:21:42 AM
Bob
The boat is really looking great - it's all about the details. I can't wait for your finished pictures.
Thanks John! This is a pretty neat kit. Challenging for sure but neat. There are lot's of nice details included in the kit. :D
Quote from: GPdemayo on December 14, 2020, 08:43:46 AM
Looking most excellent Bob..... 8)
Thank you Greg! Hope I can get to show it to you in person some day soon. :D
Quote from: NKP768 on December 14, 2020, 04:45:07 PM
Wow Bob - nice job ....
Doug
Thanks Doug! Really appreciate your following along and posting. :)
Quote from: deemery on December 14, 2020, 05:13:08 PM
I'd contact Seaport to see if they'll send you an extra cleat, or if they sell more of them. Otherwise, check https://modelexpo-online.com (they're in Florida :-) ) to see if they have the part or something close to use as a replacement.
dave
Thanks for the link Dave. I'll check it out. I e-mailed Sea Port the week of Thanksgiving but didn't hear back from Bruce. I mentioned I'd buy a few kits if they'd throw in the missing cleat. They don't have detail parts listed on their web site but I did find the exact pack of cleats from Sea Port listed on the Walther's site. Out of stock of course. I found some that were close on some other web sites but couldn't quite justify paying $10 to $12 in shipping for $5 worth of detail castings.
I have two other Sea Port ship models but neither has this style of cleat so I couldn't borrow one from there.
I took a large nail, clamped it in my bench vise and attacked it with a Dremel with a cut off wheel. I cut off chunks of it until I had something that resembled a cleat albeit smaller than the ones that came in the kit. I figure it'll do for holding the rigging and, when the rigging has been secured a barrel, board and/or tarp strategically positioned will hide it well enough to get by with. ;)
Still enjoying this build, Bob.
If SeaPort can't help and you up against a wall, chances are I could print a cleat if you can reference exactly what you're looking for.
Quote from: ReadingBob on December 15, 2020, 06:50:19 AM
Quote from: GPdemayo on December 14, 2020, 08:43:46 AM
Looking most excellent Bob..... 8)
Thank you Greg! Hope I can get to show it to you in person some day soon. :D
Sounds like a great plan..... :)
Just give Bruce a call
Quote from: Rusty Robot on December 15, 2020, 07:45:55 AM
Still enjoying this build, Bob.
If SeaPort can't help and you up against a wall, chances are I could print a cleat if you can reference exactly what you're looking for.
Thanks RR! That's a very generous offer. I think I have something that will suffice if I can't get Sea Port to provide me with one. Gotta love this forum and how willing folks are to lend a hand to one another. :)
Quote from: JimMooney on December 15, 2020, 12:20:28 PM
Just give Bruce a call
Thanks for the suggestion Jim. I may do just that (and order some more stuff from him while I'm at it ::) ).
Bob,
Glad you tackled this project. Your modeling skills show off great in this boat.
Tommy
Bob,
I agree, this will make a great addition to Red Hook, especially next of Langford Ice. :-[
Tom ;D
Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on December 16, 2020, 11:10:37 AM
Bob,
Glad you tackled this project. Your modeling skills show off great in this boat.
Tommy
Thank you Tommy and thanks for following along. I'm in the home stretch now and I'm pleased with how it's shaping up. ;)
Quote from: ACL1504 on December 16, 2020, 05:35:17 PM
Bob,
I agree, this will make a great addition to Red Hook, especially next of Langford Ice. :-[
Tom ;D
Tom,
I haven't quite prepared myself for the challenge of Red Hook Wharf but I'm getting close. At least I know where the kit is. I think. ;D
Quote from: ReadingBob on December 15, 2020, 02:40:01 PM
Quote from: JimMooney on December 15, 2020, 12:20:28 PM
Just give Bruce a call
Thanks for the suggestion Jim. I may do just that (and order some more stuff from him while I'm at it ::) ).
I just spoke to Bruce and he was more than happy to provide me with a replacement cleat. In turn, I was more than happy to order another ship and a couple of Sylvan vehicles too boot. :D :D :D
Great customer service!
Just to reiterate something - I know I had four cleats when I started the build. The kit wasn't missing one. I lost it. It'll probably turn up when I don't need it anymore. Isn't that how it always works.
Good news Bob!
Great customer service can't be beat!
Okay....time to wrap this puppy up so I can move on to the 2021 Forum Build Challenge. :D
There are a few places where the sheaves have to be mounted in the brackets which require cutting a short length of brass rod to serve as an axle. After drilling a hole in the bracket the same size as the brass rod I ran the rod through the hole and then nipped it off with an old pair of flush cut rail cutters I keep on the workbench.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111255-472782010.jpeg)
Putting the rod through the bracket and sheave can be a bit challenging but it's manageable. ;)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111256-472791102.jpeg)
I took a break from working on the mast and built the two Front Hatch assemblies. Pretty basic box construction. I didn't bother painting and weathering everything first. I decided to do that after they were assembled.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111256-47280578.jpeg)
After the two Front Hatch assemblies were completed the bottom needs to be sanded so they sit with the top level. This is necessary because the deck curves upwards toward the bow of the boat. Here they are without being sanded and you can tell they don't look right.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111256-47281723.jpeg)
I took a course piece of sandpaper and started sanding the bottom holding the piece tilted to match what I thought was the angle of the deck. I had to be careful to make sure I was keeping it oriented the way it would sit on the deck and sand in that direction rather than doing it sideways. This was just a lot of sanding and then checking the way it sat until it looked good to my eye.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111256-47282149.jpeg)
As I was checking to see if I had sanded enough away I found using a square gave me a better visual representation. Tom would put a bubble level across the top until he got it absolutely perfect but I don't have one of those so I just worked on it until it looked right. ;D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111339-472831129.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
Getting closer to level....
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111339-472841098.jpeg)
The tires that are mounted on the side took a little time. I used 5 minute epoxy to glue them to the side and a pair of self clamping tweezers to hold them in place until the glue set. I already ran some thread through them represent the rope used to mount them to the ship. I'll glue the thread in place later with some ACC. Over the top and down the inside.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111339-47285449.jpeg)
Back to the mast. There's a couple of places were some brass sheet stock needs to be cut to a short length and hole drilled through the center of it to represent a plate. Then these glued to both sides of the mast and hole is drilled through the mast. I glued one in place first, then drilled the hole through the mast so I'd know where to position the plate on the opposite side.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111339-472861194.jpeg)
To glue the plate on the opposite side in place I ran a pointy thing (yeah, I don't know what that tool is called) I use to mix glue, mark spots in wood, etc. through the hole in the plate and then stuck it in the hole in the mast. That made sure the holes lined up when the plate was positioned on the mast.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111339-4728716.jpeg)
Back to the tires (tyres for Mike ;D ). I ran a little medium ACC (not my favorite type of glue) up the thread after trimming so there was just enough to go over the edge and run down the inside a bit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111435-47288390.jpeg)
Then I held the thread in place with some tweezers until the ACC grabbed.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111435-472891783.jpeg)
More in a moment... :D
I didn't take any shots of running the rigging because that's really just tying knots and pulling line through holes. Nothing very exciting to see. That was the last step of the build. Here are some final photos. I played around with making some water for it to float on. It didn't come out great because the Thick Gloss Gel I was trying to use was very old and pretty much unworkable but hey, it was just a throw away base to practice on so I learned not to try to use old stuff like that that's starting to kick. ;D ;D ;D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111435-47290645.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111435-47291473.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111435-472921660.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111528-472931826.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111529-472941546.jpeg)
Trying some night shots with various lights in the room off or dimmed...
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111529-472952134.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;D
And more...
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111529-47296567.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111529-47297799.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111619-47298731.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111619-47299955.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111619-473001958.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111619-47301879.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111619-47302728.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-020121111641-473032120.jpeg)
Summary up next.... ;)
Summary
I had a lot of fun building this this kit. It was challenging for sure and not one I'd recommend for beginners. It is a craftsman kit without a doubt and a great value for the price.
The instructions were top notch. There's quite a bit of information in them and you may have to jump around a bit to match the text with the diagrams but most things are explained pretty well. I deviate from the written text here and there. The way the instructions read the structure (Deck House/Pilot House) gets build first and then painted after assembly. I painted the components first and then assembled them.
The castings were clean, crisp and had minimal flash.
The part I lost was quickly replaced with a phone call to Bruce at Sea Port Model Works. A+++ for customer service. ;D
What more can I say? I'm pretty happy with the end result I was able to produce with this kit and will feature it in a prominent location in front of the Red Hook Wharf is/when I get around to building that one.
Now to go find a shelf in the garage where I can store it until I need it.
Thanks for following along and posting comments along the way!
Well done, Bob. It looks fantastic. And those night shots with your lighting really sing.
What Craig Said! This has been a fun build to follow, because the "structure" was out of the ordinary and some of the problems and solutions were unique.
dave
Bob,
Well done for sure. What a beauty.
I just ordered a small tug and barge from Sea Port Models. These will fit on my river area.
Again, a big winner Bob.
Tom ;D
Really enjoyed this build, Bob.
She is a real beauty and will look great in front of your red hook wharf, when you build it.
Cheers, Mark.
Lovely job Bob.
Mike
Bob what a beautiful job! And as usual your fabulous tutorials.
Always a pleasure to follow your threads lots of info to gain from them.
Jerry
Hello Bob, I really like the end result and the great pictures as well. I sure hope that someday you can build your own layout for the wonderful kits that you build. Jeff
Wonderful boat Bob , nailed it , and thanks again for the great detail in your build photo's.
Excellent work, as usual, Bob..... 8)
Bob,
Looks like you won the Best in Show - Craftsman Builder Award with this gem !
Very nice work and the lighting is awesome.
Tommy
Quote from: Rusty Robot on January 02, 2021, 12:03:36 PM
Well done, Bob. It looks fantastic. And those night shots with your lighting really sing.
Thank you Craig! The lighting was a bit of a challenge for sure but I think it was worth the extra effort. 8)
Quote from: deemery on January 02, 2021, 12:32:59 PM
What Craig Said! This has been a fun build to follow, because the "structure" was out of the ordinary and some of the problems and solutions were unique.
dave
Much appreciated Dave. Glad to have you along for the ride. Yes, this was certainly something out of the ordinary. Well, for me at least. It was a lot of fun though and I'm pleased with the end result. ;)
Quote from: ACL1504 on January 02, 2021, 12:45:29 PM
Bob,
Well done for sure. What a beauty.
I just ordered a small tug and barge from Sea Port Models. These will fit on my river area.
Again, a big winner Bob.
Tom ;D
Thanks Tom! I ordered the small tug as well (sans barge). That should look great in your river area. Should be a much quicker build than this one was. Of all the Sea Port kits I have this one appears to be, by far, the most complex. :o
Quote from: mark dalrymple on January 02, 2021, 01:18:10 PM
Really enjoyed this build, Bob.
She is a real beauty and will look great in front of your red hook wharf, when you build it.
Cheers, Mark.
Thank you Mark! This may help motivate me to build that one sooner rather than later. I want to use it as the focal point on a small switching layout someday. :)
Quote from: madharry on January 02, 2021, 06:02:51 PM
Lovely job Bob.
Mike
Thank you Mike! Always a pleasure to have you follow along and comment. :D
Quote from: Jerry on January 02, 2021, 11:10:04 PM
Bob what a beautiful job! And as usual your fabulous tutorials.
Always a pleasure to follow your threads lots of info to gain from them.
Jerry
Thanks Jerry! I'm glad you enjoyed the build and the thread. I enjoyed sharing it with y'all. ;)
Quote from: nycjeff on January 02, 2021, 11:11:46 PM
Hello Bob, I really like the end result and the great pictures as well. I sure hope that someday you can build your own layout for the wonderful kits that you build. Jeff
Much appreciated Jeff! If things go according to plan I'll retire in 3 years, 5 months (not that I'm counting or anything like that ;D ) and then I can get serious about building a small switching layout. I haven't seen a train running in roughly 3/4 of year now thanks this dang virus. :( That's just not right.
Quote from: Janbouli on January 03, 2021, 05:17:26 AM
Wonderful boat Bob , nailed it , and thanks again for the great detail in your build photo's.
Thanks Jan and you're quite welcome! I enjoyed sharing the journey. Sure was something different. I have a few more boats to build but this one looked to be the most complex of the fleet. ;)
Quote from: GPdemayo on January 03, 2021, 09:28:24 AM
Excellent work, as usual, Bob..... 8)
Thanks Greg! Hopefully someday soon we'll be able to get together in person so you can get an up close and personal look at it. :)
Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on January 03, 2021, 12:34:10 PM
Bob,
Looks like you won the Best in Show - Craftsman Builder Award with this gem !
Very nice work and the lighting is awesome.
Tommy
Thank you for the wonderful comment Tommy! I really appreciate it and having you follow along for the journey. :D
Fan freakin tastic.
Great looking build Bob....
The "night" shots are awesome....
Doug
That ship turned out great! Very nice detail and hull weathering.
Great looking ship Bob.
Quote from: ReadingBob on January 04, 2021, 06:45:16 AM
Quote from: GPdemayo on January 03, 2021, 09:28:24 AM
Excellent work, as usual, Bob..... 8)
Thanks Greg! Hopefully someday soon we'll be able to get together in person so you can get an up close and personal look at it. :)
Looking forward to it..... :)
Quote from: Oldguy on January 04, 2021, 09:39:42 AM
Fan freakin tastic.
Thanks Bob! I'm happy with how this one turned. Really appreciate you following along and posting. :)
Quote from: NKP768 on January 04, 2021, 01:12:39 PM
Great looking build Bob....
The "night" shots are awesome....
Doug
Thank you Doug! I need to build that Red Hook Wharf kit, with lighting of course, to see what kind of night shot that makes with a few boats like this one anchored around it. 8) Glad to have you follow along and comment. :)
Quote from: Rail and Tie on January 04, 2021, 01:25:58 PM
That ship turned out great! Very nice detail and hull weathering.
Appreciate your following along and commenting Darryl. Weathering the hull was fun. Don't get to try my hand at that very often. ;D
Quote from: sdrees on January 04, 2021, 06:50:00 PM
Great looking ship Bob.
Thank you Steve! Of course a lot of the kudo's should got to Sea Port Model Works for producing such a detailed kit. It was fun one to build. :D