I need a couple of fishing boats for my mini Mexican layout, so will scrachbuild them from foam and card for the hull and also balsa and styrene.
So I cut the deck to shape first, from a sheet of balsa, then used it as a template for cutting the foam hull
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-210125045712-53527384.jpeg)
Then I clad the sides with card. Above the deck the card is a bit flimsy, so I laminated another layer of card to the inside to stiffen it.
Then used some left over planking from another boat build to strengthen it even more and add a bit of character.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-210125045712-53529847.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-210125045712-535301494.jpeg)
Robert,
Great start. I'll be in the front row on this build.
Tom
I'll be watching too.
Bernd
Rob, like to watch scratch building projects too and will watch your progress...Tommy
Of course, the styrofoam interior would add needed buoyancy for the boat... ;D
dave
Thanks Tom, Bernd, Tommy and Dave
yes Dave it probably would float, but I don't think the cardboard sides would last long.
Luckily my ocean is just painted MDF. ;D
I've added some ribs to the inside, and cut out and added the gunwale around the top edge. Used 1mm card for tat
Then got the hull painted. Just plain white with a reddish stripe for some colour.
And I scribed some plank lines on the deck, with the back of an Exacto blade
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-220125052500-5353219.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-220125052459-535312237.jpeg)
Next up will be building the cabin, using styrene.
great work Rob!
Thanks Philip.
So up next is the cabin. I'm making this from scribed styrene, laminated to thicker plain styrene.
So made up the four walls first and scribed some grain into the styrene with an Exacto blade.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-230125013359-53537939.jpeg)
Then assembled the walls and added framing for the front windows, and some other detailing.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-230125013359-535381790.jpeg)
Next up I undercoated it in grey primer to stop the walls glowing when lit, then painted it in white & red to give it a distressed look.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-230125013359-53539692.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-230125013359-535401036.jpeg)
8) Oh yeah!
This is bleedin' marvellous. -passes the popcorn bowl around-
Thanks again Philip, and Mr Critter (sorry I don't know your real name)
I'm very happy with how the rough paint job on the cabin came out.
I added the roof to the wheelhouse.
And as I want to add lights to this boat, I added the LEDs before gluing the cabin down. The battery will be on the bottom of the hull, so the wires got fed down through the deck.
And Murphy's law, all the lights worked when first testing, then I glued the cabin to the deck, then when testing again, one of the LEDS didn't. Broken wire.
Pried up the cabin again, changed out the LED. Second attempt all went well.
First put in a sub roof.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002713-53545678.jpeg)
Glued the cabin to the deck
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002712-53541361.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002713-535422379.jpeg)
Now the lights are working
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002713-53543596.jpeg)
I also made the hatch. Glued stir sticks to a piece of 3mm thick balsa, and added a (styrene) metal frame around it and then weathered it.
Rust was added with a sponge
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002713-535442157.jpeg)
Added some shrouds around the navigation lights.
Glued the hatch in place.
Then did some heavy weathering on the hull. I've overdone it a bit, so will repaint some of the lower portion in white again to take it back a bit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002840-535481956.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002840-535461466.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-240125002840-53547838.jpeg)
Robert,
The boat looks fantastic. Excellent build and weathering in my humble opinion.
Tom
Looking good Bob.
Bern
The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind: Bogart said this in The African Queen.
Fantastic Rob!
But will it float? 8)
It looks properly beaten-up, as a working boat should. Paint scabbed, covered in fish guts and glaur. What a cheerful little vessel!
Love what you did to the after hatch cover.
What's the hole in the deck forward of the cabin for? Did it take plunging fire from a Guatemalan coastal gun?
Rob,
That is one fine looking fishing boat. looking at it I would guess that it has seen many, many seasons already.
Thanks Tom, Bernd, Philip, Mr Critter and Ron
As I've mentioned, I'm going to take the weathering back a bit. Just repainting the lower part of the hull.
But I will be starting a 2nd boat soon, and it will be a really weathered, barely seaworthy wreck.
Great quote Philip, from my favourite actor.
I've named many of my business names on structures I've built after Bogart characters.
Even the port on the Mexican layout is called Puerto Bogarto. ;D
Critter,ha ha. The hole will be where I'm putting a funnel.
Puerto Bogarto. Love it.
And it's eerily relevant. The past few days, I've been mulling over names to give the dioramas and the tiny port town shelf layout I've been armchair-engineering behind my eyeballs for weeks. As in, what to write on station signage and whatnot. "Hepburn" is suddenly on the short list for one of 'em.
I'll keep watching your boat come together. It makes me smile.
8)
Thankyou Critter & Philip
So during the week I got a bunch of detail parts made up.
Some scratchbuilt, other bits just from the scrap box.
The life ring I scratchbuilt by cutting out a donut from mat board and adding the required rope bits.
The white funnel I made from styrene for the tube and the elbow from a micro sprinkler elbow
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-250125190504-535622012.jpeg)
The net is wedding tule, suitably painted, The small oil drum is just styrene tube.
Normally for old tyres I use 1/48 castings from MP Originals, spares for Tamiya kits. I only have a few of these left and can't buy them anymore.
So I found some suitable size nylon washes at the hobby shop the other day, 8 for $2, so with weathering & placement they should look good.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-250125190504-53565570.jpeg)
So now just need to place them all on the boat.
Robert ,
Great details for the boat.
Tom
Wonderful build, Rob. Glad I found this one. Love the working lights! 8)
Thanks Tom. Just enough details to fit within a limited space.
Thanks Bob. Welcome aboard.
I always light my structures, but boats count too. Especially with the red & green navigation lights, it's something different.
So all the detail parts are now added. I've also repainted some of the lower hull, as I felt the weathering was a bit overdone.
And added the boat name, Lobo de Mar ( Sea Dog) This was done in Excel. I managed to pretty well match the colour to the previously painted stripe.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014637-5357974.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014638-535801610.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014638-53581948.jpeg)
Enough junk in the bow section
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014638-535822100.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014813-535841235.jpeg)
And some night shots.
I like how the cabin light sends out enough light to illuminate the forward and aft deck details.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014813-53586199.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014813-535852499.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-270125014813-53587473.jpeg)
So not quite finished yet. I'm currently painting a couple of figures to go on the deck, to give it some life.
Robert,
Fantastic build. Used but not abused.
Tom
Great looking boat. I'm always amazed how you scratchbuilders can make something out of nothing but some odds and ends.
Jeff
Great build Robert..... 8)
I love this thing. It just looks right. And those night shots... It could be a fishy-smelling Christmas decoration.
Well done, that man!
Thanks Tom, Jeff, Greg & Mr Critter.
I'm really happy with how it turned out.
I have now added a couple of figures. I generally just use Preiser knockoffs, as the layout has about 80 figures all up. I then repaint them, and re-sculpt if needed.
For these two, the seated one I just repainted, added a scratchbuilt sombrero, and a cigarette to his hand.
The tall one was a tourist, so was wearing a cap, and had a camera hanging around his neck, so I did a bit of surgery on him.
He is actually a 1/43 scale figures so in 1/48, scales out to 6' 4". He is known locally as Little Juan.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034056-536151467.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034056-53616666.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034056-536171133.jpeg)
Down at Puerto Bogarto
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034101-536191430.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034251-536201905.jpeg)
Night time
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034256-536211862.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1641-280125034304-536221407.jpeg)
Woo Hoo Amigo ..Grande 8)
Let's see.... Boatbuilder, hat-maker, cigarette roller, scenarist, casting director, and folk artist.
What a pile of little stories. Wonderful scene.
Thanks Philip for following along.
Thanks Mr Critter. I always enjoy scratchbuilding. And a lot of the time have too, as what I want isn't available.
The figures I buy in bulk lots, so many are repeated. Some I just paint in different colour clothing, but many I have cut and repositioned limbs, and / or added bulk to them to make them look different, sometimes with the same figures actually next to each other.
And many are wearing sombrero's so the hats were scratchbuilt from card circles for the brim and paintbrush handle ends for the crowns.
I've never found O scale Mexican civilian figures anywhere, except for western style bandits.
Any pics of the actual addition for the wiring of the lights?