SUB-SAM Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 (edited) This is the seemingly rare 1/350 Gorch Fock kit by Revell, I don't know much about the kit and purchased it for a bargain price. The Gorch Fock (II) is a fairly famous (for negative reasons) German training tall ship launched 1958 I got this kit simply as an attempt at rigging a ship model, something I have not done before (other than single safety lines!) The model lacks a lot of detail, and given that it isn't in my favoured scale of 1/144 (it won't be displayed in my cabinet) I decided to press on and build it out of the box, with no detailing added, I simply wanted to try out a few new skills and get to the rigging stage quickly. I managed to do about 90% of the build on the deck in one day, here is where I am. I am quite pleased with the wooden deck paint job, I achieved this by spraying a light tan / ochre base coat then using a small flat brush and Vallejo sepia wash in short 'step' strokes in the direction of the planking. A few more pieces added to the deck and of course the masts and I will be ready to rig my first ship! Edited June 10, 2016 by SUB-SAM 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Keep at it. I've got a Revell USS United States in my stash and am still put off by the rigging although I'm still going to have a go. It won't be perfect but at the end of the day let's just give it a go and enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Keep at it. I've got a Revell USS United States in my stash and am still put off by the rigging although I'm still going to have a go. It won't be perfect but at the end of the day let's just give it a go and enjoy it. Yep, I'm not going to worry too much about being perfect with this model... and I certainly won't be attempting the rare airfix 1/144 ships I now have until I feel more confident. You wouldn't happen to know the length of the hull on the Revell USS United States kit would you? i'm looking for 1/144-1/150 scale ship kits that are actually accurate to scale for my collection, I don't trust what it says on the box any more! Any help with that length would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 A great start on a most interesting project! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 (edited) Small scale rigging is extremely easy, as long as you throw out the time-honoured methods of rigging with twine or thread, and messing about with tiny knots! Rig with fine copper wire! I use tinned copper wire, usually about 32 swg. To blacken it, put one end in a small vice and hold the wire straight. Run some fine wet & dry paper along it a couple of times to roughen it up. Run a broad-tipped permanent marker pen along top and bottom. Take a piece slightly longer than you need. Pick it up at each end with two small pairs of pliers and pull it gently. This will stretch it slightly. When you put it down, it will be perfectly straight. Measure the length you need on the model with a pair of dividers and cut that length off the straightened wire. Pick it up in the centre with a pair of fine tweezers. Dip each end in non-stringing contact adhesive (I use Edward's, obtained from Ebay) and place it in position on the model. That is all. Each piece of rigging is put on in short lengths, and blocks are blobs of Evo Stik wood glue mixed with a bit of black acrylic paint. I have described, and demonstrated this method loads of times, but very few modellers will even try to do it. The few that have tried it, have been amazed at the simplicity and effectiveness. Edited June 12, 2016 by ShipbuilderMN 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 (edited) Thank you for those very useful tips! That is a beautiful barque. I've got a load of kanthal wire 0.3mm, which is a little bit thicker than 32 swg, it is quite stiff for it's given thickness so doesn't kink but holds a shape, I might try that! Mabye a little too thick in 1/350? ...that's 10cm thick ropes in scale, i don't actually know how thick they should be? I used the stuff on my 1/144 Bushnell's Turtle tiny rudder levers as it folds and holds it's shape neatly, I find copper/brass was a little too soft even when heat treated. Also I have just discovered some fantastic news, Revell are re-releasing their 1/150 version of the Gorch Fock! So, at some point in the future I will have available a model of this interesting ship to fit in with my other 1/150 - 1/144 models! https://www.scalemates.com/kits/975154-revell-05417-gorch-fock Edited June 13, 2016 by SUB-SAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob 1 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 That is brilliant work, looks really well finished. I recently used fine copper wire for the first time (obtained from a small multi stranded electrical cable which gives very fine strands), the long fine strands were rather kinked and visually non-straight. I held each end with spring type wooden clothes pegs, and pulled both apart so that you could just see the strand stretch slightly, and when released, sure enough the strand had become, and remained, perfectly straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Well, in the last fortnight at maximum effort I have managed to do about 3 hours of modelling. Being a first time dad and working 150 miles from home means this will take a long time even if i'm 'rushing' it. A productive 3 hours nonetheless, masts and arms up and painted, all deck work finished. Having looked at a few photos of the Gorch Fock I realise how completely inaccurate this kit is, (which I have now discovered dates from 1989!) so I'm glad I never had the intention of creating a detailed build. With the deck done and masts up it will mean hopefully I can start the rigging this weekend, possibly. Also needed is a green line painted along the upper hull and the lower hull (not pictured) painted green and given propeller and rudder to finish. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billydick Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Really nice work going on here and thank you Bob for the rigging tip ! I think Aoshima do this in 1/350 along with a few other tall ships. Have seen them on HLJ. BillyD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted June 27, 2016 Author Share Posted June 27, 2016 So, I managed to escape to the shed for another few hours on Sunday. This is where I have got to this time: The rigging has been done as per instructions so far, I understand it is very much lacking in detail: ratlines etc, I simply don't have enough time for this build to have done anything special. This is my first ship model and my first go at rigging, I have to say it's one of the most pleasurable aspects of modelling I have tried so far. I cocked up the cutting out of the jib sails, I realised they needed to be cut back more into a correct shape after I had mounted most of them, I thought they looked funny. I guess this build is looking OK enough not to abandon it because of a few dodgy jib sails. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 (edited) Yep, I'm not going to worry too much about being perfect with this model... and I certainly won't be attempting the rare airfix 1/144 ships I now have until I feel more confident. You wouldn't happen to know the length of the hull on the Revell USS United States kit would you? i'm looking for 1/144-1/150 scale ship kits that are actually accurate to scale for my collection, I don't trust what it says on the box any more! Any help with that length would be much appreciated. Not off the top of my head. According to the box it's 1:150 scale and 40.8cm if that's any help. That build is coming along nicely indeed. I've just lost the will on the Revell 1:350 German destroyer and associated PE Guardrails and so it's been put aside for a while as I crack on with my Pusser's Phantom. Edited June 27, 2016 by Darby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted July 4, 2016 Author Share Posted July 4, 2016 Only managed about 2 hours on Sunday, but we are 99% done! Only a few more bits of rigging towards the stern of the ship to go on then some minor painting and decals! Rigging will be 'heat shrunk' with a quick pass of a heat gun to tighten it all up. It might not happen for a few more weeks so I'll post a picture of how it looks, it won't be much different. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 Sadly, I don't think I will be Able to complete this, my spare time has dropped to 0hrs so I can't see any chance. Sorry people, I thought I should say in case anyone was waiting to see the finished article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob 1 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 It looks close to completion, just a final push needed to reach the finish line, or perhaps you can get back onto it later when you have more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted July 20, 2016 Author Share Posted July 20, 2016 (edited) Thank you for the encouraging words. With staying away for work with my own business and looking after the baby at weekends to give my wife a break it is making it really tough to even have a few minutes to do stuff and then it's a case of sacrificing special time with my wife and child to do some modelling, which makes me feel quite guilty anyway, all of what I've done here was the result of staying up till 4am etc when everyone was asleep! Hopefully next year we can move back to Somerset (where my business is) and I can resume modelling then. Choosing to get back into modelling whilst expecting my first baby and moving to Wales was perhaps expecting too much. Edited July 20, 2016 by SUB-SAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now