easyAl Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) So then, the model is a 1/400 Academy kit with Eduard photoetch extras and figures for that kit. On opening the box there are a lot of parts, but seem to be modelled pretty well. Looks like I'm going to need a very very small new paintbrush. Most of the bits are moulded in the right colours so if it was just put together it wouldn't look too shabby to start with. So to begin Here are all the bits laid out. I think at this point I'd already started to drill out the holes in the hull, which is no easy feat. It took me the entire length of watching Titanic (it had to be done for inspiration) and Apocalypse now, both 3 hour long+ films. I had Lord of the Rings lined up but thankfull it wasn't required. The idea is to put some lights in the model and bring it to life. I'm unsure on how to model it. I'm either thinking on the stand, which it comes with like this. Or to have it in the water like website article. The instructions then say to construct the steps and cranes. There are photoetch for this, so I got my first taste for them. While modelling the parts very nicely, the size of them can be very frustrating and working with them wants to make you tear your hair out. However I persevered and the end result doesn't look too bad. Almost worth it. I then cut all the bits of thread for the rigging. It says to heat up sprue and stretch it until it's 1mm thick. This I thought would be a horrendous waste of time and effort, so I found some offcuts of .75mm fibre optic from my other project and used that. Saves a job. Also you can see the rear docking bridge railings bent to shape. This was a little easier than I thought. It's just painting the buggers that might prove tricky There is a bit more as I've started sticking on the bits and doing a touch of painting, but I haven't got photos yet. So stay tuned. More to come. Edited November 18, 2011 by easyAl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Nice update Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richellis Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 good start. 3 1/2 hours to drill out the hull! Blimey. I am planing to open the portholes and windows and put a light inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 good start. 3 1/2 hours to drill out the hull! Blimey. I am planing to open the portholes and windows and put a light inside. 3 1/2 hours? There was Titanic and Apocalypse Now, so for all the drilling required it took more like 7 hours. Not to put you off or anything. I'm sure it'll be worth it. I'm thinking at the moment to put the thing on the stand it comes with like this, take loads of photos, and then experiment with water effects and stuff like that. Then when I'm happy, convert it to something like this. What does anyone think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 Oh yeah, and as promised a couple of more recent photos of the front and rear decks. The paint job needs a lot of tidying up, but my brush was getting a bit shot at and I couldn't do a neat job with such a small model and that brush. Now I have got myself a couple more teeny tiny brushes to use, it should start looking a lot neater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulky Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 ok my bottom is now in gear to get mine really going. Looking good though pal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 Another update. Been pretty busy so not really had chance to post anything more on here. However I've cracked on with the various decks and painting the windows which doesn't look much, but the number of them and size is quite fiddly and at the end of a day spending hours on the thing doesn't look like you've done much at all. But now it looks like I'm coming to the end of the window painting so the thing can start coming together at a better pace. This is one of the decks half completed. I'm still toying with the lights idea and haven't put anything together just yet. I just need to get myself to ASDA and buy a set of the LED fairy lights to stick inside. That should work marvellously, cheaply and easily. Unlike the faff I had with the A380 lights The funnels in this shot are there just test fitted to see how it should look when done. I'm going to paint them when I get the inclination to mix the paint and know how much I need to paint with that colour cos I don't want to have to mix it again. An interior view of the bridge View along the boat deck. Obviously with all the lifeboats being used Then I stacked all the other decks I'd done together to get an impression that all that painting of the windows wasn't for nothing And the back with a bit of railing Does anybody have any tips on painting the photoetch stuff? It seems to require plenty of coats of paint (especially white) and the amount of stuff I'll have to paint will be soul destroying. I'm half considering leaving it all as bare metal as it looks quite cool like that...and I'm lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 14, 2011 Author Share Posted December 14, 2011 Done a few more sessions with it, so this update will have a few different stages of build. Even though I've spent hours on it, the thing doesn't seem like it's going anywhere. Every so often I have to put all the bits together in a dry fit to keep my morale up... Plus I have another project I'm keen to get going on once I've finished this one. I also appreciate that the last photo I put up, the bottom deck was actually the wrong way round. So, here it is dry fitted a few days back And then a few taken last night before I shut up shop for the evening. Still wondering how best to go about painting the photoetch railings. I probably should have sprayed them before they got anywhere near the model, but I think they look pretty cool in their metallic look. I'm hoping to completely finish the boat deck either today or tomorrow so I can move on to bringing the whole thing together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Good to see someone else is actually building in this GB! Looking good Al! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Thanks all! Just to keep this GB alive, thought I'd post a bit more. I've done the rigging for the funnels, painted them a little less of a garish orange and stuck all the various bits down. Although not necessarily in that order. Just the one photo today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 She looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Brilliant mate. You're doing a really nice job. It's great to see someone building. I'm tempted to have a go myself, a ship would be a first for me. Deacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 Thanks all! Bit more done since last time. I've done a bit of painting of little bits and stuck the main big bits to the hull. I've decided against lighting at this stage as I really want to crack on, but would you believe that at this time of year I can't find any suitable fairy lights. If I end up turning it into a waterline model, I think by then there should be some suitable lights available to use and I should be able to retro-fit them when I cut the botom off the hull. So now it's all fiddly little details to do. Next I believe it's all the rigging to sort out, then finally lifeboats. Maybe they were thinking of future modellers when they decided not to put many lifeboats on the thing. So, as of about an hour ago: Thanks for looking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Wonderful work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxidad Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Not a maritime modeller myself, but I admire your patience and tenacity with this kit; the result was well worth the effort - it looks fabulous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 (edited) Wonderful work Thanks Mish! Not a maritime modeller myself, but I admire your patience and tenacity with this kit; the result was well worth the effort - it looks fabulous. I'm not a maritime modeller either. I've always been very much an aircraft modeller. I'd always fancied making a ship of some kind and have always been into the Titanic. I saw this group build and decided it was a good enough excuse to make one. I'm not sure I'll continue making ships- there are far too many little tiny bits and pieces and details that get irksome after a while. I agree the results are very pleasing, but there does seem for a long time doing a lot of stuff and not much happening at all. UPDATE FOR TODAY: I've finished the rigging on the forward mast and started on the rear. It would also appear that the end is in sight. Assuming life doesn't get in the way (which inevitably it will), I should hopefully be done by the new year! Edited December 23, 2011 by easyAl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I'm afraid I've come to this thread a bit late, but I'm glad I got here eventually! Fantastic stuff Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) Quick update after yesterdays let's-sit-here-and-look-at-it-in-the-hope-it'll-magically-do-something session. Most of the rigging is done. Just a few more bits of railings to bend and stick on and the lifeboats to finish up and get in position (thankfully-although not for those concerned- there aren't too many of these). Then we're almost done. Edited December 28, 2011 by easyAl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Very nice work If you ever decide to do another ship, save yourself some hassle and prime & paint the PE railings before fitting em. Then you can go back and touch up any bits later. Looks really good, especially like the funnel rigging, well done bud. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Nearly there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 Very nice work If you ever decide to do another ship, save yourself some hassle and prime & paint the PE railings before fitting em. Then you can go back and touch up any bits later. Looks really good, especially like the funnel rigging, well done bud. Thanks! I figured out the PE thing after I'd started fitting them. After that it was a case of do I paint them using a brush later (which I've found leaves globs of paint in the corners), or just leave them looking all metallicy. I've decided I'll probably go with the latter and if it starts to annoy me that they don't look right I'll paint them when I have a little more patience with it. Nearly there Finally! Just a few more sessions hopefully. Although I am torn whether or not to make it into a model like this or not....Again, maybe a later date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Al are you going to get this one in the Gallery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyAl Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Yeah, I was hoping to get it a bit more finished than it is now, but moving in to a new house, getting married and life just got in the way of doing any more to it, so I might have to call it done as it is now and finish it properly at a later date. I would have done more but the only modelling stuff I have at my new place at the moment is the ship itself, so I'll most likely get some photos of it today and stick them up in the gallery if half finished ships count...All that's missing is the lifeboats, so quite ironic and fitting really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 No Pressure Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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