Ray S Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Hello all. I have been slowly working on this on and off. First up, a bit of a hitch! Look what happened to my rear decking - I think I may have been a bit carefree with the glue on the frames as it seems to have created a melted area or two (both along the same frame but both port and starboard). I have made another deck, which I will add once I have got the hull sides fitted, but I will be more sparing with the cement! Meanwhile, I wondered what to do with the transom. There are some quite complex curves, and I would not be able to bend a one-piece hull side to fit. I ummed and arrred for quite some time before my inexperience with this sort of thing came to the fore, so out came the milliput and a few evenings pretending to be a dentist filling a huge cavity: I have started to sand this plug down a bit, but nothing too much, as the next stage was to sort out the hull sides. I need to have the hull sides fitted so they protrude above the mid-deck and the poop-deck, so I tried to work out where the curvature gets complex, then trimmed out one area at the rear, then taped the two sides together and trimmed the other side too. Being a good boy and an ex boy scout I was prepared for the next stage, so I pulled the rear of the sides over a round pencil to produce a curve to allow them to fit aft (remembering to curve them the right way!) Next up I cemented the centre sections of the port hull side with normal polystyrene cement, and once it had 'grabbed' I used CA to fit the rear section around the fairly sharp curve. It needed a few applications of CA and accelerator to get it to stick. Finally I used a combination of CA and liquid poly to fit the bow end, but here my boy scoutedness failed, as I had forgotten to pre-bend the bow half of the hull side, so it is well clamped with masking tape and plenty of crossed fingers. I did need to add a thin strip of 10thou card at the bottom of the fore section, as the hull side piece rode up around the curve and left a gap between it and the base plate, but a bit of filler should sort that okay. Things will need some major sanding when this is all secured. I will use more filler to try and blend in the hull sides with the filler at the rear. I am not sure whether to use milliput again or Isopon 38, but will decide tomorrow. I am thoroughly enjoying this, and am trying to learn as I go along. One thing I will do on my next one is to build up the stern with laminated plastic card then sand to shape, rather than using filler. I am (secretly) worried this may be a tail sitter! Thanks for looking, Ray 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Hi Ray. It's great that the hull is taking shape so well (and that you are enjoying it). Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 1, 2016 Author Share Posted February 1, 2016 Hello all! I have now got the second hull side on, and it is taped up drying Thankfully the side I did yesterday set properly. I found it a bit tricky getting the rear section to the exact size, so the solid rail (still have not remembered the correct name for this!) does overlap just a touch, but it will end up being just another bit that will need sanding... You can also see a bit better the filling/sanding work that will need doing at the rear of the hull too: I am really going to have to improve my filling skills with this, it will take a while. I have decided to carry on with milliput (lots) for this, along with some water and latex-free gloves, and plenty of patience. It may be a while before I update this again. That is it for now, Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 I mentioned I had some 'difficulties' with the bow deck. Well, here are the three I had built. L-R they are: the original; the one with the water gutterway and a third attempt far right. The grid shows how bad I am at getting things right! Not only is the size different in each (despite using the same tracing), the curve of the bow is somewhat asymmetrical. So, I had an idea! Give up on the gutter and just do the deck. So I cut out another section of planked card (oversize), stuck that to the hull, then after it had set, trimmed it to size so it fitted like a glove. In the meantime, I added more filler to the rear of the hull There is still a lot to do there! Next up was fitting the cross deck superstructure. I used some twenty thou card for this, and rolled the rear section over a round probe to introduce a hint of curve. Then after fitting the replacement rear deck planked card (carefully this time to prevent the glue eating the card), I fitted the bulkheads. I needed to add a small shim on the fo'castle part to give it something to grab to. I have also started on the main hold. I trimmed out some 10thou card for the main base, then used a double layer of plastic strip to build up the first three sides of the hold. A single strip made the centreline, then a few bits of thicker, smaller strip created ledges for the hatches. On the plan they look like individual planks, so the idea will be to use separate strips of card to represent these. One is temporarily in place here And here it is all together, although the hold is only placed in position at the moment. It has been good doing something other than the hull, and it makes me feel as though things are progressing. That is it for now, I will report it at the end of next week with more updates. All the best everyone, Ray 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 And progressing very nicely they are!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Looking very good Ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davek72 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Looking good Ray. Top work. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgeek Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Always have the utmost respect for those who can take something from nothing and turn it into something. Keep it coming, its a fantastic piece of work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Seems to me you are steadily overcoming each issue this model presents in fine style Ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) Hi Ray, Just caught up with this.......... Some grand work going on here FYI the solid rail is called a bulwark A suggestion for filling areas of the hull that are excessively curved Rather than try and build the whole area with filler use wood (balsa is ideal) to roughly block out the shape. Then overlay it with car body filler like David's ISOPON P38 Easy Sand 250ml. Available from Halfords and all motor factors. Make sure its the 'Easy Sand' type. You can sand back to your bulkheads and you have your shape. Trust me you'll save a lot of work. Reference your waterway. For the scale you are working at lay down a plain sheet of thin card to cover the whole deck area. Then cut a second deck from your planked plastic and reduce it by the width of the waterway, 6/9" in real life. Now fix your deck over the first deck voila you will have a recess around the edge. May be teaching you to suck eggs but to mark a curve. Mark the width in a couple of places along the edge. Hold your pencil on the mark with your finger pushed against the side and slide your finger/pencil along the edge to produce a parallel line which you can cut/sand back to. Hope this makes sense and helps your build Following with interest Kev The dotted line you first thought was deck camber is actually the line of the weather deck (think that's the term) This is the continuous water tight deck and I think is used in tonnage measurements. The reason it doesn't appear of the left side is because the weather deck steps up over the engine room. So its marking the visible deck until in reaches the foscle where the visible deck steps up. K Edited February 7, 2016 by longshanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar12chris Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Nice bit of scratch building Ray, coming together well, always a learning curve as you go. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 :popcorn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Keep up the good work Ray. It's great to watch. Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Hello all. One of the BM crew, Shipbuilder MN, has given me a few links to photographs of SS Ophir, hopefully I can put them here for you to see: http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20O/slides/Ophir-04.jpg http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20O/slides/Ophir-24.jpg http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20O/slides/Ophir-26.jpg http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20O/slides/Ophir-47.jpg Careful looking at these pictures has put me in a quandry, as it seems as though I have mis-read the plans. Images from the forward quarters show the steps leading up from the cargo well straight up to the rear deck, with a 'bulwark' outboard for a short run, then the solid bulwarks continuing aft. I am now wondering if the part of the superstructure under the flying bridge is on a short area of raised deck, before dropping down again aft. I am going to have to have a look at this again, but hopefully it should not be too difficult to correct. I have pottered on a bit with the model, so here are some progress shots, but they are subject to modification/replacement depending on what I decide to do as regards the 'raised' deck. The cargo hold nearing completion - I used some rectangular strip which I cut roughly to size, then sanded and attached to the ledges that I had previously made. I kept the fitting irregular on purpose, to simulate an old rickety finish. These show the first part of the superstructure - I may need to replace it or trim it down (depending on how solid it had glued together) as this is in the area where I may need to raise part of the deck. I have just dry fitted the completed cargo hatch and squarish cabin. I have also slapped on a load more filler to her rear end: I bought a new pack today, as the other lot was almost solid. I think I had been sold a dud pack but had foolishly thrown the receipt away from the original pack I had been using. I will use Longshanks's idea of a balsa packing for the rear end when I do my next scratchbuild, I have decided this is not my last. I will probably re-do SS Ophir sometime in the future too, as another issue I found when I was shown the photo links is that there is curvature on the decks, it is really obvious on the photos. I am leaving my decks straight across the beam. That is it for now, but thanks again for the help and advice, especially Longshanks and Shipbuilder MN. The Photoship website is a veritable goldmine of images of old ships. Cheers, Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Hi Ray, Looking at the pics with the plan I have to agree with you. The ladder from the main deck goes up to the top of the 'hull side' see pic 26. There must be a deck at this level until the rear of the bridge. You can see the top off the handrails in pic 24 under the right hand lifebelt. Note there is a ladder down from the flying bridge onto this raised section. Well spotted, keep the good work Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 This is good stuff, I will be following your build closely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 Oh joys of broad band! I just typed everything up and did not notice that it had tripped out, so when I posted, it all vanished as it had logged me out! Try again... Hello all, it has been a busy few days on SS Ophir. The issue with the raised deck was easily solved. I used some rectangular rod to build up a lattice, then laid a plate of 20 thou card as a base for the wood finish plastic card deck: This showed the gunwhales were a wee bit too high, so I used a sanding block to gently rub them down to a better height. I had already remade the front of the superstructure, but added a bit of detail with some half-round rod (the swarf in the scuttles has now gone by the way). The plans show 5 washports either side of the hull (where water can escape in heavy seas I think), but my photos only show 1 open either side. I cut them out and cleaned them up, and will add a couple of pieces of wire that are visible in the pictures later. I have used a bit of artistic licence as I have added some doors to the forecastle as there was a crew station there, and I assumed there was access from the cargo deck: Then it was time to start making the rear cabin. I used some 30 thou card for this, and played with my new guillotine, which hopefully will allow me to cut long lengths of card a bit more safely. I measured all the sections that go to make up the cabin, and started forward: I think this is reasonably close, but today I did find that the Rigging plan is not quite the same scale as the General Arrangement plan so spacing of doors and scuttles may be a bit out.I will soon be getting to the end of the 'easy' stuff, and have to start making masts, boats, winches and stanchions. Also soon I should hopefully be able to get some primer on and start painting. That is when Ophir should start to come to life. I am looking forward to that! Thanks for looking in, Ray 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Good progress Ray, I like the way this is going. What sort of you guillotine did you get, is it working out? Small point, the wash plates go down to deck level Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Man, that is looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar12chris Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Coming along nicely Ray, great bit of scratchbuilding. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 19, 2016 Author Share Posted February 19, 2016 Good progress Ray, I like the way this is going. What sort of you guillotine did you get, is it working out? Small point, the wash plates go down to deck level Kev Hello Kev, the wash ports have been adjusted to deck level, thanks for pointing that out! If I had thought about it, it was obvious, wasn't it! On the other point, this is the guillotine I bought: It was made by Tonic-Studios in China, and it seems ok. My Dad had a guillotine which was brilliant - it was a block of wood, with a square grid embossed on it, and a straight up and down lever which did the chopping. You could really see any marks you put on paper/photographs/card etc so were guaranteed a perfect cut. Sadly, over time the blade warped and ended up curved so I never ended up with a straight cut. It also had no finger protection, but in those days we all had common sense so was not required. It also aided the visibility of marks for alignment. This one has a limited lift on the cutter, but does have protection, it is spring assisted, and cushioned too, so you do get a really good clamp on the paper. I am still getting used to cutting with it, and my first two cuts (for the rear cabin sides of Ophir ended up slightly out of true. I had measured 12mm for the heights, but ended up at 12mm one end and 11.5mm at the other). Close, but I need to be more accurate. The packaging only mentioned about card/paper trimming, and the good folks in the shop were not too sure if it would do plastic card, so they suggested I took some in and tried it. It worked, and so far I have tried 20thou and 30thou, which it has cut easily. I will try 40thou in the future. So far I am glad I got it. I got it from a stationer in Ross-on-Wye, Colemans. I had excellent service from them, and I have used them loads of times. Anyway, this morning I finished off the vertical walls of the rear cabin, and thankfully noticed a third doorway at the aft end of the port side, which lead to the bath (according to the plans!) and also found the position of a Jacobs Ladder for the rear of the cabin. I have just got to put a couple of bits of card at the raised bow area, then can spray the ship with some primer. I have popped some masking tape where the hold hatches will go to make gluing better, it would be awkward painting it if I fitted it now. Finally, here is the back end, I think it is as close as I can get, I will use balsa as a core in future builds as Kev suggested, as using filler gives a lot of work. I find sanding to shape is not a strong point of mine, so balsa may well be the way to go. I will get some more done this afternoon. Thanks for looking and the advice again Cheers, Ray 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted February 19, 2016 Author Share Posted February 19, 2016 Hello all. You know I said I was going to stick a couple of pieces of card to the raised bow? Well, as I was looking at the pictures, I noticed what appears to be 'beading' along the top of the hull. It is very noticeable (now I have seen it), so I ummed and arred as to whether to try and replicate it or not. The problem was that it followed the sharp curves at the front and rear of the cargo deck. I tried to bend my half-round rod over a probe I use, but it kept flipping over to the flat side and putting the bend on the wrong axis. This was after putting the beading successfully round the after deck, so I was committed. Then I hit on an idea I had read about in mags and here on BM, glue it in stages! A dab of liquid poly, place the rod, hold it in place with a scalpel (carefully), then glue a bit further on and force it into the curve, and bingo, it was done! In real life there does not seem to be much discrepancy between the beading and the hull sides, but it doesn't half show up in the last picture! You can see the modified washplates here reaching deck level now, so the cargo deck will not fill up in heavy seas, unlike my first attempt. I did manage to fit what I had originally intended too: They just need a bit of cleaning up, and further inspection of the photo's showed there was a hole in these things, so I will drill that out once the glue has set properly, and hope they do not snap off! It is amazing how much you find out when you are doing something like this, I know I never see everything first, second or third look! (see the wash plates for proof!). I know I still have plenty to add to the outside of the hull. There appears to be plating, which I may add with the thinned plastic sheet I can find (currently 10thou), plenty of port holes (or scuttles) and some more thicker 'beading' aft and amidships. I think I am going to call that it for the day now. Have a good weekend, Ray 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickthebrief Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Ray, This is looking better and better with each instalment. I've often wondered about scratch building a ship in plastic, and here is a superb lesson in how to do it - so many thanks for that too. I look forward to seeing more progress - you're doing a grand job. Nick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Fantastic work Ray and the half-round strip definitely makes an improvement to the appearance of the bulkheads and hull sides. One thing though, with all that filler in the stern I think that you will have a bit of a tail-sitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paganpete Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 This is looking great, way beyond my capabilities - good going man! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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