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Whilst I'm in the mood, here is the Santa Maria to fill the year '1954'. This is the full hull version in the 1976 boxing. Not many parts but there is what looks like a rigging guide!

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I'm not sure how accurate the painting guide is but do we really have any reference material from 1492? Let's see what time I end up having available to enhance this.

Edited by Ventora3300
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Ahh this brings back memories from a LONG time ago!!

 

I think i might have built this for some boys brigade something or other back in like 1979......

 

nice addition to the GB! 👍

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I thought I'd get on with the transfers on the sails first - coating of Liquid Decal Film first and absolutely no problems in getting them on.

 

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(I'll move the 'Santa Maria' round to the correct side of the base next time!

 

Now, I remember from when I saw my Dad's build of the Golden Hind, waterline version, many years ago that he had applied what looked like old wood varnish to the sails, which gave them a dirty white look, like sailcloth. So, I am coating the sails with similar to see what I can achieve - several coats will be required.

 

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It's nice to see this one joining the party. The little ships make surprisingly good models, given the basic nature of the kits.

 

Giving the sails a bit of period weathering is an especially nice touch.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The hull and deck is now together and I'm enjoying tickling this little kit with my smallest brushes!

 

Deck is in 'Light Oak' and hull sides in Khaki. I invested in a new tin of 'Brunswick Green' for the run along the hull top and this is now my new favourite! The hull sides are really well detailed and in terms of colour, I think this is a case of less is more, so I won't be attempting to approach the level of colour detailing on PeterAirfix's Golden Hinds. Poor old Chris Columbus's funds would only stretch to a run of green. after all. 

 

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Masts and spars have a first coat of Khaki and I'm picking out the hatch covers etc. No doubt I'll be continually touching the colours back and forward until it looks good to the naked eye - zooming in on the pics is always a humbling experience!

 

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Chris had some green paint left over so thought the doors from the main deck would look good done in this - where else can I use it?

 

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Mats and spars completely painted and fitted to the decks - angle of rake of the foremast is surprising but I had a read up on what masts are all about and it helps to make the sails more efficient - as true today as it was back in 1492. I couldn't resist putting some more of the Brunswick Green up on the crow's nest

 

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The painting instructions has the bottom of the hull in matt black and a red strip above - must be the tarry covering and maybe some anti-fouling type paint above. Lantern still to fit on top of the flagstaff at the stern. Also reminded myself that the rudder is missing (the kit doesn't have one) so I'll make something up.

I picked out the 'deadeyes' in black in preparation for the rigging.

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13 minutes ago, Lawzer said:

Nice work Mike! 👍

 

That thing must be teeny tiny....

Thanks, Ian - it is indeed tiny so still not detected on SWMBO's radar as yet. I must do a 'penny' or 'Humbrol tin' shot.

 

Looking at the bowsprit, the kit instructions say to glue it to the bow post as I've done but anyone can see that wouldn't work in real life. The box art shows that bowsprit sprouting from further back in the bow and that looks a bit more realistic so I think I will be making a modification shortly. It's a very plain hull colour-wise but with the level of detail on it, maybe a dry brush with something will really bring it up. Cheers. Mike.

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I love a good penny shot - top modelling tip time...

 

...a blob of blu-tak behind it saves hours of time trying to get it to balance it on its edge - especially if you've had a glass of wine or 2 - hic...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Latest update from the back seat of the car during a break from my son's sport chauffeuring duties - I'm really having to be 'time-efficient' here and brave because the last time I tried this, I got glue on my work trousers and they had to be binned. Got my jeans on this time.

 

The bowsprit has been modified to be anchored to the bottom of the foremast and the transom board decoration (from the flag sheet) is on - this was about a millimetre too big all round and had to be trimmed down.

 

I'm making the rigging out of the 'spare' warp ends from the pre-made ratlines from a larger Airfix ship so they look pretty substantial at the Santa Maria's scale. I'm gluing the ends of the lengths to the deadeyes on the hull and once this is all dry I will gather them together with loops per mast and glue and fix them above the spar positions.

 

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The masking tape between the masts keeps the rigging for each side apart.

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That tray table could double for one on the back of an airliner seat Mike! I can just hear the Flight Attendant now “Excuse me Mr. Ventorra, would you like your meal served now?” “Not just yet, I just need to glue some rigging to my little ship, I’ll press the call button when I’m ready”. Imagine how much modelling we could all do on some of those ultra long haul flights?? Might have a few issues getting all those sharp implements past security though! 

 

She’s looking the goods Mike. Most impressive.. Cheers.. Dave 

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2 hours ago, Lawzer said:

Nice bench improvisation!!

 

Did you get some funny looks from passers by? 😁

Thanks Ian. I had to open the car windows to ventilate so a few passers by got to share the 'experience' of glue fumes! Had my head down so pretended it was all normal! 

1 hour ago, Rabbit Leader said:

That tray table could double for one on the back of an airliner seat Mike! I can just hear the Flight Attendant now “Excuse me Mr. Ventorra, would you like your meal served now?” “Not just yet, I just need to glue some rigging to my little ship, I’ll press the call button when I’m ready”. Imagine how much modelling we could all do on some of those ultra long haul flights?? Might have a few issues getting all those sharp implements past security though! 

 

She’s looking the goods Mike. Most impressive.. Cheers.. Dave 

Thanks, Dave, yes we could get through a lot of modelling on a long flight! Maybe take the side cutters rather than a knife and plenty sanding sticks - that's a great idea for a future GB! Rather than a cuddly toy, you could descend the passenger steps with a 1/72 Concorde under your arm...

41 minutes ago, nimrod54 said:

This looks great Mike. I like the really like the look of those sails, I'll keep that tip in mind should I ever get around to finishing my Victory build.

Thanks John, that was a tip from Ventora senior from his original Golden Hind build - it stuck in my mind somehow, probably because I thought 'Look at those dirty sails, tut, tut!' 

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This is another slow rigging job - I'm trying to gather together all the vertical rigging lines per mast and 'lasso' them with some cotton thread at the point where I want them to get fixed to the masts - then dob on the glue. I found it impossible to do both sides at once so I'm having to do one side of each mast at a time. The mainmast will have a second level of rigging above the crow's nest.

 

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Of course, one or two of the ratlines came loose so will have to be re-attached. Whose idea was this anyway...??!!

 

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The fixed rigging is nearly done - just the port side of the mainmast to do. In the end, I had to do each side of each mast separately to try to avoid getting the rigging lines tangled up where they came together on the masts. Not a great result so far and I'm thinking now that simple black thread may have been a better bet. The stern lantern is now painted 'gold' and ready for installing. It's looking like there is too much weathering on the sails so something to note for next time. Still need to make a rudder since it is an omission on the kit.

 

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Looking rather nice!

 

the addition of the rudder - wasn't he looking for a quicker route to the far eat?  Maybe there was no rudder and the tide carried them to "discover" america? 😁 (Sorry - wine has been taken......)

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The stern lantern is now on and a rudder fitted - used thick paper for this. The fixed rigging is finished - not looking taut but next time, I'll use thread, elastic thread even!

 

I painted in the red 'anti-fouling strip' (I think) and lots of paint touch up to do around the hull - the paint seems to wear off some of the surface detail with handling. I plan to do a dry brush with 'Oak' to bring up the raised details above the waterline as a final finish.

 

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Sails are on and I had to open up the spigots on the spars to get the right angles on the masts and to clear that pesky rigging. There'll be some touch ups on the masts required now. Sails are a bit more weathered than I expected.

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Next, some running rigging in cream thread - I have some left over from a build of a Revell Viking Longship I did for one of my son's school projects - any excuse!

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Impressive Mike. That's quite a lot of work for a Series 1 kit which shows that when it comes to modelling size doesn't matter! 

Another one that will be added to the Gallery and inked in red on the build list soon enough. 

 

Cheers and well modelled.. Dave

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On 04/10/2018 at 15:55, Lawzer said:

Finish is in sight Mike!!

 

Nice work! 👍

Thanks Ian, you are right, progress on the running rigging to sails below!

On 04/10/2018 at 21:57, Rabbit Leader said:

Impressive Mike. That's quite a lot of work for a Series 1 kit which shows that when it comes to modelling size doesn't matter! 

Another one that will be added to the Gallery and inked in red on the build list soon enough. 

 

Cheers and well modelled.. Dave

Thanks Dave, and it's great to be in the finishing stages. I just wish there was a magic wand that would tighten up the rigging - looks better in real life. Next time....

On 06/10/2018 at 10:33, BIG X said:

Have you tested it in the bath yet...

...maybe a race with a rubber ducky... :lol:

 

Excellent job Mike :goodjob:

Thanks Steve - the kit model actually feels quite heavy for its size and that is without any ballast aboard! Maybe it's the weight of the paint and all that heavy rigging! No chance of this one floating the right way up.

 

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The rest of the running rigging is on and the flags are flying! I put the flags on a length of thread rather than wrap round the mastheads.

 

I did try a dry brush of the hull sides with 'Oak' and not sure if that brought out any more detail.

 

Painted the stand in a couple of Luftwaffe greens and the Santa Maria is finished. Sails ended up dirtier than intended and the rigging does add a little something to the model but again practice will make perfect - every time I pick it up, one of the lines gets hit and slackens off.

 

Thanks to all you BM Modellers for the encouragement and tips along the way - it's off to the Gallery with this one.

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