Bandsaw Steve Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 The Easy Way Out. Everyone knows that with maritime modelling, building waterline is the easy way out, especially if you are going to mount the ship on a calm sea. Let's see how this easy way is working for me... First problem is that the rear end of the ship is sticking out above the water. As you can see here there's about a 3mm gap between the base of the rudder and the top of the sea. Now there are numerous ways around this but there are a few other irregularities with the meeting of the ship and the ocean so I've decided to gouge out a rebate for the ship to sit in. Looking back over this project I think my original idea of building the ship's hull to a point about 10mm below the water-line was a good one. It made the un-mounted model look very ugly but makes this process much easier and as the model will be permanently embedded in the sea - it's probably the way to go. To cut the rebate is fairly simple. Just trace around the hull with a pencil, use a craft knife to cut along the pencil line and then carve out the foam with a scoop chisel - although I'm sure many other tools would work just as well. This is the result. And this is what I'm after. A ship embedded in the sea. Note however that currently there is no bow-wave. This must be fixed. Carve out yet another rebate where the bow-wave will sit. Form the wave with yet more milliput. Stick some masking tape over the front of the ship to prevent milliput getting all over the paintwork and prod and carve and drag and sculpt the milliput into a sensible bow-wave shape. At the rear of the ship cut two rebates for where the prop-wash must go. Fill the rebates with milliput and prod and poke it with a tooth pick until it makes a suitable 'churned up' zone. That should leave something like this... Which after some undercoat and a bit more paint might look like this. And it's back to where we were at the end of the last major post - grey green sub-surface churn airbrushed on into some selected areas. Take to the thing with some white oil paint to model the surface froth. After the first round of oil painting I had something like this. A good start but not looking fast enough. At 19 knots the ship will disturb much more water than this. Still - better to slowly build up enough wake rather than over-do it and have to start again. Second round of froth going on - again bright white oil paint. Leaving this... Not too bad, but I think there's still a bit more work to go on this seascape before it heads off the picture framers. So far I think I've spent nearly as much time on the sea as on the ship. Next time I'm not going to take the easy way out. Next time I model a ship I'm going to do it the hard way; full-hull and mounted on a stand. I suspect it will be quicker. Bandsaw Steve 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArnoldAmbrose Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Gidday Steve, easy way/hard way I think depends on the modelers skills and preferred style of modeling. I have never tried a seascape, to get it looking authentic would be 'too hard' for me I think. As for the time you've spent on the sea, well it is an integral part of your display, well worth the time and effort I would think. (Says me who has never done one). I'm speaking from an observer's/spectator's point of view. My personal taste in model ships is and will probably remain full hull on a stand, but I acknowledge that a model/display such as yours will portray a ship better in her true element. Keep on going, she is looking very good. Regards, Jeff. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 All that prodding and carving and dragging and sculpting and poking and painting is really paying off. She's looking great Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Coming together nicely Steve 3 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said: Is it just me or does she look ethereal in this pic Kev 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 20 minutes ago, longshanks said: Is it just me or does she look ethereal in this pic If ‘ethereal’ is a flash word for ‘behind schedule and looking unlikely to be ready for WASMEx’ then - yes, absolutely. She’s looking very ethereal indeed! 🤔 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 6 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said: First problem is that the rear end of the ship is sticking out above the water. thought you were doing the Carpathia, not the Titanic? Lovely update there Steve. I reckon you've got those seascapes down to a fine art. I know I'd be terrified to even attempt one. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nils Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 I love your work with the sea, it’s getting better and better. So the milliput, is that some kind of plastic/acrylic clay? and will it harden quickly or can you continue to form it a later stage? I got to try this.. and secondly, the wiring for the lights are they supposed to come up through the base? Have you considered to install some kind of toot as well (of course only if there’s time) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 That seascape is coming on in leaps and bounds there Steve! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 I think you are right to spend the time on the seascape. Most people associate Carpathia with the mercy dash when she was going absolutely flat out and the sea effect you get will be crucial to the effect your model has. Martian 👽 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 As others have said, a great improvement in the seascape and duly noted. As for the easy/ soft option, I have built a number of submarines and presented them as 'full hull' and I have never been happy with them on there blocks. From my point of view, full hull is reserved for dioramas and/ or museum quality, mine were neither. They didn't look natural, they should be in the sea, so I factored in the extra time, effort and money and started mounting them in seascapes, I'm much happier, it looks 'right', to me any way. At the end of the day, it's 'whatever floats your boat' . Stuart 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael M Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 (edited) Well if you ask me, I'd say that seascape is an easy way out. It's simpler to make water, than do the proper job on the underwater part of a hull. I guess it's all natter of preference, waterline is just a half of the job in my humble opinion EDIT: maybe that's because I've grown up beside the shipyard, so full hull looks natural to me Edited March 30, 2019 by Michael M 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 On 31/03/2019 at 05:58, Nils said: So the milliput, is that some kind of plastic/acrylic clay? and will it harden quickly or can you continue to form it a later stage? Hi Nils Milliput is a two-part epoxy putty. The two parts come as two different coloured cylinders of material-each of which look like putty or clay. Kept apart they have a very long shelf life of well over a decade. Once blended together though, they start to solidify within a few minutes and set rock hard after a couple of hours. It’s excellent material for all forms of gap filling and sculpting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 3 hours ago, Michael M said: It's simpler to make water, than do the proper job on the underwater part of a hull. I guess it's all natter of preference, waterline is just a half of the job in my humble opinion Fair enough too. I’ve seen your ‘proper job’ on the Danton’s hull and it’s very impressive! I have plans for another ship in the foreseeable future and have already decided that it will be full hull and I expect to be stealing several of your techniques. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgizlu Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 Lovely work on that base Steve, i think it's going to set the build off beautifully and as Martian said - it was a calm night - you've nailed it Rob 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael M Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 (edited) Try those Liquitex mediums for glazing it over. They really do the job. Edited March 31, 2019 by Michael M 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 I believe liqitex is excellent and I can get some from the local craft shop, but the smallest tub they have in store costs more than $50 (Australian) and I don’t make seascapes very often - so I’m hesitant to make the outlay. I have some good quality satin acrylic varnish (see @Dave Swindell ‘s post above on using satin not gloss) and l also have the clear liquid gloss resin I used on The AE2 seascape. So at this point I am leaning towards using what I have rather than buying anything new. On the other hand, I could probably be persuaded... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael M Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 Them two i got for about 16 yoyos delivered. That will do for next twenty of my half jobs in 1:700 I strongly recommend them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA80A2AR Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 ooh. 'ey up (northern English expressions) good progress bandsaw. this may be against your beliefs but i am planning on getting a table saw. it can still take your fingers off but there isn't a whirling metal band of saw teeth within a foot of your face. much safer. as i said before. nice going anyway. i may of missed it but have you put in the LED's yet or have you decided against that 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 7 hours ago, Michael M said: Them two i got for about 16 yoyos delivered. That will do for next twenty of my half jobs in 1:700 I strongly recommend them Interesting! I take it that the black one - being a ‘gloss medium’ - is the one that provides the body and shape to the waves while the varnish just adds shine. Correct? So, if I was being a cheapskate and only wanted to buy one, the black bottle would be the one to get? Or is it essential to have both? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted March 31, 2019 Author Share Posted March 31, 2019 1 hour ago, SA80A2AR said: i may of missed it but have you put in the LED's yet or have you decided against that Hello SA80, No I have not put the LED’s in yet. If you want you can put them in. I’ll leave it to your discretion as to which hole you should put them in - but there are one or two I could suggest! 😡 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael M Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 You don't use any of them for sculpture of seascape. That's done with oats, styrofoam or... whatever method you choose. The green one (thick one) builds up the "depth" of your water, you also use it for sticking cotton to imitate foam. the red one is super high gloss and thin, you just finish the job with it, giving your seascape the watery shine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 Steve, you asked if I'd compile a list of materials and techniques I use for creating sea bases so I've done just that on my Saratoga thread. (If you like I could repost it here). Creating sea bases 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted April 4, 2019 Author Share Posted April 4, 2019 Thank you Sir, 🇬🇧 The link by itself is fine thanks. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthemodeller Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 On 3/31/2019 at 11:25 PM, Bandsaw Steve said: No I have not put the LED’s in yet. Be careful you don't go too far then because once she is stuck down to that base it will be a nightmare to route the fibre optics and LEDS's. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted April 6, 2019 Author Share Posted April 6, 2019 10 hours ago, brianthemodeller said: Be careful you don't go too far then because once she is stuck down to that base it will be a nightmare to route the fibre optics and LEDS's. Hi Brian, Like you say... Be careful you don’t go too far then because once your fingers are stuck down to that Bandsaw base it will be a nightmare! Yours Viciously Bandsaw Sfteve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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