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1:48 scale Fairmile B


Steve D

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Update from today, first the bandstand.  This was a pretty ambitous component from 20 etched parts, some pipe, stanchions and wire, that solder paste splatters but it looks ok now its in primer

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And I managed to attach the gun-sight without melting it.  Quite pleased with how this whole assumbly has turned out

 

The painting is all rough right now, don't judge me on that yet! :)

 

Next the 3pdr, scratch build in brass, also primed. See also the windlass in the background

 

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Last, the second detachable crane, first the etched and turned items

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Then set up for silver soldering, held together with 14ba bolts

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Then posed on its stand, this is the stand for loading the Y gun, pretty chunky, the other stands are tiny, one down, 3 more to go, very tricky to solder

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10 hours ago, longshanks said:

 

OK, I was wondering if they split pins . . .

 

With all that brass work you deserve a holiday 😉

 

Kev

Wait, the rest of the stanchions are brass split pins in my own etched bases, a steady (aka very tedious) job towards the end of the builld.  If anyone knows where i can get more of the brass split-pin stanchions, please let me know.  My stock is enough for this vessel but then I'm out and I've mislaid the details of the chap I bought them from, if he's still working.  Years ago, he told me he had worked in a shipyard model shop and when the shipyard closed, he walked out with the stanchion machine.  They are unbelievably fine, etching at this scale isnt the same as the stanchions are flat when they need to be round and turned brass ones, even fine turned commercial ones, like you see on the bandstand, are too heavy and the bases wrong

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Morning Steve is this the guy you're thinking of . . .

 

JAMES LANE (Dispay Models)
30 Broadway
Blyth
Northumberland
NE24 2PP

01670 352051

 

I've seen them used and they look quite good.

 

I seem to recall that he has a leaflet and will send samples. No web site.

 

Not sure if he's still in business . . .

 

and if you're really desperate I've seen a method of making them using a door hinge as a press. Notch/protrusion to match heights . . .

 

Kev

 

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57 minutes ago, longshanks said:

Morning Steve is this the guy you're thinking of . . .

 

JAMES LANE (Dispay Models)
30 Broadway
Blyth
Northumberland
NE24 2PP

01670 352051

 

I've seen them used and they look quite good.

 

I seem to recall that he has a leaflet and will send samples. No web site.

 

Not sure if he's still in business . . .

 

and if you're really desperate I've seen a method of making them using a door hinge as a press. Notch/protrusion to match heights . . .

 

Kev

 

Brilliant, thats the guy, thanks, I'll drop him a line

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Some more progress today, made the first of the holdfast anchors to help set out the anchor strengthening plates on the deck

 

Years ago I bought a 1950 copy of Davy & Co chandlery catalogue, 230 pages all illustrated like the scan below.  Every boat fitting imaginable, more or less unchanged since before WW1.  This scan shows a clear image of the holdfast anchor, I'm guessing the 47" would have been used

 

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It really helps when you are making from scratch, hopefully my attempt does it justice, held together with 16ba screws, it rotates, remember this is only 1" long

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Thought I'd mount it on the deck and offer up some other things I've made such as the circular hatch and bowsprit assembly, checking it all fits in

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Figure for scale is from shapeways

 

I'm close to final painting of the deck now, just a few more fittings left and then Ii can start tidying up the paintwork

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couple of more components of the 4 boxes of bits I've put together so far.

 

The funnel is made from .015" thick copper round a permanent wooden former to provide strength.  This one is my third attempt and I'm sticking with it, the "D" section at the top is brass, quite fiddly, but then what isn't..  Paint not final coat, will be held down by .7mm rivets

 

The Holman projector I had 3D printed by Shapeways from my own 3D model drawing plus an etched sight and some wire, it rotates and pivots.  My brass attempt was too crude looking by far so that went in the bin, sigh.  Only primed at this stage

 

In the background is the IWM picture of 188 that the model is based on.  I wanted a B that wasn't over armoured and had an interesting paint scheme.  Finding a picture of an actual vessel to model is important as they changed so much over the years.  The caption says this is in the fleet anchorage, a northern approaches scheme

 

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Disappointing pictures of the 3pdr ready use lockers I made today, all from brass (~29 pieces).  This is less than 1 " long, they really are tiny.  The hinges are from an etching set I did for the admirals barge, the locks (which you actually can't see) from an older etching.  By accident the base is curved, I meant it to be flat but in the soldering, it curved, however, the curve matches the deck curve so I've accidentally made it better than I intended, accidents can be helpful....

 

They look better is real life, need a better camera, then second picture is after primer

 

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Update from today's work.  I've been fitting more weapons rails and kick bars on the stern, these vessels were crammed with trip hazards, must have been a nightmare in the dark

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I've installed various components to help get the spacing right (the bandstand is larger than the ones in the drawings as they don't show the RR gun and it was longer and needed a larger bandstand).  This has bunched up some areas, very hard to set out without everything in place.  Made "U" shaped bracket from brass to position the crane in its stowed position.

Other points to note are the bollards and fairleads, the two smoke floats you can see in the picture and the Y gun assembly.  These are all printed by Shapeways to my drawings, available if anyone wants them.  Also the 24" hatch with hinge etc.

The rear companionway frame I've covered in fabric, still WIP, the forward one I've left in frame to allow a view of the ladder down into the lower desk house.  The hatch is made (in copper) but not fitted in this picture.  Not sure its good enough...  You can also see the crew space funnel.

Lastly, I've positioned a few of the cowel vents, again these were printed by shapeways on my 4th attempt to draw them correctly.  There are 5 different cowel vents on this vessel.  In the past I've made these in brass, but each one take ages to get right and given there are 14! I decided the have them printed, they came back great

As per before, don't judge the painting, various stages, most in primer only

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As I look at these pictures, it all looks very scruffy, still a lot of work to do on the paint

 

In the bow shot, I've placed the mainmast in its tabernacle which is set on a 30 degree angle to allow you to lower the mast without hitting anything, the tabernacle in the drawings is unclear.  Mast bands not yet made, must more work on that area

 

In the last picture you can see the cover plates for the fuel tank and also where I got the positions of the swan neck vents wrong, I iterate towards my goal as ever 

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12 hours ago, phildagreek said:

Wow, proper modelling!

You're very kind, it's the only way I know.  What I love about ship models is the endless list of components, each of which is a model in itself.  This can sustain you over the years these models can take to complete.  The challenge of how to make each item is what drives me. 

 

I hope to get the B completed this year, I know I have at least 6 months left before I'll be happy with the end result, even though it looks more finished than that.  This is the first time I've shared my build process on-line, it is rather chaotic, parallel and cyclic, I often go back and rebuild to improve, there are many parts I'm still not happy with on this model.  The pictures make it worse as they are larger than full size and are showing my inconsistencies and errors, sigh....

 

I'm also torn over the paint finish.  The photos all show rather beaten up boats, as they would have been in service.  My hull painting is also rather beaten up, mainly because it still needs more tidying up, however, I may leave it to attempt a much more weathered look than I've done before.  But as I said at the start of the thread, painting is not in any way a strength, not enough practice to get good at it.  With a couple of the other models, the hull and desk have been in metal and then I know I can get a good finish, with wood it is tough, scale effects are hard to mask..

 

Sorry, general ramble, just sharing my thoughts... 

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