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1:48 scale Fairmile B


Steve D

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Short update, spent a lot of the day marking out the stanchion positions so that I can position the kick bars correctly, not much to show for it

 

However, I did break the day up by making a brass locker which turned out OK, in the foreground you can see the main hatch with ladder down below, one of the reasons I've left the cover of that companionway frame.  I have the hatch cover, not fitted yet, in copper.  The locker looks suitably beaten up, this vessel has had hard service :) The padeyes are for the funnel stay wires, I've made shackles for them with 16ba bolts.  Also a decent picture of one of the 4 24" hatches, all made in brass, seem to look OK 

 

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Then I took another look at the stern jack and decided it wasn't good enough so spent a few hours making a new and fussier one with 16ba nuts and bolts holding it together

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That's 1.5 mm brass rod, turned in a taper, in primer below

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More progress today.  Years ago when I was building Medea, I made a mold for casting two swan neck vents, a 4" and a 3".  I dug it out today and cast some more for the B.  Picture below shows the stages.  The mold has not been used very much so the results are very clean.  This is using low temperature alloy that you can cast in rudder molds, talc acts to lubricate to mold and help the metal flow.  I'm going to use the 3" ones, the 4" looks too big

 

swan-neck

Then i decided that the wheelhouse interior fittings were not good enough so remade them.  The charts on the plan chest are channel charts.  Don't know if you will be able to see these once it is finished, but the windows are quite large so maybe.  Anyway, I'll know they are there

 

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And I finally finished adding all the features to the deck, probably over 100 individual items and I've drilled all the stanchion holes. So time to paint the deck its final colours correctly.  Here it is before and after primer, starting to tidy up now that the colour is even

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You can just see the timber cradles for the depth charge carriers for the Y gun, the companion way is blocked with a piece of wood to prvent over-painting the white

 

Big excitement this week, the custom waterslide decals should arrive, then I can complete the hull painting and varnish

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45 minutes ago, longshanks said:

Lovely work Steve!

 

Just a small point, the coloured charts you have shown were metric and first issued in 1998. Prior to this they were imperial measurements and in 50 shades of grey 😉

 

Kev

Yup, but they were the only ones I could find on-line of the channel, its just a bit of fun really.  Maybe I should reprint them in b&w, hate to upset anyone :)

 

I did have one question that you may know the answer to, what colour would the wheelhouse floor be?  I was thinking perhaps red oxide but I'd love to know the right answer, can't seem to find anything to tell me

 

Thnaks

Steve

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48 minutes ago, JohnWS said:

Wow, I'm in awe of your metallurgical skills Steve.  :clap2:

Just the sum of years of mistakes, the only thing I know for certain is that the silver solder runs towards the heat so heat the other side of the joint from the solder and magic, so much easier than soft solder

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1 hour ago, longshanks said:

Lovely work Steve!

 

Just a small point, the coloured charts you have shown were metric and first issued in 1998. Prior to this they were imperial measurements and in 50 shades of grey 😉

 

Kev

 

I'm visualising miniscule metric scales on the bottom left corner :D

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53 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Yup, but they were the only ones I could find on-line of the channel

 

Shame on you Steve, with the detail you've gone to I would expect the course and positions marked on the chart 😉

 

Some references for you

https://www.archipel-maritime.nl/showroom/dover-strait-england-south-coast-569/

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-dover-strait-english-channel-from-admiralty-chart-soundings-sketch-176385411.html

 

https://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishAdmiraltyOrg1914.htm

Scroll down, various ports here.

 

23 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

I'm visualising miniscule metric scales on the bottom left corner

but anyone with the knowledge would spot the colour and know.

 

Steve, No offence intended,  I was only giving you the info what you do with it is your affair

 

HTH

 

Kev

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2 hours ago, longshanks said:

 

Shame on you Steve, with the detail you've gone to I would expect the course and positions marked on the chart 😉

 

Some references for you

https://www.archipel-maritime.nl/showroom/dover-strait-england-south-coast-569/

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-dover-strait-english-channel-from-admiralty-chart-soundings-sketch-176385411.html

 

https://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishAdmiraltyOrg1914.htm

Scroll down, various ports here.

 

but anyone with the knowledge would spot the colour and know.

 

Steve, No offence intended,  I was only giving you the info what you do with it is your affair

 

HTH

 

Kev

No offence taken of course, I've reprinted then in B&W, if its wrong, its wrong :)

 

Any thoughts on the floor colour anyone?

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Quick update from today.  I managed to complete the first of the twin Vickers, even though I got the soldering sequence wrong and so made much more work for myself than necessary.  The right sequence should have been:

  1. Mounting pivot and sleeve to base - silver solder
  2. Gun sides one at a time plus pivot bar to base - paste
  3. Gun barrel and recoil tube together - silver solder
  4. Gun barrel to base with .5mm wire - paste
  5. Magazine to gun, one at a time with soldering iron - paste

The second will be quicker and cleaner hopefully.  This is 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide, 16 parts all very fiddly

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Then I made a frame for the curved splinter mats on the RR 2pdr bandstand so they would hold the curve when baked (Fimo).  My plan to to cut the tie straps from the wrapping of a chocolate orange which seems tough, flexible and easy to cut accurately, then they are tied on with fine cord through the straps.  There is a great picture of this from an MTB I found.  They turned out a bit thick so have been sanding....  Will see if this works and let you know, the jury is out, they don't seem delicate or even enough

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 Then I remade the mainmast.  The other one was too short and a bit rough, much happier with this, not a great picture though.  The tabernacle is at 30 deg to the axis of the ship so that the mast lowers without hitting the funnel.  Mast bands and mast-head fitted.  On the Lambert drawings he shows the offset of the tabernacle in plan but in elevation shows a mast mounted in a circular fitting.  The tabernacle makes more sense

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Also, the deck is now the right base colour and I've begun the undercoat of 507A on the superstructure while I wrestle with the wind deflectors on the wheelhouse (which the observant will have noted are missing as I couldn't work out how to make them in brass at the time, I have a plan now....)

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Steady if not spectacular progress yesterday and today (I don't work Fridays) on the hull painting, tidying things up.  To break it up I remade the bandstand splinter mats, finer.  I used one of my metal sanding plates to emboss them with a texture which looks OK.  The chocolate orange wrapper straps more or less worked and they are tied on with fine black cord. The platform is polished steel on the treads (which you can't see here), there will be more weathering later.  Gun still in primer

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 It all still looks rough in these close-ups (that bandstand is only 2" across), thankfully, with my eyesight, it looks much better in real life  :)

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Short update before we go on holiday for two weeks.  Still waiting for the transfers, no end of trouble with printing white edging, they are on their way but didn't make it in time for today.  I'm also waiting on another small etched sheet that will allow me to make the windbreak round the wheelhouse neatly, still they will be here when we return.

 

Meanwhile I've been touching up the paintwork, looking not bad now

 

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And I've finished off the depth charges and 2pdr ready use lockers and primed them.  Also the mast and tabernacle are painted as are the bow and stern post assemblies

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 Next I have to get the airbrush out :(  not enough practice with an airbrush, totally lacking in confidence

 

Next update in April

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  • 3 weeks later...

Short update before we go on holiday for two weeks.  Still waiting for the transfers, no end of trouble with printing white edging, they are on their way but didn't make it in time for today.  I'm also waiting on another small etched sheet that will allow me to make the windbreak round the wheelhouse neatly, still they will be here when we return.

 

Meanwhile I've been touching up the paintwork, looking not bad now

 

IMG_1802

 

And I've finished off the depth charges and 2pdr ready use lockers and primed them.  Also the mast and tabernacle are painted as are the bow and stern post assemblies

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 Next I have to get the airbrush out :(  not enough practice with an airbrush, totally lacking in confidence

 

Next update in April

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Two exciting things arrived while I was away, the second etching sheet and the custom waterslide transfers

 

First, the etchings.  These are produced by 4D Model Shop in London from my drawings  The composite picture below shows the artwork and the etching (they did two copies as the size was below their minimum), then the first stage of the silver soldering, then the finished soldered piece, below and above  The edge rails were solder paste but the rest was silver-soldered in stages.  The inside bars have been filed back but a small bar is left.  

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This looks so much better, the next picture shows it trial fitted to the deck-house

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Next the transfers.  These were produced by Rothko Frost, the only people I could find who could print in white.  Their service is excellent, very attentive and only around £30 for the A6 sheet.  These were the numbers and the draft marks.  I think they look really good on the hull, now with 4 coats of matt varnish whihc evens everything up.

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I can see the finish starting to shape up now, deck house painting on the weekend

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Quick update from the weekend.  Lots of little jobs, making the crane bases, painting the Vickers ammo boxes, blue and white colour wash on the deck plus getting the grips with painting the wheelhouse properly.  Still very much work in progress, probably at least one more coat and then multiple coats of varnish to even it all up, still this is where I am.  

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The hull has had one coat of satin varnish to take away the matt nature, I'm happy with that finish

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The funnel is fixed in place now as are the swan vents, the clips on the hatches and locks have had a steel finish highlight, still lots of tidying up to do, but the overall result is looking pleasing.  I still have to fit the windows, decided it was easier to paint the wheelhouse without them to save making the glazing with my clumsy hands

 

The Y gun is in primer btw, just laying stuff out as I go, gives me heart!

 

The colour scheme is impressive....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Lots of small progress this weekend so far.  The deckhouse painting, windows, splinter mats, cowl vents, handrails etc all now in place, still needs more varnish but I'm much happier with the finish

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The carley floats are still work in progress, but the tie-downs are installed.  Need to add the ropes and paddles etc.  The camouflage painting goes across the floats, every outline was broken up

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I've also realised that the RR gun enclosure would have been grey on this side to allow the scheme to flow through it.  It's hard to get a picture side on, but the markings line up from the hull, actually very cool.  I only have a starboard side view so the port markings are speculation, still they seem in keeping

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Quick update from today.  Carley floats and paddles are finished, Y gun mounted, cowl vents nearly all in place, port-side depth charges resting in place while I make sure the stanchion holes are correct.  Stanchions are the next major task...

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Holman projector is painted but not mounted in this picture, as ever things progress in random steps, lot of painting today most of which you cant see in this picture

 

The 14 cowl vents (5 types) were printed by Shapeways to my 3d drawings, I;m pretty pleased with the end result.  In the past I'm made these in brass and copper but with so many and so many different sizes, I chickened out this time.  Drawing them was a real challenge.

 

The depth charges on the Starboard side are dark grey as shown in the photograph, because the hull is light grey on the port side, I decided to paint these ones the same, who knows what actually happened, still it allows the hull pattern to flow across the deck so seems right

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Couple of other pictures from today.  I remade the open hatch lid behind the wheelhouse (those following will be used to my remaking things by now) and attached it.  I've left the hatch frame uncovered because I fitted a hatch ladder which can just be made out on this picture .  Silly, I know, but a bit of fun.  Looking at this picture, I see one of the Vickers ammo box hinges has pinged off, will fix

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I also worked out the positioning of the depth charges and fixed the Y gun and spare rounds in place.  The smoke floats are just resting here.  Note the rope round the y gun rounds, seen on both photos I have of this made device.  I guess you didn't want them moving around at the ship rolled.  Ready use lockers for the RR 2pdr in place here.  Staring at the photo, I couldn't see any sign that the ones adjacent to the bandstand (not installed in this picture) where raised on frames as I've seen in some pictures

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I've also cast 4 lifebuoys, will be adding the rope etc next week, and turned the smallest brass ship's bell for the mast fitting, more work on the mast next week as well.  It is coming together now :) 

 

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11 hours ago, robgizlu said:

Cracking work Steve - The Cowl vents look fab as does the whole piece.

Love the ladder - good call

Looking forward to the stanchions (nightmare)

Rob

Thanks Rob, I appreciate any comments.

As I'm sure you know, these projects take a long time, 18 months so far I think on this one.  It was going very slow last year but this forum has helped me get a move on to finish it, even if it has meant remaking a load of stuff that just wasn't good enough.

 

From this I'm already in planning for a Flower, also at 1:48th scale which will make a model over 4 ft long with a planked hull plated in aluminium, I expect 3 years for that one!!....

 

I'm hope to make a start on the stanchions this weekend.  There are two different bases, one for the removable ones and one for the fixed ones.  I've etched both types, only 60 odd plus specials, will spread that out a few a day....  

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