70ft 9in British Power Boat Company MGB 1942 1:48th Scale

[Steve D]

After much struggling tiny moving parts that would not behave, I've sorted the twin Oerlikon mount...  This one, I came close to giving up on I can tell you.  Those tiny bits kept managing to get themselves lost, or come apart when not told to, my dislike of inanimate objects increased once more

 

It starts with the rocker assembly that holds the gun-sight and moves when the gun is elevated.  This rocker assembly is two etched parts soldered together with packers and the sight holder

 

Not sure this shot helps really

 

 

This is then assembled to the top of the mount with an actuation arm attached to a lever on the mount main hinge

 

 

At this point, I stopped taking pictures, partly because I was too grumpy with it all and also because the pieces were too small to focus on (see the tiny arm to the left of the pencil next to the spare rocker).  When will I learn to etch multiple copies of small parts that need soldering  .

 

Some time later......⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰

 

 

Notice the second actuation arm that runs from the torque tube at the base of the mount to the gun cradle.  This is what elevates the gun and caused more hair loss, I've not got much left to lose👨‍🦲.  These arms pivot on 0.5 mm brass wire in 1mm tubes, all too small really...

 

Also note the 3d printed seat (lazy) and the adjustable foot rest.  What is missing is the actual control box which sits inside the gunner's enclosure.  I'm debating whether its worth including (I probably will, just not in the mood now)

 

Couple of other views, check out the shackles on the mast 

 

 

 

The cast guns are removable still as I want to paint them separately so they are just resting in place, will be adjusted a little when fixed in place

 

It is the weirdest looking gun mount ever, glad that's behind me. 

 

Normally, I build guns able to elevate, and I intended to this time, but those multiple joints just defeated me, if I'd not started gluing, I'd have never got it together..

 

On to the 2pdr....

 

Cheers

 

Steve 

[longshanks]

44 minutes ago, Steve D said:

I'm debating whether its worth including (I probably will,

 Of course you will 😉

 

 

Proper Job!     

 

Kev

[Steve D]

16 hours ago, longshanks said:

Of course you will 😉

 

That OK?

[Dmitriy1967]

I won't even say anything. Just admiring the fine work with metal.

👍

[Dmitriy1967]

Steve, is there a photo of this installation from the side of the shooter's chair?

I'm trying to fit myself into this chair and put my feet on the stand and look through the scope. And it seems to me that I would be uncomfortable. I want to push the chair back or make the backrest lower. It's interesting to see how people were sitting there?

[Steve D]

28 minutes ago, Dmitriy1967 said:

Steve, is there a photo of this installation from the side of the shooter's chair?

Not that I've found, actually I think the chair was rocked back slightly (I may amend the model now that you've pointed this out )

 

There are not that many pictures of this mount on-line or in books, but I did find this one in the IWM archive which is quite cool

 

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Dmitriy1967]

Steve, I apologize for such questions. Your build is great and I'm not criticizing. It's just that I'm always interested in trying everything on myself and understanding how it really worked.

 

With respect,

 

Dmitriy

[robgizlu]

Steve - sheer art 

Rob

[Courageous]

The gun and mounting is looking very nice indeed.

On 6/3/2022 at 6:13 PM, Steve D said:

tense soldering that unsoldered as much as it re-soldered, sigh...

When I was a trainee electrician many moons ago, we used 'heat shunts' when doing that sort of job, they looked like croc clips with cooper conductors at the clamp ends.

 

Stuart

[Steve D]

12 hours ago, Courageous said:

we used 'heat shunts' when doing that sort of job,

I do know about heat shunts Stuart, but its a good point to mention, thanks.  The drawing pins I hold stuff down with often cover existing joints and perform a similar function. 

 

However, for this mount, I found it hard enough to just hold these 3D constructions together without also considering drawing heat way from existing soldered joints.  Still, it came together in the end

 

Cheers

 

Steve  

[Steve D]

Final little gun project, the forward 2pdr, technically a MK II*C gun on a single Mk XV (power) mount.  This is the same as the forward gun on the steam boat I built last year so I already had the artwork for the mount and the 3D model for the gun which Shapeways cast in brass for me.

 

Here are the pieces ready to build, plus a misc. assortment of 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 1.2mm brass wire and 1mm, 1.5 mm, 2mm, 2.5mm brass tubing plus some 4mm brass rod turned down on the lathe and drilled for the trunnion pins (Grey Fox's gun is in the background as a guide).  Included below (on the right) are two mount flanges that I'd didn't fit as they are missing from the photographs.

 

Mostly the assembly uses solder paste but a few tiny bearings need silver soldering

 

 

First job is to clean all the parts, bend the fold lines, solder the four side pieces into two sides and solder the three base rings to the centre trunnion

 

 

Next the sides are soldered to the base making sure the are in alignment with a dummy trunnion

 

 

The gun is then soldered to its cradle and the outer packing disks soldered in place.  At the rear of the cradle are the ring mounts for the spring rod.  Love that cast gun....

 

 

Now the fun starts.  On the right hand side is an elevating cylinder that actuates a crank to elevate the gun

 

 

Still from the right, the spring cylinder is installed, it pivots on the forward holes etched in the sides.  I inserted a 14ba hex head bolt in the front to represent the assembly bolt

 

 

On the left hand side is a similar crank with a second crank that moves the gun sight in unison with the gun elevation.  All those pieces are mobile, plenty of fiddling....

 

You can also see that I've added some checker plate to the gunners position (O gauge commercial railway etching)

 

 

More complete shot with the ammo box added (3D printed) and the gun sight installed

 

 

The seat is mounted on a beam that runs across the rear (I used some 2mm brass channel) and the gun shield is glued in place (it has had some rivet straps added to the face)

 

 

That's actually just shy of 50 pieces in total and about 8 hours of fiddling, dropping pieces, over heating and melting thin tube etc etc etc.

 

Still nice once finished

 

 

Time to start painting

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

[beefy66]

Amazing work there Steve I would be happy with the wood look to be honest without the paint.  👍

 

Stay Safe

beefy

[Steve D]

1 hour ago, beefy66 said:

I would be happy with the wood look to be honest

I know what you mean, in particular given that I'm so bad at painting, going to try harder this time

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Courageous]

A nice bit of smithing.

 

Stuart

[Steve D]

OK, I've still not started painting, the smoke machine I made (from the SGB build) was too big, there must have been more than one size..  So it needed redrawing and re-printing

 

Here is the new smaller one

 

 

And the Holman projector was just not good enough, why did I think a printed barrel made sense.  So I modified the print and replaced the barrel with brass, much better.  Here are a couple of shots of the new improved projector on the aft deck

 

 

 

The deck gets more cluttered once all the lockers bins and vents are added (will be fixed after painting).

 

Here is a mock-up with most of the equipment installed, really to see if I need to adjust the deck with locating blocks before I fit them

 

 

Few more tiny details to fiddle with then I really will start painting. 

 

Custom decals being shipped from Rothko and Frost, I can print the numbers here but not the white draft marks so I may as well get the whole lot done in one go as its the same price.  I'll probably use #75 as the actual boat as I have multiple pictures of that example

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[longshanks]

Beautiful work Steve 

 

Kev

[Steve D]

51 minutes ago, longshanks said:

Beautiful work

Thanks Kev, its coming together now

[Courageous]

Yes, coming together...looking nice and busy.

 

Stuart

[steve5]

just simply stunning work steve , very envious of your ability .

[Steve D]

5 hours ago, steve5 said:

very envious of your ability

Please don't be Steve, it's the only form of modelling I know how to do, so I bumble along trying my best to create facsimiles of these historic vessels.  It used to help me forget the stress of work, now it gives me interest in retirement and I do enjoy the drafting.

 

I'm very grateful that some people find interest in what I do.  It has added a significant positive dimension to my little private hobby

 

Cheers and thanks for your kind words

 

Steve

[Pappy]

G'day Steve,

 

If it wasn't for the 3D printed parts (which are excellent) I would say that this is too beautiful to paint, but the grey throws off the look. If they were cast in brass and polished, I would just throw some varnish over the wooden areas and it would look great.

I am very much looking forward to the finished article,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Steve D]

3 hours ago, Pappy said:

If it wasn't for the 3D printed parts (which are excellent) I would say that this is too beautiful to paint

You're right Pappy, the grey spoils the image.  I should have made those pieces out of brass, but life tends to get shorter as you get older.....

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Steve D]

Update on the painting, basic primer done and waterline marked in a top coated

 

Hovering in mid-air on the gun mounts to spray

 

 

Looking a bit rough still, this is only primer, those edges need a lot of work still...

 

 

Slightly out of focus stern shot

 

 

And a selection of deck fittings also in white primer, bridge fittings in the background, will be installed after final painting

 

 

Quality of the prints are good, rivet detail on the hinge straps and catches all came out well

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Steve D]

As I've said many times, I think my painting is a real weak area, I need to build some kits to practice more.

 

Because of this, I hate showing work in progress during painting as all I can see are flaws.  Still in the interest of keeping the thread up to date, here are the progress shots on the main hull assembly

 

Finished blocking out the primer

 

 

And first couple of final colour coats, some edging to clean up still

 

 

 

I'm using Vallejo acrylic paint with my own mixture for 507C/G45 and B15.  This is a base coat, the 507C will darken with weathering, hence I've made it light at this stage.  The pictures all show very white looking boats but the builders drawing reproduction has G45 specified for vertical surfaces, not White as the coastal craft history book indicates.  In the end, I opted for a pale grey which will weather darker and hopefully look OK (kind of sitting on two stools).  The B15 is intense to say the least, as it was with the MTB, again that will weather softer and become more washed out looking.  The colours in picture are a bit weird, in the flesh it looks a better colour match but of course is blocky and powerful at this stage lacking shading effects and washes

 

The windows are a bit of a disaster at this point.  I didn't have any liquid mask, tried masking tape but gave up the struggle and just let the primer spray over to be cleaned off.  That of course removed the paint from the brass frames which  now need fine touching up after a second round of clean-up.  As I said, this is all work in progress, it will be OK, I have done worse...

 

Paint, I hate it, please no arguments over colour on this thread, wait until its finished

 

BTW, getting that waterline straight took 4 attempts, the hard chine protruding moulding really confuses your eye

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Steve D]

I'm so going to build a kit next to get more practice with painting, I have to get better at this aspect..

 

Progress has been hampered by a late decision on the colours.  I was happily working my way along assuming 507C for the hull and upper vertical surfaces when I studied the pictures I have closer and the whaleback was most definitely white.  It's clear (to me at least) that the colour is distinctly different to the hull and even the breakwater.  I'm still in two minds still about the main guns.

 

So, this decision was after I'd completed the whaleback and turning it white both proved a challenge and has left the surface not as fine as I'd have liked.  I thinking that post-weathering, this difference will be lost but I'm pretty upset it needed to be this way, sigh...

 

Still, on to the update.

 

Here are the main guns in white primer which shows the detail nicely.  I aim to attempt chipping and pin waters on these, wish me luck as I have no clue but I've watch a video...

 

 

 

Here they are on the hull before re-painting the whaleback.  

 

 

And after, with the twin Lewis guns mounted, still some touch-up to come, horrible mark between those rear two windows (couple be war damage I guess), its all just not good enough but we are where we are.  The deck and upper hull have had one coat of white wash more washes to come,  Note the roof boxes have been added

 

 

And lastly, here is an assemblage of parts all in various states of paint and primer, resting on the hull to help cheer me up. 

 

 

I will, as usual, clutter it up at the end, hopefully those details will help cover the bad paint job

 

On holiday tomorrow (assuming the flight goes of course), back in a couple of weeks

 

Cheers

 

Steve