R25 class Räumboot - building finally

[Steve D]

At some stage I have to get the final assembly started, but a precursor to this is weathering the hull because once I start adding fine components, I'll just break them handling the hull.

 

I'm always nervous at this stage as Dmitriy's dog (if he has one) is better at painting and weathering than I am.  I hope I'm getting a little better, but being so self-critical means I can't see it, sigh...

 

Anyway, this time I'm using a range of washes, some product, some mixed from weak Vallejo paint in a semi-random manner.  Checking wartime pictures the rubbing strips and bumpers got hammered which is logical.  After attempting this with paint, in the end I just took some 400 wet and dry paper and lightly sanded with long swipes in one direction through various coats of primer and undercoat achieving a hammering, touched back in where it seemed too prominent.. Franking it may look a bit of a mess, but I think a realistic one, the shipyard would be upset to see the state its in.

 

This picture of R178, (different camo scheme) gives an idea of the look I'm hoping to get near.  Note the stub signalling mast attached to the wheelhouse, I have one of those...

 

 

I also touched in the deck, in particular the breakwater and hatches with black pin wash, some super tiny patches of rust and the darkened the deck a little, in particular the scuppers and round the depth-charge cradled beams which would have been hard to mop.  It's all random I know.  I also highlighted scratches on the rear deck aft of the sweep winch and in the round-over stern, I guess all those wire ropes would have not been kind to the paint, ditto the anchor scallop and a little sanding on the leading edges of the rudders etc.  Generally, as with my other models, I want a working boat to emerge but not a shipwreck

 

The pictures aren't great, but hopefully you can see the effect emerging..  The fo'c'sle in particular looks better in the flesh so to speak.  Those light ends of the dc beams are covered by the cradles..

 

 

More tinkering needed on all this, in particular the green water staining on the waterline needs more emphasis and different shades of green.  The hull has had 3 coats of dilute matt varnish to flatten everything in these pictures

 

 

 

No going back now 

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

 

[Dmitriy1967]

Great weathering, Steve!

[Rich75]

I think that's looking the business, the picture of R178 is showing some pretty heavy wear and tear the more you look at it, yours is more subtle than that at the moment and  the water staining is really nice, take a look at it after day or so you might think that'll do or maybe a bit more, cracking job so far. In fact I've seen a book on RN  gunboats I think I'll get so thanks..... 

[Steve D]

12 hours ago, Rich75 said:

take a look at it after day

Thanks Rich, good advice. 

 

I get so little practice at painting as the models take so long to produce from scratch, I feel its my weakest area.  Need to knock out a few kits and just focus on the painting bit I guess

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Rich75]

1 hour ago, Steve D said:

Thanks Rich, good advice. 

 

I get so little practice at painting as the models take so long to produce from scratch, I feel its my weakest area.  Need to knock out a few kits and just focus on the painting bit I guess

 

Cheers

 

Steve

No worries, I'm no expert  but I think your doing yourself a disservice there, It looks really good, look through the other builds on here and there's always something to try, for your weathering I think oils are more forgiving to use because if you don't like what you've done you can go back and remove some,even after a couple of days. I wish I had your building skills btw and yeah why not get a couple of kits to try painting techniques on👍🏻

[Steve D]

No theme to this post, just random updates..

 

First I made a new source discovery, WW2 Photo Album Series number 17, E-boats and Coastal Craft by Paul Beaver.  Some cool new images I'd not seen before.  Amazing that after 9 months I can still discover new pictures, below a few interesting views

 

An overhead view of the engine room casing and wheelhouse, great shot if a little covered in netting

 

 

This confirms my belief that the open bridge area was planked.  Other things to note here are the absence of the main mast, the ensign staff and most importantly (for me) the two bulbous vents on the rear of the engine room casing.  These are obviously shown on the dock-yard pictures but I'd not seen them on the later war camo images so I thought they'd been removed.  Well, here they are, so I've made them, picture later

 

This overhead shot love overhead shots...) of a late war R25 with gun shields  and a central gun position shows the triangular camo shape on the bridge did  not extend to the skylight running along the front of the wheelhouse and is reflected on the hatch shield, all decisions I'd made  

 

The RF direction finding aerial on the front of the wheelhouse roof seems to have been added to some vessels towards the end of the war (in front of the identification flag), I'm personally not including it but its worth knowing about 

 

 

Lastly, the best picture I have of a sweep winch in action, this model is very close to the one I've built from the drawing I found.  I think this picture is early war as it still shows the full mast which later war vessels don't ship

 

 

Anyway, talking about the winch, here is a shot of my winch getting its first two cables

 

 

These are Beadalon 49 strand beading wire 0.021 inch dia (which is exactly 1inch scale).  You can see the printed packers that reduce the amount of wire I need to wind around the hub.

 

Here is the winch resting on the deck.  Ignore the weathering, it looks terrible in this shot, more work needed on that steel deck.  The lines in the drawing I have guide through shackles, they will be terminated with a wire loop much later 

 

 

Sometimes it's nice to just make something from bits of brass.  Here are the anchor winch handles, checking the fit.  They are stowed on the rear face of the breakwater, forward of the skylight

 

 

And here is the anchor winch, anchor and chain stopper installed.  I'm getting a bit more adventurous with weathering

 

 

Here is a before and after shot of the Flak RUL, too much perhaps, still I like it

 

 

Last part of this update, the signalling searchlight.  The actual projector is printed and really, I pushed the detail too far.  It's very fragile (3 broke in my clumsy fingers) and the detail has the danger of showing up other parts of the build 

 

But the real challenge was the legs.  These could have been printed but then they wouldn't last through to the RFI thread... So, brass it had to be, 0.7mm dia.  This is the fourth attempt, only two horizontal braces, the other two I just couldn't work out how to solder or glue in place without ruining what I'd done to that point, hence the 3 scrap ones.

 

 

Picture wiht better lighting.  This is temporarily mounted on a brass plate that has holes which are identical spacing to the previously fitted mounting tubes on the roof (0.9 mm tube, 0.7 mm ID) that the legs slide into.  Note the power cable running down the leg, brass wire from a wine bottle, don't through that stuff away, its really useful.  In the background a little more weed detailing has been added to the waterline.  Oil stain to come

 

 

More random updates in a couple of days

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[robgizlu]

All delightful as ever and I think the weathering is spot on

Rob

[Steve D]

1 minute ago, robgizlu said:

I think the weathering is spot on

Thanks Rob, you are very kind

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[seadog]

Mind truly boggled!

[Dmitriy1967]

Steve, your sweep winch looks more reliable than the original one in the photo. I would choose yours.

The projector, crates and anchor winch are great. Weathering is also very realistic.

 

Looking at the photos of the gun shields, I think - why didn't they draw black triangles on them, like on the wheelhouse?

[Steve D]

32 minutes ago, Dmitriy1967 said:

why didn't they draw black triangles on them, like on the wheelhouse?

Ah the mysteries of naval camouflage...  I'm no expect but I believe the diagonal patterned block colours were placed to break up the overall shape and so impact the accuracy of range finders, others here will probably know more.

 

The gun shields were added to the r-boats very late in the war, so they were sort of an after-thought, probably based on crew losses

 

The winch has more work and weathering, but it is taking shape nicely

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

 

[Steve D]

Building these models entails an unknown number of decisions including notably exactly how to treat the items that are represented differently in different photographs.  The depth charges are a good case in point.  Most, but not all, wartime pictures where the boats are carrying the DC's, show them wrapped in canvas covers.  Now, I love the way these DC's turned out, but part of me says wrapping them will be a more realistic rendition of a vessel on active service.  So, I've been quietly torn for some time now.  Anyway, I've decided to compromise and cover some, not sure how many, maybe only two.  At least one picture I have shows some uncovered so this decision can be rooted in reality (to me at least) and they do add another point of interest.

 

Here is a picture (later war model) showing them covered

 

 

What is also shown on this picture are armoured window covers, which of course I should have etched but hadn't noticed them until recently,, more later...

 

Back to the covers.  This is a great opportunity to make some stuff from tissue paper which you all know I love.  So, here is the mould in jelutong, varnished wiht sanding sealer and sprayed with mould wax ready to lay up

 

 

This mould wax is brilliant, sprays on and dries in minutes, PVA won't stick to it, reapply each time

 

And here are 4 made up over a couple of days.  The great thing about this technique is they are all individual, different creases and they slip over the printed DC's easily so I can decide right at the end how many to cover (probably 2...)

 

 

And to give an impression of what this looks like, here is the fo'c'sle with one fitted after some paint and black/umber wash

 

 

In the distance you can see the window covers installed.  They were made up from scrap brass, bit tedious as there are 10, still its good to really scratch build stuff from time to time.  I'm working my way round the deck house assembly (remember its still removable) doing some chipping and weathering in between other stuff, the outside still needs work

 

Earlier I talked about not fitting the main mast as they seem to have been unshipped by most wartime vessels, sometimes replaced by a short signalling mast attached to the wheelhouse rear wall.  This needs blocks and flag hoists.  On the last couple of models I've felt that these  flag hoist blocks were too large so I've gone really tiny this time.

 

Here is some 1 mm sq walnut that has been sanded slightly thinner  having the block ropes attached

 

 

The cyno hardens the wood so it can be drilled (0.4 mm hole) for the hoists

 

Here is the final assembly still in the vice, this will only be fitted right at the end or I would just break it

 

 

That's all for now, I may post something tomorrow if I get time but then we are off for 2 weeks to Cuba for a milestone  birthday, so updates will have to wait until we return

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Dmitriy1967]

I really liked the canvas covers.

[Modelholic]

Enjoy Cuba.

Tom

[S-boat 55]

I've just caught up with your build, it's simply stunning in my opinion

Edited January 28, 2023 by S-boat 55

[seadog]

Just gets better and better... 

[Steve D]

Back now, Holiday's are great but you can't get to make anything, big part of life missing..

 

Longer update later on weathering if I get time, but meanwhile, I've solved the mysterious object problem.

 

Those following will remember this picture where I questioned what on earth these half cylinders were...

 

 

I'm officially an idiot, they are both obvious and clear on one of the other pictures , ringed in red below lying on the rear deck.

 

 

They are, of course, danbuoy anchor weights, note the rigging line running to one of those danbuoys ready to deploy.  The conical objects on the engine room casing are the floats used by these danbuoys,  Scaling off these pictures, I reckon the staffs to be ~ 5m long, similar to the 16ft UK ones.  The different marker "wings" at the top are covered earlier.  So, problem solved, now I can proceed to add them.

 

Below my artwork for the three non-wire items, the ball is the staff bottom weight

 

 

Unfortunately, this means I will have to make the staff racks, which of course I should have etched but didn't.  Will be a challenge.....

 

More later

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Dancona]

Well Steve, you are really knocking it out of the park on this one, it is looking superb, quite apart from the craftsmanship shown (and your mastery of so many techniques and materials), the attention to detail and level of research that you put into your art is incredible, proper modelmaking at the highest level 

 

Cheers

 

Fan boy David

[Steve D]

Random update, half the stanchions now modified, hopefully this picture shows the process

 

These are commercial stanchions modified as follows:

1. Middle ball turned down almost to the upright size and the base turned down so it hardly exists but is sufficient to secure the triangular etched base
2. Top ball then filed flat
3. Top hole opened up so the wire rope will be loose
4. Triangular base soldered in place with paste

The result is hopefully a lighter looking stanchion with the correct base, only 60 to do....

 

 

Next, fitting out one of the two flag lockers, the second has a canvas cover so no need for flags

 

I actually made an effort this time to get the colours about right (tissue paper used for the flags).  Canvas cover rolled up on top

 

 

Here it is in place.  The evidence for there being flag lockers here is sketchy, but some kind of locker with a canvas cover is just visible in some of the shots and they had to keep the flags somewhere so it seemed logical and fits nicely either side of the bearing table

 

 

The signalling mast fits to the right of the charthouse door so once again logical to place them to hand.  Note the ball-topped vents now fitted at the rear of the engine room casing

 

Returning from holiday, I realised just how bad the first signalling mast was, really a bit of a mess, so it had to be remade.  This shot shows them both, the one on the right is the keeper, lighter looking, tighter falls and a better shape.  This will go on once the handrail lines are added to the roof

 

 

Next job in my usual chaotic build sequent is weathering the deckhouse assembly.  This is a big lump to chip and weather, still with my increasing confidence with chipping and washes () I've had a go.  There are loads of tiny details on this to discover, overall, I think it gives the impression of a working wartime boat, not one dressed for a regatta

 

 

Rear view, not a great picture, sorry

 

 

Once this has the wire rope handrails added, it will be ready to fix in place (finally!) but I need to drill out the stanchion holes before that as handling the hull will no doubt cause damage.  I've said it before, but having a removable centre section really does make handling mistakes fewer.  Also, much more clutter coming wiht the danbuoy equipment which was stored on and by the engine room casing

 

Coming into the home straight now, but still have all the sweep great to make up (8 large components)   Also added the last two lines on the winch and weathered it, zoom needed to see this.  Remember, those lines will be loop terminated by (and after feeding through) the guide shackles once this is fixed in place

 

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[robgizlu]

Looking better and better if that's possible!  Weathering Fab - Cuba clearly energised you!

Rob

[Steve D]

2 hours ago, robgizlu said:

Looking better and better if that's possible!

Thanks Rob, I’m enjoying this stage. As you know I like cluttered decks and this boat has so much scope for clutter. There is plenty more to come 

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Dmitriy1967]

8 minutes ago, Steve D said:

As you know I like cluttered decks and this boat has so much scope for clutter. 

 

 

The main thing is not to clutter the passage to the galley.

[beefy66]

15 hours ago, Steve D said:

As you know I like cluttered decks and this boat has so much scope for clutter.

 

Great build so far Steve this is giving me some ideas for my S-100 build to add a few more bit and pieces around the decks.  🤔

 

Stay Safe

beefy

[Steve D]

4 hours ago, beefy66 said:

add a few more bit and pieces around the decks

Clutter is king....

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[bissyboat]

She´s looking the business. Very nice workmanship on this build. Keep up the good work. ⚓👍