HMSV Beagle - OcCre - 1/60

[Bertie McBoatface]

   

 

I think the gesso experiment worked. The left hand photo shows the side with two layers brushed on carefully. The gesso was diluted by the addition of red earth acrylic ink. It turns out that gesso is so WHITE! that you can't get it any more saturated than this. Not with inks anyway and they are pretty highly pigmented. The right hand photo shows two carefully applied coats over the top of the first experiments so there's about four layers of gesso and a layer of black paint too. It's becoming so smooth that the camera's autofocus was having trouble finding edges to lock on to. With sanding between coats, you could lose the planking effect altogether, I believe. That would be very useful when making a wooden model of an iron ship. (OcCre do a 1/200 Prinz Eugen for those who are into such things.)

 

 

I sprayed the hull with all of my Tamiya Tyre Black and then a coat of Panzer Grey shot from above for highlights. Photographed upside down like this the shadows and lights are very obvious around the strakes but when it's the right way up it looks natural and it also looks bigger. Larger things cast deeper shadows and this simple trick simulated that phenomenon quite well.

 

It's a long time since I airbrushed anything, and a very long time since I airbrushed anything this big. Spraying onto wood/gesso was a first. The Tamiya paints went down well. The Gesso layer is brilliant to paint. It's like spraying onto paper - the paint stays where you put it. This did make getting into the cracks a bit of a trial as the paint wouldn't flood into them, but it wasn't a serious problem and I'll eventually be using washes on the surface with will deal with any thinly painted hollows.

 

 

The greys came out dead flat and I might need to gloss them up a bit later. That will depend on how weathered I decide to make Beagle and so for now I just polished the dry but not yet hardened surface with some material from a pair of tights (pantyhose). It's excellent on shoes too if you are old-school enough to polish your leather shoes.

 

 

The polishing brought out the textures which were already enhanced by the Panzer Grey. You can see the grain of the planks in places as well as the brush marks from the gesso, both horizontal and vertical. I think it really looks like old faded painted wood and I'm delighted by it.

 

 

And that's what the shading looks like, the right way up.

 

That's taken my working time on the Beagle to 116 hours and five minutes, and this is a convenient point to pause this thread while I do battle with the blessed Bellerophon for a while. Fear not for I shall return. I expect that I'll bounce between the projects as the mood takes me.

 

[ColonelKrypton]

The combination of gesso and paint does look quite nice.

 

White gesso is indeed very white.

 

Considering that traditional gesso was little more than chalk, gypsum, and pigment ( i.e. titanium or zinc oxide ) - or any combination of those three ingredients - in a binder ( usually rabbit skin glue ) it is no wonder how strong a white it is. 

 

But,  as you may already know, gesso can be had in a variety of colours. White being the most common followed by black and clear, there is also grey (though you could mix your own),  and I have also seen iridescent gold ( Daniel Smith product ) and two shades of grey plus red ochre ( Holbein product ). 

 

Clear gesso? I wonder what is used in clear gesso as the ground knowing that chalk or similar was used in white gesso? Hmm, clear gesso with a bit of appropriate colour of acrylic ink to make a sealer, filler, and stain all in one?  I will have to give it a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

cheers, Graham

 

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 hour ago, ColonelKrypton said:

But,  as you may already know, gesso can be had in a variety of colours.

No. I didn’t know that. Very interesting thanks. 

[Ray S]

Bertie, Beagle is looking very good now with some paint on, and I again thank you for your explanation of the gesso-work.

 

Ray

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 hour ago, Ray S said:

Bertie, Beagle is looking very good now with some paint on, and I again thank you for your explanation of the gesso-work.

 

Ray

I don’t think I have seen anyone else using the stuff so it feels both creative and ‘wrong’ somehow. 
 

I’ll go with creative. 

[Noel Smith]

This is quite a project. Very interesting to follow.

 

I have been looking at Occre's kit of the Endurance as I read about Shackleton's ill fated expedition in a book I have with numerous pictures of the ship taken on that expedition.

 

When I finally get the Artesania Latina Titanic's Lifeboat finished. It is supposed to be a beginner's kit, but they must be having a laugh! I will persevere with it despite all the inaccuracies and try and put it right through dogged determination of nothing else. I have read that other modellers could cheerfully throw it across their workshops against a wall as it was proving so difficult to build. I have to agree, as it is my first experience of building a wooden boat kit. The up side is that it has taken me right out of my comfort zone of modelling in plastics and metal, and am quickly acquiring new skills and experiences along the way. I will really think that I have achieved something when it is finally finished.

[Noel Smith]

This is quite a project. Very interesting to follow.

 

I have been looking at Occre's kit of the Endurance as I read about Shackleton's ill fated expedition in a book I have with numerous pictures of the ship taken on that expedition.

 

When I finally get the Artesania Latina Titanic's Lifeboat finished. It is supposed to be a beginner's kit, but they must be having a laugh! I will persevere with it despite all the inaccuracies and try and put it right through dogged determination of nothing else. I have read that other modellers could cheerfully throw it across their workshops against a wall as it was proving so difficult to build. I have to agree, as it is my first experience of building a wooden boat kit. The up side is that it has taken me right out of my comfort zone of modelling in plastics and metal, and am quickly acquiring new skills and experiences along the way. I will really think that I have achieved something when it is finally finished.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Noel Smith

[Bertie McBoatface]

3 hours ago, Noel Smith said:

This is quite a project. Very interesting to follow.

 

That's very kind of you to say. I hope to move it along fairly soon, it's non-completion has turned out to be a burr under my saddle.

 

3 hours ago, Noel Smith said:

I have been looking at Occre's kit of the Endurance as I read about Shackleton's ill fated expedition in a book I have with numerous pictures of the ship taken on that expedition.

 

From what I've read, the OcCre Endurance is similar to the Beagle in that it's perhaps not a great kit but it's a good one, reasonably easy to build and a reasonable price. It looks good to me anyway in photos I've seen. It's a fascinating story of wooden ships and iron men.

 

3 hours ago, Noel Smith said:

When I finally get the Artesania Latina Titanic's Lifeboat finished. It is supposed to be a beginner's kit, but they must be having a laugh! I will persevere with it despite all the inaccuracies and try and put it right through dogged determination of nothing else. I have read that other modellers could cheerfully throw it across their workshops against a wall as it was proving so difficult to build. I have to agree, as it is my first experience of building a wooden boat kit. The up side is that it has taken me right out of my comfort zone of modelling in plastics and metal, and am quickly acquiring new skills and experiences along the way. I will really think that I have achieved something when it is finally finished.

 

I looked at the lifeboat in its convenient scale of 1/35, with a view to a Dunkirk diorama. I know that Cunard and other lifeboats were used to ferry troops from the beaches to the bigger ships offshore. In fact I've just read the memoir of one of the crewmen. I doubt that I will ever actually do it though.

 

Good luck with the rest of your build. Wooden boats are certainly a trial of strength!

 

[Adm Lord De Univers]

On 24/08/2022 at 11:28, Bertie McBoatface said:

pair of tights (pantyhose). It's excellent on shoes too if you are old-school enough to polish your leather shoes.

Excellent advice (and all the modelling stuff, obv). Also, do people not polish shoes anymore?!?

 

David

[Bertie McBoatface]

6 hours ago, Adm Lord De Univers said:

Excellent advice (and all the modelling stuff, obv). Also, do people not polish shoes anymore?!?

 

David

There’s that paint-on rubbish…

[Stratomonkey]

Now it's my turn to tune in to what you're building, how far down the road of progress and just enjoy watching beautiful vessels come to fruition.

 

So far Ive been through the whole build and its impressive! I am now convinced I need two things, apart from a lot more sense of what I taken of course and a !

 

I need a planking clamp and some kind of small thumb plane

 

I'll keep watching as this is super interesting

[Bertie McBoatface]

7 hours ago, Stratomonkey said:

Now it's my turn to tune in to what you're building, how far down the road of progress and just enjoy watching beautiful vessels come to fruition.

 

So far Ive been through the whole build and its impressive! I am now convinced I need two things, apart from a lot more sense of what I taken of course and a !

 

I need a planking clamp and some kind of small thumb plane

 

I'll keep watching as this is super interesting

As you have read, this is stalled right now but I aim to get moving on it soon. If you want to read more about my floundering about in boats see my first build: Lady Isabella, Zulu Herring Drifter. I learned a lot on that one. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

Bertie's back on the Beagle! After a two month pause in operations I started to copper plate her bottom tonight.

 

 

I'm using copper foil tape which is 1/4 inch wide. This is perfect in 1/60 scale as the originals were 15 inches wide. They were four feet long or 5/8 inch in my scale. It's possible to use long strips and then emboss the joints but you don't get the overlap that way and more importantly, the glue on this stuff is very sticky and the foil is very thin. I think any attempt to do a whole strake would be doomed. I'll cut individual pieces. 

 

 

The matchstick is superglued to the cutting mat the correct distance from the arrowed line and the horizontal line keeps the ends square enough. I'll need about 2000 tiles, I think, but I'll do them in batches. The scalpel pops through the copper with a satisfying little sound. It's wrapped in masking tape because my finger was getting sore.

 

 

I had to mark a waterline so that I don't over run. It was a simple job to make a 50mm high pencil.

 

 

And I held the boat perpendicular with a pair of 321 blocks. It was a bit of a lash up but will be good enough, this time around.

 

 

I covered the whole of the false keel tonight. That's about twenty pieces and the whole session took 90 minutes. I'm very pleased with the effect. The overlaps look very good, even though they are very thin, and the fineness makes it look almost realistic.

 

The metal feels cold compared to the 'warm' wood. That's a strange effect. You will see that the copper is very shiny. I wondered about trying to age it but apparently the best thing to do is to let it oxidise naturally. It only takes three to four years.

 

117 hours and 35 minutes elapsed.

 

[Faraway]

@Bertie McBoatface so, you’re back ! This is splendid news, now take your time, do a bit, rest a bit.
Beagle wasn’t built in a day.

Seriously though, my friend, welcome back.

Jon

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

4 minutes ago, Faraway said:

@Bertie McBoatface so, you’re back ! This is splendid news, now take your time, do a bit, rest a bit.
Beagle wasn’t built in a day.

Seriously though, my friend, welcome back.

Jon

 

 

It's good to be back in the water, rested and refreshed.

 

One day on Beagle, One day on a plastic kit....

[S-boat 55]

Great to see you're back and the build is progressing, I'm very keen to see that copper bottom take shape, it's going to really be impressive 

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 hour ago, S-boat 55 said:

Great to see you're back and the build is progressing, I'm very keen to see that copper bottom take shape, it's going to really be impressive 

 

You will have to be patient. I'm working one day on this aond the next on the Armoured Car GB. I estimate a month for the coppering but it will look amazing I think.

 

[Dmitriy1967]

All people try to do everything clean and tidy. And only modelers want to oxidize and stain everything. 

You're making a fine ship, Bertie!

[Ray S]

Good to see you back on this one Bertie!

 

Ray

[Bertie McBoatface]

2 hours ago, Dmitriy1967 said:

All people try to do everything clean and tidy. And only modelers want to oxidize and stain everything. 

You're making a fine ship, Bertie!

 

24 minutes ago, Ray S said:

Good to see you back on this one Bertie!

 

Ray

 

Thanks guys!

[Courageous]

That hull should look beautiful when has had its 'bling' applied.

 

Stuart

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 hour ago, Courageous said:

That hull should look beautiful when has had its 'bling' applied.

 

Stuart

 

I'm hoping that it will hide the imperfections but metallic finishes tend to make things look twice as bad due to the reflections. Never mind, they ran her aground more than once. She would have had scars. 😁

[Courageous]

7 minutes ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

metallic finishes tend to make things look twice as bad due to the reflections.

You can always do some subtle weathering with oxidisation, seaweed and barnacles if that is the case...

 

Stuart

[Bertie McBoatface]

Today I learned that with my level of practice, I can only fit 40 copper plates before my concentration wavers and my mistakes get too big for even me to ignore. I call this the cup of tea threshold. However...

 

 

...since 40 plates looks like this, I'm rather pleased with myself. Right now, low to the keel, its simple stuff. needing maximum concentration but not much problem solving. However...

 

 

... since the curves of the hull make the brick-laid strakes curve away from the waterline amidships, there's going to be a problem to be solved later! 😱

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Clue: Tamiya masking tape.

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

I took a couple of days off (to have a relaxing night reading and an armoured car night) and when I came back I was able to lay three times as many plates as the first time.

 

 

That's all of the full length lines of copper done on that side. The rest of them will be progressively shorter to fill in the banana shaped space between where I am now and the waterline above.

 

 

It's nowhere near perfect but nor was my first Airfix Spitfire in nineteen-canteen. I'm a jolly sailorboy tonight.