The Ship Model Forum

I managed to put all bulkheads in place this weekend. I will make some deck test fittings this coming week. I kept the other hull, maybe deal with it later, it could be used as a mould.Maybe used as a plug in the future.

Quick work mike! Not too many straight lines in that one. Nice restart. Tom

Tnx Tom I had to speed up work a bit. I was hoping to do some hull filling this weekend but some home work set be back.
I did cut and glued the deck this time in 6 pieces. I used 1mm balsa handled carefully. Once foam filling will be put underneath it will be solid hard. However the thin balsa represents better the horizontal and vertical curves of the deck comparing to stiff and tougher 3mm MDF used before.

Mike:

Quick progress on the hull. I am sure you have learned a few things along the way. Again despite the size of the work involved, it's only maybe 10% of the time involved in the whole project, though it seems more daunting. Song has used balsa strip covering successfully in his many ships and it is the method I used for the APA, though I did that hull 65 years ago.

Cheers: Tom

Thanks for the comment.
I have completed the 3 decks of the superstructure. When the hull is done and put all together it will look 70% complete. I have no illusion that for the rest 30% in will need much more time.
Now back to the work. I have the filthiest work bench in the world. I done filling the hull. Also bow and stern was covered with acrylic putty(white) and then with 1000 grit body car filler. The thin acrylic layer protected the foam. Also this one ingredient filler is less toxic and easier to grind from Bondo.
Tomorrow I will finish shaping the hull so I will be ready to cover the hull with putty.


elmbrook humane society

Good progress! I live in a climate where the indoor humidity in the winter slow single digits and sanding or working with the blue foam (which I use for insulation) the static electricity makes it attract to my clothing and generally disperse everywhere. Usually I have to just saw it which is bad enough! I wish you success with the many lessons learned!

Best wishes! Tom

Thanks Tom
Climate change has affect us too bringing subtropical phenomenon and many days with high humidity.
However today was cold but dry so I covered the hull with a rich layer of acrylic putty. I let it dry out, so I will be able to sand it after 24 to 48 hours


mary robinson poet

At least you are not afraid to press full speed ahead. Despite all the research we might do, model ship building mostly involves.... Building. A good way to perfect out technique.

Regards: Tom

Like you said on another thread this forum gives motivation. My inspiration came from another builder who made 3 attempts on a hull.
I finished sanding the acrylic putty. Too much dust but this can be sanded down easily about 30 min.
In some areas the layer was thinner and polystyrene was exposed. This time I used wood filler locally for quick dry. After done with putty I will give several layers of thick acrylic layer, gesso style.This will create an extra protective layer and smoothen the surface for the final glaze putty.

Mike:

Looks as if you have done a good job fairing the hull down to the ribs. At some point I find wet sanding useful, not only does it give a good final surface, (no dust) as you wet the hull you can see and feel any imperfections and also by running your finger tips along the surface. at some point I spray it with auto primer-filler which allows the final smoothing by wet sanding and surface check. Often one will find some areas needing a little glazing putty.

Cheers: Tom

Thanks for the tip
i did some wet brushing over the hull, helped a lot with dust also the light yellowish color revealed some imperfections, those will be covered anyway by the final layer. I also gave a partial second layer waiting for it to dry. Primer is a must i think because it will seal the acrylic putty which has a light grip when sanding, unlike body filler.
Note that car body filler makers, suggest that sanding must be done only on a dry basis as water maybe absorbed and created problems later. The same thing i ve been told yesterday by a local auto body technician.

I painted with acrylic primer. Will give a few coats later. This will seal the foam and make sure that final filler can be applied. The area between propeller and deck is the one that needs the most work. I hope I have it fixed before before body car filler is applied

Mike:

Yes the area around the prop and stern has the most complex curves. I had to rework that area on the APA several times. We all have favorite bits of modeling, personally making hulls isn't up there on the list. Both the APA and LSM are hulls I had built as a teenager and were re drafted for service, with some modification and upgrade. Perhaps my next least favorite thing is rigging. APA was a bad choice for someone who doesn't like rigging!

Glad to see you are making steady progress! Cheers! Tom

Tom
Speaking about hulls, as I mentioned, I am going to use the other hull, if manage to restore it, as a mould for making other hulls. However I want to make them without the raised front deck. So, do you think I can use the fiberglass system to make them or do I have to cut it in the same level with the rear one? I hope you got my point.

And speaking about rigging I don't like it either but I come from the 1/700 world so this one is not that bad. Of course for a metal vessel the rigging work involved is too much

Mike:

I have no experience with making fiberglass molds for ships hulls so I can't guide you as to the inn's and outs of what you suggest.

Cheers! Tom

Thanks anyway.

There is tones of information in this forum anyway
Mike

Still working on the hull. Apply putty locally, prime, sand and again.
Every time looks better. Maybe will be ready for final primer after a few coats.
However a coat of body car filler is required to harden the hull at the absense of planking.

Instead of buying online I visited the workshop. Asked the owner to provide me a car body filler, superfine but easy to sand by hand. He gave me one in a bottle in liquid form. It was easier indeed to work with. Also after application it stayed exactly in place, so shrinking at all like glaze putty. Nevertheless I spend the weekend giving shape to hull. After every coat I used less amount of filler. For last coat I used about a teaspoon of it.

Seems that you are on a good way to recovery. It's a good idea to spray it in some grey paint/primer in order to detect any remaining deficiencies.

_________________
Eberhard

Former chairman Arbeitskreis historischer Schiffbau e.V. (German Association for Shipbuilding History)

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Mike:

Very good progress! The Chairman's advice about the primer is very good. You may find you end up shooting quite a bit of primer over time, with each and every time you smooth things down. You will see every defect and the effect your repair has had.

Looking forward to the finished hull of this elegant vessel!

Cheers: Tom