1:384 Pass of Brander - Steel four-masted barque - 1890

[Shipbuilder]

After 6 weeks rest (modeller's block - lack of interest), I have now picked up the modelling tools again commenced a miniature of the British four-masted barque Pass of Brander. This steel hulled sailing ship had a career of 26 years, initially as Pass of Brander and latterly as Bengain. She was sunk by enemy action in 1916.
The model is to be full hull with furled sails, mounted on brass pillars inside a homemade acrylic display case of my own design and construction. During my break from ship modelling, I drew up plans of several sailing vessels, the first being Pass of Brander! The hull is 8.70 inches long on the waterline.
Bob

[Paul Salomone]

Hello Bob,

A very interesting project indeed. A few years ago, I built a model of the armed German clipper "Sea Adler". This was used during the first world war by the German Imperial navy to lure merchant ships close in enough to open fire on them.

I shall follow your project.

Cheers.

Paul.

[Shipbuilder]

Hello Paul,
Thanks. I know the Seaadler fairly well, originally, she belonged to the same company as Pass of Brander and at that time was called Pass of Balmaha, but I expect you know that already.
Best wishes
Bob

[Paul Salomone]

Hello Bob,

Yes I know that the ship was owned by the same company, and captured in 1915 by a German submarine U-36. The crew were given safe passage to neutral port, for giving up some British voyaging on board the vessel; But the vessel itself became property of the German Imperial Navy.

She was quite a successful auxilliary cruiser, being able to disguise itself as a Norwegian wood carrier, with a good German Norwegian speaking crew; she did sink some ships.

Pity she ended up wrecked on a reef. She was a beautiful ship.

Cheers.

Paul.

[Shipbuilder]

I am now just under five hours into the build and the hull shaping and smoothing is almost complete. I don't have the patience displayed by most model shipbuilders, and that is one of the reasons that I went into miniatures! Incessant pouring rain is at present preventing me from making a start on the display case, as I normally do that outside.
Bob

[moomoon]

Thank you very much to share your technique, all your models look very nice (subject chosen and modeling).
Which wood is this, do you have a machine to cut it?
You're sanding by hand or with a kind of dremmel or else?
Is this some kind of putty fore and stern?

My only sailing ship model is in... a bottle

[Shipbuilder]

The wood is obeche. I cut the basic hull with a small hobby bandsaw. I smooth it down with files and wet & dry paper, all by hand. The filler at the ends is car filler paste that dries hard in two or three minutes.
Bob

[reigels]

Hi Bob -

Beautiful choice of subjects on this one.

You may be aware, but if not, you might want to find a copy of �By the Wind�, by Captain J. Murray Lindsay which chronicles the last voyage of Bengairn in which he served as an apprentice up until the time of her loss. A good read altogether (probably in my top 10 of the type) and interesting with a few photos and first hand references to the ship including some information on coloring, etc.. Feel free to send me a PM if you�re interested and I�ll try and pick out the portions relevant to model building.

--Scott

[Paul Salomone]

Good morning Bob,

Considering th size of the model, which shall not exceed 10 or 12" in length, I can say That you are creating a little jewel.

Cheers.

Paul

[Shipbuilder]

Scott,
Thanks for the offer, but I do have By The Wind by J. Murray-Lindsay. That is what actually inspired me to make a model. Also have Master in Sail by J. Learmont in which he describes his voyage in the Bengairn (ex Pass of Brander). The reason I am building the ship as Pass of Brander, is that the colour scheme was more attractive, black bulwarks over a grey hull. Bengain was slate grey, a colour that I have never been very keen on for ships. At one time, she was "crushed strawberry" colour. I can't hink of anything worse than a pink sailing ship!
Paul,
It is just the right size for me. The bigger they are, the more difficult I find it to build them. On this scale, there are no knots to fiddle with, and all the masts, spars and rigging will be metal. The rigging (including the ratlines) being fine copper wire that I find easier to deal with that thread.
Attached is Donna Francisca at the same scale.
Bob

[Richard J OMalley]

Bob
Very interesting subject .Years back all I made was solid hull sailing ships .My eyes are not good enough to work in small scales .

[JIM BAUMANN]

Bob is far too modest..!

Gentlemen...feast your eyes on some of his models here...

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=38508

its an incredibly varied portfolio of sail and steam



Jim B

[Shipbuilder]

Thanks Jim,
Today, I took advantage of the fact that it wasn't raining and began the display case (working outside). First, I veneered the 18mm display case base quadrant with steamed beech veneer (That is the name of it - I didn't steam it! )
Then I cut the mitres and glued two opposite sides together (Two lots of long and short sides), clamping them with 90 degree corner clamps. After the glue had dried (5 hours), I glued the two "L" shapes together and put the corner clamps on the freshly glued joints. When this is dry, I will cut and fit the four clear acrylic sides. Then, whilst the top is still open, I will make the inner base to fit perfectly inside it and then add the top.
Bob

[Shipbuilder]

I have made some more progress and the hull is now plated with paper plates and ready for the paint, after which it will begin to look much better.
Bob

[Paul Salomone]

Hello Bob,

Incredible work mate - just wonderfull - WELL DONE.



Cheers.

Paul.

[JIM BAUMANN]

are the plating runs gummed paper?--self-adhesive..(!?)

oar they plain paper--if so what are you using glue them to the hull?

I guess it all gets sealed witha coat of varnish prior to paint?

or is the paper such a tight lay that paint will not lift fibres of the paper

Intrigued!

Jim B

[Shipbuilder]

The plating is just 90gsm writing paper glued on with white wood glue. The red underwater colour was sprayed on using red oxide primer for Halfords car accessories. The grey and the black were hand painted using water-base acrylic paints (Chromacolour). The sharp paint lines were obtained by sticking very thin strips of painted paper masking tape over the junctions. The bulwark panels were made using the "box drawing" font of Microsoft Word. They were coloured in on the computer.
Bob

[Neptune]

Nice progress! Sharp paint lines indeed. What do you mean with these thin strips of painted masking tape? Do they have a difference in thickness with the rest of the colour then?

[Shipbuilder]

Yes, they are about 1mm wide. I stick a piece of paper masking tape on a scrap piece of acrylic that is longer than the hull and spray it the required colour and then cut off the 1mm strips as required.
Bob

[Guest]

Hi Bob,

Interested in that you made a model of the "Bengairn", ex "Pass of Brander". My grandfather was master and part owner with Raes when the barque was bought. I would be interested to know where you obtained the plans for the vessel. I was mainly brought up by my grandfather from 1944 with all his stores of the sea. I followed suit and became also a square rig master.

Mike