The Ship Model Forum

I am building my 1st ship, which implies there may be another. When I started it not that long ago that sentence would have read, "Shhh, don't tell anyone I'm building a ship. It won't happen again."

David's description of the railing installation process, and all the advice from the others, has taken a mystery, and fear, of how the get these strips of micro thin railing attached. I am actually looking forward to that step now.

I was fortunate enough this was just on page 3 but I agree that this should be a "sticky".

I've just been reading through much of this thread. In my experience, changing from CA to PVA has totally transformed the more delicate and fiddly elements of ship modelling. This is mainly the case with all photo-etch, particularly the railings on the deck edge, and also for all fine rigging/aerial lines, whip aerials, fixing figures, etc.

I used to struggle using CA, it is so awkward to use as it sets too quickly, doesn't grab at all and often doesn't bond when set, and the glue in the tube/pot goes off easily, whereas PVA is so easy to use, it will tack a light part on and quickly grab with some strength, is very easy to apply and is paintable (thinned with water or neat) to complete and fill joined parts, and shrinks down cear when set, and is actually very strong when set.

I have not had a very similar experience to what I am reading in this thread.

I have had no problems with attaching railings, for instance (with either PVA or CA).

I use a longer section of railing (that fits the entire length of the deck to be railed), and then tape it in place along two to four points.

Then I use a precision CA applicator (either a tool I have made out of an old staple, or an old fountain-pen nib, or an old hypodermic needle) to apply CA to a few spots along the length of the railing.

Then remove the tape, and glue the remaining sections.

Other things I have built (cranes, and spotlight towers) have also gone together rather easily (using a similar method).

All of these pieces have one or two things in common:

• Straight edges that abut evenly.
• they have parts that guide their placement.

It is splinter-shielding in the variety of shapes for which I am having problems.

Getting it bent into shape seems to be an issue, and then getting it to freaking STAY where I need it glued is traumatic as hell.

I have only fitting a few pieces, so far (on my USS San Francisco). And, while the decking on which they sit typically has at least one edge that the Splinter-shielding sits upon, the Splinter-shielding usually has internal areas that have no such guides. You have to eyeball it.

This can be incredibly frustrating for the .008" PE frets that most manufacturers have used (and, having used one that was on .01", that extra two-thousandths of an inch makes a freaking LOT of difference in being able to keep from pinching, crimping, or otherwise fouling the PE parts).

I suppose, like most things, Practice makes Perfect...... So I will forge ahead, stumbling as I go....

MB

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OMG LOOK! A signature

Working on:


1/700 (All Fall 1942):
HIJMS Nagara
HIJMS Aoba & Kinugasa
USS San Francisco
USS Helena
USS St. Louis
USS Laffey & Farenholt
HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 4 - 7
HIJMS Sub-Chasers No. 13 - 16

an evergreen subject..... so an appropriate time to bump--especially the first page.

In recent times--with the advances in etching--

In 1/350 have been using 0.1 mm STAINLESS Steel railing ( that has been made for me)
that is half thickness relief etched to make it thinner ( finer! ) still
less expansion and contraction and less damage prone than equivalent brass

Happy modelmakaing!

JB

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
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