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Ratch · Posted: Thu 16 Nov 2006 12:18 pm Post subject:

It all seems to be going swimmingly

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davecov · Posted: Thu 16 Nov 2006 15:35 pm Post subject:

Cheers Ratch!

Just finished making the four aft torpedo cradles from plastic card. They are not brilliant but will do the job just fine especially as the rails and torpedoes will hide most of them! Rather than cut notches in them for the rails to sit on (as per the kit cradles), I cut notches in the kit rails instead as can be seen in the picture.

The cut-outs in the cradles had to be slightly wider and deeper in order to allow the WEM torpedoes to sit correctly (they are broader than the kit ones).

The rails for the new smaller rails forward are more straight forward and made out of strips of plastic card. None of the rails or aft cradles have been glued in place yet.

Dave
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davecov · Posted: Sat 18 Nov 2006 11:47 am Post subject:

I haven't done any work on the actual kit since my previous post. However, I have spent some time swotting up for the build by reading the S-Boat book I bought recently. Just as well I did, as I have noticed that alongside the hull underneath the strake that runs from stem to stern, there is some additional bracing. This runs from aft of the aft-most scuttle to a position roughly in line with the 20mm gun mount. The position does seem to vary slightly from boat to boat but that can be down to the angle they are viewed at, lighting etc. Anyway, you can just make it out in these pictures:

Picture One
Picture Two

A strip of plastic card each side should sort those out.

One other thing I found out whilst swotting up, is that parts 204 and 211 on which the port and starboard lights sit, are slightly incorrect. The base of these parts should be cut back to a point just before the lights. Also, these parts should not sit inside the side screens but sit above them! You can just make these details out in the picture below. I do have another picture that shows it slightly better but I think it would just be easier to modify the parts and show you then!

Picture Three

Of course, you may not want to do anything about these modifications. I wouldn't have done if I hadn't known. Thing is, I now know.....and so do you!

Dave
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davecov · Posted: Thu 23 Nov 2006 09:41 am Post subject:

A little more progress was made last night when I painted the scratch-built torpedo cradles and rails. I also made a start on scratch-building the two screens that sit on the bulwark, replacing the kit parts.

Dave

davecov · Posted: Thu 30 Nov 2006 21:16 pm Post subject:

Sadly, progress has been a bit limited since my last report. However, I have just repainted the upper deck and once I have made good any over-brushing, I will rig the foc'sle guardrails and then fit most of the remaining components in place. I am still on course to finish before the end date of 15th December - just!

Dave

davecov · Posted: Thu 30 Nov 2006 22:47 pm Post subject:

Just got a bit more done:

The navigation light supports have been modified as mentioned in a previous post. I have also glued triangular braces to the front of the bulwark. I have also glued plastic card to the front of the four oval vents. These will be trimmed to a round shape and the vents built up with filler.

Another view of the navigation light supports and the triangular braces to the front of the bulwark.

Dave

davecov · Posted: Sat 02 Dec 2006 14:20 pm Post subject:

Did some painting of the H64 that had been overpainted when I repainted the deck with H27. I also painted the hull above the rubbing strakes and painted the transom.

The bulwark also got a coat of paint. BTW, you can just make out the three holes drilled in each of the triangular braces, prior to fitting to the bulwark.

Dave

davecov · Posted: Mon 11 Dec 2006 00:04 am Post subject:

Finally got back to work on the build this evening, after a major Marauder distraction!

Tonight I glued some plastic card along each side of the hull to represent the extra bracing I mentioned in an earlier post. Once dry, it will be sanded to shape.

I have also started on the rigging of the guard rails using my favourite method - UHU glue. First ones to be done are the aft gun platform. As you can see, the rails are extremely fine, almost scale-size.

Dave

Owen · Posted: Mon 11 Dec 2006 07:30 am Post subject:

What is your secret with UHU? I have tried it and the strands never seem to stay and always break, and getting them to stick to a surcase is always hard!
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Owen
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

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farmroad38 · Posted: Mon 11 Dec 2006 07:54 am Post subject:

I've tried it too - attempted to rig a piece of sprue to see if I could do it. Failed miserably, and ended up with a piece of sprue covered in blobs of UHU.

I do find that it is good for sticking wheels on, though

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Cheers,

Adrian

davecov · Posted: Mon 11 Dec 2006 08:47 am Post subject:

It does take a lot of patience! You have to move very fast otherwise the glue goes off which makes it difficult for the glue to stick. In the case of the gun platform, I never did any lengths over more than two rails and most were done one at a time. They weren't all successful first time round either.

Dave

davecov · Posted: Tue 12 Dec 2006 22:26 pm Post subject:

Progress is going quite fast now. I sanded smooth the bracing either side of the hull.

Then I glued almost all of the fittings in place, except for the torpedo tubes, dinghies, torpedoes and aft gun.

The main cabin is not fixed in place yet as I have to scratch-build some guardrails behind the mast. It won't be finally fixed in place until the torpedo tubes are in place.

Here you can see the modified bulwark as described earlier in this build. You can just see the forward scratch-built torpedo rails. These need another coat of paint.

The forward and aft torpedo rails. Once these have been painted, the mast can be rigged. For the long runs of rigging, I will be using .3mm thread.

I am not fitting the depth charges but will be fitting the dinghies on top of the depth charge rail mounts. Note the addition of an extra stanchion at the stern.

Once the rigging is complete and all fittings are in place, then I will paint the hull sides.

Still on course for a Friday finish....

Dave

davecov · Posted: Wed 13 Dec 2006 09:34 am Post subject:

Rigging of guardrails has been done.

Don't forget to extend rigging to each side of "canvas" sections.

My alternative stowage of the dinghies.

Torpedo tubes have been glued in place. The hull has received the first coat of H64 under the rubbing strake. Note that the black keel section has been kept apart from the hull by use of cocktail sticks laid across the keel section.

Torpedoes in position. Side screens added.

Final things to do:

Second coat of H64 on hull sides
Black section of waterline on the hull to be painted
Scratch-build guardrails behind bridge
Fit lifebelts
Glue cabin in place
Fit navigation lights
Fit screens on bulwark
Fit re-shaped vents
Rig mast
Replace ropes on foc'sle
Apply decals and flags.

I think that is all and have a bit less than three days to finish them. BTW, I do not intend to fit the crew.

Dave

farmroad38 · Posted: Wed 13 Dec 2006 10:53 am Post subject:

Looking good Dave.

I don't think I'm that far behind you - I've fitted most of the parts except the rigging posts and mast, so I'm hopeful that I'll either make the deadline or only miss it by a couple of days. I'm not putting the crew on, either.

Are you going to weather it at all? I've done a watercolour wash over the canvas sides, which brings out the creases nicely, but I wasn't sure whether I was going to carry that over onto the whole boat.
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Cheers,

Adrian

davecov · Posted: Wed 13 Dec 2006 11:07 am Post subject:

Thanks Adrian,

No, I won't be weathering it as I like my builds to be "showroom" condition, or as near as possible!

Dave

davecov · Posted: Wed 13 Dec 2006 23:48 pm Post subject:

A bit more done tonight:

The hull beneath the rubbing strake has received it's second coat of H64 and the black waterline has been painted.

The screens that sit on the bulwark have been modified prior to painting and fitting. They were far too thick and have been sanded to a more realistic thickness. The three tabs on each that are supposed to be hinges(!) have been cut off and replaced by four pieces of plastic card on each screen. These will need to be bent slightly to fit over the edge of the bulwark.

On the screen without the tabs, you can see where I scribed the back and sides to represent two separate parts of the screens.

Dave

davecov · Posted: Thu 14 Dec 2006 02:16 am Post subject:

Final bit of work before the start of the Third Test of the Ashes!

The plastic card fronts I had put on the oval vents have been rounded and filler added to back.

The navigation lights were painted their respective colours and I have added plastic card strips underneath the lights. These are to raise the lights up to their correct position (the original position shown in the instructions is too low). Note, also, the cut-outs in front of the lights.

Also in the picture are the two screens which have just received a partial coating of H64.

Dave

davecov · Posted: Thu 14 Dec 2006 19:37 pm Post subject:

Screens and navigation lights have now been fitted.

View from front showing the screen "hinges" made from plastic card. Note the higher position of the navigation lights.

The re-shaping of the vents continues and they are a right pain to get perfectly round! Here you can see them dry-fitted.

Another view of the vents.

The list of things to do is now reduced to:

Scratch-build guardrails behind bridge
Fit lifebelts
Glue cabin in place
Replace ropes on foc'sle
Finish re-shaping vents
Rig mast
Apply decals and flags

Could be finished by midnight tomorrow!

Dave

davecov · Posted: Thu 14 Dec 2006 23:45 pm Post subject:

I have just painted H64 on the glue rigging I did the other day. It makes the rigging stand out a bit more.

Some of the rigging of the mast has been done using UHU glue.

I've made guardrails for behind the cabin. The lifebelts will be fitted to each of these.

Dave

Owen · Posted: Fri 15 Dec 2006 07:49 am Post subject:

That is looking very good Dave, very well painted.

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Owen
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams

Airfix Modelling SIG Member
Beyond the Box SIG Member