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Post by wbill76 on Jun 27, 2016 21:02:56 GMT -5
I've been working on getting the boats finished and ready for install. To that end, they were airbrushed with a primer coat of MM Flat Black followed by a basecoat of MM enamel Gunship Gray for the exteriors. Once that had cured a bit, I masked off the exterior and airbrushed a custom mix of 70/30 Afrika Grunbraun and Light Gray to provide a wood tone base. I applied a couple of doses of highly thinned MM enamel Leather over that to create more of a finished wood look. The steam launch boiler and the canopy support frames received a dose of MM Metalizer Nonbuffing Brass and the top of the smoke stack MM Flat Black to round things out there. The oars were detailed separately to provide some variation and then glued in place where needed on the different boats. Time to populate the boat deck racks! I changed up the order slightly vs what is called out in the instructions due to the large lifeboat cutter fitting a little too tightly with the whaleboat that the instructions wanted sitting next to it. The whaleboat was swapped out with one of the smaller cutters from the forward group and that did the trick nicely. I used EZ line to provide some support ropes to the 4 boats on the davit stations and then installed the davit top frame bars. I realized too late that the steam launch could probably have benefited from the addition of some bench seats but I literally missed the boat on that one! The remaining four boats go on davits that mount on the exterior of the boat deck structure so I'll work on getting them done next along with the other remaining details.
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Post by dierk on Jun 28, 2016 3:07:52 GMT -5
I'm afraid the missing benches in the steam launch have ruined an otherwise lovely model
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Post by Leon on Jun 28, 2016 4:51:52 GMT -5
Nice work on the added boats Bill!
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Post by TRM on Jun 28, 2016 7:29:13 GMT -5
You've made some amazing strides these past couple weeks Bill! The old girl is looking close to being out to sea! Tidy work on the rigging! Tremendous effort that is paying off! Are you ready to dive into something made of wood yet?
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 28, 2016 9:55:36 GMT -5
Dierk, I know, it's become such a disaster! What will the commodore say about that when he discovers he had nowhere to sit! Leon, thanks as always! Todd, almost there, won't be long before the boilers will be at full steam! As for wood, that's a whole different animal for sure. Maybe some day who knows?
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 28, 2016 20:09:54 GMT -5
More progress in the details department today. The midships section received its remaining elements in the form of the small dinghies and their davits, the main-to-boat deck access ladders and platforms, the small loading cranes, and the large rafts that attach to the superstructure. Once all of that was in place, I added the railing section and had to modify it slightly by removing the top chain section underneath the 5-inch gun as that was the only way the barrel could clear the railing properly. I can't install the remaining 2 whaleboats and their davits until after I have the stern railings in place due to the way they overhang and interact, so next up will be getting the rest of the stern details squared away before I come back to the last of the boats.
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Post by dierk on Jun 29, 2016 2:18:38 GMT -5
Nice job! Nearly there.
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 29, 2016 10:04:50 GMT -5
So the voices keep whispering Dierk!
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Post by armorguy on Jun 29, 2016 12:11:17 GMT -5
This is too crazy for words, I'm falling in love with a damn boat !
Exeptional Billd brotha Bill !
This -again- is something...
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 29, 2016 13:14:14 GMT -5
This is too crazy for words, I'm falling in love with a damn boat ! Exeptional Billd brotha Bill ! This -again- is something... Don't worry AG, ships have a way of doing that to you if you're not careful! Thanks for the comments!
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martslay
Full Member
Member since: February 2016
Posts: 1,113
Feb 7, 2016 9:41:13 GMT -5
Feb 7, 2016 9:41:13 GMT -5
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Post by martslay on Jun 29, 2016 13:47:42 GMT -5
Magnificent work, Bill!!!!
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 29, 2016 21:23:37 GMT -5
Thanks Martin! Heading down the homestretch now on this one, managed to square away a few more details today. I assembled the turrets for the 8-inch guns and test fit them to make sure the barrels wouldn't droop due to the weight of the brass barrels. Sure enough, they needed some help to stay at the proper elevation so I braced the barrels in position with some blobs of blue tack while the glue grabbed and set. Once that was done, a quick dose of Future, a dot filter treatment followed by a pin wash, and voila! Both were ready to take their place on the hull. I managed to get all of the stern main deck details installed as well along with the rear turret. Then the railings were shaped, painted, and installed followed by the remaining whaleboats and their davits. All that's left is the bow section details and railings and she will be ready to hit the high seas. End is near!
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Post by Leon on Jun 30, 2016 4:28:39 GMT -5
Almost time to break out the champain bottle Bill!
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 30, 2016 9:05:05 GMT -5
Almost time to break out the champain bottle Bill! All I need is some 1/232 glasses!
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 30, 2016 17:10:31 GMT -5
Yesterday was the stern, today it was the bow! First order of business involved getting the kit-supplied anchor chains properly threaded underneath the 8-inch turret and set to equal lengths. I used some Gator Grip Thin Blend glue to secure the chain on the inside of the turret housing and then installed the turret in position on the main deck. Some small pieces of masking tape held the ends against the hull so there would be enough tension in the chains while the glue set. That cleared the way for the installation of the rest of the bow fixtures. Once they were in place, I ran the bracing lines for the foremast that I'd left off previously to avoid them being in the way and creating a snag hazard. The final lap involved adding the railings and hooking up the anchors to the chains. The chain isn't large enough to fit in the eyes of the anchors, so I used black sewing thread to secure them in place along with a drop of CA to lock it down. Then the anchors were placed and the natural droop of the chain created with the slack left over as a result of the previous care in lining things up. Last but not least, I added the lower booms for the schooner rig in their mount holes as the final detail. Bow's quite the crowded space! And, with that, Olympia was ready to set sail! More pics up in the Gallery.
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Post by Leon on Jun 30, 2016 17:28:44 GMT -5
Excellent finish on the Olympia Bill! You really did an awesome job.
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 30, 2016 18:42:24 GMT -5
Thanks Leon!
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Post by TRM on Jun 30, 2016 20:46:07 GMT -5
Congrats on getting this one out of port! Fantastic job! A lot of eye candy to this ship!
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Post by wbill76 on Jun 30, 2016 21:22:00 GMT -5
Thanks Todd! It was a fun project, doubly so as it's for a good friend of mine who I've known for years and is a retired history teacher.
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Post by dierk on Jul 1, 2016 2:00:32 GMT -5
Fabulously fine floaty!
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S e r z h
Full Member
Member since: November 2014
RIP- December 2023
Posts: 650
Nov 30, 2014 16:08:40 GMT -5
Nov 30, 2014 16:08:40 GMT -5
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Post by S e r z h on Jul 1, 2016 2:21:09 GMT -5
Bill - excellent result!!!
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Post by Tojo72 on Jul 1, 2016 6:53:27 GMT -5
Finished up real nice Bill
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flmlm
Full Member
Member since: March 2016
Crack open that kit and smell the build ????
Posts: 170
Mar 16, 2016 8:56:08 GMT -5
Mar 16, 2016 8:56:08 GMT -5
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Post by flmlm on Jul 1, 2016 8:11:10 GMT -5
that is just a fine piece of art right there. Rigging looks fabulous!
Regards Mike
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Post by wbill76 on Jul 1, 2016 10:23:56 GMT -5
Thanks Serzh, Dierk, Anthony, and Mike! Glad you like how she turned out.
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Post by wouter on Jul 8, 2016 4:17:41 GMT -5
Well, I sure missed out a lot...luckily there is facebook . What an awesome finish Bill, think she's even cooler than the Texas, and that one was pretty cool already! Cheers
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Post by panzerjager2 on Jul 8, 2016 9:09:44 GMT -5
I've been away from the forum for awhile...... MAN DID I MISS THIS ONE......... Looks awesome
Nice work
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Post by wbill76 on Jul 8, 2016 10:14:24 GMT -5
Thanks Wouts! I enjoyed it a lot, each ship has its own character and this one was very steam punk with the era and armament arrangement! That and the bigger scale provided a lot of opportunity. Olympia is the same hull length virtually as the Texas but Texas was 1/350 vs 1/232. PJ, glad you found it just in time! Thanks for the comments as well.
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Wes
Full Member
Member since: November 2011
Posts: 686
Nov 16, 2011 9:34:50 GMT -5
Nov 16, 2011 9:34:50 GMT -5
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Post by Wes on Jul 9, 2016 11:25:35 GMT -5
Hey Bill
All I can say is wow. That is one beautiful model. Thanks for sharing the ride with us bud.
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Post by wbill76 on Jul 9, 2016 12:12:22 GMT -5
Hey Bill All I can say is wow. That is one beautiful model. Thanks for sharing the ride with us bud. My pleasure Wes! Glad you enjoyed how it turned out.
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thug626
Senior Member
Member since: January 2013
Posts: 1,779
Member is Online
Jan 15, 2013 13:05:28 GMT -5
Jan 15, 2013 13:05:28 GMT -5
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Post by thug626 on Jul 16, 2016 8:13:33 GMT -5
Good morning Bill. What an impressive piece of ocean going modeling you have built up. I am glad to have been able to follow this build.
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