Help required for building Billings Bluenose II “600”

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

John,

I completely forgot to say that I'm truly delighted to hear that you are pleased with the results of the paint job!

As a general rule, I would say that yes, airbrush painting is tad more likely not to lead to bleeding, as sprayed-on paint doesn't go around corners very well. However, it is not a certainty that there will never be any bleeding, as this depends on a combination of how well the masking is pressed down and the angle at which the paint is sprayed on.

Is there any chance we might be treated to a photo or two of the now painted hull?!

Mattias

[John Arnold 3Participant @johnarnold3]

Hi Mattias

What a great idea to sew the 'lines' using a thread coloured a few shades darker than the cloth supplied. I really didn't like the look of models I had seen and images of the real boat do not show the joins nearly as much which looks a heap better.

Here are a couple of photos taken with my mobile phone camera. You will not the rudder has not yet been attached and the white 'water line' not yet applied. Also there are areas of the aft area on the sides below the rail not painted – they were just too small for me to attempt to paint. The line between the white rail and the black sides of the hull are not particularly good either but I just can't get those improved.

I will now work towards applying the 2mm white pinstripe at the water line, attach all the stuff on the deck. I have decided to get some 'blackener' to apply to the chain and also the eye bolts and also the copper wires supplied for the deadeyes and winches etc, Hopefully that will arrive before Easter.

Once again I have had to resort to peering at the videos on deck of the real Bluenose to better understand where many of the eyebolts are attached to the rail and deck as the plan is NOT 'user friendly' and also appears to show more eye bolts that what are supplied and in places which don't seem to be correct. For example the plan of the deck appears to indicate that there are at least 4 eye bolts which I have no idea why. If you still have the plane have a look between the main mast and stern at places marked 34 and 38. All the plan shows is a small circle which appears to be an eyebolt. There also are marked each side of the helm something I have no idea what. Some places have what appear to be a 'wooden block' or pulley. I have to continually compare the deck plan with the side view to work it out. I guess once I have finished this model I will be better 'equipped' to build another although I'm not sure if I ever will although I am getting a lot of satisfaction building this one (together with a lot of frustration)

John

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Don't be disheartened John, unlike most plastic kits where the bits usually fit together nicely, larger model boat kits are en entirely different ball game. Quality can differ considerably between manufacturers and even within the range of a single manufacturer. Common problems, as you have discovered, can include inconsistency between drawings and kit contents, poor quality materials and fittings and incomprehensible instructions. Some Billings kits are known to suffer from several of these faults and are perhaps not the best choice for a beginner but of course if they are the only manufacturer who offer the particular subject you want then you have no choice.

Kits are frequently not entirely true to scale due to compromises made by the manufacturer to keep costs down, simplify the manufacturing process or enhance practical performance.

If you want a 100% accurate (or near 100%) then you need to scratch build from accurate drawings. There are a vast range of plans available to meet all skill levels although the lower the skill level the less accurate the plan is likely to be. But if course the plan, whether highly or less detailed, will only reflect the vessel at a particular time which is a frequent cause of headaches for warship builders.

In the case of a subject like Bluenose II, the original vessel will have been significantly modified over its lifetime for practical reasons so unless a kit is periodically updated it will fall off in accuracy for this reason as well.

On a positive note, the kit I am currently building as a review model for the magazine is fisrt class in terms of instructions, quality of materials etc. and is going together very well indeed. Some minor compromises have been made to ease construction and enhance performance but they are unnoticeable when the model is on the water.

Once you have signed off on Bluenose II give us some idea in general terms of what you might be interested in building next and we will be very happy to give you unbiased advice.

Colin

[John Arnold 3Participant @johnarnold3]

Thanks Colin,

Indeed I went into this kit build completely 'blind' and didn't even think of looking for a suitable forum to seek advice until I started the build and ran into problems. And I chose the Billings due to its overall model size as the 1:75 was too large for me to display. Also not knowing of the problems you and others have mentioned.

I had originally considered building a 'square rigger' but liked the look of the schooner much better and thankfully didn't get a 'square rigger' as it seems the hulls are much more difficult to build with the tight and reverse bends of the planks.. A larger scale kit (1:75) would have been much less fiddly (I am having to use a powerful lighted magnifying glass to do a lot of the work with the 1:100 kit) and offered also by Artesania and the user manual I have viewed online looks heaps better not only in color but in information.

BTW what is the manufacturer of the kit you are currently building.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

John,

I don't want to mention it just yet! It doesn't have sails though.

If 'wooden wall' type models appeal to you then you could take a look at Jotika's Nelson's Navy range but don't start with HMS Victory or Agamemnon!

Their Sherborne cutter makes a really attractive model and is suitable for beginners:

**LINK**

Check out the reviews:

**LINK**

Once you master the basic techniques on the simpler models the word is your oyster.

Colin

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

John

I am sure we have all had kits that have poor instructions. I have just finished a Graupner Bernhard Gruben kit. The instructions, in English anyway, were quite basic and left much of the details to the 3 large plans.

The hardest bit was the the lower superstructure which came as a vac forming which didn't fit the coaming moulded into the deck. But I got there in the end and no one will know the changes I have made.

Your painting looks fine to me and the next model will benefit from the experience you have built up with this one.

Tim

[John Arnold 3Participant @johnarnold3]

Help! Sorry I always seem to be in this 'state'.

Just received my order of Master Blackening Agent for photo etched parts and gun barrels but no instructions. The bottle states to go to a web site (**LINK** which I might say has some interesting information about planes and vehicles but could be applied to timber boats) BUT there is no reference to the product I purchased.

Obviously it is corrosive so gloves should be warned but how to use it. Immerse the object in it and/or paint it on the object but leave the solution on for how long before washing with water? I don't want to dissolve away my fragile chain etc. Any suggestions.

I decided to stain/varnish the 44 deadeyes but found the holes for the rope had partly been covered so out with a .7mm drill bit to ream out. Lots to do! It keeps me off the street though.

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

John on the website in your link click on the "Products in detail" heading in the black menu banner, then when the new page opens click on the "Brass burnishing" heading in the left hand menu display. That should give you all the information that you need.

[John Arnold 3Participant @johnarnold3]

Thanks Keith,

Yes I have discovered since my post that "blackening" (the name on the product I purchased) is also "burnishing". I have been searched at that web site and also via google search "blackening" and finding little if nothing until one hit also mentioned "burnishing". I wonder why the manufacturer labels that product as "blackening agent" and not "burnishing agent" for the uniniatiated? On their web site there are references to "burnishing" but not "blackening".

[John Arnold 3Participant @johnarnold3]

I watched the video at the link I mentioned and also found quite a few webs site showing how to use BURNISHING solution on large objects such as gun barrels and photo etched brass but nothing on eye bolts and very small brass chains (links 1.5mm long made from very thin brass wire). Maybe photo etched brass is also very thin. I don't have any to look at.

Mind you according to the internet the word BURNISHING relates to POLISHING and not BLACKENING in almost all Google search hits I got. Banjoman, Cornwall boats and local hobby shops here also refer to the solution as BLACKENING (just trying to defend myself for those who wonder what planet I have been living on ).

[Author]

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