Mintanic

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Chris. It Is basically a ply box.the bits are all ply and I used quick drying white primer/black/gold paint. In this weather it’s easy really! Know what you mean about proper model portholes.

For my big Titanic I made a template and used a permanent marker which worked well, however it didn't work this time hence the black dots. I didn’t put portholes on the Titanic as the hull is black and at a distance portholes are invisible unless lit up. I have white/silver/gold dots available now and was thinking of dotting the hull but it may be too much.

Not entirely convinced about the dots on the bow BUT without them it didn’t look quite right either. If necessary I can scrape a few off and repaint, and again, it was not meant as a scale model.

i may bath test it today to sort out the static ballast, for which I have cut pieces of lead to fit the pockets on the floor of the hull, but there will be further adjustment once I see it moving. Particularly the two 1800’s battleships I built have to sit slightly nose up when stationary as the nose dips when on the move.

Ashley

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

It may be "basically a ply box" but I am still impressed with the speed of build & I enjoy quirky models.

I hesitate to criticise other peoples builds, and I know that it is toy scale, but it is the portholes on the bow that grabbed my attention as well.

As you say add a good few feet away on the water & it will look different.

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

You know how ideas come to you when you are doing something completely different? I suspect that the bow porthole area is where I look for the name of the ship as used by the two Queens although I know that the Titanic had it lower on the hull although the Mintanic might not..

Edited By Chris E 1 on 16/06/2020 12:18:20

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Ashley

You have the Union Flag upside down. Most flags when flown upside down are a recognised distress signal ( which I suppose on this subject could be quite apt) Others could view it as treasonable in which case I hope the moat is flooded around the Tower of London so you won't get too bored!

Or maybe you are testing us?

Tim R

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Chris. Correctamundo. The Titanic name is on the black bit. I have not put the name on it although I have 3mm sticky gold letters left over from the titanic as I , well, you will see next week..

Tim. Whoops, well spotted. I will rectify…HOWEVER as I understand it there is no official rule as to which way up (as it were) the flag is flown. However as most people want to see it broad white up next to the pole I will do a quick cut`n`paste. Actually, it is too big and I will make another one. I thought it was a bit too big when I glued it on….it needs to be about the same size as the White Star flag.

C`est finis now. (other than the flag)

Notice the cunning black pinstripe indicating the separate decks and relieving the slab sided look of the superstructure. I have squared off the bridge windows, and added some half portholes to the roof bits.

A distant view has been included not to show the overgrown state of the garden (sorry, the luxurious growth) but to show that at any distance the bow portholes lose the prominence that the close up gives them.

As usual with close ups, the very small wooden bits are not as sharp as larger bits of wood, and I could have spent longer on them but couldn't be bothered for the purposes of the build (easy).

I have tested it in the bath and ballasted the boat for the stopped condition, and tested the propulsion. My word!!! is there some whoosh or wot out the back. Just possibly this is a "standard" 540 and not a 6-15V type, but hey ho, at Bushy we do not like the word "underpowered" , we will see as the bath test is usually very misleading.

Ashley

 

Edited By ashley needham on 16/06/2020 21:39:12

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Well, I suppose if you are just about to run into an iceberg then flying a distress flag might be appropriate.

Colin

[Kev.WParticipant @kev-w]

Ashley, may I draw your attention to the site of the foremost authority on flags etc. …..

College of Arms

….. they use the term "must", so somebody somewhere, at sometime, must have made a ruling.

Your guess is as good as mine.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Fair enough Kip. I sit corrected. However if I make one I cant guarantee a wide white stripe either above or below the red one!

Ashley

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Ashley

Absolutely agree that the extra lines make all the difference & yes distance does change things. Now I can see why you have time for all this modelling.

Only the UK could have a flag that most of us don't know if it is the right way up.

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

The story on the Union Flag goes something like this:

Private – Which way up does it go Sarge?

Sarge – Idiot, it is symmetrical so doesn't matter.

Major – We can't have some idiot put the flag upside down

King – Make a broader white stripe at the top near the pole so we know which way is up.

Extraordinarily British!

Tim R

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Cut the offending article off and trimmed it a bit…however the flags have not been stuck on the cocktail stick evenly so one side is uneven. Ho hum. I could check the rest as some will be ok but..

The American flag it should have is too complicated to simplify and hand-do, so…..I may buy some American flag cocktail sticks and cut one of them down..yes, that’s the solution!

Looks like a nice day to test the Mintanic.

Chris. I had already planned to put the lower line on, but it struck me that there are other decks that could be simulated with another stripe. The “gallery” was also planned and is again pinstripe tape after a flash of inspiration (I was going to mask and paint it on) but there it was already on the roll!

QM coming on well.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Popped to Wickes this morning as it was raining to get 4mm ply for a box and the next boat…

Am trying to resist building a box for the Mintanic and it’s alternative top as I am a bit worried it will be a bit wobbly on the water and require some bilge keels which of course then won’t fit in the carefully tailored box!

Have cut sanded and am painting another 20 small lifeboats, have “super detailed” the Mintanic with the application of a few more lines and windows on the rear face of the superstructure. Would like to have put some lines on the front but the sides do not quite match. The pinstripe was done “by eye” and the difference is minor (and doesn’t matter as you can only see one side at a time) but stops me joining them together levelly on the front!

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Nice.

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

I like light hearted models & this is a goodun.

Is there going to be a 2 funnel (QE?) variant?

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Cheers Chris. Exactly what it was meant to be.

I had called this my “Queen Mary” top, but that clever Sir Colin pointed out that the SS Paris bears perhaps an even stronger resemblance to the top, but having googled liners from that period, it looks like many of the three funnelled types. They differ mostly in the detail, and of course detail is what I am missing here.

With a slightly different repaint on 4 funnels it could quite easily become the Lusitania, or the Olympic of course with just the addition of a few more lifeboats!

i may make a 2 funnel top just so there is a visible difference between the 4 and 3 funnel types. I shall look for something with funnels other than Yellow Ochre, red, or black (as black is boring). Suggestions here please!

Ashley

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm.

There is plenty of choice if you remove the yellow, red & black funnel restrictions. The United States and La France both had "interesting" funnels but the colour………..

Plenty of interesting funnels (like Norway in her blue funnel years) had non black hulls.

Sticking to your requirements there are obviously the Blue Funnel fleet, although they tended to be smaller, and the Red Star line which with something like the Westernland or the Pittsburgh also having interesting funnel shapes. Not as iconic but definitely distinctive.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

See, there is an issue here in trying to get those visual cues in.

I have seen a couple of red two funnelers with three or four masts, which would be distinctive however I may not have the hull length to put 4 masts on without it looking like a wood!

Could make the masts thinner I suppose.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

How about blue funnels with wings?

**LINK**

or red, white and blue?

**LINK**

Colin

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

I have never thought of masts as being all that important on most ships. Yours are heavy & too have more might make it look like one of those modern tall ship cruise adventures

There is always the SS Rotterdam which did appear with a black hull but whether you could make it suit the style of your basic hull………………. .

SS Rotterdam 1

Rotterdam Black Hull

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Colin. Like the blue, but the hull is also blue? couldn't bring myself to make an American liner..

Chris. Yes nice ship however I am not sure you could get the two tiered lifeboat look which appears to be one of the defining features. The masts are a bit heavy but only to fit with the "easy" ethos of the build (two bits of dowel), it is possible that smaller masts would appear to be too much in scale and thus out of scale with the rest of the non-scale build….does that make sense??

I think that a.n.other top would have to be something from a similar vintage to suit the side window/deck layout.

However. Boating by bike/car&walking tomorrow to test out the Mintanic!!! I am anticipating a bit of wobble. I HAVE made the box now (so NORTY) but there is room for bilge keels of a decent size if required.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ok. So, a bit later at the pond due to rain but nice at 10 ish, and remained sunny.

Mintanic went really well. Not too much rolling, however it was grossly overpowered, as on full throttle the nose was in the air and the stern below the surface. This looked funny other than water then cascaded over the rear deck….so….a replacement 385 will be ordered. Dry inside otherwise (and it wasn't bad).

I may fit bilge keels on it perhaps as its easy and I have room in the box.

Pictures look good on the water. A couple of the slightly further out pics look just like the real thing??

Ashley    couple more snaps in Mintanic album

Edited By ashley needham on 21/06/2020 17:55:27

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Remarkably effective Ashley, I'm impressed. I think I slightly prefer the red top but both are good.

Pond looks OK too.

Colin

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I like the one with four yellows and the White Star Line flag. You could cut out a pic of my grandfathers Titanic hammer and put in on deck -for added realism.

I agree Colin, lovely pond!

George

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Very nice – I have a slight preference for the QM as well.

In the photos I think that she gives the impression of being larger than she actually is. I seem to remember that she had to fit in a 24in long box which would suggest a length of around 23in and a beam of around 4ins. She looks larger.

 

 

 

Edited By Chris E 1 on 22/06/2020 11:15:15

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Thanks chaps. I am quite happy with it, and it looks as intended (smart, sharp paintwork, looking a bit like something it should do). I am going to remove a few portholes from the bow. I will leave the first one, then remove the next two to leave a group at the rear ( of the bow).

The Red funnels do give it an edge as they are more striking? With the red funnels it does actually look more like the SS Paris, and I think I will make a little French flag. The Paris is nearer the period..started 1913 but not completed until 1921) and the sides of the superstructure are a good match for the Titanic, not to mention having cranes forward! Although, and I have not done any research…it looks like it may have been remodelled at some stage, anyway….

The boat is about 22 inches with a beam of just over 4. As there is nothing in the photos to scale it against then of course it is difficult to estimate true size. eventually it will appear alongside the Titanic and all will be revealed!

Ashley.

 

Edited By ashley needham on 22/06/2020 11:34:37

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