My Clyde Puffer

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Jim. Applying anything thicker other than paint over applied card plating will massively reduce the effect. Perhaps dope and then paint.

I’m no expert but plating on things like this (old fishing boats tugs puffers) always seems to me to be a bit random, especially at curves, ends..and so on. Then there is the scale thickness of the plating to worry about..

I suppose it depends on what look you want. Thickish paper may even look ok, as it catches the light and you will see faint lines representing the plating. My 4 foot Titanic has “a few” paper strips on the side and they notice quite well in providing an uneven surface to represent the plating. EVEN then….transatlantic liners don’t look “platey” when on the water, only close up.

A Great Eastern build, by the young Bob Abel, to a larger scale, used plasticard with punched rivet detail (punched from the rear to give rivet bumps.

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Jim, no amount of advice from anyone else can help you as much as studying real life pictures. Luckily Clyde Puffers were so common, and a number of them still exist, that good quality colour pictures are very easy to obtain. I would get yourself a few good close up colour shots and print them off on photo paper. Arrange them around your work area either pinned to the wall or even on document stands so you can study them as you play with your own model.

Just a quick glance at this picture will make you immediately aware of how the plate detail is not as noticeable as we sometimes like to think it is. As lot depends on light direction to determine how much we see. Take care not to over do it. The vertical joints in particular, in this case butt joints can only be determined from the rivets. At the front of Vital Spark you can clearly see a strake of plate at the top of the hull but look further back, you cannot see the plates at all. Even the bulwarks have to be zoomed into to see the rivets.

My point is this, be guided by real photos, not descriptions. You want your model to look like the real thing, so refer to the real thing.

 

The original that you can zoom into is here:

Vital Spark

Edited By Richard Simpson on 11/05/2023 09:06:55

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Hhmmmm… mostly all you can see is rust!! (Refer to Richards excellent “how to weather” articles).

Ashley

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thankyou everyone for your suggestions.

I have to say when I started to put the card on, ( temporarily ) straight away I could see that unless the butt joints were tight , there were going to be things that didn`t look quite right compared to the pictures I`d looked at. I posted the pictures to see what more experienced people thought and you`ve kindly answered. I`m just wondering now, if I used thinner card and lightly scored a line to perhaps represent a plate joint and rivet close to that line , that might be a better way to go. Or, as others have done, try plasticard. I`ve used that a lot on railway buildings I`ve made. I think the way I have tried with individual plates looks a bit odd. I would certainly seal over the card before attempting to paint anything. More experimenting to do.

Many thanks evryone……Jim.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Try experimenting with thinner card or even heavy paper and cut it into a single strake. Then score the vertical plate joints and add the rivets by running a ponce wheel along the edge from the back surface.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi Richard,

Just been looking at pounce wheels on line. I think that`s the way to go so will be ordering a set of three I`ve seen.

Many thanks…Jim

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

hi ya there

How's about making your own pounce wheel? Mine is made from an old cog from a 'windy up' alarm clock, a bit of tube which holds the cog wheel with a bolt through, allowing it to spin and an old file handle on the end.

Whilst looking for the picture of my home made pounce wheel, I came across a couple of images which may help you. The deck of the coaster is plated using cardboard and you can see where I have used the pounce wheel.

The other image is of a trawler which I plated with 0.5 plasticard.

john

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hello Jim,

By chance I just saw a brief clip of a guy painting a puffers hull on BBC 2 – DNA Family Secrets, may be worth getting on catch up ??

Regards Ray

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi John, thanks for the pictures, and that`s a useful piece of rivetting kit.

Ray, I`ll try and find that program on catchup, Sounds interesting. Anyone interested in steam would enjoy the series on Ch 5, The Big Steam Adventure with John Sargeant.

Best wishes Jim.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I'm enjoying the big steam adventure as well. The Stanley Steam Car this week was superb. One of these set a record speed of 127mph. The small steam launch was lovely too.

Colin

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

I've been watching that and enjoying it more than I thought I would. I did feel the small steam launch bounced around a little bit more than I would have expected though!

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Not watched the third one yet, but thought the steam tug in the first episode was a lovely sight.

Jim.

[John GilliesParticipant @johngillies82143]

I bought the abs hull out the magazine when it came out many moons ago. Lay in my loft since. Last year I finally made a start in it. On hold just now but hopefully get back to it soon. Loving this forum as I’m debating the plating just now so great hearing your ideas.

.

[John GilliesParticipant @johngillies82143]

[John GilliesParticipant @johngillies82143]

Posted by John Gillies on 17/06/2023 13:26:32:

 

Edited By John Gillies on 17/06/2023 13:27:32

[John GilliesParticipant @johngillies82143]

[John GilliesParticipant @johngillies82143]

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Hi John,

My apologies for not answering your post sooner but things are a bit hectic at home at the moment. Pleased to see you're having a go at the Puffer and I'm more than willing to share ideas as we go along. I've not been able to do anything to mine for about six weeks but I did start to plate the hull with card before I had to stop. As soon as things allow I'll be back building again. In the meantime good luck with your Puffer.

Regards, Jim.

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

I`ve taken a couple of pictures of my attempt at plating using card and a pounce wheel for the riveting.

This was as far as I got 2 months ago when I had to stop, owing to my wife having to go into the local Hospice and as I stayed in there with her, model building was out of the question. Unfotunately she has since died and there are many things to sort out.

One thing I was able to do was follow the forums and see what others were up to, in particular Neils beautiful completed Lifeboats. As soon as I`m able, I will be back continuing the Puffer build.

Jim.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Dear Jim,

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, my deepest sympathies to you and your family, If there is absolutely any kind practical help you need please let me know your not far away.

You already knew that my Gwen passed last year so we are both in the same boat now !!

Kindest Regards

Ray

PS you plating looks brilliant

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 21/07/2023 12:02:57

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Sorry to hear that as well Jim.

Chris

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Very sorry to read of your loss Jim. Please accept my sincere condolences.

George

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

My condolences too Jim. The last few years have meant that many of us have lost people close to us, including myself, and we are all faced with coming to terms wiith that. We all have to find our own way of coping with the situation and continuing with our lives. Not easy but there is a future.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 21/07/2023 18:02:14

[James Hill 5Participant @jameshill5]

Thankyou gentlemen for your kind words and thoughts. They were much appreciated. Once things eventually get sorted , the hobby and forum will will be of greater use.

Ray, thankyou for your offer of practical help. You, and others on here have provided a great deal of help since I joined the forum. I certainly wouldn`t have acheived as much without that help.

Many thanks once again, Jim.

PS. When looked at normally, the card riveting doesn`t look too bad. Taking a picture of it makes it look pretty dreadful.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Funnily enough Jim it was only when I posted a photo of some strakes I'd fitted that I realised I'd got the spacing wrong on one side! Fortunately they hadn't been on long and I hadn't used superglue so was able to get them off and refitted Ok.

Chris

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