Scratchbuilding Miniature Steam & Motorships

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Miniature Shipbuilding

Small Steamers & Motor Ships

I am pleased to announce that this download is now available, price £2.99.

41 Pages, A4. 9,526 words, 71 images, five plans.

Please click the link and scroll down a bit after it opens to read the synopsis.

I wrote this in answer to nurmous requests on how to make a start in miniature shipbuilding –

**LINK**

[Adrian TullettParticipant @adriantullett16532]

Excellent piece of work. Looking at your models I thought I could never achieve that, but this gives a great starting point. Looking forward to reading this thoroughly later.

Adrian

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Bob,

Just bought and downloaded. No problems. I look forward to reading it.

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Adrian & Colin. I produced this one because of a number of requests from modellers who wished to get into this sort of thing, but were not sure where to start – plans, tools, materials etc. I suppose the beauty of it is that it doesn't cost much. Probably the glue is the most expensive item. I am hoping to get back to model shipbuilding very soon now. I have been delayed recently by the dreadful weather with freezing cold and rain most of the time. I like to start by making the cases first, and this requires me to work outside for a while. At last it looks like the weather is improving, with a mild day, blue skies, but high winds at the moment.

Bob

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Bob,

May I take it that this latest e-publication would be superfluous to requirement if one already has several of your printed books?

Kind regards,

Mattias

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Mattias,

I always try to introduce something new into each one, and I would say that although some of it could be considered repetitive, it was written in answer to the oft-repeated claim that there is a lack of plans of merchant ships. Included in this download are General Arrangement plans of the British coasters Helen Craig, Signality, Charles M and Adaptity. Also the tug SA Everard. Plus a list of books that contain numerous plans of merchant ships Although the plans of SA Everard, have already appeared in one of my free download that you probably have. Below is the profile of the Signality, drawn by myself. As usual, there are no warships in the download.

Best wishes

Bob

 

 

Edited By Bob Wilson on 09/03/2020 07:07:37

[pete grahamParticipant @petegraham99294]

Hi Bob,

The book stall at our village summer fete sometimes turns up the most unexpected treasures…..this was last year, seven pristine hard back " Model Shipwright" volumes bound together with a large rubber band and offered at £1 for the lot. These were all issued during 1972 and 1973. I think you may well guess what's coming next !!.

I found your excellent feature about waterline sailing ships and amongst other things, was most intrigued by your somewhat singular constructional methods and materials. Great stuff..

I started modelling ships in the early 50s and the old faithful balsa cement was the de rigeur adhesive but I do remember also cajoling the "chippy" into parting with rubber solution and foul smelling stuff which was probably rabbit glue. Regarding my range of "fixatives" now I often wonder how we all got on without Super glue and 5 minute epoxy.

Will be in touch later re " download".

With Regards

Pete

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Pete,

Thanks. That was a bargain, two year's worth for £1. At that time, I was still at sea, and would be for a further 20 years! I had only just started making miniatures at that time, so they were just average. In later years, John Bowen, the editor of Model Shipwright, contacted me and asked if I would like to become a regular contributer, and I agreed. I produced something for every issue from number 127 through to 144. After that, it became annual rather than quarterly, and I contributed to each issue from 2010 to 2013 inclusive when they ceased publication.

The above download has been my most successful ever, I am pleased to say.

Best wishes

Bob

[pete grahamParticipant @petegraham99294]

Hi Bob, Just spotted a 1973 Model Shipwright at £9.49. !!

John Bowen's miniature merchant ship plans, superb…. made a number of models from his 2 later manuals but unable to trace in the trade what I think would be his first book published in 1973 . Had drawings of BP tanker British Endurance which I was familiar with . In fact, I think this was his only example of a tanker.

I t was interesting to see the several features presented by P.N Thomas , I had some good telephone chats with him about tug boats on the Tyne which my grandfather was involved in.

Best Wishes

Pete

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Pete,

His first book was Waterline Ship Models. If you look in **LINK**

You will find a number of them, but most in the USA. The UK listings are too expenisve to consider. They sometimes turn up on Ebay or Amazon though.

I built this one of the Carmania from a John Bowen miniature plan! I photographed it from a low angle and added the reflection via the PC.

Bob

[pete grahamParticipant @petegraham99294]

Hi Bob,

Thank you for link and info. UK is way over the top for me and not too keen about the US but will review.

Your photo of Carmania is astonishing, As for the model, of course I immediately notice the rigging and must ask if you increased the scale from Bowen's 1200 drawings. . Pretty damn good at any scale though !!.

Bets Wishes

Pete

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Pete,

Thanks, The rigging on the Carmania was something and nothing, it only took a couple of hours using wire. Even sailing ships are no big deal with the rigging, just a bit tedious. If you look at my photographs, on the left under my name, you will see loads of my models, sail and steam. Yes, I enlarged the Bowen plan of Carmania to 32 feet to 1 inch (1/384).

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Cunard's Arabia –

Bob

[pete grahamParticipant @petegraham99294]

Hi Bob, I have thoroughly enjoyed the content of "Miniature Shipbuilding . plenty to think about and intrigued by your constructional methods.

I am interested in your execution of rigging , ( rigging seems to be a foible of mine) and have tried your method in a mockup mast arrangement with success , I am not, though, a great fan of contact adhesive on my 1200 scale. and I later tried a couple of alternatives both of which worked well. …..a needle point dab of matt varnish ( Rustins) and the other one was the same application of PVA wood glue……this was " Goliath" brand which seems to be somewhat superior to other PVAs. I think that probably the smaller scale assists the initial placement of the rigging. but I will be doing some more experiments.

Pete.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Pete,

Thanks. I am not all that keen on contact adhsesive myself (too stringy) and I am constantly searching for alternatives. I have had some success lately just using clear acrylic that can be applied by a paint brush. It does stick very well, as acrylic is in itself an adhesive, but it doesn't grip immediately. So I am trying the tiniest spot of contact adhesive to grip it, backed up with liquid acrylic.

Bob

[pete grahamParticipant @petegraham99294]

Hi Bob, Contact adhesive would no doubt be the ideal fix if it could just respond like, say PVA. I use acrylic paints , not for modelling though, but I didn't know that there was a clear one.. It does sound very promising used with a speck of contact. Sort of belt and braces.

I dabbled with blobs of 5 minute epoxy on the end of paired down matchsticks for ventilator cowls….filed and shaped they looked pretty good but funny stuff that epoxy…..even a small blob "runs" and you have to keep turning to keep it in place until it gels. Probably a waste of time , I might try it with rigging but I think the same problem might happen.

But it all makes scratch building a very absorbing pastime

Pete..

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Pete,

Cowl ventilators are not much of a problem with the method shown on page 20/21 of the steamers download, but it does require a small handheld battery powered drill to cut the small paper disks. In the example, I used a cocktail stick for the shaft, as it was round to begin with, and maybe easier for some modellers to deal with. But for myself, I always use straightened copper wire or brass rod for the shafts. The clear acrylic I uses is Liquitex Acrylic Gloss Medium and Varnish That is a single product with a long name Artists use it.

Bob

[pete grahamParticipant @petegraham99294]

Hello Bob, I have some very small bore brass tube which might sharpen up to make discs to my scale and will probably try it. The epoxy cowls worked , well enough despite "creep" but my preferred production method is by blobbing solder onto the end of copper wire of appropriate size.and then filing to shape. This idea may have come from Bowen but . He also advocated cowl production from Turnip seeds , cut in two and hollowed out. I honestly thought that I would rather plant my turnip seeds and eat the result.

Well Rigging (again). The matt varnish not such a good idea as not totally reliable. BUT the PVA method, I am happy with but tests ongoing. I found that placement of rigging was easier by fixing one end first and then when secure follow up with the other end, The acrylic varnish sounds a useful material, when things settle down I'll get some from our local art shop. Assuming the guy is still in business.

I made a model (1200) of a T2 tanker (BP Oil) about 4 years ago. I use it as a test rig. and so far it has had about 4 changes of superstructure, davits, boats . pipelines, funnels and vents. Currently it is masts and rigging..

Pete

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