SS POLITICIAN

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have made a fair bit of progress over the past few days.   In addition to work on the ship, I have also assembled the carrying case.

Quite a lot of fine detail to go on now, with the rails, about 40 cowl ventilators, deck machinery etc etc.

Bob

 

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

How did you do the lettering on the bow Bob – looks neat but pretty tricky to do.

 

She’s coming on fine. Still, I suppose it will be the thousands of whisky bottles which will take the time!

 

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Colin,

Lettering was no big deal.    I selected ARIAL BLACK on the computer and printed it large size with one space between each character.    I then scanned it to turn it into a jpeg.   Then I reduced it to the size I wanted, cloned it and  printed it onto self adhesive film (Safmat), cut it out and stuck it on.   When pressed on, the Safmat becomes virtually invisible.

 

Lot of whisky aboard, almost beyond comprehension really.   I believe they are still finding it and bottles can sell for as much as £2,000!

 

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Coming on nicely Bob…………….Got a good view count too!

 

Any chance of a close up shot of the superstructure?

 

There was a prog about this ship on the telly, some time ago, and quite a few people received very severe prison sentences for nicking large quantities of whoskie!

 

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Bob,

Here is a close-up of the accommodation.   Digital pictures are especially useful in miniatures because they show up what can easily be missed.   For instance, at the after end of the accommodation, you can see a blob of glue on the rails and a damaged upper bar.    I simply had not seen this when I fitted the rails.    Fortunately, I was able to pull the glue off with tweezers and straighten the bent bar.      I have not retouched this photograph in any way – you see it as it is!      I would recommend any model builder to take close-ups of their work and then look at them large-scale on the computer.    You will be surprised at what they show up.       At the same time, it should be remembered that a miniature model is best viewed as “a whole,”  from a distance of not less that one foot.       The rails incidentally, are 38 swg tinned copper wire, soldered in every joint and spray painted white.      The viewing figures are now soaring I see.     I wonder if it will encourage anyone else to try miniatures?      They certainly take up less room, cost virtually nothing to build and require less energy.       No especial skills are required, a lot of it is just “technique,”

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Bob,

Here is a close-up of the accommodation.   Digital pictures are especially useful in miniatures because they show up what can easily be missed.   For instance, at the after end of the accommodation, you can see a blob of glue on the rails and a damaged upper bar.    I simply had not seen this when I fitted the rails.    Fortunately, I was able to pull the glue off with tweezers and straighten the bent bar.      I have not retouched this photograph in any way – you see it as it is!      I would recommend any model builder to take close-ups of their work and then look at them large-scale on the computer.    You will be surprised at what they show up.       At the same time, it should be remembered that a miniature model is best viewed as “a whole,”  from a distance of not less that one foot.       The rails incidentally, are 38 swg tinned copper wire, soldered in every joint and spray painted white.      The viewing figures are now soaring I see.     I wonder if it will encourage anyone else to try miniatures?      They certainly take up less room, cost virtually nothing to build and require less energy.       No especial skills are required, a lot of it is just “technique,”

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 21/05/2009 07:54:01

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

PS

If you click twice on the above picture, you will get an even greater magnification.

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you Bob

 

I`ve discovered recently, that if you flit from page to page, to study the progress etc, the viewing count goes up accordingly!

So as the thread grows, the count goes up remarkably. especially, should a member wish to view all the thread.

 

Colin has been informed and there is a setting somewhere to prevent this, but I reckon that viewing page by page illustrates the interest being shown

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, I’ve checked it out with Technical Support. The viewing counter is linked to the page rather than the topic itself so on a multi page topic, if you start at page one and progress through to the end, the counter will increment pro rata. This of course can give anomalous readings depending on how you have set up your viewing preferences, I always go in under “latest posts” so my “count” is minimal and have my preferences set to display most recent posts first but if you click on a topic heading, go into page one and then click on the final page the counter will increment twice.

Apparently this is not considered to be of any consequence!

 

Colin 

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have now completed and fitted all the cargo winches and the windlass.   Am at present fitting the bulwark stanchions.   Tomorrow, I must make a start on the 40-odd cowl ventilators.   Not a difficult task, but a bit repetitive.    Each ventilator has to be made separately  in two pieces (cowl and shaft)  and then painted.   The larger ones are made completely from brass, but the smaller ones are made from wire, small paper disks (telex tape punchings) and glue.    More pictures tomorrow.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

This morning, I made and painted 53 cowl ventilators (gasp gasp).    The larger ones are turned from brass, the cowls being soldered to the shafts.   The smaller ones are copper wire with a circular telex tape punching superglue to the tops and the cowls formed with blobs of white glue.      I have probably made more than I need.   The brass ones are OK to make, but with the smaller ones, there are always a few rejects owing to irregularities in the drying of the glue.    The construction and painting of this lot took up 2.6 hours, but I will not fit them until tomorrow!

Bob

 

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The deck winches, windlass and the bulk of the cowl ventilators have now been completed and fitted.   Also the brass samson posts have been cut to size ready for the gantries, mast and derricks.         Still a lot of detail to go on though –  lifeboats, guardrails, more ventilators, miscellaneous small deck details as well as the derricks and rigging.

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

It`s coming on nicely now Bob!

 

Just noticed the burgandy deck colour?……..Is this common?

 

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Bob,

The deck colour isn’t burgandy, I think that is just a peculiarity of the digital camera.   It is actually red oxide spray  paint obtained from Halfords.   It was very common to paint decks in red oxide.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have recently completed the display case and carrying case.    My wife painted the sea yesterday.     The roller in front of it was used for rolling the plasticine sea into shape.

I can now go back to completing the ship.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I am now part way through making and painting the masts and samson posts/gantries.   There is still a lot of deck detail to go on though:   lifeboats, mooring bits, anchors, ladders, rails, skylights, water tanks, rigging an various other bits and pieces.

Bob

 

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

NORTH WEST MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
The next meeting of this ship-model society will be held on Saturday 6th June, 2009 in the Church Hall of:
The Church of Our Lady & St. Michael, Grimsargh, Lancashire.
The meeting commences at 1100, breaks for lunch 1230 – 1400 & meeting closes about 1600.
Guests, wives/partners and accompanied children welcome.
There is plenty of free parking in the Church grounds with disabled parking directly outside the door of the Church Hall.
Toilet facilities available. Coffee & tea-making facilities also available.
At lunch time, some members remain in the hall taking their own sandwiches, whilst other go to a local public house for lunch.
All types of model building it catered for ranging from plastic kits to the most superb plank-on-frame models. Members & guest are encouraged to bring models along either competed or part-built. All skill levels are also catered for & some of our members are simply “interested” in the subject, but do not actively build.

Hope to see some of you there.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

It is now complete forward of the bridge.   A bit of work to do on the accommodation and then the final rigging of the after deck cargo gear.

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Good Morning Bob

You have my total admiration I don’t know how you manage to work at an eye wateringly small scale and produce such perfect models.

Even at high magnification the detailing is exquisite and I am completely dumfounded at you ability to manipulate materials at this scale.

Paul

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hello Paul,

Thanks.   It is not all that small though, the hull is about 14 1/2 inches long and that is getting towards my upper limits in size.      With smaller models,  I do not have to worry about door handles, rivet heads, knots in rigging, ringbolts and a myriad of other tiny details or even the space I build them in.    Another important factor is the cost.   Cost of materials for this one have been very low as most of the materials were just lying around anyway.   The acryclic for the display case was the  most expensive at £2 a square foor, whilst the plasticine for the sea came a close second.      I am very pleased with the way it is turning out, but I will be glad when it is complete.     Whilst I am building them, I listen to “talking books” from the library.

Completion should be either later today or tomorrow.

Bob 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Bob…………….You`re little ship is coming on nicely now…….suppose we`ll only see it on the “water”…………..when it`s finished?

 

The name “Plasticine” brings back fond memories of Christmas Day in the 40`s………..we alway`s got a box of Harbutt`s modelling clay and it had a very nice distinctive smell……………only Plasticine had this genuine aroma!

 

Noticed recently, the name Harbutts is not on the product now….suppose the Patent has expired

 

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Present day Plasticine is not as good as Harbutts was, but I generally manage OK with it.

Completed the POLITICIAN at about 1730 BST today.   All done apart from a bit of cleaning up and looking for any small items I may have accidentally missed off.

Quite pleased with it, but glad it is finished.   I am usually getting a bit fed up of them towards the end – not much patience!

 

Bob

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Very nice Bob………………..The sea looks excellent……..Need to get a little closer please?

 

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Miniatures are not meant to be looked at too closely!    A photograph of a large model improves it, because the image, and all the errors, have shrunk.   In a miniature, the image is often larger than the original and all the errors are multiplied.      You only get a true image of a real ship if you look at it from a distance.   Too close and you tend to see rust, scabby paint, bent rails, and a myriad other defects.     Anyway, here is a close-up all the same.    My wife painted the sea, by the way.

Bob

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you Bob…………………..Your model looks excellent!……………The rigging is very neat and fine, especially the pulley blocks etc…………..nice sea too, your wife is an artist?

 

What`s next then?…………………….SS Great Britain?

 

Bob

[Author]

Posts