A new beginning

R

Ron

Member
Jan 12, 2004
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Toronto, Canada
Larry, I've taken the plunge. You are without a doubt, the prime instigator of this madness. I won't post the name of this particular model because it is WAY over my head. Thank goodness for scanners as I'm prone to messing up all of the time :) If all goes well, I'll continue to post as we go along.

I've followed your advice and used a stiffer board for the formers. As it turns out, the old, faithful mounting board works well but is killer on the blades and fingers.

Here's my first foray into cutting out formers of this magnitude. Hopefully, tomorrow will be far more productive and the name of the ship *might* be revealed. The shear size of this beast has me shivering. Anyways...Master and Commander is beckoning....

Ron
 
Ron,

I couldn't be prouder if you were my own son! Lay in a good supply of #11's and have at it! Slow and steady, and chuck those #11's like they're used chewing gum and you'll be through the thick tough stuff in no time at all!

I certainly recognize those Roman Numeraled bulkheads...so I'm fairly confident in guessing that its a "Shipyard" kit. Might it be our beloved "Bounty"!!!???

I wait on pins and needles to find out, and to follow someone ELSES progress for a change! :D

Permission to come aboard, Captain!

Max
Captain, HMS Cleopatra
Paper Navy of the Bear Flag Republic
 
Ron

A well bitten bullet I reckon.
If I might suggest an alternative approach for hacking through thick card.
A No. 11-911 blade (1991 in some places) in a Stanley cutting knife.
The cutting action is of course a bit different but it's easier to hold, far less trying and much more powerful.
A little practice gives results much better than a hard to control and tiring no. 11.
And it can even be used for the most delicate and detailed ordinary work.

The bulkhead shape would fit the 18th Century so I go with Larry.

Maurice
 
I might be covering the same ground as Maurice but I'm not familiar with
Stanley blade numbering.

I've found that using a cutter with break off blades works well with
thick card - the sort of knife carpet layers use The blade is stiffer (because
its wider) than a #11 blade and you just break off a segment of the blade to
get a sharp edge. One of the myriad manufacturers of this sort of cutter is NT
although I think Stanley has one too.

Regards,

Charlie
 
You guys are too kind :) Thanks for the warm welcome! I almost feel like I've entered into some kind of brotherhood. The blade advice thankfully worked as my fingers are feeling it today. I'm using the #11's now strictly for the tighter curves and the huge Olfa snapoff for all of my straight cuts. It was a bit of a pain doing the small vertical incisions to release the scrap where the ribs fit in but I discovered that by overshooting the mark by a slight bit allowed the piece to be cleanly cut. Let me get the majority of the formers cut and we'll steer this ship out of the fog bank. Pics to come...

On another note, how similar are these huge paper ships to the wooden versions? I have visions of cutting planking from veneer.... (maybe I'm just nuts and should be hiding my own Easter eggs...you'll let me know right?) :) Copper cladding sounds like a project too!

All my best
Ron
 
Might be of some help - I use a chisel blade to clean up the end of a cut with
heavy card - means you don't have to fiddle around trying to slightly extend a cut with a snapoff or #11.

Regards,

Charlie
 
Hi Ron,

Plank on Frame wooden models just use wood...., substitute paper for wood and the technique is identical except the material works differently. Some of the older ship modeling literature covers making scratch built models using paper...., and yep, they frame an eggrate and plank it with paper. The method used in these models uses the eggrates and a two layer planking technique. The first layer is more like a plating layer while the second is definitely a planking layer.

You can keep your #11 blade sharp by buffing or stropping the edge with polishing compound. Make sure buff in the right direction. This will bring the blade to an incredibly sharp edge. I'm still using the same xacto blade I had in the knife 6 monts ago. It also works for chisel blades and really allows clean corners to be cut. One other point, while we're on the subject, you can ease the slot cuts by using a friskars micro tip scissor. They will cut right up to the end without distorting the card stock. The end cross cut can be eased by grinding down one of the chisel blades to the correct width and buffing to a scalpel sharp edge.

Best regards, Gil
 
Just letting you all know I haven't abandoned the project :) The internal formers are starting to stack up like a 3d topographical map. Hopefully most will be cut out this weekend as I'm anxious to start building the hull.
Anyone need anything from the art supply store?The mounting board is running low.... Thanks for all the blade advice guys. Gil, what do you use to strop with other than polishing compound? Visions of a barber and a huge leather strap are coming to mind. Hmmmmm what was that name? the HMS _ _ _ _ _ _ _. The fog is lifting
 
The HMS Victory is almost ready to leave the boneyard and start becoming a ship. My fingers are caloused and numb but every minute was worth it :) There are about 10 more formers remaining for the main hull and then we can see things come together. At 1:96, this ship is HUGE!
The formers in the pic are sitting on a full size cutting mat.

Larry, this is your fault!!! and I'll keep reminding you of this... :wink:
 
And thus the insanity begins... :D
If you could remind me, you started this project, why???
Seriously, I read your posts about cutting out the reinforced formers. Where did you get the so-called "chip board" from? And is it 1mm or thicker. Just planning ahead for my own "rubber room" project. :lol:
Now, rest those fingers a bit, there's probably a whole lot more to go. :shock:
Good luck! We're all behind you 100%...shaking our heads, of course, but behind you none the less.
Jim
 
Jim, I've always wanted to attempt building a ship model ever since seeing the master model makers at work in a museum here in Toronto.
Financial woes or other issues have always prevented me from doing it. Cardmodels never burn that big a hole in the pocket :) Larry's build and then seeing Master and Commander drove me over the edge.
That 'chipboard' I found was exactly 1mm but wasn't quite stiff enough. The illustrator board/ artists mounting board is just slightly over 1mm and when the formers are printed on 20lb copier paper then glued, they fit the slots on the Shipyard kit perfectly.
Thanks for the encouragement! I hope to see you in here too. The rubber room doesn't seem so bad when you've got people to talk to and you don't have a need any longer to hide your own Easter eggs :)
 
Ron

May I at this point recommend the purchase of
"The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships" by C. Nepean Longridge currently published by Nexus Special Interests
ISBN 1-85486-122-0
First published in the late 50's it remains the all time definitive work on both the construction of a model of HMS Victory and the details of the construction of the original.

I also have the Conways book referred to in the Cleo thread. Good, but I find it not as informative.

Maurice
 
Congrat's Ron! THE VICTORY! WOW! :o You are one brave man! So, are you going to post the progress pics in the "To Build A Ship" forum? It's been waiting for quite a while for a Victory model! (Where did you go Gil?)(...and Darwin!...I haven't forgotten about your Constitution, either!) Though I'm lagging a bit in my Cleo construction, I'll be back at it this week, for sure!

Again, congrats on 1) your start of the Victory ....MAN, that thing is HUGE!..., and 2) Belated Happy Birthday! ..Mine's Friday :D ....see, we'll grow old together building our boats!

Welcome aboard Captain!

Max
Captain, HMS Cleopatra
Paper Navy of the Bear Flag Republic
 
Hi Max,

I'm here..., just got totally distracted again...,

HMS Victory's frame is cutout, trial fitted and ready to be glued. One problem is that I've got to clean up my shop in order to have enough space to work on it. This is one big model. This fact should be hitting Ron any day now.

In the interim I've been working on a project that I've kept quiet till now and will have more to say on it in a few weeks when the test builds wrap up.

Best regards, Gil[/u]
 
HMS Victory

Trafalgar Day, 200th anniversary, 21st October 2005. BIG Navy celebration planned, lots of other Navy vessels and crews invited. What hits the headlines? Should we invite the French and the Spanish? Should we even go ahead with the event, in case we upset the French and the Spanish?

Mon Dieu....

Tim

PS Ron, you need any pics, remember I don't need much persuasion to get the Honda out of the garage, put my leathers on and blast down to Portsmouth for you.....
 
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