Gamera

She's lookin' good Bakster! Good luck!!! 

 

Thanks, Cliff!

You can see where I drilled the hole. The wires feed to the bottom fine and the model rests in it well too. I made the hole with as little play as I can get away with. That will help support the arm.

The bottom is sanded flat eliminating the high spot, the stand washed, then it was primed. The color you see is a mix of Tamiya white and a touch of black giving it an off white. It is my starting point, a sort of white granite. Once weathered and with some accents added, it should look decent.

I know it's the journey, but I can't wait to see this one in it's finished state because the pieces are looking awesome.

I can't wait to see this one in it's finished state

Hey John, that makes two of us. Now that I am nearing completion, I don't think I have felt an anticipation like I am with this build. 

Thanks for following, and for enjoying the journey with me.

More to come!

I reckon that this would have to be the coolest model I've ever seen and I love your thought process. Most excellent and inspiring modelling!

Dodgy

Soon, My Friend Soon!

        I am still learning about washes and toning on figures. One thing at a time now! Client's  ship got a solid four hours of work on it yestidy!

Dodgy

I reckon that this would have to be the coolest model I've ever seen and I love your thought process. Most excellent and inspiring modelling!

Dodgy

 

Client's  ship got a solid four hours of work on it yestidy!

Nice! I love it when we can fit in a big chunck of build time.

Oh, For Sure!

    I like the journey we have taken here. I looked forward to it with Anticipation, I'll have you know! Great time and Great fun. Super exchange of Ideas and techniques. I will save the finished photo to my archives when you post it!

Tanker-Builder

Oh, For Sure!

    I like the journey we have taken here. I looked forward to it with Anticipation, I'll have you know! Great time and Great fun. Super exchange of Ideas and techniques. I will save the finished photo to my archives when you post it!

 

I must say this build was fun and productive. The stars aligned. Even though I am the person building it, it's been like watching someone else do it. Though, I can see the assemblies in person, I am relegated to imagination in how it will all look. 

I look forward to the stand weathered, seeing the boat mounted, the remaining PE installed, the windows in place, and the old girl lit up. AND-- I have been getting inspirations on how to photograph it. Some of which address ideas proposed by people like you and what would be cool. We shall see... but it might be a cool reveal. I plan to put time and effort into it. Why not I say. Why back off now!  

Just musing here as my anticipation builds. THAT-- and I am sick of my job. 

"Just musing here as my anticipation builds. THAT-- and I am sick of my job"

Btw... I can't help myself. Two years into it and I am still dealing with severe supply chain shortages. It is one excuse to another and when they run out of excuses, they start at the beginning and cycle through it again. It's maddening, and it's no wonder our industry can't maintain workers. They are burning out. Reaching my end as well. It's not getting better, it's getting worse.

Thanks for listening. Send the bill to FSM. They can bill me.  

Hey Bakster!

 Listen, Don't feel bad! I did consulting work for Brown and Root and American Bridge ! Nobody Listened anymore! So I deleted my contact info and retired With Good Fortune and a new Wifey. Best move I ever made! Moneywise, NO, but Sanity and Health wise, YES!!! Do NOT try to live off Pension and Savings alone. One personal disaster will finish you! Always have a padded box to retreat to money wise!

Bakster

You can see where I drilled the hole. The wires feed to the bottom fine and the model rests in it well too. I made the hole with as little play as I can get away with. That will help support the arm.

The bottom is sanded flat eliminating the high spot, the stand washed, then it was primed. The color you see is a mix of Tamiya white and a touch of black giving it an off white. It is my starting point, a sort of white granite. Once weathered and with some accents added, it should look decent.

 

 

Looking really cool! I'm reminded again of the Lovecraft story 'The Temple'!

And I'm sick of my job too- sigh about 8-9 years till I can get my pension. I'm thinking I'll retire early- I think I can live off the pension and savings...

Tanker-Builder

Hey Bakster!

 Listen, Don't feel bad! I did consulting work for Brown and Root and American Bridge ! Nobody Listened anymore! So I deleted my contact info and retired With Good Fortune and a new Wifey. Best move I ever made! Moneywise, NO, but Sanity and Health wise, YES!!!

 

Gamera

Looking really cool! I'm reminded again of the Lovecraft story 'The Temple'!

Gamera

And I'm sick of my job too- sigh about 8-9 years till I can get my pension. I'm thinking I'll retire early- I think I can live off the pension and savings...

Then we are in this rediculousness together. The last two years has probably taken time off my life. The stress has been off the scale. Hoping I don't come out of this drooling and with only one marble rolling around. 

I hate to pull the plug too early but we shall see. 

Back to the model:

The first thing to attack was the golden detail. As you can see it is broken up. That is intentional. Sitting at the bottom of the sea for so long did a number on it. Basically, how I did this was to apply liquid mask over the base color and before the gold. Once the gold was applied, I picked at it with a hobby stick.

It was difficult to know where the masking agent was, and I had to use educated guesses and/or... just pick at it all. Eventually, I came to learn where it sat because it has a gummy feel to it. It was a bit disconcerting because I was not sure if I was digging into soft paint or mask. In the end, it worked exactly how I wanted. Thank goodness. Btw. I used a toothbrush to help loosen any residuals.

The base was treated to Valejo wash. I do this in sections because once the stuff dries it can be difficult to take off. Probably so because I didn't seal the paint beforehand. This was also intentional. I find that I get better effect letting it soak into the paint. I did this on the boat as well. I apply it and then quickly remove the excess using paper towels. If you don't wait too long, anything that does dry can be reactivated by brushing on water and then removed with the paper towel. You can also use a brush to soak it up, dab it off on PT, and repeat. The key with big pieces is to work in sections and stop at parting lines. It is cumulative. So... I try to limit overlapping.

After the wash I dry brushed a lighter gray and then a third dose of even lighter gray. This balances the piece or it would have been too dark for my taste.

Finally-- a coating of MRP flat to seal it.

I think the images are best viewed by clicking on them. Less distortion and less compression.

So... that is done. Next... I think I will add more PE to the boat and before attaching it to the stand. It will be easier to do off the stand. I think. I must review.

Dang, that effect is incredible.

Now, though, you've "done it."

The acanthus leaves of the capitals of Corinthian columns were often guilded, and the shafts, too, and in colors many would consider garish.

So, a person could be able to put a heavilly worn red or blue in the "flutes" of the columns.

The leaves could be washed bronze, but with bright green verdigris--and all of the above heavily worn away by time and tide.

It's a way to introduce additional color in a subject, much like color matting a picture.

CapnMac82

Dang, that effect is incredible.

Now, though, you've "done it."

The acanthus leaves of the capitals of Corinthian columns were often guilded, and the shafts, too, and in colors many would consider garish.

So, a person could be able to put a heavilly worn red or blue in the "flutes" of the columns.

The leaves could be washed bronze, but with bright green verdigris--and all of the above heavily worn away by time and tide.

It's a way to introduce additional color in a subject, much like color matting a picture.

 

Thanks for the feedback, Capn. And I am glad you approve! 

That is interesting about the various colors. That would have been a good effect and it would have been a good throw back to the ages. I like your thinking on that. I wish I had your knowledge about such things because I might have encorporated it. I guess for this, we'll have to assume the immense passage of time desolved those colors. And to be truthful, that is what I was going after. That it is so old that time has nearly erased its history. 

Also, sorry I didn't do your sound card idea on this one. I think it would have been easy to fit it in the assembly. One of these days I will.

Thanks Capn!

I have been a man on a mission. Last night I took the leap and installed the remaining PE. The ladders were a bit troublesome but I got it to where I can live with it. I had to rebend them because I folded the steps wrong. The instructions are fuzzy and your can't make out the orientation. Through trial and error and careful study of the photos, I was able to figure it out. There IS a right way to install them or they won't install well.

And today I soldered all the connections, installed the switches, and holy moly, I attached the boat. It was every bit precarious as I thought, but all the preplanning got me through it.

I started by tacking the connection using super thin CA. I worked it around the join and held it in place until it set. Then, as shown in the image, I rested the piece on its back. I mixed up JB Weld and using a long cotton swab, I forced epoxy all the way up into to the column and to where the post sits. I loaded it up good. So there it sits until tomorrow. 24 hour cure time.

Bottom line? She is done! The next and final phase of this it to photograph it for final reveal. 

More to come!

Hey Bakster!

 protection of those marbles is mandatory!

Bakster

I wish I had your knowledge about such things because I might have encorporated it. I guess for this, we'll have to assume the immense passage of time desolved those colors. And to be truthful, that is what I was going after. That it is so old that time has nearly erased its history.

All those mandatory hours of Architectural History, oh so many decades ago.

And, there's a disconnect as most are used to the Sun-bleached appearance of the various ruins.  The Romans were fond of paint, too--if using "milk" or temura style paints.

It's very hard to imagine, say, the Temple of Athena in the Greek Parthenon having a bright red core building, and blue columns, with gilding and bright colors in the Friezes. 

There's speculation that the columns were meant to blend into the horizon, and make the roof "float" visually when seen at a distance.

Most of what we know of Greek & Etruscan color us is from underwater archeology.  Where the water kept the paint out of the UV.

Go figure.

CapnMac82

 

 

Bakster

I wish I had your knowledge about such things because I might have encorporated it. I guess for this, we'll have to assume the immense passage of time desolved those colors. And to be truthful, that is what I was going after. That it is so old that time has nearly erased its history.

 

 

All those mandatory hours of Architectural History, oh so many decades ago.

I see! Turns out that was useful schooling! Lol. 

My original plan was to have a seafloor as well. Heck, I even had the flutes masked intending to paint them. At the last minute my plan changed. It was partly impatience, partly impracticality, and partly intuition. A person can keep going and going if we don't stop ourselves. The other thing I thought of adding was the muck that eventually settles on things. One could add sea growth too. It never ends! Lol. Same with the boat. I could have done much more detailing on it.

I am partly minimalist. I do what I do within reason, as best as I can, and I leave the rest to the imagination. Sometimes, I feel, less is more. Let the mind fill in the gaps.

Anyhow. I wanted to start imaging things but it's been roadblocks today. Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays and Michael's didn't have what I wanted. Mainly the backdrops I need and such. Then, my DSLR battery is dead, and the camera store is closed on Sundays too. Turns out batteries plus might have it. So I will try them.

That's fantastic! She's going well! 

Yep

Bakster

I wanted to start imaging things but it's been roadblocks today. Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays and Michael's didn't have what I wanted. Mainly the backdrops I need and such. Then, my DSLR battery is dead, and the camera store is closed on Sundays too. Turns out batteries plus might have it. So I will try them.

Yep, ya can tell your getting to the end, when all the “detail-gremlins” rear they ugly heads and all at once.

DUSTER

Yep, ya can tell your getting to the end, when all the “detail-gremlins” rear they ugly heads and all at once.

 

Now there is a man that understands gremlins. It never fails at the end of a build they rear their ugly head. I remember my Seaview build that I struggled with immensely. I finally broke through the barrier on it, got it to where I liked it, and it was down to just one fiddly thing on the conning tower. That little bit caused me so much trouble. I was cussing. After all I went through, they were gonna mess with me at the bitter end. And so there was no mistaking of their meddling, it was on something so simple. Perseverance won the war, but not without a lot of expletives! Lol.

Btw. Batteries Plus didn't have the battery either. I had to order it. I received it today and I just put it on the charger. My fingers are crossed that nothing is wrong with the charger!

Sigh.

I used the down-time to set things up for imaging the model. All I need is a working battery and I can get to it.

Serenity now, insanity later. (Kramer)

Thanks, Duster!

Gamera

That's fantastic! She's going well! 

 

Thanks Gam.

Bakster

 Serenity now, insanity later. (Kramer)

Thanks, Duster!

 

I was drilling a really teeny tiny hole through a tiny round evergreen rod (to insert a really very tiny wire through) and  was able to, not quite, drill into my finger-hardly at all- of course I flinched and dropped the pin vise and only broke the drill bit off ‘bout ½ way. All and all I consider it a win.  SIGH ---gettin out the credit card for another "teenytiny drill bit set", order.  

Hey Duster!

     Don't feel abandoned! I have gone through at least 30 of the little drill sets that come with a little protective little dome. Now I got wise and bought a Box-O- Bits( Not their name) to make sure when that happens I have a spare on hand.

     Talking about drilling your hand. Even a wee bit! I did that once, had to go to the emergency room and watch the doctor remove a bit that broke off under the skin after I slipped. This was when I was in my early twenties I think. No Fun that!

Good quote.  

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. (Groucho Marx)

Oh no. That sucks about the drill bit! I recently broke one too. In fact, I broke it working on the Nautilus. Not happy about that. This is a nice set. Fortunately, didnt drill myself. Sorry to hear that!

Hi Backster!

     Yeah! the drill Bit set I got has twenty four little containers in it, each individualy capped and five bits to a container. M'gosh one container has bit so fine I had to use a magnifier to make sure they weren't spoofing me!