Revell 1/90 Nina Completed

I have to agree that, when it comes to the Bounty, the ancient Revell kit is the best of a bad lot.  It's almost sixty years old now, but since then, so far as I know, there's only been one other attempt in plastic:  the Airfix/Heller/Zvezda one.  It came out while Airfix was having major financial problems, and it's a mess.  As Docidle noted, I've listed some (not all) of its problems elsewhere here in the Forum, so I won't do it again here.  Suffice to say that it's the only Airfix sailing ship kit that I can't recommend.

There's also a thread here about my model of the Bounty, based on the Revell kit.  That kit most definitely is not state of the art (in 1956 it was), and turning it into a decent model is a huge project.  I recommend it only to the really determined modeler with a lot of time to kill.

Somebody really ought to bring out a new styrene Bounty. But if I start listing all the sailing ships that really deserve new kits I won't be able to stop.

It deserves to be mentioned that Calder/Jotika makes a POB wood kit that, on the basis of photographs, looks excellent.  But expensive.

I agree Professor about the size of project to hopefully come close to your build.  I also would love to see a new Bounty in say 1/60 or so, in injected styrene.  I would definitely build it in a heartbeat.  At this point in my modeling career, I would not tackle a wooden ship but I do admire the beauty of them.

Steve

Here some more updates on the Nina.  I have the port lower deadeyes(?) lashed down and started doing the starboard set.  I wanted to see how the rig would sort of look like so I have added a couple of pictures of the upper and lower set.

Enjoy,

Steve

So Docidle I'm following this with interest.

One niggle is the way that gun just sticks through a hole in the thwart.

At a loss of what to suggest, what else; Landstrom.

His painting shows a little wooden sort of garland like affair around the port.

I'd suggest something like that made from fine twisted wire or solder and painted to look like wood (which I'd say you are PD good at!).

Thanks GM!  That has been bugging me since I set the guns up but I wasn't sure what to do.  I pulled out Landstrom and I see what you mean. I think I might want to enlarge the hole also and then use some styrene rod from Evergreen and then fashion bolts from a smaller rod...... Exactly like the gun ports on the Imai 1/60 Santa Maria.

Again, thanks for pointing that out and giving me some suggestions.

Steve

docidle

I agree Professor about the size of project to hopefully come close to your build.  I also would love to see a new Bounty in say 1/60 or so, in injected styrene.  I would definitely build it in a heartbeat.  At this point in my modeling career, I would not tackle a wooden ship but I do admire the beauty of them.

Steve

Steve, I don't believe for a minute that you're not up to the task of a wood kit.  On the other hand, your style of working with plastic kits is so great that I don't feel like suggesting that you change.

I don't think anybody wants to read my want list of sailing ship kits.  It would start with a 19th-century American clipper ship, say the Flying Cloud, in 1/96.  Then...oh, never mind.  Maybe some day there will be a resurgence of interest in sailing ship kits from the manufacturers.  In the mean time, some interesting things have been happening on the wood kit front.  I have a Model Shipways Syren waiting for my attention, and I have my eye on the Model Shipways Flying Fish and the Bluejacket Red Jacket.

Thank you John, that means a lot to me.

I think all of us have a list of of ships we would love to see from the Manufactors.  There was a thread around here that I believe we all contributed to that named some if not all the sailing ships on our wish list.  I know for myself I would like to see the Great Harry in a large scale as well as the Seven Provinces, etc, etc, etc......

I was hoping that when Revell Germany came out with the Batavia and the Wasa, even though I would have liked them in a lager scale, that other company's would follow suit but alas there is not much on the horizon.  Zvezda has come out with a number of SMALL scale sailing ships which I am not sure if they are just reboxed Airfix kits or not.  I believe that they are 1/400 scale or thereabouts.

Thanks again John and GM,

Steve

Taking GM's suggestion about the guns on the Nina as well as the Pinta, I tried several materials to see what might work.  I finally settled on styrene tubing cut and sanded.  The first photo shows the tubing.  The second and third shows the problem with the the ring and the support next to the opening.  I cut the tubing to fit but I am not sure if that is viable although it does help.  Any suggestions?

Steve

I redid the anchors the other night since I wasn't happy with the color of the hawse and the set up.  Here's a picture showing the new anchors set up unsecured.

Steve

One of the things I learned from the Nina build so far is that the "wooden" cleats on the quarterdeck need to be secured and rigged before attaching the railings to the hull.  It was a bear to try and clue them straight and then rig them while on the hull.  here is a picture of the Pinta railings and the cleats attached to one side and the other showing them without the cleats attached.

I also worked on the Pinta which has lagged a bit.

Enjoy,

Steve

I started rigging the halyard for the main mast.  I have two rams heads blocks on which I used these cool photetched hooks I purchased from a gentleman on evilBay.  I am scratch building some tie offs around the mast for the rope ladder and the halyard lines.

Enjoy,

Steve

The shroud rigging continues.  Nothing has been secured yet so that I can adjust lines as needed.  This is just the beginning so it still looks rough.

Steve

Making some good progress, Mr. Steve!  

You continue to impress.

Those tiny hooks are awesome!

Thanks Dave, it is good to hear from you!

Steve

After I had set up the second pair of shrouds on the starboard side, I checked the port shrouds and found that the line I was using was fraying at the upper block.  The first pictures show the fray and then the I had to cut it out and set up another set.  The last pictures show not only the completed pair but also the last port shrouds.

Enjoy,

Steve

I have set up the second and third masts on the Nina.  The rigging is started on the second mast.  It is going quicker now that I have an idea of how I want it to run.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to rig the last mast tomorrow and then clean all the rigging up at the same time so that I can adjust them accordingly as I go.  Then on to the yards and the running rigging.

Enjoy,

Steve

It looks great! Like a museum piece.

Phillp1

Thanks so much Philip, I appreciate the feedback.

I was able to set up the shrouds for the mizzen mast but I am in a bit of a quandary about how I am going to seize the shrouds.  I usually use small alligator clamps that I get from Radio Shack, but I found when I started on the main, that the clamps had just enough weight to make the shroud sag.

So at the moment, I am stumped.  Anyone have any suggestions?

Steve

My normal approach, on a relatively small-scale model, is to start by pulling the shroud taut and tying it in a knot around the deadeye. Then just seize the end of the shroud to the standing part. The knot will be barely visible, if at all.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Professor, that does help and I'll give it a go tomorrow.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Steve

I tried Prof Tilley's method for the shroud tie off and it looks like it is going to work. Thanks for the suggestion!  I am going to clean this shroud up before I do the rest.  The other pictures show the shrouds for the mizzen mast.  They are not tightened yet but I did want to show that I have been working on this as well as five (5) other projects.  I have told you before that I am as mad as a Hatter.

Enjoy,

Steve

Impressive update, Steve!  Looks like you're nearing the end...

Also looks like you've waxed the Heck out of those lines!  Do you melt the wax into your rigging line?

Thanks Dave!

Yes, I do wax the heck out of my lines and I do melt it into the line by passing it over a candle flame.  I find that it holds it shape better that way and I do not have to use a great deal of tension to make them look good and so far the ships I did 2 years ago look great.  The waxy look disappears when I dull coat the ship.

How is the GH coming along?  Or are your painting abilities being used to paint the house?

Steve

No real progress on the GH lately.  :(

I got out the deck and bulkhead parts, trimmed up the edges, and they're waiting for me to get the detail-painting done.  Just been too busy!  We got a decent start on the house painting Friday, but the irony of the universe is that we had a 12-day stretch of great weather, and then Saturday we had rain and wind most of the day!  It's a little nicer this morning, so maybe I'll be able to break out the sprayer and get some more done today...

Dave

Sounds like WAY too much fun there bud.  I know the house will look great when it is done though.

Here is a small update, just have not had the time at the bench lately.  I still need to finish the shrouds but as this is the first time I have ever rigged lateen masted ship, I needed to make sure that the yards will fit in all that line.  I think I like the angle that I currently have them since I am not going to be putting any sails on her.

So enjoy,

Steve

Here is one more, although dark, I kinda like the silhouette effect.

I'm following your build with interest and admiration. I have the 1/75 Heller Nina in my stash and am thinking it will be one of the next ships I build.

Is that the Trumpeter 1/350 HMS Dreadnought in the background? Sure looks like what I'm now working on.

Mike

Thanks Mike, I'll have to follow your Nina build as I have been curious how it builds up.  I have been tempted to pick one up and build it, but I have a boatload of models in my stash to get to.........  I figure that IF I DO NOT purchase anymore models again, I would have to build at least 5 ships a year for the next 20 years to get through my ship stash, and that doesn't even touch my aircraft models!

I have the Pinta that I actually have been working on, so I'll need to post some pictures of that here soon.  I also have the Santa Maria that is at a stand still, although I did pick up some 2mm card triangular deadeyes for her I want to try out soon, so that might be the ship modeling I'll get done this year

That is the Dreadnought in the background that I am prepping for the WW1 Group build starting in two days, yeah!  How is your Dreadnought going?

Steve

Steve,

I'm only doing one model at a time ... that, of course, means that I need many, many moons to finish the 29 aircraft and 23 ships (not counting duplicates in case I mess up ) that I have in my stash. I'm not sure if I will have enough moons left to finish them all but that simply means that I have some decent models that I would like to build and I can enjoy the choices I make when it's time for a new one on the bench.

I am not positive the Nina will be my next build. I've had the old Lindberg Jenny with an AM engine and cockpit staring at me for some time now. Since it's the 100th anniversary of WWI this summer, and my dad flew the JN-4's in Pensacola, Florida in 1917/1918, I may have to give it a go. Then again, maybe I'll do a ship .... I'm just not sure right now.

As to my Dreadnought, I attached the Artwox main deck today. I'm not too happy about how I've cut the openings on the deck - there's some styrene showing - maybe 1 mm or a little less - along the forward port edge of the main deck - between that narrow end and the side turret. Oh well, live and learn. At some point I may attempt to cut some of the scrap Artwox deck material in a narrow strip and see if there's any way I can fill in that gap. I've got my hull together (like yours in your picture) and have masked and airbrushed the top part of the hull above the boot stripe. I'm trying to think about what to do next - put some kind of protective coating on that Tamiya XF-54 Dark Sea Gray that I used for the upper part of the hull or just mask it without spaying a dull coat or future. I had used Tamiya surface primer on the hull before I masked and painted the part above where the black boot stripe will go so I guess it's OK without another layer but I'll be thinking about it after I've attached the rest of the Artwox deck material to the other deck pieces. I'll be masking, BTW, for the boot stripe first and when that's cured I'll mask for the red hull color. I'm very unsure about the order in which to do the painting on the hull but I'm certainly not entering any of my work in any contests - I only have myself to please so I'm not going to fret over it much.

When I'm a little further along - if I haven't completely screwed it up - I'll post a few pictures.

Mike