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- Joined
- Sep 18, 2022
- Messages
- 319
- Points
- 168
Because the Wanderer Whaler Kit was originally molded/pressed way back in 1966, most of the plastic is dried out (degassed - the volatiles have evaporated out of the plastic) making it brittle and easy to break parts off. The belaying pins on various racks really can't be trusted not to break off once I start the rigging. So, I removed the thin mis-molded pins, I drilled out the same spot and will place brass pins in their place.
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2022
- Messages
- 319
- Points
- 168
Got a few more hours in today, I worked on the main hatch and got it as close as possible to the real ship board, certainly better than what it came with. I'm trying to see if I can put metal rods in the holes. I first painted it with Testors Euro Grey, but it did not look dark enough, I let dry and them airbrushed Possy S Oily Black, that's the shade I think looks best. I'll let dry for a day or so and give a second coat of the Polly S.
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2022
- Messages
- 319
- Points
- 168
Working on the cathead assembly, man back in the day, kids had it rough. The cathead does not come with any guide pin hole so they wanted kid to hold the parts together while the glue dried, (they never had acc glue) back in the day, can you imagine kids sitting still long enough to let plastic model cement set up....
I drilled out a few holes and used acc to fix the parts together I'll be careful when I setup the bowsprit rigging. I'll repaint and weather before setting in place.
I drilled out a few holes and used acc to fix the parts together I'll be careful when I setup the bowsprit rigging. I'll repaint and weather before setting in place.
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2022
- Messages
- 319
- Points
- 168
The Tryworks.
From the past week or so I did a deep dive into the tryworks on a few whalers. All whalers had them to render and melt the oil from the fat. Some times the tryworks was built enroute to the whaling grounds. There are a few photos surviving from the Wanders that show the tryworks. The model has the tryworks a bit plain, above the 2 kettles was a removable cover/roof section which 2 vent stacks were used to vent the heat and smoke up and away from the workers. The vent traveled through the upper roof as well.
What I wanted to replicate was these vent stacks to give the try works a bit more detail. I cut away the first covers vent bumps and sanded smooth, then cut an appropriately sized square tubing from my plastic stock and carefully cut away and resized the holes so that the square tubing would fit with a little play. I still need to cut and removed the upper roof sections where the stacks go through.
Because you can see into the tryworks, I had to create a “stop-base” for the stacks so you would not see them from the doors on the front and this gave me a base to also glue on as well. I wish could have created and shown the kettles, but it was just too much in such a small area.
From the past week or so I did a deep dive into the tryworks on a few whalers. All whalers had them to render and melt the oil from the fat. Some times the tryworks was built enroute to the whaling grounds. There are a few photos surviving from the Wanders that show the tryworks. The model has the tryworks a bit plain, above the 2 kettles was a removable cover/roof section which 2 vent stacks were used to vent the heat and smoke up and away from the workers. The vent traveled through the upper roof as well.
What I wanted to replicate was these vent stacks to give the try works a bit more detail. I cut away the first covers vent bumps and sanded smooth, then cut an appropriately sized square tubing from my plastic stock and carefully cut away and resized the holes so that the square tubing would fit with a little play. I still need to cut and removed the upper roof sections where the stacks go through.
Because you can see into the tryworks, I had to create a “stop-base” for the stacks so you would not see them from the doors on the front and this gave me a base to also glue on as well. I wish could have created and shown the kettles, but it was just too much in such a small area.
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- Joined
- Sep 18, 2022
- Messages
- 319
- Points
- 168
Finally got the base painting completed for the Aurora Wanderer Whaler, with this model I'll need to step the deck in, THEN glue the halves together because of the deep contour of the bulwarks. no way to fit in place after the hull is together. So I'll need to be a bit careful once assembled, she is going to be heavily weathered so a little wash hides a lot
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