More masking and painting on the Lusitania. There are a bunch of these skylights to do. So far I've done one!!
This one I tried to make the frames a darker gloss brown. I think it looks good. I'm going to do the rest of the skylights that have frames this way.
I was trying to figure out how to paint the thin window frames on the white skylights without brushing them as I know they would look inconsistent and I would probably get paint on the clear if I brushed. I took the back side of a 3M sanding sponge and brushed it with white paint and then lightly dragged it over the raised detail of the frames. It took several times from different directions to cover them all but it worked out pretty well. The 3M sponge is halfway between rigid and flexible if that makes sense and seemed like the best thing to use. Then I just masked everything up and sprayed the rest. When you are not good with a brush and not very experienced with one I guess you have to come up with an alternative plan. I think the sponge sucked in enough paint also to not glob it onto the clear part. I also found out the clear parts do not like to take primer or paint very well. I'm learning new ways to do this all the time.
I'm waiting a couple of weeks to see if the wood decks come through. Not having them there's not much I can do. Just a little painting and mounting the model to the stand.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
Your decal work is good, and as you have learned a gloss surface is a must to get them to adhere correctly.
Micro-Scale makes two solutions to help get decals to settle snugly against details under the actual decal like rivets or seams. The are called Micro Set and Micro Sol, google them online.
Best of luck getting decking kit, if not available, try photo of deck and printing to proper scale to use as template to cut new decks from.
Micro-Scale makes two solutions to help get decals to settle snugly against details under the actual decal like rivets or seams. The are called Micro Set and Micro Sol, google them online.
Best of luck getting decking kit, if not available, try photo of deck and printing to proper scale to use as template to cut new decks from.
Thanks Khonrath. I did use both the Microset, and Microsol on the decals. They decals are pretty old but seemed to go on OK. Unfortunately I really prefer flat paint and bought a ton of it but later learned I really can't use it for the hull. I also learned the hard way I can't use Tamiya Panel Line Accent on flat paint. Actually, that stuff ate through my gloss paint too so I won't be using it again unless someone can tell me what is impervious to that stuff.
I started cutting my own wood decks and will continue if the decks I am waiting on aren't produced in the next few weeks.
Since I know I stink at painting with a brush I am masking and spraying every door on this ship. I am about half of the way there. It's quite tedious masking these tiny doors! Even if I were good at it I do prefer the way sprayed paint looks over brushed. For the windows I ordered a bunch of 1/350 Titanic window PE sets and am going to use what is closest to the shape of the windows on the Lusitania. I know it won't be accurate but I think it will definitely look neater than my painting them. Since I am waiting to see if the wood decks are produced I have the time to do all this masking.
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
Looking good, keep up the work!
Thanks Kkonrath!
I'm modifying some PE Titanic window frames for my Lusitania. Not correct but a lot neater than I could brush paint the plastic frames.
Masked, painted, and unmasked the funnels. Wow, it took quite some time to do. Unmasking took almost as much time in trying not to scratch the paint with the tweezers!
Kurt Konrath
Kurt Konrath
Now to add some smoke generators inside the funnels to give a full smoke when under way...….
I have the lifeboats almost done. 
Well May 13th I was told I would have the decks for my Lusitania by Memorial Day. As that passed I was told another 2 weeks. This went on and on until the manufacturer disappeared off of forums and stopped answering enquiries at all on June 17th. I did all I possibly could on the model, painted everything, did all the photo etc. I have finally given up and bought a bunch of plastic bags, separated and numbered all the parts and just packed the whole project up.
The issue is I have meticulously painted a lot of parts expecting drop on wood decks. If I have to cut my own most of that paint work will be messed up as making your own decks requires taking the pieces you are cutting on and off many, many times which will scratch it all up.
The whole affair was just a huge waste of time. Now that I have realized what the situation actually is I bought a bunch of other kits, a few smaller than I really care for in scale but that’s all that is available. Maybe some day the manufacturer will produce them and I can finish this model which I was so enthused about building, so I will put it out of my mind and work on other things. If they are never produced I will have to cut them myself and just repaint everything.
My Mom is 84 and in poor health, I am her sole caregiver so I have basically been staying away from outside activity as much as possible, especially since my state is one of those that the virus is going through the roof. That being said, wasting almost 2 months when I would really have enjoyed having something to keep me busy instead of looking at it all apart all over my table has been a huge disappointment.
I just bought these and a Queen Mary 2 1/400. So that’s all for the foreseeable future on my 1/350 Lusitania. When the day comes that I continue building it I will add to this thread. Thanks for any interest, Chris.
The issue is I have meticulously painted a lot of parts expecting drop on wood decks. If I have to cut my own most of that paint work will be messed up as making your own decks requires taking the pieces you are cutting on and off many, many times which will scratch it all up.
The whole affair was just a huge waste of time. Now that I have realized what the situation actually is I bought a bunch of other kits, a few smaller than I really care for in scale but that’s all that is available. Maybe some day the manufacturer will produce them and I can finish this model which I was so enthused about building, so I will put it out of my mind and work on other things. If they are never produced I will have to cut them myself and just repaint everything.
My Mom is 84 and in poor health, I am her sole caregiver so I have basically been staying away from outside activity as much as possible, especially since my state is one of those that the virus is going through the roof. That being said, wasting almost 2 months when I would really have enjoyed having something to keep me busy instead of looking at it all apart all over my table has been a huge disappointment.
I just bought these and a Queen Mary 2 1/400. So that’s all for the foreseeable future on my 1/350 Lusitania. When the day comes that I continue building it I will add to this thread. Thanks for any interest, Chris.
This looks like a splendid build. I will happily follow this thread.
I am surprised to read that this kit has become a rare and much sought after item. I used to have this kit but when I moved to a smaller place, I had to sell it for a give away price. There is a story behind this. I had read in the 1980's an article introducing a huge and then very promising product line: photo etched parts. The article was written by the founder of Golden Medal Models, and the demonstration kit build with photo etched railings was ...the Lusitania. I was then building the 1/350 Titanic, which shared the etchings fret with the Lusitania. I gathered quite a bit of documents, among which an excellent book, and the Lusitania model seemed like an excellent replica, except for one important point. The original ship had a fairly pronounced deck camber (I mean lateral camber), which makes her a very handsome ship but which the kit seems to miss almost completely. I think bending the kit decks and deck houses, although not an easy task, would still be possible. My information source was the book Exploring the Lusitania, by G. Ballard, which I hope you possess.
Are you going to build her as a peace time liner or with her war colour scheme (black funnels and vents)?
Wish you much fun with this build.
I am surprised to read that this kit has become a rare and much sought after item. I used to have this kit but when I moved to a smaller place, I had to sell it for a give away price. There is a story behind this. I had read in the 1980's an article introducing a huge and then very promising product line: photo etched parts. The article was written by the founder of Golden Medal Models, and the demonstration kit build with photo etched railings was ...the Lusitania. I was then building the 1/350 Titanic, which shared the etchings fret with the Lusitania. I gathered quite a bit of documents, among which an excellent book, and the Lusitania model seemed like an excellent replica, except for one important point. The original ship had a fairly pronounced deck camber (I mean lateral camber), which makes her a very handsome ship but which the kit seems to miss almost completely. I think bending the kit decks and deck houses, although not an easy task, would still be possible. My information source was the book Exploring the Lusitania, by G. Ballard, which I hope you possess.
Are you going to build her as a peace time liner or with her war colour scheme (black funnels and vents)?
Wish you much fun with this build.
Thanks JPC for your interest. Unfortunately this build is still on hold as I still have not been able to secure the parts I have been waiting for. The kit is actually fairly hard to find these days. I think that is probably due to it being the only plastic ocean liner in 1/350 scale other than Titanic that I'm aware of. The kit does pop up now and again on ebay but from what I've seen it usually sells at a minimum north of $200 USD.
I am building her in a very early peacetime scheme with red/orange Cunard funnels and also including the white paint under the forecastle running through C deck which I do not believe she had for very long. I like the way she looked in those colors. I would really love to be able to complete her as planned, hopefully it won't be too much longer.
I am building her in a very early peacetime scheme with red/orange Cunard funnels and also including the white paint under the forecastle running through C deck which I do not believe she had for very long. I like the way she looked in those colors. I would really love to be able to complete her as planned, hopefully it won't be too much longer.
I am a happy camper as I just got word that my Lusitania wood decks are in the mail. I have had her on hold since May. Thankfully I had a few 1/600 ships to fill in the wait time but I'm really happy to be getting back to 1/350, and this ship specifically.
I started gluing wood decks down on my 1/350 Lusitania.
Looks great. Worth the wait.
Thanks Stevinne, Working on the lower decks on my Lusitania. I'm not being too careful as you won't see them once the model is complete.
