Ideas for a ship base?

Carleroo

Carleroo

Joined
Oct 7, 2021
Messages
306
Points
168

Location
Toronto Canada
I will soon be finishing a waterline model of a stern wheeler - See photo - and I would like to create a stand that mimics the surface of a lake or river. Because I will be hiding the electrical LED wires that will exit from the bottom of the hull into a cavity in the base, I am not sure that an epoxy solution would work. But I have heard about various paint or Modge Podge or another shiny gloss medium as possibilities. But this is a first for me - all my previous models are just sitting on wooden bases or stands. Because of space limitations (the shelf where it will be displayed), it can't be more than 7.5-8" wide. (20 cm.)The boat itself is 5.5" wide (14 cm), so not a large surface. There is also a photo I found on Google (attached)IMG_6592.jpg that shows what someone else has done - maybe something like this, but no wharf or dock. And my preference would be to have still water. Any ideas??CR Lamb on stand.jpg
 
To a good job you might think of using plaster or drywall mud for river, I have seen some do this and to get a gentle spot to set the boat, place clear cling wrap on top of plaster when almost dry and press the boat down into the mud a bit to give the look of being in water.

Color plaster with dark water color and they you can use clear mat medium to give the gloss look.
 
Kurt Konrath said:
To a good job you might think of using plaster or drywall mud for river, I have seen some do this and to get a gentle spot to set the boat, place clear cling wrap on top of plaster when almost dry and press the boat down into the mud a bit to give the look of being in water.

Color plaster with dark water color and they you can use clear mat medium to give the gloss look.
Click to expand...
Also consider using spackle. Comes in smaller amounts and usually in a can or plastic container....
 
Kurt Konrath said:
To a good job you might think of using plaster or drywall mud for river, I have seen some do this and to get a gentle spot to set the boat, place clear cling wrap on top of plaster when almost dry and press the boat down into the mud a bit to give the look of being in water.

Color plaster with dark water color and they you can use clear mat medium to give the gloss look.
Click to expand...
Great idea. If I did use plaster or another compound that solidifies a sit dries, I would have to create an opening in the plaster to accommodate the passage of the wires. Building a small dam around the opening for the wires?
 
Hi. Besides building my first ship I'm also a model railroader. On the layout I created a river using Magic Water which was developed for model railroading, dioramas, etc. It's a 2 part epoxy that you pour into an enclosed area & sets up in 24 hours.
I assume that you want to set your boat on top of the water but you can also, with care, place it into the "water" while it's still in a liquid state.
Here's a small section of my river that has an olive green tint due to painting the river bottom before pouring this product. The ripples are added by blowing through a straw just after pouring.
IMG_5900.jpgIMG_5901.jpgIMG_5902.jpg
 
I’ve never done this, but what about taking a piece of glass with ripples (there seem to be different kinds you can buy) cutting it to size, cut a hole for the wires and painting it. Since it’s for a riverboat you wouldn’t have big waves. Has anyone done this?

By the way, I took a break from my own Sternwheeler due to a mild case of Covid which keeps lingering. Everyone I know has gotten Covid at least once. Reduces one’s motivation to doing much of anything except loafing. Will get back to normal soon.
 
I would also look at what the model railroaders use. ( can I say that " model RxR's ). If the hole is for power wires ( lights ) Is it not located towards the center of the boat which will be covered.
Submariner blue, I never got covid. But if I did, I've had worse hangovers !
 
Submarinerblue said:
I’ve never done this, but what about taking a piece of glass with ripples (there seem to be different kinds you can buy) cutting it to size, cut a hole for the wires and painting it. Since it’s for a riverboat you wouldn’t have big waves. Has anyone done this?

By the way, I took a break from my own Sternwheeler due to a mild case of Covid which keeps lingering. Everyone I know has gotten Covid at least once. Reduces one’s motivation to doing much of anything except loafing. Will get back to normal soon.
Click to expand...
Good luck and hope you feel better!
 
FWIW, I think that Magic Water product is just perfect for what you want to do with your model. Like @Alan56 noted, lay it down and use a straw to gently blow some texture into the surface. If the water surface looks perfectly still, I think it would lose the effect you're wanting to achieve. Also, if I were tackling this, I try some small tests using a variety of paint colours on some scrap ply, and see which gives you the colour you'd like to see for the water under your model. The tests would also fulfill a secondary but useful purpose... you'd gain experience in how to use the product and how it behaves when being applied. Best of luck with whatever solution you come up with, and I look forward to seeing photos of your end results.
 
Have you try Michigan Toy Soldiers, they have Magic Water. I have used for a 1/60 Cog with good result. Can be stained for mucky water which would work for a riverboat diorama.
 
Coppens said:
Have you try Michigan Toy Soldiers, they have Magic Water. I have used for a 1/60 Cog with good result. Can be stained for mucky water which would work for a riverboat diorama.
Click to expand...
Yup, their out of stock too. I just found this bit of sad news about the owner of Unreal Details, Dave Williams, who created Magic Water died in Nov. 2021.
https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/dave-williams-of-unreal-details-magic-water-has-died-12219822
I don't know if somone else will carry on with this product. Rest in peace Dave.
 
Well, I'm always up for a search challenge. I found a review and comparison of Magic Water and something called Envirotex Lite. The end result (and I'll attach the link to the youtube video review at the end of this comment) is that Magic Water had better flowing characteristics and gave ample time to work with... but took orders of magnitude longer to set up and fully cure. Envirotex Lite cures and sets fairly rapidly, but doesn't spread as easily as it's considerably thicker (more viscous), and it seems to be problematic with micro air bubbles. You might minimize that through more careful mixing. Additionally, Envirotex Lite is noted to slightly yellow over time. If you're using a tink of some sort in your mix, that wouldn't be a problem. But the micro bubbles would be a concern. I suggest you watch the video review, especially the end where the final comparison is made. On a positive front, unlike Magic Water, Envirotex Lite is available both via Amazon as well as Michaels. You might also consider touching base with a local model railroading club and ask what they use these days.

The link to the review, as promised:
Envirotex Lite via Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Environmental-Technology-16-Ounce-Pour-Finish/dp/B000LNS9CW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XY7K91II2LUV&keywords=Envirotex+Lite&qid=1696733997&sprefix=envirotex+lite,aps,136&sr=8-1&th=1
Envirotex Lite via Michaels: https://canada.michaels.com/en/envirotex-lite-pour-on-high-gloss-finish/M20001968.html

...and here's a video I found useful in regards for how to do water features in dioramas:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top