WEASELWORKS SHIP'S WHEEL FOR YUANQING

Heinrich

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Dear Friends

As you all know, there has been an abundance of discussion about lack of accuracy of the kit-supplied Bluenose ship's wheel. After I had taken up the matter with YQ, it seemed that Chinese customers (which make up the overwhelming bulk of their sales) were happy with the wheel and as such, YQ does not envisage changing it. For SOS members that obviously meant that if they were going to change the wheel, they would have to do something about it themselves. In this regard I have to mention the outstanding work that @Dean62 , @Peter Voogt and @Henk Liebre had done done. This however, does not solve the issue of getting YQ to change their ship's wheel or serve as a supply chain to SOS members who have bought the kit - whether they have started their builds or not.

So why is the YQ issue so important? The answer is actually quite simple. We have to take the lead in showing them that our very knowledgeable builders are not happy with this aspect of the build. However, instead of just griping on about it, there is a better alternative - show them what can be done. And I am very grateful to the aforementioned gentlemen for doing just that. But now we had to go one step further - I had to oblige YQ to make the change and what better way of doing that then supply them the wheel free of charge. Great, but nobody is going to be willing to print 150 plus wheels and ship them to China free of charge. Right??? Wrong !!! :)

In stepped Mike Shanks of Weasel Works (Previously, jokingly referred to as the "critters") who wanted to help. He certainly has the facilities, equipment and expertise to print the wheel, but someone had to design it first. In stepped our very own Jodie (@MystRacing ) who unselfishly did that. Now I hand over to Mike who will take us through the entire process.

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Jodie's rendering of the wheel.

Based on the great work Jodie has done.. I will fabricate a couple different prototypes of the Bluenose wheel including one that requires assembly. If they work out, I will make a batch of them and offer them up to SOS members who has bought the YQ Bluenose for FREE (except for postage).

Regarding YQ - I would be happy to ship them 150 wheels absolutely FREE. Pro Bono ... on me ... as a gift. If YQ likes the wheels they can include them in their kits as a "bonus" item to add value. No strings attached.

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Prototype results. At this stage there are actually 3 versions. After printing, the parts will get an Ultrasonic scrubbing and an alcohol rinse. They will need to be removed from their support rafts as well. One of the versions will require assembly and all will require painting.

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Playing with supports and exposure settings this morning to obtain optimum results. There are no clear rules for this so it comes down to experimentation and experience.

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Just to give you guys some technical jargon. The Peopoly Phenom Noir 4K resin printer can easily print details down to 0.01". In fact, each layer of resin exposed by the LED light in the printer is only 0.002" in thickness. This is the reason the print jobs take so long to complete. Luckily this printer has one of the largest (if not the largest) printing areas on the market. Once the prototype is finalized, we can print about 75 wheels per job with each job being approximately 40 minutes long. There is a huge difference between consumer market 3D printers and top-of-the-line commercial resin printers. It is a completely different universe.

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I had planned to use my Alclad II Metalizers but discovered there is no Bronze, so I opted for a more traditional airbrush paint job using Tamiya acrylics. After removing two of the wheels from their supports and carefully cleaning them up I applied a couple thin coats of Tamiya Fine White Primer and allowed the parts to dry in the sun for an hour.

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Next, I airbrushed several light coats of Tamiya X-33 Bronze.

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After the paint dried in the sun for an hour, I applied SnJ Polishing Powder with a small swab. Using the same technique as dry-brushing, the powder highlights the raised detail.

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Moving right along, the next step was to brush paint the handles with Tamiya Flat Brown XF-10. This will need to dry for a while before moving on to the dark wash step.

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The effect is subtle but very convincing. Here you can see the washed part on the left compared to the unwashed part on the right. I used an oil-based paint pen to just touch the tip of each handle with a brass color. Very difficult to see at this scale since the part is so small (just as it should be). We are almost finished....

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One last round of dry-brushing and this is the final result. To my eye, this looks fairly realistic at 1:72 scale. If you were to finish your wheel in this manner, I would NOT recommend any clear coats as it would eliminate the metallic effect and reduce contrast. I also want to emphasize that this is not the only way to paint this part. It is just how I chose to do it. Painting and finishing is a very subjective art and never looks the same to any two people.

Currently, the 3D printer is producing 6 more prototype variations of different support strut configurations. Upon completion of strut optimization, I will then run another print job and reduce the print layer thickness from 0.05mm down to 0.03mm. While this will nearly double the printing time it will also nearly double the detail fidelity. This is the proper methodology for 3D printing fabrication particularly for such small parts where the desire is to produce large quantities and to also maintain a high degree of quality.

The wheel is NOT available for sale. It was primarily made as an R&D exercise to see if it could be done and to provide Weasel Works members who own the YQ Bluenose kit a wheel if they would like one. Beyond that....

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Improvements continue. Sliced at a layer thickness of 0.03mm (versus 0.05) the raised detail inside the wheel's rim begins to emerge (left). In addition, the reverse side of the wheel (right) becomes more defined with no stringers to clean off. It seems I have no choice but to try another run at 0.02mm layer thickness. Just for reference comparison, a human hair is about 0.075mm thick. Hmmm.

Mike Shanks.




















 
So folks, there you have it. Not only - courtesy of Mike and Jodie - have we been able to do something TANGIBLE to improve the Bluenose kit and make YQ aware of the demands and requirements of our SOS members, but I can also offer all SOS members who have bought the YQ Bluenose kit, a ship's wheel for free (Excluding shipping of course). Those of who you who want a wheel can just PM me. Once again, a BIG SHOUT out to Mike and Jodie!
 
@Dean62 That is the whole point Dean. Ever since I became involved with YQ, my own building has come to a virtual standstill. That is why I am so grateful for people like Mike and @MystRacing Jodie. Without help like that it would be very very difficult - well nigh impossible - to make a difference as to how kit manufacturers see the Research and Development, "historical accuracy" and production of their models. By the time that the majority of Bluenose builders have finished their builds, I have to be able to show them the next model on the horizon. And that HAS to be better to than the one that went before it.
 
Thank you for the offer @Dean62 Dean. They do have printers. On the next model - provided that the R&D of the project as a whole is successful and that it goes into production - their printers will be put to very good use. They will have no other choice.
 
Thanxs @Heinrich for the development of this wheel. With the help of your (great) friends. And your offer to get one. Do I hear the postman again ........... ;)
As Dean points out, on the base resins version the spokes are a bit uneven. By the painted version it looks very nice. How smooth and how painted will be a personal choice. But if the base is good, it is a pleasure to work on for a nice result.
Next week the @Dean62 version will arrive. Maybe widen the wheelhouse for a double-steering system like on some modern yachts? To get place for two ;)
Regards, Peter
 
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Hoi @Peter Voogt . Bear in mind that this is the prototype. Mike has assured me that the production version will be even better. In retrospect, maybe I should have waited until he had finished one from the production run, but today was the only chance I had to make the post. As to who decide to choose which version wheel, use the kit wheel or make a wheel themselves - all builders' choice.
 
Nice offer Heinrich

Here in the Netherlands the first results of the resin printer rolls are coming today

Posted at Ships Wheel


I had planned to use my Alclad II Metalizers but discovered there is no Bronz

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I have been spraying with Aclad for quite some time
And I myself have Polished Brass (ALC-109) in my range, this week sprayed for my submarine

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I will see if I can spray the spokes with Alclad chrome later, but given the vulnerable spokes I will see how that turns out later
 

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Hoi @Peter Voogt . Bear in mind that this is the prototype. Mike has assured me that the production version will be even better. In retrospect, maybe I should have waited until he had finished one from the production run, but today was the only chance I had to make the post. As to who decide to choose which version wheel, use the kit wheel or make a wheel themselves - all builders' choice.
How nice, Heinrich. Than it can only be better with what I read about his reductions!
The kit wheel ........... I have already give it to my Admiral. Don’t know what see will do with it. ;)
And with the air-brush skills of @Henk Liebre ........ the Polished Brass looks also nice.
Luckely I am not that far for installing the wheel ...... choises, choises, chois-stress :)
Regards, Peter
 
Guys, can we please get back to the point. Mike mentioned that there is no Bronze Metallizer made by Alclad NOT ALCLAD BRASS. Comments about metallurgy - when color is being discussed - are simply irrelevant. @Dave Stevens (Lumberyard) / @Dean62 : Can we please stick to the topic of the Bluenose Dean wheel?

If I were a novice builder, I would not know my Artha at this point. The original Bluenose wheel was made of cast BRONZE not BRASS. The Bluenose 2 has polished BRASS. Please factor in the Bluenose variant that you are building so that people new to and unfamiliar with the Bluenose project can understand what is correct?
 
Who is talking about ANY competition? Neither am I beating my chest over anything. I am grateful to be able to SOS members a wheel free of charge and I am just as happy to be able to offer the same to YQ in an attempt to improve the standard of kits. Why? So that you, Dean, as a model builder can benefit. That has been my aim from the beginning, is currently my aim and will be my aim as long as I am involved with YQ.

As to my Bluenose build - sure ... take over as Moderator on the Forum, handle all the Bluenose sales and after-sales service, spend 6 months first finding a suitable set of plans and the rest of the time obtaining legal permission to use them so that there can be a next kit ... and maybe then I will have the time to return to ship building.
 
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Just an FYI for those of you who want to consider the cost of printing a wheel. The average cost of resin is $50 per liter. Given the volume of a wheel at 1/72 scale, that equates to 6 cents per wheel. So to print 150 wheels would cost about $9 in material. Not bad! So printing is very cost effective on small parts. But of course that doesn’t include the support material and other chemicals required. And of course you have to invest in a printer first! ;)
 
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This is the last warning to all participants in this thread. If you will not stop the ping-pong He said\he said we will make an executive decision and close this thread. How about that?
We don't need those clashes as they don't bring any value except the members' tension.


no i did not make any comments in this thread

so now i will

and Don what the heck does a boiler have to do with a blue nose wheel?

as a members of the team here i say shut this down it there is nothing of value in the topic.
 
Heinrich, I think I understand what you are trying to achieve.
However if you want to remain objective... and honest, then I feel supplying YQ with a small quantity of wheels is not going to implement permanent change on their part! I suspect if they consider supplying them in their kit in the first place, once the supply runs out, they will resort to supplying the currently sourced necklace pendant as a ships wheel.
To implement permanent change, they would need to be willing to print their own wheels to be supplied with the kit. Furthermore, any embellishment of the future Bluenose kit offering, will be of no value to those of us who have already purchased a kit! We have to move forward with what was supplied, and rely on making embellishments or scratch building, in areas that are sub par.
The only benefit at this point for any of us, if they consider change in what they offer in their kit, would be for future offerings by YQ should we chose to continue to do business with them. And they are only one manufacturer of ship models.
So don't be offended when I say that even if they make a change on the wheel, it will not improve or further model ship building as a whole for all of us, unless all manufacturers take note and then move towards a positive change in parts supplied. This would be a very zealous undertaking to implement change across the board for all manufacturers, as it would take change from more than one manufacturer to force change by all. I wish you all the best, if this is your end goal!
 
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