Jim,
Yes, the dio is a complete scratchbuilt. I had gotten into 1/144th scale modeling quite a few years ago. Now, we have some Great Aircraft, and now even some Armor, as well as a few ships,boats, etc. But this scale is great due to the saved space with most of the subjects. Naval wise, I usually stick with the smaller craft, 90' or less - it does make it interesting. Thanks for your comments............Bruce

Hey Bruce,

I think a lot of them are modified from existing boats. I remember the Hansens saying that the Northwestern is the only on in the fleet that was built as a crab boat. The rest are modified fishing boats.

That's a very nice vinette, Bruce!
Cheers,
Guido

Gents,
Thanks for the nice comments. For this campaign, I started to scratchbuild a Coast Guard 44' MLB busting through the waves in 1/144th scale. It will definitely take me a while, so we'll see what happens. As for the fishing boat plans, I guess I'll just have to do like Guido and use the guess method off a group of photos. At least I have some really nice plans for the 44 footer. So I have no reason for my screw-up on this build other than myself.
We'll see what happens. Take it easy, guys................................Bruce

Way cool!
To give an idea to the rest of the crew: Check this

http://www.44mlb.com/44363-44393-at-quillayute.htm

I'll be looking forward to that!

Cheers, Guido

Now yer talkin', Matie!

--Karl

Gentlemen –

After thorough removal of the putty and intense smoothing over I constructed the cover for the cargo hold in the centre of the weather deck. I spiced it up a bit with L’Arsenal and Tauro PE parts. Then I went on to place the weather deck’s bulwark. It is an Evergreen styrene strip fortunately almost exactly having the height I needed. I pre-shaped it by rolling it up with a thin steel rod. The bulwark didn’t fit the deck edge exactly, so using the pre-shaped part was a bit harder to do than expected. Maybe it would be easer to fit the bulwark using straight strip and fix it section by section.




Well, it went OK even though he bulwark is leaning a bit to the starboard inside of the deck. Actually all of the bulwark should be slightly slanted to the inside, but I did not know how to achieve a constant slant, so I went for a straight bulwark.
As the strips for the second bumper guard dried, I started to put on some hull detail such as the reinforcement bars along the stern and the portholes on the focsle.




With the second bumper guard in place I drilled out the scuppers, added more of the reinforcements, the handrail along and support struts to the inside of the bulwark. I decided to stop detailing here as anything else would be too fragile to withstand handling. To blend the handrail with the bulwark I added two layers of Elmer’s to the gap between them. It worked out OK, even though this renders the edge of the bulwark a bit uneven.




Naturally, I had to turn my attention to the wheelhouse next. I took my about an hour to fabricate the layout of the wheelhouse with photo-shop. I printed the graphic onto a high grade paper. With my trusty Olfa-knife and a fresh blade I had not trouble cutting out the windows and the door on the side and back wall. The sides and back were then fold and glued to the deck. After having all in good position I infused highly liquid super glue into the paper. As a result it can be treated very similar to styrene sheet, but is way thinner. The front of the wheelhouse is a separate part. As the front wall on the original vessels consists of 5 panels, each containing a window, arranged in a very flat arc, so that the front of the wheelhouse is ever so slightly curved. Something that’s very subtle, but essential to the look. The panels are very slim resulting in very thin struts between the individual windows. The easiest way seemed to be to cut one opening and back them with thin rod to simulate the struts.
I do not know, if I can manage to back the windows with clear styrene this way, but I’ll try.
To the inside of the wheelhouse I added a dashboard complete with pelorus (wheel to be added just before closing it by adding the roof), a captain’s chair and a chart table to the port side of the back wall. One side board to either side of the walls were added, as well.




That’s it for today.
Comments, questions and critique are welcome, as usual!

Cheers,
Guido

I really want to see the 1/700 George Clooney and mark Walberg on the bridge!

Seriously, great job on the boat so far.

They'll be there, in sea-dress 'n all. ... but it's 350th by now!
Cheers,
Guido

Hallo Guido

What a wonderful project and definitely a good way of getting your "modeling hand"!
I will follow it with special interest
Cheers,
Rui

Gentlemen-

Thanks, guys! Good to have you back, Rui!

Modest progress has been made this week.
Earlier this week I had Mark and George visiting. The put on their wet suits (George with pants only, Mark with full dress) and took their places in the wheelhouse.



I put on the roof, but forgot to take a photo. So you have to see the progress in the background of this photo showing me doing some heat-bending of styrene rod. I put a needle in the holder and heat it with a lighter while holding the styrene to the tip of the needle. When it starts bending I drop the lighter and use both hands to shape the rod as desired. Their may be easier ways to do it, but I love that the heat application is “spot on”.



I know that it makes things complicated, but I do like to make and paint the small parts separately. So I am finished with the major construction: Time to paint! I painted the decks and wheelhouse white/greyish white. The come the hull colour. Masking first



… and then the green for the hull. I am using Mitsubishi Navy Green from WEM: A most beautiful green and IMHO pretty close to what I need, even whithout blending. Weathering will make it darker.



While paints are drying I start with the base just to have an idea. 1/350 asks for a really big base, if you want to have an impressive wave.



That’s it for today! Hope to do some more damage during the weekend! Stay tuned!

.Guido

Guido,
Progress is really looking good. Obviously your "Perfect Storm" is making much faster progress than my MLB. I guess I'll have to break out the camera one of these days. I'm "almost" happy with the hull, it has been a long haul due to my own learning process along the way.

But your project is a source of inspiration for me. Keep up the Great work. I can't wait for the wave to start taking form. Take it easy, Bruce

Nice progress on the "storm" Guido - impressive scratch work.

After initially making good progress I have hit a bump - the bulletsplaches are not to my liking, but I am afraid I can´t make the better, so I am consodering just cutting them off again and do without.







Cheers/Jan

Gentlemen-

Thank you for your kind comments.

@Jan
Those splashes along with spray and all are certainly among the hardest to do. I do agree with you that it looks kinda odd, but I reckon these splashes can’t be done much better. Maybe there is a way of using cellophane foil, Acrylic gel and a lot of patience to build them?
All the aspects for your kit and display are great (as usual - exclamation mark), but I wonder, if it would help the impression if you add a second, parallel run on splashes, if made from the wing mounted MGs. It does not have to run through the centre, but close to the edge of your display. Secondly, from looking at it, it does not seem that the bullets run in a straight line. Of cause in reality these may not be in a straight line either, but I think that the eye will be more pleased to see what it may expect.
I’ll guess we get to see the crew bailing out?

____________

I have been using the weekend for some more modest progress. I finished painting the hull and gave it a coat of Revell dull coat. It isn’t exactly dead-flat, but the slight sheen seems just right for scale effect.





After a day of drying, I applied a black wash of oil paint. First time I do that to a ship model, to keep on my resolve to try something new with every build. Here the wash it still wet, which makes it kind of prominent in the pictures:





I plan to apply another coat of dull clear coat, which should blend the dirt effect of the wash with the background, shouldn’t it?

As oil washes need notoriously long time to dry, I was getting ready to continue with the base, but I wasn’t in a mood for all the dirt with the styrofoam, so I started with the finishing gear.

First I took estimation and relative photo-measurement to create paper templates. By cutting out these and holding them to the model I was able to establish proper dimensions.



Another print of the properly sized template is then glued to the cutting mat. I cut length of .8mm and .5mm styrene rod (Lion Roar and Evergreen) to length and tagged them to the paper using Humbrol’s “Maskol”. Thus fixed in proper positions, I applied glue to the connecting spots. I let it dry for 12 hours to ensure to not cause any damage upon removal of the parts from the backing paper.



After confirming the dry-fit, I add some bits and pieces from the spares box to. I start with the longer part of the gear, which will be suspended over the weather deck. This part is now ready for painting.





Next will be the forward gear or the base. I don’t know yet. When turning to the base I will finally be where the campaign topic is actually located. (Finally!)


Cheers,
Guido

Looking good, as always!

Wonderful work!

Hallo Guido

Excellent job on that little boat! Full of detail and also will be a colorful one - and of course, dramatic!
Btw, and speaking of drama, Jan, I think your idea is very good, but perhaps the suggestion Guido gave (with the second row of splashes aft) and perhaps a new experiment on those, making them less "equal" ???

Just a thought
Cheers,
Rui

Thanks for the input Guido, I agree that the splashes need to be more "fluffy" - but i think an additional rpw of splashes would clutter the dio too much - arg ... decisions

I am putting the final touches on my first entry for this campaign which features depth charge bursts breaking the surface. I use a totally different approach and will write it up in a feature.

Also, I am watching your Perfect Storm very closely, Guido, for I would like to try a storm scene and I've selected the might Typhoon Cobra of December 1944!

--Karl

Gentlemen –

@Jan: Yeap - these decisions are enough to make one weep.

@ Karl: Looking forward to see you first entry! Feels kinda lonely out here with just Jan and me: We’ll appreciate your company!
I guess you are inspired by “Halsey’s Typhoon”? Great book! Loved every page!

______

So I am crawling on with my build. I hope you are not bored, yet.
While being at it, I decided continuing the fishing gear. To get all lengths of the attachments right it is necessary to install the front gear in place. To do so I fiddle the part into place and use Humbrol’s Maskol again to temporarily fix it. I reckon every kind of liquid masking agent will do the trick, so try whatever is in your stock. Then I attach the forward supports, using styrene glue to permanently attach it to the gear. Having selected fitting styrene rods as spacers, I go on to permanently fix the horizontal bars; first at the front, then at the sides. With everything in good position I use Maskol to attach the front supports to the roof of the wheelhouse to ensure everything stays in relative position while drying. Of cause the spacers may be removed now. I attach platform at the top and the access ladder, while the part is still in place.




When the styrene joints are sufficiently dry, I remove the part from the model for painting. To remove the part do not pull it away, but use tipped pliers to pick at the Maskol globs one by one. It seemed easier from me to attach the top railing only now.




Another prominent subassembly is a big basket holding net/line floaters it is positioned on the port side of the weather deck, right aft of the flying deck. This little sucker is only about 10mm tall, but took me almost 2 hours to make.




Next will the two outriggers on either side of the wheelhouse. These will be quite complicated with a lot of small parts.
… slowly I am running out of excuses to start the water base…


Cheers,
Guido

Guido nice to see your full tutoriol and you getting straight back into the swing of it all after your forced leave.

Jan sub and base are looking good two rows of hits would look more dramatic

Now that i have finnished some of my other campaignes my entry for this will be the Airfix RNLI lifeboat Severn class.I,ve heard that it is a bit of a dog to put together but will give it a go in some rough sea minus the seaking that will take to long.

Hey, Keith!
Nice of you to check in. The Severn Lifr boat is very nice. One guy of my club did one. I liked it a lot, he liked it a lot. Another splash of colour from your side!
Cheers,
Guido

Gentlemen-

Thank you very much for your continued support and interest in my project.
I hope I 'll be able to sit down to finish the outriggers tonight, which leaves me - next to some small bits and pieces with the general setup and the wave. I was pondering set-up decisions and would like to have a feedback from you.
I think that most of you have seen the movie and remember, that the Andrea Gail had almost ripped off her port outrigger as can be seen in this CGI screen shot



As well the port side windows of the wheelhouse were crushed by the "bird” (i.e. stabilizing paravane) flying from that outrigger. The crew managed to board up these in the dramatic action. In due process of this action the crew managed (with much ado) to lash down the come-lose outrigger pointing aft, as well. Quite certainly this bit is artistic license and was filmed to add to the suspense of the flick.
I am not quite certain, if I should model it like that as it makes the boat pretty “unbalanced”. Quite obviously the production designer thought the same and decided on a little retouch for the DVD cover



…Hummmh…

It does make for a nicer boat set-up. Don’t you think?

So what should I do: Outrigger flying or lashed aft to the weather deck?

Guido

Guido if I had the greater talents of your good self I would try and go for the DVD cover version with the boat nearly at the top of the wave ready to fly. To me that is the look of the scene that would grab the attenion of people looking at it,but other people have other ideas

Hi, Keith!
I am not sure about the position of the boat, yet. I plan on showing a lot of the big wave, which will ask certain position of peak and trough. If that is dermined I'l place the boat, of cause placing the boat at the point of flipping, would have a dramatic effect, but it may leave me with the problem of having the full display unbalanced (golden Ration etc.). I guess I'll finish the wafe and move the boat about a bit to find a scenic spot.
... but what do I make of the set up? With or without damages as described?

Guido