SPA Modeler

Medicman71 wrote:This will be interesting to watch. Do you wanna borrow this?

Thanks, Mike! The last time I was upset with a model I sure could have used a hammer. I didn’t go quite that far. I threw the kit in the box and moved on to something else. I think this was a 1/72 Spitfire. With this kit the bad fit is pretty much a given, it’s the strength of the plastic that is making progress difficult. I hope to get the decks ready for painting by Sunday. The sooner this puppy leaves the sooner I can start Godzilla.

LyleW wrote:Please scan them So they can be saved!

Copy that.

Thank you Bruce! Yeah, Santa Maria is a Carrack. I got to see the replica that is parked in river at Columbus Ohio some years back. They built it to the same design as the original one was built; with a little extra finessing where information wasn't available. It was certainly smaller than I expected! It was almost frightening to think that people actually headed across a major ocean in that and two smaller ships!

Shipbuilding / Deck laying



Very very very challenging fitting. Exterior wall alignment is missing interior braces; relies more on friction. Since this model must be built sturdily I have resorted to various methods: JB Weld epoxy, Plastic-Steel Epoxy, Quick Dry Superglue and Milliput to create stronger joins.

As a minor note I am gonna add the missing shields in where the deck sides join.

Like so:



Top deck



Red lines indicate where I will cobble a sub platform in this case; mainly because the side walls are slightly gapped. I swear the alignment is just out of true overall. This is… frustrating. In order to achieve good fit I have had to open (pry apart gently) the stern.



Don’t worry, though. I’ll be gluing this back together as tightly as possible when I’m finished cobbling the platform and inserting the deck piece. Hah hah hah

Paint shop



Initial layers are Gunze medium brown base with strategically added light tan. Mist coats of tan. My thinking comes from interpretation: squint at the an image and a transition from light dark is suggested by the shape, lighter at the top and darker at the bottom. Exaggerate the transition by creating an interference layer of tan. Then follow the interference layer with the final color coats which in this case were painted in horizontal levels: three blue, two yellow and one green.

Cover art [cropped]



Red-gold on top. Look like shields to me. An evolution from Viking long boats. Or it’s decoration; the top of the cake. Mix the metaphors there, yes.

Nice progress update Bruce! You sure do look to have a lot of work ahead on this classic ship. I do like how the colors are turning out so far. Very much a well weathered wooden ship appearance.

You are a true master builder! Beautiful.

It really looks good!

What stunning amazing work Bruce! I never thought to do that with my wooden ships. That is a magnificent look!

Stikpusher wrote:Nice progress update Bruce! You sure do look to have a lot of work ahead on this classic ship. I do like how the colors are turning out so far. Very much a well weathered wooden ship appearance.

Thanks, Carlos. You’re right about timing. I’m going to have to make some time decisions here, but I think using brushes to quickly establish colors is the ticket.

Nothing meets at right angles (mostly by design as the ship narrows to its bow and stern). Also the box art does not match the molds. If each blue level denotes canons, then there is an extra level at the stern. My only response is to treat the bow section as primary for colors and transfer the colors from the bow section. This is annoying because the simplicity of the scheme - one color per level - is precisely what makes the design work. Red for shields, green for open netting, blue for guns, etc.

LyleW wrote:You are a true master builder! Beautiful.

Thank you, Lyle. You and I and others here find the same joy in building old kits. I wanted to thank you specifically but add everyone following as well for taking the time to follow along. You are the masters I follow.

Medicman71 wrote:It really looks good!

Thank you so much. I have learned a lot from your techniques, Mike. Every time I start to putty I remember your aircraft - smooth handling of bombs, missiles and fuselage sections, on the spot repairs and silky smooth finishes. All the more reason to be thankful this forum exists.

Duke Maddog wrote:What stunning amazing work Bruce! I never thought to do that with my wooden ships. That is a magnificent look!

Duke! Duke! Duke! You are the master I follow for construction techniques and overall tenacity in any scale. Experience does show, and your 800 plus armor collection represents a milestone few modelers achieve and fewer still attempt.

Those are mad skillz, Bruce!