I picked up this kit at a garage sale and this would be my 1st attempt at a wooden model. A few of the wood strips were missing. After looking at plans, I picked up some 1/16" basswood sheets and cut out my bulwarks. I soaked them in hot water and bent them into shape. Now I’m totally lost on how I go about attaching them with wood glue to the deck of ship. I cannot figure out how to clamp them in place while glue sets up. ANY SUGGESTIONS on how to go about this would be greatly appreciated! [*-)] Here’s a
One method I used to use on those kits was to use straight pins inserted into the deck as braces for the single piece bulwark, then tape the bulwark down until the glue dried. You could also use white “Tacky Glue” instead of plain white glue. Good luck!
First thing would be to bend the bulwarks to shape as close as it gets. Apart of water you can use some heat while bending. As for clamps/pins - drops of CA glue can take over this work. White glue works quite well with CA as combo - where you put white glue on the whole surface to be glued and small drops of CA work as nails to hold the part in place until the white glue dries. Hope it helps, good luck with your builds
Bill - thanks for the fast reply. I’ve got lots of clamps/clothspins but nothing to anchor them to. I guess I’m on my way to a craft store to pick up straight pins! Once I can get the bulwarks glued in place, I plan on adding upright stays along them - either with wood or styrene strips. I imagine I would then drill in scupper holes. I’m a bit lost at reading the diagram provided with this kit. They also seem to skip over many of the part list descriptions. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction! [^o)]
Thanks Pawel for your advice! The bending of my bulwarks are almost spot-on in shape of hull, but still require a little something to anchor them while drying. I’ll try a glue & ca mix. Thanks for replying!
This is what I’ve done so far with this kit. The deck was already glued on by previous owner and cut uneven. I will use a small wood strip to cover this up. I cut out and installed the two pieces of keel and glued them to the bottom of one piece hull. I used Elmer’s Balsa wood color putty to fill in seams and cracks on hull. Sanded and used white primer; sanded againn. Stained deck with Cabot’s water-based Autumn Glow finish. (I know this is not an accurate color but I had this laying around). Cut out the rudder and it fits snuggly to hull (taped in place). I plan to use strips of copper for hinges on rudder/hull instead of pieces of tape as suggested.
What I do with Bulwarks like that , Either plastic or wood , is install all the framing and the top rail .Then use epoxy at the frame supports Make sure to cut the freeing ports and scuppers first .
Then using pins placed as guides put a dot of epoxy , on the bottom of each frame and set in place . Another way but more laborious is this .
Make a notch in the hull where each frame is supposed to be. Epoxy vertical pieces in the notches , sand smooth and then mount the Bulwark . Remember to set the frames the right thickness . T.B. P.S. I am so sorry . I forgot to suggest this , Which I have used before . Make sure your deck is glued down and cut right . Now , Take a pencil and mark a line at the deck level , on the deck .1/64 in from the edge .Cut this away .This leaves a little notch you can glue the bottom of the Bulwarks to .
[Y] Thank you Tanker for these tips. Totally different method of reading instructions & building techniques with a wooden kit compared to a plastic kit. I think I will add the vertical stays, drill the scupper holes and paint before glueing onto deck.
After a long hiatus, I have decided to resume construction of my scratch built HMS PELICAN. Even though my model is much smaller than the BLUE NOSE, the method to bend the bulwarks should be similar. In this case, it is for bending the cap rail on the starboard side of my model. First, a profile of the model deck is made on a scrap piece of wood from a cardboard template. A pencil line is drawn on the outer outboard of the template. The the width of the cap rail is pencil drawn next to the first line. Holes for nails are drilled along the outside of the inner line and nails are inserted into these holes. Meanwhile, a streight piece of wood similar in length and with to the cap rail is soaked over night in a mild solution of bleach and hot water.
By the following day, the soaked cap rail is CAREFULLY bent along the aligned nails to fit the profile of the deck profile. Nails are inserted along the outer edge to prevent the soaked cap rail from springing back to its original streight shape.
Once the cap rail is completely dried, it is painted and glued into place as had been done on the port side of the model and will be done for the starboard side as well.
Crackers - thanks for your info and pictures! I’m going to try making a Styrofoam deck template that will allow me to clamp and hold the bulwarks in place while glue sets up. I want to thank everyone who responded for all of you help and tips! I’ll try and get results up as soon as possible.
What I frequently do for things like bulwarks is to clamp or pin blocks down to the deck, alternating block then space then another block, so about half the space along the strip is supported by blocks and half the space reveals the joint. Then I glue the deck-bulwark joints that are exposed. This usually supports the bulwark so that the blocks can be removed and you can glue the remaining areas without problems.
Forgot to add, the first model ship I built was by Guillows, but then I built a number of the Scientific kits. They were great bargains! I could not afford Model Shipways in those days. The European kits had apparently not yet arrived on these shores, but I wouldn’t have been able to afford them either. I often replaced a lot of the fittings by ordering them from AJ Fisher, since the fittings of the Scientific kits often left a little to be desired.
Don Stauffer - thanks for this idea. I picked up a pack of straight pins - I’ll try cutting small blocks of balsa wood and pin them to the deck. Then try rubberbanding bulwarks against them while they dry. I want to thank everyone for your help and ideas!!! As for me, 'the light was on but no one was home!"
All of these comments goe to show that there are many ways to solve problems in modeling. We have each developed techniques largely unique to ourselves, but we have also influenced each other by sharing ideas. I have grown to appreciate each of the contributors here.
1st off- thanks goes out to Don, Bill, GM and Tanker for your help on the bulwarks. I used a little of everything - straight pins, a styrofoam cut mold of deck, CA and white glue and vinegar & water. Once again, the head dummy (yours truly), left one of my cut bulwarks out and our cat, Monster, helped out by chewing the end off. Had to cut and bend another piece, then (yours truly) went and cut the scuppers on the top of bulwark instead of bottom part. Three’s a charm!!! %#@! Here’s a pic of where I am at. No scuppers yet on rear bulwarks - and not glued down and I
know my scuppers are not accurate, but they’ll have to do. The plans do not even mention them.
OK - Jan. 24th, 2017. Scuppers cut out and my bulwarks have been glued down. Just need to putty the seams and sand smooth.
Worked on getting the railing on, along with the fantail railing and bow stem brace. I added a 2nd stem brace which I feathered down to blend in with side rails. Used putty to cover seams. Once dry, I’ll sand and I believe she’ll be ready to have her hull painted. Yes, I have to add the rudder. Rudder is shaped but directions called for cutting strips of paper to use as pintles & gudgeons. I picked up a brass sheet at HobbyLobby and will cut strips from that.
Hey GM - can it still be done at this stage. I have the bulwarks and stancions in place. I’ve never attemped it, but I could possibly give it a go. Is there a tutorial or posts on this? I want to say thanks for everyone’s info on helping me get the bulwarks going:)
That little piece of unstained wood in the picture above was added to cover up the terrible cut the previous owner did when attaching the two deck halves to the solid hull. I was going to lightly sand and give another coat of stain before your post. Here’s a pic of the hull from the previous owner.
