Just about done with the Clarmont, and starting another Lindberg ship kit, their 1:60 Shrimp boat.
Here I have the hull sides glued together and the deck painted.
Then, gluing deck inside hull.
The kit depicts a wooden hull boat, with raised lines representing the plank edges. I wanted to weather this boat into a real rust bucket, which means a steel hull. So I had to remove all those raised lines deliniating the planks. I scraped them off, instead of sanding, holding my X-acto knife nearly perpendicular to the surface and pulling it along. May need a bit more sanding and another coat of paint.
One thing I really like about these old Lindberg ship kits in larger scale, they all come with figures!
Ahem, I never much cared for Lindberg kits, and recent experience has sure reinforced that.
I took two Q ship kits and spliced the hulls together to get a fair little banana boat freighter, but everything else in the boxes, wasn’t even good for the spares box.
I recently bought the USS Manchester, a 1/600 Cleveland Class CA. It was reissued under a bunch of names as there were 27 ships in the Class, and they can go for a lot of money if older. Luckily I paid only $ 5, so that’s all I wasted. Just a terrible kit.
Fright built up a neat lightship, but it took a master’s skills.
OTOH, the Revell Snowberry, Fireboat and America are all pretty nice kits.
I know what you mean. Just finished a Round Two Lindberg repop of the kennebeck Tanker. Pretty plain Jane but was fun to work out the issues. Built it as the MATTAPONI AO41 for a buddy that served on her on the 60’s. Turned out OK. I gotta update the build on this site.
I believe those Q-ship kits were based on a government developed plan, and built in quantity by shipyards across the St. Lawrence seaway. Some went to saltwater, some stayed in Great Lakes (design was overproduced, not as many needed for war as they thought). I am building the kit as a design that was sold to a GL shipping firm after war, the famous Poker Fleet. Turns out what I thought would be a simple conversion is a lot more work than I thought, so is on shelf for awhile. Don’t know whether or not that design was ever really used as a Q-ship or not.
Adding detail to the bridge. Came with wheel and helmsman. I added rear wall (with door) to separate bridge from rest of cabin. Added radio on shelf and engine control
Hull is done with painting (weathering later). Cabin is just about ready to add on.
"Times awastin " You only have a limited time on the Shrimp Grounds ( You know , Govt.Regs . ) Lookin good so far .I did my last one with the lines for the planking sanded off till it was barely visible .A little wash and did she look like a working boat !
200 grit sandpaper to break up the surface and abrade the wood in areas where pots and lines are constantly abrading the wood . Make sure you make her dirty ! After the first year even a " Steelie " looks worn out ! T.B. P.S. When Uncle Joe in 1956 , had the " Santa Marianna . A modern ( Then ) “Tuna Clipper .” within three voyages she looked twenty years old . Oh , and Lindberg makes that one too ! Ah ,Good old - "Life-Like "Kits ! ! P.P.S. The Shrimpers of wood, I remember from that time period , did not have a watertight Door between the rest of the cabin and the " Wheelhouse "
Never seen a shrimper with only one radio. Even Viet-owned ones.
There’s always a dedicated unit on NWS, a Marine VHF, usually an HF, and at dead minumum, a dedicated marine radio phone set. Anything in the last 20 years will have a satphone set, too.
Probably ought have a GPS unit, too. And, typically, two depth sounders. And at least one nav radar.
Depending upon the era, those boxes run from the small to the size of a microwave.
Oh, and a coffee pot [:)]
All of which would be hard to jam into that very nice pilothouse you have built.
Have you ever figured why I have built a bunch of them ? I can’t keep My mind out of the experimenting stage with these cheapies ( as model ships go today). Conversions are a lot of fun . For me at least . I spent so much time in boatyards as a kid I saw a lot , so a lot ( give or take some detail ) ) goes into the conversion genre .
Besides , given it’s Lindberg I like taking a Blah model and making it shine ( Making a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear -so to speak !) Life-Like and Lindberg were Not rhe worst . The two models of the small boats ( an Owens and a Chris -Craft ) were originally put out by Renwal I believe . Lindberg Did Nothing to correct these almost unbuildable models . It’s a shame too . Lindberg’s little 36’ ,Chris-Craft , Day Cruiser was fairly good .Notice I said fairly ! T.B.
Yeah, I had intended to add a few more details, but that is a really small bridge. I had intended a chart table with a chart of some Louisiana area, but not enough room. I have never been aboard a real shrimp boat, so I was guessing on what might be on the bridge.
A couple of the annual contests I attend in the area do occasionally have an award for the best Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear model. Also, TB, I just recently bought one of those Lindberg Owens cruiser kits.
Good question. My own thought for a purse seine boat that’s on again/ off again on my SOD is disposable food service hairnets, which even have a bead around the edge. I think if they were rolled up right it might be convincing. Problem is the come in packs of 100. Might have to raid the school cafeteria.
Yep. I went to Hobby Lobby and their fabric section. Told the person there what I was looking for, and and she showed me just what I was looking for, a net or lace fabric. I chose a red, but it is too saturated in color. I am going to try staining it in tea or coffee to brown up the color. I figure I need about a foot square. Fabric came in four foot wide- got enough for four tries. I have no idea how well it will work, but I will keep folks up to date as I work on net and rigging. Most photos I found of shrimp boats on Google Images have a single net showing. I figure to cut a square, and gather it together at corners, then dip it in water to shape it hanging. I will then try to add some thinned white glue to hold shape. As I say, I have no idea how well it will work, but I’ll keep experimenting.
By the way, the four square feet of fabric netting cost me sixty cents!
You could make it work . Isn’t it great what you find in that place? On that Owens Cruiser, The bottom contours are way off . I had to beef up the hulls with Large plastic square rod and then Load them up with Sprue Glue so there was enough " Meat " to correct the hull .
The joining edges are real weird . I had better luck with the Russian release of the " Shell Welder " . An old kit indeed .Mine was bought used .Imagine my surprise when I found P.E. From Atlantic Models . Both in the Plain Brass and Painted grey !
The model is a dog .But , there’s enough " meat " to make ALL the corrections needed to make her a real Jewel in anyone’s collection .The Owens on the other hand has taken me a year . It’s not done yet ! Now Lindberg did do , as I said, a nice 30’ Chris day or Express cruiser . Builds really nice if you are careful .
I once built for a client the Lindberg Large Sport Fisherman model .Funny model there . Why ? Well the sharp detail is on the inside of the hull . It’s like they did a male with the detail and pulled the plastic over it ( The Hull is Vacuformed ) thereby putting all the good stuff on the inside ! T.B.
