Decided to use my ‘enforced vacation’ time to tackle a long-put-off project.
Haven’t done a paper card model for a while, so I pulled out the cool-looking armored cruiser USS Maine (yep, the one that blew up in Havana harbor to help trigger the Spanish-American War) card model by Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag (a.k.a. HMV).
Paper models are always a neat exercise in true 3-dimensional thinking: since it’s virtually a requirement to back most pieces with something a little sturdier than paper – I’m using a combination of shirt- and cereal-box cardboard, plus a heavier piece for the waterline baseplate – you quickly learn to adjust ‘on the fly’ to allow for the extra thickness of those reinforced parts.
The instructions are mainly in German, but they’re pretty standard for the type of models, well-numbered and well-illustrated step-by-step sequence. A typical view of the same:
The standard ‘egg-crate’ hull construction, with nicely-numbered parts:
Spent most of this afternoon fitting and trimming (and fitting and trimming and fitting and trimming…) the main deck parts. [Paper model building Rule #1: always cut indicated slots slightly longer than the parts show…]. Today’s work, still clamped up while the Tacky-Glue sets:
It’s fun to figuratively make something out of nothing. I’m not a paper-model ‘purist’: I’ve got the matching photo-etch set for rails, ladders and finer details, and I’m quite happy to replace rolled-paper masts with things like bamboo skewers and such where applicable and convenient.
I don’t figure it’ll be a really fast build, since I know it pays to go slowly when fitting the eccentrically-shaped casemates, deckhouses and furnishings typical of these late-1800s pre-pre-dreadnought designs.
More as things develop. All comments, questions…and accusations of diminished capacity…welcome.
Good luck with your build. I have a few fancier card kits, but have only dabbled so far, and stayed away from any that were really complex or had poor directions for now. Unfortunately, weak to non-existent directions are pretty common with these models. Overall, I can see the appeal, especially to those on a budget - you can get a large, and pretty detailed, model fairly cheaply if you’re willing to do the work involved. And frequently subjects that are impractical for plastic kits can be more readily had, as well.
Aside from the ‘budget’ angle…which is always a consideration…my first introduction to card models some three decades ago was the fact that there is such a dizzying variety of subjects available. For ship modelers, especially, there are hundreds of reasonable-quality offerings of all kinds of ‘niche’ subjects that would never be kitted by plastic manufacturers. Though pre-WW2 subjects are seeing more coverage these days with plastic companies like Zvezda and ICM, when I started out with paper models, they were virtually the only ones doing dreadnought- and pre-dreadnought vessels…as well as the scads of interesting civilian ships of all sorts available. Back in those days, plastic-builders would often use the paper kits as templates for scratchbuilds. Whatever works, eh?
I haven’t had the opportunity to start another kit yet with a variety of bad personal and world events underway, but did manage to get some of this glue to try - https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/roket-card-glue
These are the same guys that make Perfect Plastic Putty among many other hobby products. They’re from the UK, but not impossible to find in the US. When I get a chance to use some, I’ll report on it.
Hi, Gregbale: Did you see the separate post to you yesterday?
I truly don’t know what happened there. Your post had no reply box. Anyway. I use the Card kits for patterns mostly. Occassionally, I will build the kit, enhancing with P.E. where useable. I find these kits a big advantage for modelers to at least try one.
Why? well, think about it. Even if you choose to cheat and use other materials for masts and stuff it teaches the modeler about the Basic way at arriving at a shape and how to work with folding and laminating.
A little progress so far: main deck parts on and more-or-less aligned correctly.
After laminating the paper parts to cardboard backing, my practice is usually to press them between two cutting mats to keep everything weighted and flat. Naturally, I messed up and forgot to check that the top mat’s underside was clean…and got a little ‘schmutz’ on the first deck part. Ah, re-learning old lessons…
To fit on the A4 pages (I think) that the printer used, the two main deck sections were printed as ‘L’s’ that fit together ‘heel to toe,’ so to speak. Managed to get the tiny visible deck-joins nearly lined up…
More re-learning of old ‘tips and tricks’; if you back ‘raised relief’ parts like hatches and portholes with pre-colored card stock, you can save much of the trouble of going back over cut edges with Prismacolor or colored pencils.
And cutting thin ‘trim strips’ from left-over or ‘edge’ printed color sections helps disguise messy joints or not-quite- straight edges on parts…in addition to generally giving a more 3-dimensional and ‘finished’ look.
Probably the most useful tip to beginners is that thin paper parts backed with a thickness of cardboard lets you cut away many of the ‘tabs’ supplied as gluing surfaces. In addition to a sturdier build, that will give you much straighter lines and cleaner edges for most mating parts.
To assure correct positioning, scrap cardboard ‘stops’ or tabs can be glued on internal surfaces, just as with the older styrene or vac-form construction.
And the result: test-fitting the stern deckhouse structure. (The ‘dotted line’ effect underneath should disappear when the part is glued and clamped down firmly.)
It’s always fun when it actually starts to look like something.
More later. Hope everybody’s staying ‘social distanced’ and healthy!
I just got an interesting lesson about Paper( Card ) models! I bought Hamburger Modelbaubogen Verlag’s version of the " Mellum". It’s a version of the Kustwatch Oil Spill response vessel. Well, on the company’s website they offer a detailing set that is all Lazer Cut material so you can do the Bridge/Wheelhouse and Crane control-house in full interior detail, plus all the usual stuff that on a plastic model would be P.E…
The place I purchased it on Line promoted that feature. Well, when I got it, needless to say the Detail set was NOT included, even though the ad made you think so. I contacted the publisher( the above named company) and let them know their product was being mis-represented. We’ll see what that does. I told them the merchant’s name and number on the sale site. Yes, it was on the " Evil - Bay" I usually don’t have problems with they’re vendors and have been about 99% satisfied with the product.
Anyway, I am going to order the detailing set from the Publisher so I can finish her out right. That detail set is another ten pages too! I do a lot of what you are recommending on this build. I usually double or triple the frames and the so called keel and bottom plate to keep everything flat and straight. The suggestion of doublers in certain areas is an excellent one. In 1/250 I will use coffee stirrers ( the straw type) for the final part of the guns ( Main) with the Main base being paper wrapped around the straw to give that stepped apearance.
Last thing. What type of glue do you use? I use Aleen’s Copper bottle and it works well. Also for the edges , ( if I have to do it ) I use a artist’s set of Prismacolor pencils. The set is about 20 years old as I use them for weathering on my regular stuff.
It’s nice to see you building a paper ship! You’re doing a great job, too! I like your tip with using coloured card as backing for some parts.
I also like your idea with the “stops”. Many models designed by other companies have a dedicated part for that, glued parallel to the deck.
I have to say when I look at the Hamburger models, they are a little annoying to me - like those glue tabs on parts that have to be reinforced. Those tabs should never be there in the first place and your best bet would be to cut them off right away. There’s a trick to use - if you sand the “eggcrate” lightly on the edges, you get nice, smooth surfaces you can glue the outer skin to.
Many years ago I was regularly going to a modelling club where the instructor insisted that the parts that come in more than one piece, like the deck or the keel be glued to a single piece of cardboard before being cut out - this also helps with the construction a lot, making the hull stronger and straighter - of course the challenge is to find a piece of cardboard big enough to fit the parts. But if you can find them it pays off. Once I discovered an unexpected source - the decorative bricks we used to build my father’s house came packed with spacers just the right size for a 1:300 ships deck. One pallet of bricks got me enough material for several ships, I haven’t been able to use it up since then.
So, good luck with your build - I’ll be watching! Thanks for sharing and have a nice day
Currently using the purple-label Tacky-Glue seen in the photos…since it was what I had on hand. Seems to be working just fine. (I also use 3M spray adhesive for bonding the paper parts to cardboard sheets.
I’ve got a few Prismacolor pencils…light brown, gray and silver…that I use for most edges, plus a variety of regular colored pencils, pastels and such, plus a new AK weathering set, if needed.
Thanks as always, Pawel, for your input and words of encouragement. It occurs to me that HMV are the only paper models I’ve actually built…so I’m not sure how other manufacturers handle the ‘tabs’…but realizing I could basically lop most of them off to start should make things a bit easier and cleaaner.
And thanks for the sanding suggestion. Getting a nice smooth hull is always the challenge on these larger-scale models! [Y]
I’m glad to see somebody is making progress on their hobby stuff. I had to visit the laundromat today…welcome to 2020, risking your life to wash clothes. I finished a few game miniatures, but haven’t started anything else the last few days. The Maine is a great subject, and I hope the build proceeds well. You’ve probably seen it, but the Navsource website has a pretty extensive collection of photos, including the salvaging of the wreck.
You should try one of the Maly Modelarz ships, or maybe some of the newer Polish kits, then you’d see what I mean. Those glue tabs on the HMV kits are plain annoying and unnecessary most of the time. And if you’d like another tip - should you really need a glue tab, then it should be a separate part. OK, it’s a bit hard to explain without pics, but suppose you need something to join two edges to make a rectangular pipe. Instead of bending a glue tab you could cut off that glue tab and use an L-shaped piece of paper to join the edges - gives a much cleaner looking and stronger joint, try it!
Listen, Pawel has good advice and He’s helped me a lot. Now here’s a tip I found by accident. When you go to the Burger joint you like best, look at their straws. Then go to Wally World( Wal-Mart) and get the different sized packs for papermodeling. A quarter straw makes a great rounded corner and the tiny thin ones can be used for masts.
I took three sizes and slid them together to make a stepped gun barrel too. There"s probably many more ideas out there. For instance you can take the medium paper straws and flatten them and then open them back up and then flatten them again to make square tubing for a project.
As far as sanding the build. I always put doubler strips on the edges of frames in the “Eggcrate” This goes for larger ships especially. Then sanding gently with a long board that I made, I get the sides close to perfectly square. I also double under the edge where another structure goes on top. This gives a nice level surface instead of waves in the deck.
What I at first assumed (due to the somewhat imprecise rendering in the instructional drawings) to be ‘boxes’ meant to be mounted through the fore and aft decks, turned out to be some nifty companionway areas recessed below their surface.
Fore and aft deckhouses attached and squared up, and the fiddly casemate structures for bow and stern guns laid in. (I didn’t have the guts to open the hatches and show the gun compartments…maybe next time.)
Following Pawel’s advice, I made the decision to cut all the troublesome gluing tabs from the hull sides, since the cardboard-reinforced main deck and baseplate should provide ample surfaces for gluing. As Tankerbuilder suggested, I spent some time methodically sanding the hull side formers to even out bumps and get clean straight contours for attaching the hull sides.
Starting to ‘skin’ the hull. I backed the relatively thin-paper kit hull parts with 65 lb. card stock: still thin, but stiff enough to resist buckling and bubbling. I’m still using a PVA adhesive, but by gluing only the deck and waterline edges…and leaving the formers just for ‘structure,’ without any glue…the first bit seems to have gone on nice and smooth. Here’s hope that trend continues. [:D]
Funny thing, looks like the replies to your posts are locked - might be a reason for less comments than there should be…
From the photos it’s clear you know what you’re doing! I like the additional details a lot.
Once I was building the “Halny” - a Polish rescue/fire/tug from “Maly Modelarz”, a very cool model by the way. It had white hull top and superstructure, but the paper it was printed on got yellow with age and that left me with no choice as to repaint the whole model. Was a lot of work, but paid off, the model turned out nice - got to snap some photos of it for you. Anyhow I remember recreating printed on detail that would otherwise get painted over - like the electric lines on the bridge.
I also think the concept of the Maine is mighty funny - those offset turrets are kinda unnatural…
Thanks for sharing and good luck with your build, have a nice day
Remember her era. Many Ironclad or Dreadnaught designs had weird gun placement designs. Like the British one with two main turrets offset from each other slightly and located Mid-Ships! The Maine and her sisters were also a compromise on that kind of thinking.
Starting to look semi-recognizable: main turrets on and able to rotate (no guns yet), secondary turrets installed on center ‘island,’ funnels up and straight, and starting to add a few deck details like skylights and vents.
Rather than simply ‘rolling’ the funnels, I like to use cardboard to make a little sturdier structure.
I ran into an odd situation with the kit’s main gun turret positions. The two circular turrets are mounted over half-sponsons which project from the hull sides – with one sponson a little larger, so the respective parts are easy to tell apart. But both the sponsons provided on the sheets turned out to be too large and the wrong diameter to match the turret positions marked on the main deck. Trimming those parts was easy enough to do…but since the sponsons have an angled bottom plate, making the sponsons themselves smaller moved the join-line between that angled plate and the hull side farther up on the hull.
The fix probably isn’t precisely plans-accurate, but was close enough for my purposes. I just made another bottom plate and fixed it back at the correct level with a spacer. Then I used spare paper stock to ‘skin’ the revised sponson contours. Here’s the before and after.
Much of the center ‘island’ structure will end up obscured under some fairly-extensive racks for the ship’s boats. Having only a limited patience for constructing such fiddly bits from paper, I opted for the manufacturer’s matching photo-etch set for the boat racks, stairs and railings, and assorted fine details…so there should be some PE in the next set of photos I manage to post.
