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Ships in Scale - Latest Issue
September/October '26

HMS Enterprise 1774 by Jim H- Unicorn Model - 1:160 - Stern Section

Hi James
Wishing you all the best, hope things improve for you soon.
Tim

By Oakheart · 1 hour ago1 hr
HMS Enterprise 1774 by Jim H- Unicorn Model - 1:160 - Stern Section

Sorry to hear that! I wish you a good and speedy recovery!

By Donsangria · 1 hour ago1 hr
SMS WESPE 1876 by wefalck - 1/160 scale - Armoured Gunboat of the Imperial German Navy - when first commissioned

Kitting out the deck
Painting the various parts takes quite a bit of time. Some parts can be spray-painted, while other parts need to be brush-painted because either they are difficult to mask for different paints or because the parts are too delicate for this.
The deck of the barbette was fitted with the pivot, races for the gun and the rack that is used in training it. These parts were made a long time ago. The races are turned from steel, because I always think nothing looks like metal as real metal. Although, the races were probably rolled iron (like railway tracks), they looked to bright. So they were painted black all over and then the areas that likely show wear from the rollers of the lower carriage were rubbed with a lead pencil. In some areas also the paint come off again. Overall this gives the races a used look. The toothed rack was bronze and hence was made from bronze.
There is also the lid of the opening through which the powder-charged was man-handled up from the powder-chamber beneath.

Deck for the barbette with pivot and races for the gun installed

The rear deck was fitted with the brass skylights that illuminated the quarters of the officers and other rooms. These were like portholes, but not moveable and had thick glass inserts. On the underside the inserts were shaped as multifaceted pyramids to collect and distribute the light from the deck above. The brass insert were turned and the glass simulated by pushing the brass parts into a drop of Acrifix 192 on a piece of smooth aluminium foil. The bright side of the aluminium-foils imparts a glass-like finish to the cured Plexiglas glue disc. I left the brass bright for a bit of contrast and interest to the deck. At the moment it looks to ‘model-like’, but over the years the brass will dull by oxidation to a more realistic colour and sheen – though I have no information on what they really looked like at that time. The glasses presumably dulled with time by the crew walking over them. It might have been better to imitate with a drop of white glue instead.
The double bollards and coal-scuttles (not visible on the image) were painted black as per prototype and installed

Rear deck with sky-lights and bollards installed

To be continued ....

By wefalck · 2 hours ago2 hr
USF Confederacy 1778 by WalrusGuy - Model Shipways - 1:64 Scale

Thank you, Pat 🙂

I had a look at some build logs on how carlings were installed. I found a post by @Rustyj (https://drydockmodeler.com/index.php?/topic/419-hms-triton-1773-by-rustyj-148-scale-cross-section/#findComment-4652) which detailed how this was approached.

I followed a similar technique. First I measured the midway of the beam using a caliper from both sides, and made sure the caliper aligned from both directions. Next, the carling positions were drawn on the frame using the mid beam as a datum, and made sure to triple check before chiselling. Photos below show the progress made.

Cheers,
Harshil

By WarlusGuy · 2 hours ago2 hr
HMS Winchelsea 1764 by Rustyj - Syren Ship Model Company - 1:48 Scale

Oh that ochre red in combination with that swiss pear color! Such a beautiful blend together ❤️

By Ronald-V · 2 hours ago2 hr
USF Essex 1799 by RossR - Model Shipways - 1:76

Those polystyrene trims are a very good solution...looks nice and clean this way 👌

By Ronald-V · 2 hours ago2 hr
HMS Enterprise 1774 by Jim H- Unicorn Model - 1:160 - Stern Section

Not yet.
I'm trying to improve my cognition after brain trauma. Over the last months, that had worsened, but levelled off this last couple of weeks. I'm quite cack-handed at the moment and my problem solving and head-hand coordination needs a little polishing. At the moment, I'm doing a little plastic work to help retrain my bench skills.

By Jim H · 3 hours ago3 hr
HM Cheerful 1806 by Desert Animal - Syren Ship Model Company - 1:48

Hi Chris:

Just took a stroll through your build log - what great work!
hamilton

By hamilton · 6 hours ago6 hr
San Francisco Scow Schooner by hamilton - Midwest Kits - 1:48

Today I worked on the main and main topmasts. Unlike in most models, this one recommends gluing the topmast directly onto the main mast head, filing each flat in line with the other. Initially this struck me as being strange as on every other model I've ever made, the topmast is held out from the main mast by the trees and the mast cap. But examining photos of Alma it seems that Midwest's approach is in fact reflected on the actual vessel. You can see this on this photo...

So in the end that's what I did. But before doing this, I had to at least partially dress the main mast itself, adding a boom rest (with an simulated iron band), chocks below that, and a few mast cleats. Once the topmast was attached, I filed out a 5/32" flat section on port and starboard for the trestle trees. These are slightly different on the main mast than on the foremast. Instead of two crosstrees there is only one (on the aft side), while forward there is a metal pin onto which I'll eventually seize the fore boom topping lift pendant. Several blocks and eyebolts were then added for various rigging lines and that was that.

I need to add a few rigging details to the top mast to complete this stage of the built. The masts are still dry-fit. My plan is to complete the spars and sails and add the main sail and foresail prior to stepping the masts on the model and completing the rigging. I have to say that this has been a very enjoyable build altogether.

Bye for now.
hamilton

By hamilton · 7 hours ago7 hr
USF Essex 1799 by RossR - Model Shipways - 1:76

I have gotten back to my USF Essex. Working on Chapter nine which focuses on the cap rails and features on the exterior of the ship. Installing the cap rails was pretty straight forward. One thing that is different than the other models I have built, the laser cut cap rail parts are the width of the bulwarks and you need to add 1/16 x 1/16 strips inboard and outboard to finish them. I will add those pieces later.

After the cap rails I started on the stern. There is a laser cut piece that is added that extends beyond the width of the stern to accommodate the galleries. This piece has the ship name and some decorative scroll work. The white trim pieces are not wood. They are 1/32 x 1/32, and I find getting good pieces of wood that small is difficult. I used polystyrene that I bought at a local hobby shop. It worked really well.

The stern piece ended up extending farther than needed for the cast gallery pieces. I chose to build up the thickness of the cast pieces to fit better.

In the end I am pretty happy with how this is turning out.

Next I will be adding the channels and the trim that runs along the line of the channels.

By RossR · 8 hours ago8 hr