1/96 Romeo - Wherefor art thou?

[bwi 971]

Hi Mate. Yep, the basic tower is a 3D print job. I've been trying to get a mesh surface on it so that I can skin it with paper tape and produce a proper "oil can" effect. So far I can get plenty of horizontal lines but the vertical ones are much more difficult. You might be able to see at leat two vertical lines towards the rear of the tower, the rest have mysteriously disappeared. I received a 1/44 Trumpeter 33G in the mail a few days ago. Lots of details and a great source of inspiration. I might make a 33G tower as well as the standard one to fit on the hull.

I'm working in the garage tonight because its still 28 degrees C here. To hot for the workshop!

I like the trumpeter kit, but I even more like the model underneath, although you try to cover the spoiler with the kit I'm sure that is a R8.

Your idea of the mesh is brilliant, would have been awesome if that had turned out as you had planned. I don’t have any experience with 3D printing but maybe the resolution wasn’t fine enough, just wild guessing here.

Grtz,
Bart

[bwi 971]

Taboo? Yes, to me it's taboo. 3D printing, CNC and the other computer directed, machine derived additive/subtractive processes is akin to hiring someone else to do the work you display. Robots do what we do better and cheaper. But, where's the craftsmanship in hiring out the work?

If your hands are not involved, it's not craftsmanship.

David

I'm amazed you can cope with it so good David, you stayed polite and limited yourself to 4 sentences.
Jeez that must be some strong pills you take.

Grtz,
Bart

[Davidh]

Hello all,

I paid Scott a visit this afternoon as it had been a while and wanted to look at the Romeo. This is going to be a nice little boat. I took down the borei for a size comaprison. Dolgoruki (1/140) and Romeo (1/96). These old soviet diesel boats from the 1950's sure have character...

Great work Scott ,

Looking forward to seeing what you do with Resolution..

Dave.

[HardRock]

Taboo? Yes, to me it's taboo. 3D printing, CNC and the other computer directed, machine derived additive/subtractive processes is akin to hiring someone else to do the work you display. Robots do what we do better and cheaper. But, where's the craftsmanship in hiring out the work?

If your hands are not involved, it's not craftsmanship.

Did you build it, or did you assemble parts gathered from other sources?

David

Yes, to both questions!

[HardRock]

Hi Mate. Yep, the basic tower is a 3D print job. I've been trying to get a mesh surface on it so that I can skin it with paper tape and produce a proper "oil can" effect. So far I can get plenty of horizontal lines but the vertical ones are much more difficult. You might be able to see at leat two vertical lines towards the rear of the tower, the rest have mysteriously disappeared. I received a 1/44 Trumpeter 33G in the mail a few days ago. Lots of details and a great source of inspiration. I might make a 33G tower as well as the standard one to fit on the hull.

I'm working in the garage tonight because its still 28 degrees C here. To hot for the workshop!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I’m catching up……work swallowed all of my time last few weeks.
It’s a nice project Scott…….you hit the hull shape spot on, the bow and stern are not easy to do.

Is the tower 3D printed? I think I see printing lines on the vertical surfaces?
I’m not asking to question your craftsmanship but out of curiosity, I think there still is too much taboo on the subject.

Grtz,
Bart

Taboo? Yes, to me it's taboo. 3D printing, CNC and the other computer directed, machine derived additive/subtractive processes is akin to hiring someone else to do the work you display. Robots do what we do better and cheaper. But, where's the craftsmanship in hiring out the work?

If your hands are not involved, it's not craftsmanship.

Did you build it, or did you assemble parts gathered from other sources?

David

[bwi 971]

I’m catching up……work swallowed all of my time last few weeks.
It’s a nice project Scott…….you hit the hull shape spot on, the bow and stern are not easy to do.

Is the tower 3D printed? I think I see printing lines on the vertical surfaces?
I’m not asking to question your craftsmanship but out of curiosity, I think there still is too much taboo on the subject.

Grtz,
Bart

[HardRock]

Making railings today..




And putting on the top deck..

[HardRock]

Periscopes and do-dads.

[HardRock]

Two coats of resin later......


Meanwhile I have been doing a bit of work on the appendages.

And a bit of work on the tower.

[HardRock]

Thanks aagain. Great photographs.

[HardRock]

Great advice. The hull is 1.25mm undersise to cope with the outer coating. Heating the thing is a neat trick - I hadn't thought of doing that (and no I am thinking of an appropriate explination for Her-in-Doors that won't involve me getting killed) I'm working on an upper deck like the Albacore and a keel plate to keep everything streight and in scale. Just ordered a set of brass props and shafts for the Prop Shop in the UK as well. Onward. Now - where did I put that yellow spray putty?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

OK, here's how you skin this cat. Did that same thing with the 1/60 ALBACORE master, illustrated here; a good analog to your wonderful looking ROMEO project:



The density of the foam I used on the ALBACORE is a bit higher than what you're using on your Romeo, but ... hey! .... same deal here.



Blow down the foam to get all the just out of the cell-holes at the surface of the work -- you want resin to fill e'm, this will keep air-pockets from forming under the resin, which, when sanded, would reveal awfully pock-marks.

Mix up a batch of two-part laminating resin (epoxy!) and thin it back a bit with a high quality (automotive supply house) lacquer thinner. Pre-heat the master to about 150-degrees and just as soon as you pull it from the oven scrub the resin into the work. The heating caused the air in the cell-holes to expand. As the air in these voids cools (like when you slap on the resin) the temperature of the entrapped air drops and the slight vacuum produced pulls the resin into the cell-holes, this assures a deep penetration of the resin into the work. No need for the pre-heating step from this point on. (This same trick applies to putties, fillers, and primer applied over porous surfaces).

Once the first layer of resin has cured, do not sand, only a heavy abrasive-pad scrubbing, then another coat.

Sand, fix with Bondo as required, then another coat of thinned resin. Sand. Skin the master with four-ounce cloth, light sanding, then a final resin coat to fill the weave. Light sanding and ..... done.

If you have not figured it out yet: you want to undersize the uncoated master by the thickness of the build-up I described. Undersizing the mater by about .070" would put you in the ball park.

Once you have skinned the master with glass, you can now add superstructure and other items not easily worked around during the initial hull master fabrication. Like this, the ALBACORE deck and superstructure:



David

[Davidh]

Hardrock,

I really will have to get off my backside, come down and check out this boat, show you the progress on Yuri Dolgoruki, and talk shop. The Romeo has personality. This is going to be good. Will chat with you soon.

dave h

[gantu]