Topic: My First Model

[agentfunky]

Well, nearly....


HI,

I'm pretty new to the RC boat scene. My son and I would like to build a couple of RC models to sail together on a small lake we have access to.

At present I am building the Revell 1/72 scale Flower Class Corvette with RC. I have considerable experience in modelling plastic kits, and have built simple RC model boats before as well as RC aircraft, but I am keen to really test myself with a larger, more complex model such as the USS Kidd or Cossack. The corvette has given me some valluable experience, but it is still a solely a plastic kit, I would like to try working with different materials.

I have had some very good advice from the guys at Deans Marine and would welcome any ideas on kits that might be suitable to work on as a relative newcomer. It appears that the USS Kidd offers the most comprehensive plans and instructions while still allowing scope for some research to be conducted, but I have a soft spot for the Cossack and Kelly Class destroyers.

Any advice from modellers out there would be greatly appreciated, before I make a final decision on what to buy.

My current wish list includes the following, in no particular order

Narvic Destroyer
USS Kidd
HMS Verulam
HMS Zulu
HMS Cossack
HMS Grenville
HMS Kelley
HMS Javelin
HMS Amethyst

Any advice, tips and considerations that would help me narrow the list down would be gratefully appreciated.

[colin]

Personaly i am not realy into Warships but if i had to Build one of the Models from your list, i would chose the Amethyst or Kelly, the reason beheind my choice:

these Models have not long ago had a compleat make over and brought upto date with the Building Matierials

some of the other Models are quit small and narrow, and needs care on installing the Radio gear, for example the Zulu

i know its not much of a help, but thats about as far as i go with Warships.

happy Building

[agentfunky]

Thanks Colin.

I know that some of the models have a fairly shallow draught so I would imaging that micro servo would be the best bet, and keeping the Cof G low in the hull.

The Kidd has a shallow draught but is actually one of the widest of the selection I have considered, and I understand that it has also recently undergone a full makeover.....

The Kelly is a really nice model though, amd was certainly towards the top of my favourites......

I'll see what other builders post here as well and maybe I will come up with a concencus that will steer me in the right direction.

Thanks for you advice....

[colin]

your welcome!

if theres anything else i can help with, just drop a line..

[agentfunky]

I'd like to get to the show at Peterbrorough over the weekend, and will be driving past on friday night.....

Problem is I'm on my way to Duxford to work at the Airshow, and I can't get the time to visit the show. I'll also have a group of passengers with me who probably won't appreciate the diversion at 21.30hrs on a friday night.

I'll try and get there in October I think. Have a look at some of the kits and see what takes my fancy.

In the meantime if anybody has any advice I'd be grateful.

[karlgalster]

I built the Kelly two years ago and the kit makes a very satisfying model. If you build HMS Kelly I would recommend you get hold of a good reference book - "The Kellys - British J,K and N class destroyers by World War II" by Christopher Langtree ISBN 1 86176 166X preferably from a library as very expensive. I used the book to add to the model as some of the kit info is a bit thin. The model is not that difficult to build provided you have built something similar before. Most difficult task was fitting the decks - this involves sticking balsa strips round and beneath the deck edge and fixing ramin deck supports. If you can handle that you should have no problems. I found that Deans Marine were very helpful with advice and any shortages or faults in components replaced without questions. 

Robin

[agentfunky]

HI Karlgalster

Thanks for the info.  Great pic of your HMS Kelly, she looks really nice. The finish on the superstructure looks really smooth. How did you get it to look so smooth and what paints did you use, and how did you apply them?

I know that with the fibreglass hulls it is reccommended to use car body paint. Primer and topcoat. I was wondering how most people apply the paint, I've heard that some apply it through an airbrush, but others say that a spray can is sufficient, I'd personally prefer to get the best finish I can and use my airbrush but only if necessary.

[karlgalster]

Hi agentfunky

Painting - always a crucial part. Matt paints used throughout as gloss makes model look like a toy boat. Hull was primed with Halfords car aerosol grey primer. Underside of hull Halfords car aerosol red primer. I did the hull top sides with Humbrol enamel matt 147 using an air brush. I originally sprayed the hull black band with Halfords car aerosol matt black - a basic mistake as enamel and acrylic paints do not mix!!! I had severe adverse reactions with the black band crinkling. A rub-down job and repaint using Humbrol enamel black paint.

Apart from the priming all painting done using an air brush and thinned Humbrol enamels. Experts suggest thinning the enamel to the consistency of milk. Quite difficult to avoid runs though! If you do not want to use an airbrush use very thinned down paint with 4 or 5 brushed coats. 

Any other questions feel free to ask.

A few more pictures of my HMS Kelly.

Robin

[karlgalster]

Only one picture. Finger trouble plus only 150K per posting so will post in two posts. -

[karlgalster]

Two more -

[agentfunky]

The photos really show off the model nicely. Speaking from a fairly inexperienced viewpoint, I'll be very happy if my first Deansmarine comes out anything like that!!!   You really have done a superb job of that model. Wish I'd seen the piccies 20 minutes ago!!!!  might have changed my mind on a purchase I've just made.

I'm glad you said that the humbrol enamels are good for the superstructure. It's a while since I've used them because I've been using water based acrylic (which I suppose are no good for working models) but I'll be changing back to humbrol/revell. I'm probably going to mattcoat the superstructure after I have painted it to get an even finish.

Cheers for the heads up on the hull finishing. Can a flat red primer be used as the final coat for the section of hull in the water?  I'd be happy if it can as I don't like the idea of a glossy hull for display purposes.  Would I be better using a car primer paint on the hull and doing the final coats in humbrol enamel (if it's suitable) with a satin coat finish below the waterline, or is that likely to cause an adverse reaction?

Anyway, The exciting news is that I've just ordered the USS Kidd (not 10 minutes ago) . A couple of reasons for this:  firstly the model is the latest one to have been updated with parts, hull, plans and a CD. There's also loads of information out there on the Kidd.

The second reason is that I live on the Yorkshire border, not far from Kirklees where there is a big club and a lot of US Destroyers, so I think I may find myself joining the club and leaning from people who have done a few of these kits.

I'll probably receive the kit towards the end of the week so I'll have a better idea of how little I actually know by then...

I'm a mixture of excited and scared to death of what I've taken on.....

[colin]

and here's my points of view:

personaly i use an Airbrush, Humbrol/Revel Enamel wether Matt or Gloss as not all colours that are required in some jobs are available in either.

once Painted i then spray over with Satin clear varnish, this gives the model a protective coating, if i get a scratch then the main paint work does not get damaged.
just spray over again with Satin clear varnish and the scratch in gone...

on my Lis Terkol;
Hull under waterline Humbrol matt No. 37, the Tankdeck Humbrol Gloss No. 40.

my Lis Terkol   =  http://www.deansmarine.co.uk/index.php?topic=51.0
my Furie (in Build) = http://www.deansmarine.co.uk/index.php?topic=66.0

hopefully if there is room in the Minibus i will be bringing both Models to the Deanmarine Openday.

dont be scared, just be carefull and read the instructions, and if nessesary Phone the workshops, there will be happy to help, or of course there still plenty on room in the Forum for Text...

i know i have limited the size of the Attachments, but at 150KB that is quite a large photo..

Happy Building

[karlgalster]

Hi agentfunky

Sorry I was a bit late with my pictures - but I am sure the Kidd will be a very good project for you. Yes Halford car primers are fine as a foundation for the Humbrol enamels but in that order! Yes the flat Halford red oxide primer is very good as a final finish for hull undersides (with a satin varnish spray as colin says).

I intend to use Revel or Humbrol acrylics on my next model as I have heard in my local model shop that the enamels will be withdrawn in time due to the dreaded European Commission - there is a hazard with enamels apparently. Makes you wonder how we managed to survive before we were in the European Union! Acrylics are water based but rest assured once dry they will not be desolved by immersion in water.

My next model will probably be the Deans Z37 "Narvick" type destroyer. I am not sure if this has been updated by Deans. By the way I would recommend you use the Deans Marine Kondor motors and their Nychrome couplings as they are a very good match for the destroyer hull and provide pretty good "scale" speed using 7.2 volt Nicad or NiMH batteries.

Keep us updated on your progress.

Robin

[colin]

Hi Robin,

your so right there, about the European Union..... thats why i will be changing to Humbrol acrylics as well for the next Build HMS Inflexable..

while i was at Nurnberg Toy fair this year, i stoped of at the Humbrol stand, and they did mention something about in the very near future there will be NO enamels available..

there is also acrylic satin clear varnishes, so the world is safe again    

mind you, as soon as i move over to acrylics i'll be testing them all.. for example there is an even larger selection of colours in the local DIY store, and when it come to acrylics it does not matter which one you use, there all water based, no more bubles because you have used two sorts of paint that dont match each other....

well so im am told, the proof is in the pudding, or on a spare pice of plastic when i get time..

@ Robin, those are some nice Photo's of your Kelly, i'll will leave them in here, and if you have some different ones, could you put some in the customers Models.!

[Belgium Crazy Team]

May I add on the paint:
I mostly use Humbrol paints in the airbrush, for some reason the revel paint makes that the airbrush stop working perfectly and then I have to clean everything...
But I also use vallejo water based paint.  The advantage is that you can more easily apply and they don't have the glossy finish.
The disadvantage of vallejo is that some colors are very difficult to spray (fe white, light green, ...)  When I want these colors I fall back on humbrol.

So probably you will have to experiment with several brands and find the on that suits you.
Good luck with the build of the USS kidd.  A colleague of mine transformed the deans kit to the USS Melvin.

Kurt