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Old 03-05-2022, 09:39 AM
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BigGiraffe BigGiraffe is offline
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"San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale

It was fun to come across this kit recently since I knew the "San Mateo" as a boy, having ridden her between Bainbridge Island and Seattle several times. This is the first time I've seen any of the Washington ferry boats as a kit. So even though 1/400 is the scale I tend to prefer, this kit was a "must" for me.

The kit allows either a waterline model or full hull. I'll do the waterline since that is how I remember the ship and is what I'd like to see on my display table. Also, even though I'm not a great fan of laser-cut parts, I got the laser set for this kit since I don't like mounting and cutting cardboard, either. (Many of the ships I've built used only card stock -- no cardboard required).

(By the way, I would love for someone to do the entire Washington State Ferries fleet in 1/400 scale! The ones I rode, and therefore my favorites, are the Tillikum, Illahee, San Mateo, and Kalakala.)

Best regards,
Kurt
Attached Thumbnails
"San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-00.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-00a.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-00b.jpg  
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  #2  
Old 03-05-2022, 01:32 PM
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Assembly starts with the main deck which consists of two top panels and two bottom panels glued back-to-back. As shown in the photo, the seams are staggered so fore and aft are attached together.

About glue, I use Aleene's Tacky Glue. I tried UHU glue on the main deck panels of the USS Forrestal but didn't have real good results and had to reglue some parts (with Tacky Glue). The UHU glue takes a different technique than Tacky Glue and I've been using the latter for so long that it's hard to start something new. I'm pretty comfortable with the "in's and out's" of Tacky Glue.

Though the water-based glue is prone to wrinkling paper, I have a technique for large panels. Photo 02 shows a side view after top and bottom halves have been glued and are dry (being held upright for the camera but the clothes pin). Apply glue just to the edges of one part (I did this to the longer part because, in my opinion, it is easier to hold the smaller part without glue on all the edges). Apply glue spots randomly to the central area of the other panel, as shown, and also to the one edge. Press the two parts together and let them dry under a heavy, smooth book or similar. I usually have reasonable success this way.

Take care,
Kurt
Attached Thumbnails
"San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-01.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-02.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-gluing-panels.jpg  
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Old 03-10-2022, 05:11 AM
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roncar roncar is offline
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An exellent result, although I find a glue stick is quick and effective.
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Old 03-10-2022, 09:46 AM
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Thanks roncar! I'm getting ready to laminate the braces that run between the bottom of the main deck and the side of the hull. What kind of glue stick do you use? I have tried some and have trouble with them coming loose while I'm cutting the parts.

Thanks,
Kurt
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Old 03-11-2022, 12:54 AM
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roncar roncar is offline
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Hi Kurt, Bostik make a good glue stick - a dark blue one so you can see if you have missed any bits, and it loses its colour as it dries. There's another brand that is purple that acts the same way. They are very good for large surfaces like decks and frames.
If there's not enough glue, or it's too dry, narrow strips of card below 4mm or 5mm wide do tend to come apart in places as you cut them (although even then they can often be touched up with a bit of conventional white glue like Elmers).
It's important to ensure the glue is applied generously right up to the edges, and I put a bit of waste paper under the parts as I apply the glue stick in order to keep any overflow off my cutting pad.
As a final step, I then run the flat of a steel ruler across the back surface in order to ensure a flat join with no bubbles or excess glue. Within a couple of minutes the card will be dry enough to cut, provided your blade is sharp.
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Old 03-11-2022, 10:56 AM
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Thanks roncar! I'm going to find some of that Bostik blue. I like the idea of the color showing the places I missed. I've gone ahead and done this very narrow braces with the stick I had and have had a few problems already, using white glue (Tacky Glue) to fix the delaminations. But there is a long ways to go on this kit and hopefully I'll have the Bostik by next time I need it.

Best regards,
Kurt
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Old 03-11-2022, 11:11 AM
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Hello,

Time to get caught up on a few photos... For some reason, my upper deck halves (Photo 02) did not align when the lower halves (Photo 03) were fit together. I don't know whether I did one of the worst cuts in my life on one of those top panels, or maybe it was a kit error?

Anyway, Photo 04b shows the top side for the main deck completed and it hides the other seam very nicely.

Since this model will be waterline, I strayed from the instructions and cut all of the frames at waterline before I glued them in place (rather than after). That way I could use my straight-edge and cuts were easy and neat. The whole center "spine" has to be cut in the same way, creating individual parts which are glued between the frames. The kit provides a middle surface to align the frames and this becomes the "botton" if the ship is waterline (half showing in 06).

I've since completed the sides of the hull and need to do another photo, and now am starting dozens and dozens of braces that connect between the bottom of the main deck and the hull sides.

Take care,
Kurt
Attached Thumbnails
"San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-02.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-03.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-04a.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-05.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-06.jpg  

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  #8  
Old 03-11-2022, 12:00 PM
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Kevin WS Kevin WS is offline
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Interesting build. Thanks for sharing!
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  #9  
Old 03-11-2022, 12:24 PM
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BigGiraffe BigGiraffe is offline
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Here are the hulls sides and the decorative bottom panels attached. The black underside is going to make it "fun" to see clearly to put on all the side braces, one going at each of the lined locations. Next step is to cut out and attach the braces. This part of the project is one where you just have to pace yourself and work your way along, not looking at how many of those things you have left to go!

There will be rudders at each end which also have to be cut off at waterline. I'm not going to do them until near completion of the the kit because I think they will quickly break back off as they get bumped each time I set down the hull when I move it.

Take care,
Kurt
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"San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-sanmateo-07.jpg  
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  #10  
Old 03-17-2022, 08:51 AM
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The braces from the bottom of the main deck to the side of the hull are all done. Each one has to be custom-fit to its location. I'm pleased/relieved to say they printed twice as many as actually needed...

As a side note, I noticed the the deck/hull took a bad warp while I was working on these braces, bowing upward in the middle. I was able to straighten it by putting weight in the middle of the deck for a couple of days. This is the first time I've noticed this happen to one of my ships and I'm wondering if it is a drawback from using laser-cut frames against a regular card deck? We had some big humidity changes and perhaps the one swells more than the other.

Anyway, now work begins above the main deck.

Best regards,
Kurt
Attached Thumbnails
"San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-img_2380.jpg   "San Mateo" ferry - Orel - 1/200 scale-img_2382.jpg  
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