Oslabya Build - Digital Navy 1:250 scale

[Papercut]

If your rookie, then by the time you feel like a pro, you will have stuff on exhibit in the Mariner's Museum, VA. How did you get the hull so slick, no humps or bumps, and the finish looks like you painted on w/airbrush. I have noticed that this results in a more realistic hull. Nice work.

[Michael Mash]

Thanks Boosed and Papercut for the kind words. I notice digital images have a tendancy to "smooth" out the look of the work. There are a few ridges along the hull sides that don't show in the image. Attached is another image of some work I was doing today. I took notice of the fact the aft part of the main deck will "overhang" the quarterdeck. There are some support posts, bollards etc. that will be underneath. So to avoid having to get into tight spaces down the line, I am installing a few items prior to attaching the quaterdeck to the upper hull frame. Attached is an image. The two items on the quarterdeck (not sure what they are called) have sides made from 65lb card, while the tops are made of 28lb paper. The two bollards in the backround are made entirely with 22lb paper.
Regards,
Mike

[redhorse]

That's a really interesting idea attaching the parts before cutting them out. It can get into a gymnastics event putting some of these parts on!

[Michael Mash]

Sometimes that works real nice. But if I get too enthusiastic and get ahead of myself, then I wind up wishing I had not put the parts on that way. The big advantage is it gives me a nice sized base with which to work, instead of trying to hold these small parts in one place for assembly.
Mike

[eibwarrior]

That's a unique idea Michael. I can see where that would be helpful in some very specific applications.

I've never see it done that way before. It could be very useful in some tight spots.

[Michael Mash]

After being waylaid by the flu, this card worker has returned to his debris strewn shipyard eager to get things done. The first image attached shows a “test-fit” of the quarterdeck to the upper hull plating. It is in these moments of truth that a student of the craft finds out whether or not everything lines up correctly before the thing is attached for good. Looks like I still need to fashion some tabs to help the upper hull plating fit properly. Got to start thinking of the “engineering” for the primary aft turret, and does this plan call for ladders in those two open ways in the middle of the deck.
In his instructions, Roman (Digital Navy) recommends 0.3 to 0.5 wire for the fifty or so support posts scattered throughout this build. Since I find wire difficult to work with, I experimented with three or four alternatives, including plastic rod. I was getting nowhere, so I went back to our roots. Back to what we are all about. Yes, you guessed it, I rolled em using 22lb paper. Quick. Clean. Satisfactory. (Of course the task remains to get all 50 looking as identical as possible). The second image is a close-up of the first nine of those (black) that will support the main deck’s overhang of the quarterdeck. I also added four support pillars and the two bollards so to avoid a tight squeeze later in the build.
Happy new year.
Mike

[Don Boose]

Excellent work, Mike. I'm always impressed by anyone who can roll consistently clean paper tubes to a standard dimension.

All of your work is very high quality.

Don

[member_3]

You are at about the same stage my Oslabya was when I set it aside (for reasons now forgotten.) Seeing your superb build has gotten me worked up again so I think I'll have to look through the CDs and find the big O again.

[Barry]

A really good looking ship

[Golden Bear]

Just echoing the other sentiments... very nice work. I especially appreciate your effort to make all the posts out of rolled paper (card?). I try to do that myself but occasionally find myself forced either to use wire or reinforce with wire because the posts are too long and need to support weight. I always like to try making as much as possible out of paper. Good job, man.


Carl