Builders Model MS "Hikawa Maru"

**JohnMGD** · #1 09-14-2023, 01:54 AM

Hello,

Today I start my thread of my scale 1:200 model of "Hikawa Maru", I will try to keep you informed about the progress !!

These pictures are all before I sanded the decks, so they still look a little rough !! Until now I already used about 400 matches for the decks, a lot more to go !!

**CMDRTED** · #2 09-14-2023, 06:41 AM

get those deck hands to start holystoneing them! Looks great so far.

**JohnMGD** · #3 09-14-2023, 07:59 AM

CMDRTED, they did already three deck

**scon10** · #4 09-16-2023, 02:03 PM

A ship model with wooden planked decks is always the best. Looks wonderful!

**JohnMGD** · #5 09-19-2023, 04:25 AM

Hi Guys,

Having a problem with making the stern part of Hikawa Maru.
The stern has very steep lines, going in and out. I tried to plank it, but planks broke, also I tried to make it from one block, but I do not manage to get it hollow and bend out at the same time, look at the pictures, I could use a good advice.

**georgerutherford1861** · #6 09-19-2023, 08:11 AM

That looks amazing so far, the decking is really great.

Doug

**JohnMGD** · #7 09-19-2023, 09:42 AM

The pictures are not taken from my model, this is the builders model in scale :48 in the NYK museum in Japan, I was asking for a solution for making the stern part of my model !

**outersketcher** · #8 09-19-2023, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMGD

Hi Guys,

Having a problem with making the stern part of Hikawa Maru.
The stern has very steep lines, going in and out. I tried to plank it, but planks broke, also I tried to make it from one block, but I do not manage to get it hollow and bend out at the same time, look at the pictures, I could use a good advice.

John, are you talking about the stern HULL? or the decking at the stern? I suspect you are refering to having dificulty skinning the stern hull. Have you tried cardstock strips, soaked in alcohol or water?

The alcohol has a strong smell.. but it DOES evaporate quickly. Which is nice when you want to glue things down. just hold down the soaked strips with blue tape till the alcohol or water dries. Then glue them back on afterwards.

Another method that might work for you would be to glue down wood strips. Then apply a layer of epoxy resin over them. I've done this before when I needed a hull with compound curves for a little wood frieghter I built for one of my daughters. The resin filled in any gaps in the wood planks. And also gave me a surface that I could then sand and file down to the shape I wanted.

Good luck! and Share with us what you decide to do!

**JohnMGD** · #9 09-19-2023, 11:36 AM

Outertsketcher, this is what I mean, see pictures. I cannot figure out how I have to form the stern part of the hull. First I tried planking, but the forms are to extreme and steep, so the planks broke. I soaked them in water, but after doing this, the glue would not stick and they broke anyway. Now I have made blocks from balsa wood, but still cannot figure out how I can form them in a 3 dimensional way.

**JohnMGD** · #10 09-21-2023, 06:31 AM

Finally I went back to planking. I re-designed the after three frames, so that the planks went fluently to the stern, between the last frame and the end of the stern I places five more frames (Transomes) in between, wetted the wood strips in water for the night and than put them on (Why did I not think of this method earlier ????), After they will be dry, I will glue them to the hull, result I will place a picture later, but this is the hedgehog for now.