USS TEXAS 1892 - 1:200 from Heinkel Models

[JP64]

Hello to all paper modelers...

As wrote in another thread (the PELAYO one), having completed the model of this Spanish battleship, I was looking for a new model to start...

Looking at the same period of the Pelayo, just around the years of the Spanish-American war, I have decided to build another kit from Heinkel Models firm, and I decided to build a model of the pre.dreadnought american battleship USS TEXAS for which I bought the kit drawings some months ago..

As promise to some of you, for this model I'll try to manage this thread in "steps" during the building of this ship starting from the very early stages and going forward as the build will proceed.

So, the following are the very first pics of this "dockyard"... one is the first page of the kit, while the second pics is about the first step of gluing the false keel and the ordinates of the hull on a single sheet of cardboard (1.5 mm thick) that i still had in my cardboard reserve.

As for many other models, I prefer do not "connect" each other the parts of the false keel, preferring, instead to glue the sheets of those parts in a just one single element, in the way to avoid joints that could bring to differences and change of shape line if not very glued and aligned.

On the same sheet of cardboard I have glued (using a spray glue) also some other elements... In the next days I'll have to buy another sheet of cardboard of the same thickness in order to glue on the reinforcement at the waterline level (as a false bridge) and the whole upper bridge.

In any case, when I'll cut the false ordinates (or ribs..if you prefer..) I'll cut also the slots for passing wooden walnut strips (4 x 4 or 5 x 5 mm) along the hull length and also I'll cut on top, at the level of the upper bridge, some slots that will permit to put on some wooden strips of 1.5 x 5 or 6 mm, that will be used to permit the upper bridge to be glued straight and increasing the strength of the whole hull...

Honestly still don't have yet decided if Ill left closed the lateral casemates for guns or I'll open them... In this second case I'll have to add the floor and the space to host the guns that will be visible.. .

Anyway... those are my very first steps for this model..

Soon I'll update you when the building will go on...

For the moment.. have an happy paper modeling !!!

ciao from Italy

Jp

[Michael Mash]

Ciao JP.
As always, looking forward to your report. Last year, I thought about building this ship from scratch. I did a few drawings. But now, Heinkel has done it all.
Looking forward to seeing your work.
Mike

[rafael70]

Much improvement in the construction of this model JP...it is designed very well..

[JP64]

Hello to all paper modelers !!!

As promised, regarding this kit from Heinkel Models of the battleship USS TEXAS, I'll try to share as much as possible the ongoing building, describing also the approach, the changes and the tricks that I'll use during the realization of this model.

Le'ts start from the false keel ....
because the kit is printed on A4 pages, the designer has divided into two parts the false keel... that, once glued on 1mm or 1.5 mm cardboard, should be cut and joined using some reinforcement pieces of cardboard.

Honestly, I don't like this kind of join and, anytime I can do it, I prefer to realize the false keel in just one piece avoiding the horizontal separation between hull above waterline and below waterline.

So, I bought a 1 mm cardboard and I glued on it (using a spray glue) the two pieces of the false keel, one close the other, aligning the two pieces with a metal ruler, to assure the gluing without any variations along the hull lenght.

Once glued, I have measured for each ordinate, the length of the slot that I have to cut vertically, to permit to every ordinate to be positioned on the false keel, having enough space for gluing the ordinate on the keel.

The following picture shows the false keel, realized as above described, and are indicated the slots I have realized, calculated for each ordinate.
Is indicated also the "connection line" between the two pieces of the false keel that I have glued on the same piece of cardboard.




Ordinates
Then the following step was to cut every ordinate to be insert on the false keel, but making on each one the following modifications from the original design :

1) Cut of the vertical slot that permits to "slide in" the equivalent realized on the false keel for each ordinate;

2) Cut the "horizontal slots" that will permit to slide in the two pieces (not yet realized at this moment..) at the waterline level, that will be used as reinforcement for the whole hull and will provide a support for gluing the hull covers pieces and the lateral sides of the hull above waterline;

3) Cut, on the upper top of many ordinates (excluding the first and last one) a series of slots (7 x 2 millimeters) that will be used to install some wooden strips that will help to maintain the ordinates in the right angle (with the keel) and provide at the same time a greater strength of the whole hull plus a further, straight base, when the bridge will be glued, from stem to stern.
For many ordinates (the largest) have been cut 4 slots on top : 2 to insert a longer wooden strip (more close to the centerline of the keel) and 2 a bit smaller, more close to the external side of the ordinate, and following towards stem and stern the shape of the hull..

In the following picture you can see the ordinates, with all the slots cut, ready to be inserted into the false keel..




Mounting of ordinates on false keel
In the next two picture you'll see the mounting of the ordinates on the false keel and the positions of the wooden strips on top the ordinates in order to reinforce the hull and give a good base for the upper bridge (once positioned in place)





now, next step, will be to glue on 1mm cardboard, the lateral parts of the reinforcement of the hull at the waterline level, avoiding joints (like done for the false keel), cut the slots into those pieces , insert in the way to "touch" the false keel and glue everything with attention...

Hoping you'll like this method (that I'm using quite on every model) of building, I'll keep you updated for the next steps.

Have an happy paper-modeling

ciao

Jp

[rafael70]

Interesting tutorial JP...I will follow your posts with interest...Continued success with the construction of this model..

[Michael Mash]

Ciao JP,
Your description of your techniques is excellent. Nice work. There is a lot to learn here.

I like your technique to install “wooden strips on top the ordinates”. I see many advantages to that. May I borrow your technique to use on my next ship?

Regards,
Mke

[Isaac]

I love those old warships from the late 1800's

I do not build card models of boats, but am an avid modeler of radio controlled boats. One such model is an old Torpedo boat TB-6 USS Porter . it is 6 ft 5 inches long.






Also an old 1918 vintage Mine sweeper.


Isaac

[JP64]

Originally Posted by Michael Mash

Ciao JP,
Your description of your techniques is excellent. Nice work. There is a lot to learn here.

I like your technique to install “wooden strips on top the ordinates”. I see many advantages to that. May I borrow your technique to use on my next ship?

Regards,
Mke

Hello, Mike!!

Sure you ald all others paper models can use what I have just shared here..

It’ very good to have something to show as is very good for me learn something from other modelers!!

Have a nice time.

Ciao
Jp

[JP64]

Good morning to all paper modelers !!!

during last weekend I had a bit more "spare" time and so I was focused on building the hull of the USS Texas..

After having glued all the ordinates on the false keel, as in my last message, I have glued (using a spray glue from 3M) the main deck (originally made into 2 separate parts) into just one single piece, taking a lot of attention in aligning the two deck pieces each other, even horizontally and vertically...

here you can see the deck glued on an single 1 mm thick cardboard and cut along the shapes. before to glue it definitively on the false keel, I have cut also the second round hole that will permit to turn the turrets containing the main guns..



Before to glue the deck on the skeleton, I have decided that the model will have the four lateral, main casemates (hosting other 4 x 152 mm guns) opened to permit the view of the guns. In order to place the guns at their side, I have created 4 "places" that will act as support for the guns stands, once closed completely the lateral sides of the upper hull..

In the next two pictures you can see two of the four "floors" added between two ordinates, ready to support the guns.





Then I have glued the main deck at his place with a strong vynilic glue, leaving the hull upside-down (with the deck on the table top) and pushing the hull with some heavy books to maintain the complete alignment of the deck with the false keel.

At this point I decided to change radically the sequence of building and covering the hull, in a different way as I made usually (this was a "first time" experiment..).
Usually I cover all the below part of the hull (below waterline) and only later I continue with the covering of the above part of the hull (above waterline), using the same kind of paper.

This time, instead, I have decided to print the upper part of the hull on a thin paper (80 Gr), cut the pieces for each side and glue together having two lung strips of lateral covers (from stem to stern).

On this pieces, I have punched out the holes for portholes (just a big larger than the indicated on the drawings), and I have also cut the "opened areas" where the four main lateral casemates will be added later, having enough space to put later the guns at their places. I have also punched out the anchor's chains holes.

Then I have glued both those long pieces to the sides of the hull, gluing everything in place. I don't take care if something was a bit dirty or not in this phase, because, on the final step, those two "sides" will be the place where to glue the same pieces but printed on a much more heavier paper (140 or 180 Gr). So those two pieces in thin paper will be the right base to glue the final pieces for the same shape and length.

The following picture show this approach..





At this point was the time to start the covering of the lower part of the hull...

First of all, I glued on each ordinate a piece of paper (same red color of the coverage strips) to enlarge the space, across the length of the ordinate, to glue the covering layer on both sides.

Here the pic about this operation..



Once dried the glue, I have started the lower hull coverage, starting from the middle of the hull and going towards the stem and the stern, one piece at time, alternatively and checking constantly the alignment of each piece (unfortunately not always perfect.... but it will be solved later..)

When cutting each piece, I have added at the sides towards the waterline, a more bit of paper (2 millimeters more) to have the assurance that there will be enough space to cover the waterline and creating a further place where to glue better the lateral underwater sides (when they'll be positioned).





The sequence of gluing each piece was the following :

1) glue the center of the cover along the central line of the keel and not yet on the sides;

2) once dry, glue only one of the two sides of the piece;

3) once dry, glue the other side of the piece;
and while gluing, passing a strong piece of wood along the gluing lines, to be sure that will follow exactly the ordinates curved shapes..

So, at the end the whole hull was covered and ready to add the propellers shafts (also done all by paper)









So... this is the actual status of this building..

Now, the next steps will be :

* add the anti-roll fins on the hull;

* put some white glue (or some other kind of putty) to fill all the gaps along the hull and the joint lines from each coverage part... to have a much more "smoother" hull..

* spray everything (covering the upper part of the hull and the deck) with some layers of a primer spray (normally I use the Tamiya grey spray primer), sanding a bit after each layer;

* when enough smooth, spray all the hull with some layers of Red spray color (I use normally the Tamiya Dull Red acrylic spray) having the care to left well dry each layer before to apply the further one...

Once the lower hull will be well dry from the applied color, I'll glue the final lateral sides, gluing on the thin ones, and having so a perfect and straigth line for the waterline...

I'll keep you updated by pics when work will go on...

Have an happy paper-modeling !!!

ciao

Jp