Princess Elizabeth build...

[mjt60a]

thanks for the 'moral support'! I have to agree though, looking back at those photos from when it was freshly painted red as a london bus, it was a bit overbearing in that colour 

[mjt60a]

I've 'stuck' these bits together, need to make a couple more details, paint the surface of the boiler casing then fit the railings.... I used a couple of press stud halves tor the wheels that appear (in photos) to be on top of the water tank....

[mjt60a]

built, painted and fitted the rest of the details, railings are not yet glued as I need to paint the top surface first. vents are from another model and only put there to see how it would look (might need to be a bit bigger but the same size would do I suppose...) and I haven't made the deck yet so scrap of ply and a paint jar are holding it all in place for now!
I think the closeness of the top of the funnel to the camera confuses the auto-focus as I couldn't get a clear aerial view...

[Eddy Matthews]

it's looking really good Mick, well done....

I can't remember, but what size is the model? Length and beam?

Regards
Eddy

[mjt60a]

It's 38 3/4 inches long and 6 inches wide in the middle (the hull, that is) about 11 inches across the paddle boxes - about 48th scale

[mjt60a]

I have a couple of rolls of lead 'flashing' recovered from when the roof had to be repaired, it's a bit dirty with cement and stuff stuck on it but I plan to use it to ballast the hull, so I unrolled some on a smooth concrete floor an hammered it flat then cut it into pieces with shears to fit between the frames in the hull. It's quite thin so will need to be two or three layers thick. I'll secure it by pouring mixed resin over it. I'll have to test it in water to get the actual amount needed. The 'bow section should be fairly easy, the main section will obviously need the batteries, motors etc. in place.... so we'll see how that turns out! Won't do it tonight as it's getting a bit late and I have to be up early for work 

[mjt60a]

...tried with three plates in the smaller compartment and two in the long triangular one, thought the long thin area would be less 'buoyant' already. Put it in water and the bow was almost clear of the water, but the rear end about right so made another plate for the front compartment, looks about right now (allowing for the weight of the resin and few remaining details to be added). Seems very stable too and rights itself very quickly if tilted and released....though of course, this part doesn't have the sponsons, funnel and superstructure on it!

[djcf]

Hi Mick,
The bow sits really well in the water.
 Meant to ask you before, how did you find the "trimline" to work with? I am torn between trying it and masking/painting a waterline.
Clark

[mjt60a]

I found the trimline easy enough to use, you can remove and reposition it providing you don't press it down until happy with it's placing. I didn't take the chance it would be waterproof (it claims 'fuel proof' on the container ) and sprayed over it with clear lacquer!
 I did find that if you stretch it while applying it will shrink back in a couple of days hence a few small (unnoticable?) gaps at the corners but I think clear lacquer stops this as they've got no bigger since spraying it.
I certainly don't think I could accurately mask such a thin line or prevent paint bleeding under it!

[mjt60a]

Tried to make a watertight seal between the two sections using silicone bath sealer which is then scraped off with a piece of styrene that has a tiny V-shape cut in the edge, the idea being to leave an extremely small bead of silicone, hopefully small enough not to cause a space between the two parts when it is compressed. I have yet to see if it will work.
Also made a ring of it around the fixing bolts as a second line of defence.
If all else fails, the compartment with the attachment wing-nuts in will be watertight and contain nothing else so, if it floods should only cause the ship to sit a little lower in the water and not sink!
Also had a go at making boiler room vents, I had to buy the materials but when finished they'll be closer to the correct size than anything I've seen 'ready made' so far...

[mjt60a]

....once the glue has set I filed/sanded the back of the cowl to try to make the styrene tube blend in smoothly and added P38 at the sides and below to create a curved join, then sprayed with primer to see how rough it looked (always find it looks OK when the different areas are in their original colours -cowl...transparent. tube...white, P38...pinkish-grey) only when it's painted do I see where more work is needed! 3 more attempts later, still not perfect but it'll do. drilled holes and fitted curved pieces of brass wire (did this now because I didn't want three or four coats of primer on them - they're thick enough as they are) then sprayed the whole thing white. Not all that happy with the appearance of the inside of the cowl. I could have 'dremelled' it smooth(er) but decided to use some of the mesh I got for the railings and make 'bird-proof screens' which can be attached on the ridge inside....might have that done next time 

[mjt60a]

here's how they turned out.... I like them 

[mjt60a]

test-fitted them on the ship..... there are problems but it's late (for me - work in the morning) so more about that when I have time....

[mjt60a]

The problems.....
These vents are a little larger than they should be - they're the closest thing I could find to correct size (and better I think, than the largest styrene 'ready made' ones which were too small) but still a little bit bigger than would be ideal, particularly the down tubes but they too were the nearest thing the shop had. I had some I'd bought years ago that was perfect but not enough left to make two vents and couldn't find that exact size.....
also, I noticed the boiler casing (fiddely?) was shorter front to rear than the real thing and the result of both these is the front funnel stays wrap around the vents just a little. 
(1) I could leave it like that (they're elastic so it doesn't affect anything) and with the bridge in place it won't really show...
(2) I could move the attachment points inboard a couple of millimeters...
(3) I could fit attachment points on the bottom edge of the wheelhouse...
Or (4) make more vents the correct size - if I ever find more suitable parts to use.
Having had all night to think it over I decided to do number (1) and as they are removeable, do number (4) at a later time if I really can't live with them 

[Eddy Matthews]

I take you mean the down tubes are too big in diameter Mick?

I have quite a few various size styrene tubes here, mostly offcuts, so if you let me know what diameter and length you need I'll see if I have something suitable....

Regards
Eddy