Today I dealt with the doors of the wheelhouses. I discussed the color of the inner door panels with users who possess considerable maritime knowledge.
Wheelhouses are usually painted white on the inside, so I logically painted the door panels white as well. But I didn’t like it at all.
Now that I’ve mastered the doors, I’m moving straight on to the next section, which I was dreading again.
The mere thought of the tarpaulin that attaches to the railing made me break out in a sweat. This is where my homemade handle really comes in handy and calms me down a bit. It securely holds the part in my vise, making it much easier to work on.
I first cut tissue paper to the correct size using my paper cutter and dyed it brown. Then, using a very thin mixture of water and MIG acrylic glue, I applied the paper to the railing.
Shaped and aged, I’m already satisfied with my first attempt.
After I succeeded with that, I continued tinkering a bit with the stand for storing the signal lines. You can see a first prototype in the following picture.
The height is currently flush with the railing. I think I’ll make it a bit higher, though. I’ll also make the signal flags out of tissue paper and put them on the shelf.
Once that was done, I looked at my work and thought, hmm, how could I make it a little more interesting? Maybe create a little scene where the crew is attaching the tarpaulin to the railing?
Unfortunately, I only thought of it after I’d finished the railing on the rear bridge. And that would have been the perfect spot for this little section of groyne. It has the most space to properly detail it.
Now I have to figure out where else I could fit it.
Would the ship be moving or would it be still (at anchor or by a quay)?
I suspect that those tarpaulins, unless they are stretched tight, would
be influenced by wind.
Wind can be caused by speed or by weather or both.
If the tarpaulin is pushed into the railing at the front of the bridge then
I think it would be pushed away from the railing at the rear edge of
the bridge.
I don’t know if the Imperial Japanese Navy pulled the tarpaulins tight
or not 100 years ago …
Only two sailors are now pulling up the tarpaulin due to the limited space. The compass and speaking tubes also need to go there. The sailor on the right should also move a little to the right.
I don’t think it looks bad at all. I could expand the scene in front of the cabin. The sailor who folded the tarpaulin during the first test could go there, and an officer yelling at the guys would also look great.
I’m afraid if I cram the two sailors and the folded-over tarpaulin up there, it’ll look like something you’d find at Woolworth’s bargain bin during their summer sale.
And of course, I only get one shot at the actual model, and if I don’t like it… What a waste of that nice big space in front of the wheelhouse. I’ll see what else I can do with it. Maybe a little exercise with the searchlights, semaphore lights, and/or signal flags.
I love that you are adding these little treasures for the viewer; they make ship models so much more interesting, even to those poor souls who normally don’t appreciate model ships!!
Cut the corners and fold the top edge over lengthwise, then glue it down. This makes the whole thing quite stable and durable, even though I’m still struggling with the wrinkles.
This was especially necessary for the second figure from the right, as the tarpaulin shouldn’t be floating in the air. So, for the crouching sailor, I shaped it to fit over his knee.
I’m trying to get the sailors to interact with each other on stage. I think I hear the two on the right quietly saying, “Hey, how do you tie that tarp again?”
Great updates and some lovely detailing with the figures. You are totally right about not having any in the small wheelhouse at the rear, they would be lost in there once the roof is on….. the others look perfect. Beautiful work
Thank you very much, Johnny.
I’ve finally finished installing the tarpaulins on the bridge, completing another delicate task.
And here’s how it looks now.
After consulting with users, the supports on the railing for the sunshade were removed and will be folded up and stored on the deck later. This was likely related to the work being done on the tarpaulin.
Since the bridge is roughly finished, I wanted to continue working amidships before attaching it to the Mikasa.
So I turned my attention to the three missing lifeboats.
And subject them to the usual procedure of painting details and weathering. The first cutter is finished.
Micro Master makes truly first-class 3D prints.
Painting the rope neatly on the side of the cutter was truly a test of patience.
But the middle deck is also slowly filling up. Starboard deck complete.
It didn’t seem right to me that the tidy Japanese would soil the white floorboards with their feet. I believe it’s generally accepted that the inside of the hull was painted white.
