The Ship Model Forum

There is another set of cars:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/ZZP8QJYAW/1-700-cars-modern-2-fud?optionId=83248483

Thanks for the interest.
I've seen the Shapeways design, but never bought anything there before. I'm also a bit curious to see the actual printed version as all that's visible for now is the design...

Started the next ship build already, I'll see what comes along. I also still have the option to insert the Engie Zeebrugge LNG bunker vessel, but its complexity combined with tiny dimensions in this scale are not what I'm looking for at the moment. Perhaps some day in the future...

Found a set of cars and trucks:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/8UZYP2CV5/1-700-cars-modern-fud?optionId=59211980

Roel,

A friend of mine makes small HO lumbering equipment model kits. He buys rolls of wire, and to straighten a section he just clamps one end into a vise, rolls out the section, and then gives the other end a sharp tug. That takes all the kinks out of it.

Phil

Hey Roel,

Glad to see this interesting and colourful model of yours! Super work, well done!

Maarten

Great model! These car carriers look really interesting!

There could be printed car and truck models in 1/700 on Shapeways - unfortunately all these models are not registered as "vehicles" and "1/700", but somehow different.

Hi Neptune, pure awesome and well done, is there more detail to come like adding cars on the dock ready to be loaded and semi trailers picking up cars.

My Nephew in Australia drives for a company that delivers cars all around Queensland, pics them up at the Port of Brisbane.

I hope my build turns out like yours has, yes plan to model a dock as well, my ship will mainly sit under the bridge I be building for my layout, bridge will have a 14ft span and about 20 inches water line clearance.

Tony from very cold down under.

Haven't checked the board for a while as the weather makes me swim in the North Sea rather than looking at models of it. Really like the finished model.

Hi Tony,

I actually have quite a few pics of the vessel with the ramp down, so no problems there.

Finally finished this one. Not very happy with the mooring lines, but eventually learned how to work with it. They are small wires from a PC electrical fan, they're about the same thickness as a hair. I straightened them by rolling between my steel ruler and the table top. Unfortunately they are not stiff and therefore you have only one shot. If it fails, you have to roll it again to straighten it out again.
The mooring lines were troublesome, since Had to make the eyes first, then place them and try to tension them before gluing on the vessel. If the mooring area was open, this would have been easier. But with the closed mooring area, tensioning and gluing was difficult without bending them.
Eventually I decided to add more detail than I intended to in the beginning. It brings a bit more colour as well.

The stern gate wires are always kept slack in port, I suppose this is to avoid shock loads and lifting of the ramp if another vessel is passing close-by or if the vessel surges by the sea condition.

As for the green/brown water, this is normal North Sea water. Due to the strong current flowing through the shallow English channel back and forth (3-6kts) it brings with it a lot of sand and other particles, the water's very nutritious creating a mixture of algae and sand.
The inner port of Zeebrugge is connected to the North Sea by the locks, so this water also enters the inner port.

Hi Neptune, I put a search in on the port you are modelling, why is the water green, unusual, you are very close to the right colour, I found found a good pic of a auto car carrier with the ramp down , very good pic, most pics when you search say subject to copy right at the bottom of the pic, are you interested in seeing it. There is no actual copyright on the pic it's self.

With my ship I be using the blue tarp for the water and sit the ship on it, may paint the wash from the ship, my model is a water line model.

Tony from down under

Noticed I had some pics to show about the whole process. Didn't want to keep them from you.

The tricky part with mixing the acrylic paint with the gel before application is to estimate which level of transparency you will reach and which kind of colour.
Here you see some pics of the process. Unfortunately I had to use heavy gel since the shop didn't have medium available. So I had to mix it with water and paint, and due to this mixing I did get air bubbles coming out during drying.


Eventually the colour will be the colour as you mixed it in the jar. The difference in colour after mixing is basically the concentration of pigment = concentration of the final wash and transparency level. So the lighter your mixture, the more transparency your gel coat will have, but the colour will turn as dark as the original.

Ok, so I've proceeded with the remaining jobs.
First layers of acrylic after a couple of test runs. Eventually found out that mixing the acrylic paint with the gel before application actually gives better results than painting and then applying the gel. The pigment is more evenly spread compared to any wash and, depending on the amount of paint you mix in, the gel gives a transparency to the paint.




The ship is only placed for effect. I chose to completely "treat" the base with gel and later on cut out the hull outline to mount the ship.

In the meantime I have performed that cut and was surprised to find out how easy it was. Whatever I had cut out, came off pretty easy, much like a mask. I then applied a new coat of gel, with a little more brown mixed in, and then mounted ship (glued in place by the gel).

I needed to get the mirky brownish-green color of the Zeebrugge port (and North Sea as a whole).

Currently I'm mostly working on the quay. Not exactly my strong point, but I'm exploring a few new things again. The side wall itself was given some washes of brown and green since in reality they look like that as well (not visible in the pics yet). The result looks ok so far.

For the water I'm exploring mixing acrylic paints with the acrylic gel and then I'll see if I have to apply it in several layers with different colors to get what I need. The water is very muddy in the inner port (as well as outside along the entire Belgian coast, due to strong currents).

For the quay, the dark edge is the start of the asphaltum, the lighter part is a stronger type of stones for heavy vehicles. They're always stored closest to the vessels.
The yellow pieces are stretched styrene, in reality of course they are a warning so that the cars don't end up in the water.
The bollards are made up of bent brass rod of 0.8mm dia. I then filed them straight at the end and flat at the top to resemble the real ones. I used a small jig again to make sure they'd have the same dimensions.

I drilled holes in the quay at the required interval and used a piece of 0.8mm rod underneath to make sure they'd all have the same height.


The fenders have been produced, but I'm waiting to install them untill I have the right method for the water effect with the acrylic gel.

Small update.

Continued with the detailing of the bridge top and finally attached the bridge to the ship. The forward, small mast is also in place and also the main mast is fixed in place awaiting painting and final detailing.

Also fixed the lattice vent mast in place and put the remaining bracing in place.

Currently concentrating on the quay along with last detailing of the vessel.

Either you get working rams, or thinking out of the box a little, just use a stanchion for hinges at the base, then fix the ramp to that stanchion to make it operational, you can then add the hydraulic cylinders as an ornament, just make them slide and it will look like they operate the ramp.
On most pure car and truck carriers the ramps are purely operated by hydraulic winches with wires, takes some time, but they are often a bit larger and heavier than the regular RoRo ramps. On RoRo you see either fully operated by hydraulic cylinders or partially together with wires for and extendable part. I guess it's a bit faster.

Hi Nepture, nice job on the bridge, very similar to the bridge on my ship, my ship has two stern ramps, would like the to working ramps on my ship, how t to get the rams to work.

Back to my ships construction tomorrow night,still working on the Bow.

Tony from down under

Due to lack of CA, I continued with the stern ramp as well as the radar mast platform and its supports.
For the radar mast platform supports I used stretched CA and as can be seen in below picture I made a supporting block of styrene (1.5mm and 2mm glued together to come to the correct 3.5mm height). First I drilled and placed the supports. I then used this block as an anvil to cut all stanchions at more or less the same height. A slight difference is acceptable, since the glue will partially melt the stanchion tip to the platform and this allows for a slight adjustment.


I then added the diagonals in the centre, which in reality support one of the 3 radars. The other diagonals will follow after the platform is in place.

On the stern ramp I added a small platform which has a winch on it and I added the "hinges" of the gate as well as the wire rollers.

And a small update. One of the show-stoppers was that vent mast. I'm always a bit reluctant to start such things, but once I found the way, it worked out ok. Due to the zoom it looks rather crude, but all in all I'm satisfied with the result. I guess if you want to make it better, you have to start with PE.

Still only dry fitted, additional supports have to be added once she is glued (out of CA glue at the moment).
As you might see, I've also started the main mast located just aft of the accomodation.

Hi Pieter,

yes indeed, the intension is to put her alongside her regular quay at Zeebrugge. I'm not very experienced in diorama's, so I'll see what the result is.

Tony, thanks for the comments. The red ship in the back is the Chaconia LPG tanker. The build log can be seen somewhere over here, haven't finished her yet, although from time to time I'm still adding bits and pieces.
Unfortunately pictures have disappeared on that build log. Might upload them again later on, like I did on the 1/100 Union Eagle build.

Currently working on the LNG vent masts for this build. Already at attempt No 3.

Hi Neptune, awesome build, have to agree the colours sure stand out, my ship be a similar colour scheme blue and white.

What is the red ship in the background, she is huge, looks to be a bulk tanker.

You must b glad to see the warm weather at last, now it is my turn down to single digits tonight where I live SE/QLD, can drop down to -5 heavy frost, winter not far away.

Tony from down under.