1:75 diving support vessel Well Enhancer

[GTDEATH13]

Looking good... How is the hull progressing?

[tweety777]

Thanks for the compliment.

The hull is progressing very slowly.
I'm working fulltime as a part of my study, so i don't have much time left.
Next friday it's Queensday here in Holland, and i'm hoping to have the steering-gear operational again by that time, as there will be a club-day on that day as well.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Update:

Gearwheels have been glued on the servo's.

Glued some frames onto the bulwark.

First floodlight under construction.
The tape is used to keep everything in place while the glue is drying.

That's the power of a 40.000MCD LED...........





Settings according to the lightmeter inside the camera.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Hello guys,

The Well Enhancer can steer again!!!!!!!!
After having broken a steeringlever after a heavy-weather test i started fixing the steering mechanism, and also improve it.
Today i managed to get the servo's in position under the main deck, with gearwheels directly attached to them.

Some pics of other progress:

The new legs for the new mast.

New topplate for the new mast under construction.
The new mast will be build outside the model so i have clear access to every place where i need to be.
First i'll solder the entire mast together, and then the wires will be put in.

Dryfit with the first parts of the new mast.
The topplate of the funnels is being build out of 3 plates due to a lack of material and because I failed to see at first that the topplate is wider at full length then just only the width of the funnels.

A dryfit on board.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Time for an update again:

Since last octobre i'm working for a company that makes teamphoto's of youth-sportteams, majorly football.
Yesterday i went photographing at a competition, and managed to photograph 14 teams there.
That's my new record!!!
Besides that i have now photographed a total of 97 teams for the company, and at 100 teams i'll get an official document saying i'm a photographer!!!!

Some progress on the Well Enhancer:

Placed a plate to connect the sidewall to the rearwall.



Placed the new plate, and also added a front wall.
The first piece of the ventilation-shaft is also visible here.
When that is finished the Evergreen plates will be all around the wood.

Took Tweety with me to my room, hoping she would start investigate the model.
Unfortunatly she didn't come closer then this.





Where to store such big plates when your room is already crowded?
That's right, underneath your models, they will also keep the plates straight.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Finally some pics again!!

Materials stored on the rear deck like it would be done on the real ship.

Wuppies and Beesies (those orange and blue creatures made because of the world cup football) are watching while the first part of the new mast is being dryfitted.

People from the shipyard working hard on this dryfit, while being encoureged by the Wuppies and Beesies.

And an overall view.

Yesterday i've received my papers for graduation!!!!
After the summer-holiday follows the high school (one step under university)!!!!!!

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Here are some more pics:

Overall view of the sanding and filling work of today.

Today i've made a start with the lifeboats.
Because i want to make these working as well i decided it would be best to make them out of fibreglass only, so i've started to make a plug.
I hope i'll be able to use the nice weather in the summer to complete the 4 hulls.



First frame alongside the keel.

First frame mounted on the keel.




Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

This lifeboat has room for 61 persons.
Like i did while looking at the real one the model makes me wonder how that many people can possibly fit in it.

Unfortunatly all i have to build these boats is the shape of the keel and same pics on which the lifeboats aren't quite that well visible.
Therefore i decided to build the bow and stern from balsa-wood so i would have a better chance on getting the shape correct.
Here the first block of balsa has been glued to the bow and has been giving about the right shape.
I will fill and sand the entire boat as soon as the planking is done to make it look like a fibreglass hull which the real ones are too.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

The lifeboat with 61 crewmembers in front of it.
This amount of crewmembers should be able to fit inside this lifeboat, but it looks very small for so many people.

First block of the stern glued to the hull.

This is what it looks like aboard the Well Enhancer.

The second block has also been placed.
The last 2 blocks have also been placed and brought into shape, but i don't have any pics of that.
This boat is now waiting for the first layer of filler.
Meanwhile i've printed the drawings for 2 other types of lifeboats, and the first of these types of boats is already under construction:

This is the hyperbaric lifeboat which has a pressurized cabin for 18 divers and room for 4 crewmembers.
The divers can enter the boat through an airlock in the bottom.

Here the keel and deck have been glued together.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Here's an update:

The hyperbaric-lifeboat has got the first piece of it's frame.
The rest is also placed, but i don't have any pics of that.

I've been ill for a little more then a week now, and that has forced me to stop working on my models.
Today i restarted the work, while my dad was sanding and painting a door near the place where i was working.
Here is the result of a nice afternoon on the roof-terrace with my dad:

The reardeck has been sanded, but because it's very clear that more filling and sanding will be needed here i didn't paint the deck.

The hull after having applied the primer.
This is a much better paint-result then i used to have, but next time i'll most likely use an airbrush.
I allready have a starters-airbrush, which will be used to paint the hull after having it sanded and filled again.
It will take quite some time to finish the paintwork with that airbrush, but i think it will look even better then this.

Last but not least, the other side of the hull.
I've worked much more on this side of the hull, and that has resulted in a much better finish so far.
Still, also this side needs a little more attention.

Greetings Josse

[Capit�o Norbert]

Hy Tweety
your model having a good aspect...
is next of painting job??
regards

[tweety777]

Hi Norbert,

Thanks for the compliment.

The next job will be more filling and sanding, as the hull is not yet smooth enough.
Especially the bow and bilge on the starboard side will need more filling and sanding.
When that is done i'll apply some new layers of primer so that there won't be any differences in colours from the underlaying layers of paint and filler.
As the primer was actually just to bad to use i'll have to buy some new primer first as well.

When the paintjob on the hull is finished i'll start weathering the hull while i start filling and sanding the superstructure and the decks to make a good and smooth base for a high level of detailing.
Hopefully i'll be able to start detailing somewhere this winter.
Detailing and making all the working stuff will take quite a few more years, so plenty of work to do.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

The cilinder which is to turn the crane-arm up and down is attached to a disk so i can drive it later on using the servo underneath it.
It this point i don't know how i can firmly connect the 2 disks to get a flexible connection, so does any of you guys have an idea how i can do this?

Does anyone know a good way to firmly secure the threaded wire to the disk which is used to drive it?
Both disks have been supplied with the servo's and are most likely made of a plastic which is very hard to glue.

Some other progress:

The deck atop of the funnels is being made in the right shape.

First i've cut away the not needed parts to get the deck in the right shape.

4 legs on their place.
I'll align them better using the decks which are coming higher up in the mast.

The lot soldered together.
Their is still a piece of deck to come at the rear of the deck, as this part isn't wide enough.


Greetings Josse

[Neptune]

Hmm, is the threaded part of your tube bigger than the hole in the disk?
If so, perhaps you can try to heat it up and gently melt it in the disk? If that is done and it's not yet fixed after cooling down, you can use some two part epoxy glue, apply it on the tube and then screw it back in, leave the glue to dry (use the 24-hour drying time version) and probably it won't come off anymore. Another method could be to use Tec-7, it'll look rubbish because Tec is a sort of silicone substance (in the looks and application that is), but it doesn't quite let go of anything after a drying...

[Capit�o Norbert]

Hi tweety thanks for ask.
the soldering work is good to see too.
i am waiting for more of you soon.

[tweety777]

Last update for today:

First platform in the mast is being build.

It's getting late here so i needed to stop drilling after having drilled just 1 hole.
After that i've made some preparations for going on with this work later on.

The paint was dry, so i started sanding.

This still isn't very good, here filler will have to be used.



The stern had been sanded before i started painting, but i didn't make any pics of that yet.

After the sanding i've put her back on my room, and there i've applied some more filler.
That's it for today.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

Drilled some more holes.

Platform in postition.







The hull after more sanding and filling.

Turned the hull around so i can fill and sand this side as well.

Greetings Josse

[Capit�o Norbert]

Very good project...
great vessel in building work
congratulations

[tweety777]

Another update:

The forward bulwark was being replaced and it's best to do so before applying a new layer of paint.
Therefore i've removed the front bulwark, and will replace that with a new Evergreen version later on, but as the far from smooth frontdeck is now easy accessable (is that spelled correct?) i decided to first make the front deck smooth.
This is the first layer of filler.

Second layer of the sheerstreak has been placed.

Some pics of my room which is getting some new furniture:

My bed has been replaced, but before i could do that i needed to remove the old one.



New bed.

The workbench.

Greetings Josse

[tweety777]

Another update:

The Sea King has got the last rotorblades.

2 Helo's ready for take-off.

The lower deck of the superstructure has been adjasted for the new deck.
Their will come a new deck made of Evergreen which is to have the right thickness for detailing.

The other side.

Plates of Evergreen are being glued on the existing wooden parts.



With the superstructure.


Greetings Josse