May not be fast, but very nice,
Sometimes I time things by how many watch batteries I used up
👍

Ever see a sloth in the wild? They are really really slow

Thank you very much Wolle.

Hello Alessandro

A great job, I take my hat off.👍👍👍

Good evening everyone, here is an update of small progress.
As I said, I am very slow, last time I found a comparison with a sedated sloth.
But I have some extenuating circumstances.

I finished the support bases for the central lifeboats, as you can see in the first photo.
I did not expect it to take me so long.

After thinking for a long time about the diameter of the rope (the one on the sides to hold on to when you are in the water) I decided to put it.

I had to carefully choose the material and shape of the attachment rings.
It was not easy because they were very small and it is a job I had never done before.
I used copper.
I was undecided whether to darken it naturally with oxidation or paint it.
In the end I colored it.

Finally you can see where the lifeboats will be positioned. I only supported them temporarily, they are not glued.

Good evening everyone.
I tried the Tamiya tape. The results are actually good, certainly not as disastrous as those obtained with the use of the bodywork paper tape that I had used.
The waterline still doesn't satisfy me, but this is due to the continuous touch-ups. I should redo it from scratch. However, the tape did not create any paint smudges.
So thanks to all of you for the precious advice.

Thank you so much Jock.

Thank you so much Steve.
You are right.

Hi Alessandro,
Lovely work.

I would say go easy on yourself, sometimes there are "learning opportunity's" that don't go as planned and things take more time than hoped.

Cheers,
Stephen.

beautiful work Alessandro. They are a piece of art all by themselves.

Thanks so much for the (good but exaggerated) compliments Jumpugly.

I say!!! You're putting us all to shame Alessandro!!!

😉😀

Good evening everyone, I'll update you on some small progress.
I couldn't do much because I wasted a lot of time with the central lifeboat supports.

I placed the three-way blocks on the side lifeboats. I chose to put the three-pulley blocks because they are the ones most used to raise or lower the lifeboats into the sea (at least according to the photos I found).

I painted the internal wooden part of the lifeboats.
Then I will have to finish the external white and blue paint, using the Tamiya tape that you recommended.

As for the central lifeboat supports, I redid the work twice.
Not knowing the correct dimensions of these supports and their thickness I thought of using the same drawings of the frames.
Instead of removing the outside I would have removed the inside.
I hadn't considered enough the extra thickness of the planking, so I redid the work by appropriately widening the shape.
I'm not finished yet but one support seemed too enveloping so I reduced it until it reached the waterline.
I'm not very satisfied because I did a lot of work but with few visible results.

Thank you so much Wolle.
Too good though, I am much more critical of myself, on the paint job.

Hello Alessandro

I wish I had the calmness of a sloth.🤣

The colouring, the finish, simply top.👍

Thank you so much Steve and Dave for the words of appreciation and advice.

For Steve:
unfortunately, partly because of the rush (which is always a bad advisor), partly because of the masking tape used, but above all because of my inexperience, I did not achieve the desired result. Honestly, I would have liked to have done better with the painting.

Alessandro, they look awesome.
As far as tape goes, I'm not sure what the availability of 3M tape is in Italy .... but they make a tape called "Fine Line" masking tape, which is designed specifically for taping curved edges and leaving a clean edge.
3M is, of course, readily available here in the States (and 3M headquarters are in Minnesota!!). If you have access to it, I would suggest giving it a try.
Dave B

Hi Alessandro,
All the effort you have put into these ships boats has paid off in my opinion, with an excellent result.

I agree with Doug, Tamiya tape is first rate.

As for the cleanliness of the lines on you ships boats a lot depends on what you are wanting to convey in your model.
Are you looking for what would be a perfect finish or something that is not quite perfect?

Cheers,
Stephen.

Thank you so much Jumpugly e Doogle.

Awesome work 👏

Hi Doug, thanks a lot for your compliments.
You have a good eye. It's true that the paint job is terrible, especially at the waterline.
I'm sure I'm terrible at painting but it's probably not just my fault. As you say, the masking tape I used is no good.
I think I'll follow your advice, also because it's not the first time I've heard good things about Tamiya tape.
However, don't expect me to reach your levels in painting ships.

p.s. Yes, because if the sloth hadn't been under the effect of a massive dose of narcotics he would have been faster than me.

Fabulous!!!

I am forced to repeat myself😉
"Masterpieces in miniature"👍👍👍
They look much better with white covers Alessandro👍
"the speed of a sedated sloth ..." Love it, sounds like me as well 😂🤣
Ciao, Doug😎
PS: One small thing Re the waterlines - a word to the wise😉
I recommend that you use Tamiya plastic masking tape.
It's absolutely flat, flexible around curves and gives a super clean line.
Avoiding the creeping under the edge you get with standard crepe tapes, like decorators use.
You seem to have several creeping effects on your otherwise perfect and beautiful lifeboats🤔

Good evening to all ship modelers.
With the speed of a sedated sloth I continued the work on the ship, in particular on the lifeboats (unfortunately I dedicate too little time to modeling).
For the color of the cover of the side lifeboats I took into consideration your welcome and precious opinions and advice.
In the end I followed Doug's advice and repainted the protective cover with white, because it is the most common color in the photos I have seen.
Apart from white I saw that light colors prevail.
As for the central lifeboats I completed the transverse planks (which act as seats) and the stern seat.
I also raised the gunwales where I will make the recesses for the oars.

Yes JockScott, you are right.
I will have to be very careful about this.

Your explanations make very much sense. Just make sure the outboard boats are secured safely to the davits if there is a chance they dip into the water when the boat is listing.

Hi Doug, thanks for your comment and your words and congratulations for your Italian.
Thanks to you too, for your opinion on the colors of the protective covers.

For the question of protective covers on boats that hide the work done, I replied to Jock. I think I replied to you too.

The question of the rope that holds the cover in place is certainly very interesting.
I had the same doubts as you and I did a lot of research (not always very fruitful); I looked at many photos of both real ships and other modelers (I will post some for you) but, above all, at the time I also asked for information on this site.
I am not sure if it is the best method but when I passed the rope it was quite simple. I think even removing it is not complicated.

The last photo is taken from Jumpugly's work, American Scout C-2, great example for me.

Thank you very much Jock for your comment.

I answer your question:

Only the side lifeboats (the ones that will be suspended from the davits) will be covered with waterproof sheets.
You write: "...after all that great detail work on the interior of the boats ..."
Actually, I didn't do any interior work on the two side lifeboats. I left the frames as they were. I only resinated the inside to reinforce and waterproof the hull.
I know they looked better before I painted them white and blue, but that's because I'm a terrible painter (if one of you had painted them they would have come out much better).

The two central lifeboats, however, will not be covered with a sheet and, in fact, for these I'm taking a bit more care of the interiors with some details that, I hope, are realistic.
My reasoning was this:
Since the ship is RC and not just a static model, a lot of water could fall on the side boats (it is very likely that it happens when sailing abeam). So the covering of the canvas has a mainly practical aspect (as in reality).
To follow a certain realism I should leave the canvases on all the boats (even the central ones) because no ship sails with the boats uncovered (they are always protected by canvases).
However, we modelers ultimately do what we want so I imagined that the canvases had just been removed (for whatever reason). It could happen.
In this way I can also dedicate myself to the internal details of the boats.
I think that the largest one could also be equipped with a folded mast and sail as well as oars.
Finally, I don't think that water could end up inside the central boats, so I didn't see the practical need for canvases for these two.

Hi Duncan, thank you so much for your kind words.
Thanks for your feedback too.

Thank you very much Wolle for your nice comment and your opinion.

There is nothing to add to all this.
Great work.
I would leave it all as it is👍👍👍

You've done an amazing job of the lifeboats. It seems a shame to cover them up and your meticulous attention to detail lost forever! I would keep the covers as they are. Well done. Regards Duncan 😊

Most curious Mike!
I couldn't find a translator that included Swiss German.
So I used the 'Detect language' function.
What it came up with was surprising😮to say the least.
See pic.🤔
Cheers, Doug😎

Same thought occurred to me Jock👍
Great shame. All that exquisite and time consuming woodwork hidden from posterity☹️
Maybe Alessandro could leave the cover off one and put some crew members around it as if preparing for launch? Then the interior work wouldn't all be wasted.
Doug😎
PS to Alessandro😉
That would also save you some of the 'sweat'👍

Fantastic work Alessandro. Do I understand you right that after all that great detail work on the interior of the boats you will leave them covered up for no one to see?

Masterpieces in miniatur😮Ben fatto compagno di bordo👍
I agree with you about the boat cover colour.
Pale blue doesn't look right. Too gaudy🤔
For the period ship you are building I would expect either white or simply beige canvas colour.

BTW re the cover lashing rope ...
Do you have any internet info, photos?, showing it done that way, under the hull?
Looks like it would complicate and delay launching.
In my experience the rope is run through hooks or eye-bolts just under the gunwale where it can be released faster and doesn't unduly hinder the launching.
The ropes were also used to assist swimming survivors to climb aboard.
Just a thunk😉
Ciao, Doug😎
PS I believe that Dave's suggestion, Royal Blue, may be more appropriate to a much later period? I sit to be corrected🤔

Thank you so much Dave for your kind words and your opinion on the color.

You are doing an amazing job, Alessandro!
I love all the detail built into such small boats.
As far as the canvas, I think they should be the darker "marine blue" (also called "Royal Blue") used for many boat covers, etc.
Dave B

Thank you so much Colin, Jumpugly and Mike for your comments.
Thanks to everyone who liked.
But I'm afraid you're being too kind to me.
Should I leave the canvas color as it is?
Just thinking about painting it makes me sweat but that light blue doesn't really convince me.

Alessandro,
. . . momol Du chasch öppis!, (Swiss german)

Yes Yes yes . . . you can do something!

Michel-C.

Alessandro
madre madonna sancta Maria que bello!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As usual Alessandro you excel. Your miniature workmanship is beautiful to see, and the finished items are a joy to behold.
Well done shipmate, cheers Colin.

They Are BEAUTIFUL Alessandro!!!!!

Hello all the ship modelers.

Here are some updates from last weekend:

I painted the protective sheeting of the side lifeboats.
So they are ready but I think I made a bad choice of color.
Maybe white or a light gray would have been better.
What do you think?

For the central lifeboats.
I milled the internal bulkheads in order to put the false ribs (many more and closer together).
I made the floor and raised the gunwales.
Little by little they are getting closer to a more or less realistic look.

Since I don't even know where to start, I started putting up the sheets for the side boats, taking inspiration from various images taken from the internet.
I'm using the same fabric I used for sails. Terrible to deal with.
I won't be able to leave it so I will have to waterproof and color it. We'll see what comes out.

Hi JockScott, I'll reply to you on this topic (link at the end of the message).
Posts on the forum accept other posts for replies and comments while in the "how to articles" section this is not possible.


https://model-boats.com/forum/146723

Hi Mike, thanks for the compliments.
I hope I don't do worse with the roofing sheets, because it's a job I've never done.
You are very lucky to have such help, very precious. I'm happy for you.

Hey Alessandro,
Your little dinghies are awesome. The important thing is what it ultimately becomes.
You can be proud . .
I'm not a good painter either, that's why I hired my wife. She's 10 years younger and therefore has a steadier hand. 👍👌
She challenges me, my friends say she wears the trousers! But STOP!
I tell her what colour! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
She brings colour and humour into our lives, in 3 years we will have been married for 50 years.
That says it all, doesn't it?
Michel-C.

PS: And she wants to inaugurate the paddle steamer this spring. . . Isn't that cool?
I'm being challenged, which is good for me!

I like your attention to detail and the final product shows its quality.
On a separate post, you describe the different styles of work/life boats over the past centuries. Unfortunately it does not let me respond with my question, so I am posting it here. I am looking for my project of pictures/drawings of the typical lifeboats used on commercial ships from the 1960's. Did you come across in your research any you may remember? Any links are appreciated.

Thank you so much Stephen, too good, I'm flattered by your opinion.

Hi Alessandro,
Lovely work, nicely made ships boats make a big difference.
Cheers,
Stephen.