You could try salt chipping
Neil's Italeri 1/35 LCVP Landing Craft
- Thread starter Neil Merryweather
- Start date
I'll pop in Neil. Used to go ashore in them on occasion. (Also Liverpool had one as a nightclub!!!) Even though Ive been in one I still can't imagine what it must have been like when that ramp dropped.
A good start and looking forward to the seeing it develop.
A good start and looking forward to the seeing it develop.
Looking good Neil. Filling to a smooth finish and then finding the filling shows under paint is a perennial problem. I've had some success with un-hairying string with dilute PVA but it does stiffen the string unfortunately.
G
I would say: neither. Ships and boats tend to be pretty well-painted, with little wear showing — at least not in our scales
And I would suspect that right before the biggest actual operation they’re ever going to go on, every crew who cared even a little bit, made sure their boat was in top condition.
Have to say, all the landing craft crews I have encountered were very proud of their little crafts. As soon as they were out of the water the paint brushes were out. (I was on a commando carrier early 70's and often worked from Intrepid and Fearless two naval amphibious assault ships with docks for landing craft P's and T's.)I would say: neither. Ships and boats tend to be pretty well-painted, with little wear showing — at least not in our scales
If you do decide to chip, I've used hairspray, even with MRP top coat and can still chip away. Of course, hairspray might be free, depending on your living arrangements.
Persimmon to board Captain. Looks like you have your work cut out for you too like me on my LCVP.
Hey Jakko, in most areas I would unhesitatingly bow to your unrivalled and detailed knowledge, but in this I must beg to differ. Believe me I have studied and prepared for this project for more than ten years and the overwhelming impression and evidence is that the Higgins Boats were bruised and battered work horses. I know many pictures purportedly of D Day were actually taken in the days or even months after, but there are plenty that are clearly genuine to corroborate my decision.I would say: neither. Ships and boats tend to be pretty well-painted, with little wear showing — at least not in our scales
The two pics at the top of the thread are clearly taken on or around the day itself as the .30 cals do not have the foul weather covers on, and even though one is colourized you can clearly see the staining and chipping of the wood.
I draw your attention to the following ...
this next one, I grant, is clearly brand new, but where's the fun in that?
And with great respect to @Waspie , when he was being chauffeured in them I imagine those matelots would have been professionals with the pride of the Royal Navy at heart, rather than 'hostilities only' oiks who didn't want to be there and couldn't have cared less about 'ship-shape and Bristol fashion'.
So mine is going to be thoroughly battered.
All the best
Neil
You want to spent some time being 'ferried' BACK to the ship with a bunch of drunken matelots!!!! It got pretty hostile!!! Anyway, the drivers were Royal Marines. A different kettle of fish. Some of the craft were quite battered, just battered covered in green paint!!!!
As an aside, during a rare visit to Portsmouth dockyard I timed it just right as they were rebuilding a landing craft from the landings. All around the build were actual images taken on the day of some of the carnage that took place. One horrific image was of a mortar hit just before the ramp went down. Certainly made you feel that we were fortunate not to have seen that type of slaughter in this lifetime.
Nice images Neil. The local rag here showed many images of the GI's embarking as many US troops were billeted and trained around the Weymouth area.
Cheers Doug, no offense intended!
the colour pic of GIs embarking is indeed from a series taken in Weymouth, around 4th June, I believe.
Non taken Neil. More time to paint in peace time!!
G
I freely admit I don’t have great in-depth knowledge on this particular subject
My general impression was that they would probably have been in pretty decent shape, but several of your photos indeed show otherwise.I think, but am not 100% sure, that’s a genuine colour photo.
The white stuff on the side and
The one with all the scratches on the sides would be the one I would be aiming for, though
The local rag, (Dorset Evening Echo), ran a series of the colourised Day preparations around the Weymouth area. Mostly of Weymouth harbour and US troops around their vessels. The image Neil posted being one of them.
The staining and chipping I'm referring to is in the colourized one of the US Navy crew at the top of the thread.
You're right, the GIs embarking is from a series shot in Weymouth, and is genuine wartime colour stock. And I agree about the reflections in that one, but look at the tide mark.
I shall try and replicate that too.
cheers
N
I’ve added a bit more bling and glued a few more bits together
The dial on the ‘wheel house’ comes with the PE set and is printed on clear film - I must remember to mask it before I prime.
I’ve spent a fair few hours going through my refences and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a huge number of different designs of LCVP/ Higgins Boat,and not many images of the specific type that’s represented by this model. For instance, there are two bilge pumps in this area and I wondered if they were a different colour. You can’t see them in any shots I’ve found. Also there are different types of steering wheel, different arrangements of the ribs, the pulleys- everything really!
I’m not afraid of using artistic licence but it’s always good to find out how something SHOULD look, before you take liberties.
I also want to know which bits are made of what material so that I can pre-colour them before the chipping process. That’s where it’s useful that there are many shots of boats before and during restoration. I know they were mostly wood, but some was actual timber and some was plywood. Some bits are obviously metal, some not so obvious.
It’s a moot point as to whether it’s worth bothering too much with details inside the boat as I intend to fill it with GIs, but you can bet that the bit I leave will be on view in the only gap. That said, a lot of the careful detail I put into my French Fusiliers diorama was hidden by a) the crowded composition and b) by the bloody tall grass I spent so much effort on. For instance, the fallen officer was totally buried and practically invisible!
Still, it’s the process that’s the fun, isn’t it?
Oh, and guess who had to scrape Halfords Primer off the dial......? :rolling:
I must say I'm enjoying actually doing this after all the years I've been thinking about it.
Cheers
Neil
The dial on the ‘wheel house’ comes with the PE set and is printed on clear film - I must remember to mask it before I prime.
I’ve spent a fair few hours going through my refences and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a huge number of different designs of LCVP/ Higgins Boat,and not many images of the specific type that’s represented by this model. For instance, there are two bilge pumps in this area and I wondered if they were a different colour. You can’t see them in any shots I’ve found. Also there are different types of steering wheel, different arrangements of the ribs, the pulleys- everything really!
I’m not afraid of using artistic licence but it’s always good to find out how something SHOULD look, before you take liberties.
I also want to know which bits are made of what material so that I can pre-colour them before the chipping process. That’s where it’s useful that there are many shots of boats before and during restoration. I know they were mostly wood, but some was actual timber and some was plywood. Some bits are obviously metal, some not so obvious.
It’s a moot point as to whether it’s worth bothering too much with details inside the boat as I intend to fill it with GIs, but you can bet that the bit I leave will be on view in the only gap. That said, a lot of the careful detail I put into my French Fusiliers diorama was hidden by a) the crowded composition and b) by the bloody tall grass I spent so much effort on. For instance, the fallen officer was totally buried and practically invisible!
Still, it’s the process that’s the fun, isn’t it?
Oh, and guess who had to scrape Halfords Primer off the dial......? :rolling:
I must say I'm enjoying actually doing this after all the years I've been thinking about it.
Cheers
Neil
Neil, coming on nicely you can't beat a bit of bling.
Nice updates Neil.
A short piece of narrow tubing and a needle threader will be your friends there Neil!
Really looking forward to seeing this one come together Neil. Interesting discussion as well.
Late as usual Neil but that's coming along nicely
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