"Waterlining a Plastic Pirate Vessel" Topic

I imagine at least a few of you have already done this, so I am looking for tips and tricks to modify my Lindberg vessel to a waterline ship, without destroying, or damaging it, and then making it suitable for game play using miniatures.

I imagine cutting the keel off with a dremel tool would probably work best, but maybe you can recommend another method, e.g. razor hand saw, etc.

I'm thinking about inserting some polystyrene foam to make the two hull halves a bit more robust, for game play, at the waterline.

I imagine cutting would be easier before the two halves are glued together, but am open to suggestions here as well, since I don't own, or have easy access to a bandsaw.

Thoughts?

Having done this a few times, there are a couple of difficulties. The first is getting an even cut along the plastic that will, when glued to the other half form a continuous "touch" with the table, or base that you glue it to. Plastic hulls bend as you cut, so its easy to end up with ends that rise considerably cut higher than the sides and thats a real pain.

Heres how I do it. First tack glue the two halves together to give you the rigid shape of the hull as it should be. Then hold the hull upside down by grips or vice so that it is perfectly level, horizontal to the table, but upside down. (Upside down because its easier to work that way)

Now use a laser pointer in a fixed clamp, or a clamp scriber/ held felt tip pen etc to trace a line around the entire hull, where the waterline cut is to go. Once you have this line marked on the hull, break apart the two sections again. Glue each section to a piece of card, as if gluing to the other half. Now fill with expanded foam and leave to set. You now have a firm rigid block of hull, foam and card. clamp to the table and gently but firmly cut with a small modellers hacksaw following the waterline mark you made.

Take off the card and foam (or leave the foam if you have a deck to go above it) and glue the two halves together permanently.

You now have a precise waterlined hull.

I've done this without the foam too, but sometimes the plastic bends whilst cutting and throws the line off.

I should also add that the first attempt was a disaster, so practise on something you dont mind cocking up first! : )

Get a small basin or something that will fit the ship and put enough water in it as if to try and float it.
Get some spirit based paint probably not a lot actaully needed, and pour it gently on the water where it should sit on the surface, gently dip the ship into the paint coated water holding it at your desired waterline level, and you should get a tideline,let it dry properly and cut it with whatever tool you have available.

See also: TMP link

The method I use to cut tubes for towers, and model ships
for water line is basically scoring.. another way to think of it is 'shaving away a thin line of plastic.'

* Finish glueing the model together (decks, internal supports, etc..

* Attach the model solidly to something so it is level
(the base it came with will work)

* Figure where you want the waterline to be.. i.e.
measure from the bottom of the support to the waterline desired.

* Set a craft knife – EDGE REVERSED – at this height.
Make sure this is also solid.

* Select a longish section on the hull, and simply rub the model against the blade, making a score. Of course,
be sure the model stays level. The best way to do this is not to lose patience and try to make a deeper cut..
don't let the model 'stutter' when pushing against the
blade point.

You can keep going until the knife cuts thru that section and move on to another section.. or you can go all the way around a few times, and use the scored line as a guide for sawing..

Slow.. but very clean cut. Any internal supports left
can be cut off fairly easily.

AND.. you now have a nice start on a ships boat in
28mm scale..:-)

all these were waterlined… 15mm resin…only one trip to the hospital for stitiches…

link

Hi

I found it useful to find the line, and then mark it with a strip of tape as a cutting line. Cut 1/32 below the line. Then glue a sheet of sandpaper to a sheet of pine, and finish the line by sanding to the tape after being built. Deals with minor mistakes better.

R

I put this together a few years ago. I now have 75 of the Airfix HMS Victory and about a20 of the Pirateology ships all as waterline for wargaming.

Building a 1/600 scale fleet.

I originally got the idea from "Virtual Scratch Builder site virtualscratchbuilder.com Using the Airfix HMS Victory in 1/600 scale you can make just about any ship from a 28 – 130.

After getting your ship, first assemble parts 1, 2 and 3. This is the two sections of the hull and the deck. Use a few rubber bands to give some pressure so it set up tight. Using standard plastic model glue, let it set for a few hours to become hard.

Then take a fine tip marker and mark were you will make your cuts. Once marked make all of your cuts. You may use a hobby knife, or as like me I use a "DREMEL Motor-Tool."

Bringing the ship down to water line is the easy part. Simply cut below the gun ports that are closest to the water line leaving about 1/16th of an inch space. This is done if you are building a 1 2 or 3 Decker.

In the area of the stern of the ship you will make a cutout of the hull were the rudder would be. I take piece #16 the (nameplate) for the stand and cut it and place it in that location so you have the area below the stern windows filled. You do not have to do this on a 3 Decker as it cuts perfectly as per the original kit.

To make a ship shorter or longer then the original kit you must remove or add a section from the hull. These changes are best made before the ship is cut to water line.

To make a ship shorter remove the section between the Cargo Hold and the Middle Mast. Then glue the two sections back together.

To make a ship longer insert a section from a ship that was made shorter by putting it behind the Middle Mast. Then glue the three sections back together.

Below is a list of different numbered gunned ships and what you need to make them.

1. 28 – 38 gun Frigate, 1 deck and remove a section.

2. 44 – 50 gun Frigate, 1 deck.

3. 64 – gun ship of the line, 2 decks and remove a section.

4. 74 – gun ship of the line, 2 decks.

5. 80 – gun ship of the line, 2 decks, add a section.

6. 98 – 100 gun ship of the line, 3 decks.

7. 110-120 gun ship of the line, 3 decks, add a section.

8. 130 gun ship of the line, 3 decks, add a section, add a 4th deck from a previous ships 3rd deck being removed.

9. Merchantman, 1 deck, and remove a section, sand down gun port if you like.

Once the ship is reassembled give it a good primer coat then finish assembling, painting, rigging, flags and mounting your ship on base.

As per painting and rigging your ships there are many good references out there.

On the "Yahoo groups" "WoodenWalls" in the files section there is a very good article NAVAL.xls Napoleonic Ships Painting Guide by Roy Trochim

Thanks for all of the information everyone.

I really appreciate it.

I see if I had read a little further down the list, I could have saved you the trouble. It appears a number of people are working on their fleets at the same time.

11th ACR, how much did you remove of the Pirateology vessels when you waterlined them?

I just found a few at the local store, and have a few more on order. I need to cut "The William" (Jack Rackham's vessel) down a bit, since her hull is way too tall. She looks like she is made of balsa, floating in a lake made of mercury, or some other really thick liquid, making her more buoyant.

I'm thinking about using a razorsaw on these, once they are suitably marked to determine the waterline position. That should be a bit easier, since they appear to be made of solid rubber.

Best regards,

Rob

For the Pirateology vessels I just kind of guesstimated were the waterline should be.
They are waterline from the box but there to high up out of the water so I just looked at them and made a judgment as to were I thought it should be and marked them.

Also with the Pirateology vessels I had to use a large (1" across) metal disk saw blade for my "DREMEL Motor-Tool" as these ships are made of a plastic that is more of a rubber fill to it.

If you want to see what the Airfix HMS Victory's look like when done I have a number of photos on the Central California Wargamers site in the files section.

link

Please…Fill me in.. what is/are Pirateology?…. like I don't already have enough ships!

They were in the toy department at Target stores over last Xmas. They sold for $5.99 USD I think. A total of 6 different ships. And they work perfect with the Airfix HMS Victory.

Here is some listings for them on ebay.
Robert Henry

auction

Wow. See what one misses when their kids are all grown up?

They are wonderful little rubber vessels, that are about 2.5" – 3" long, and are/were sold at Target. I happened to stumble across them in the last week, while I was looking for other things.

I'm not sure what scale they are, but probably range somewhere between 1/450th – 1/750th in size.

It appears they have been available for some time, and/or did not sell too well, so are heavily discounted now (75% off, if you can find them). I have looked at three stores, and only came up with a few vessels, but they were on sale for $1.35, or so each.

The only ones I found were "The William", which was Calico Jack's sloop, and sports eight guns on the top deck, and a Chinese junk. "The William" is supposedly a sloop, but has two masts, and is 62mm's long for the hull, and 90mm's long, if you include the bowsprit.

As mentioned, they are made of rubber, or a rubber-like material, sails, masts, and all.

Other vessels include a Barbary Corsair, Queen Anne's Revenge (Blackbeard's ship), Captain Kidd's vessel, and another one, whose name escapes me, but is a three-masted vessel like most of the others. Names of a couple of others are the Royal Fortune, and the Bold Adventure (one of these is Kidd's ship, and the other is for a fictitious female pirate created for the series). There are six ships in total.

There doesn't seem to be any differentiation in size, but they look to be decent enough for a quick skirmish, naval game, or for use as game pieces on a sea mat, for adventuring to different islands.

They also have a boardgame that includes smaller versions (I believe) of the same vessels.

Finally, there are also individual figures of the pirate captains as well, e.g. Blackbeard, Kidd, Rackham, etc. They are probably about 1/32nd scale in size – major guess here from memory, since I didn't measure them. Poseidon is available too.

Sculpting and painting quality for these is average, so I didn't buy any, since there aren't enough other figs to fight battles with. I believe these are made of the same material as the ships.

I'll stick with my Airfix and my 1/300 Armada stuff.

When they (Pirateology) are completed with rigging and based the make very good Frigates Corvette's an Sloops to go with the Victory conversions I have done.

Also Barbary Pirate make a very good Xebec to fight in the Mediterranean. (I have ten of them at this time.

I just waterlined "The William" last night.

Easy to do with a razor saw on the Pirateology vessels. Takes a little time, since the material is pretty dense, but it looks much better now.

Once you cut them down to a true waterline, paint them, put rigging and ratlines they are great.

I will try to put some photos up on the Central California Wargamers site this weekend.

link

Robert Henry

A fellow gamer in my group picked up some of the Peterpig Range 18"pieces of Eight ships, and they look very close in size to the 1/600 Victory and the Pirateology.

peterpig.co.uk/range18.htm

Robert Henry

The Royal Fortune, the Bold Adventure, and the Queen Anne's Revenge are nicely sculpted.

Great for a bit of pirating in the Caribbean, or other locales.

The following link might have some application to this subject:

link

CC

I have added the Pirateology ships pictures to the Central California Wargamers site.

link

They are in the "File" section labeled "Pirateology ships"

They are all shot with the Airfix HMS Victory to give you a size comparison.

Robert Henry

I ground my "not-full-hull-but-not-waterline" Piratology hulls down with a belt sander. Just clamped the sander down, belt up, and pressed the hull to it. Quick, easy, and very effective.

That sounds like a great way to do it.

I did the Santa Maria recently.
I just took a hacksaw blade and a felt pen also a small block of wood the height you want to waterline
Run the felt pen ,on top of the wood while the boat stands flat on the table round the boat to give you a line to cut
then once cut.put the waterlined boat on a piece of thick plasticard and mark the edge
cut the plasticard and stick the boat down
use filler to fill any gaps and to make a nice little "wash" around the boat…..looks satifactory to my eye capn,

Many of these are cut hulls:

link

CC