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DonziJon
12-05-2010, 06:37 PM
This was my first serious model. I had been to Clayton a couple of times and the Old Boats attracted me.

This is a 1938 Hacker Craft Special Runabout. (1/12 scale) I lifted the plans from one of my "books". Since it was my first, I wasn't particularly interested in engines..I didn't know if I could do it. So I built the boat... and was happy so ...I added an engine.

Most of the "Old" boats now have modern engines because the "Old" ones are too expensive....unavailabe ..and are becoming artifacts.. so... I put a 454 Crusader in this one.

DonziJon
12-05-2010, 06:43 PM
Some of the pictures are purposely blurry. That's Artistic...:)

DannyK
12-05-2010, 07:39 PM
Beautiful !

HOWARD O
12-05-2010, 07:59 PM
Okay, first off, that's just beautiful! But I have some questions, as usual. Is all the hardware brass or bronze? The rudder just looks SO real, it even looks like it has a tinge of green, which I'll assume is natural because it's brass. What about the strut, did you have to make that? It looks beautiful. Everything has that "patina" to it, so realistic looking. I assume, just like a real boat, it gets it's patina from aging?

Also, what about the upholstery? Is it plastic or is it real upholstery? I really cannot tell. Oh, and the windshield, is it glass?

It's beautiful, John. I went to an all Packard and Duesenburg car show at the Petersen Auto Museum in L.A. years ago. There was one Packard there, it was a small, red/cream 2-door convertible and it wasn't anywhere near the hit of the show, but I must've sat on a bench looking at that thing for a good hour. There was just something about it, can't quite put it into words. I can see that I'd feel much the same about these boats you have built. Really special. They must be very special to you! :yes:

Thanks again for sharing!

zelatore
12-05-2010, 09:25 PM
Beautiful! I wish I could see it in person. I can only wish I had the patience and skill to do something like that.

Sorta reminds me of the model sitting about 2 feet in front of me as I type this....I posted some pics of it before:
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=55091&highlight=monk

Conquistador_del_mar
12-06-2010, 12:31 AM
Absolutely beautiful. I wouldn't doubt that you spent almost as much time building it as I did restoring the 3 old woodies I have done in the past. Quite a few of the pieces of hardware look like some pieces from my Chris Crafts and Century Coronado. Is that Phillipine mahoghany like it looks to be? Bill

GBond
12-06-2010, 08:07 AM
Very nice!

Offset
12-06-2010, 09:37 AM
You have some serious talent. Just beautiful workmanship.

Murray Adam

DonziJon
12-06-2010, 10:43 AM
With the exception of the hatch hinges and the propeller, ALL the hardware is fabricated from scratch out of brass... little components carved out of solid, sheet or round stock, or shapes, with a Dremel tool and soldered together to make the final part. At the time I didn't have a Lathe so everything was by hand. Hobby shops also have ALL Kinds of brass shapes like channel, angles, tubes, etc. in various sizes that make things easier.

One thing that was NOT available was Half Round stock in the small sizes I needed.. like the brass rub rail and trim around the cockpit upholstery. I made a hardwood jig to lay brass rod in lengthwise, so I could FILE half the rod away to make Half Round.

The shape of various parts are "hopefully" exact miniature replicas of the full scale part. The windshield is fabricated brass frames ..components soldered together, with clear plastic "glass". Whenever I decide on a project I home in on Full Scale examples of the boat in question whenever I can, and take pictures and measurements. Antique boat shows are great for this.

The upholstery was one of the early problems I had to tackle. I originally wanted to actually use leather and stitch or glue the panels together. I had a friend who was an accessories designer (women's stuff) for a well known company in Fall River, Mass and she had access to all kinds of fabrics including leather samples. There were two problems. First, the leather was too thick and could not be shaped without having "out of scale" wrinkles in the final product. Second, I wanted the model to Last generations into the future and leather will dry out and shrink, crack, etc. SO: The leather idea went by the board.

The upholstery in the Hacker is composed of individual solid wood segments carved to look like roll and pleated, including the leather "grain" and "natural" wrinkles that result when leather upholstery has been sat on. Each segment is then spray painted with a semi flat model paint in the desired color.. which is Always Green. All the segments were then lined up like ducks in a row.

The frames and light colored wood are "usually" Bass wood (The chines are Ash) and the planking is Mahogany, the covering boards are Walnut, both selected for VERY fine grain.. so the grain will not look out of scale. The varnish is thinned down polyurethane spar varnish applied with an air brush. I actually called the varnish Mfg to find out how to thin the varnish to spray it with an air brush. They told me not to thin it more than 10% or I would lose the shine. They were wrong: I experimented A LOT before I found out the right air pressure, nozzle size and technique.

All my models are displayed in brass bound special UV Blocking glass cases. First to keep dust off the model. More importantly, the case offers a humidity and temperate stable environment. The cases are not airtight but tight enough to prevent rapid changes inside the case. :nilly: John

DonziJon
12-06-2010, 12:57 PM
Notice I even use "butt blocks" inside the planking. :bonk: I actually considered using very thin white plastic inlays for the striping between the deck planking but overuled that idea as too complicated. I opted to do it just like in real life. Scribe lines between the deck planks and fill the scribe lines with white paint using a pin striping.... ie. old fashioned, now an antique, draftsmens "nib" pen.

Ghost
12-06-2010, 02:42 PM
Astonishing.

HOWARD O
12-06-2010, 05:52 PM
Appropriate word, Mike!

The dang upholstery is wood. I'll be go to hell. Also wouldn't have figured that most all of the hardware is hand fabricated. Just wow. :eek:

Thanks, John! :yes: