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Author Topic: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build  (Read 19501 times)

Jherek

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Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« on: November 16, 2014, 12:25:36 am »

Hi, This is my first RC boat build. I'm about eight weeks in so far, I haven't got around to posting my progress but I've been taking pictures as I go along.


This the ABS hulled 1:90 scale Zwarte Zee from billing boats. I think the kit was made around 14 years guessing from what I think is a date stamp on the returns slip that came with the kit.
The kit itself consists of an abs hull (I thought this would be easier than building a GRP hull, I think I was wrong) and lots of sheets 2mm ply that has been badly die-cut (i.e. the die hasn't gone more than 0.5 mm through the plywood) and as a result I ended up buying a scroll saw and cutting everything out. If you buy this kit, do yourself a favour and make sure it's laser cut. It comes with a quantity of brass and plastic fittings which are ok. Also included are a number of sprues which look to a made in the kind of mold which you pour plastic into, the details are on one side only, anyone who has made any plastic kits will be disappointed. The instructions are pretty poor and simply a series a diagrams with little accompanying text.


Ok, off we go...





I started off with the frame inside the hull.





And added the RC gear. No provision is made in the kit for the positioning of the servo and motor so I made my own base. The rudder tube was reinforced with a bit wood and epoxy.
I made the mistake of using the supplied rudder linkage which is a waste of time. I have since replaced this with an aftermarket 3mm tiller arm.
The insides have been throughly coated in sanding sealer.





Rudder and 4 bladed prop from prop shop. Lots of filler required here!





I had lots of nerve racking fun drilling loads of portholes out!





One side went ok, the other required a but more plastic filler  {:-{





The rear deck and bulkwarks went on ok and of course more filler required. I painted sanding sealer on both side of the deck.





I couldn't resist building the upper superstructure while fettling the hull.





The temptation is to stick all the detail on at this stage. This would be a mistake. A quick coat of citadel white primer shows me that the grain is pretty prominent on this ply.
I want a flat surface which looks like steel. I intend to airbrush the superstructure once done.





Hey, it's looking like a ship! The bilge keels are super-glued on, it's a narrow ship and will require them. They are not in exactly the same place on the plan but they fit the curve of the hull in this position.




More photos to follow...
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2014, 12:43:52 am »









Carefully positioning the rubbing strips.





Yesterday's work - a couple of coats of halfords filler primer and a good sand gets rid of the grain and now I have a flat surface to paint.





Some more work on the upper deck and middle deck. The forward deck is not glued to the hull yet. Tomorrow I intend to add the anchor holes and hopefully put on a few coats of red oxide primer on the hull! After that I've got to paint the black above the waterline and then there's a small matter of glazing 50 portholes and sorting the anchor tubes (insert correct technical term here  ok2 ) , then and only then can I epoxy the forward deck on.
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Mad Scientist

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2014, 01:17:46 am »

'Anchor tubes' = hawsepipes.  :-))

Your build is looking great - with the white hull, the ship looks like a big yacht.

Tom
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JaS

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2014, 07:48:23 am »

Hello

Very nice, this one been around for a long time now, sometimes I wonder why Billing didnīt release the Smit Rotterdam with a Abs hull, last year I finished Robbes Happy Hunter and now working with the Aziz from MS, comparing these two kits the Aziz is far more complex to build, especially the hull that requiring more sanding and work than the Abs Hull from Robbe.
Would be nice if Billing had done the Zwarte Zee and Rotterdam in the scale of 1:50.

Keep up the good work.. :-)

Cheers
Jack
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hama

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2014, 08:57:40 am »

Looks great, thanks for sharing! This is a beautiful ship that I also would like to build someday, keep the pictures coming please!
Hama
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essex2visuvesi

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2014, 09:23:12 am »

All that in 8 Weeks?!?


I think most of us have only just opened the box and looked at the parts at the 8 week marker  {-)


Thats looking to be a nice build today
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Mark T

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2014, 01:12:02 pm »

Now thats looking like its developing into a very nice build.  That would have taken me about 4 times longer too as I'm such a slow builder  :embarrassed:

Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2014, 02:48:21 pm »


Well done so far.  A nice piece of workmanship.   :-))

Cheers

ken

 
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roycv

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2014, 04:56:24 pm »

Yes well done, I have taken over the build of a Zwarte Zee that has been work in progress for at least 30 years!
regards Roy
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2014, 08:04:22 pm »

Thanks for the kind comments. Jack, do you have a build thread for the aziz? I think my next kit will be probably be an Aeronaut Diva for my daughter (a bit of light relief and excuse to varnish mahogany) and then I'll get a model slipway kit, I've got my eye on the envoy but I do like these modern tugs.


So one with the build, I've not done alot today so far...





This is the replacement tiller, if you fit one of these, you need to cut the brass rudder sleeve down  before you epoxy it into the hull or you will end up hacking at it with a dremel, there is not alot
of clearance under the deck.





Brass bits and portholes added. Looking at the photos of the real ship, the engine housing is missing quite a few rails which I might add later if I have enough brass wire.
I can see myself ordering more as there are lots of handrails on the superstructure that are not included in this model.





Anchor hole added. The rivets on this 'porthole' will be coming off and I'll add a some plating above the anchor hole. For future builders, drilling holes in ABS is best done in stages, I started by marking the center will an awl, then used a 2.5mm drill bit to create a guide hole and then a 5mm and finally reamed out the hole to the correct size.


The grey filler is from learning that large drips of cellulose sanding sealer melt abs plastic!





The anchor is not referenced in the instructions, so guesswork takes over, I think that the anchor chains would go through the deck infront of the winch, which I have marked with an X?





I'm guessing the anchor chain would be stored below the deck and go back down through these holes in the winch plate?



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JaS

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2014, 08:19:12 pm »

actually i don't , i don't have the patience to take pictures among the building, sometimes i take one or two just to document on which stage the building are, there are a beautiful aziz here on the forum with a complete build thread, my boat is not at that skill level but i wish it was.. :}


Cheers
Jack
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Mad Scientist

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2014, 11:36:28 pm »

Jherek - I think that you are right about the anchor chain routing.
And, I'm very impressed with you speed of building.

Tom
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2014, 12:07:24 am »

actually i don't , i don't have the patience to take pictures among the building, sometimes i take one or two just to document on which stage the building are, there are a beautiful aziz here on the forum with a complete build thread, my boat is not at that skill level but i wish it was.. :}


There are several things about doing a build log, I'm a keen photographer as well as a modeller and unless you are part of a club, it's hard to keep motivated to finish long projects (such as these), so a little third party enthusiasm helps! Also, I have yet to find a complete start to finish build log of this particular kit anywhere on the t'interweb.


Jherek - I think that you are right about the anchor chain routing.
And, I'm very impressed with you speed of building.


I'll go with that, it's drill and straws tomorrow!


It's the outcome that's important, not the speed! What you don't see in the photos is the planning, cutting out all the ply, all the dry fitting. The assembly is the quick bit; sanding, filling, sanding, priming, sanding and finally painting takes a bit longer  :D 


My last modelling project involved building three 1:48 luftwaffe bombers from plastic kits at the same time, it was a good execise in multi-tasking  :-))


~Simon
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2014, 09:06:24 pm »

Well I've fitted the hawse pipes but I forgot to photograph that...





Started assembling the rear winch.





Distracted myself with some davits, as you can see, flat on one side, detail on the other!





What the instructions don't tell you, is that there are eight halfs to make two pairs. phew!





So I dumped a can of halfords red primer on the hull. About 4 coats at 20 min intervals. The colour balance is a little off in this pic. it's redder in real life. Time to leave it 24hrs.


Is it the correct red for a hull or is there another rattle can anyone would recommend?
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thething84

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2014, 11:35:49 pm »

wow that is coming along quickly. I got a half started banckert I am doing when I get the motivation to carry on with it. Purchased it as a started kit and basically scrapped the upper deck etc and rebuilding it.
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2014, 12:24:07 pm »

wow that is coming along quickly. I got a half started banckert I am doing when I get the motivation to carry on with it. Purchased it as a started kit and basically scrapped the upper deck etc and rebuilding it.


I did consider scrapping the superstructure and using styrene card, but I thought I'd use the materials in the kit as this is my first kit.


I've not done a lot of modelling in the last week, but I've painting when possible.





Attempt number 1. I picked up the wrong red, an ancient can of 'VW Mars Red' which came out in lumps, splatters and was too light. So I rubbed it down and took the opportunity
to fill more rough bits.



Back to halfords for some fresh paint, this time 'Rover Flame Red' which is a darker red. Despite being careful I over did it, got some runs which I had to sand back with 1200/1500 grit.
They are darker than the other paint and I will have to repaint at least one before I laquer the hull. Above, I have applied tamiya masking tape for the waterline.





Masked up, tamiya tape, then double layer of newpaper secured with decorator's masking tape. Despite all this a still got a tiny amount of overspray which I had to sand off.


]


The good side.





The not so good side with darker overrun slap bang in the middle of the red.


Tommorrow, I will mask the upper front of the hull above the rubbing strip and prime it white, ready for the yellow and blue strips.


~Simon

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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2014, 12:41:15 am »

Progress has been minimal this week. A family funeral and a load of (unpaid) overtime have distracted me from modelling.


But progress is progress





What you can't see is yellow strip above the blue. This is 'Billing Boats Paint' (i.e. lifecolor acrylics) airbrushed. It is horrible horrible paint. Thin as hell and goes lumpy if you don't
thin it and watery if you do. Doesn't stick well to tamiya surface primer (!!!!!). Plus I'm not sure how accurate the colours are compared to the real ship- of which the only colour photos I have are quite poor.


~Simon
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2014, 01:02:41 am »

I could resist removing the masking tape, plus I was worried about the paint lifting so;










I'm not 100% happy with the finish, the lines aren't perfectly straight, but I appreciate how damn hard it to mask what is a 3d curve and for it to remain perfectly straight in 2 dimensions.


Ah well, I don't have the stomach to scrap the paint job and start again, to be honest, I'd redo the rubbing strips completely if I did.


I'm going to wait a couple of days and then seal the paint job with clear lacquer and that a satin varnish as that yellow/blue is extremely thin.
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jenga

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #18 on: November 29, 2014, 10:40:33 am »

moving along at a rate, love the hull shape. One question, when I built serveral Billings kits back in the dark ages, when you opened the box there was always this overpowering smell of fish, have things improved now? Family complained all the time about fishy odour of the ply.
regards Jenga
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tugs62

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #19 on: November 29, 2014, 06:55:30 pm »

Nice build i am in the middle of renovating the same thing but with a plank on frame hull :-))
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #20 on: December 10, 2014, 11:09:57 pm »

moving along at a rate, love the hull shape. One question, when I built serveral Billings kits back in the dark ages, when you opened the box there was always this overpowering smell of fish, have things improved now? Family complained all the time about fishy odour of the ply.
regards Jenga


This kit is probably 10-15 years old and has been stored in a loft, so no smell of fish!


Nice build i am in the middle of renovating the same thing but with a plank on frame hull :-))


Do you have  a link?
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #21 on: December 10, 2014, 11:21:10 pm »

Well, cold weather and lack mojo have hampered my building. I'm at the point where I need to do a lot more painting and I don't want to heat a non-insulated garage so I can spray. I have however ordered a spray booth so I can attempt some airbrushing in my study (If I can get it past my lovely wife).





I've started the mast, finshed the build of the main winch, done a bit of soldering on some brass for the rear deck and I've airbrushed a couple of coats on the engine housing.





After trying N gauge sand (too course), I've settled on Mr Surfacer 500, stippled with a brush to get a non-slip surface.





Exterior wood glue if applied thinly makes for decent glazing in the portholes. I've had a 60% success rate, the rest were either too ticket or hand air bubbles in. I can see myself
sticking some led lighting inside for the bling effect later. Who says the camera never lies? The finish looks fine to the naked eye, but canon lens show you details you can't see!


~Simon
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carlmt

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #22 on: December 10, 2014, 11:38:35 pm »

Simon - I wouldnt worry about the finish in that photo of yours........this is a tug after all and that 'weathering' looks far more realistic than if you consciously tried to do it yourself!!!!
 
Excellent work there  :-))
Carl

Trubs007

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #23 on: July 01, 2020, 11:05:47 am »

Hi Simon, I have been reading your progress and thanks for the hints and tips, they will be useful as my family have just bought me this model as a gift.
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Jherek

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Re: Billing Boats Zwarte Zee Build
« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2022, 01:48:21 am »

So, a little time has passed since I last updated this build log, nearly eight years, in those years, all the modelling gear was stashed, we extended the house, my son discovered ice hockey, did his exams, went uni and his sister is due to follow him. Recently, I dug this old kit out of its resting place in a cupboard in the garage and wondered what was needed to finish it. So I did this in the past couple of months -

I needed to paint the various bits that sit on the rear deck cover. The billings lime green paint was painfully transparent so I got a small tin of dulux made up, which did the trick, however I lost the surface texture I was trying to create, but nevermind.You'll notice there's a mix of satin / matt paint going on. I found black acrylic didn't stick very well to brass so used humbrol which claimed to be matt...




I masked the rear deck and painted the black / yellow, capped it, added bollards. planked the bit that should be planked and varnished.




More planking on the superstructure



Airbrushed the funnel, added decal. The funnel needs more detail, unfortunately I sealed the bottom before I decided that I'd like to cut the top off and add a recessed top, it's too late and too much hassle now...On the superstructure, I glazed all the windows and used 0.5mm stryene strips on the edges of the roof rather than the kit supplied very thin mahogany strips. The result looks far better and is more durable.



The top structure (whatever it's called?) is coming along. The rails were hard to do, not glued yet but will be removed before painting.




side view. note the carefully masked black strips which probably need revisiting...




More railings, yet to be glued in place...




And finally the masts are taking shape, rather than using the kit doweling, I will be using these hollow brass tubes, with the intention of hiding the wiring for the leds inside them...






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