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1/350 US Coast Guard Reliance class Cutter TLAR Models #723

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"Tesson? Captain Tesson, party of five? Your table is ready, Sir."
1/350 Mk.2 OTH RHI boat. The lightbar with radar is also ready to mold.
Doing something besides that friggin' lower hull plate helped my tropical depression.

1/350 6.5mm 4-bladed wheels/propellers/screws and 25-foot USCG surf boats for early 210's are coming up.

1/700 Sikorsky HH-52 Seaguard with P/E rotors and HH-65C Dolphin helicopters have been found and will be purchased to go with completed kits.

No. There will be no accursed lower hull plate for the 1/700 scale WATERLINE Reliance class 210.

Thanks Men for your encouragement!
 
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Applying Tamiya putty always says "Relax. You have to wait a while to work on me now." :bat
It's a good thing there is still plenty of other objects to complete!:hummm:
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So I fixed the too narrow deck house. Angles & measurements look pretty good. A little more fine tuning is still needed.
I figured out how to mold this little beastie. I will need mold silicone with at least a 20A hardness to make the 2-part mold.
If the RTV is too soft, the mold squinches all over and doesn't align or cast properly. Too much hardness, and extracting the model breaks the casting. It looks like the cutter afterdecks in both scales and 1/700 USS Potomac's after deckhouse will be molded the same way.
Much to learn, there still is. Yes.
Reynolds Materials to the rescue (again)! :yipee:
Thanks again for looking in!
 
It is done.
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The 1/350 Reliance class cutter lower hull is ready to mold. In the wee, small, hours of this morning, I remembered a package of model ship parts a generous M/A member sent me many moons ago. The ARII 1/700 Spruance class DD bilge keels, struts, bearings and rudders have been modified to fit the smaller vessel in a larger scale. Another exercise in "waste not, want not".

There are two small cooling system intake grids, midships, outboard of the keel on either side of the hull on the real cutter.............
:frantic:Make it stop!! Make the Bad Man STOP!!!:tomato::bang head
 
This stuff just blows me away. Its so small and detailed. I can see myself launching hulls into the carpet monsters mouth just by looking at it. You've got Mad skills man.
James
 
The accused lower hull is just under 7 inches long in 1/350 scale. Ray Charles might find this on the floor if he dropped it. I'm greatly relieved to have the accursed lower hull done.
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Now, on to the fun part of model Mastering! 1/350 Reliance class mast and masthead platform. It looks to me as if the mast stayed the same pre and post 1987 refits. The top of the mast platform is flat, but careful clipping and gentle sanding will be required to remove the pour stub!
Making the armatures to cast tall things on their side has made for simplified, successful castings.
Deep, thin vertical molds sometimes trap an air bubble, ruin the casting and then ALL those BAD words come out!
My Sweethearts poor ears!!

One day CAD and technology may very well replace the craftsmanship of such methods. But it is not THIS day! (Aragorn emoji)
Thanks guys, for your support and input!
 
Heavens Eagle said:
7 inches long? That is HUGE for a TLAR kit Chris. You must have REALLY wanted to do this.
Click to expand...
I've been at it just over a month now. A customer from my website asked if I could do it. It's looking less like an experiment and more like a ship model! Have no fear, A 3.6 inch 1/700 waterline version of the 210 is being mastered alongside her much bigger sister.
 
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Plans..........
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Forward spray shield and bitts installed. A little clean-up and then on to the capstans, chain lockers and scuppers.
Since all the Reliance class cutters had the same forward gun platform and ready ammunition lockers, they will be part of the main hull Master too. An effort is being made to keep my mind focused and my hands busy.


Staying in the air conditioning today. Not newsworthy weather. It's summertime in Iowa.
 
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Propellers/wheels/screws came today. These are 6.5 mm .7 mm smaller than the actual 7.2mm measurement.
your thoughts?
 
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