1/6 figures for my 1890's steam launch

wet, windy and raining here today,, got a good amount work done on the LT figure, have to keep imaging them with colors

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a little forth of July just before X-mas.. still needs some plumes...

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Colors and details will really make your excellent work shine. And this is a great hint of that.

It's all coming together so beautifully! I love the aesthetic and wasn't even considering that you'd add colour, because this palette has its very own charm, but those flowers in her hat hint at more beautiful stuff to come!

tghsmith wrote:thin stock should not need a steam box, a good few minute soak in boiling water should do the trick, you will have to clamp it over a form or shape of your bend and depending on the wood type a backing sheet of flexible metal will prevent cracking and splitting.. if you cut your form from a block of wood the scrap section can be used as backing,, just sandwich between them. sometimes it helps to make your form a tighter curve as the wood will spring back a little after the bending..

Thank you so much!

Very nice.

thanks all, I've been holding off on adding color to the figures until I get them more complete and refined,, it will be a little like assembly line painting, exspecially with the three crackerjack uniformed sailors (decided to add a third sailor, a seaman line handler, but need to get the rear seating area worked out a bit more to get his position) have been getting the needed paints, the sailors uniforms will get a base rattle can coat before airbushing and detail painting takes over.. one striking thing on this boat is that the interior is alternating slates of cherry and ash and the cap rail is also cherry. they had lots of sailors to keep the varnish in perfect shape!!!

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Some very cool, very talented work you've done. I look forward to seeing it finished.

found some gold rub on dry transfer letters in the correct size and font for the hat-bands.. test found they would not transfer onto the silk ribbon well,, several coats of spray paint (wiped smooth wile wet) filled the weave in the ribbon.. it's still nice and flexible and now the letters transfer!! had just enough of certain letters to get the 3 needed bands. saved me micro painting. they will get a shot of fixative..

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Those hat bands look brilliant! Very clever solution to the lettering issue!

I agree, excellent work on the lettering.

not much figure work, a little sanding and filling.. but did get the seat section of the stern bench mainly done,, hopefully the last of any steambending for the model.. does give the idea of seating available..

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Did you steam-bend each of those seven strips so they nest within one another, allowing room for a spacer between them? How in the world do you figure out how to make it all fit?

Will the wood actually retain the shape once it has been steam-formed?

Very impressive.

bent them all at once with aluminum strips as spacers, used the strips again during the glue-up,, I did have a friend help during the bending and clamping,, this is all ash so it bends nicely..

Extremely impressive. While still stunned by your choice of immobilizing the figures (which seems like total heresy to most of us, who are preoccupied with articulation), I've got to say they look better and better every time and, even unfinished, very realistic. Excellent job on the bending.

parts arrived for the seaman figure, thinking that placing him on the stern deck, one hand on the canopy frame one hand handling the flag line and gear.. did some micro turning for the bench supports.. one done five to go..

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NICE!! I just went on a search for a "mini lathe"... I LOVE your thread! Thank you again for sharing your process.

Awesome work. Man, I could use your help with spindles like that for stair rails.

8 or 9 attempts yielded the needed 6 spindles, they actually look close to the same. decided a semi kneeling position for the seaman will work out the best,, he'll be tending a line or the flag staff halyard.. as for flags this guy is one of the best, he happily will do custom work, very fair prices and they ship for the cost of a letter.. Mike Allsop.. https://www.scaleflags.co.uk/

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Very nice. Such a lot of work isn’t it for a small number of spindles.

first one took around 15 minutes, last one less than five.. we learn the nature of the material with repetition, what tools work better.. if many were required I'd rig a pattern jig to rough them all to shape..

This thread has been a read read.
The boat is very impressive. Top work!

thanks all,, the seaman figure's head was given its flat-hat and glass eyes,, started work on the body,, given the filler coat of light-weight epoxy and started the details with the standard epoxy sculpt.. the position of this figure gives some neat work with the "fabric" folds and droops,, also started some smaller 1/6th scale figures that will be included..

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lots of woodwork on the hull as the decking planks are about complete,, more figure work on the seaman for the stern, most of the base layers done, he will start getting his collar and uniform details in a day or so.. plumes were added to the ladies hat..

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Master builder at work! What a wonderfully creative idea. Love seeing all the woodworking.

Nice progress. And the colors which you have started applying look vibrant.

a little more cracker-jacking, collar flap in place, bell bottoms a little more defined, test fit for hat ribbon, lots of sanding and finishing on the ladie.. she is getting close to getting a primer coat,, I've picked some pearl and metalic colors for her to look like silk and satin, bright and vibrant colors are planned (the world had colors before kodachrome)

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Coming along nicely. Looking good.

They are looking really good, I imagine those smaller ones are either a mouser or a cat? Anyway I look forward to seeing them completed too.