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[Colin Bishop]

As Dr McCoy might have said: 'It's model making Jim, but not as we know it.' 
Colin

[carlmt]

Time for another update I reckon - seeing as Blackpool is looming over the horizon!


We have not been idle here at Linkspan HQ - there has been a lot of prototyping, experimenting and, unfortunately, discarding of ideas but, I think we know where we are heading now with how to build this model.


After experimenting with the idea of using acrylic sheet for the skeleton of the superstructure, we have had to abandon that idea because of two reasons:


1. Acrylic sheet is not dimensionally accurate in thickness - a nominally 2mm thick sheet can vary from 1.8mm to 2.2mm across it's area.  That is no good for us when we want to rely on a 2mm thickness to allow an accurate fit.


2.  Because of the problem with 1. above - the acrylic parts are prone to shattering when the joints are tight and a little force is used to fit them together.


This will be no good for a kit - there will be too many breakages and the modeller will end up fed up and bin the kit.  So, we have decided to stick with making the skeleton from 2mm thick styrene sheet.  Let's see how that goes eh?


In the meantime, the hull is progressing......


The majority of the electronics have been dropped in, motors fitted and all working.  Still need to sort out which sticks to twiddle and switches to switch to activate the bow propeller and bow rudder, but that will come later.


A frames fitted to shafts and bow and stern rudders all connected up:








Stabiliser boxes fitted:





Bow decking added:








Additional support timber added to give support to the removable deck parts - which are primarily under the superstructure within the car deck area:








All the decking dry fitted to ensure that it all fits neatly:








The deck parts are lasered slightly larger than they need to be (0.5mm or so) to allow the modeller to fettle them to fit accurately on the hull.  Far better to have slightly larger parts that can be sanded to size than slightly smaller parts that you can do nothing with!


After ensuring that all the seck parts fitted accurately it was time to glue them down to the wooden support structure using 5 minute epoxy:





These two shots show how much access into the hull is available after all the deck has been fitted :








The plan is to have the hull finished and painted by Blackpool and hopefully the styrene superstructure skeleton sat on it to give an idea of overall size.


Crack on CT!!!!!!


 

[carlmt]

A little test of the 3D superstructure parts to see how they will fare now that there is a stable surface to lay them on!!

[hama]

Like a glove!
Looking good Carl!
Hama

[raflaunches]

Simply amazing Carl


It’s stunning what can be accomplished with modern technology, the amount of detail that can be incorporated makes it really stand out. Looking forward to seeing it, and yourself, at Blackpool. We’re paying a visit this year.

[ballastanksian]

I salute your making kits to such tolerances Carl. While not a Tamiya kit, I can see this being a hassle free kit to assemble. I cannot see anyone being phased by making .5mm adjustments in an easy to use medium.


No material is perfect but styrene has a lot going for it. It glues as easy as acrylic but is flatter and does not readily shatter ) old sun damaged styrene will, but that has to have been left in a silly place and not painted) and can be easily cut with hand tools unlike acrylic, again because of its ability to shatter.


Nice work matey! I am looking forward to your progress on this vessel.

[carlmt]

Thank you Friends for the kind words and encouragement     Feeding off that at the moment in the drive to have something to show at Blackpool  .


Had a bit of a 'mare' week lately in that our 3D printer decided to throw a tantrum which resulted in us scrapping a 48 hour print set of Norland parts.  It was a mechanical failure of a cord that activates the roller that lays the fine powder layers on the print bed : after the 300 or so hours of printing it has done, it just wore out, became slack and so wasnt laying the powder correctly, resulting in a right mess in the machine!  Have now cleaned everything up, installed new recoater cord and stocked up with fresh powder - back in business!!!!


In the meantime, we have had the first set of graphics produced for the prototype Spirit - courtesy of Gillespie Models.  And what beauties they are too!!!  These are waterslide decals (as opposed to our normal vinyl graphics that we have used in the past) and I am looking forward to getting them applied in time for Blackpool. 





Once the kit is on general release, the full variation of graphics will be available to choose from : Townsend Thoresen original, Townsend Thoresen white TT funnel logo (all three sisters), P&O colours (with P&O ship names) and Trans Europa Ferries "Oleander" set.


More soon!

[Paul2407]

Hi Carl,
Any idea when the spirit of free enterprise might be ready for sale? I've been looking for a decent kit for a while and this is it   


Thanks
Paul

[Plastic Man]

Has this been finished and anyone got pictures to share?

[cos918]

no and here is a link to what it currently looks like .
John
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