Barrels, Barrels, Barrels

It's time to make some barrels. Before I get into the process I'm need to mention one company - Smooth-On(www.smooth-on.com). If you don't know who they are then get to know them! They are everything silicone and plastic so if you're going to be molding and casting your own parts this is the place to go - but more about that later.

Let's get started with the barrels. I started with a block of balsa wood and turned it in a lathe to a barrel shape. From there I coated the balsa in Aero Gloss Dope. This really helps seal the wood. When I was happy with the shape and look of the barrel I sprayed it with primer.

Now this is where Smooth-On comes into the picture. I wasn't going to make five separate barrels so I planned on making a master and molding the rest. To begin I glued the barrel on a piece of foam core. This is a base for the mold. In the past I have tried a few different silicones to make molds but this time I thought I would try Smooth-On's "ooMoo" - yes, that's what it's called. It is very simple to use and is a two-part silicone which you mix in a 1:1 ratio. After mixing the two parts together I began covering the barrel. At first I stippled the silicone over the barrel with a 1" chip brush then I slowly poured it over the top and let it drip down. With a craft stick I then made sure it was covered on all four sides. This silicone takes about 75 minutes to cure but it begins to setup in about 10 minutes so you have to work relatively quick.

The silicone is not stiff enough to cast as it is so there is a need to make a mother mold. I chose to make it from plaster bandages. Now that the silicone has cured (I left it overnight) I make a dividing wall down the center with plasticine clay. I then cover one half of the mold in plaster bandages and let that setup. This takes about 30 minutes. Now it's time to cover the other side but first I have to make sure the plaster bandages don't stick together. I remove the plasticine clay and then coat the plaster with vaseline on any surface that the new plaster will come in contact with it. As I did before I cover the other side and let the plaster bandages setup.

When everything is dry I crack open the plaster mother mold with a screw driver.

NEXT POST: CASTING THE BARRELS IN RESIN

The Mast Redux

I was looking at my piles of reference photos and noticed something that I had overlooked. It was a detail that would neither make or break the build but I found it an interesting touch. At the very top of the mast there was a weather vane that had shark tails on it. Luckily I was able to find a closeup of the piece and it looks like the pole was made from an old fishing rod. So, after thinking about it I said why not and pulled out the brass and solder.

As with everything in life one thing leads to another and so I noticed my first pass at the lamp at the top of the mast didn't quite match the original. After studying the reference pic I knew that the shape was familiar. So I scanned the garage and right there in front of me was what I needed - the cap from a testor's bottle of paint.

Ladders, Railings, & Chairs

Continuing on with the details - and an abundance there are aboard the Orca. I decided that there were a few details that would be easier to create with piano wire than plastic. I started with the ladder and after cutting the wire to length I began soldering. To solder the wire together I use a small torch to heat the wire then apply the solder to the joint. This process takes alot of practice to do correctly and SAFELY. Always be aware of how hot the parts get while you are working on something like this. Adding flux paste to the joint prior to heating it will help the solder to flow around the joint evenly.

The frame for the deck chair.

The railing that holds the barrels.

Railing attached to the boat.

On the actual boat there where areas of the railings that were covered in rope. Just wrapping these areas in thread would not accurately represent rope in miniature so I had to make "rope". I started by taking three lengths of thread and secured them in a vise. The other end of the threads I locked into the chuck of my cordless drill. Then using a slow setting on the drill I twisted the threads together to create the "rope". If I then removed the rope at this point it would just unravel so I had to keep it together. I then took white glue and covered the rope with it and let it dry. When it still felt tacky I took the rope out of the vise and drill and wrapped it around the railing. With the glue still tacky it helped keep the rope stuck to the wire.