Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

If it goes on or under the wet stuff and doesn't fly, it's in here.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

I will be building a CBK - the Frog Shell Coastal Tanker -- for our CBK SIG display at SMW 2017 which is kits from the Big 3 1976 catalogs. I'm building it "out here" in an effort to draw interest in CBK's and the SIG.

This happens to be an original boxing, not the 1976 boxing, but the only difference is the box not the plastic.

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Parts are in good shape -- all have been bathed. A number are off the sprue and I didn't take them out of the baggie for the photo. I am missing 5 of the 6 life rings and may have two pipes short-shot; nothing fatal at all.

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The instructions are old-style -- parts have names, not numbers -- and the painting instructions are very detailed.

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The only thing unusable are the decals but I had no idea what I might be getting in the kit above and so found a ArkModels frog-spawn for spares. It has good decals. It also has part numbers on the sprues and the instructions -- an effort to make up for having NO actual build or paint instructions, just numbered parts and arrows. Has some flash on the parts also. Does have all 6 life rings.

Anyway, it's out and I'll get started in the next couple days.
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by PaulBradley »

Cool! This will be fun.
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by iggie »

I'm going to enjoy this.....

What scale does it work out at John?
Best wishes

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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by celt »

I have got the popcorn and the beer ready.
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by chrism »

piped myself aboard ... no that cannot be right for a vessel of this type .... so I am on the dockside waving
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

iggie wrote:I'm going to enjoy this.....

What scale does it work out at John?

Potted history says the real thing is 170ft long, the kit is 16in long ... so about 1/128
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by dollar19 »

That looks like a real jewel of a kit! I'll definetly will be watching.
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by iggie »

jRatz wrote:
iggie wrote:I'm going to enjoy this.....

What scale does it work out at John?

Potted history says the real thing is 170ft long, the kit is 16in long ... so about 1/128
Thanks..... 8-)
Well at least you won't need to worry about after market bits for the build at that scale :-D
Best wishes

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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by PaulBradley »

iggie wrote:
jRatz wrote:
iggie wrote:I'm going to enjoy this.....

What scale does it work out at John?

Potted history says the real thing is 170ft long, the kit is 16in long ... so about 1/128
Thanks..... 8-)
Well at least you won't need to worry about after market bits for the build at that scale :-D
Actually, 1/128 is a common scale for wooden ship models, so there's all sorts of stuff available to those who desire.
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Paul previously pointed out Atlantic Models (?) has a PE set -- railings, portholes, etc -- for this, but I'm really leaning OOB with maybe home-brew railings and other details. Stay tuned.
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by Dazzled »

It looks terrific. I love those instructions 8-)
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

For the record, I have found the kit scale is 1/130, close enough.

No pix, but today I made a copy of the instructions so as not to damage the original and since the box top is pretty ratty on the edges, I neatly cut off the sides so I had a nice color reference image.

I then went through the instructions making careful note of the colors required. In some cases these varied from the box art -- for example, the kit wanted the sides of the main deck structure to be black but they look far better in buff as shown on the boxart, so that's what will happen. The Ark kit has a good side view which clarifies the waterline.

I then compared the kit instructions to the Ark re-pop instructions. The Ark instructions have been redone -- part #'s not names, etc -- and many of the assembly views are clearer. An example on the Frog instructions is one winch with 4 placement arrows where the Ark instructions shows 2 winches with 2 placement arrows, much clearer. And there are several places where the Frog kit is shy placement arrows -- for example the 8 tank covers only have 4 placement arrows. Presumably you would see the unfilled holes, but ....

All time well spent, followed by an online session looking for images to check colors. What I did not find was an interior view/layout of the bridge -- the windows seem big enough to add some detail inside. Anyone have references on that ?

I did clean up the hull and the 7 parts needed for the prop shaft. I believe the anchors were pulled into the hull behind "closed doors" so to speak. That area is a bit fuzzy and I may modify it.

My other decisions are whether or not to put cross-braces inside the hull just to help it withstand the rigors of airline travel when done. I also looked at the two masts and potential rigging to think about how I wish to handle that for the same reason -- maybe plug-in masts with some easy to hook-up rigging. Plenty of time. I also need to make a stand to hold it while building.

It's a grand old kit and I am talking some time to do it right ...
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by chrism »

I generally brace inside any kit hull using bits of scrap sprue just to ensure the sides cannot warp or push in and find that it gives a tad more strength for any later downward force when drilling or fitting into the deck areas later. Other thing I tend to do before that, is put a thin fillet of plasticard over any centre seam on inside

Now is also the time to consider the display stand too .... so as to have it sitting on pegs, you may desire to fit short pieces of tubing to act as sleeves for anything to slot into if model is going to sit down on any protrusions, I have also tackled this "problem" from the other way and had prongs (for ease of explanation) coming out the bottom of the model going into tubes on the base .. and another thought to ponder was how I retro-did the aircraft carrier I build for Dazzled Cold War display last year.... when I had originally set out to leave it on the kit stand, but felt at last minute, it needed something more substantial....
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Thanks, Chris, I usually do the center strip, especially since the hull bottom is flat. Still thinking on the cross-braces.

Right now I am considering the kit stand (it has a nifty descriptive name plate), that saves me from making (and sending) a finished plank if I go with ferrules (pegs) or something. OTOH, the benefit of a "peg" workstand is that it is more stable during construction.

Probably my next big decision ...
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Re: Frog's Shell Coastal Tanker - a build thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

OK, here we go ....

I have the two hull halves, the fore, main, poop, boat decks, and a couple bulkheads out and cleaned up I also build the prop -- don't laugh, it's 7 whole parts. I can probably start putting the hull together tomorrow.

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The cabin/poop deck and boat deck join on a line right through the portholes. The cabin/poop deck has about 10 ejector pin marks, the only ones I've seen so far, right in the wooden deck detail. Fortunately they are faint and regularly spaced, also hidden by the boat deck overhang and railings, so if nothing else I can paint them grey and call them some sort of fitting.

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However, it means I really need to join the two parts and clean up the join line before doing much else. I'll also note the portholes are only round-ish and not quite matching -- and no glass is provided (there is none in the kit). I had prepared my self to do big rectangular windows for the pilot house, not this ....

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Last, I mentioned before the main deck is red with black sides to the raised part, but the boxart shows buff sides which I like. However, there is a lot of detail on the raised part that I'd like to pick out, so red may not be the best deck color there. I have done my searching and have nothing "real" to show for it, but did come up with a couple model pix.

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The 1st one, thanks to Chuck E long ago, is the kit scheme except green not red -- certainly very pleasing. The detail painting matches the kit instructions except for color.
The 2nd one, uses green on the main deck, but a light grey on the raised part and plenty of detail painting.

It's for our display - any thoughts ?
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