Hammerhead Shark BS2017- the voting is now open.

The Lead Adventure Forum Build Something 2017 Contest is now active and votes are being taken on the entries. For full details go to this link.

My Hammerhead Shark Aeronef is in Group A

Here are some construction and painting images for your perusal. While the image above is the image I entered for the contest.

I hope you enjoy the contest entries - there are some real beauties featured.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part eighteen

The Build Something Contest on Lead Adventure update.

The entries are in and we are just awaiting details of the contest rules and how the entries are going to be judged. Good luck to everyone who entered and commiserations to those brave soles who's entries were not able to be completed in time.

Here is just one more image of the Hammerhead. Showing the painting started.

I will post details once the contest is live.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part seventeen

With the construction finished, here is the promised image of the undercoated model. I have used Vallejo Game Color Leather Brown as both a primer and an undercoat plus a Sepia wash to highlight some of the sculpted or modelled detail. Both the paint and the wash were applied with a medium sized soft hair acrylic brush and I used some Klear (Future) as a medium to get the smooth finish.

The final image shows the Hammerhead Shark posed alongside a Vallejo dropper bottle, as I had been asked in earlier posts to show the model alongside something to show the size and scale.

I am confident that I will meet the deadline for the contest - the painting and a base are all that is now required.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part sixteen

The construction is finished.

I have added two deck mounted guns, one on the fore deck and one to the stern. These were constructed from plastic card and plastic rod with sections of knitting needles as bases (the red discs).

The model is 140mm long, 54mm across the head and eyes, 25mm wide across the main hull and 48mm across the pectoral fins. It is 86mm tall, bottom of pectoral fin to top of mast and it weighs just 18g.

I would expect this to be the last set of images posted for now as the rules state that this is a Build Something Contest and not a Paint Something Contest.

But there may just be one more! An undercoated shot.

I estimate that there are well over 120 separate pieces to the model.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part fifteen

The model, at long last is nearing completion. The Pectoral and Pelvic fins were constructed from plastic card and after scraping and sanding to a slight aerofoil section, they were glued in place with superglue. I have built up the join from fin to hull with some more superglue and evened out any imperfections with more filler/uPVA glue.

I have used a number of Spelljammer images as inspiration for this particular model, taking points or parts from one and detail from another. Next will be the deck guns and then I can undercoat ready for painting.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part fourteen

Yesterday evening I added the main Dorsal Fin or sail which was constructed from .75mm thick plastic card. The method I used to add the sail was to cut out the sail section with a small upright addition to the bottom and then carve out a portion of the main mast so that the sail and this addition fitted into the mast running from the deck and up the lower part of the mast. The join was strengthened with superglue and accelerator as well as adding a ring of superglue around the mast where the sail attaches. I'm sure you can follow this when you look at the images. When the superglue had fully set, I used a scalpel to trim down the diameter of the lower mast.

I also have to admit to the first mishap of the project. I broke off the upper tail section at the join with the rear deck and this join then had to be reinforced with superglue and accelerator applied in layers. Once the supeglue was set, I sanded the join to get rid of some of the excess superglue and to smooth out the join.

I have also added some hull decoration - I used a thin strip of sticky-back plastic along the side of the hull.

I added another layer of the filler/uPVA glue, this time with some white acrylic paint added to the mix to both define and smooth out the hull contours. The same mix was used to smooth out the Hammerhead Sharks head and the join where the head meets the deck.

Progress is very slow as the cold weather has meant that visits to the shed-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden are limited. In addition I am trying to restrict working on the Hammerhead Shark as I have a second and more important project on the go at the same time. Call it Bad Planning.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part thirteen

The latest post shows how I have added the viewing ports or galleries to either side of the rear hull. These were constructed from sections of pen barrels with plastic card bases and tops. They were glued in place with superglue and further detailed with sticky-back plastic.

Other detail included some scroll work on the hull sides and the distinctive Hammerhead Sharks eyes which were constructed from the tops of some round plastic rods.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part twelve

 The tail section was constructed from a single piece of .75mm plastic card which was cut and sanded to shape before being inserted into a grove in the tail section. Once the tail was in place I sealed the area with both Green Stuff and superglue.

I have added liquid superglue to the tail section to build-up an aerofoil section which I will further fill and sand later in the project.

Additional ventral fins were added to the tail section, modelled from plastic card and glued in place with superglue.

During planning for this model I came across these Shark Aircraft which I thought were worth sharing with the group.

For full details go to this link.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part eleven

In this daily update, I have added five gun ports to each side of the main hull. I was planning four a side, but thought that five fitted better. There are also some deck details which like the gun ports were modelled with various thicknesses of card.

I estimate that there are over 60 separate or individual pieces used so far and construction is only about 60% finished.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part ten

Now that the hull has been modelled it is now time to start adding the detail and in particular the Aeronef themed detailing. My plan is to add a fore and aft gun on a round bases and four gun openings to each side of the hull. Remember this is supposed to be an Aeronef flying ship and not the more primitive Spelljammer ship with catapults and Ballista.

The finished Aeronef will feature alongside my Squidship, Lilith as featured in this earlier post and will crewed by Martians.

Once the freezing cold weather relents, I'll get back down the shed and start modelling these fine details.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part nine

I decided to remove the modern plastic vents or gills from the hull sides and replace them with sculpted or modelled plastic card gills. The vents were removed by placing a scalpel blade between the vents and the hull and twisting the blade - this did cause some damage, but this was quickly repaired with filler. I cut a strip of 4mm thick plastic card into a tapered or sharp triangle section and then sanded the cut edges smooth. Once I was happy with the profile I glued four gills to each side of the forward hull with superglue. When the glue was fully set, I used a scalpel and sanding sticks to refine the shape. I think the sculpted gills look better than the earlier grey plastic ones.

The hammerhead shark head was further detailed by sanding and the addition of more filler. I was very aware that this particular feature could make-or-break this particular build, So time spent getting it right was in my opinion time well spent.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part eight

At long last - the main mast has been fitted. I tapered a cocktail stick by sanding it with a sanding stick and glued it into a 1mm hole into the fore-deck.

The model is 154mm long, 50mm wide (across the head), 25mm wide (across the hull) and 75mm tall (to the top of the mast).

Once again, the hull has been painted with a filler and uPVA glue mix then sanded with fine abrasive pads to smooth out the small imperfections.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part seven

The latest update shows the card keel that was added to the model. The keel was built from three separate pieces of 1mm thick card - it was easier to cut the profile in three parts rather than try to cut it out in one.

The main piece runs from the bow, level with the deck to about 3/4 of the way under the hull, The rear section is about 10mm long and ends in the Anal Fin and the small addition to the very front is just 5mm tall.

All of the individual parts were coated in superglue before being cut and sanded to shape. As you can see the small addition to the bow has still to be sanded back (to reduce the gloss finish of the superglue). Any gaps were filled with the filler/uPVA glue mix.

The Hammerhead Shark head has also been coated with the filler/uPVA glue mix and then sanded smooth.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part six

The latest update; and at long last the Hammerhead Sharks head has been modelled.

I have used some scrap Green Foam to model the simple aerofoil section and then, when I was happy with the shape I cut it in half and glued one half to each side of the hull. The shape was refined once the glue was fully set, by sanding with some fine sanding sticks and pads. The upper nose section has been filled with DAS modelling clay and I would expect this to be further detailed once fully hardened.

The gills are sections of plastic floor sections from the Airfix Sci-Fi platform kit. They were cut out with a razorsaw, before being thinned and glued in place with superglue.

The model is 150mm long, 50mm wide (across the head) or 25mm wide (across the hull) and 26mm deep at the central hull.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part five

The deck and hull sides continue to get attention. The forward section now has a gun redoubt that will house a cannon on a swivel base. This was built from a section of Biro barrel. Once again the other parts were card glued in place with superglue and then filled with fine filler and uPVA glue before being sanded smooth.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark - part four

The upper hull sides have been modelled from card. I find that card bends and conforms to the curved hull sides better than plastic card. I used superglue to glue these parts into place and then filled any gaps with a filler/uPVA glue mix. Once the filler was fully set, I sanded the sides with both a sanding stick and sanding pads.

The small sets of steps towards the rear of the main deck are just triangles of Pink Foam glued in place with superglue. With every addition of filler and then sanding, the hull sides and hull shape is further refined.

Tony

BS2017 - Hammerhead Shark -part three

I have spent most of the evening tidying up the basic hull shape, adding card profiles and filling gaps. At this stage I am still playing around with the design, adding bits here and sanding bits there. I think it is getting close to the stage where I can start adding details.

More to follow.

Tony