M_M_I_2015_04_

http://www.marinemodelmagazine.com APRIL 201515

lightly with fine abrasive to remove the shine and allow the paint to

grab. Light grey matt is generally a good colour to use as a base

coat and when marking the waterline it will hold a good pencil line

without the need for undue pressure.

Right now you will need something to hold the pencil steady. I

have included some photos of various ways of achieving the same

objective, most of which probably don’t need much explanation.

Check out the photo captions. The only one which might is shown

in the diagram. This was what I was going to make but never got

around to. It is simply a block of wood with ‘V’ notches cut to rest

the pencil in. This could be taped, clamped or even glued into the

‘V’. I have shown the block with two notches at different levels.

This makes it possible to draw two lines at the same time to allow

for a painted boot topping.

The thing I use most of all is the laser/spirit level. This was pretty

cheap from B&Q (UK chain store) and I use it mainly to check that

hull is set up at the correct angle before marking the waterline and

then to check that it is straight afterwards. I’ll explain that point

next.

Method

Mark the position of the waterline at bow and stern with a sharp

pencil. Place the model in the stand and put the assembly on a flat

surface. If necessary use Blu-Tack or similar to stop the hull sliding

about. Line up the hull and stand so that the marks you made at

stem and stern are parallel with the table. I use the laser level

here to check this easily (see photo). Without one you will have to

measure from the mark at the bow to the table top and from the

stern mark also. When they are the same you have reached the

right position. Before marking the waterline, check the level from

side to side. You could use a spirit level for this.

Once the hull is parallel to the table, then set the pencil height to

match the hull marks. Double check all locations, and draw the line

with the pencil on the block, or whatever device you are using, sliding

carefully around on the table. Hold the model firmly with the other

hand without wiggling it out of position. When you are satisfied with

the result, now is the time to mask the waterline and paint.

Final thoughts

I’m not going to go into the painting of the hull here as I don’t

have room. But I did want to make a few comments about masking,

especially masking tape. If at all possible try to use a special

modelling masking tape rather than ordinary painter’s masking

tape as it gives much better results. I use the Tamiya tape as it is

freely available from eBay in different widths, lengths and prices!

It gives much sharper lines than ordinary tape. Don’t be tempted

to use Sellotape or insulation tape, it won’t do the job. You can

use painter’s tape but be careful as it can stretch and you need

to burnish down the edges to make sure the paint doesn’t bleed

under.

One final thing, if you are building a model and see a photo

of it and the waterline appears to be curved (see photo of the

Graupner Elke), take no notice, it is an optical illusion caused by a

combination of the viewing angle and the bulge of the hull. If it has

been done correctly it will be a straight line!

See you all next time.

MMI

All masked up to spray the below the waterline colour

Graupner Elke, that waterline is straight (see text)

Using a ‘steady hand’ device to draw the waterline

The cheap spirit and laser level mentioned in the text

Using the laser level. The line is actually thin but looks fatter due

to the digital camera not handling the brightness of the laser very

well

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