enjaypee
Active Member
Thanks man!
Orca from JAWS
- Thread starter enjaypee
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enjaypee
Active Member
Postal strikes and Christmas deliveries have scuppered by progress of late but I finally received the 2mm ply I’d been waiting for. First thru the laser this morning was the transom. I decided to cut the layout for the letters as well for positioning them correctly, along with the trim, the wet exhaust cover and the overflow
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enjaypee
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The hull profiles visible on the deck are just cosmetic on this model as is the internal hull cladding. If I had the foresight I would've made the profiles I cut for planking the hull to include these. Oh well, next time maybe.
These were a really useful point of reference in determining the width of the deck, the thickness of the hull planking and also the shape of the hull when drawing up the profiles.
These were a really useful point of reference in determining the width of the deck, the thickness of the hull planking and also the shape of the hull when drawing up the profiles.
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enjaypee
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I’ve spent a lot of time over the years getting the ORCA letters as accurate as possible. In 2021 I got the opportunity to interview Joe Alves and I asked him about the letters. They were drawn by Joe completely freehand directly onto 1/8” steel plate in chalk. They were then cut out with a grinder. Joe chose Steel specifically for the weathering aspect of steel and salt water. As predicted they looked as if they were dripping blood down the back of the transom.
Once I’d spent some time using tons of reference material, cross referencing the images back and forth until things stopped moving around I came up with these letters. I made a full scale set of letters and I also built a 1:6 scale transom for wall mounting. At the scale I’m working at with this NECA ORCA, if I’m going to be accurate, the letters need to be made out of 0.3mm material. So I’ll be using some maple veneer for the letters on this one. The screw heads will be cosmetic and I’ll paint it all up to look like rusty steel plate.
Once I’d spent some time using tons of reference material, cross referencing the images back and forth until things stopped moving around I came up with these letters. I made a full scale set of letters and I also built a 1:6 scale transom for wall mounting. At the scale I’m working at with this NECA ORCA, if I’m going to be accurate, the letters need to be made out of 0.3mm material. So I’ll be using some maple veneer for the letters on this one. The screw heads will be cosmetic and I’ll paint it all up to look like rusty steel plate.
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enjaypee
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Some weird joinery decisions on the Orca that make the set piece really unique. The flybridge console is perpendicular to the floor when the rest of the flybridge is slanted. That makes sense in all honesty but what is bizarre, although I can see why, is the pilot console, as opposed to being also perp to the floor, is actually slanted back at the same angle as the flybridge.
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DCN
Well-Known Member
go to your instagram messages, i'll send you the rest of the pictures to this collection.
enjaypee
Active Member
If you look carefully enough, you'll get pretty much all the info you'll need. Screenshot of the deck of the Orca, showing position of the fighting chair mount plate, the engine maintenance hatches and even the nails holding the boards in place. The other screenshot is of my CAD drawings, including all of the above. After thinking about it, instead of laser engraving a sheet of ply to include all of these details, I'll be planking the decking with individual planks in oak.
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enjaypee
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That’s the wheelhouse decking complete. I made this using oak for the boards. I laser cut the access hatches and engraved the nails for some detail. I decided to make this out of individual boards for some depth and because it was a challenge. For reference I also laser marked where the helm is, the seating area and the table.
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danzig
Active Member
Looking really nice!
enjaypee
Active Member
Foredeck cut. I’ve lightly marked the runners for the barrels, the forward storage compartments and the lines for the angle of the window. I had to make it in layers to create the camber on the deck. I’ll do the same for the roof of the wheelhouse. I also drilled the hole for the flybridge steering cable column.
As an additional detail, the rectangle at the front of the foredeck was an access hatch on the warlock which was sealed up when converted to Orca. It can be seen in the movie but it’s clearly more visible in the photo of the rotting Orca on the backlot.
As an additional detail, the rectangle at the front of the foredeck was an access hatch on the warlock which was sealed up when converted to Orca. It can be seen in the movie but it’s clearly more visible in the photo of the rotting Orca on the backlot.
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enjaypee
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Not many updates on the ORCA this week however I did receive a resin casting of a barrel to scale with my model. Unfortunately the barrel was cast from the base, meaning that I had to mod it to look like an original barrel base with the “BORN FREE” logo. I drilled out the bottom, shaped it with a dremel and laser engraved a disc of acrylic to fit into the recess with the lettering. Nodding the base exposed a bunch of air bubbles unfortunately. Once everything is refined I’ll mould and rotocast up the five barrels for the foredeck.
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danzig
Active Member
Actually those air bubbles you mentioned dont look bad or inaccurate.Ive had production barrels,where the whole skin of the barrel had that look from sun exposure.
enjaypee
Active Member
I filled them in the end. For the most part, as you reduce scale, imperfections like that disappear so to sell the scale better I have to do my best to minimise any giveaways. I also have to sell the time period so these barrels would be brand new. I will scuff them up though when I’ve cast them up. Came out ok in the end
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enjaypee
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Thanks! Yeah I’m really pleased with how the modifications came out. Deffo more screen accurate nowBarrel looks real good
enjaypee
Active Member
I sprayed up a little barrel for my keys. Colour wise, the original barrels, if memory serves were sprayed with Rustoleum yellow (which shade escapes me right now). The yellow started off fairly warm shade (see pic of a freshly painted barrel with almost no wear and tear, tied to the stern of the Orca). As production went on, the yellow faded and sun bleached quite a bit, losing that warmth. I’m going for that bleached out yellow with Montana Golds pale yellow. Honestly any yellow will do as long as it has low amounts of red/orange.
Just like the wood work, the colour seems to change from shot to shot, likely due to the elements and the production time. I’ll be posting up some colour reference for the “seasick green” colour of the Orca later on as I’ve mixed the colour for reference and need to get a litre mixed up by the paint shop near me in acrylic.
Just like the wood work, the colour seems to change from shot to shot, likely due to the elements and the production time. I’ll be posting up some colour reference for the “seasick green” colour of the Orca later on as I’ve mixed the colour for reference and need to get a litre mixed up by the paint shop near me in acrylic.
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enjaypee
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I highlighted the curve in the flybridge roof which is also present in the windows and the wall of the wheelhouse. It looks more extreme in this screenshot than it really was but it is significant especially when building the model. The line almost follows the hull but the hull at its widest point, flares out and way from the windows, forward towards the bow. Fairly typical of Novi boats from the time.
