Interview with Ruud -Titanic- Kats

  • Hi Bengt and others,


    Yesterday I was called to the phone by Ruud after sending an e-mail with the request to establish contact. We will meet eachother at Ruud's home on June, 12th, to discuss the subject and more.


    When you have specific or more general questions to Ruud. you can put them in this thread until Sunday, June,10th. Because the town of Hilversum is just 16km away from the town of Amersfoort, I will go on bike. In case of bad weather the appointment will be postponed :D to a day with good biking weather,


    groetjes,
    Gert



    Hoi Allemaal,


    Gestern hatte ich Kontakt mit Ruud Kats per Bell-Fernsprech-Apparatus, ein hochmodernes neuliches Instrument zur verbalen Kommunikation. Wir werden uns begegnen am 12. Juni zum Interview in Hilversum,wo Ruud seinen Wohnsitz hat, bei Regenwetter wird der Termin verschoben :D, denn, weil Hilversum nur 16km von Amersfoort entfernt liegt, mache ich daraus einen schönen Radtour.


    Wer etwas spezifisches oder mehr generelles fragen will an Ruud, kann hier im Thread dieses machen. Einsendeschluss 10.Juni.

  • Hello eskatee,


    Thanks very much for the message. I saw it today and it is already June 12th! If it is not too late, kindly ask Ruud Kats what kind of card or cardboard he uses for the rusted steel plating on his Titanic wreck model. Is is brown from the start, and, does he apply matte paint by hand?
    The effect that he has achieved is outstanding and very realistic. I tried, painstakingly, to read some Dutch in the article in the Dutch modelling magazine, but I wasn´t too successful . . .
    So, I am very interested to learn what his general technique is, if he is willing to share. I would also very much like to know how he has created the 'rusticle' formations - I understood from the article that he uses some kind of mixture of glue and rust-brown paint.
    It would also be very interesting to learn something about how he planned such a big model - did he build an internal deck structure of a harder material first, like wood?


    I am also trying to recreate a wreck model of the two parts of the Titanic, with a hint of the large sanded debris field and the nr 1 cargo hold hatch in front of the bow section, etc, etc. It will not in any way be as ambituous or detailed as Ruud´s model (much smaller) but I would like to test my skill, knowledge, and my modelling and research abilities.


    I also understand that Ruud is creating big glass vitrine cupboards for the two sections. I saw your fine pictures from the model exhibition earlier this year that he has put some kind of dark blue filter on the top and back of the glass vitrine, to create the subdued, dark atmosphere of 3,800 meters below the surface of the North Atlantic.


    I will closely follow this thread now - I hope you will have a nice meeting with Ruud in Hilversum!


    All the best and good luck,
    from Bengt in Stockholm :D

    Bengt Fredén, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Hoi Bengt,


    I am preparing the article.........will take a few days.....


    groetjes,
    Gert

  • There will be some delay in publishing the report, because of an internet-problem in my home situation, ;(


    Gert


    Einige Verzögerung wird es geben wegen einen Internet-Problem bei mir zuhause ;(

  • Hoi Bengt,


    Before starting with answering your questions I will first give some general information.


    Ruud, being responsible for the housekeeping in his family (his wife has a job), started building RMS Titanic after a thorough study. He used several sources to become familiar with the subject:


    James Camerons Ghost of the Abyss ISBN 0306812231
    Tom McCluskies Anatomy of the Titanic ISBN 1571451609


    Also a few spin-offs from the project took place:


    Ruud was asked by an architect from the nearby village Soest to explain the construction of his model, after the architect had seen the model at an exhibition. So, for several Wednesday afternoons Ruud went to Soest..To teach an architect.


    One of his daughters had to do a lecture at grammar school. Purely coincidentally, as children do, she choose the subject of Titanic, after finishing a small model by herself. But, after Ruud finished (and improved) the small model of the sinking Titanic by GPM, she had as a dearest wish to show this model at the lecture, too.
    Of course a showing case had to be made to let the model survive the lecture..


    Alvorens de vragen te beantwoorden, eerst wat algemene informatie:


    Ruud als huisman heeft de verantwoordelijkheid over de dagelijkse gang van zaken in het gezin (zijn vrouw heeft een baan). Alvorens, in de tijd die restte bij deze taak, RMS Titanic te gaan bouwen, maakte hij een grondige voorstudie met behulp van:


    James Camerons Ghost of the Abyss ISBN 0306812231
    Tom McCluskies Anatomy of the Titanic ISBN 1571451609


    Het project kende ook nog een paar bijverschijnselen:


    Door een architect uit het nabijgelegen Soest werd hij gevraagd uitleg te geven over de constructie van het model. Alzo geschiede.....Heel wat woensdagmiddagen toog Ruud naar Soest....en gaf les aan de architect...


    Een van zijn dochters had een spreekbeurt te verzorgen op school. Zelf had ze een klein model gebouwd van de Titanic, maar toen ze het gereedgekomen kleine model van de zinkende Titanic van GPM zag, jaaaaaaa, toen was het natuurlijk buitengewoon noodzakelijk om dit ook te tonen op school. En zo moest er ook een vitrine gebouwd worden om de overlevingskansen te vergroten voor het model..........


    Einige allgemeine Informationen:


    Ruud, als Haushaltvorsteher sehr beschäftigt (seine Frau hat einen Job), hat, bevor er RMS Titanic baute, sich ausführlich vorbereitet. Dabei benutzte er folgende Bücher (und Cameron's DVD):


    James Camerons Ghost of the Abyss ISBN 0306812231
    Tom McCluskies Anatomy of the Titanic ISBN 1571451609


    Dazu kamen auch noch einige Nebenwirkungen:


    Ein Architekt aus der naheliegende Ortschaft Soest (sprich: Susst, wie Susstenpaß) sah das Modell bei eine Ausstellung. Er wollte mehr wissen über die Konstruktion des Modells. Folge: Wochenlang zog Ruud nachmittags am Mittwoch nach Soest...um den Architekten zu unterrichten....


    Einer der Töchter hatte einen Vortrag zu bewältigen in der Grundschule. Es war natürlich rein Zufällig, daß sie auf die Idee kam, RMS Titanic als Thema zu wählen nachdem sie ein kleines Modell der Titanic gebaut hatte. Aber, nachdem Ruud seine GPM "sinkende Titanic" gebaut (und verbessert) hatte, sollte dieses Modell unbestimmt auch noch gezeigt werden.
    Zum verbessern der Überlebungschancen, allerdings, hatte Ruud die Aufgabe, einen Vitrine zu bauen....

  • Now the more technical details of the project:


    Ruud uses white cardboard from packaging waste found at the groceries (supermarket). Most preferable was the packaging by ERU, manufacturers of melted chees in cups. These cups are send in a very nice packaging material to the shops.
    The frame construction is stiffened by dovetails hinging on a central beam. The rust structure is made in two steps. The first step is done by using household glue as one can find in almost every well-equipped kitchendrawer. Afterwards matt brown Humbrol paint is applied. Only cardboard of various thickness is used on the model. For railings, thread from the common household practice is applied; again, for getting the right thickness and structure, glue is added and painted afterwards.


    For the ribs on the ships wall Ruud used cork strips, which were painted afterwards. The general plan is to create the structure first, if possible paint is added to the glue for the rust, otherwise painting the created structure comes afterwards.


    The techniques used in the model were developed in a learning-by-doing process. A great help in managing the constructive part was Ruuds knowledge of fine mechanics which he has from being a medical laboratory expert in fine mechanics (metal).


    Iets over de technische aspecten van het model:


    Ruud gebruikt wit karton afkomstig uit weggooiverpakkingen van de supermarkt. Zo bleek de hoofdverpakking van een hoeveelheid ERU smeerkaas uitstekend materiaal te bieden.
    De hoofdconstructie is gemaakt uit spanten met zwaluwstaarten inhakend op een langsspant in het midden.
    Om de roeststructuur te verkrijgen waren twee stappen noodzakelijk.Voor de eerste stap, om de structuur te maken, gebruikte Ruud Velpon alleslijm, het spul dat in menige keukenla aan te treffen is. Hierna werd met Humbrolverf geschilderd.
    De verstevigende ribstructuur op de binnenzijde van de romp bestaat uit kurkstrips, die ook naderhand geschilderd werden.
    Voor de relings was garen van toepassing, dat op haar beurt verdikt en gevormd werd met Velpon, daarna: schilderen natuurlijk. Soms bleek het mogelijk om de lijm te mengen met verf.


    De toegepaste technieken berusten op een leerproces tijdens het bouwen, principe: gewoon doen en proberen. Hierbij kwam Ruud's kennis op het gebied van fijnmechanisch bouwen (metaal) van pas.


    Angewendete Technik:


    Ruud fand im Supermarkt eine sehr reiche Quelle an Baumaterial. Sehr gut waren die Verpackungskartons von ERU Schmelzkäse.
    Mittels Schwalbenschwanzverbindungen sind die Spanten fest verbunden mit dem Mittellängsspant. Der Rost wird in zwei Schrite angefertigt. Zuerst Haushaltskleber (findet man in jede gutbestückte Küchenschublade). Zweitens: anmahlen mit Humbrol-Farbe. Fü die Relings benutzt er Garn, daß auch mit Haushaltskleber aus der Tube bearbeitet wird und später angemahlt.


    An der Innenseite des Schiffswandes ist für die Bestrebungen Kork zum Einsatz gekommen. Hier wird, wie im Generellen am Modell, erst der Struktur gemacht und nachher angemahlt mit Humbrol-Farbe.


    Im Allgemeinen wurde prinzipiell gearbeitet nach dem Motto: "Probier mal, wird schon gelingen!" Kenntnisse aus der feinmechanische Metallverarbeitung waren auch sehr hilfreich.

  • Details of the two four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines for the starboard and port screws.


    Almost hidden, the steamturbine for the middle screw. The steam for the turbine was supplied by the outlet of the triple-expansion engines. Harland & Wolff did not have the experience at the moment Titanic was built, to manufacture a fully turbined ship, therefore this configuration was chosen.


    Details van de twee viercilinder triple-expansie stoommachines die de bakboord- en stuurboordschroef aandreven.


    Bijna niet te zien, de stoomturbine die de middelste schoef aandreef. De stoomturbine benutte de afgewerkte stoom van de stoommachines. Harland & Wolff bouwde de voortstuwing van het schip aldus, omdat men nog niet genoeg ervaring had met de bouw van stoomturbines.


    Details der zwei vierzylinder-dreifach Expansionsdampfmaschinen für die Steuerbord- und Backbordsschraube.


    Fast verschollen, die Dampfturbine (Mittelschraube). Zum Antrieb wurde der Abdampf der beiden Dampfmaschinen benutzt. Harland & Wolff hatte nur wenige Kenntnisse zum Dampfturbinenbau, deshalb wurde diese Konfiguration bevorzugt.

  • The aft section of the wreck is the second model, the bow section was completed first. you can find pictures here, second page: Soesterberg 2006


    Detail studies of the aft section


    Detail from the bow section, amidships a pair of boilers can be seen


    The first vitrine cupboard was not made by Ruud, the materials used were plexiglass and wood,


    groetjes,
    Gert


    De achterste sectie van het wrak is het tweede model met dit thema. Foto's van het eerste model, van de boegsectie vind je in dit bericht: Soesterberg 2006 , tweede pagina.


    Detail van de boegsectie, in de midscheeps zijn een paar van de ketels te zien.


    De eerste vitrine was in opdracht gemaakt, materialen: plexiglas en hout,


    groetjes,
    Gert


    Bilder des Bugteils findet man hier: Soesterberg 2006


    Bilder des Heckteils.


    Details am Ende des Bugteils, Mittschiffs sind man zwei Kesseln,


    groetjes,
    Gert


  • Hello Gert,


    Thank you so very much for providing this excellent and highly detailed report for us! It has been most educational and enjoyable. Please thank Ruud for sharing his methods and technique with us all.
    And, since I know by now that Ruud is a member of this forum, I would like to thank him in person, Thank you very much, Ruud, for sharing your work!


    There are so many things that are impressive with his model; the way Ruud has recreated the five boilers at the open back end of the bow section, the still standing reciprocating steam engines in the front of the severed stern section and the beautifully detailed stern with the rudder first comes to mind, but also the dedication in creating all the railings, the davits and mast ropes, and the thousands of little 'rusticle' formations from household glue and matte brown paint.
    They way he has let the original white, gray-black and bottom red hull paints shine through the brown rust colour is masterfully done and gives the model surface a deeper dimension.
    The hull is also beautifully recreated (both from the front and back sides) so that you can see the overlaying steel plating joints.
    I assume that Ruud will also in time add the propellors (the 'triple screws') to the tail of the stern section. I look forward to seeing the progress and completion of this exciting card model project.


    All the best from Stockholm,
    Bengt :D

    Bengt Fredén, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Hello Bengt,


    Thank you for your interrest in my model. I hope i have helpt with enough information.
    But for the rusticles i just not onely juiced house hold glu and brown paint but also cotton wool.
    The cotton wool makes it freakish.
    I have read that you also are making Titanic as a wreck. I am curious about your model.


    Greatings from Holland,
    Ruud