Chasseur Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 She is looking clean and crisp! Well done Bob* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks, it looks like it will be a "good one!" It will soon start looking better. I always slow down when I am looking at an "empty" hull, but become more enthusiastic as it fills up. Then I slow down again when I am looking at the three bare masts with no rigging. But again, once I have started rigging, it is finished in no time at all. Just about zero interest in it from ship model friends here in the UK. Not big enough - no guns! Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exwafoo Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Bob, I like warships with sail - they had a bit of character. But I do like the merchant models you do. A couple of things stick in my mind from my RN travels - one was waiting to transit the Panama Canal and being amazed by the variety of 'old fashioned' ships that really belonged in a pre WW2 black and white movie in the queue, and similarly when visiting Belize. There was a ships graveyard of the coast with dozens of abandoned/impounded/wrecked ships. I don't know if its still there. I've looked on Google Earth but can't see anything. Keep them coming. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Alan, What year was that? I was at sea between early 1961 and late 1992 and up until the 1980s, there were still a lot of ancient merchant ships about, some dating back to the 1920s. The oldest ships I sailed in were 1943, 1944, and 1949 vintage. . Although not eaxctly comfortable, they gave very little trouble technically. The newest ones, 1974, 1977 and 1990 gave no end of trouble, and although very comfortable, were "a pain in the neck" for the technical departments. My favourite ship was completed in 1963, and I joined her in 1979, leaving in 1990. I know I am in a minority by building merchant ships of the late 19th century up until about 1965. I can't say that I find ships like HMS Victory at all attractive, having the line of a Dutch clog. Smaller vessels such as frigates look pretty good, but I keep clear of them as far as modelling is concerned because of all those fiddly guns and "unnecessary" decorations. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exwafoo Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Bob, 1981 - Belize - The ship I was on was the West Indies Guard ship patrol 1986 - Panama - The ship I was on was involved in a 9 month deployment around the world exercising with other navies, plus a few fun visits on the way. Came back via the Suez, but I didn't see much of that - I managed to get on a day trip to the Pyramids - disembarked by boat at Suez, coach to the sights, then coach and boat to re-embark at Port Said. Certainly saw some different vessels over that time. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Alan, Thanks, there was still a lot of old ships around at that time. Lots of them in the Mediterranean that were built in the 1920s, or even earlier. All gone now, I suppose. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 A lot more progress has now been made. The hatches are fitted, also fife rails, catheads, light towers, pumps, cargo winch, capstans and donkey boiler. Next lot of fittings include mooring bits, ladders, compasses, compass platform, bridge from poop to compass platform, anchors, chartroom, skylights, wheelbox and wheel, compass platform, rails. The hull will soon be finished now. Bob Landlubber Mike, Dave Fellingham, IgorSky and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landlubber Mike Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 Great work Bob! Do you mind me asking how you did the windows and doors on the deck house? They are really well done at that scale, and I've been trying to figure out a way to get such clean lines on my current build. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted March 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 Thanks. It is not too stressfull I drew them at 1 foot to 1 inch scale on a piece of paper. I then scanned them into the computer as a jpeg and coloured them in with Adobe Photoshop image processing. If you don't have Adobe Photoshop, or similar, you can use the common "Paint" programme that most computers seem to have. After they were coloured in, I shrank them down to the required scale, printed them onto self-adhesive film, cut them out, and stuck them on. The portholes were just drilled in! Bob Landlubber Mike, Chasseur and John Zuch 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landlubber Mike Posted March 31, 2016 Report Share Posted March 31, 2016 Very cool, thanks so much for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2016 The deck details are now almost complete. My patience is now wearing a bit thin, and I am working a lot slower. No doubt I will speed up again after I have started the masting and rigging. The display case and base are now assembled and the case is waiting for its veneer edging, whilst the base is awaiting its French Polishing. Bob JesseLee and Landlubber Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 The hull is now complete,. and I am ready to start masting and rigging. Bob JesseLee and Landlubber Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fellingham Posted April 11, 2016 Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 Time for the fun part, Bob. Inspiring as always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 (edited) Thanks Dave, The masting & rigging is easy enough, and it is not a very complicated ship anyway. Only twelve yards, boom and gaff! I find the hull much more demanding. I wasn't happy with the two forward boats, so I took them off, made and fitted another two! Bob Edited April 11, 2016 by Shipbuilder JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 I have now made and painted the three masts,12 yards, boom and gaff. I have almost completed making the shrouds and ratlines, but when working on the last three, my soldering iron burned out Hope to be able to get a new one tomorrow morning! The base is now being French Polished. Bob JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2016 The vessel is still mastless at the monent (17th April, 2016 at 1355 BST). I obtained a new soldering iron an hour ago, and now all the shrouds and ratlines are complete. The masts, yards, booms and gaff are also completed, but nothing is in the model so far. Things will move quite fast from now on. The three masts, complete with topmast & t'gallant mast shrouds and ratlines will go in next, then the lines from under the tops to the fife rails, then the furled fore-and aft sails, the lower shrouds and, ratlines and all the backstays. Bob JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 Today, I fitted the three masts. I then added the lines from under the tops down to the fife rails. All the shrouds and ratlines were then fitted on all three masts. The furlled main topmast staysail was fitted and rigged. The furled mizzen staysail, and mizzen topmast staysail were also fitted and rigged. I then fitted the backstays to the mizzen mast, fitted the furled spanker and gaff topsail and completed the mizzen mast by adding the running rigging. The next task is to fit and rig the remaining furled fore-and aft sails. After that, complete the backstays on fore and main, and finally fit and rig the 12 yards. Bob Landlubber Mike, exwafoo, John Zuch and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) I have now fitted all the fore-and-aft stays, and the remaining furled jibs and staysails have also been fitted and rigged. The next step is to complete the standing rigging by the addition of the backstays. I have also completed the base, whilst the display case is in the process of being French Polished. I am now 55 hours into the build, spread over 32 days, and the end is now in sight! Bob Edited April 22, 2016 by Shipbuilder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) I have now fitted all the fore-and-aft stays, and the remaining furled jibs and staysails have also been fitted and rigged. The next step is to complete the standing rigging by the addition of the backstays. I have also completed the base, whilst the display case is in the process of being French Polished. I am now 55 hours into the build, spread over 32 days, and the end is now in sight! Bob Edited April 22, 2016 by Shipbuilder JesseLee, Landlubber Mike and exwafoo 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSiemens Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 She is looking incredible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Thanks, I have now completed the standing rigging on the foremast, and rigged the bowsprit. This took an hour, so another hour will see the standing rigging on the mainmast complete. Bob Gwyl Blaser, JesseLee and exwafoo 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwyl Blaser Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Bob, this is impressive work. Looks great! Gwyl JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Thanks, Spent the day at the local ship model club,where this model did not manage to raise a single comment, good, bad or indifferent Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exwafoo Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 I recon its jealousy Bob, the workmanship is superb, and if it wasn't for the pen (does Parker pay you?) I'd think it was a large model. Best Alan JesseLee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shipbuilder Posted April 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 I don't think so. There are some really excellent ship modellers there. It is just that they don't like merchant ships (very few people do). Not romantic enough if it doesn't have guns! Parker should do, I have used their pens for years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.