thibaultron

G'day Les.  I have found those cheaper 'third hand' devices with plain alligator clips not suited to smaller soldering jobs also.  I have invested in the GRS rig which jewellers and the like prefer; not cheap but do a much better job.

I think it may have been REMCO that also discussed a soldering block which was about 10cm x 10cm or so, and was honeycombed to accept small brass or steel pins which held smaller pieces in situ and you could apply a naked flame to the joint.  Can't find the post at the moment but if I do I'll update this post.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Les:
Check out the video by Paul Budzik on soldering techniques.  I have done a lot of silver soldering but hadn't done much with photo etch and a soldering iron (except electrical connections for R/C boats) and his video helped a lot - so did getting a good adjustable soldering iron similar to the one he uses but a few steps down in $$ - a Weller WC100.
 
 
Kurt
 
http://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/Soldering/soldering.html

Ships in Scale sells a practicum on this model, " Progressive Scratch Building". It covers a couple other smaller boats too. I boght it several years ago, and read it cover to cover. You can get it on CD. I think someone else also offers a practicum.

Yes

I think I'm beginning to understand boat drawings.  I have seen line drawings many times but never stopped to figure out what is going on.  It wasn't until I began my first model that I actually started to put it all together.  But I'm not sure I have this right.

What I think I am seeing with the hull lines is the frames from the bow to midships on the right and from midships to stern on the left.  So if you cut the drawing above down the middle, and took each half and made mirror images of the other half, you would have all the frames necessary to duplicate the shape of the hull.
 

Next you take those frames and place them where the vertical lines are on the above drawing, from "0" to "20".  Then you plank it and you have the hull.
 
Am I on the right track?

Just got an e-mail from the 3D printing company, the winch parts were successfully printed and in the mail.

Please keep up informed how the 3d parts stack up to photo etch.  This may be a new and useful tool for our hobby.
David B

Just got an e-mail from the 3D printing company, the winch parts were successfully printed and in the mail.

Chuck,
Like a lot of other things, you'll have to find out what works for you as there's usually more than one way to get to same goal.   I've done it both ways and depending on the ship, framing, etc. I make my choice.  For a POB, I plank the whole thing and then cut.  For POF, I do it in bits and pieces and trim it up. 
 
Others will have their methods.... 

What is the best way to create gunports?  I have been reading the practicum for Syren which suggests cutting the planking to size and shape in order to create the gunports.  On the other hand,  many of the build logs (for the Syren and other models)  have described the technique of planking over the gunports and then cutting the opening.
 
Just wondering whether there is a consensus.
What have others found to be the pros and cons of each technique.
 
Thanks
Chuck

Received word today that my winch files have passed muster at the 3D printers. They are in the queue for printing.
 
Today I'm starting on the rearranging of the shop to move the HO layout into the new area. My workbench is in a section of the layout supports, so when it is moved, I can start work again.

One of the model railroad suppliers sells Rivet Detail decals. These are clear film strips with raised rivet heads on the strip. No idea how they do the raised detail, but they look good when used.

One of the model railroad suppliers sells Rivet Detail decals. These are clear film strips with raised rivet heads on the strip. No idea how they do the raised detail, but they look good when used.

You might wish to try photo-etched parts. Bolt heads and nuts come in a huge range of sizes. Some are available in nickle, stainless or brass. I quick search for scale model photo etched parts will turn up plenty for you to check out. Quite popular with car, railroad and armor modelers ! You can find them in round, square, hex and most sets include washers....
 
Joe

You're right.  I definitely should have given them a nod. EDIT: They have been added to the original post.

Chris, it looks like you've forgotten about the biggest sailing ship card models manufacturer - Shipyard from Poland (http://www.model-shipyard.com/html/indexuk.html), and their sole distributor for Australia and New Zealand - Abadonna's Laser Cut Models (http://www.abadonna.com.au).

UPDATED 12/2022
 
The tutorial I will be writing will use a free kit as its subject, but supposing you wished to buy a paper model kit, where could you get one, and who makes the best kits?
 
The first question is rather easier to answer than the second, so we'll start by discussing the various publishing houses.  Few card model designers run their own publishing outfit; usually the designers farm their kits out to one or more publishing houses.  This makes it a little difficult to generalize about Publisher A versus Publisher B, because a designer might have his or her design published at both places.  Lesson: It pays to take note of who designed a particular kit you like, then look for that designer's work at different sites.  Something else to make note of is the date of publication.  CAD designing did not become commonplace until about the turn of the new century -- the earlier a kit is published prior to 2000, the more likely it is to be hand-drawn.  This is not to say that all hand-drawn kits are bad (they aren't) or that CAD-drawn kits are always preferable (they aren't either), but CAD-drawn kits usually have more and finer detail.
 
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the major publishing firms.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, because due to the nature of the product and the fact that it can easily be electronically distributed, there are dozens of Mom and Pop sites that may have a limited offering available.  Here's a few of the better-known outfits:
 
WAK: This is currently my favorite Polish publisher and shop, as they have the best shipping rates to the US.
 
GPM:  GPM are one of the largest card model publishers in Poland.  They have a large selection of ship models in many scales, both in their own line and from many other publishers as well.  They also have an extensive inventory of after-market accessories.  Ordering by mail from Poland is usually not terribly expensive.  GPM's listed postage rates are steep, but according to reports from other modelers, GPM will calculate the actual postage charge and refund the difference between that and the rate calculated at their website.
 
Modelik:  Modelik carries only their own line of models, but as discussed previously, these are not all the work of one designer.  Modelik kits are generally well-regarded in the hobby.  Modelik charges a flat shipping rate of 15 EUR per order.
 
JSC:  JSC have an extensive line of ship models and are one of the few Polish publishers to offer a large selection of models in a scale other than the usual 1/200 favored in that country; JSC kits are normally either 1/250 or 1/400.  Many of JSC's kits are older hand-drawn designs.  JSC sells directly to the public and through other on-line retailers.
 
Kartonowy Arsenal (KA):  Better known by the surname of its owner and chief designer, Halinski, KA offer highly detailed models of mostly WWII warships.  Though often considered suited only for advanced modelers, the fact that they usually fit together so well eliminates some of the problems found in less well designed kits.  KA does not sell directly to the public. (EDIT (2022): KA does now sell directly from their site, although the ordering process is not what you might expect. You send an email specifying the products you wish to order, and then KA sends you a quote.)
 
Orel:  This Ukrainian publisher is relatively new to the scene, but they have been prolific.  They offer a large selection of mainly Czarist-era Russian vessels, including torpedo boats, destroyers, cruisers, and pre-Dreadnoughts in 1/200 scale.  Orel sells directly to the public as well as through larger firms like GPM. (UPDATE (Dec. 2022): Due to the current hostilities in Ukraine, Orel is not currently accepting orders.)
 
HMV:  The Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag is probably the premier German ship model publishing house.  Like other German publishers, their kits come in the 1/250 scale preferred in Germany.  They have a wide selection of mostly German warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen.  They also offer an extensive line of after-market detail sets.  HMV have been good about upgrading their designs, and several of their older hand-drawn models are currently being reworked as CAD models.  HMV does not sell directly to the public from their website.
 
Moewe Verlag:  Also known as Wilhelmshavener, this publisher has an extensive line of warships, passenger ships, and merchantmen in 1/250.  Ordering from them can be kind of tricky, since many of their kits are hand-drawn models dating as far back as the 1960’s, and this isn’t always obvious when browsing their website.  MV kits tend to be less detailed than HMV kits, but they have a broader selection and somewhat lower prices.  They don’t offer after-market detail sets.  Moewe kits can be purchased on-line from their website.
 
J F Schreiber:  Schreiber are the third major German publisher.  Their kits are, as a rule, less detailed than either HMV or Moewe, but they offer more kits of simpler subjects suited to beginning modelers.  They also offer more kits in 1/100 scale than other publishers.  Schreiber operates an on-line store.
 
Paper Shipwright:  Designer David Hathaway’s line of kits is unique in its extensive offering of monitors.  David also designs small passenger craft and working vessels.  These are generally very good kits and also reasonably priced, with a fair but not overwhelming amount of detail.  Paper Shipwright kits can be ordered directly from their website.
 
Shipyard: The premier publisher of card model sailing subjects. Shipyard kits are distributed in the US by Ages of Sail.
 
In addition to the aforementioned publishers, many excellent designs are available from smaller outfits, some notable ones of which include Digital Navy and Answer (perhaps not exactly 'small outfits', but their ship model selections are limited).  As noted, some of these publishers sell directly to the public, and some don’t.  Finding a retailer that carries the kits you want can sometimes be a taxing ordeal, but here are some of the more popular sites:
 
GPM, Orlik, and Model-Hobby are three of the larger Polish retailers, each carrying their own in-house models as well as designs from other firms.
Karton Modell Shop is a German retailer with a good selection from a variety of designers.
Marcle Models are one of the larger distributors in the UK.
Paper Model Store is practically the only US retailer with a broad selection of Polish kits.  None from Germany, though. (UPDATE: The PMS website has been inactive for years now, and the seller appears to selling on eBay these days.)
E-Cardmodels is a retail venue for a slew of small designers -- a lot of variety of subjects, scales, and degree of difficulty.
HMV are sold through Fentens Paper Models. As of December, 2022, HMV is looking for a new US distributor.
 
There are many, many other places to buy kits on-line, but these should get you started.  Have fun browsing!
 
Back to Part II: Start for FREE!     On to Pt. IV: Tools & Other Supplies

Let's add in that out of 600 men, probably 300 were sleeping at any given time due to the way the watches were set up. 

Most of the 'cargo' would have been gold, silver and jewels.  They don't take up a lot of room, perhaps one small compartment.  At least as much came on board as contraband, which is why many went out in the first place, a chance to get stinking rich, if they could sneak it by the government inspectors in Spain.
Lots of space in the hold for food and water, though perhaps the sleeping accommodations were a bit less savory than the quality was used to.

Hi,
The crews in those days were very numerous and completed from commanding staff, sailors, soldiers and gunners . 
the crew also consisted of armorers, sail maker and carpenters. 
You could not miss the cooks as well as a surgeon and a chaplain.
The Vasa crew it was 445man .

 French 74-gun ship has completment of some 750 man

 
Tadeusz

Yea, just go over there and old "Five Finger" willie will teach you about shop safety.

Yea, just go over there and old "Five Finger" willie will teach you about shop safety.

Yea, just go over there and old "Five Finger" willie will teach you about shop safety.

Mike this may be a far out idea for you.  I live in Sun City, Arizona, Sun City is what is known here as a retirement Community.  That means if you are under 55 you can't live here.  As a somewhat closed Community it has several, Recreation Centers, in these centers are Gymnasiums and various hobby workshops, among them wood working shops. These shops are run by retired guys expert in woodworking, cabinet making etc. and have magnificently stocked work spaces. Virtually every wood working tool you can imagine.  I too was wrestling with whether or not to get a planer or thickness sander. Knowing it would be only occasionally used, I decided to ask the boys in the wood working shop if they would let me use theirs....they said NO, but would be glad to do whatever I needed done for me.  They said to use the equipment myself I would have to undergo a training class at $9.00/hr for 5 hrs, then pass  test first.  Had strictly t do with safety an not wanting their tools destroyed by some amateur.
Anyway, and this would have been shorter if I had just said...see if there are any retirement communities around, or check for wood working clubs.  They are all good guys just like us, but with less fingers ;o)
Tom

You can cut really nice veneers with a bandsaw Mike, and a Rikon 10-305 like mine, with a "Woodslicer" blade, will work just fine. They're $300, not on sale, and this time of year, if you shop around, could be considerably cheaper. As an extra, they also come with a 5-year warranty.