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Mike Dowling

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  1. Mike Dowling
    I haven't got round to my big flappy round thing yet - but I will !!
  2. Mike Dowling
    I decided to leave the pretty bits until later and so I progressed with the 'Texas' and the pilot house trying very hard to follow Kurt's instructions on how to modify the latter to make it more realistic. I hope he will be pleased with my efforts. I had to purchase a 'steering wheel' as the kit did not account for modifications and didn't include one. I also made up a stove but it really doesn't show. You can see I did do the pretty bits on these!! Those stairs going up to the pilot house were a real challenge and I have to admit it did take me three attempts before getting it anything like square but I think they look OK now. She now looks more like a paddle steamer but there is still lots to do, maybe get the side decorations on next.
  3. Mike Dowling
    Bull rails on now and the skylight. Next job should be the 'pretty' bits or maybe the Texas. She is beginning to look like a proper boat now. I thin she looks a bit like a liner or cruise ship with the hog truss posts on.
  4. Mike Dowling
    Firstly a thank you to both Kurt and Clarence for their kind thoughts and observations about potentially lighting this model. After careful though I have decided against. My reasoning is that I think it would best be lit with fibre optics to keep the lighting dim and not overpowering and as Kurt pointed out these vessels didn't have electric generators so lighting would have been by candle. Also because I had already put the boiler deck on I could not access the void underneath well enough to attach the fibres. Also Kurt pointed out quite rightly that lighting inside would show up every gap and irregularity. Had I decided to light earlier I could have made more effort to seal all gaps very carefully and it something I will certainly bear in mind for the future. Anyway as you will see I have attached the hurricane deck which again, contrary to the destructions I made into one piece first so that I could put the rub rail round the sides off the boat. Getting that deck fixed on was a real effort. It took ages to get it just right so that all the holes in both decks lined up so that the stationaries would be vertical and all the smokestack pipes etc would also fit. As you can see from the added stationaries I got there in the end. The stacks, skylight etc are just dry fitted at the moment as I want to get the painting of the stair rails and all those tops done and the rails and decorative support brackets on first. See what you think.
  5. Mike Dowling
    cog, I understand about the bending, I have had trouble with ply before but this is not - it is just basswood. chborgm. oh you tempt me so much - I think you might not be so generous as I live in Scotland and I am not sure how I could pay you the postage. Maybe we could discuss with a PM ? Thanks all for your generous comments.
  6. Mike Dowling
    Funnily enough I did think seriously about putting lights in and the model certainly lends itself to that very well. I still could do it until I put the next deck on. Hmmm, keep thinking. Glad you like the doors! Popeye, tedious yes, worth it? Definitely.
  7. Mike Dowling
    I have completed the cabin walls etc on the boiler deck. I am not sure that the bending method given for the curves is very good. The idea was to bend the wood that had been laser inscribed in a pre made jig. Despite enlarging the lines with a number 11 blade and being very, very careful it was almost impossible not to splinter the wood. I got away with it but only just ! It had been suggested that the rear of the wood could be backed with card before the bending but I feel this would have made the job even harder. The instructions say not to soak the wood but to be honest I think it is better to do it. There is more bending on the top cabins so I will risk and try it next time. What a lot of upright battens !! Easy enough to cut but quite a chore to stick. I have also chosen to alter the painting a bit to make it 'my own' and left the door panels white. I think it looks OK.
  8. Mike Dowling
    I notice that although the OcCre and AL kits are similar they vary quite a bit. I have built the OcCre version and really like the removable walls and interior detail but I think there are enough differences to make the AL kit worth a go.
  9. Mike Dowling
    Absolutely lovely, a tribute to your building skills. I might buy this beasty and have a go after all.
  10. Mike Dowling
    Panama Port - silly me, I have built your boat already, I was thinking of someone else! Anyway, Cathead you will be pleased to know that I agreed with you and all is now white !! I have put on the boiler deck and all the uprights (Stationaries). I ignored the destructions and put the strip round the deck on first. I reckoned it would be easier as trying to bend it on boat would have been a nightmare. It also meant that I could slot the uprights in rather than put the strip over the top of them. I have also put the strips on the deck ready for the next lot of cabins. I can't decide at the moment whether to put all the bullrails on the lower deck next or leave them until later.
  11. Mike Dowling
    If it helps your motivation I nearly bought your kit on ebay so that I can do it next. Have to get a better price though!
  12. Mike Dowling
    Thanks all for your kind comments. Mike, it certainly is an interesting build and more challenging than the other paddle steamers I have done. I think you will enjoy it and you will be able to get it cheaper than I because you don't have to deal with VAT and import charges. By the way Kurt, the alterations you mentioned about shortening the pieces where the funnels have to go was 'sort of' included in my destructions although not very clearly. I am very grateful to have had your notes as well - thank you.
  13. Mike Dowling
    It's update time boys and girls ! Whilst waiting so long for paint and stuff I have not been idle - oh no! I have been a busy boy preparing my sides ad making steps and now, at last I have been able to attach something to my hull which I seem to have been waiting for forever. So essentially I think I have finished plan sheet one with a few modifications (thanks Kurt). I have covered some of the horrid ends of the walls with a wee bit of wood strip which up until now I haven't painted. I think it looks quite smart as is but, before I get carried away with more building, do you think I should paint them white or leave them ? Anyway, some pictures for you and you were quite right Kurt, the lettering took some patience!.
  14. Mike Dowling
    I have put the edging strip around the deck and the breakwatery bits on the front. All painted including the rear where the paddle will go.
  15. Mike Dowling
    Thanks Mike for your comments and I need to make an apology to all !! Jamesons was not the tipple I meant, it was Black Bush Irish whisky which is not blended but yummy if you like that sort of thing ! Back to the boat !
  16. Mike Dowling
    Sorry guys but Grouse is a blended whisky. Now, if you want a real single Scottish malt Balblair whisky takes a lot of beating but, if you are a real peasant like me Jamesons 10 year old Irish whisky is as smooth as a babies bottom. Meanwhile, I shall stick with paddle steamers for the moment.
  17. Mike Dowling
    At last some progress! I have been waiting ages for some IPA, flow improver and retarder to get some paint into this airbrush and use it. I did have a practise and it seemed OK but, with hindsight I mad the paint too thin and it 'blobbed' a bit but fortunately in areas it won't show. I am not too displeased for a first effort but had I realised how much it was all going to cost it would have been much cheaper to re-plank the thing and hand paint it like I normally would. Anyway I suppose it is a new skill learned that will improve with time. At last though I am able to glue some bits on !!
  18. Mike Dowling
    Many thanks Keith, I build carriages etc when not doing boats so the info is really useful for both. Many thanks.
  19. Mike Dowling
    I think your build is brilliant. I love the rails and the use of the glass pins is fantastic. I would love to know a bit more about how you made the paddle wheels as in managing to keep them so beautifully circular. Anyway, wonderful work, I wish I were that clever !"
  20. Mike Dowling
    I don't know if this helps at all but I was new to soldering in respect to making models. I purchased for Toolzone in the UK their item no. HB288. It is a micro butane soldering iron and blow torch which you fill from an ordinary gas lighter refill. The soldering tip is removable so that you can use the device as either an iron or a torch. I have found the torch to be wonderful with a very small, very hot flame absolutely perfect for models. I found by lining up the pieces to be soldered, add a paste flux to exactly the place you want fixed, a tiny amount of solder which will stick to the flux, apply heat until the solder melts and hey presto, job done. I discovered that the solder will go exactly where the flux was placed which enabled me to do very small soldering work. Hope this helps.
  21. Mike Dowling
    An interesting way of building from the top down! I can't help feeling that the skipper of this vessel is going to have one hell of a headache by the time you have finished half a hull ! He must be getting dizzy already in his little wheel house.
  22. Mike Dowling
    Robin and everyone, I got it today ! The Revell basic airbrush kit you showed the picture of. So far I have managed to dismantle it, lubricate everything as shown on u tube and (!!!!) put it back together again ! Tomorrow I might see if it works !
  23. Mike Dowling
    Thank you for that but for me that requires an import with VAT etc etc and I'll wait and see what the one I ordered is like.
  24. Mike Dowling
    OK, OK I give in !! Thanks Robin for your suggestion. I found on today with a decent discount so it is on it's way to me. Watch this space !!
  25. Mike Dowling
    Amazing work, she is going to look splendid.

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