Mike Dowling
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Everything posted by Mike Dowling
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Why don't you use cellulose sanding sealer (aka dope for model aircraft enthusiasts). You can make it as thick or thin as you like, it dries really fast and if you want you can make a really good satin finish with just two coats. Or you can easily sand it down and put any paint or varnish on top. I grant you that it does darken some wood a bit.
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Hi folks, May I say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the trouble to send a post on both my log and my gallery. I am really flattered and grateful that you consider the work of a novice builder to be worthy of such praise. I am not thinking of making a case for her as it would cost almost as much as the original build. I realise that she will gather dust but eventually that should 'age' her nicely and provide a home for the odd spider or two. Sadly in a way not that many people will ever see her so her preservation is not so important. For me the joy is in the making and a satisfactory end result which I imagine applies to many of the MSW members. I am going to have a brief sabbatical and make a horse drawn taxi next to keep me occupied but fear not, I shall return with a new build when I have decided which paddle steamer I am going to do. I have done one, the Spirit of the Mississippi (another OcCre kit) but I want her to have a companion so I have big hopes for Christmas. Thank you all again for your very kind comments.
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Greetings, After 8 months my OcCre Bounty is finally finished. It has been a huge learning experience and mostly a great deal of fun. I didn't expect the hull planking to be so hard and likewise the rigging. In the end I am glad I gave her sails, as someone said a sailing ship should have them and I guess they were right. Before I let you see the pictures, in true Hollywood style I would like to say a few thanks. Firstly to those on MSW who gave me such a warm welcome in the first place and some who continued to follow my log. To Capt.Al who has shared his build with mine, been a huge help with research and companionship. To Dan Vadas who, despite being an experienced ship builder has always found time to help a novice. To Cannon Fodder who tried so hard to teach me hull planking. To Shihawk who kept watching and boosted my flagging ego. To Fifthace who gave friendly criticism and a lot of advice and to Bindy for her amazing enthusiasm, her sense of humour, her bravery and her friendship. And now Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the Bounty, may God bless her and all who sail in her.
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Greetings!! I hadn't realised it was over a month since I reported in but here I am. Firstly I must include my sincere thanks to Dan Vadas and Capt.Al without whom reaching the stage I am at would have been quite impossible and so I really want to express my gratitude to them both. Well folks, after much thought and heavy persuasion from members of the family who told me my boat would not be complete without them, I decided to go for broke and put sails on the beast !!! I failed to follow advice from those on MSW and put the yards on first because I decided to follow the order of my woefully inadequate parts list. There was after all a great deal of rigging to do once they were on and before sails were added. Someone had said attach the sails to the yards first but in all honesty I was glad I didn't as I could never have attached the yards properly with sails attached. However I must be equally honest and say that attaching sails afterwards has been very fiddly but then this whole rigging lark is. It is quite amusing in a way - the instruction booklet I have has some photos in it but there are at least two if not three different rigging setups. The parts list is different again, it is completely different from the AL version and the McKay book! Suffice to say that thus far I have had to use average opinion and an amount of what I like to call 'maritime licence' !!! I know there are one or two bits that are totally wrong and the same that could be right. Apparently when Capt. Bligh took on the ship he re rigged it anyway to suit himself so I am quite sure there must be several acceptable ways. Anyway, I now have all the 'forward' facing sails on and rigged. I still have what I call the 'sideways' sails to do, the lifeboat to fix on, the open side to 'accessorise' and some general tidying up to do before I can call it finished. I'll let you see it when it's done.
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A nice bit of work but I have to say it doesn't look anything like my OcCre Bounty stern. That doesn't mean it isn't right mind you mine could be completely wrong.
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OK fans, this is where I am! I have done all the standing rigging I can until I have to fit the yards. I am told that, if I am going to fit sails onto the boat I should attach the sails to the yards before attaching the yards to the masts. I am at that stage and would value the considered opinions of anyone out there who cares - do I try to put sails on the boat or not? It is completely new territory for me as I have never done it before. I eagerly await your responses!
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Thank you all for your kind comments. Captain Al has very kindly sent me some pictures of rigging which are proving to be very useful but Capt.Fisher if you can send more I am grateful for any/all contributions. The rigging is proving harder than I thought and I am only able to follow the order in the parts list to give me any clue. I can't believe Al that you tried to count the knots - you really should get out more! But, in answer to your question about wood, I know I am very careful not to waste anything but I have more than enough wood for this kit. I have always found OcCreto be not exactly generous but ample with their supplies. Maybe I should have a word with the forum moderators and see if I can create a new list of 'words' for the use of frustrated modellers! I must also add a big thank you to Dan Vadas who was a tremendous help with regard to the placing of shrouds and without him I would not be where I have got to.
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I really couldn't say I'm afraid. Every Bounty model I have seen so far has been different. This one has been and still is pretty hard but I am only a beginner and really should have got a simpler model to start with. But thanks very much for the comment.
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Hi there viewers! An update for you. After a great deal of eye strain, some new terms of abuse invented and at times a serious loss of sense of humour I have completed the shrouds on the sides of the boat and the ratlines !! I now fully understand why people build plastic model ships with pre- formed ratlines etc. I thought for fun I might count the number of hand tied knots but gave up after about 800 ! I did have to redo all the deadeyes on the fore and main masts as I made a complete mess of them first time. I learned a lot from it and my second attempt whilst not perfect I am certainly more pleased with. Now of course I have to deal with the rest of the standing rigging. Does anyone have some decent diagrams/plans of the rest of the rigging that you could send me from a similar build. My plans are dreadful and I really don't want to put rigging in the wrong places and spoil what I have done so far.
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You are very welcome. It's nice to anticipate a problem before it happens and having had my fair share with the same boat which was my first go I know how easy it can be to get disheartened. You are doing just fine!
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Just a thought, keep it coming with the pictures. Sometimes it is easier to spot a mistake before it happens and we only want to help.
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Oh no, the deck isn't painted. Varnished yes. Real shame about the splintering because you have done a good job so far. Don't worry though, by the time you have put the rest of the deck structure and bits and pieces on it really won't show much.
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That's a good job done well. I guess you will be fighting with the rubbing strakes next ?
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Make sure you sand along the grain of the planks. If you try to do it across the edge you will splinter them.
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Thanks everybody for the nice comments, I am very flattered! Jastrzab, how long have you suffered from sadistic tendancies? I have been brave and started the rigging today. I have 'gammoned' my bowsprit wrongly but it doesn't show so it's staying like that! I put on four shrouds - did it wrong - took them off and then did two on each side correctly!! Not a great deal for a whole afternoons labour!! Never mind I have learned a lot which I guess is what it's all about!
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Thanks very much CF! Not too bad for a beginner maybe. I just have to figure out how on earth all the bits fit together now!!
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Greetings all! An update for you. I have now completed all the masts and the yards complete with pulleys, blocks, foot ropes, spars etc. Sure was a long job, I don't find tapering one of my favourite tasks. The observant amongst you will notice that I have pre-threaded all the blocks etc under the foremast platform as I can't for the life of me see how they could be threaded once the shrouds and ratlines are in place. Do you think this is good idea and if so should I do the same for the other masts? My task now as I am sure you know is to knit this lot together! It's going to be a long haul!
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Yes, I did the same as Casey. You are right, those little bits at the stern were really fiddly!
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Just go gently and keep posting your pictures. Don't forget you can take a little more off each time but it's much harder to put it back!
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If you are talking about the fairing then yes, I think you have quite a bit to do yet. Re your curved piece you will plank up to and over the sides and cover it with strips at the rear.
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Can anyone tell me where to start with the standing rigging. Should it be the ratlines? Should all the standing mast rigging be done before any of the yards are added?
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Thoughts on standing after running rigging
Mike Dowling replied to cwboland's topic in Masting, rigging and sails
Can somebody give me an idea of which part of the standing rigging should be done first. Is it the ratlines? And, should all of the standing mast rigging be done before the yards are attached? -
I really appreciate your reply, thoughtful but not at all patronising, thank you very much. Yes I like you learn far more from pictures than words so I may well have a look for the book you suggest. Thank you again.
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