Landlubber Mike

I think there are already a lot of Chinese GRS knock-offs on eBay.

Cool project. I always thought the Blandford was a nice subject.

Nice start on a great looking kit! Spyglass, I have to say, your build logs are always entertaining

Pear takes stain very nicely I've found.

Yeah, I would definitely tie them to the ring bolts and then insert the ring bolts into the bulwarks. Not sure I see doing it any other way. Use the one you have now to test out lengths of the breaching rope to get to the proper length to have adequate sag, etc.

A beautiful gift! Really kind of you. Hard to tell which looks better - your LN or the knife. Both are works of art. 👍

Hey Mark, sorry to hear about things. Hope 2019 is treating you a little better. Everyone is different, but for me, having multiple projects going on of various lengths works. I find I get excited by a project, then eventually that enthusiasm dwindles, or I get stuck or feel overwhelmed. Then things stop being fun and the project turns into a chore. Having something else to turn to, even if it is a different pursuit, keeps my spirits elevated and i’m in a much better state of mind approaching whatever it is I’m working on. These long projects that run years do require a particular personality and mindset to get through I think. That’s why having some short projects in the mix where the finish line is measured in days or weeks really helps. I just started playing around with turning pens and am having a blast. Turned a few pencils for my girls and I’m a hero to them. I’ve also started looking at other things, including ships in bottles which take significantly less time to complete and you don’t have to worry about absolute perfection at such a small scale (especially when the glass provides some distortion). I also think that coming to MSW and seeing the incredible artistry is mostly a blessing, but sometimes is a bit of a curse. I get inspired for sure, but there are times when I feel like it becomes a lot of self imposed pressure to build the model at a high level. For me it’s not that I would feel embarrassed to post my work, just that you come here and see what can be done and want to do the same. In some ways it would be nice to just open a kit and build it from the box without really mentally torturing myself to get things perfect, historically accurate, etc. Anyway, sorry for getting philosophical on this. Take care of yourself my friend. Looking forward to seeing whatever you end up doing.

Those are nice handles! I’m using the metal handle from S-M but I’d like something with a little more heft.

That's really beautiful work. Wow, very impressive! Funny about gluing brass - if you find a solution, I'm all ears. Gluing brass on my first model led to a lot of nasty words and visions of testing it out as a glider by throwing it out the window. 😳

Welcome back! Your Pegasus was one of the builds that inspired me to start this kit. Coppering looks great!

Welcome! This site is a friendly place with great people with lots of knowledge and experience. I believe there are a few threads on here asking about good first kits. Different manufacturers have different reputations when it comes to kit wood, kit fittings, instructions, historical accuracy, etc. Spend a little time asking questions and looking at various build logs to see what mix works for you. Depending on your comfort level, I'd start with something with decent instructions as a first kit to build. The Model Expo/Model Shipways kits are usually pretty good when it comes to instructions, but the fittings are pretty rough. I started with the Caldercraft Brig Badger, which had a 60-page manual, with great fittings and for the most part, really good wood in the kit. Good luck!

Looks great Bob. Might have been a poor kit, but sure turned out to be a beautiful model in your skilled hands. Hope 2019 treats you better

Very nice, looks great! Congratulations!