Rich.F

Hello Vivian,
 
You have done some great looking work. Look forward to more
 
Rich

well i'm over happy with this ship.Thanks to every ones input, comments and likes.. Glad there is no Dislike button. :S
 
Also there..
 

Looking great, I have only just been allowed to open mine and make a very slow start, Ie open the box i have only had it for a 4months,, oh well.
 
But you have a fantastic start
 
Rich

I believe the king plank served the purpose of strengthening and reinforcing the main deck.  The upper deck did not need this and did not have one.
David B

Thanks Rich. Brothers in arms!

Thank you all for your input, and helping me decide where to go from here. What bothered me was the stark white appearance of the coiled line, rather like white nylon or white cotton rope which it certainly would not be.  As such, it becomes the center of focus rather than a coil of rope in the background.  This is where I wish I had modified the color of the line before beginning the rigging.  In fact I did experiment but was not pleased with the result.  I should have persisted using the expert advise from some of our members.
 
I'd like to use the full coils if they can be blended in with the background.  The following photos are experiments in retrograde coloring of the lines.  The problems are obvious.  Areas with C/A glue will not take up stains, if one succeeds with the coils, all other lines will have to be altered and most of all, it's a pain................    I've tried to use similar lighting in the photos, however, we all know how lights and cameras drastically alter the appearance. I'm experimenting with washes (very dilute paint) but of course masking become a daunting task.  I'll report later on the results (or lack there of).
 
Each photo of untreated line is followed by one of treated line.  The unfinished coil on the right can be used as a control.  Unfortunately, they were taken on different days. Cheers, Gil
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Hi Alexandru, if you still have the bit of broken 1 mm drill you could try to grind an sharp edge on the bottom and use that until you can get something better. I was able to get hold of some small end mills recently, but nothing smaller than 1.5 mm, although I did find some 1 mm cutters for wood. Also small sets of diamond tip tools can be very useful for this kind of work and are actually quite cheap - I have a set which cost just £5 (UK)! Bob 

thanks Shawn. They can only improve 

and the Name is Reviled ..
 
So many happy times with the build.. I have the Billings Bluenose to start soon,, and at least one more before Caldercraft HMS Victory.. Does anyone have any ideas. suggestions and likes for a specific kit?
 
Best regards
 
Richard

Looking good Sam, Don't work to hard.
 
Rich

Well thats if folks.. Just placed my order for the Caldercraft HMS Victory> 
 
I will wait till Bluenose is finished.
 
Wish me Luck all
 
Rich

Ahoy Rich
 
I would think about where you want to be before you start your Opus and make your next project one that brings you there This hobby has a lot to offer and also requires a very diverse skill set. As individuals we all have our strengths but it is addressing our weaknesses that will let us achieve the best build
 
The kit manufactures also have their strengths and weaknesses. Pairing them against yours might be a path to consider. I would also if you have not already; download and read the CC Vic instructions to get a grasp of what will be required and the hills you will need to climb to succeed. I am sure your following some of the logs.
 
These are the manufactures I have some experience with and what I feel they offer
 
Model Expo. The Good: Excellent kits for both beginner and intermediate level builder. Kits are primarily Basswood which is easy to work requiring a minimal investment in tools. Some of the best instructions in the industry. Single Planked. The Bad: kits are Basswood which is soft, difficult to finish unless your painting. and is almost impossible to use to create many of the small details found in the scale of most ship kits. The kits can have inherent flaws. Single planked. Britannia fittings are really bad.
 
****These weaknesses cause the builder to step up in these areas to complete the kit. Finishing, wood carving, metal work (to replace or correct the Britannia) , and checking parts against plans. Planking the real way (I know it is listed twice and felt it should be)
 
Corel: The Good: Some of the best kit supplied lumber and parts. The Bad: The worst instructions. Sorry my experience ends here.
 
**** Again having only a basic outline for instructions means the builder needs to have an understanding of the process and must to use the plans and research to plan his build. Most kits are double planked which is considerably easier although some are single planked hardwood which is the real deal. I put off my Berlin build for this reason. Not ready.
 
 
An example of this theory would be "how's your copper plating"
 
 
As only you know where you really are I think the your next build needs to be up to you. You need to have a connection to the ship and that is another can of worms. Open them one at a time.

well i'm over happy with this ship.Thanks to every ones input, comments and likes.. Glad there is no Dislike button. :S
 
Also there..
 

well i'm over happy with this ship.Thanks to every ones input, comments and likes.. Glad there is no Dislike button. :S
 
Also there..
 

well i'm over happy with this ship.Thanks to every ones input, comments and likes.. Glad there is no Dislike button. :S
 
Also there..
 

Small update. I have rig a few sails and then re rig a few more times, as some bit were not clear or others became to loose from the tension of others, I am happy how how my first build is coming along.
 
Got hold of a billings bluenose kit looks good. Going to wait till the enterprise is finished, cant find any logs on this though.
 
Off for a break with the family.

Thanks very much Sam, Yes she coming along at a great rate of knots ..LOL..
 
coming together better that i ever thought...Your build is looking Fab too.. 
 
Rich
 
PS hope you like the Picture

Hi, Sorry for the lack of work.. Build time has been slow, to be honest fed up with the cannons has to put it to one side,, Plus the normal every day life...
 
Well cannons are done,did  a little play and re attempt then got happy with it..
 
 

Well the last week or two has not been that productive, half hour here and there. I have now put to gather all the bits going on the deck, I have been making these for a few months when I got bored with planking the hull and just wanted to do something else.
 
Stupid work... oh well keeps me busy and pay the bills
 
Rich

After a lot of online reading and searching I have made the 3rd attempt at the head rails bits. Used the wife hair straighteners, dipped the wood in water for a minute or two, repeated until the curves matched the drawing.
 
I don't think that came out to bad at all, condescending.
 
after looking at these pictures im going to spend the next few days cleaning up the paint work. (somehow) looks good the light i have   

Well sat down last night watched Avengers Assemble and made the poop deck hand rails. 
 
Sam, I found the rudder a little fiddley, as I needed to cut the pins down in size to pin the hinges in place, but they kept on disappearing. LOL
 
 

Great job with the Enterprise

Looking nice. Great ship to build.

Hi All, I came across this ebay item in the UK, 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121139376306?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
 
Flickering Amber LED Lights for 6v 9v 12v DC
(Hope the link worked,    I did buy two of them and they seam very effective.. hope this may help   Rich

Well had a few hours due to change of child plans  (YAY Put the flags out))
 
Got One of the little buggers in place, (Cannons that is) one down thirteen to go.. ​ : Very much a pain and fiddly any ideas on a simple way to do this, took just over an hour. Not that I mind, just will only get one done every few days. and was getting tiresome on the old fingers and back.