Shazmira

Randy, there is nothing wrong with doing one of the larger ships and at the same time doing the canoe? some of the same skill sets, yet differences which allow for some diversion from a boring task.

I so want to know how you get all your rigging to look neat and crisp, not a single blob of glue out of place, no fuzz, just perfect knots and perfect ropes!

Visually I like your spacing better; however, I wonder if the distance down the hull might not be too far down. Wouldn't the concern be a step below the waterline creating drag? Maybe it doesn't matter on a ship that size?

Beautiful Sherry, absolutely stunning! You are a true artist!

Thanks Randy, now that makes perfect sense. The only difficulty I foresee with that method is getting everything all at the same distance since it would be hard to use any sort of jig to hold the deadeyes (both upper and lower) in place. I put some wood over the "ring" last night with some CA, and I am letting it cure until tonight. I will also stop at the hardware store on the way home and find some sort of metal filler and try to fill in the badly drilled holes. When I originally drilled the holes I put them in that outer ring, which I later realized was the wrong place. It is also possible that I could just go ahead and use those holes anyway...I am not sure that having my deadeyes a 1/2 inch further out on the crow's nest will really be that big of an issue. As we both know, historical accuracy is out the window on this kit anyway.

WOW Sjors, what a difference a little bit of string makes...really starts to bring it all together doesn't it!

Well done Eric!!!

thanks Sam, I will give the wood a try tonight, and if the drill bit does what you say, then I can pick up something at the hardware store tomorrow on the way home and give that a try.

David, I did mine per the instructions and added the keep after the 2nd planking....I wish in hindsight I had added it first...as much as you try, without tht little strip of wood to butt up against you will have a gap you have to fill otherwise.

Ok, I decided to go with the simple fix. I am placing a strip of wood over the holes on the ring and filing it to shape. Then I will stain and hopefully be able to have enough support to hold the dead eyes. not a perfect fix by any means, but with all the rigging lines, it wont be visible to most people anyway

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I was at work and had no access to photos at the time, sorry. Robert, your solution might work...by issue is that I have all those shroud lines from the lower shrouds in the way, so placing a whole new "disk" in the bottom of the crow's nest is not a viable option without tearing out all my rigging. I was thinking just making a "ring" in two pieces I could place over the bad holes on the outer edge of that ring. I would pre-drill the wood before installing, that way I could use the wooden holes as a guide to go through what metal is left. Randy, I know what you mean about just wanting to move on...trust me I am there! However, I am not picturing what you mean exactly, can you clarify any?

Ok, need some help. I tore all the rigging apart after I did the lower stuff because when I went to put up the upper shrouds I had nothing to attach the bottom dead eyes to. The instructions had failed to mention I needed to drill holes in the crow's nest for them. So...I drilled all my holes when I had everything apart....imagine that, I managed to still drill them in the wrong place. Ok, so on the main mast, I had little problem with a dremel, getting the holes where they need to be while everything is still in place, all is going well. On the foremast? not so good. for whatever reason, the drill kept slipping forward or back instead of just drilling through.....following me so far. Now I have a mess, I can't slip the dead eye line through the holes to tie off on the lower shrouds, because I don't exactly have holes...instead I have missing chunks of the metal "ring" so, I have no way to secure the deadeyes in place. I REFUSE TO RIP OUT ALL MY NEW RIGGING, but what or how can I attach these dead eyes, so I can install the upper shroud lines. Is there something I can buy at a hardware store that will fill in the mess I made of the metal crow's nest, and then attempt to drill proper holes through this substance? Could I attempt to fill everything with solder and then drill through that? could I overlay the "ring" on the crow's nest with wood and drill holes through it? Suggestions?

Sam she deserves much more than 3. Seriously, she is looking to be one of the most lovely builds I have had the pleasure to see, you really should be proud!

I really love the lights!!! I can't believe how close you are to finishing her!

Welcome home Andy!!!

Hi everyone! I am feeling much better today...I actually got to ride my Harley Friday afternoon, well kind of. It is sitting in the garage of a farm my sister-in-law owns (the house we hope to buy when the woman who willed it to my sister-in-law passes) Anyway, on the way home from work Friday I decided I was tired of knowing the bike was there, but not being able to touch it, so I came home, read the owner's manual then drove over to try her out. I practiced starting and stopping, wanting to make sure I could hold and balance her okay. I had no problems handling her at very low speeds. I was only able to get her into 2nd gear, the yard where I was riding is only so big, but it sure felt good! I was too nervous to ride her alone, and get out on the highway to really open her up, but hopefully one of these weekends before the weather turns to crap, Craig will actually get some time off, so he can be with me. She is soooo much bigger than any bike I have ever ridden before, so she makes me a bit nervous. Probably a good thing, at least I respect the power she has. Problem is that as we get older, it is so much easier to envision how much some things will hurt when they happen Spent yesterday canning. It has been 14 years since the last time I did that (last time I had a true garden), but other than needing to buy the equipment again, all went well. Canned bread & butter pickles, salsa, and tomato juice. Plan to do more tomato juice and homemade spaghetti sauce next weekend. Feels real good to create things like that from my own produce. I can't wait to have a much bigger garden next year . Today, I got caught up on school work, then I decided it was way past time to clean up my hobby area and get re-organized. I bought a couple more plastic storage thingys with drawers, then proceed to lay every tool and bits and pieces of anything hobby related out on the living room floor (took most of the floor) sorted and created a place for everything. I can't believe how much better I feel now that everything is organized. I can look at my ships now and see possibility again rather than dread! So, I am going to get supper started, then sit down and start serving my upper shroud lines, life feels on an even keel again

WOW WOW WOW, she is really looking very beautiful!

Thanks for all the kind words guys...I am going to take everyone's advice and just take building break... My life is good don't get me wrong, I am healthy, have a wonderful man I adore, who loves me, I am employed, I can pay my bills on time without stressing about them, and I still have a bit left over for hobby supplies. I am just really frustrated right now. I have barely seen Craig since we got back from Sturgis, his job has gone mutant, 4 new wells that have him "babysitting" them every 4 hours because they are producing so much oil. Might not be such a huge isuue but they are more than hour away from home, so he leaves about 4am, I see him for supper, then he is off again and doesn't make it home till 10 or 11pm, then it starts over again at 4am, this is 7 days a week right now. I am sure the land owner is ecstatic, his share, 600K to 1 mill A MONTH!!! Wow, sure wish I owned some crappy pasture land with a big pool of oil under it Plus I am terribly burnt out at school. This is the first time ever that I have not been excited to begin a new semester I love teaching, but right now...I just want a mental vacation. I promise, I will pull myself together, and come back refreshed and revitalized. Maybe when I come back to the work bench I will sneak up on the longboat that is waiting for her rigging as well. Maybe if I put the SF off to the side and focus on the other I will be more inspired to finish. I am happy to hear others look at their builds and see the flaws jumping out at them as well....I really was seriously beginning to doubt my ability to do a decent job. Like Geoff said, there is a part of me that now wishes I could just start her over, and do all those early things better, now that I have learned new things, but the other part of me just says Ughhhhh, I am sick of her and want her done!!!!! Thanks for letting me vent...I don't think Craig would understand, and he's so busy I don't want to whine to him about something so petty lol.

So, I am to the fed up, bored out of my mind, really getting frustrated point!!! Just want to chuck this darn thing in the wood bin for kindling use this fall!!! Have you ever just wanted to be DONE? I know, the end is actually in sight, but now everytime I look at her all I see is all the mistakes and flaws and things I want to do better the next time. Just really frustrated at this stage.

Hahahahaha Sam....no!!!!....well, hmmmmm....maybe?

Sam, whatever are you complaining about! I keep looking and looking, and to me everything looks spectacular!!! I like the different color rudder anyway...may be wrong, but it seems in most pics I see, the rudder is made of different wood than the hull, so normal in my mind.

Thanks very much for a proper picture of those yard arms, I too will be referring to it when I put mine together in the next week or two

That ticket is just plain wrong Adriaan. Here it the US, whoever is last in line gets the blame for all rear end accidents. It is assumed the last person to hit shoves all the rest in line into each other...therefore they cause the damage to the rest of the cars. I hope you argue vigorously to the judge, and make the point, if there had NOT been a car behind, you would and the car in front of you would have driven away damage free! Glad to see you back to building as well!

Progress at last!!! I took everyone's advice and took a work/stress break today. I am still behind as far as school is concerned, but tomorrow is another day Besides, every once in awhile you just gotta say what the heck and do something for yourself! So all the lower shrouds and ratlines are complete...not perfect, but at this point good enough for me! Now I am back to where I was before I ripped everything out lol. Need to spend some time reading the instructions again and figure out what I need for the upper rigging, then I can say I have made some real progress!

I ordered several different sizes of Morope...well actually I ordered what I thought I needed first, and what I received was too small so placed a different order for proper size rope. I just need to remember where I put the first order, because that rope would be the proper thickness for those tiny upper deadeyes