Shazmira

Sjors, I am really impressed, 2 builds at once, both of your builds look wonderful! I am sure after each of the small difficulties you have encountered and mastered you will be very happy with the end results.

Andy, WOW!! OMG what a craftsman he must be, those pictures are really quite the tease, but the craftsmanship is impeccable!!! Brian, experience requirements don't really scare me off, building pieces from scratch doesn't frighten me either, that is why I am dabbling in the dark side now with both the Triton cross-section and the battle station, while I bash many of the parts on my current kit. I figure the kits are only going to keep going up in price, that is why I would like to purchase one now, knowing it will sit on the shelf for quite awhile as I hone my skills to do her justice when the time is right.

Jeff, what a shame...make me a good deal on it lol Bill if you build it, let me know so I can watch your build log and live vicariously through you

If money were not an object...it would be a toss up between Euromodels, Royal William, and I think it is a Panart Sovereign of the Sea Both run around $1200-1400

Work is progressing, the rubbing strakes are installed and I am working on fashioning my tracks at the moment. I did not like the looks of the instruction book tracks, so I am modifying the design to something more visually satisfying. Will post pics when I have them ready for viewing.

Yes, I love the stern of the Mordaunt, and the color. The Friedrich...I love the bow details and the contrast of the dark pieces. I believe the pdf instructions of the Euromodels are excellent and with all the explanation, detail, and diagrams to illustrate exactly what the instructions are saying, it definitely makes building one of their models do-able for even a non-expert! Makes it bit less risky of an investment if you know what I mean.

I really do like those Euromodel kits...as for the instructions being in Italian, there is a free PDF to download in English, and they are extensive and detailed. My only problem is the cost....but I am in the process of saving now. I still have a long way to go on my current build, and I have ordered Chucks 18th century longboat and have my sights set on his Pinnace as well. I am also beginning work on the scratch battle station, and am contemplating the scratch Triton cross section. The plan is that by the time I complete at least two of those I will have both the money, and more experience under my belt to tackle a Euromodel. Then the question be which kit, the Mordaunt, or the Freidrich Wilhelm. I like both of those kits, and each offers different things that grab my eye. I wish I could do the Royal William, but don't see myself as having that kind of money any time real soon (meaning in the next 3 years lol). I think what I would really love to find is a NEW model...one no one has done before. I want the challenge of adapting techniques from other models to mine, plus I just want the challenge of trying something no one else has done as yet.

Buck, thank you very much for the offer...I did find some old gels for the spotlights over in the defunct theatre department, I played around with them today and think they will work even better. Steve, thanks for that link. I saved the site because i found it fascinating to see it in real size like that, thank you very much.

Buck, thank you very much for the offer...I did find some old gels for the spotlights over in the defunct theatre department, I played around with them today and think they will work even better. Steve, thanks for that link. I saved the site because i found it fascinating to see it in real size like that, thank you very much.

Sam, I am thinking he needs a kit, we could build side by side and bond over it! Maybe I will look at one for him to do, problem is his tastes seem to run to the really expensive kits when he looks at them!

Aaron, yes I stained the rail ebony. I really like that contrast. I only planked the deck part of the balcony, with the included mahogany strips. Left the post the natural color they came in. Jeff, yep, I have all that wire too....still thinking I might use it to fashion my chain plates with it, as I don't like the looks of the heavy brass strip ones.

Jeff, if you are ever in the jewelry making section of a hobby store you would be amazed at the items there that you can look at and say to yourself..."hey I can use this to make this ship part"! Randy, what can I say, the dark side is calling lol! I too will need to make crow's nests...but i am a long way away from that yet!

I like how your door came out. I too am creating my own. How in the world did you make your door pull? I like it much better than mine

Well I have been busy the last few days, but actual progress is very slow I am continuing the rework of my doors. I decided they needed a door jam of sorts, so I bent some of my mahogany strips and glued it to the doors. Then I spent some time sanding the jams to the proper depth (at least eyeballing a depth that looks like it will work) Today I worked on installing my hinges...I cheated and found some tubes in the jewelry making section of Walmart...i think they look okay...better than I could probably form out of thin brass anyway. made new door pulls, again jewelry making wire that I wrapped around a drill bit, then cut into rings Also completed assembly of the stern balcony...talk about a pain in the butt! And of course installed my rubbing strakes...correctly this time I might add I have also put on a coat of clear satin poly...I am tired of the mahogany veneer splintering and chipping on me every time I touch it. I am hoping this will make it more stable. I still have a lot of work to do, but I will let that poly dry for 48 hours before I attempt gluing anything to it. In the meantime I will continue work on the windows I am making. I still need to make those brass hinge plates for the doors, but what I ordered to make them out of will not be delivered until Saturday. so if I finish the windows I think I can start making the tracks that go over the rubbing strakes while the poly dries.

I can find the gun ports Adrieke posted, I need just the frames for the upper gun ports. These particular frames have no hinges or anything as they were not designed to ever have a door on them. Everywhere I look, if I find the frames, they tell me they can't get them anymore. I will have to measure the frames when I get home tonight, had no access to the site last nite so did not see anyone's messages to get that answer to you earlier. If I have to, I think I have figured out a way to design and create my own frames, it seems so far everything I come up with in my sleep works very well. I will just have to get creative with making myself a 8mm square jig and a mounted blade tip to do the interior cutting. I know I am not explaining that right lol. I can see it perfectly in my head, just have to get it out there in physical form so I can take a pic and show you all what I mean. Tim, the stain on acetate is going so-so atm. I will be working with it some more tonight..I hope...my other half is making some grumbling sounds about how I spend every waking minute of my day either working on, or thinking about my model....I think he may be regretting buying this for me for Christmas...I better not dare tell him it also consumes every one of my sleeping moments as well. I can't tell exactly why he is grumbling...I work right next to his recliner while he zones out in front of the TV. Think maybe he resents the fact I haven't given up, even after all the mishaps, I believe he thought I would chuck it after a couple weeks and things would go back to "normal"!

Sam, actually went over the art dept. Their suggestion was a clear transparency, of which I have several in my office, and a light coat of golden oak stain. Instructor thought that would be the best color to simulate candlelight from inside the cabin. I will be heading home soon to test that theory. Had forgotten about the gels for the lights in the theater department, but that might definitely be an option if the stained transparency doesn't work. I reworked the hinges again last night...I am determined to get them right!!! Or maybe I am just delaying the cutting of those gun ports in my hull...can't imagine why I would hesitate lol.

Couldn't get on the site last night, but all is not lost, I did manage to get the rest of my rubbing strakes installed instead, Whew!, looks like they are in the proper places this time!. Now I am back to where I was before the miscut gun ports and the hand injury....Finally moving forward!!

What I really need is a friend with the equipment to cut the keel and bulkheads for me. I could supply the wood and template, and just get them to cut them out. Then I think I would be set, it easy enough for me to carve out many of the small pieces with just a wood chisel and blade, and planking, decking, masts and fittings and the like are readily available from suppliers...I know, I know, the dark side is calling loudly!

Wow, such a shame really to see history lost like that!

OMG Buck, what a riot!!! Thanks for the laugh Nope, can't blame it on the cat, all the cats are outside. It is just pug...he thinks he is a vacuum cleaner and anything on the floor is edible!

Andy, no worries, I am not the least bit discouraged...hand injury and all, this hobby is what I eat, sleep, and dream about non-stop. I am not afraid of intricate and detailed things...I am only afraid of the costs involved! I have been considering the pegasus, and the fly....I just haven't quite decided which way I am going to jump yet. More fuel for Russ and Rocker to use against me to pull me over to the darkside....I must admit, the thought of that is getting more appealing every day! I just need to acquire the proper tools and I then I can jump. I will need to attend some more estate auctions....I could have owned a scroll saw for $10 on the last one, but then I wasn't thinking about modeling

Andy I did as you suggested...in many ways I think the Euromodels are a blend of scratch and kit building.... I am guessing you have never seen the instruction book that comes with an Artesania Latina kit....trust me, the instructions given by Euromodels are much, much, much, better than what AL provides. For example, I was reading the EM instructions for the Royal William and on the first page where it tells of deck planking, it goes into minute detail of how to lay out the planks and the tapers needed for each. My Al instructions for the SF II, simply state plank the decks, then go on and say plank the hull lol. At least Em seems to have the details worked out for the builder which could be a blessing to some and a nuisance to others. But seriously, I don't have a couple thous, or even $1400 to drop on a build of that magnitude at this time. But, they do have the friedrick wilhelm or the mordaunt, which age of sails also carries at around $700, or maybe even the Cocca at $400 which is more in my budget right now. I think what I like about EM is that if my dog eats one of the parts, I can contact them and get a replacement....which I don't seem to be able to do with an AL kit. But, I am still just kind of looking around yet...still have plenty of time before I finish my SF 2 yet. But the idea of a Euromodel is intriguing....as so far I haven't been able to find a single build log on here for one.

The question is, does it hold as glue does a part that needs to be attached to the ship?

HAHAHA, NO WAY Aaron....I will find another way!

Seems I have been walking on the edges of that dark side, as I bash the metal pieces provided in my kit. Seems I am finding my creative side and developing ways to make my own parts lol