Ryland Craze

Assembling the high pressure compressor
The previous two assemblies cab now be fitted together. Whilst one of these rotates within the other, there's no need to add any lubrication as the centre assembly will rotate on the main drive shaft and is clear of the outside casing. 
 

Combustion chamber
The first assembly also has a cutaway window so the modeller can see the interior parts while the engine is running. 




A few small external details are now added to the completed chamber, namely the fuel branch pipes and distribution ring. 

 
High pressure turbine rotor
You'll start to see a pattern of seemingly similar items being built. The assembly of these is very, very similar, even if the completed units are physically different. 






 
 
Low pressure turbine case
As before, this has another viewing window and there are more stator blade elements that sit within. These are held in place by a black ring which sits atop them and is secured by four screws from the outside of the casing.


 
 
The various stator parts can now be fitted in conjunction with the rotary units

 
Now a large section of the case is fitted onto this unit, trapping the rotors and stators within. All of these circular assemblies are first secured with a small number of bolts and locking nuts. When everything is guaranteed to be central, the remainder of the bolts are fitted with regular nuts. Again, all are thread-locked.

 
 
This unit is now fitted out with cooling pipes and their connection units. Extra clips are fitted over these which hold the pipes into the correct position to each other. The pipes are also numbered so you get them in the correct sequence, starting with the largest diameter ones. As with much of this engine, this assembly is quite heavy.


 
....to be continued.

A banned company on MSW for their support of piracy in the hobby. If you want blocks far better than those, then you should look at Syren.

Completed the Aft Bulkhead and installed the QD beams behind it.
You can see I used the laser cut door handles from Chuck, I think they look much nicer than the normal knobs.
Now on to the next Bulkhead.
 
ben

This is certainly turning out to be one of longest projects I've ever done. I guess all that matters is that I'm still making progress little by little. I got the inside planking in place and now I'm in the process of smoothing everything out with filler where needed. I've had many different emotions about this build including giving up all together, but I can say at this time I feel pretty good about where I'm at with this kit.

Good Morning,
 
Building 3 variations, M16, shown above with the quad “Ma Deuce” Browning 50 Cal.
 
Here is the M3A2, in progress.  Goal is getting up to speed on figure painting.
 
Stay tuned!
 

 

My schooner model has one small boat on deck and that is all that she carried. I filled the boat with oars and spars and a sail and grapnel and boathooks and the rudder and tiller and all are tied down to the thwarts so they will not get swept away by a high wave. I chose this look because it adds to the clutter and crowding on deck and in the absence of contemporary information the aesthetic took precedence for me. As with so many aspects of our hobby, do what looks good to your eye if you cannot find a proper answer. 
 
George

The kit has not increased in price since it was introduced.  Shipping,which we have absolutely no control over is another situation entirely.
Take care,
Kurt
 

Finishing up the sidewheel subassembly.  First, I cut a slot for the wheels' axle to rest in.  Next was cutting notches in the bulwarks to fit the structure that connects the 2 sidewheels.  Next, I built the structure and attached the sidewheels to complete the subassembly.  Finally, I dropped it in place for a dry-fit test.  So far so good.



 
 
 
At this point, I figured I'd better see if the subassembly would fit thru the bottle's neck.  And......of course it did not.  But it was close and only took a small bit of shaving to make it work.
 
 
 
 
Next to the sidewheels, I think the most iconic thing about the ship is the dual smokestacks.  So I wanted to pay particular attention to them.  These are also subassemblies that will be installed onto the deck inside the bottle.  I had some 4mm diameter brass tube which was a good size for the bulk of the smokestack, but I needed a slightly larger diameter piece for the smokestack to rest in at the base.  I scrounged around and found these stainless steel straws I'd gotten as a weird Christmas gift a few years ago.  They were 6mm in diameter and perfect for what I needed.  Hopefully the person that gave me the straws will not figure out what I used them for!  The 4 vent pipes are 1mm music wire.


 
 
 
Here's everything so far, dry-fit in place.   Mini-Dimples the Ship Inspector finally decided I'd gotten far enough along for her to look things over.  She gave it two horns up, but said she's still skeptical about this thing getting successfully assembled inside the bottle.
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

The title says it all. If anyone has any of these machines, and wishes to part with them, please give me a shout!

I've been assembling some frames, and they are going well. I just couldn't resist placing first frame (Aa) on the keel.
For the picture I moved the left square to the back of the frame so you can see the how it lines up with the plan.
It's now back where it belongs. Back to assembling more frames!
 

 
 

We shall see....It was only the first initial sets of chapters.

Bulwarks fittings...the seats, kevels and cleats etc
 
The seats are made from three layers of laser cut parts.  It sets up a sort of "lift" scenario so you can eventually sand the seats to the required shape.  The shape is shown on the plans but the parts kind of dictate the shape which is good.   I used sanding sticks of various coarseness.  Starting with a 200 grit and working my way to a 320 grit.   Then the plastic molding was glued along the top which matches the same molding we just put on the inboard bulwarks.  It was all painted red.  The various stages and parts are shown below.
 

The kevels and cleats are rather simple to make.  They are all laser cut as well.
 

There are two types of kevels.  They are made the same way.  Glue the back piece on the kevel which lifts the timberhead away from the bulwarks.   The char was sanded off and then the timberheads were shaped.  They were shaped on and angle so they have some dimension so they wouldnt appear to be so flat.  I hope that makes sense/  I used small files to do that.  Note the ver delicate and thin laser etched carving details.  I have spent a great deal of time looking at many contemporary models and the details on these small fittings.  Any carved grooves and details are usually very shallow and thin.   Most kit makers go overboard on making these etched details too wide and too deep.  It just looks too kit-like.  They dont look anything like how the original model builders back then carved these details with such skill.   I am making a every effort not to "over-use" the capabilities that our current technologies allow so I can preserve a pretty good resemblance to the old hand-made stuff.   I have been guilty of not doing so and falling into the same trap that other mfg's fall into but I am trying my best this time around.  Note how shallow and thin the carved details are on these kevels.  That is all you really need.  "SUBTLE" was the word of the day for me while drafting those.
 
The kevels were painted red and the bolts simulated with 30 lb. black fishing line.
 
The cleats are self-explanatory.  The char cleaned off and the ends were rounded of a bit.  They were painted red also and some fishing line used to simulate the center bolt.
 

Then they were glued onto the model.   In addition I added the eyebolts needed for the gun tackles.  These were made from 24 gauge black wire in the typical way we do that.   You might notice only two of the ports have the eyebolts and split rings for the breech line of the guns.  That is because there are 4 guns on each side and it is easier to add them to the breach lines first.  So I just drilled the holes for them in the bulwarks for now.   Then I can simply slip the breech lines into position after making the guns and carriages.  NOTE...there is one additional stray eye bolt aft for some rigging.  It is just behind the aft-most kevel.  Dont forget to add that one.  It is shown on sheet three of the plans.
 

The seats were glued in position keeping them in line with that molding along the inner bulwarks.  I located where they would go and then removed a small section of that molding where the seats would be fitted.   I think they turned out quite well.
 

 
I did in the end create the discharge hole for the seats.  I took a cautious approach making them the same way as the scuppers.  In fact the discharge for the seats were made the exact same size.  Right or wrong I do not know...but thats what I ended up doing.  
 
Here are more photos of the kevels and bulwark fittings.  You can just see a whisper of those carved details on the kevels which is un obtrusive and not in your face.  This is actually just like how they look on the contemporary model of Speedwell.



 
Next up will be the eight gun carriages and guns...and rigging them on the model with gun tackles.  That will finish up chapter 8.
 

Hello everyone,
I'm creating this post to keep the story of my very first real ship modeling adventure. Before starting, I investigated the forum, and I want to thank you all for the tons of useful tips and helpful techniques, especially for the list of kits for newbies. I've chosen Amati's Lady Nelson, and I'm more than happy with the choice. It seems challenging enough but not too tough, and it doesn't require a shipyard to build it. So far, it's been pure fun to build it.
Here's my progress after a week of building.
PS: I'm trying to build it without any hurry, step by step as described in the kit instruction (more or less  ).

Everybody starts here
 

Everything was just fine and clear. The only thing I've 'improved' is adding small pieces of paper for better fixation in the sockets.
 



Clips and bands magic

I made this thing out of cardboard to bend the bulwark. In the photo, the bulwark is bending in the wrong direction. I later redid it.
 

However, later I noticed that the instructions were perfectly accurate. After soaking the bulwarks for an hour, they bend easily on the model, so that cardboard thing was unnecessary.
 Isn't she beautiful, even in this very early stage?

I had to take a refresher course on all the rigging/bracing terminology for biplanes. So for those who are interested, here's a quick lesson:
cabane struts: the struts between the fuselage and upper wing interplane struts: the struts between the upper and lower wings bay: the rectangular space bounded by two sets of struts and the upper and lower wings torsion wires: the wires that brace the rectangles formed by the cabane struts, upper wing, and fuselage landing wires: the wires that run outward and down from the upper wing to the lower wing in between struts flying wires: the wires that run outward and up from the lower wing to the upper wing between struts; together, flying wires and landing wires brace a bay incidence wires: the wires that brace the rectangle formed by a pair of parallel struts and the upper and lower wings. The S2 is a double bay aircraft, having four pairs of interplane struts and four cabane struts. The model will have 12 torsion wires, 8 incidence wires, 8 flying wires, and 8 landing wires, for a grand total (so far) of 36 wires. That's 36 individual pieces of EZ-Line or wire to attach. I have 23 done so far. Stay tuned . . .

The herringbone deck was fun to do. My little scrap pile is getting larger. It seemsed to take a lot of planks to get it finished, but it is.
After the second deck was on, I fitted  the next deck. It all lines up great so far. So now I have to decide which way to go,  build the paddle wheel, or build the sprial staircases. Or maybe make all the doors and windows for the main cabin. So much to do, and it's all fun, so far lol. 
 

So, I guess I will prime the paddle wheel,  and find all the pieces for the staircases.  I will take them as far as I can then I will. do the windows and doors. I do not plan on motorizing the boat nor will I put any led lights either. But it will be on a river.
This is how she sits tonight,  a couple of things I may replace,  but over all I am pleased with the build..
 Got another round of procedures  to do, plus several more Dr  appointments  so progress may slow a bit , I hope not, but time will tell.  

Thank you so much everyone for following along,  and helping me learn to build ships.  And boats lol , 😆 
Stay safe my friends. 
Bob M.
 
 

Not in my workshop, but at my computer. I broke one hip 25 years ago, and had the other replaced two years ago. Sitting in any desk chair was very painful for my legs after a half hour or so, and I would have to get up and sit in my recliner, or lay down. Any chair with a regular cushion had the same effect. I saw a review of a chair like this one and bought one to try out. I can sit for hours at the computer now! I spend a lot of time at my computer, drafting various things for my models, so this chair has been great.
 
https://www.staples.com/union-scale-flexfit-hyken-ergonomic-mesh-swivel-task-chair-black-un59460/product_990119
 

 
 

I would love to use a chair but always find myself standing up. Usually because the tool I need is invariably more than an arms reach away. I have never had a chair with wheels though!

Hehe, thanks Gary - yeah I definitely dig the "Vyper".  I mean, let's be honest - it's expensive has H#ll - but really well constructed and the wheels are super smooth.  Would be a great contestant for any sort of "office chair races."   It also adjusts up and down quite cleanly for switching work surfaces - a must for me as I'm not the tallest fella in the room.  The padding on both the seat and the backrest are very good, and as you can tell by looking the entire thing is VERY sturdy.  However - not having armrests is a bit of a sacrifice for me.  It makes it so you can reverse the chair and lean forward against the backrest 'cowboy style' - but a tradeoff to be sure. 
 

 
Sort of unrelated to the topic - but it also doubles as a shop chair when I'm working in the garage on my baby...
 

 
 

I just use a generic office chair, but I recall seeing an interesting chair recently in the "What did you receive today" shore leave topic.  Maybe @Moonbug can comment on his Vyper.
 
 

I use a standard lifting office-chair with armrests. The inclination of the backrest can be also set. It was given to me for free as an office surplus.

I have used a similar drafting chair for years.  Many 8 hour days spent on it.
 

Staples has a drafting chair that I have found to be comfortable. Its lowest height works for bench level work and it adjusts upward for working aloft. 😎

https://www.staples.com/Ergonomic-Mid-Back-Mesh-Drafting-Chair-with-Black-Fabric-Seat-and-Adjustable-Foot-Ring-GO-2100-GG/product_2607258
 
 

I have not done anymore to the lifeboat, home life got in the way for the last few days. 
The more I look at it, the less I like it, and the former I used to make it broke when I dropped it. I didn't like the shape at the front and it is not supposed to have a transom. 
So I have started again and just finished cutting out, assembling and fine tuning the new former. 

I have sourced some cherry veneer and I will try this as the material for the boats from this. 
Simon

Kit is SOLD.
 
In case you are wondering why I posted about using the PM feature, here’s a story and lesson learned.
 
I lost a sale and my prospective buyer lost $120.  
 
I recently had a different kit for sale on an RC forum.  A few weeks later, a guy posted in the thread saying “I’ll take it.”.  (He did NOT use the PM function to contact me, so I didn’t get notified.)
 
A scammer promptly got back to him via email, and convinced him to send payment via Paypal Friends and Family to get a discount on the sale price.   The (foolish) buyer did that, and is now out $120 with no recourse.
 
I learned of this a few days later, when I was browsing the forum and found his comment on my listing saying he was scammed.  (Admitting he screwed up.)
 
From now on, I will explicitly add the comment about using the PM feature in any listing I create, and recommend others do so as well.  
 
(I later sold the kit for less to a local buyer, so my loss was only the $20 discount I gave to get rid of the item.)

Work begins!
 
Fan and main shaft
We are immediately thrown into the main event on this kit, namely the engine's driveshaft and the intake fan (first low pressure rotor). The driveshaft is first bolted to the fan drum. Whilst you see a lock washer here, I have used thread-lock throughout this build to protect bolts from rotating parts, coming adrift, and also static bolts which could be affected by vibration. Oil bearings are lightly oiled and modelling grease compound has been added where appropriate. 
 



 
 
All of the fan blades are perfectly created so they are balanced. You'd have a real problem if the main fan was unbalanced. All of these blades are slotted into the drum. There is a little 'play' in these, as there is in the numerous other fans. This is perfectly normal. 


 
 
The blades are now fixed in situ with these fastenings which sit between the blades and are screwed from the rear of the fan drum. 

 
 
There is still a little unevenness in the position of the last parts, but this is entirely removed when the fan spinner is screwed into place. Note the spiral which is a safety feature of the real thing. 

 
 
This is already a heavy and substantial subassembly. I put this to one side while I worked on the rest, making sure I didn't rest it on its fan blades. 


 
Second Low Pressure Rotor
We all know thatches engines have various high and low pressure rotors/compression, and this assembly is the rotor which will sit to the rear of the main fan. The parts to build this are seen here, with the separate blades. The two turntable parts are first bolted together and then the blades slotted between them in the correct orientation. Finally, a stopper is fitted to complete the turntable and prevent the blades from escaping. 
 
 



 
 
Second stage low pressure rotor
This assembly is built in exactly the same way as the one above. The only difference being the blade angles and the turntable drum shapes. 
 

 
 
First low pressure stator
Whereas the previous assemblies were moving items, this one is static and will sit between the others. This consists of a static low voltage connector ring in which a set of stator blades are slotted into an internal recess in the ring. These seem a little loose until the securing ring is tightened up onto the blades and they form a complete circle which droops from the ring. EngineDIY sent me a set of replacement parts for these as the original ones  and their customer service was super fast. No complaints whatsoever. 



 
 
High Pressure Lower stator Case
We now turn attention to a part of the engine's outer case. This will sit just to the rear of the main fan casing and consists of two nicely machined halves into which clear viewing windows are inserted. Inside these sit two more rows of static stators, seen here in black. These are simply pushed into place and will move about, so it's a case of making sure they stay still until the halves are eventually bolted together.


 
 
High Pressure Rotor
Inside that housing sits a high pressure rotor assembly. This is essentially a set of drums and rotors which are bolted together into a single unit. These are all slotted onto three rods which are then secured at each end of the drum. 




 
....to be continued.