Ryland Craze

Been a really crappy and sad week- Monday I had to put my dog Dharma to sleep.  She was 18, she's been my family/daughter for 16 years (rescued her a year or two prior to starting my Niagara build).  Rather cruel how time flies!
So, spent the whole weekend with her and extra Love and snuggles...
 
As a break from my sobbing and the unsettling stillness and quiet in the house, tonight I finished all the spars and getting ready to install the mast and begin rigging.  I also prepped the shroud pairs (1 deadeye at each end).
 
Nothing is pinned/attached just yet- getting a feel for how she looks and making sure things 'work' together.
 

I have not given up. I have been busy with work and haven't gotten around to uploading photos to the computer. I have made progress, though I believe my misfortune with misalignment and my big ape hands, I have caused more work for myself trying to make things look good. Anyway. I have photos below of where I am.
 
I am currently working on the cap hoping to be able to take more bad adjustments out. 

Made a little bit of progress. I have been busy and not able to do much as I wanted to. But I did get the bulkheads on and now waiting for the glue to dry. I believe I will start with securing the Bulkhead to fair the hull tomorrow.

Progress has been steady, albeit slow. Over the past few days, I found myself primarily focused on repairing the damage caused by my less-than-delicate hands. Basswood, as I've discovered, doesn’t stand much of a chance against them. It seems I need to either refine my touch or explore more durable woods for my projects.

I managed to repair the false keel as much as possible, filed the bearding lines, and dry-fitted the bulkheads. However, there’s still more work to be done, as the fine, hair-thin points at the ends snapped during handling. I also spent some time working on another boat project, though that one remains a work in progress as I build up my skills.

If you have any advice on how to better control my less-than-gentle grip, I’d greatly appreciate it!. 
 
Also, how do I get the photos in here right? Apparently, I am stumped
 

 





 
Regards,
Paul.
 

Here goes nothing! This build will be my first for wood models kits. I am looking forward to it, however, I have already made a few rookie mistakes even though I read and researched and read more. 1) I didn't completely read ahead and went to gluing. Well, the inch deep gash on my finger taught me this lesson the hard way. Knife wound trying to get the part apart. 2) Basswood is VERY fragile - I broke the false keel in two places. Trying to get them back perfectly so it does not screw up my lines. 3) I feel I am going slow, but apparently, maybe not. Its a marathon, not a dash.
 
Anyway, I will get pictures for the build shortly. I have some, but I do not have them on the computer yet for uploading.
 
Other Builds:
OCcre - Black Swan is one that I have been tinkering with. The instructions are way vague on this one. I am super slow with it at the moment and will be more on the Pinnace. Need more research and skill for that one.
 
Goals:
HMS Victory - C. Mamoli
Scratch Builds

First Build. I'm very impressed. The planking looks like it's from someone who's done some models before. And that model is so small, it would seem to be a far harder job.

I had issue with my phone being able to connect to my computer so I could download pictures. I was in the shipyard working on the Pinnace and also started the HMS Cutter Sherbourne. I have been really enjoying the wood craft.
 
I was able to take out some of my ape hand mistakes and come out with a semi decent hull.
 
 
 
Inside was ok, but once I started putting some of the inside parts and detail, it came together.

 

 
Not sure what happened here, but I was building and forgot to take pictures. But it has been FINISHED and below is the final. 
 
 

 
I will try to work on getting the post for my new build. I know, yet another Sherbourne. I really love this one. I believe it is coming out much better that this one. However, I did learn a lot with the Pinnace, and its a bigger build with less fragile parts. My ape hands don't come into play as much.
 

Hi Greg, I’m currently getting going on a website, as soon as I have something I will post a link. Ben and Dusan are building two prototypes to prove the structural design and provide input while I build ahead and I’m still writing instructions. This is a massive model and the instructions are very long for chapter one. 

Is this a prototype build Ben? I don't see a website for them.

Looking forward to watching your progress. Looks like a great project.

Looking forward to seeing this Ben...

Hi All,
 
About to start a new build of the beautiful 50gun 4th rate HMS Portland of 1770, This kit has been developed by the Portland Scale Ship company based in Oregon USA.
 

Damn, I thought I put more than enough deadeyes in - I shall add a few extra for future kits.

Build days 171-172: 4 hrs / Total 359 hours
As of today, Mizzen and Main backstays are complete.
 
I have run out of 3mm deadeyes just 4 pieces to go as well as 0.75mm black thread. I don't remember wasting so many 3mm deadeyes, but apparently the kit did barely contain any surplus. Now I'll need to head to the local hobby store to buy a small box of them, in order to continue with the Fore backstays .
 
Photo 894: Not much detail one can see from a distance however I still add here a photo for evidence.

DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP....... Take a long break, review things. And when you are no longer fustrated come back to the work bench, and it will all begin to fall into place.😉

You're definitely on the right track!!

I will continue making those as well.  Those are no big deal to make.
 
Once Speedwell moves along a bit more I am sure they will be in stock more often.  I literally just made 6 more ropewalks two days ago and they sold out in an hour.  And only one serving machine left in stock.   So it looks like next week I will make a bunch more of those.
 
Chuck

Love to hear you have a plan.   Looking forward to using more of your rope and fittings in the future.  
 
what about the rope rocket and servomatic.  

As I get close to retirement I am shifting my business plan a bit.   I am not retiring yet,  but I am starting to create the end game plan.     My business is currently really two sep. divisions or production flows.      Production of kits and then Production of after market parts, blocks and rope and fittings etc.   Both take a huge amount of time and effort.  I have mentioned before that I am currently working 7 days a week and 12 hours a day easily.  Now that I have moved and enjoy the leisure living in the back country of NJ, my wife has started to use the word "leisure" as a verb.   Chuck we need to "leisure" more.  You work to much.  I want to travel more.  You are going to have a heart attack...yada yada yada.    Sooo,  the Speedwell will be my last physically produced kit.  In addition,  I have stopped production of all of my kits...Kind-of.   I AM NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.  Let me make that perfectly clear.  In fact my business and sales is now greater than at the height of the pandemic.  Lots of rope and blocks being sold.  LOL  I have many many years left in me.    BUT moving forward, I will now be focusing on just fittings and related ship model items...No kit model production.      I am retiring all of my kits.  This includes Speedwell.   I sold the last of 50 Speedwell chapter 1 and 2 sets recently.   I will only be selling the remaining chapters to those who bought those 50 chapter one and two sets.   So that will be easy enough for me to handle and administer.     Its just getting tougher and tougher to source enough wood to make this stuff in the USA and remain profitable.   I also dont want keep buying and storing a mountain of wood in my garage.  Literally a mountain of it as you can imagine.  In addition I just dont have the time or desire to do this in 60's.   The good news is that I will be introducing a ton of new fittings.  Stuff for French ships too!!  I am slowly revamping my website...and you might experience disruptions as I make it easier to find all of the fittings I offer.  I have hundreds and hundres already  and many more on the drawing board.    This is mindless repetitive work and will help pay the bills into retirement and beyond.  So no plans to stop making that stuff anytime soon.   In fact my wife wont let me fully retire until Im 67 so there is that.  God bless her.   Now the fun part...just because I am not producing these current kits any longer doesnt mean that someone else wont be MFGing them.   All of my kits already available will not just go away...you do know him and love him.   I have reached an agreement with Chris at Vanguard who will be taking over the reigns and manufacturing my kits.   This will take some time as Chris is finishing up his Surprise model kit.      The Winnie group is fine...just not selling any more starter bulkhead sets or chapter one sets.   I will continue making later chapter sets available for the group in perpetuity.  Its not a big deal until Chris can take over.      The longboat group build will also remain because that will probably be the first kit being produced by Chris followed by the barge.   So stay tuned and please dont bother Chris about getting any of this stuff.  It will be made available as soon as he can get to it.  He is busy like me...so keep that in mind.   All Winnie parts, and Speedwell Chapter sets and Cheerful parts will continue being sold on MY site for folks currently building them until the hand-off is eventually made.   So fear not!!!   NOW...this frees me up to build and design Newer projects.  These however will be made with the idea that the models will be built using plansets and thus not dependent on kit production.  Those will be released here as open source plans or at Seawatch as a new book.  Or if Chris wants,  he can take them and run with them too.  That is my retirement plan.   Keep making parts for sale for all of your projects while still building models that interest me and passing those designs on.   Now back to making rope!!!  Blocks!!! and other stuff....   Lantern mini kits both English and French are next on deck.  Then ship's wheels and a whole host of other good stuff for you folks!!!       Chuck

Well done, Mark! Scrap wood is so versatile if one has the right idea.

I ran some old fence slats through the thickness planer, Steve, then cleaned up the edges on the table saw. I was actually surprised how clean they came out for being rough cut wood. I am still considering painting the whole thing white, we will see.

Well, we can't have that, can we. Here is an image from Amazon of an organizer that I liked but, they wanted $36 for it! 🤨
 

 
So, I collected up some scraps, literally, and threw this together. It still needs some compartments on the bottom and something to slot tools into at the front but it will do nicely I believe:
 

Wonderful!
 
Best Regards .... Rick

Thank you for all the likes.
Many thanks for @Baker, @druxey, @wefalck, @GrandpaPhil, @ccoyle and @Michael Mash for their positive response. Too much honor.
 
@wefalck: the crew was made by my friend Herbert Tomesen's company, which is specializing nowadays in making all sorts of human figures, using 3D photography. The firm hires re-enactment groups of people who are dressed in the appropriate clothing and can be delivered in any wanted pose or stand. Usually the scale is 1/87 (HO), but 1/72, 1/120, 1/160 and 1/220 are also available. For me he simply prints them at my 1/77 scale, but I am not sure he can do that for everyone...
This is his site, the artwork is done by my son Emiel: https://www.artitecshop.com/nl/figuren/

Good save on the copper Kevin, it will all blend in time.  Your Indy is a fine looking ship!