Ryland Craze

Well, relatively, yes, very rough. It has been built just to check parts - planking took almost a week, but I needed to plank it full to check all designed parts.
 
One thing, as I mentioned, there will be quite a few changes for the production prototype that Jim will have. Nothing major, more refinements. For example, the waist rail will be in two layers of strip, not one as shown, and as already mentioned, the poop skylight.
 
All hull detail above upper deck level is pre cut.  The poop barricade is my idea, and I have integrated belaying racks either side, in lieu of the missing mizzen bitts. The flag lockers at the stern will be populated with PE parts (square compartments).
 
For the quarter gallery tile effect, I have opted for laser cut black card. I think they are much easier to apply than PE parts, using PVA wood glue, and look better too.
 
I was not 100% sure about the poop step gangways, should I keep them, or have the steps directly attached to the poop? problem is, if I do that, the steps are very close to a 42 pounder, so kept with the platforms.
 
As Indefatigable was stationed in home waters at the beginning of her career, I do wonder if she would have had all of the latest 'innovations' early on, like quarter davits. Bet she did...
 
Anyway, still a lot to do. I will send Jim the production parts in the next couple of weeks, once I have nailed the bow area.

Chris, I love your descriptions of the design process, since your work in bringing this new kit subject to market stands in sharp contrast to the efforts of Certain Unnamed Foreign Enterprises who somehow only manage to design "new" kits for which detailed plans just so happen to already have been published by AOTS, ANCRE, or Seawatch. 🙄

Great comparison shot with Sphinx, my younger self would have gone for Indy in a heartbeat, but where’s an old man to put such a beast in a house already full of  ship models.
I think you will have a winner on your hands Chris, I look forward to seeing her develop.
 
B.E.

Forgot to add my initial side profile I did before I started designs..
 
The production model will be shown with coppered bottom, and fully painted sides in black and yellow ochre
 
(The figurehead is from Vanguard, and used as a placeholder until I get her own made)
 

OK, little update.
 
Designs for Indefatigable are now about 85% complete. The pictures shown are of the pre-prototype, so looks very rough as usual, as many parts have been glued, ripped off and new parts added in place - and is built for part checking only (just like Sphinx). There are still a few mistakes on this prototype model, so does not entirely reflect the final designs.
 
I have also included a drawing I did of the basic outline of what I think Indy would have looked like during most of her career. The only concession I have made is keeping the forecastle timberheads, rather than berthing up this area, with the decision based purely on aesthetics (plus the plans show this anyway.
 
What I did change is the quarter bulwarks. I know she had 7 gun ports per side and three (with spare chase port) at the bow, so the 7th port had to be worked in, and this meant altering the bulwarks to the same height. I have placed the additional 12 pounder long chase guns right at the front, as I could not see Pellew being chased, more the chaser...
 
I have tried to keep the poop profile as low as I can. Pellew didn't even want the poop at all, and would have been happy to have his cabin on the main gun deck and Indy fitted with sloop like quarter badges (would have looked odd..). With this in mind, I have kept the poop profile to a minimum, as I am sure Pellew would not have requested anything that would have increased windage. I will add 'iron stanchions' to this area, and that's it.
 
I have the bow area to design, which will be the last of the main areas, and then I need to do all the photo etched parts. (Oh, and of course, a figurehead and stern decoration - which will be minimal). For the first time, I decided to go with laser cut and engraved columns for in between all lights/windows, and I am very happy with how they turned out. Channels are made by laminating three patterns together, a wider and thicker centre and not so wide and thinner top and bottom.
 
You will be able to build this without the open slots in the decks if you so wish, they are not mandatory. The stand is 4mm acetate and a 2mm duel colour engraved nameplate.
 
ETA - Forgot to mention, I have moved the poop skylight back by 3 beams, as I realised it was too close the edge of the poop, so it is now over the great cabin, and not in the position shown.

Hi Rod and welcome to Model Ship World.  I really liked your introduction and you are a testament to its never too late to finish a model.  We are glad to have you aboard.

I am pleased and excited to announce the new parts came today. I sent Model Expo a Thank You.
 
I must also report that the new pieces don't fit together any better but in fact a bit worse then the originals. 
Onward I say!!
 

My build is a series of issues and flaws. I won't overcome all but learning is a good thing 

Rudibob,
I`m glad that my previous post didn`t disencourage you. Continue your build in spite of those issues or flaws.
Don`t let daylight shine through that gap any longer. That`s all that matters at the moment.
I`m still convinced that the curvature of the stem piece is right and the curvature of the adjacent false keel is wrong.
 

Thank You. Great post!

Good morning Rudybob
 
If you request a replacement part then you`ll get a new part that looks exactly like the one that came with the kit.
It`s a design issue rather than an execution or machining issue. The machine control is fed with vector graphics. It generates a toolpath.
The toolpath`s a code, a sequence of commands. The machine will follow the contour lines that it reads from the graphics file.
 
I don`t think that Modelexpo will adapt the drawing to compensate for mismatch between stem piece and false keel.
The contour line of the stem piece looks right to me. The contour line of the false keel should be congruent, but actually isn`t.
A portion of it`s curvature is too shallow.
 
So I`d fill that gap with a narrow strip that`s approx. half as wide as the false keel`s thickness is. The strip becomes part of the rabbet, then.
 
Hope you`ll succeed
Michael 
 
 

I concur regarding the replacement parts. I wanted to be sure I did not get a bum kit so I was waiting. My thought on computer controlled cutting is that it is only as bad as the programming and calibration allow it to be. I now have a definition for what's good enough.
Yep. A critically important gap in my opinion. Everything comes off the keel so get that right. They did not. This is not billed as an advanced model this is for beginners. I have enough to learn out of the gate and one of them should not be jimmying the keel. 
A problem right out of the gate for those not in the know...Me :-)
I can appreciate and sympathize with the work involved in moving an operation. I have done it twice.  I waited two weeks for correspondence before I recontacted them.  I told them if you aren't  going to replace the part and what they viewed in the picture I sent is "normal" let me know and I will move on. No threats, no harsh words. Not a word back until I contacted them again. When they wrote...I dunno when. 
 
I am not angry with Model Expo but I don't mind reporting what I have experienced so others may be advised.   
 
I really like the time you took to comment. It was well thought out and fair. Thanks
 

Hi rudybob, 
 
First, I agree with Allan that since this is a computer controlled laser-cutting process, replacement parts aren't going to be any better than what you got in the kit. 
 
Then, I went and looked at the kit I have in my closet, did a photocopy of the wood sheet, cut out the stem and overlaid it on the inner keel piece. To me, it basically looks like what you have, with the slight gap in the parts.
 
That said, I don't really see a problem with the build. The gap isn't ideal, but it's going to be hidden by the planking. The stem piece is design to sit in a certain way so that the scarf joint in the keel lines up with it. So, I'd just make sure that whatever you end up doing, that you don't rotate the stem out of position any, as you'll then have to modify the scarf joint a little.
 
As for ME customer service, though I do some work for Ages of Sail and ME is a direct competitor, I've always found their parts department to be very good. In my personal experience, they've just been poor at communicating. But, as pointed out earlier, they did just relocate again, so maybe that's created a bit of a work backlog.
 

Thank you.  What I know I learned from others and improved by doing. I too have a lot to improve, especially with the stern. 

Kurt,
Thanks for the review.
 
Nic

REVIEW OF BLUEJACKET'S – ELLIE MARA  KIT #1115
Scale:  1/87 - HO Scale
Length overall:  15"
Height:  12"
Beam: 3 1/4"
Skill Level:  Upper end of their Ensign level.
Cost: $124.00
 

Photo by BlueJacket
 
HISTORY
 
This kit is an HO scale waterline model of a late 19th century centerboard Maine coasting schooner.  The model is based on the 72' GRACE BAILEY built in 1882 in Patchogue, NY by Gilbert Smith for Edwin Bailey and named after his daughter Grace Bailey.  She was rebuilt in 1906 and renamed MATTIE.  She was restored in 1989-1990 and was renamed back to the original name GRACE BAILEY the name she currently holds.  She is still sailing in the "Windjammer" fleet providing sailing cruises along the coast of Maine.  She was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992 and is one of the four remaining two-masted wooden-hulled schooners, once the most prolific type in the American coasting trade.
In keeping with tradition, the kit name of ELLIE MARA is the name of the daughter of  BlueJacket's owner Nic Damuck. 
 
INSTRUCTION BOOK AND PLAN SHEETS
 
The kit comes in a 16 3/4" x 6 3/4" x 4" box. A big box for a 10" long hull but some 12" long wood and Brass pieces and the folded plans make a longer box necessary.  I suspect that this might be the smallest box BlueJacket stocks. PHOTO 1  The box requires a good amount of "packing paper" to fill the extra space.  My review kit arrived in perfect condition attesting to careful packing.  Upon opening the box and discarding all the packing papers I suggest that the next item to be removed after the hull, wrapped in bubble wrap is examined should be the instruction manual. PHOTO 2  Open it to the last page of the manual with the parts lists.  Use the two pages of parts to do an inventory of the kit to make sure you have everything accounted for. PHOTOS 3 & 4   The manual is a total of 16 pages, printed double sided.  Besides the two pages of part lists there are four pages with eight color photographs of the completed model.  All areas and details of the model are shown in these photographs.  PHOTO 6

PHOTO 1

PHOTO 2

PHOTO 3

PHOTO 4
 
Pages two and three contain a very short history of the prototype boat, a listing of tools and materials needed, a couple of tips to help with the build and a list of paints needed and where each is used.  PHOTO 5   Pages four through ten are the actual instructions with very clear descriptions of how to build the model.  Bold type is used for NOTES and CAUTIONS to make it clear to the modeler to pay attention to them.  There are no drawings or photographs within the well written instructions area but with the plan sheets and the color photographs in the manual they are, in my opinion, not needed.
The two plan sheets are 24" x 36" and there is color used on each sheet to make some details clear and the rigging very easy to follow.
 

                                                   PHOTO 5

PHOTO 6
 
THE KIT PARTS
 
The parts are all contained in sealed clear plastic "bags".  I removed the parts from the kit "bags" to be able to photograph the parts due to the difficulty in seeing the parts while in the "bags".  They are very well sealed to prevent loss in shipping and being able to count them while doing the inventory.  PHOTOS 7 & 8
 
 

                                             PHOTO 7

PHOTO 8
 
The laser cut wood piece and the two pieces of laser board are in a plastic bag together.  Laser board is coming into use for parts in model ship building but the model railroaders have been using it for some time.  The following link to the subject "Laserboard, what material and where to get it" here on MSW is below.
https://modelshipworld.com/topic/15915-laserboard-what-material-and-where-to-get/?tab=comments#comment-781873
I think the use of the 0.035" (scale 3") Laserboard for the cap rails is a perfect use for this material as it is smooth, grain less, and it bends to the shear with no force required.  It is also used for the cabin roof.  The sheet of 0.015 (scale 1.3") is used for the mast hoops, the ships boat's floorboards and cap rails.  The 0.015" laser board does the job better than most modelers, me included, could do with wood in this dimension.  PHOTOS 9 & 10

PHOTO 9

PHOTO 10
 
The rigging line is provided in three sizes 0.005", 0.010" and 0.020" in black and 0.010" in white.  PHOTO 11

PHOTO 11
 
There are two sizes and lengths of chain provided.  A 3" piece of small links for the Bobstay and a 12' piece of larger links for the anchor chains.  Also shown are four brass chain plates that are used in the construction of the two davits.
PHOTO 12
 

                                               PHOTO 12
 
 
CAST BRITANNIA PARTS
 
PHOTO 13 shows one of the three type/size of blocks provided.  There are six stropped 3/32" double blocks, six stropped 1/8" double blocks and 30 stropped 1/8" single blocks provided.
 

                                                     PHOTO 13
 
PHOTO 14 shows the ships boat, galley stack, windlass, ship's wheel and two casks.
 

                                                             PHOTO 14
 
PHOTO 15 shows the hawse lips, running lights, two sizes of stropped deadeyes, and two bilge pumps.
 

                                                  PHOTO 15
 
PHOTO 16 shows the anchors, shackles, anchor stocks, double bitt, two wide Britannia strips and four narrow Britannia strips.
 

                                                                PHOTO 16
Not shown are 12 deadeyes – once you have seen one deadeye you have seen them all..right?  Actually, I left these in the original "bag" for safe keeping and they do not show well in a photograph.
 
 
WOOD: STRIPS AND DOWELS
 
The strip wood consists of three sizes of plain strips and two pieces of single bead strips of bass wood.  There are three sizes of wood dowels with two of birch and five of bass.  PHOTO 17
 

                                                            PHOTO 17
 
BRASS PARTS
The 26 Brass belaying pins are very nicely proportioned and flawless.  Be careful when you open the "bag" containing these parts – they are tightly packed and good luck if you drop one in the carpet.  PHOTO 18
 

                                                       PHOTO 18
 
There is a single photo etch fret containing eyepins.  Leave them on the fret until needed.  PHOTO 19
 

                                                           PHOTO 19
 
 
 
MISCELLANEOUS PARTS
 
Miscellaneous parts are the decal with the ship's name PHOTO 20 and a three-foot-long roll of black tape PHOTO 21.
 

                                                   PHOTO 20

PHOTO 21
 
 
A 1/2" piece of 1/6" aluminum tube is provided and shown in PHOTO 12.
 
THE RESIN HULL
 
The hull is shown in PHOTOS 22, 23 and 24.  PHOTO 22 shows the entire hull and PHOTOS 23 and 24 show close ups of details.  Overall, the casting is good.  It is the rare resin cast hull that does not have numerous voids caused by air bubbles in the resin and this hull has several such voids.  However, they are all able to be fixed easily.  There are also a couple of shallow longitudinal voids in the sides of the hull – again, easily fixed.  The hull is without distortion, and it sits flat on its bottom.  The next hull may have many less voids, or it might have more.  Each will vary and if the number of voids or the size of the voids will present an actual problem, the manufacturer will not sell the casting.
 

PHOTO 22

PHOTO 23

PHOTO 24
 
 
Telling how to fix defects in the hull is not a usual part of a kit review, but so modelers reading this review who have not made a resin based kit are not dissuaded from buying this kit, I think its worth explaining that its no big deal to make the kind of repairs this hull needs.
PHOTO 24  shows the port side.  To fix the voids in the stanchions and bulwarks is a simple matter of using a filler material to fill in the void.  Use a flat faced tool to square off the faces of the stanchions and let it cure.  Sand if necessary and after removing the dust add more filler to fill in any shallow areas.  Repeat this process as needed.
The same procedure is used to fill the longitudinal voids shown in PHOTO 23.  This type of void is easily filled.  Use a putty knife type of tool to fill the voids with filler.  After the first application cures, sand the area knocking down the high points of the filler and after removing the dust apply an additional coat to fill in the shallow areas.  Repeat as needed.
 
CONCLUSION
 
In my opinion this kit is a good product.  The instructions, plans and photographs work together to provide adequate guidance in building and finishing the model.  It's reasonably priced for the intended skill level and the parts supplied give the modeler what he/she needs to make a very nice model that can be displayed in a place of honor in the home.  I think the kit is a good starting point for a more advanced modeler to do some upgrading by substituting some parts with scratch-built pieces making it into a unique model.
 
END
 
 
 
 
 
 

She's looking impressive Ron, and those crowsfeet are a great improvement. I do agree with Druxey those mouses could use a little fettlin'. I make mine out of styrene tubing covered with  netting from ladies tights which gives the woven look.

Example from my Alert build.
 
I will be interested to see your boat completed, I assume it is the Yawl you are including on the deck.
 
Regards,
 
B.E.
 
ps. On second thoughts re-doing the mouses would involve re-rigging the the stays, but as Druxey says they would sit atop the shrouds in the usual fashion, but maybe an adjustment too far for you.

Thanks, druxey.
Now that I've properly dealt with a talkative avian (two more circling about), another pest crawls out of my woodwork: mice.
Where there's one, there's more!
Hmmmm...let me think about this. No Pain. No Gain?

Now, those are crowsfeet! Well done. At the risk of being a pain, can you shape them mouses a little more mouse-like?
 
(Hint: stays go over the shrouds. See photo.)
 

This Bluejacket Olympia is available for a reasonable price on Ebay. 
 
Bluejacket Ship Crafters 1:128 USS Olympia Wooden Ship Model Kit Rare Complete | eBay
 

We have had many requests to resurrect both the Maine and Olympia kits, but I believe that would be unethical and I won't do it. However, our soon-to-be-released kit of the USS Oregon will be open stock, and not limited.
 
Nic

Good luck finding the Encore Olympia. It was made by Squadron. Also as a limited edition model based on the Revell kit. Squadron went out of business and was purchased a year or two ago. I contacted the new owner trying to get the PE that he said was still around somewhere for my older Revell kit but he would need some time as he was just restarting up again., but he never followed up. 
 
Gold Medal Models makes a PE set as well as Toms models for the Revell kit. There are also wooden decks available and brass barrels. 
 
I agree, the Blue Jacket kit would have made a nice option.
 
This is my 1/72 Olympia

A little larger than any of them but it has presence!  I wanted the Oregon as well but it was not to be.

Hi Rod and welcome to Model Ship World.  I really liked your introduction and you are a testament to its never too late to finish a model.  We are glad to have you aboard.

After the rudder I started working on the bulkhead that goes between the two decks. I painted the blue on the inner piece and black around the windows on the outer piece. I then glued the outer piece to the inner piece, then painted the top edge black. I added the window PE trim, the hinges and door pulls, and the decorative crown. I glued the bulkhead to the two decks using weights on either side to hold it tight to the decks and take out a slight curve in the piece. Finally I gave the wooden parts of the bulkhead a coat of wipe on poly.
 

 
While I was working on the bulkhead I also assembled the spiral staircase. I gave it a coat of wipe on poly and glued it into the deck opening after I installed the bulkhead. It would have been easier to install it before the bulkhead because I could have seen the tab and the slot that it fits in better, but I was able to get it installed after a few minutes of effort. I also installed the dome canopy base after very carefully removing the char and the some after painting it copper.
 

 
Also while doing all that I made up the side steps ands the channels and installed them. I gave them all a coat of wipe on poly after they were installed.
 

 
I am now working on the tiller housing and tiller. I shaped the tiller and stropped two 2mm blocks to the end and glued the sides of the tiller housing in place. The next step will be to install the tiller on the top of the rudder. I have also started assembling and painting the ships wheel. I'll have pictures of those components in a day or so.

Welcome to MSW, Rod from another west coaster.   I've spent a fair amount of time in SoCal starting when I was in the Marines.  A long pause after the Marines until I moved to Oregon about 20 years ago.