bgilbertsound

Thanks very much for posting. I've thought about building this same model, but keep vacillating between this and Chapelle's sharpie. Hoping to incorporate my new laser engraver.

Here's a more recent look, with the funnels, some of the cowl vents, and bulwarks added. Bulwarks are a touch too wide and not as straight as I'd like. Next time I'll try adding them before I assemble the superstructure, one deck at a time. Maybe a thinner, "harder" paper would work better too, like drafting vellum. The tiny cowl vents turned out pretty good though... they're just soft 20ga copper wire, bent to a tight 90 degrees and cut with a flush cutter.

Thanks everyone for your notes & encouragement. In real life, my models are somewhat crude- there are LOTS of areas that I see that could be MUCH better- though each has some small improvement over the last. They're all a collection of experiments... some work, some don't.

I occasionally build 1:1200 merchant vessels using John Bowen's books. I have three, and please tell me if I'm wrong, I think that's pretty much all that exists on the subject. Right now I'm trying to finish Aorangi, 1924, Union Steamship Company of New Zealand.

One of my areas of interest is using a diode laser to help get some of the parts... I had access to a CO2 laser for the Aorangi, and while I haven't yet bought a laser for myself, my Brother has one. Unfortunately he's 3 hrs away, but I'm hoping to buy one for myself this coming year. I'm already working on the cut files for the Beavercove, 1946, Canadian Pacific Railway Company, but I haven't physically started that one yet.

I still have one of my very first models, a 5-masted schooner Rose, built in 1975 when I was fifteen.

I also have a stash of plastic model kits that I enjoy building, mostly WW1 biplanes and between-the-wars oddball subjects.

Best

BG

Hello all:

I have build a few 1:1200 ship models with varying rates of success. These were mostly built from John Bowen's books, "Miniature Merchant Ships," "More Miniature Merchant Ships," and "Waterline Ship Models." While I value these books extremely... as far as I know, they are all that exist on the subject... they are a little light on process and techniques. Some of his photos of ships in mid-build are little more than blurry snapshots made with a home camera.

I'd love to see some better, higher resolution images of his completed models. Has anyone ever noticed if any of these models ever made it to a museum somewhere? I believe Mr Bowen has passed away, and I've often wondered what happened to his collection of lovely little ships.

Thanks

BG