CharlieZardoz

Returning after over a year! I thought it was time to finally return to my build log. Alot has happened since the last time I posted here feels like a few lifetimes ago.  Firstly I grew to become a successful performing artist and became part of many highly successful productions. I found a place for my art skills in costume and head piece creation. This year was going to be the production of a Broadway play which I was to act as manager and would have begun production as of this month. Of course we all know what has happened since... 😣
 
The changes in my life came at a cost. My old partner and I separated after 7 years. She was not able to accept the changes and also there were problems brewing for many years. So for a good year I found myself in transition without a stable space mentally and physically to build the model. Eventually came a new partner, new perspectives and a new work space and alot of emotionally support and freedom I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was a wild ride and still going however making the most of the current situation, now is a time to stay in and create so here we go! 🎨 Also I'm currently in Virginia waiting out the storm. 😊🌈🙏🌳🌳🌳
 
So with all that out of the way, the end result led me back to building the boat which started back in December however I wanted to have enough actually completed before I posted. I wanted something to show so I waited until some progress had been made. After a year it was interesting to see how time affected the model. Some refurbishing was required. Partially due to a change in my perspective on how I wanted to proceed and partly due to how the wood set. I will explain all this in the next post.
 









 

It's great to see you back, Charlie.  I hope for all our sakes that at some point, we can go back to normal.   I take it you breathe fire?  As for the ride...Mr. Toad is to blame*.
 
*Not a political comment.  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Toad's_Wild_Ride

Returning after over a year! I thought it was time to finally return to my build log. Alot has happened since the last time I posted here feels like a few lifetimes ago.  Firstly I grew to become a successful performing artist and became part of many highly successful productions. I found a place for my art skills in costume and head piece creation. This year was going to be the production of a Broadway play which I was to act as manager and would have begun production as of this month. Of course we all know what has happened since... 😣
 
The changes in my life came at a cost. My old partner and I separated after 7 years. She was not able to accept the changes and also there were problems brewing for many years. So for a good year I found myself in transition without a stable space mentally and physically to build the model. Eventually came a new partner, new perspectives and a new work space and alot of emotionally support and freedom I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was a wild ride and still going however making the most of the current situation, now is a time to stay in and create so here we go! 🎨 Also I'm currently in Virginia waiting out the storm. 😊🌈🙏🌳🌳🌳
 
So with all that out of the way, the end result led me back to building the boat which started back in December however I wanted to have enough actually completed before I posted. I wanted something to show so I waited until some progress had been made. After a year it was interesting to see how time affected the model. Some refurbishing was required. Partially due to a change in my perspective on how I wanted to proceed and partly due to how the wood set. I will explain all this in the next post.
 









 

Good morning! Decided to do a mini-update today I added all the treenails to the finished side of the hull. Basically I the process was poking them out with an awl then filling the hole with colored putty (which I darkened with paint) then used the colored pencil to define the area a bit more and here is how it looks!  I know some of my steelers are a bit off location but that will be colored with copper anyways. I realize now that the nails are effectively showing where the ships frames are (an obvious concept but I now I see the logic behind it). Next step now will be doing the other side hopefully won't take me nearly as long

So today oI stained the deckhouse with Tung oil. Here's a few picks of the deck with everything on it. With the UV glowlights above looks like a party boat

Thank you Patrick. I'm hoping the model is reasonably accurate but also from an artist's perspective I followed the techniques which got me to where it looks good. So here we are today I constructed more of the hatch and added the margin planks. Now have to do the other side.

Good morning everyone. Here's a quick update I managed to finish the carronade and also painted the pivot ring. It still needs the wood treenails but you can get an idea how nice it looks and fits to the carriage wheels. The carronade was blackened rather than painted which maintains that metallic look. Also I've started working on the cabin/deckhouse planking the in sides and working months top bits. Overall very pleased

Hi everyone, so been working on the wheel and this is pretty much what I came up with. I took a bent square brass tube 1/6" and filed the ends down and added the crimp bead wheels. It feels really well and was pretty easy to make. The wheels actually do spin. 

Hi everyone! So going to add a few updates over the course of this weekend regarding a few different topics but first I thought I'd show more close ups of the laser parts I made. Nothing is glued together yet just fitted on the hull to see what worked and what didn't. In these pics you can see the keel and cabin are still basswood so I could gauge how they fit together and will be replaced after planking. Overall I am very happy with the margin plank in holly and the waterway in cherry also the cannon carriage parts they really worked out amazing!  The stern (again just laying on the deck flat for now) looks pretty good too I am wondering if those cleats are too thick though?  

And here are the final test gratings.  The larger one is a bit loose since that was an older version but these will be discarded for cherry coamings shortly now that I've gotten the hang of building them. I wanted to get a feel for the dimensions and there are things I can see in a photograph that doesn't come out at me during construction. I believe cathead is correct that they are too high so I will shorten them both by 1/32nd of an inch (I honestly couldn't really tell when looking at it in person). The hatch holes are a bit big but that will be corrected when using the Syren kit. What I am pondering is the thickness of the coaming it is currently 3/64" (or 1.2mm) the next step down would be 1mm but I feel that's making the coaming too thin. I've seen models with thick coamings and super thin ones so if anyone has a second opinion do let me know. For now I am waiting on some wood strips and will start the final hatch shortly. Stay tuned!

So enough of that. Next up was an attempt at deck caulking. I tried pencil (didn't work too well for me), then charcoal (messy got everywhere), then paint (kinda the same). I also tried the black paper thing but with these veneer strips they are just too thin and the tiny 1/8" strips by 3/128" thickness just seemed silly at that scale. I used wood glue, welding cement and both made a horrible squishy mess. What worked best for me was the archival ink pens, which don't bleed and does the job. Will I change my mind? Maybe but for now this looks like the best way to go.

Thank you sir! You can tell by the design these were built for speed like a dart in the water. I'm thinking of moving the drop planks/(steelers?) down by 1 however overall it looks pretty good. Mind you this hull is 8" so the detailing is smaller than it looks in the pic.

So next up is experimenting with paints, stains, oils and polishes, setting up the electrical wiring, heading back to the lab to make the laser keel and transom out of the good woods and then of course planking! Until then here is the captain hanging out. The brass lamp will get lit up by the led show and then hung up in the cabin area to make the lighting. Stay tuned!

Ah and I see these photo etched ones for Amati that come in 5x17 mm and 6x19mm look very nice!

Then Caldercraft has these which are supposedly 1/72 but at 6.5 by 17mm so sort of the same size as the other ones? But edge detail looks more to scale.

I'm looking at them now seems 1/64 plates for amati are 8 by 18 mm. There are also these Caldercraft ones at 5.5 by 18 which look nice however some I see have rivets all the way through while others only around the edges. What's up with that?

One of the best I've seen. An inspiration this is a true ship model well done!

One of the best I've seen. An inspiration this is a true ship model well done!

One of the best I've seen. An inspiration this is a true ship model well done!

One of the best I've seen. An inspiration this is a true ship model well done!

One of the best I've seen. An inspiration this is a true ship model well done!

Three casemates took their places.

Finally, I finished the transom.  I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to use the dye-cast metal transom supplied in the AL kit as it was now out of scale.  I had to set about making my own. I ran into a problem, however, because I made the windows just a little bit too big. One of the carvings wouldn’t fit.   So I left it off and made a variation of the smaller carving to fill in the space. I’m satisfied with the result.

A view of the other side with the knees added.

The carvings on the stem will be next.
 

I’m surprised at  how long it’s been since my last entry.  A death in the family, another surgical procedure and a great family reunion have  happened, but I have been working on my model during a along these two months. I have to make entries more often.  Anyway, this is where I am at present.
 
I made the binnacle.  I based my design on some models being built in my club and a few photos I found on the web.  As my friend at the club said, “All binnacles were the same. Two compasses with a lantern in the middle.”
          
I made the cap rails from a1/32 inch sheet and some strips.  I finished planking the side and completed the cap rail all the way to the stern.  Also, I made the rudder and attached it to the hull. And I added stairs from the water line up the hull and a ladder from the main deck to the quarter deck


So I have some more deck furniture to make, and the transom and stem carvings, as well as the quarter badges to create.
 
 
 

I added the various carvings on the stem.  I have two cheek knees and a head rail. I left off the middle rail because I felt it made the area look too crowded. The fancy carvings are similar to the kits, but I borrowed the design used by Clair Hess on his model. I like the result.


My next task is to explore the possibility of making the quarter badge windows.