ccoyle

That turned out very nice!

State of Play

Well, I'm thinking long and hard about this model. Point of fact is that it is proving to be much more of a challenge than I anticipated -- I wasn't expecting the need to formulate so many solutions for such a small and 'simple' project. Among the issues have been:

• fit (some of these issues are undoubtedly due to my attempt to create a more solid hull structure)
• lack of clarity in the 'diagrams' (which as mentioned consist of only a few photos)
• print registration (these are often tiny, but they are there, and they affect the cutting out of parts, which in turn affects fit)
• very unsightly 'fixes' (these are entirely on me)
• subject matter fidelity (minor differences between model and subject -- could be due to refits made on the subject vessel over nearly 50 years of service, or could be design concessions aimed at simplifying the build process)

As usual for any model kit, every minor issue contributes to a declining 'fun factor' for a build, and the question is always, "Is the diminishing fun factor enough to merit suspending the build?" I don't know if I'm quite to the point of suspension yet, but I'm thinking about it. If I do decide to put this one on the shelf of shame, the comforting fact is that I'd only be out less than $20 for the kit and laser-cut parts, so not a big financial loss.

Congratulations on a fine finish!

Superstructure assembled and test-fitted.

A slight fit problem at the back that will need to be addressed before moving forward.

Stay tuned!

Siggi, your model is simply gorgeous in every way!

Welcome aboard!

First of all, your smack looks very nice. I built one as my first wooden model about 25 years ago back when it was still being produced by Midwest Products. I have also built a CLC boat, their Sassafras 12 kit, which you can read about here. It was a fun project, and I'd probably do another one but for the fact that I don't have space to store it.

You can resize your photos by double-clicking on the inserted image to bring up an image editing window.

Lastly, there is a ship modeling club in your area, the South Bay Model Shipwrights. Check them out!

Cheers!

Looks great, Alan!

3 hours ago, chris watton said:

I did originally have the text exactly like in the picture, but was told to change the font as the printing they use would not be able to print something so thin onto the decal sheet.

Interesting. That's the first thing I noticed when looking at James' photos. I do think the look could be improved if your printer could use a serif font -- the sans serif font looks far too modern. Italics would probably also help improve the look, since the writing on the real carriages leans a bit. Example below:

SPIT FIRE

vs.

SPIT FIRE

2 hours ago, José Catela Pequeno said:

I am considering buying this model from Maristella, but couldn't find a build log that goes beyond this point of the hull construction.

And that should be a huge red flag to any potential buyers. I'm not familiar with the kit myself, but I do know that what you have observed about the lack of finished builds is true. If a kit is truly as great as its manufacturer claims it is, then it seems fair to expect that there ought to be at least a couple of finished builds of it online somewhere, especially when one considers how long the kit has been on the market now.

Fabulous, Dan! Congratulations!

Nice work, Kevin!

I'm straying a bit off the beaten path here. The superstructure is another egg-crate structure to be placed atop the egg-crate hull. That just doesn't strike me as a sturdy building method, so I'm doing something a little different. I trimmed all of the fold tabs off the upper deck and glued it down to a 1mm piece of cardboard. This should provide very stiff edges that are less likely to produce the dreaded 'starving cow' effect, while still providing ample gluing area for the superstructure sides. Of course, I had to trim down all of the internal egg crate frames to allow for the thicker deck, and it remains to be seen whether everything will go together the way I imagine it will.

Fingers crossed!

Handsomely done!

Welcome aboard!

Hi, Scrumpy.

Your model does not look like the ones offered online, none of which (as far as i could find) are even named Bombay Star. To me, your model looks to be scratch-built by someone with at least a modicum of nautical knowledge, e.g., the deck furniture is positioned correctly, the rigging looks generally correct, etc. In fact, the model also includes chainplates that are secured to the inside of the bulwarks, rather than the outside, a practice that I believe became commonplace in the second half of the 19th century. As far as dating the model, that's anyone's guess.

39 minutes ago, EspenT said:

Fantastic. Can we still hope to find it under the Christmas tree this year?

Not for the red side -- you guys get coal. 😉

A bit of progress forward . . .

. . . and aft.

Welcome aboard!

40 minutes ago, amateur said:

Are you going to ‘upgrade’ on the windows?

Nope. There are no parts for internal structure, so unless one chooses to scratch-build, then there isn't even the option.

Zipping the hull up.

I'm not entirely happy with the hull. These 'egg crate' style hulls are very tricky, IMO, to get just right. The best one I have done was for USS England, and that one doesn't really count, because I had a 3D-printed hull to use as a base.

Welcome aboard, Tuvok, and thanks for sharing your work!

Welcome aboard! We have a few finished President models around here, which you can find in this list (if you haven't looked them up already).

31 minutes ago, Richard44 said:

Next, the undercarriage - should be fun 😁

The joint between each strut and its wheel well is a real weak point of the design. Nobody will be looking at that part when she's sitting upright, so feel free to add some extra structure in there to stiffen things.

17 minutes ago, ECK said:

3 hrs of work, 16 ports done, 92 more openings to go.

No, thanks! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

First batch of hull parts cut out and base plate + internal frames assembled.