mattsayers148

Looking great Robb! I'm gonna steal your idea on the cleats since I have a couple dozen to make.

Looks awesome Robb. Good call with the production line, they all look very consistent.

Thanks for the likes.

Thanks Buck, look what you got me into!

Thanks George, Mark, Bob, CaptainSteve, Sam, Ken, Mr.Angus and everyone for the likes and words of encouragement.

Some how I managed to spend the entire day yesterday making the purchase arms and links, as well as a samson post. I might be on this for a bit.

Same as George said, they look great!

Hey Bob, excellent job on the planking! It's a thorn in the side for many, myself included. I'm so glad to see another build that's modified to see inside. I got a bit looney with mine(deleted almost the whole side).

Boyd's build is a great example of large ship with mods to see inside. It's always fun to think in your mind about adding as many details as possible, and hope you figure it out before you seal it in. Great idea too is the removable cover!

Corel is another one with borderline ridiculous instructions. As for the sails, there are a lot of great ideas throughout this site. I've made four at this point, so my cutter will be a real test for me. Again, great job and I'm looking forward to following your build!

Thanks to everyone for the likes and kind words of support.

Since the elm tree pump, Harry has been hard pressed to design the deck fittings. Red and Woodie have had the crew running hard, too much down time and tensions grow between the Clans.

So I've been mentoring Tiny as he helped me do some work on the windlass. At first we were going to make it mostly out of brass, but ended up with a multitude of different items. Walnut was chosen and the turning began. The small brass gears were obtained from some watch parts. The gear itself was actually used to cut the groove, and once the spokes were removed, the gears were cut and wrapped into the groove.

After this, whelps were cut and glued into place. While Tiny trimmed the whelps flush, I soldered two flat pieces of metal to the ratchet gear and filed them down to just above flush.

The end spools were turned and fitted with brass nails. The main cylinder was cut in half and joined back together with the ratchet gear in the middle. The bits were then made and holes were drilled through the deck for fastening.

The brass rod was cut to length and the nail were pressed into the tube, affixing it to the bits.

Previous to this, the main section of the bowsprit was made from walnut and fitted with bits that were fastened to the deck.

The pawl assembly along with the hand pumps are still in the making. So for now this is how the Nutz ship is sitting. The crew has been set loose on the town to enjoy this sunny 4th of July, while me and Tiny head out to test fire some cannons.

To everyone: enjoy your 4th of July and stay safe.

Thanks Robb, and don't feel bad about or quit soldering. I'm pretty new at soldering, so I squeeze every drop of patience I have to work with. My elm tree pump took place over a 24 hour make, make a little more, ruin it and start over. Especially some of these tiny little pieces! Every time you solder, you will improve. Your woodworking ability show how detail oriented you are. Keep soldering!

Excellent build you have here Mr.Angus. I happened to be searching for one thing, found your build log, and loved what you did with the wheel assembly. I just might want to use your pics as a reference if you don't mind? The detail you're putting into everything is very impressive, very impressive indeed!

Once again Buck, extraordinary work! One thing you could try for the rings is a copper tube, the thinner the better. A small ring could be heated and gently beaten onto a stainless steel forming cone or something similar, like the rod a jeweler uses for sizing rings but a bit bigger. If you're dealing with straight stock, running it through a three pin forming roller at an angle will also give it the 'cone' shape. I like the copper cuz it's softer and seems to blacken darker than brass. Well I just spent my two cents worth for the day, so again Buck, excellent craftsmanship!

Thanks Boyd, back at at ya. Many a night I've been sitting here with the notion of getting something built. I go to do one little thing and realize there's way more to do that expected. This has left me with filling my brain with ideas that will hopefully "click" at the same time. CaptainSteve's Kit Bashers Guide has me looking at the world with new eyes, seeing the ordinary as extraordinary.

Thanks Buck, the work you've done has been such an inspiration. I've been really lucky to have a boss and fellow workers that aren't satisfied with "OK". Everyone everywhere has the potential of being great at what they do. It's all about doing your best, not being the best. It's really awe inspiring to look around at all the builds here, seeing work at everyone's best.

Excellent craftsmanship Boyd! I agree with Nils on the broken wall view, great idea! Now you do realize that we'd like a virtual tour when it's done? Your time spent on planing was well worth it. Well done sir, well done indeed!

Thanks CaptainSteve, I'll try to teach him to be nice but with a 'don't make me mad' attitude!

Hey Mark, thank you for your uplifting words. Almost every time I'm searching for answers, either here or on the web, it always seems to lead back to you. Your knowledge boggles my mind!

Hey Buck, I'm reaching for your coat tails but can't get a grip yet! Your lantern man, so awesome!

Hey George, I'd love to have a great morning once in awhile. Is it too much to ask for? Tiny, he PC'd up the second he realized I threw him in with the big Bawlz! I think he liked being 'Tiny', I bet he'll get a new name soon!

Hey Ken, I'm not sure his life ain't ruined already with the name Tiny! I'll try to keep the big Bawlz at bay for now, but sooner or later, he's gotta be a man.

Harry, Woodie and Red decided that after a long week, the Nutz and Bawlz deserved a break. Tensions seemed to be rising towards the end of the week so they're being proactive to avoid any conflicts. I can assure everyone, you don't want to be around when the Nutz and Bawlz decide to start wailing on each other!

I had every intention of playing Dragon Age Inquisition all day today, however, I ended up finding some drawings of an elm tree pump on Harry's desk. Since I was set up to work on cannons later in the day, I figured what the heck? This'll give me more practice soldering smaller parts.

First off I converted everything to 1:64. I sent Tiny over to the metal heap and had him bring me a bunch of different sizes and shapes. He did a nice job so I decided to start teaching him how to solder. I thought this would help him rise in rank and not be one of the little Bawlz, getting kicked around all the time. It's time for him to become one of the Big Bawlz.

While I started cutting parts to size, Tiny got everything set up for soldering. After a couple of hours, he was doing exceptional work. As he finished each task, I would take it and shape it for the next piece. This went on all day until the final piece was fitted and soldered.

Together we carefully sanded and polished every piece...

...and then set out to assemble the parts.

At this point we made sure that all the moving parts functioned. We had to tweak a couple parts and now it's fit to be installed.

I think I'll use Tiny more often now that see how well he works.

Hey George. As far as I know, the bowsprit is one of the items listed as 'needs to be retrofitted'.

Apparently the two protruding pieces of lumber are going to become part of the bowsprit. The concern Harry has is, if/when ramming an enemy, the bowsprit could be damaged. Hence, while being functional, care will be taken to make this design pleasing to the eyes.

Since it was decided to expose the inside to the viewers, many items on deck will require extensive planing to include what's below deck(kitchen, elm tree pump, etc.) This will require all hands on deck, so the main focus will be avoiding confrontations. The cauldron will also be changed to allow for looted items to be lowered below deck. This requires a davit that can be unshipped when not in use. I think I'm going to have to make a list of what needs to be done, as CaptainSteve has done before.

Since I am the one in charge of supplying the various weapons, Harry questioned me as to where/when/what's going on. I had to be careful with my answer because most of the crew were either hung over from the triple ration of rum or jacked up on caffeine. So I explained to him that I need to know my parameters. The Nutz and Bawlz Clans need to fit the deck with all the necessities, then I can plan a layout for the big guns.

So he, Red and Woodie have set out to reign in the rabble and focus on the deck. As of this eve, things seem to be going well. With the companionway in place, along with the temporary placement of mast guides, they turned out a nice start with two pin rails/racks. We'll see if this progress continues and if peace can be maintained...

Thanks Bob and great video! This is my first 'off the chart' ship so the nonexistent Ranger seemed to be a good kit to bash the heck out of. The only thing left of the original kit is the frame. It's been an interesting ride and 'nutty' is what it's become. Stop in anytime.

Thanks George, CaptainSteve, Ken and everyone for the likes.

George, it's a good thing that most of the crew are Irish. They tend to reserve a small portion for their morning 'hair of the dog'. Mixed with tomato juice of course.

CaptainSteve, I think the key is to keep the clans on separate projects most of the day. Red's cousin Rosie, along with her five sisters, have been bringing lunch to the crew the last couple of weeks. For now, the boys have been trying to not act up, hoping to impress the girls. But with that, I'm sure the time will come when dueling will need to be organized and contained within an octagon.

Ken I don't worry too much about the constant bickering. It's the guys in the background that are quiet and keep to themselves that concern me.

Finally, the Nutz and Bawlz Clans managed to finish up their work on the companionway! Harry and Salty seemed to be on one page, while Woodie and Red were on another. After much debate, all decided to scratch the wooden lid and go with a metal one.

Since functionality and strength were of the utmost priority, the lid needed a slide that would be small and practical. So a rod was affixed to the underside of the lid, which passed through a hole that was drilled through a bracket located on the roof. After this, attention was directed to the doors.

The minions were sent off to dig through the piles of watch parts in search of screws and anything that could be made into a latch(thanks to CaptainSteve and his tip on 'steampunk'). Woodie and Red looked through all the items and picked out a set of screws and a chunk of watch guts that fit nicely. Holes were drilled and fitted with the watch parts, and all agreed that this would do just fine.

The rest of the crew were then directed to finish the metal. All parts were blackened and, after drying, painted black. Once the paint was dry, the companionway was fitted to the deck. Harry and Salty were very pleased with crews work, so a triple ration of rum was ordered for all. Now everyone has to agree on what to build next.

Thanks Boyd, Ken, George and for the likes.

I tell ya, 1:64 is requiring a new learning curve from the 1:16. Like Boyd said on his build, seems like there's way more time spent researching and calculating than actual build time. Thanks for the pep talk guys!

The crew thanks you George, Ken, Cathead and all those who like their progress

It seems that there was some kind of brain blockage goin on this last week. Once Woodie and Red had finished all the wood work, they waited for further instructions. All they knew was that doors needed to be made. After a couple of days, Harry returned with a couple of doors that seemed to fit perfect.

Now with the new doors, the crew got busy installing them. It's not 100% done yet, but I have faith that the companionway will be finished some time soon...

Thank you Ken, CaptainSteve and to get everyone for the likes.

Harry seriously considered to do a simple box-like companionway, but Woodie and Red had other thoughts on the issue. They assured Harry that they had some ideas that would look very good, so he handed over the controls and told the two to have at it.

They began with a vision in mind that needed to reflect in their work. It was to be functional so that the crew wouldn't bash their heads on anything, especially after some rum.

The framing was done first for the hatch cover and grating. After this was done, the unnecessary wood was cut away. A small box was fitted to slide on the rails smoothly, after which the final lid covering was added.

Work will continue on the companionway, doors and what not, after the crew finally wakes up. Til next report...

Once again, Harry has been at the drawing table, trying to design a unique companionway. At the same time, Woodie and Red began the framing and siding of this tiny little superstructure.

Chipping away slowly, the side walls began to take shape...

...and it was decided to build the companionway as removable for right now to make the detailing a little easier.

So work shall continue throughout the weekend, but at a pace to not rush the minions. For his part, Harry will continue refining and delivering updates to Woodie and Red.