KeithAug

Thank you Keith, Richard and Andy. Happy new year to everyone, as now hopefully we have all made it safely into 2024.

I have a combined belt and disc sander. I don't think I have ever used the belt sander for model making. The disc sander is single speed and I constantly find myself wishing that I could turn the speed down. I am thinking of buying a variable speed disc sander and relegating the combined machine to non modelling work.

Happy New Year to all of you in 2024 from the rest of us still in 2023.

Lovely rigging work Keith.

Valeriy - That is the same for me, but i really am running quite short of sheet. Hopefully I will run out before it does.

Melissa, You can pick up some very cheap airbrushes 20 to 30 dollars - they don't last well but will get you through a model or two. The next step up would be something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/NEO-Gravity-Feed-Action-Airbrush/dp/B004INERK4/ref=asc_df_B004INERK4/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309819440071&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16945460784911821528&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045827&hvtargid=pla-383095371970&psc=1&mcid=5eee78d457ec3559a64ef69cd18c4973&th=1&psc=1. It will suffice for most straightforward jobs particularly if you are not going for anything too sophisticated in terms of techniques. My advice would be to stick with the more basic models until you decide you want to move up a gear. Best wishes for the new year.

Thats not fair. Ours is over a day away. Happy new year.

I think it looks pretty good Hakan but if you are dissatisfied you can always convert it into a lamp shade😃.

I enjoyed catching up. The alignment frame is pretty neat.

Excellent Phil.

Valeriy, you seem to have a never ending supply of brass. In the UK there are only a few specialist suppliers of thin sheet brass and they are rather expensive. Is the supply situation in Ukraine much better?

Well the family are all gone and it's back to some workshop therapy. I continued cutting out the inside of the frames and test fitting them on the base board. I am at that interesting stage where she is starting th look like she will become a ship at some point. Many hours later. I also started to sort out the bow.

Excellent work.

What a pile Phil. Hope you can find everything😬

Nils, Keith, Phil, Veszett, Rick, John, Pat - thank you all for your comments and well wishes. Also thanks to everyone for the likes. I trust you all made merry and had a wonderful time.

lovely

Excellent progress - almost ready for her maiden voyage😬

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I particularly took to heart Phil's advice. Now that my quarantine period is ending I feel it is safe to make a bit of further progress. My fixation with alignment continued so I drilled an extra sequence of 6mm holes towards the keel end of the frames. i then made myself a simple sled for the Byrnes saw. I wanted to cut with both the front and rear fences as the datum face so I took a bit of care to ensure that both fences were truly at 90 deg to the blade. I then cut out the notches for the base board longitudinal upstand. i then used the same set up to cut the outer surfaces of the up-stand before removing the waste part with the scroll saw. I then re-stacked the frames to check the profile of the rail edge. I then started removing the core of the frames in areas that were possible locations for modelling some below deck detail. This involved a lot of accurate scrolling on the lines to avoid the necessity for a difficult internal sanding operation. | also used the table saw to cut the keel slots. As I made progress I started temporarily placing the frames on the building board. I also checked the provisional keel alignment with a 6mm silver steel rod as I went. i still have plenty of frames to finish and hopefully I will get some more done once the family have departed late next week. I am currently typing this one handed with the computer balanced on the arm of the chair. The other arm is occupied by a sleeping nearly 4 months old bundle of joy. I am very happy. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas. Best regards. Keith.

Merry Christmas Eberhard. As you say a possible update was very enticing.

Amazing miniature model. Fantastic work.

Looks almost finished Nils. Love the detail. Are you on a mission to finish it before the new year?☺️

Hmmm! you are probably right Phil - the admiral agrees with you!😬 Unfortunately Bob I wasn't in a position to be able to study the surgical instruments. I'll ask what they use on my next visit. Possibly Tom but the set up time would probably be longer. My plan is to cut the slots using a home made table saw sled thus avoiding all the clamping that would be involved in using the mill. Thank you Nils.

The pipework is well impressive. 👏👏👏

Looking very cute.

I continued my push to make progress and spent a chilly day in the workshop. Having cut the frames I set up the mill to accurately drill the 6mm alignment holes. I started by mounting a cutting board in the mill and milling the datum edge of the board to give a true "X" axis datum. The first set of holes were then drilled from this datum with the "Y" axis locked. I progressed like this until the first set of alignment holes were drilled. I then assembled them on a 6mm silver steel rod to check the correct hole positioning.