Roger Pellett

Many years ago I bought an old used Sears Metal Lathe.  Not the nice kind made by Atlas, one considerably older.  I think that I paid about $100.  The woman that sold it to me, said “My husband said that he was going to use it to build a bedroom suite!”  I’ll try to use that line of reasoning some time.  🤣
 
Roger

Many years ago I bought an old used Sears Metal Lathe.  Not the nice kind made by Atlas, one considerably older.  I think that I paid about $100.  The woman that sold it to me, said “My husband said that he was going to use it to build a bedroom suite!”  I’ll try to use that line of reasoning some time.  🤣
 
Roger

Well, we all seem to suffer from more or less from the same problem: the narrative I hear from time to time goes "why don't you do something useful with your fancy tools, such as making jewellery?"
 
While I am quite capable of repairing things around the house (and do it, given enough urgency and inconvenience  ), I prefer the creative aspect of 'making' things over 'fixing' things ...

Wives fail to understand (or choose not to understand) that fixing things around the house or yard work, now disguised as “gardening” and Ship Modeling are not interchangeable.  For example, “You’re so good at working with your hands, why won’t you fix that toilet?”
 
Roger

Dave:
 
All the advice given by those experienced expert modelers above is really good stuff. 

At the risk of ruffling modeling sensitivities, I offer an alternative that is satisfactory to me, while admitting that I readily trespass on scaling and coloring guidelines, to get the effect I like.  Perhaps only the product information might be useful. 
 
I used a foil tape product generally used for sealing the seams of foil-backed insulation ( clearly much thicker than scale). I painted several strips of this stuff with a “ hammered copper” spray paint, then gave a dust coating of flat brown, of varying density. I cut the tape to the copper cladding sheet size I wanted ( probably larger than scale) then selected individual tiles at random and applied to the hull. Finally, I dappled on with a nearly dry brush some green patina, Testors “ sublime green”.  Here are the products used:

Bottom pic is of the painted tape, without the flat brown dusting. Top pic includes several of the cut cladding tiles. 
Here is the clad hull, prior to green weathering. 

Here it is with green added. 

Of course, nobody will ever see the hull from this angle, so here’s an idea of how it looks from the side. 

I try to represent my models as working ships, weathered, abused and beaten, especially if it is a whaler ( as this one is), rather than pristine, perfect museum exhibits. I have been at working waterfronts, and at ports where recreations and replicas are displayed, and there is clearly a difference in the respective appearances. 
 
You have to model what you like ( unless you are getting paid for it) 
 
Like I said, just another alternative. 
 
 

Wives fail to understand (or choose not to understand) that fixing things around the house or yard work, now disguised as “gardening” and Ship Modeling are not interchangeable.  For example, “You’re so good at working with your hands, why won’t you fix that toilet?”
 
Roger

Wives fail to understand (or choose not to understand) that fixing things around the house or yard work, now disguised as “gardening” and Ship Modeling are not interchangeable.  For example, “You’re so good at working with your hands, why won’t you fix that toilet?”
 
Roger

I am NOT criticizing the quality of the kit or the enjoyment that casual hobbyists might get from assembling it.  I am criticizing marketing it as Santa Maria Boat. If we don’t have reliable design information for Santa Maria, even less is known about the small boats that she may or may not have carried.  There is some scholarship coming from the excavation of the “Red Bay Galleon” found in Newfoundland.  Accurate drawings exist for one of her whaleboats and  a more typical small boat called a “Barca” has been excavated but I have been unable to find anything published about this boat.  These boats are also 100 years later than the boat in the model kit.  A c1570 Spanish whaleboat unfortunately has nowhere near the marketing appeal as Santa Maria.
 
Roger

Wives fail to understand (or choose not to understand) that fixing things around the house or yard work, now disguised as “gardening” and Ship Modeling are not interchangeable.  For example, “You’re so good at working with your hands, why won’t you fix that toilet?”
 
Roger

Today was a banner day for the Mark I River Patrol Boat. All the detail and touch was completed save the mounts for the starboard and port guns. This is an easy addition and was taken off line to complete. Note that the canpoy framing has been added. So too with the radar dome, the mast beacon, the rear 50 caliber, boat hook and bilge hand pump.
 
The photos were taken in a hallway as we had to find a suitable backdrop outside the workshop. Doing so does give one the impression it is a small model. I remind all that it is over 5 feet long.
 
A build out discussion will be presented to the group on 1/19 at &PM. It will be streamed so interested parties can message me prior to tune in.
 
Joe

Hi Mr Von regarding what to use to clean brass before you blacken, look on the back of bottle there it tells you what you can use either, degreaser or denatured alcohol.
 

 
I have had great success with Isopropyl Alcohol 99%, I put some in a small ice cream cup (you can use anything) just enough so that it covers what you are going to blacken.
 
 
I keep the parts in the alcohol for a couple of minutes, then take out and put them on a clean dry paper towel, (I use blue workshop paper towel) dry pieces then I put them on a piece of small hard plastic sheet. Using a cotton bud I dip that into the Casey Brass Black bottle and cover all piece I want to blacken. I leave this for 1 minute in the solution, from there I put them in a cup of water, again I leave around a minute.
Then they go back on the paper towel and I dry them off after this I use clean small cotton buds to polish each piece.
 

Doing it this way I have never had flaking, here are some samples.
 

 

 
Hope this helps.
 
Regards
Richard
 
 
 

For even greater clarity, it should probably be made very clear that these are examples from a later period of artillery development and refer to converting smoothbore heavy guns into rifled cannons, as there is some risk that those less versed in the subject will start to get even more confused and, as a result, may be more easily fooled by some sellers' tales along the lines of 'an authentic (albeit both smoothbore and steel-sleeved) cannon from a shipwreck ca. 1780'. Let's hope not...
 
Also, for the convenience of readers:
 
SBML - smoothbore muzzle loader
RML - rifled muzzle loader
RBL - rifled breech loader
 
And below, as a curiosity for those interested, a visual sample of one of the first 'modern' rifled cannons, which I have found in Lübeck (Germany). Although accurate measurements were immediately taken, they are still awaiting detailed drawing documentation. For the time being, I consider them converted French smoothbore muzzle-loading 18-pdr guns captured in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.
 
Overall view (note in particular reinforcing outer sleeve applied to the rear of the barrel and bushings applied to the trunnions):
 

 

 
3-grooved rifling (marked on the muzzle face with numbers '1', '2' and '3'):
 

 
 

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to follow up on my previous question about Model Monkey as a vendor.  I ordered 2 sets of 8 carronades to replace the castings for the Brig Syren from Model Shipways.
The carronades arrived in good shape (after only 3 days from order!) and are quite detailed and paint up nicely.  Very happy with the order.  Thanks again for everyone that responded.
 
Dennis

Whether plastics melt during mechanically working them depends on how much energy you put into them over what interface - or in simple terms: when you run the cutting tool too fast, you are putting too much energy into the cut ...

Today my wife caught me on the computer studying images for my next build. She commented "there are plenty of other jobs to do before you get into that".

Patrick,  
 
I remember several years ago when you began this model and were shaping the hull with an angle grinder thinking,  “This isn’t going to turn out well!”🤣  Was I ever wrong.  Your skill, perseverance, and intellectual curiosity has produced a beautiful and historically plausible model.  Well done!
 
 I have enjoyed following your progress and am looking forward to Mary Rose.
 
Roger

Keith,
 
I second Gary’s notebook idea.  As the shipmodeling world continues to move towards 3-D modeling and computerized fabrication of parts, your building style will become a (sadly) lost art.
 
Roger
 
 

Before reading all the others' comments, I thought immediately the idea was to ensure that both, keel and false-keel were properly wrapped in copper. The false-keel was a sort of expendable item, meant to protect the actual keel from damage. In case it was (partially) ripped off by grounding etc., the keel still needed to be properly protected from this nasty digging animal. 

A hand-held electrical drill with an abrasive cutting wheel might be another option.

Thank you very much. 
And yes, the trick with the angle grinder was indeed  a little scary for me too 😇😉

Patrick,  
 
I remember several years ago when you began this model and were shaping the hull with an angle grinder thinking,  “This isn’t going to turn out well!”🤣  Was I ever wrong.  Your skill, perseverance, and intellectual curiosity has produced a beautiful and historically plausible model.  Well done!
 
 I have enjoyed following your progress and am looking forward to Mary Rose.
 
Roger

I am NOT criticizing the quality of the kit or the enjoyment that casual hobbyists might get from assembling it.  I am criticizing marketing it as Santa Maria Boat. If we don’t have reliable design information for Santa Maria, even less is known about the small boats that she may or may not have carried.  There is some scholarship coming from the excavation of the “Red Bay Galleon” found in Newfoundland.  Accurate drawings exist for one of her whaleboats and  a more typical small boat called a “Barca” has been excavated but I have been unable to find anything published about this boat.  These boats are also 100 years later than the boat in the model kit.  A c1570 Spanish whaleboat unfortunately has nowhere near the marketing appeal as Santa Maria.
 
Roger

Let's keep fingers crossed that this wonderful model reaches its safe haven and that it's builder also stays safe !

Starting the first planking. Considering the work that had to be done on the bulkheads, it is looking OK. 
 

This shows a method of producing pegged mortice and tenon edge joined planks. I cut a 1mm slot in the plank edge  and made some 1mm tenons. When assembled and pegged without glue the join was so strong I could not pull it apart or sheer it.
Dick