Chuck

She looks sweet.....almost done. And I might also mention....what a neat workbench!!!! Chuck

Jeez Jack....I am so sorry to hear that. My condolences. Heading back out to the hospital right now.....I am hoping for a good outcome. Thanks for the kind thoughts.

That does look wonderful. Great job putting it together. I hope you have a lot of fun with it. I do agree with what you said as well. These tools should be fun to use and hopefully fun and interesting to look at. I am using the same style on my "Syren Rope-Rocket". I just finished up some retooling of the design and have been subjecting it to rigorous testing for the last week or so. I am hopeful that I will be able to get this on my site for sale by the end of the year. I didnt bother cleaning the laser char off it but I should have in hindsight. But this one was really the prototype to abuse for a few weeks. This latest version is all cherry as well and will handle 3 strand and four strand rope. You just need to switch out the wheel on the one end and switch and move the smaller gears on the other end to change the configuration. This is easy to do and just requires the loosening of a set screw. It was important to me that it look FUN to use.....but it also has to work well....which it has. This particular rope walk has already made more rope than the usual model builder will make in ten years. I will let everyone know when its available.

Hopefully soon. But I have another hit of bad luck. My mother in law who lives with us had a stroke yesterday. Found her on the floor in the bathroom yesterday. So all production is once again coming to a halt. Its been and awful year for the family with stuff like this. So for the next few weeks or so everything is up in air. I will however be fulfilling and shipping orders as usual or at least as long as the stuff stays in stock. Not sure when I will be able to get back in the shop to start making stuff again. When it rains it pours ......sigh. Sadly, Many of you guys know how this stuff goes.

Greg....FYI...you need to delete some of your Private messages. Your mailbox is full. You wont be able to get any new messages until you delete some of your old ones. Chuck

Looking really good Rusty!!!

Actually I do plan on developing my rope walk further and possibly marketing it. I just this week had a conversation with an engineer to figure out how to improve it for production purposes. I am shooting to make it available by the end of the year and create some video practice lessons. Chuck

Everyone has been suggesting that I include all resin castings and offer the boxwood carving blanks as the add-on. I just might do that but it will increase the price and take a couple of weeks more. I am curious as to what most of you think about that. If most of you would prefer to have the resin castings set complete as part of the standard kit let me know. Its no big deal but that just means 7 more castings per kit to make. The resin castings are shown below as opposed to carving your own. But I do hope that many of you will at least give it a try. While I am in Florida at the conference I did manage to update my site with a page for the kit....including part one of the two part instructions for download. Part two will be added in about two weeks just in time for the first production kits to become available. https://www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/royal-barge-kit.php

Should have it posted on my site shortly after the NRG conference. Chuck

I am just wrapping up the MFG for the first 13 barge kits. All of these kits are already sold. They will be going to the San Diego club as they will be building this as a group. I am waiting on a new delivery of wood to make the next batch and they will be placed on the site for sale. I just wanted to keep all of you guys in the loop on my progress. In addition, and this is good news all around.....after making the first 13 kits I was able to get a better handle on the time and $$$ for their cost. Based on this info I am happy to report that my original price of $245 per kit was a bit high as I can produce them a bit cheaper than originally thought. Therefore when they are released the price will actually be $225 per kit. Shipping in the US will be just $7.50 while International shipping will be $22.50 which is the actual cost for most countries while a few others are even higher but I will cap it at $22.50 regardless. Chuck

That looks really nice Alan. Its good to see that model again and I have caught up with your progress. Chuck

They were never a sponsor but they are a great supplier. I just placed a huge order for Cherry from them. You cant go wrong with Ethan. I am hoping to get them on board as a sponsor soon. Make sure you tell him you found them through MSW and mention my name....it will help. http://www.ocoochhardwoods.com/scroll_saw_lumber.php

The additional carving pieces will be around $10. If most want them instead I will probably just include them straight away. But rather than hold up production more I will concentrate on releasing it without them. The castings are what take the longest amount of time to produce. I am actually looking to try and find someone to do the casting right now so I dont have to. It takes days to make the castings for just six kits doing them on my own. If you guys know anyone....let me know. Chuck

I dont think so. Beyond some of the parts being fragile it really isnt a difficult model to build in my opinion. BUt I am not a good gauge of whether his should be considered an advanced kit or intermediate. I would be very interested to hear from folks who buy it and build it for a a more fair description. Its probably easier to build than the pinnace kit and longboat kits I designed because the planking is spiled and only a few planks are shown. Chuck

Almost there.... This photo shows the contents of the kit. I am just finalizing a few more things. The kit is made from all cherry with some additional boxwood accents. You get the resin casting set minus the seven items you will be carving. But the seven items will be available later as an option for those that dont want to carve them. I hope everyone at least tries. You get two sheets of plans and printed friezes for the panels and sweeps. The pedestals and sweep racks are also included. There will be no printed instructions in the box to keep costs down but the full set will be available as a download on my site as usual. There are 25 laser cut sheets of cherry and boxwood that range in size and thickness. The planks are pre-spiled and laser cut for you. The real fragile stuff is carefully packaged in bags rather than being left in the laser cut sheets like the etched panels that are inboard. They are boxwood and very fragile. This kit contains everything you need to build it just like I have straight out of the box including pre-printed flags on tissue paper. It is a fully framed model with floors and toptimbers just like the contemporary models and will retail for $235. It will be available real soon and just in time for Christmas. Let me know if you have any questions. Chuck

Check out the poll of kit MFGs.

Really shaping up....nice work Rusty.

I am often asked by folks who own my Serving machine how to use it to seize blocks or make a mouse etc. Truthfully it was never designed to do those things but because it is a very simple tool it can be modified/augmented very easily. In fact I have written directions to dozens of folks about how easy it is to make a jig of sorts that can be used to hold and seize blocks using the serving machine. So I figured to save time I would also post it here. As you know it is very simple "Amish" technology to say the least. The jig/attachment for holding and seizing blocks or even making a mouse is equally as simple. I will not include these devices with the machine because they literally cost only pennies to make but will take about 20 minutes in time. The cost isnt the issue, its the time and folks would probably balk at having to pay me for that time when they could make these on their own for literally pennies. So here is how it is done...or at least one method. So first...to make a block fixture..... You will need a wooden dowel that fits snug in the 1/4" tube of the serving machine.....two alligator clips or any other clips.....and some glue. That is it, although you could get fancy and use another brass tube or rod and fancy clips. For me it isnt about the materials used but the functionality. The brass tubes that are used on the serving machine protrude just a bit from the handles as shown. This was done on purpose because I always knew the extra meat would be used for stuff like this, I am just surprised nobody has done so yet. Drill a small hole through this tube protrusion...straight through so it goes through both sides. You will use it to insert a pin and secure the dowel/block holder. I actually just use a length of 22 gauge wire. It works great. Then take a short wood dowel and drill another small hole through the end as shown. You can slide the pin through the tube and dowel to secure it....easy-peasy. The dowel should be a snug fit in the tube. The other end of the dowel is cut to length so after attaching say....an alligator clip....it will be close to the side and gears. The back of the alligator clip is opened up and crimped onto the dowel....also secured with glue. That is it. very simple. Its so simple in fact that its easy and more economical for you make these on your own rather than pay me to make them. This same concept can be used to make a jig for making a mouse too!!! Just use another brass tube rather than a dowel or rod. I am sure that you have seen these... It makes the Serv-o-matic an even more versatile , low cost and simple machine to own. If you have other jigs and modifications that you have made to your serv-o-matic.....please share them here. I am sure that everyone could benefit from them. Chuck

No they are never removed. As you said they will be bumped off when someone post new photos. That banner just shows the latest images uploaded. Your photos will also still remain in the gallery along with the thousands of other photos that have been uploaded over the years after someone new posts new images.

You are getting there and its looking very good Rusty. Well done. Chuck

Click the button under the last question that says see results.

That planking looks outstanding.

Based on a suggestion this topic was moved to this forum. A very good suggestion, thank you.

I understand, but you need not actually build some of these kits to know about their details. For example, I have never built a Dusek kit before. But I have seen them up close, both here on MSW and in person. The quality of the laser cutting and the materials supplied is excellent. Some of the best I have seen in a kit model. So I would be very comfortable voting for them. Other than that I think folks should just vote their experience....whatever the reason. For example, if you did buy an AL kit because its all that was available to you and you found the plans and instructions terrible, dont vote for them. A "NO" vote is just as important as a "Yes Vote" I have never bought or seen a Soclaine kit up close. I dont know anything about them. So I will not vote for them but instead I will just vote for what I do know about to the best of my knowledge. You dont need personal experience with all of the brands on the list. These results shouldnt correlate with the number of build logs for that exact reason. More of one brand in a lot of build logs could be about availability while this poll is about other aspects for the brands based on the best of your knowledge, whether from online viewing or from personal experience. In addition, the internet allows us to buy other brands that might not be available locally. Hopefully that will help give folks an introduction to these kits. As far as Australia is concerned, that explains a lot about why the Chinese kits are so prevalent there. Right or wrong but availability is a huge consideration and the expense to ship products there. In the states here I have not bought a hobby kit or product in any brick and mortar store for ten years. I have always bought them online and had them shipped. There are zero hobby shops within 100 miles of me that actually carry anything ship model related..... I think it is understood that most people wont have experience with many of the brands listed. Rather than have them list which ones they have had experience with I think maybe a question asking which kit brand you have had a bad experience with would be better. You can select those you thought had poor materials, plans and instructions.

Do you see a button to show vote options.....then just select again. I think. This poll stuff is new in this version. Let me see.