Chuck

Indeed it is. Its just another scammer way of selling the brands we already know. They change up names quite readily. There really isnt a Nidale company. Its once again just ZHL scamming under a new name as they do often. See below. They are used interchangeably. I will add this new alias to the list. Think of it like a distributor more than a MFG. Even though they use these alias as a BRAND on many sites they are basically the same company. As far as I can tell there are three actual companies that make kits and they are sold under countless names. Its just a ploy as nobody believes there are 20+ individual ship model manufacturers in China with two or three new ones propping up every month. We currently have 20 Chinese names on the list that all sell the same stuff listed as a Brand Name on EBAY or Aliexpress etc.. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/ZHL-all-scenario-version-of-the-black-pearl-ship-model-kits/32759016135.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.49.6XaTPY&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_5570020_10152_10065_10151_10130_10068_10344_10342_10343_10340_10341_5560011_5550020_10307_10137_10060_10155_10154_10056_10055_10054_5470020_10059_100031_10099_5460020_10338_10339_10103_10102_440_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10324_10325_5380020_10326_10084_513_10083_10080_10082_10081_10178_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_143_10312_10313_10314_10078_10079_10073,searchweb201603_30,ppcSwitch_2&btsid=bbd2ef87-74f5-48fe-be13-e0e856049302&algo_expid=f8791d81-32fd-4368-a065-c16307eed895-6&algo_pvid=f8791d81-32fd-4368-a065-c16307eed895 The other prevailing theory is that any shmo in China with a laser cutter and other capabilities will steal the pirated kits of other chinese pirates. This includes photos used on many websites. It is so rampant that although you think you getting a pirated ZHL kit which is usually crappy unto itself, but instead you get an even crappier pirated version of the pirated ZHL kit. You never know what you are getting til you open the box. It is literally a crap - shoot!!! LOL

All of the build logs have been moved to the "Build logs for kits" area. The group was shut down long ago. But all of the build logs remain. Click here to see most of them after I did a search in that forum. https://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/search/&q=longboat&type=forums_topic&nodes=10&search_in=titles&sortby=relevancy

His email is woodprojectsource@gmail.com

Ron I just spoke to Roman. I placed another order from him myself. He said your order that was placed yesterday, went through just fine. He will get back to you soon but is away this weekend. His website and order page is working just fine..my own order went through with no issues at all. Chuck

Nicely done Dan.....I know how hard that must have been to hold your interest making two identical models one after the other. It certainly didnt effect the quality at all second time around. Well done. I would have been banging my head against the wall.....like groundhog day.

The hull is just a hair longer than 18". Its about 3" wide. Its not a small model. Its a pretty good sized project.

Thanks guys, I hope so too!!! As an aside, I just spent the day revamping my site a bit. I needed to upgrade some parts. So please click around and if you have any trouble placing an order please let me know. I have tested the cart and all seems well. But just in case please let me know if you see some screwy text I may have missed or broken links. This was something I needed to do for a while although it doesnt look too different which I hope is good thing. www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com

Spent some time making a base. Testing how to display the sweeps. Still only one sweep completed. Wont get to the others until next week. Even so, this project is in the home stretch. At least the model is. I still have to carve the decorations for the port side too!! The sweeps will be displayed 5 per side on laser cut racks. I just taped them to the base for this test but I like how it will look. Then I have to finalize the plans, write the instructions, think about packaging and start manufacturing. So still lots to do before these are shelf-ready. But at least now the long to-do list is shorter and more manageable. Chuck

Prototyping the sweeps for the barge..... One down and nine more to go. Each sweep is made from four pieces. Each piece is shaped accordingly. It is either turned and rounded off or tapered and steamed bent. I will of course elaborate more in the instructions. But they seem to go together well enough and are pretty straight forward.

No moving......you can create an album. Just click on the gallery and enter "scratch Built" category. Then set up an album for your images and follow the prompts.

Moxis......put it in the gallery. Those forums you mentioned were just links to the gallery. Unfortunately I can not add them to the forum list any longer since the last upgrade.

Snowy...please place the appropriate title when starting a topic. Dont just write "Snowy". You must indicate what the topic is in your title. Chuck

I am glad you found them.... The flags and ensigns are now complete. The dowels were tapered and painted red. Then I added the trucks. The flags are made just like on Cheerful. They are printed on tissue paper and shaped on the staff. The ensigns are the English flag from 1710 and Queen Anne's royal standard from the same time period. Next up will be the oars. Chuck

Thank you guys. I am really getting excited to be back on this project. Hope to have more updates really soon.

Welcome to the Winnie project. Yes I am starting over again. Many of you might wonder why I would do such a thing. There are several good reasons actually. Let me explain. - About 3 years ago during a flood in my workshop, the 1st Winnie was severely damaged. Although not submerged the humidty and moisture cause the planking at the bow to open up like a banana being peeled back. I did fix it as best I could but I will never be as happy with it now. - It has been a long time since I first designed the project and I have learned a great deal since then. In fact, I have already made numerous adjustments to the design which will make this model easier to build this time around. After watching so many folks build the Confederacy kit, the Syren and yes even watching Rusty build the Winnie alongside me....I was able to identify several key areas as trouble spots. I have since developed new design concepts to make constructing these areas less troublesome and easier all around. - Over the past several years...5 or 6 actually, I have discovered more info and facts about the Winnies appearance appearance. This includes finding the original draft of the Winnie herself. I originally used the drafts of her sisters to make the design. Although very very close, there are differences and I have made all of the required updates. I found this plan in Sweden of all places. I probably could have just continued and nobody would have noticed....but I would have known what the differences were. Better to do it right!!! - Lastly, as all of you know, this will be a commercial project of some sort. Probably like Cheerful with a starter package and many mini-kits. This project is so much larger than Cheerful and a frigate of this size would be very expensive to model. I wanted to ensure that as many folks who want to build her can give it a try. To use Boxwood or Pear for a project of this size would run into the thousands possibly and be very costly to manufacture as laser cut parts. I still do really want to. But some close friends talked me out of it for good reason. Anyway....the new version will NOT be made of Boxwood or Swiss pear. Instead it will be made out of less expensive materials where I could write about the techniques to finish the wood etc. I think it would benefit others to see a scratch model built from something other than costly boxwood and with some care it can look wonderful.

The rudder ...the tiller and the thole pins are now complted. The thole pins are made in two pieces as shown below. This looks simple but these pieces are very small. They were painted red after being glued into position. The rudder is not a working rudder. I mean its not done with working gudgeons/pintels etc. I always find it works its way loose that way and I often pull it off and the parts are damaged. So for simplicity the kit is designed with a non-working hinge that is simulated and the rudder doesnt work. It is glued and fixed in position but you would never know. Before starting on the pintles and gudgeons I cleaned up the rudder and tapered it towards the bottom of the rudder blade. You can see the profile on the bottom of step 1. This was possible because the rudder and stern post was designed with small tabs initially. The simulated laserboard straps are simply glued onto the rudder and each side of the stern post. Then the rudder is glued into position... This drawing may help explain... The tiller was turned from a 1/16" x 1/16" strip in my dremel rotary tool. And finally the images of the model once the work was complete. I am quite happy with how well the set up simulates pintels and gudgeons. It made the process of installing the rudder easier since the flying transom makes it tough to work in such a confined location.

That is looking very good indeed. Mike you are moving all very quickly. Well done!!

Interesting you should mention the build. I am making preparations to begin working on the Winnie within weeks. It is very much alive. Chuck

Absolutely beautiful work. Very inspiring!!! Looking forward to seeing more. Chuck

I buy from them (Cherry) on a regular basis. Their cherry is quite good. They have limited thicknesses on their website but if you need something not shown send them an email with what you need and they will send you a PayPal invoice. Delivery is timely and milling is quite good. In fact, I just ordered several hundred dollars worth of Cherry to start mfg barge kits. Chuck

I usually use a satin finish wipe on poly after letting the stain dry for a day. But remember test it out on some scrap first. Prepare a planking sample. Prep sand the wood with 220 grit sandpaper and try the stain....it will be slightly darker. Then try some scrap planking with 320 sandpaper and apply the stain...it will appear lighter because you have left less "teeth" so-to-speak and with a smoother surface not as much stain will penetrate. With gel stain you apply and let sit for ten minutes and then wipe it off. Then allow 8-10 hours to dry if not over night. The next day lightly sand and apply the satin finish wipe on poly.

Gel stains have no shine at all. Its a pigment. It just colors the wood. Then you apply a protective finish over it which can be satin. Chuck

Lovely job on the exterior and interior planking. The basswood looks great. How do you plan to finish it. You could use a wipe on poly with no stain. Just to finish it. But if you want to apply a stain to give it color I recommend minwax gel stain. Its a great product and I have had good success with it. I prefer the honey maple color gel stain as it gives only a slight darkening to the basswood and leaves no blotches. Just test on some scrap planking first. Chuck

Progressing with carved details....

What you need to realize is that the practicum was originally written for a classroom project and NOT for home use. Several new builders were working on the Phantom with my help and we met twice a week. We worked on the model together in a classroom environment. I was asked to also allow the MFG to place it on their site and I said it was OK. Folks thought it would be useful. The references to drawings in my guide were pointing to the actual instruction manual which came with the kit at the time...about 12 years ago. My guess is that the instructions have changed or at least the pagination. It is what it is. Still worth every penny....free. But if you have a question...dont be shy, ask your question in the appropriate forum or start a build log. Chuck