Chuck

Very nicely done....that is what a planked hull should like!!

I really dont know its chemical makeup...I am keeping the commercial name close to the vest for now. Never bothered to read the msds sheets. Sorry. Too much competition out there. The moment I tell folks you will see just as many kit mfgs using it like they now do with polyback...or laserboard. A guys got to have a leg up on the competition these days. Chuck

Thats why I havent used that Wefalck. Those fumes are deadly. My shop and laser are well ventilated but it is a small space. The stuff I am using is not harmful at all. But yes it too has an unpleasant odor. But its harmless. The thicknesses available are limited however. So I must get creative trying to cut the proper size blanks for making blocks. I have my wood provider trying an experiment right now to see if he can thickness it to the many variations in thickness I normally would need. I have my fingers crossed. If it fails however, I will still use this material for making many ship model parts...like the windows for speedwell. Its very strong and allows me to go very thin without fear of them being too fragile. I do have a fallback however to make dark brown or black deadeyes. Not Ebony but just using blackened stabilized hornbeam instead. The issue with that is of course availability. It all comes from Russia and the Ukraine or Estonia and takes forever to to get shipments. Its very expensive and not a reliable on-demand supply method. So I am seeking out suppliers more local. Should anyone know of anyone not in the EU and preferably in the USA or Canada that sells black hornbeam, please let me know. Its doesnt have the strength and wont be able to go as small as with the "plastic Syrenite" material, but I could always use the thinner sheets available for the smaller blocks. Its the larger sizes that are problematic....I can buy 1/4" thick stuff but it does not come in 3/16" or 5/32" or 7/32" thicknesses...so I would need to add many different steps to laser cut strips that thickness. For example I need 3/16" x 3/32" strips for one of my blocks. I would first need to laser cut strips to 3/16" x 1/4" from the 1/4" sheets and then redesign my files to use those to make blocks 3/32" thick. Its just a lot of added steps and a lot more laser time than I would like. Using Black Hornbeam eliminates these steps. I just take a 3/16" thick sheet of black hornbeam and rip a bunch of 3/32" strips and I am done. The Syrenite stuff only comes in 48" x 48" sheets or 4 x 8 sheets as well. So handling and cutting smaller sheets that fit my laser cutter are a pain with the thicker stuff. But the thin stuff cuts easy enough with a blade and a snap... So there are a few kinks to work out. Chuck

I believe that model is misidentified. It looks nothing like the class its supposed to be. I think its much earlier as well. But I dont think it is the actual endymion.

Yes it is. Absolutely gorgeous.

The color is off on the left version...too orange for me and wont go with Speedwell. I may have t adjust the color on that left version but it takes forever to do.

LOL...I suppose I could have put those two Syrens in a pants suit for the more conservative model builders out there. But I think it best to stick with the typical imagery used during the time period. I chose the syrens for an obvious reason. If I can sneak one into a project I am working on I wont pass up the opportunity. And by the way...choosing a frieze of the best color and shape is not an easy task at all. I may yet do a third version. Its a big part of the models visual appearance. I look to find actual friezes used on Contemporary models and then adapt them to my projects and change them up. Adjusting the shapes and colors etc. The inspiration below....adapted for the Speedwell. Oneof my all time favorite contemporary models. If I could find the drafts for this I would build her in a second. Chuck

I made up another alternative as I wasnt sold on the color of the original I made. I think this one will blend in more readily with what I envision for the model. Regardless ...both with be made available and folks can choose. I wanted a darker and larger blue field which this new design gives me.

I havent tried yet honestly. The issue is they are so small they might fall into the machine or be very hard to keep from falling into places. It would be very difficult to rig blocks smaller than 1.5 mm the traditional way. Can you imagine stropping such small blocks?

Thanks Rusty...you could get this color by dying wood deadeyes too but its so messy and takes time. This was easier. I just placed them in my tumbler with some weathering powder. Instead of sandpaper, a stiff cloth flap wheel buffed and colored them in about 2 minutes. I am not sure folks can get over the fact that they are not wood but it doesnt make sense to me since its basically the same stuff that 3d prints are made from and everyone is using 3d printed parts these days. I will be using this material and this color on my Speedwell for all blocks and deadeyes. Even if I never sell them. There doesnt seem to be any interest in them. Chuck

Just finished up a small batch of Syren deadeyes for a commission of sorts. 1/8"and 3/16" deadeyes. I used the new "Syrenite" material. These were laser cut from black Syrenite. Which would have been fine to use as is, but I prefer a dark brown...as well as my customer. The finished black deadeyes were tumbled in a dark brown weathering powder for about 30 seconds. Its really just a matter of tastes. The black will show through slightly. If you use them as is they are black...like ebony they look great. To kick them up a notch and make them look rich with more depth...a quick brushing with some weathering powder really does the trick as well as giving a lustrous satin finish.

I will probably provide both. I like more of the blue field without them. Here is a pdf if folks want to print one out and see what I am working on. They are far from finished. I am still working on the colors and details... sternfrieze.pdf

Thanks Toni....its pretty crisp. I think it was just my printout. Two versions. One with tassels. Still playing with it though.

Thanks guys…its just a paper template so dont get too excited. Hopefully i can now make her look like that using wood. I will start planking in May after I get back from the Connecticut show. This is how she will remain until then. I am bringing the model if anyone happens to be going as well. I will also bring the completed Winnie.

The original model of speedwell is so filthy and faded its really hard to see the colors. Thats why I wanted to do a test of sorts. I want to see if these colors are good or if I should change the red to something else etc. But since the bulwarks and deck fittings are also red I figured why not just match that for simplicity. Look how muddy and faded the colors are below.

Thank You guys. I couldnt resist. While I am hanging around I thought I would create a template for the wales as well. It would not be a waste of time because now we have the spiled shapes for the wales as well. I colorized them in Corel Draw and taped them below the other template. This is as good a look at what the finished color scheme will look like. Along with the details on the external hull. Although with a very 2d look and feel...LOL.

Well I am starting to feel much better although I am not making any rope or blocks yet. Still very exhausted. So my inventory will have to wait. But I did spend a relaxing day yesterday working on Speedwell. Mostly out of boredom. I dont know how some folks can sit around all day doing nothing. Anyway...this starts chapter 3. The square tuck and counter planking. Everyone knows a square tuck can be very very tricky to make so it looks good. Rather than fart around with individual elements I decided to take a shot at doing it the exact same way the model builder of the contemporary model did his square tuck. Unfortunately for him...he didnt have a laser cutter. It took a really long time to get the shape absolutely correct so I liked how it fit. But once that was done, it took about 15 minutes to bevel the outside edge. There is a laser etched line for that so it was easy. I also added the planking within that tricky framework as laser etched lines. This included treenails. But the treenails are for placement only. They are same size as we will treenail the hull planking. So you can drill them and use 15 pound black or dark brown fishing line for your treenails. OR...just use the laser etched ones as the final because it still looks pretty darn good. Then glue them on the model making sure they are lined up port and starboard. Keep in mind how a square tuck was used and its purpose. The plank ends would butt against this frame on the forward side. So it needs to stand proud of the frame already on the model when positioned. This should be by about 3/64" all the way down. Then its time to plank the counter. The counter planks are laser cut just like on the Winchelsea model. They are pretty straight forward. Sand the sides flush when dont with the hull so planking the sides of the hull will be nice and neat. With that done I wanted to take a stab at seeing what the colors of the model will eventually look like. The contemporary model is painted with solid areas. The counter being almost a dark blue gray...almost black. A dark blue stripe down the sides of the hull with a read stripe above that. I wanted to see what a frieze might look like keeping the same color scheme rather than just paint solid areas like the Contemporary model. So in my sick boredom state...I colorized the template and made a first go at a stern frieze and hull frieze. Just to see how they would look. They are just taped on. Now I realize this might look weird with not seeing the black wales present, but it actually does give you a good sense of what this color scheme might look like. Once the moldings and wales and stern carvings are added it might look very good. Imagine the insides of the ports red and the bulwarks as well....In fact I think I like this far better than just painting the hull with solid colors. What are your thoughts...Any comments?

Funny!!! But I guess no good on the deadeyes??? No comments at all. Good or bad so I dont waste my time any more.

I am resting....I am just playing in the shop. Its when I have to make tons of parts that I get worn out. I am just drafting some designs and solving some problems on the computer. Its all good. No inventory is being made today for sure. Just a leisure slow day in the shop sipping tea. Chuck

They do offer a darker brown in this material but I selected this medium color for the test. I think I am going to have to replace all the deadeyes on my Winnie now. The dyed deadeyes on the main channel look so muddy and non-descript by comparison. Or maybe I should test the darker brown as well. Anyway... The details are so much more evident on these new deadeyes. I will certainly go ahead and make a full compliment of these and blocks also for my Speedwell. I will only start mass producing though if there is enough interest. I hope so as I think these look so much better than the old ones.

Thanks for the well wishes… would you guys be interested in dark brown deadeyes that dont require dying? These are just like my current build them yourself deadeye kits. 3mm thru 7mm There are just two layers for each deadeye. Just glue the two halves together for seven deadeyes at a time with thin set CA and remove them from the spru. Then tumble them to suit . They are super crisp. I like how Greg dyed my blocks on Speedwell and I am trying to develop a full line of blocks and deadeyes that dont require messy dying. I want to use them on my Speedwell when I rig her. Here is Gregs model with deadeyes dyed with Fibings dark brown.

Yes I agree. In fact, The Admiral has given me orders so I dont get pneumonia. She has ordered me to shut down the store for at least a week or maybe two so I can get well and restock slowly. She is a smart lady. So unfortunately guys...forgive me for shutting down again. I have nothing in stock anyway so it will give me some time to catch up. But not for a few days at least. I need a few days to get better. It really knocks the hell out of you. Chuck

Well I am not up to making rope or making parts like the factory is going full tilt. So I am just poking around the shop playing and then taking a nap and repeating to take more nyquil. Its amazing how creative you get while high on Nyquil. I am in a haze of creativity. i am literally completely out of stock with rope and blocks so the next few weeks are going suck. I am already tired and I havent started making more yet. So I apologize for the delay. Its gonna take a while.

More experiments making blocks and deadeyes with new mystery material. No laser char. I call the ebony deadeyes and blocks...."Febony" as they are not real ebony but its impossible to tell really. The blocks and deadeyes are made from the same material I experimented with making delicate scrolls. Again....no laser char which is fantastic. These are my same old multi layer mini kits. I just used the new material to see how they would look. Tested a medium brown as well. No dying or staining needed. They are the same color all the way through. These are all 4mm deadeyes. Chuck

very nice!!