Chuck

indeed I meant every word.  I enjoy the company.
 
As promised here are some step by step for making those pesky boom crutches.  Its important to start with an extra thick piece and cut the crutches out so the tail is extra wide also.
 
You will soon see why.
 
I find it easier to concentrate on one angle at a time.  To get these pieces positioned properly you must get the four angles done separately....one step at a time.
 
Start by filing the fashion piece flush with the cap rail.
 

 
Then viewing the boom crutch from the stern try and establish the correct first angle.  This would be the angle of the fashion piece along the transom as shown below in green.  You do this by filing the bottom of the crutch stem.
 

 
Then turn your attention to the angle when viewing the crutch from the side.  You are trying again to establish the fore/aft angle of the fashion piece as shown below.  This is why you made the crutch so much wider and cut it out of 1/4" thick boxwood.  Sand it to shape with a file.
 

 
Then.....we have to make the boom crutch face the lower mast.   On most models I see they are facing forward or even outboard.  This wouldnt serve its purpose to well.   The reason for making the stem of the crutch wider is so you can turn the crutch to face the mast.  Note how the fore edge of the crutch is flush with the fashion piece...BUT the aft corner hangs off the fashion piece.  Mark the aft side of the boom crutch as shown below and file this bevel into the outboard edge.  The round crutch remains untouched.  You are only beveling the stem.   Then also bevel the inboard edge of the stem to complete it.
 

 

 
Its at this stage where I glued it in position.   Then I filed and sanded it further to shape.  I filled the joint with wood filler and sanded it smooth so the crutch and fashion piece looked like one piece.  Thank God it is going to be painted black.  The last angle we should concern ourselves with is the angle of the top of the crutches when viewed at the side.  This is easier done while it is glued into position.
 
See the angles established in red so the crutches match the sheer or are at least level rather than slanting upwards.  This is important and the bottom of the crutch....inside the crutch should also be addressed and angled downward slightly or at least leveled off if need be.  Think about how the boom would REST in each crutch when establishing the angle inside the crutch.
 

 
When you are done....do it all over again on the other side and try very hard to get a matching pair.  Note how the stems are not very long and the crutches are so very close to the top of the transom.  If you hide the seam well and paint it the results are very convincing.  You will no doubt have many parts added to the waste pile as I did.  These are a bit tricky. 

indeed I meant every word.  I enjoy the company.
 
As promised here are some step by step for making those pesky boom crutches.  Its important to start with an extra thick piece and cut the crutches out so the tail is extra wide also.
 
You will soon see why.
 
I find it easier to concentrate on one angle at a time.  To get these pieces positioned properly you must get the four angles done separately....one step at a time.
 
Start by filing the fashion piece flush with the cap rail.
 

 
Then viewing the boom crutch from the stern try and establish the correct first angle.  This would be the angle of the fashion piece along the transom as shown below in green.  You do this by filing the bottom of the crutch stem.
 

 
Then turn your attention to the angle when viewing the crutch from the side.  You are trying again to establish the fore/aft angle of the fashion piece as shown below.  This is why you made the crutch so much wider and cut it out of 1/4" thick boxwood.  Sand it to shape with a file.
 

 
Then.....we have to make the boom crutch face the lower mast.   On most models I see they are facing forward or even outboard.  This wouldnt serve its purpose to well.   The reason for making the stem of the crutch wider is so you can turn the crutch to face the mast.  Note how the fore edge of the crutch is flush with the fashion piece...BUT the aft corner hangs off the fashion piece.  Mark the aft side of the boom crutch as shown below and file this bevel into the outboard edge.  The round crutch remains untouched.  You are only beveling the stem.   Then also bevel the inboard edge of the stem to complete it.
 

 

 
Its at this stage where I glued it in position.   Then I filed and sanded it further to shape.  I filled the joint with wood filler and sanded it smooth so the crutch and fashion piece looked like one piece.  Thank God it is going to be painted black.  The last angle we should concern ourselves with is the angle of the top of the crutches when viewed at the side.  This is easier done while it is glued into position.
 
See the angles established in red so the crutches match the sheer or are at least level rather than slanting upwards.  This is important and the bottom of the crutch....inside the crutch should also be addressed and angled downward slightly or at least leveled off if need be.  Think about how the boom would REST in each crutch when establishing the angle inside the crutch.
 

 
When you are done....do it all over again on the other side and try very hard to get a matching pair.  Note how the stems are not very long and the crutches are so very close to the top of the transom.  If you hide the seam well and paint it the results are very convincing.  You will no doubt have many parts added to the waste pile as I did.  These are a bit tricky. 

indeed I meant every word.  I enjoy the company.
 
As promised here are some step by step for making those pesky boom crutches.  Its important to start with an extra thick piece and cut the crutches out so the tail is extra wide also.
 
You will soon see why.
 
I find it easier to concentrate on one angle at a time.  To get these pieces positioned properly you must get the four angles done separately....one step at a time.
 
Start by filing the fashion piece flush with the cap rail.
 

 
Then viewing the boom crutch from the stern try and establish the correct first angle.  This would be the angle of the fashion piece along the transom as shown below in green.  You do this by filing the bottom of the crutch stem.
 

 
Then turn your attention to the angle when viewing the crutch from the side.  You are trying again to establish the fore/aft angle of the fashion piece as shown below.  This is why you made the crutch so much wider and cut it out of 1/4" thick boxwood.  Sand it to shape with a file.
 

 
Then.....we have to make the boom crutch face the lower mast.   On most models I see they are facing forward or even outboard.  This wouldnt serve its purpose to well.   The reason for making the stem of the crutch wider is so you can turn the crutch to face the mast.  Note how the fore edge of the crutch is flush with the fashion piece...BUT the aft corner hangs off the fashion piece.  Mark the aft side of the boom crutch as shown below and file this bevel into the outboard edge.  The round crutch remains untouched.  You are only beveling the stem.   Then also bevel the inboard edge of the stem to complete it.
 

 

 
Its at this stage where I glued it in position.   Then I filed and sanded it further to shape.  I filled the joint with wood filler and sanded it smooth so the crutch and fashion piece looked like one piece.  Thank God it is going to be painted black.  The last angle we should concern ourselves with is the angle of the top of the crutches when viewed at the side.  This is easier done while it is glued into position.
 
See the angles established in red so the crutches match the sheer or are at least level rather than slanting upwards.  This is important and the bottom of the crutch....inside the crutch should also be addressed and angled downward slightly or at least leveled off if need be.  Think about how the boom would REST in each crutch when establishing the angle inside the crutch.
 

 
When you are done....do it all over again on the other side and try very hard to get a matching pair.  Note how the stems are not very long and the crutches are so very close to the top of the transom.  If you hide the seam well and paint it the results are very convincing.  You will no doubt have many parts added to the waste pile as I did.  These are a bit tricky. 

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

Molding and Casting cannons....
 
I took a few quick shots of the process for those who might not be familiar with molding and casting.
With over a dozen cannons needed, the options are.... Order manufactured cannons, turn each one individually, or use a master to create a mold and produce an unlimited number of identical units with castings.
 
Personally, I enjoy the molding and casting process.
For molding, I use "Smooth-On" urethane mold compound (2 parts).... cures in about 16 hours.
For casting, I use Alumilite liquid casting plastic (2 parts).... cures in about 20 minutes
 
The top left mold was created three years ago using the turned cannon seen in the pic.
 
The top right mold was poured at about noon yesterday and removed early this morning. I used the brass cannons purchased for my SOS build to create a DOUBLE mold.
 
The castings turned out great.
 

 
In this next set of pics....
Top left, the cannon castings are painted black.
Top right, I'm using a mold created years ago to produce the truck sides.
Bottom left, the trucks are assembled and pre-rigged. Also note the comparison of the 4-wheeled truck that will be used for the 10 gun ports aft of the windless.
Bottom right, is the smaller cannon installed in that first gun port position.
Note the much improved footprint in that very confined space.
 

That looks very good Mike.  I cant wait to see it in person.

That looks very good Mike.  I cant wait to see it in person.

That looks very good Mike.  I cant wait to see it in person.

Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck
 
It will be Glorious!!!  

Build Log 12  –  2nd and 1st Class Pools
 
Good to see so many of you at the NRG conference last weekend.  There were lots of excellent models and interesting talks.  The tabletop demonstrations were done by master modelers, and I learned some new tricks to try on my own work.
 
Here is the next segment of the build log.  It is heavy on photos and light on text, so to get the full effect you can click on any of the photos and it should open in a larger and more detailed format.  You can scroll from there through them without the text if you want.
 
After finishing the 3d Class pool I moved onward and upward to the 2nd and 1st Class pools.  Here you can see them all together and the relationships between them and the rest of the ship.
 

 
The 2nd Class pool is tucked between two arms of the Boat Deck house and below the overhang of the Lido Deck.  On the plans it looks like this.  The pool is rectangular with an hourglass shaped with something unidentified across it.  The surround fills the space between the arms, with a wedge shaped aft end and two amoeba-like somethings on either side.  
 

 
Thanks to this and other photos I learned that the hourglass was a planked balance beam sort of thing which must have been fun to use in rough seas.  The amoebas turned out to be seating units that looked to be made of some cast material.  The surround was decorated with swirling lines in three shades.  I did not find a color photo, so I ultimately went with a simple selection of light grey, medium grey and black.
 

 
The pool tub was constructed as before, as was the surround.  A paper template was made up to determine the fit between the deck houses and the plastic piece cut and fit to match.  The hole for the pool was located and cut and the tub dropped in.
 

 
The bottom of the pool tub was painted a light blue.  I purposely left brush marks and areas of incomplete coverage which give the bottom some definition under the epoxy layers.  The surround was given an overall coat of very light grey, with random squiggly lines of medium grey and black painted on.  I did not have a complete look at the designs on the surround, so this is just an impression of what might have been.
 
I carved the seats from 1/8” hardwood for seats 24 inches high, and added backs of 3/32” tall plastic in the style seen in the photo.  I cannot swear that these seats are 100% accurate, but they are pretty close.
 

 
The balance beam was cut from styrene and topped with decking.  The handrails for the balance beam are taller than those for the ladders and face the other way.  All were installed before a second layer of epoxy was poured.  The assembly was installed and a margin plank fit around it. 
 
About a week later the top layer of epoxy started to get an ‘orange peel’ effect.  I have no idea why this happened.  I used the same product, Devcon 2-ton epoxy, in the same mixture as the other pools where this did not happen. 
 
It was too late to remove and replace the pool without causing major damage, so I tried to tone down the effect with a top layer of white glue, with only middling success.  I could not try anything else because the pool was already full so I left it.  The effect is not unpleasant, just different than the smooth surfaces of the other two pools.
 

 
The 1st Class pool is the largest and most complicated of the three, of course.  The plans show that it fits between two arms that extend aft from the Lido Deck house and under the overhang of the Sun Deck.  The construction of those arms are not clear, but they are not drawn as if they are solid.  The surround flares at its aft end, while the pool has an intricate structure around it, with two unidentified items toward the aft end of the surround.
 

 
The photos clear up most of this.  There are more of them for this pool than the others.  I guess the first class passengers had access to more cameras.  This one turned out to be the most useful.  You can see that the pool is even more complicated than I first thought.  The structure around the pool is not only intricate, but has multiple levels to it.  Perhaps as contrast, the ladders have simple rectangular handrails.
 
The surround has a surface composed of what look like small random tiles, while there is a large slide at the aft end.  The other structure behind the slide is still a mystery.  The arms of the deck house are, indeed, hollow, and are basically windbreaks made of large windows.
 

 
Looking in the other direction I decided that there were four levels to the pool seating.  Each seems to be about 6 inches thick.  The ladder that the woman is on sits on a raised lip which goes completely around the pool.  Behind its irregular shape in some places the level goes down to the level of the surface of the surround.  Behind and around everything is a level two steps up.  The final level is only the small raised platform between the woman on the ladder and the seated man.
 

 
Construction began as usual, but this time the pool tub was attached flush under the hole in the surround.  I could not make those small irregular tiles, but dark grey stippling seemed to give approximately the same look from a distance.
 

 
The shapes of the seating levels were taken from the plans.  Here a copy of the plan has been glued to a sheet of the proper thickness and the outside of the second level is being trimmed away with a sharp blade.
 

 
Then the inside of the level was chiseled out with a narrow blade, separating the piece.  The plan was removed with a few drops of mineral spirits which does not affect the plastic.
 

 
The same process was used for the first level before they were assembled on the surround.  The zero level was painted a dark grey, the first level left white, and the second level painted a light grey, as was the fourth level, the platform.
 

 
Now I turned to the slide.  I knew from my review of the photos and brochures that this was one of the high points of the ship’s details.  Here it is in a color advertisement.  Once I pulled my eyes away from the pretty woman I could see that it was not going to be a simple thing to build.   The main part was made of wood, with the look of a high-heeled shoe.  The upper platform and the steps were cantilevered out from it.  The handrails were bent in several directions with minimal attachment points.
 

 
This shot confirmed all of that, and added that the ‘shoe’ base was actually made up of wooden lifts with dark lines between them.  Note the life preservers, which will come up later on, and the woman on the right in her mink coat, who will not.
 

 
From above, in the photo of the funnel, the slide appears as well.  Here the shape of the upper platform is seen as being wider at the step edge than at the back.  The absence of any risers between the steps makes for a see-through effect.
 
Behind the slide is that other structure, whose purpose I still could not make out .
 

 
I cropped and printed out in actual size the small portion of the profile plan that included the side view of the slide.  A stack of 22 layers of veneer was glued up with black glue and the shoe shape of the base was drawn on the stack.
 

 
The stack was cut, carved, and sanded to shape.  A brass pin was fit into a hole in this base.
 

 
The upper platform was cut and added, then the slide, which was made from two side pieces of wood and a middle of thin plastic.  The steps were cut from a strip of boxwood and glued to the base.  I thought about supporting them with individual wires but the glue seemed to be quite strong enough for such tiny pieces.  I used medium cyano initially, to give the parts a quick, strong bond.  But cyano can be brittle, so the joints were reinforced with a painted coat of white glue, which remains flexible, to cushion the cyano from shocks.
 

 
The railing is photoetched 3-bar railing.  It was bent to fit around the upper platform then skewed down the line of the steps.  One vertical post on each side was clipped off while a long leg was left on the lowest rail.  This leg was bent under the second step and secured into the base.  The wood was given a finish of cherry stain to match the tone of the brochure image.
 
Here are the pool and slide temporarily installed with FDR looking on.
 

 
Another photo finally gave me the answer to the identity of the structure behind the slide.  It turns out to be some sort of spa or hot tub!  I can’t think of anything else that would have steps up into it with an overflow channel.  The lower level is about 1 foot high, the upper another 3 feet tall, each with a thin top of dark stone tiles.
 

 
The layers were made of hardwood cut to shape and painted.  The stone tiles were made from thin black plastic mottled with dark grey spots.  The hot tub itself was carved out with drill bitts and grinding burrs.
 

 
A drop of epoxy filled the hot tub and everything was permanently installed.  A margin plank at the aft end of the surround finished off the pool.  I have to say that it does look inviting, but I just couldn’t get down there to use them.
 

 
At least these Preiser figures can enjoy a quick dip or a long soak.
 

 
Next up will be the large cargo cranes on the fore deck and the rotating ones on the ends of the arms of the Boat and Lido decks.  I should have this out soon.
 
Till then, be well.
 
Dan
 
 

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

So, I read and read and re read and re read the booklet - then stared, and stared some more and stared more at the plans - then decided what the heck, HOW bad can I possibly make it...
 
Started laying rope!
 
So far only have done the 3 collars (Fore, Mizzen and Main), 2 Mizzen shrouds and the Mizzen stay.   MUCH different than the rigging on the phantom - am trying to master tweezers, forceps, clamps, pokers, pryers, picks and needle threaders all without htting the deck like Godzilla through downtown.  NOT easy.   Have had to reattach two channels and the upper bell railing so far - ugh.
 
Anywho,  the one common thing with the phantom is as the rope starts to go on it starts to look more and more ship like and kind of rekindles a bit of excitement in nearing the finish line.
 
I still have MUCH to practice and learn with regards to knots and servings and getting things lined up - but I keep trying to remind myself this is only my second model! Sometimes it helps - other times,  these strings can be frustrating!!!      But, it is on it's way.  This one will be better than my first one - not as good as the next one and a step on the way to the best one!!
 

 

 
 
As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by - more on the way !!!
 
Enjoy and happy modeling!!
 
 

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

I will ship anywhere in the world....
 
 You will need     1 pack of 3/32" singles 1 pack of 1/8 singles   1 pack of .008 tan 1 pack of .012 tan  1 pack of .018 black 1 pack of .012 black 1 pack of .008 black    
Chuck

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

Timberheads are completed....now on to the boom crutches.  Just a word about those boom crutches.  These are probably some of the trickiest parts of the model to make.  There are going to be some crazy angles to create and much trial and error.  I expect to make quite a large pile of bad boom crutches.  This is for the benefit of all those building the model as well.  You will no doubt have a large pile of discarded crutches also.  I will do my best to explain how I make them step by step.  
 

 

 

 

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

What a wonderful few days indeed......
 
Ben, Duff,  Rusty, Druxey, Ron, Mike, Ryland  and so many others from MSW...It was great to spend time with all of you and chat.   Now its time to start working on Next years Conference in San Diego   .   Get ready
 
Chuck

I dont own a drum sander.  Many folks dont.   I dont have a bandsaw either.   Many folks dont.   I also find my most precious item these days is time.   Like with other items and kit products available,  the last thing I want to do is buy something only to have to fix it so it meets my standards.   As a guy who would rather spend his limited time on the fun stuff,  I am just happy there is one wood supplier I can count on that supplies me with a product I dont have spend hours making usable.  OR spend extra money buying the tools to do so.  
 
I see nothing wrong with being extra happy about one thing that is actually supplied as advertised. So few things are these days.  There arent many places like this and I am very fortunate to have the resource.  Literally....Syren Ship Model Company would be out of business if I had to spend the time needed to re-thickness the amount of wood I use.   
 
I am sure everyone can mill their own if they wanted to and if they had the tools.   I just dont want to.   Thank you Jason for making my life a whole lot easier.   And the same goes for countless other model builders.     I ve got nothing but love for ya baby!!!  It made the difference between me being in business and out of business. 

Just a quick note from admin...
 
What Mr Frisoli did was grounds for being banned from this site.  You cant pretend to be someone else and play games like that on this forum.   So a quick warning to Tom....dont  get cute.   He knew what he was doing.   I personally think the laser cutter is well overpriced for what it is.  You can alter  it and work for days adding new parts like Mark did on any Chinese machine bought on Ebay for $750.   When you spend $2000 for one that performs the same way and needs just as much attention there is definitely an issue.  But I will give you the benefit of the doubt so you can try and help these good folks who read on your site that they just needed to "plug it in and start cutting".  
 
That is clearly not the case....and it still says this on your site.  I find that very misleading since you just admitted as much and so did old Mama bear 
 
"But, as with using any delicate instrument, and as Mr. Taylor pointed out, a bit of technical savvy goes a long way toward achieving early success.
 
Now . . . I'll kid you not. To develop use of the machine to its full potential, you're going to have to spend some time with it, and learn the various techniques and tips and tricks"
 
Tom, if you are serious about being fair and straight with your customers,  I would expect you state the same on your website and in your catalog.  But I am not holding my breath.  So please be respectful to our members unlike Mr Frisoli.  I own a much better machine which actually did work straight out of the box with no replacement parts and in one hour I was cutting parts.....and I will recommend to all folks that they should consider another machine.  It might cost you more but they are proven machines....also wait for more reviews of this MicroMark Laser knife machine and tales of success or hardship before you dive in.  The research is key here.
 
Chuck
MSW Papa bear

Guys
 
All I can say is that I am careful and slow to a fault.  Its tough to get stuff done this way.   But I do agree everyone should just slow down.  Its what I recommend  a lot of folks to do...
 
Anyway...back to Cheerful.
 
I was able after two attempts to shape the boom crutch and create a procedure for doing so.  The key was starting with a much thicker piece and making the boom crutch a bit over-sized to start.  I cut out the boom crutch on a piece of 1/4" thick boxwood and carefully adjusted for three angles.   When completed it will be just 1/8" wide to match the width of the fashion piece.  Now that the starboard side is complete I can do the other and take pictures at every step.  This is certainly one piece that needs slow and attentive care to the angles involved.  The boon crutch must be turned inboard slightly so the boom can actually sit in it.  This is tough because the fashion piece and the side of the hull goes in the opposite direction!!!   This one piece took me over four hours to produce, shape and paint to a finish I found acceptable.
 
A few careful reference marks and filing...then turn the piece inward and you are good to go!!!   I will have a step by step soon.  You can see the second boom crutch over-sized and ready to shape in one of the photos.  Note the tail is left long so the proper angles can be created while sanding it shorter.
 
Because the boom crutch was painted black it might be hard to see in these photos but essentially the boom crutch must match the angle of the fashion piece when viewed from the side and from astern in two planes while being turned to line up with the path of the boom (or the main mast).  All while hiding the seam between the two pieces...thank God it is supposed to be painted black.  
 

 

 

 

 

Timberheads are completed....now on to the boom crutches.  Just a word about those boom crutches.  These are probably some of the trickiest parts of the model to make.  There are going to be some crazy angles to create and much trial and error.  I expect to make quite a large pile of bad boom crutches.  This is for the benefit of all those building the model as well.  You will no doubt have a large pile of discarded crutches also.  I will do my best to explain how I make them step by step.