Bob Fraser

Thanks for the recommendation- - I've just added this to my Amazon list. Not just for me though, and hopefully get some Brownie points!😁 Admiral does needle felting, and uses hard beeswax on her models, particularly mushroom tops, to help flatten the fibres. After rubbing it on she then irons them. Also does this on the traditional jointed heirloom teddy bears felted noses to give them a slight shine.

Scrap PE fret comes in handy. I've used it as hoops on barrels, smokestacks and capstan tops to simulate the iron metalwork. I've also seen, for thinner strips and iron woolding bands, people use the soft lead tops off sprits bottles. Cuts bends and shapes easier than brass!

At the moment I have it in a small ventilated room using a fan, but aim to build a cabinet with a 4" extractor fan and tube it to the window.

I have a Sculpfun S30 5W 40x40cm laser with air assist and limit switches. Cost is £280 or under $400 US. I'm also using Lightburn, which has just doubled in price and will no longer update for Linux systems. I'm using it at the moment to learn Lightburn and to design and cut the deckhouses and mast parts for the Mini Mamoli Cutty Sark that look the part even if not exact because of the very small scale. The laser can cut a 0.5mm circle, however at small scales you do have to be careful with the width and length of the beam, and the direction of the cut, so an allowance distance between the cut lines needs to be factored in.

Figures and paints also sold seperately, although early orders will get the paints for free at the moment. Are the figures going to be resin or white metal? Will they be sold as a full set as all the figures shown, or different sets - such as the Nelson scene - seperately?

Hi LadyG Do you have the model number 22170 or 22175? 22175 is the new version with the rowboat, and 22170 doesn't have one, so that may be the model you have. Here's a link to AL Mary Jeanne (old) with photos, instructions and parts list downloadable as pdf files low down on the page. If it's 22175 there is also a link on that page for the model. Hope this helps!

Good day Navyshooter. I thought the name ship sounded familiar, I've seen this version of her over the years. You were wondering about lighting - the town of Blackpool UK has a version of her on display each year for their illuminations. It's a tram you can ride along the prom on. HMS Blackpool Illuminations 🤣🤣

Nicely done Bob! I've been watching in the background but not able to comment - a good job well done. (lots of life things and 0 space to do anything until at least after christmas now keeping me otherwise engaged) Glad the plans helped - I know I used them a lot. If you spot someone else who needs them please pass them forward 😁 All the best

Liking the light hull finish. Can't find my printed instructions, but have found the 1-1 scale drawings. If you would llike them, pm your postal address and I'll mail them across for you. I found they helped with some of the positioning of posts, ropes, eyes etc, but as each model has its own quirks I found you can't rely on them for exactness of heights.

A nice tidy job. You'll find the 1/96 a whole different beast that opens up a world of options 🤯 - just do a search and you'll find all the different options and methods that people are using from out of the box to huge kit bashes. As has been suggested, look at the one by Bruma, and the Ferreira build by rwiederrich, but don't limit to just those.

Following along! The original had walnut as the hull planking. Major differences are the PE parts and the "engine room" having the choice to motorise the paddle. And looks like no walnut at all! They do have a set of figures available now too. Edit - Found the original instructions and picture booklet for 20505. I think the instructions were A4 size. 20505 Mississippi Instrucciones.pdf 20505 Mississippi color.pdf

Whilst built for the Confederate states, Alabama was built in the UK by Lairds of Birkenhead. Just a coupleof miles from where i used to live. So she could have been built to British scantlings for the time period. There used to be a model of her on display at the outdoor swimming baths at New Brighton that was built by a member of the CSS Alabama Association who wanted to raise her. Alabama Wiki

We have a Cricut Explore 3 - the machine is tied to the software for conectivity because of proprietary drivers, and the Cricut Design Space software is tied to the internet either via PC and USB, or the app version which connects via bluetooth to the machine. You can design in other art / graphics software and then import. We also have another machine, the Sillhouette Curio. This is very similar to the Cricut in what it does with a couple of plusses. The Silhouette Studio software isn't tied to the internet, and the machine isn't tied to the software, there are several other softwares that can connect to it. They can both do things the other can't. Both can use a range of non-oem pens and cutters with adaptors. Cricut will import only SVG and DXF in it's free software, while Silhouette will import DXF, PNG, BMP, JPG, GIF, GSD and TIFF (SVG in a paid version). Both will do more filetypes in the paid versions. In both programs DXF will open with the lines of the design ready to be marked for operations, as will SVG, all other files will need to be traced with the software (needs clearly defined lines) but is relatively easy to do. The Curio will cut up to 2mm wood, as will the Explore, but both need several passes and higher pressure settings to do so. Corners and curves are well cut. We have both only because they were going being sold off cheap by people who no longer needed them, and they came with loads of materials and tools. My other half said "I need them for my makes, and you can use them too!" Having only had these a matter of a few weeks I tried both for some small cutting and drawing I found the Curio the easier of the two to use, but I've a long learning curve. If buying new neither machine comes with much in the way of tools, and Cricut oem are relatively expensive items. If you're looking to buy one, check out your needs and match them to a model in the available ranges that can do what you want. She also said a laser cutter / engraver would come in handy for her projects so now I've got that one to learn as well, with Lightburn being the software of choice - while building an enclosure and extraction duct for smoke and vapours.

Got to say, they don't give the best of instructions. I have the Cutty Sark under way and had to use a lot of filler and shaping to get the lines looking anywhere near right. (Stopped for now as life got in the way but will continue soon I hope.) Use the photo of the ship on the box front to see what you may need to do. Looks like a lot of filling and shaping to get the lines in the photo.

Dave asked earlier if the spreadsheet could be re-written to account for the foremast discrepancy. I've managed to get the spreadsheet so it's unprotected, made it so you can see the rows/columns and sheet tabs. Also frozen some headers so they don't get lost. The calculations can now be seen and followed, but they seem to go round in circles to me (probably just me not seeing it right). Would an Excel wizz like to have a go? Masting and Rigging - Danny Vadas - open.xlsm Forgot to mention you'll likely get some warnings about active code. These will need to be allowed to run it properly.