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EJ_L

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Everything posted by EJ_L

  1. EJ_L
    That is how I typically plank around the gun ports. I will cut them a little long and then continue to slowly file them back so they are even with the run below and install. Then repeat the process between the next opening. It is tedious but gets it done without damaging the framing. Looking good. Planking is one of those highly monotonous stages that feels like it takes forever. You are doing a very nice job and your efforts are going to pay off with a great looking hull.
  2. EJ_L
    That is a fine looking engine, transmission and suspension there. I have a few of those unfinished cars that usually take up room on a shelf but are now packed away for a move. Building fuel lines, and spark plug wires along with the many other custom parts was how all my modeling got started.
  3. EJ_L
    She does look great! I know that feeling when you are reaching the end of wanting to be done and move on. I have said the same of wanting to go back and rebuild models from the past. Only actually done so twice now. Both times I was far happier with the results but I had learned a lot since the first go around. You have done a fantastic job on this one. If you ever choose to go back and build her again we are truly in for a great treat!
  4. EJ_L
    I don't think I have built a kit model of anything since I was a kid that I have not bashed either due to inaccuracies of the kit or my just my own personal demands. Some kits require more than others and some builders require more than others. A kit gives you the basic building blocks. It is up to the individual modeler to decide if that is good enough for them or to see how far they can take it. Michael has by far taken a "basic" kit above and beyond to the point the kit is barely recognizable as a kit.
  5. EJ_L
    Pencil or pen sanders is what they are more commonly known as. (My dad always called it a pencil sander so that name has stuck in my head) are small hand held power sanders that hold tiny sanding pads of various shapes and sizes designed to get into small areas. Proxxon is a common brand for this. Here is the Amazon link for one. https://www.amazon.com/Proxxon-28594-12-Volt-Pen-Sander/dp/B000NDGUXU
  6. EJ_L
    I'm guessing it is glued in place? If so they have pencil sanders that could help or just fold a piece of sandpaper down to a small square and sand it down close by hand. You could also take a hobby knife and use it too shave slivers off the edges to get it closer. Just be careful and go slow especially when going with the grain as the wood can split deeper than intended along the grain quickly. The other option is if you have a Dremel, you can use a drum sander to shape it quickly.
  7. EJ_L
    Looking good. I too am partial to the fruit wood stain. I always try to finish woods as naturally as possible and to build in ways that can utilize their natural colors as much as possible. Can't always do that especially when modeling something that was painted but, I try as much as possible.
  8. EJ_L
    You are doing a great job on her. Going to be on awesome ship when you get her done.
  9. EJ_L
    I ran into the same problem when rigging my canons of the blocks being too large and coming together when rigged. I ended up leaving them that way but it has been one of those things that constantly bugs me.
  10. EJ_L
    An xy table is high up on my list of future buys. I have access to a milling machine but as it is across town at my wife's grandfather's place, it is not very convenient and there are a lot of parts I would like to start custom building myself. I have a nice drill press so all I really need is the xy table and I would be set for a lot of the stuff I would like to do.
  11. EJ_L
    Sometimes the best way to build something is to mess it up a few times. You definitely gain a lot of experience that way. Nice home made lathe too. Looking forward to seeing how she turns out.
  12. EJ_L
    That is actually the very reason my wife actually doesn't mind me spending the money on model ships and accessories. Yes, I tend to buy expensive kits and tools but the tools are a one time purchase. I'm not buying a completely new set each build. Just adding a few as needed. The builds themselves, like you said when broken down into the amount of hours I get to spend on them work out to often around 50 cents an hour if not less. There isn't much that can give me that kind of value.
  13. EJ_L
    I have been gathering a lot of information on her. That is part of the reason I bought the kit so early to my start time. Aside from having to stock up on future projects and materials before all my spare money goes into the new house, I wanted to have plenty of time to go through the kit and really look at what was provided so I know what I need to bash and what I want to do with her. Plus this is giving me a lot of lead time to research her and gather what I can on how she should look. Like most ships of that century, there is little surviving information and accounts, pictures and models are rarely in agreement with each other. Fortunately, unlike la Couronne there is a bit more available which is helping tremendously. Plus there have been a few more models built of her that I can use for ideas. Since she is a larger scale than la Couronne at 1:77 compared to 1:100, I will have a little more room for better detailing and easier building. I intend to bash a lot of the kit and am toying with the idea of adding LED lanterns in the cabins as well as detailing the cabins with furniture and such. I always say that I try to push myself to do better than the previous model and as le Soleil Royal is one of my dream builds I really want to take my time and make sure that I get in every element I want and that she looks like I want with minimal settling for good enough. It will help that I will be building her alongside la Couronne. I will have another ship to work on which will help keep me from wanting to skip difficult things or settle for less than my best in order to keep building. Instead when those times hit I can back off of Soleil Royal and keep working on la Couronne which I anticipate will probably be entering into rigging about that time.
  14. EJ_L
    Welcome home! You do have a nice set up there for building. I'm looking forward to seeing more as it develops.
  15. EJ_L
    Your bowsprit looks nice. I have always found it to be one of my favorite pieces of a ship. It seems to have a proud defiant nature about it as it juts out over the bow. It appears to defy gravity and and make a bold statement of daring someone to approach. Or maybe I'm just a romantic when it comes to ships. In any case, your work is looking fantastic. Great job!
  16. EJ_L
    My next ship, which will be the first in the new ship yard when we finish building our house, is going to be le Soleil Royal, 1:77 by Sergal. I will be building it alongside la Couronne and hopefully starting it in November-December.
  17. EJ_L
    Thank you to everyone for the kind words, likes and just looking in. Ships like this are with out a doubt massive undertakings. Hundreds to thousands of hours spread out over months to years and yes, lots of money. They are not to be taken on lightly. I hear all the time from people when they look at my models, be it ships or the train layout and they always say "I don't have the patience for that." I always say in response that you do have the patience if it is where your passion lies. I love building models. That is why I have the patience to do what I do. Other people may love sports and can sit through miserable cold and wet weather to watch their team play. I cannot do that. I can barely be bothered to turn on the game and watch it. That is not my passion so I do not have the patience for it. My dad rebuilds classic Mustangs and can do it in his sleep. I never had the patience to learn more than basic repairs. That was his passion not mine. The biggest piece of advice I give to anyone who thinks of starting a model of this size is to make sure that this is what you are passionate about. It has to be the thing that brings you joy to work on even when you are stressed from life. If it is just a passing hobby, (of which there is nothing wrong with and I have many of those myself) then I strongly recommend sticking with the smaller kits. Otherwise there is an extremely good chance that you will spend a lot of money and end up with a box full of scrap wood that sits in a closet never to see completion. Now to get back to work on la Couronne and in a couple of months I get to start on the next massive undertaking which is sitting across the room from me just begging to be built.
  18. EJ_L
    First gun port lid is installed. More coming soon!
  19. EJ_L
    Beautiful finish, brings out the color of the wood very well. I like the look of her a lot.
  20. EJ_L
    This is an ongoing debate I constantly have with myself is wether or not to invest in the miniature power tools when I already have all of them in full size. I can see the usefulness of the the minis but I can save a lot of money by modifying my set up with my full size tools. Saving the money allows me to buy kits and materials to continue modeling. Yet every time I see one of these threads talking about the different minis I start adding and thinking about buying them. Maybe one day. Till then I will keep watching and reading on how to set up full size saws to cut those small sizes.
  21. EJ_L
    It is not so much building the stand as that is fine but it it requires the boat to be permanently mounted to it then I would hold off on that. If it is just a cradle type stand where the boat can be removed easily then go ahead. The main thing to think about before mounting your ship is what work still needs to be done? If there is work that is easier to do with the ship on it's side then mounting it on a stand should wait. However, if all of the hull work is complete so that you do not need to turn it onto a side then go ahead and mount it. You decide how you want to build and what is comfortable to you. I have had some models that I mounted on a permanent stand just as soon as the hull was built. My current one is in a temporary cradle to hold it upright but I can still pick it up and turn it over if needed. The final stand has not been built for it yet and probably won't be until I am getting ready to start rigging.
  22. EJ_L
    Beautiful work! She sure is looking great.
  23. EJ_L
    These layouts are always nerve racking to me as so much relies on it being correct. The canons help a lot to make sure things are right. Looks like you are off to a good start!
  24. EJ_L
    Well work slowed down last week as I spent almost all of it very sick. However, this week I am recovering well and getting back at the build. Gun port lids is the theme this week. A lot of them. I got the hinges painted with the first coat of paint and about half of the lids built so I thought I would start assembling them to begin figuring out how I want to build them. I took some pictures of the steps I took but it is fairly simple just time consuming. First after I built the lids themselves I drilled a hole for the eye bolts. These are custom built out of some black .014 diameter jewelry wire. I threaded the wire through the hole and made a loop on one end. Using a small pin I applied a tiny drop of CA glue to the wire and pulled it tight to the lid. Cutting off the wire leaving just enough to make another eye bolt I repeated the process and now have both eye bolts for the pull ropes. I next attached the hinges by simply gluing them into place but first I had to mash down the hinge pin pockets as they were oversized for the pins I will be using. The kit didn't come with any pins so I made some using some small nails. I held the nail behind the head where the thickness of my pliers' jaw was the correct width of the pin length. Then I bent the nail over the jaw to create a 90 degree angle and snipped off the excess length. Then I drilled the holes in the hull for the pins and test fit to make sure everything fits. Once I have a few of these done I will touch up all the paint and add the pull ropes. That will be most of my evenings and time this weekend as this is a time consuming step but I love seeing all the gun port lids opened up and ready for action. It will be worth the time.
  25. EJ_L
    Always a nice day when you can finally start to recognize all those pieces as a ship and not just a pile of funny shaped wood. Looking good!

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