Overworked724

Thanks, Bob.  I know it can be better...
I rigged the mainmast to the extent possible: the gaff, and the boom with its topping lifts.  I took some pictures of the ship with the masts set in place. It's great to get an idea of the finished product, but after Christmas I'll remove the masts to their building stand and get to work on the bowsprit.


 

Hello again! Yesterday I had a sick day, so I got the whole day to build! You won't believe how much progress you can make when you have the whole day to work! I built the fairleads, splash rails, chain plates and deadeyes, belaying pins with rails, and some more eyebolts! The splash rails were fairly simple. I took them off of the plans and painted them. The fairleads were made from Manila folder and wire. The chain plates took the most time. I cut brass strips to the correct lengths, bent and shaped the hooks, drilled the holes, and cleaned them over a candle flame. The hole drilling was a bit more involving, as I broke the drill bit that was the correct diameter . I just used the next size down and drove a pin through each individual hole, widening it to the right dimensions. I painted them, and painted the pins that hold them on the hull. The deadeyes are held on by a thin black line that's kookier on the hook of the chain plate, threaded through the cap rail, and tightened around the deadeye. The line is held in place with ca. The belaying pins were painted at the head first, then glued in to the cap rail. After they were in the cap rail, they were painted on the lower half. The paint is only on the visible side, so it shouldn't rub off during rigging. None of these items were made completely perfectly, but I chose some of the more appealing photos . Though it isn't perfect, I am still happy with it. Plus, there isn't much I can change now, so why worry about it? Anyway, here are the pictures.
 




 


 
I forgot. I also drilled the mast holes and have nearly finished the launching ways. Until next time!

Tragedy!  I just discovered I accidentally included one extra timberhead on both side of the bow!  
 
Thank goodness I’m not a stickler for perfection.  But since I have already deviated multiple times, this really isn’t too much of an issue for me!!!  🤣
 
I think she still looks good. Deciding to leave it rather than correct it. 
 
Moving on...

Finishing up the hull details and getting ready to move into masts/rigging. Lord help me...😣🙏🏼
 
Is nice seeing the ship take take on some more definitive look.  Long way to go though. 
 
Will do do some touch up painting before I start messing around with masts!  Also still need to make and fit the swivel gun mounts. 
 
Moving on....slowly. 
 
 
 

Thanks, Russ!  Well, I can honestly say that they will need to be ripped off since they certainly won’t be coming loose anytime soon. Will be putting in pins for the next build though. 

Ok. Going to stand back and admire my progress a bit. The chain plates I made turned out really nice and I am glad now I decided to make my own via wire/solder. The metal was very easy to bend and trim. Made for a fairly painless chain plate attachment and the effect was very clean. After it was done, I had to consider how much she is starting to look like an actual ship!!!
 
Moving on...
 
 

Thanks, Bob!  I totally understand that!  Very good tip which I will follow in future. 
 

Got the port side channels/deadeyes installed. No pins for the channels...will simply say a prayer and hope the carpenter’s glue holds. 😁🙏🏼  Fairly lined up and not a bad result. 
 
Touch up paint is in my future. But if I only mount it with port side facing out, then I only have to do half the rigging!!!
 
 
 
 

Happy New Year, Lou!  Your kind support is always welcome!  Sometimes it helps to vent my frustration...and I truly hope I give more opportunities for you to enjoy the build...slow as it is!
 
Cheers
Pat

A bit more perspective in the bow/stem section. Yes, I omitted a LOT!  But this was not without a considerable amount of forum searching and assessment of other builds.  In short...the Sultana is a small kit, and trying to create the same level of detail as described in the plans is simply beyond me capabilty at this time without some consideration for a beginning level modeler.  Seriously...hey Model Shipways!  Ever hear of laser cut parts?  No?  Well you should...21st century modeling....how about you people get with the program and get some laser cut parts for your old kits?  Who knows you may actually attract some NEW MODELERS to the craft.  😤🙄
 
Ok.  Chuck’s practicum gives the perfect tips to do this, but it is simply time to move on....so I did.  Made appropriate adjustments to make it look nice (but probably not very nautically accurate) and it is what it is...
 
Moving on...and for those going to attempt this kit, I would say that this kit comes with a lot of potential for doing your own thing...and if so...then just do it.  Don’t be afraid of doing something different.  The plans are good for accuracy vs the Sultana, but Who says you can’t just do your own thing....
 
We we will see where this goes....but I know the Bob Stay hole is too far behind the figurehead base....so there will be some interference there....all about accommodations at this point...adapting to previous errors....ugh.  But that’s thwhat fun of this hobby....always something!
 
Moving on.....to the chain plates and swivel gun mounts.

Well. Where to start. Server went down when I was gaining some Holiday traction. 
 
Progress report:  Great cabin windows, stem post (and massive deviation from plans), mounting screw arrival. 
 
Great cabin windows:  (Metal fittings suck) Like a more earthy tone so scrapped the historic yellow. Looks too gaudy and garish. Does not match the natural wood warmth I want to portray. Painted a desert yellow with white window frames. The window frames needed some thought. No...no more trim tape as referred in Chuck’s practicum. Opted for a 3x5 note card, a black Sharpie pen, some stick glue, and scissors. Turned out beautiful!  Wish I had done the same on the transom windows. 
 
Stem post:  Ok. Let’s be honest. Chuck is a professional modeler and I’m NOT. So...tossed the practicum and deviated from the plans. Handshaping/sculpting wooden sections the size of a mouse turd is neither fun nor easy for me.  Decided to enjoy my model rather than fret over historical inconsistency. 
 
Decided to scrap the ‘knees’ altogether...and put in upper and lower ‘cheeks’ (sorry if I’m screwing up the nautical terms) with cross braces connecting them. These tiny bits actually ARE the size of mouse turds! Cannot truly describe how difficult it was to place these things without spreading glue all over. In short...focus on maintaining symmetry as much as possible...I mean I simply eyeballed it since there was simply not opportunity to be precise at this scale. 
 
Mounting screws came. Yay!  Got at least 1.5” of screw to set the ship. The Admiral simply asked, “Aren’t the screws too long?”  Too funny...wish I had longer screws. But what the hell...I won’t be playing football with the model after it’s under glass. 🙄
 
Pics below....moving on!  
 
Happy New Year!!!
 
Cheers, Patrick 


















 
 

Ok. A bit of progress mixed with procrastination. Painted the knight heads with decent result. Decided to put together my channels before putting them on the ship. (May sound odd but I have my reasons. We shall see)  Also tried a couple of different size square dowels (basswood) to see a sense of scale for the swivel cannon stocks.  Will go with the smaller stock.  But the metal fixtures are crap. Model Shipways should be ashamed.  However, I think that putting on the stocks/cannon will be best done as one of the last finishing touches for the ship.  I will prepare them, and ensure good fit...but putting them on before the rigging doesn’t make sense to me.  They will simply get in the way  and
 
Also put on a couple coats of natural finish to the wooden balls and mounting board.  Muuuuuch better. 
 
Now jumping on the cheeks...sigh. Will need to adjust considerably from the plans. 
 
anyhow....moving on.

Yes...the knight heads seem high. I may need to trim them a bit more but will wait until I have a better sense once the bow sprit is seated. 
 
Sigh...always something. 🙄

Carved out the knight heads. Used square dowel, 0.1-in (2.4mm). Same technique as the timber heads. Pics below are useful if you are still fuzzy from chuck’s practicum. It’s actually fairly easy once you get the hang of it. Will paint tomorrow and attach at liesure after the bowsprit is on. 
 
Moving on... 

Finishing up the hull details and getting ready to move into masts/rigging. Lord help me...😣🙏🏼
 
Is nice seeing the ship take take on some more definitive look.  Long way to go though. 
 
Will do do some touch up painting before I start messing around with masts!  Also still need to make and fit the swivel gun mounts. 
 
Moving on....slowly. 
 
 
 

Looks like you managed to measure once and cut twice AND came out with more rather than less! That's quite and accomplishment! 
 
Lou

Tragedy!  I just discovered I accidentally included one extra timberhead on both side of the bow!  
 
Thank goodness I’m not a stickler for perfection.  But since I have already deviated multiple times, this really isn’t too much of an issue for me!!!  🤣
 
I think she still looks good. Deciding to leave it rather than correct it. 
 
Moving on...

Finishing up the hull details and getting ready to move into masts/rigging. Lord help me...😣🙏🏼
 
Is nice seeing the ship take take on some more definitive look.  Long way to go though. 
 
Will do do some touch up painting before I start messing around with masts!  Also still need to make and fit the swivel gun mounts. 
 
Moving on....slowly. 
 
 
 

Finishing up the hull details and getting ready to move into masts/rigging. Lord help me...😣🙏🏼
 
Is nice seeing the ship take take on some more definitive look.  Long way to go though. 
 
Will do do some touch up painting before I start messing around with masts!  Also still need to make and fit the swivel gun mounts. 
 
Moving on....slowly. 
 
 
 

Finishing up the hull details and getting ready to move into masts/rigging. Lord help me...😣🙏🏼
 
Is nice seeing the ship take take on some more definitive look.  Long way to go though. 
 
Will do do some touch up painting before I start messing around with masts!  Also still need to make and fit the swivel gun mounts. 
 
Moving on....slowly. 
 
 
 

Ok. Going to stand back and admire my progress a bit. The chain plates I made turned out really nice and I am glad now I decided to make my own via wire/solder. The metal was very easy to bend and trim. Made for a fairly painless chain plate attachment and the effect was very clean. After it was done, I had to consider how much she is starting to look like an actual ship!!!
 
Moving on...
 
 

Well. Tried and failed on the plastic pintles/gudgeons. But that’s ok. At least now they are just irritating, and not exhausting and intimidating!!!
 
Some progress...Finally got the stern fashion pieces on which complete the stern. I cheated. I said I wasn’t a good wood carver. Make them out of sculpy (cool stuff that sculpy). Not too broken up over it. I made them by hand still...
 
Pics below.  Can now plan a final coat of tung oil before starting to work on the bow area. 
 
Moving on!
 
 

Map (like the nautical topographical map used during sailing) paper would work as well...now that my mind is going that direction - water proof paper would be an interesting attempt as well.

OMG Lou - we posted our notes at the same time!  I was just thinking along those lines!  Thanks for the follow up!!  =-)  Will take some time this evening to put together one to see how it looks....if anything, I want to experience.  =-)

Thanks Ron/John!
 
Not certain that I would classify myself as an artist...more like a 'stubborn hacker'. 
 
Funny....after I mounted the current rudder, I my mind started racing on what other materials I could have used...since my head got stuck on 'wood' (i.e. paper) and metal (i.e. copper sheeting) for the P&G's.  Sitting at my desk, I realized I could have used plastic and paper clips as well.  We have some clear plastic file folders from Japan which are just the right thickness.  And the small, plastic wrapped paper clips (I like those...they have a good 'grip' on paper when you use them) would be perfect for the pins.  If you straighten out the paper clips, you can glue the hinges to the 'pin' with the plastic on...and strip away the plastic just above the hinge!  It would work - and you would not have to worry about gluing metal to metal. The stripped paper clip is just about the same gauge as the 22g wire I was using earlier.
 
Going to try that a bit later and post the pics. 
 
The reason I am fussing so much is because the hinge is non-functional (locked in place).  Since the hinges are paper, they are fragile, and I am a bit leary of it not lasting until completion.  This was also the reason why I made a couple of additional rudders and hinges.  I used wood glue to mount the current rudder...so if the current one gets damaged, I can simply clean it up, and mount a new rudder/hinge assembly I will have sitting in the wings. 
 
On a positive note, I looked at the Sultana this morning, and she did look like she passed a milestone!  =-)