gjdale

Thanks Mark and Danny. Danny - maybe I should have got a quote from your mate! A few cases of beer and maybe a bottle of scotch thrown in............

Hi Pontus, Glad to hear you might go ahead with these books. You won't regret the investment, regardless of whether you pick them up cheaply or pay full retail price for them. Winter here is slowly taking hold. We do see snow here in Canberra from time to time - usually on the foothills in the distance but very occasionally in the back yard. The view of the foothills is my preferred way of experiencing snow - having read of the snow-shovelling exploits of some of our Canadian brethren, I'd like to keep it that way!

Thank you all so very much for all the comments on the display case. What I failed to mention, and what may not be immediately apparent form the photos, is that the front, top and back are all one continuous piece that has been bent to shape using a very tight radius bend. The end pieces are then cut to fit this shape. The effect is two fold - it removes two long joints from the equation, AND it makes it even more expensive! And Mobbsie is right - this case actually cost more than the original kit (although that was 20 years ago). Perhaps in time-adjusted prices it wasn't. Either way, I'm very happy with the result and don't regret spending the extra to achieve this effect.

Super work on the "test-bed" Daniel.

Thanks Augie, Mark, Bob, Sherry and Mike, and once again to all the "likes". Even though it has been a long weekend here this weekend, I'm afraid I didn't get too much time in the shipyard. I did however, get to collect my new case for Victory. Even though I haven't quite finished her, I wanted to get her under a cover to protect her from damage and keep the dust off while I finish off the last few bits and pieces. I know I could probably have made a case for a fraction of the price I paid for this (which was a lot!), but I wanted a "frameless" look for this model, so had it professionally made by a local plastics firm (Plastic Creations in Fyshwick for the local Canberrans - highly recommended). I also decided that rather than use a wood base, I would continue the theme and had a black perspex base made at the same time, with a channel routed in it to accept the "box". The idea of the black base (which is also partially reflective) was to tie in the black and yellow colours of the ship. I like the effect. I took a few pictures of it this afternoon, but it was getting a bit dark. I've shown a couple of pictures here, but they don't really do it justice. Here's one with only what's left of the daylight: And here is one with the overhead downlights on. The table that it sits on I originally made to display my Cutty Sark model. I think the timber is Yellow Stringy Bark if memory serves me correctly. While I had the camera out, I thought I may as well take a picture of the Cutty Sark that has sat proudly in this position (just inside the front door) for many years until usurped by Victory. This was a Billings kit and was my first serious foray into wooden ship building. As such, it is fairly basic - if only I knew then what I know now! The case that this one is in I made myself. It has survived four house moves, including from one side of the country to the other and back again. The only damage it received was to the rigging on one move, which I then replaced and did a better job on. Even so, when I look at that rigging compared to Victory, it seems ever so basic. It is now in the lounge room as a "temporary" measure until we figure out what to do with it. A "Viking Funeral" is still on the cards.......... You can see in the reflection of this photo my wife's collection of stuffed animals - they at least are an appreciative audience! Ship's Boats continued: With the limited time I did manage in the shipyard this weekend, I did manage to paint the internal hull of the Pinnace, fit the Risers for the thwarts, and fit the previously made footling. I'm now making up some gratings to fit, using 1/32" pear stock that Jeff Hayes at Hobbymill made up for me some time ago. It's the same stuff that I used on the Launch. Hopefully I'll get that installed next weekend and then be ready to paint the exterior of the hull before moving on to the fittings.

Pontus, While the Antscherl books may SEEM expensive, they represent extraordinary value for money as they are an excellent general reference book as well as a specific guide for the Swan class. They should be on the shelves of every serious modeller (right alongside Ed Tosti's Naiad books, which are also a treasure trove of information and advice).

Welcome home Robbyn. Glad to hear the vacation went well, but sorry to hear of illness on return. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Perhaps investing in some more new toys for the shipyard will speed up the recovery process.

Those bollard timbers look very nice Ben. Have a safe trip, we'll keep a stern light on for you.

Congratulations Gaetan - thoroughly well deserved. Great to see such recognition for a true master of our craft (if craft is the right word - somehow it seems inadequate for what you do).

A great reminder about being able to devote time and attention to anything other than "mindless" tasks in the shipyard Rusty. This is the reason I rarely get anything done during the working week - I'm usually brain dead by the time I get home, so unless it's a coat of paint on a minor part, then the shipyard remains closed. Sorry for your need to re-do, but the results speak for themselves.

Just delightful Karl. What marvellous photography too!

Gotta agree Sjors, nicely done with the symmetry on the wales.

Having had the same issues and having tried all of the advice above, including an email discussion with Jeff Hayes, I decided to try adding an extra piece of fence to the front half of the high fence. I used some aluminium flat bar, drilled and tapped some holes in the existing high fence and screwed it on. The additional fence extends from the front of the table to approx the centre of the saw blade. The theory is that this will allow extra clearance on the back half of the blade, without the need to offset the rear of the fence, which should make setup a lot simpler. I discussed this with Jeff before leaping in, and he agreed with my theory. I've yet to have a chance to test the completed modified fence, but will post here when I do if that will help folks.

Lovely work Mark. I'm intrigued to see the development of your figurehead.

Very nice Mark. She's certainly coming alive under your hands.

Very nice Augie. Isn't it a privilege to use Jeff's timber? Don't think of it as a "scrap" box, but more of a "spare stock" box for making smaller parts!

More delightful work Bob. Your work always looks so crisp and clean. You are setting a very high bar with this one!

Well done with the re-re-re-re-do Sjors! Well worth that extra effort and I'm sure you're pleased with the result.

Nice work David - just need a couple of Cutters to hang from them now.

That's one very pretty lady Wayne! Looks like you are doing her justice, and taking her out for such a scenic photo shoot is bound to please her. She is certainly very photogenic! Looks like both the builder and the photographer have earned their keep this month.

Thanks Mobbsie, Yes the Cutters are only 25 ft actual length, which translates to 85 mm at scale. That's 10 mm shorter than the Pinnace, although they are wider in the beam.

Moving along nicely Sjors. Filler is my friend!

Thanks Sjors and Brian. Always a pleasure to hear from you two gentlemen. And no Sjors, it won't be taking three years for these little suckers!

Thanks Alan - the isopropyl alcohol itself wasn't too fiddly (it's just applied with an old paintbrush). The difficult part was applying just enough pressure with Exacto blade to separate the softened glue, without breaking the extremely thin stock. Patience was the key, and working very slowly, giving the alcohol time to work, lifting a little, applying more isopropyl, and repeating. The whole isopropyl thing is one of the first lessons I learned here at MSW. It's probably still the most valuable!

Thank you very much Sjors, Mobbsie, Bob, Augie, Lawrence, Leanne and Jim for your kind remarks, and also to all of the "likes". A little more progress to report: Ship's Boats continued: Among bits and pieces for the Pinnace, I have cut out the frames for the two Cutters. Here is one set: Meanwhile, back at the Pinnace, the next job was to install the Keelson and Gunwales. I used 1/32" x 3/64" boxwood strips for each of these, bending the gunwales using my usual water and steam iron method: Then it was time to install the stringers for the footwaling. I used leftover bits of 1/64" x 1/16" Holly planking stock for these. The footwaling itself is made up of the same material. After darkening one edge with a pencil, I edge glued 9 planks together: After a bit of fiddling getting a paper pattern to fit, I transferred this to my pre-prepared footwaling stock and carefully shaped it using the Byrnes disc sander. This was a somewhat delicate operation, noting that the stock is only 1/64" thick. The notches were then marked and cut with the trusty Exacto knife: This was then set aside to be fitted a little later on. The interior of the boat was then given a light coat of white Gesso. This is to help with the painting - it is sort of an undercoat and will ensure the paint grips over some of the excess glue that could not be removed. The next job was to make the cap rails. I used 1/64" thick Boxwood sheet stock for these. A paper pattern was made to provide the approximate shape and the cap rails then cut out. When I say "cut", it was more a case of sanding than cutting. I used a combination of Byrnes disc sander, Oscillating spindle sander, and hand held rotary tool to achieve the aim. I deliberately cut these over-size so that they could be shaped in situ. In this next photo, you can see the white Gesso applied to the interior, as well as the oversize cap rails tack glued in place. The port cap rail has received some partial shaping in this shot: This shot shows again partial shaping of the cap rails, but also gives a good sense of the long, narrow, sleek form of this particular boat: And finally, here are the cap rails in their final shape. By tack gluing them in place, I was able to sand them to a very good fit. I used a combination of sanding sticks and rotary tool with stone polishing attachment to achieve this. I'm quite happy with the way these have come out - they are flush with the gunwale on the interior, and have just a tiny overhang on the exterior. Once I was happy with the shape of these, I had a rather nerve-wracking time with some Isopropyl Alchohol and an Exacto blade to unattach them again. Once again, they will be finally fitted at a little later stage, but needed to be made now. The interior of the boat has now been given it's first coat of yellow ochre paint, while the cap rails have been painted black. The next job (once the painting is completed) will be to fit the footwaling and then the risers for the thwarts. In between waiting for paint to dry etc, I will start assembling the framing for the two Cutters.