Keith Simmons

Hi everyone
 
Thanks for all of your comments and Likes. Very much appreciated!
 
Majellan has large awnings that stretch over the decks to provide shade to the guests on board. The first awning covers the spa on the Sun Deck, whilst the second stretches over the large settee on the Bridge Deck. I've started to do a mock-up of these awnings, which can be seen in the following photos.
 
Internally, I've continued with the fit out of the owner's suite, in particular a small office area that sits just aft of the entrance to the sleeping area.
 
Still loads of work to go, of course.
 
I hope you enjoy the photos!
 
All the best, folks.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Super, Patrick.
 
Your work continues to amaze me - you fit so much into a tiny space.  On first viewing the photo with the apple I thought "that's an amazingly large apple!"  

Hi Frank
 
Thanks. We grow them apples BIG here in Aus!
 
All the best.
 
Patrick

Not that bad???  No, it's great, sir.  Don't beat yourself up because we all our own worst critics.  

Thanks for all the "likes" and comments.  
 
I edited my previous post, seems I mixed up "port" and "starboard".... 
 
I'm on hold waiting for glazing to dry.  The last window on the port side hit the floor without my knowing it and my foot found it.   I made extras but didn't glaze them.  Well... I am now.  At least I'm not sorting out fitting things, just matching the other side.  
 
 
 
Yes, Mike, those are all one piece windows as are the stern windows.   The dimensions are listed here:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/5339-licorne-by-mtaylor-pof-316-french-frigate-hahn-version-20/?p=412930 for the gallery windows.
 
There's a picture at the bottom of this post.  One frame is not cleaned up and the other is.  There's a quarter included for scale.   (The quarter is approximately 7/8" or 22 mm in diameter).
 
Carvings are coming... 
 
While I'm at it... I wanted a couple of times to PM you.. but it says you can't receive messages.
 
 
 
 
Thanks Pat.  You're spot on about confidence and losing the fear of doing something with little to know knowledge.   
 
 

what a pleasant thing to come in to see.......the galleries and windows look great Mark!   really super job!  

Hello all,
 
A few months ago I got the urge to try something I have been thinking about of doing for a long time.  I have always been very intrigued with dioramas.  It adds to the realism of our models but making a diorama with large models is not an option for me, space wise.  
So, what size should my diorama be and how to protect the diorama from dust and possible mishaps while on display.  What subject should I choose?  
In my frequent visits to the Dutch website "Maritiem Digitaal" I found a few paintings of ships in a shipyard.  Being also an artist I love to accumulate copies of art, just to look at.  So, the idea is basically making a diorama of a small shipyard like they used to have in the cities around the former Zuider Zee, now Ijsel Meer.  In one of my many books about the Netherlands I came across a photo of just one of those real small shipyards.  Ah, Pieter thought, that would look great.
 
Well, as time went by and I felt a strong urge to start with this project the subject was changed from a Dutch fishing boat to an American build topsail schooner.  Oh, the Dutch fishing boat is still in the back of my mind but I'll reserve that for later and hope to actually make a diorama in a bottle.
 
After I saw JesseLee's ship in a Christmas ornament globe I thought that would really be a challenge making something that small as a diorama.  But alas, that idea was promptly rejected because of the difficulties involved, i.e. improbabilities.
 
Then I read about small dioramas under a wine glass.  So, did a Google search and they looked very nice with real probabilities.  Problem was that Gwen would not part with one pf her crystal glassware, her wedding gift.  A good thing though because in retrospect the stem would be too distracting.
A further search for ideas got me to those "snow globes."  Eureka! Pieter shouted.  That would work and also look nice.
 
These snow globes are rather small and can be held in the palm of your hand, just what I had in mind.  Okay, what do I use for a globe?  Christmas tree ornaments are too delicate for this purpose.  So my dear wive Gwen why not use a lamp?  I rejected that idea already at the beginning because I did not see any way doing all this through that small opening after you remove the filament.  But then the light went on - - - I'll just cut the lamp to fit on my diorama.
 
I now had the subject, the diorama globe and the material to use (wood).  Next was to determine how big that schooner should be to fit nicely inside a 75 Watt lamp that's cut down to have a 5 inch opening.  The schooner is supposed to be 90 to 95 feet long or 27,432 mm or 28, 956 mm.  My diorama can only have a model of about 14 to 15 mm length on deck.  Well, that works out to a scale of 1:2000.
 
This is the reason for me wanting to try it first to see if I can actually make a 90 foot two masted ship at 14 or 15 mm.  The masts and spars should close to scale rather than clunky.  The rest would follow easier, me thought   
 
Okay then, here are a few pics of everything that preceded the actual build process. 
 

Old ship's warf of Dirk Pauw at Durgerfam
 

Original idea for shipyard diorama
 

Bird's eye view of original idea
 

Cordial glass that came closest to the size I wanted, 5 inches
 

 

 

A 75 watt lamp that will eventually be cut to the 5 inch diameter point.
 
Cheers,
 
 
 

Thank you Jack,  I always liked Maple and Walnut together,  Have done many furniture pieces with that combination.  
 
   I think I like these type of ships......

Hi Patrick,
 
    Thank you for the comment, I'm happy with the deck overall, now if I can just keep from screwing it up with all the details left to do...lol.
 
     As for the ketch, I'm just about ready to finalize the hull, then I need to come up with a few design ideas within the Tempus style.
 
  Thanks again, Keith

Thank you Jack,  I always liked Maple and Walnut together,  Have done many furniture pieces with that combination.  
 
   I think I like these type of ships......

Hi Patrick,
 
    Thank you for the comment, I'm happy with the deck overall, now if I can just keep from screwing it up with all the details left to do...lol.
 
     As for the ketch, I'm just about ready to finalize the hull, then I need to come up with a few design ideas within the Tempus style.
 
  Thanks again, Keith

Hi all,
          Just a little progress report on the 90. Finally finished installing the Maple decking and painting the hull. On to the mast, rigging and detail work.....
 
 
    Thanks for looking in,    Keith

Thank you Jack,  I always liked Maple and Walnut together,  Have done many furniture pieces with that combination.  
 
   I think I like these type of ships......

WOW ! Nice ! great job Keith - love the contrasting wood colors.

Hi Keith
 
Nice one.  I reckon you've got the deck planking and deck houses down pat.  Man, they look good.  Great job on the hull, too.
 
You're on a winner, Keith, for sure...I can't wait to see what you're gonna do with the ketch!
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

Hi all,
          Just a little progress report on the 90. Finally finished installing the Maple decking and painting the hull. On to the mast, rigging and detail work.....
 
 
    Thanks for looking in,    Keith

Hi all,
          Just a little progress report on the 90. Finally finished installing the Maple decking and painting the hull. On to the mast, rigging and detail work.....
 
 
    Thanks for looking in,    Keith

Hi all,
          Just a little progress report on the 90. Finally finished installing the Maple decking and painting the hull. On to the mast, rigging and detail work.....
 
 
    Thanks for looking in,    Keith

With regards to the safety of using a 10" standard table saw previously asked in this thread. A full sized table saw is safe when used in the appropriate manner for the appropriate task. Some "rules" to follow:
 
- always use the anti-kickback pawl and splitter
- never stand behind the blade and fence
- use the right blade for the task at hand, rip, crosscut, plywood
- never cross cut freehand, always x-cut using the miter gauge with or without an extension piece and move the table saw fence out of the way
- always get a tail person or build an out-feed table when cutting long sheets
- never, never, never have a conversation while operating any power saw
 
Regards
 
PS I have a Jim Byrnes saw for 10 years. By milling my own lumber from stock (to include logs), this machine has paid for itself many times over; as has Jim's thickness planer.

Hi Michael,  
 
     I used to be a piece working carpenter, and guess I never lost the hurry up and finish attitude, but I'm trying...lol
 
   Keith

Thanks Patrick,
 
   I flip flopped on the color, but beginning to like it myself. I sure am learning some new skills on this project such as working in smaller scale, exciting, can't wait to dive into the ketch....
 
 
   Cheers Mate
 
                          Keith

A bit more progress on the 90 sloop, cabins set and decking going in. Decided to follow through with the Walnut inlay in the deck, think it will work...
 
  Found out that actually working on 2 hulls at once is harder than I thought. In this case it works out better since I won't make the same mistakes on the 150 ketch.....
 
   Since I built one without a frame, I'm going to attempt a pegged timber frame for the ketch. You'd think I would just learn how to do a real hull construction, but I don't roll that way....
 
 
 
   Thanks for looking in,  Keith

Making some progress, finally starting to look like something.  After all was said and done the floating frame removal did work. Not sure why that is such a big thing to me, but it was a challenge...lol
 
   Just about ready to place Walnut cabins and run Maple decking.   Here are some progress pics...
 
 
  Thanks for looking in,  
 
                                     Keith

Hi All,
Been real busy here with the renovations and getting ready to move. I managed to
get the deck planked over the past two weeks. The curved planking was a lot of fun
to do in a sick kind of way. J
 
Here is the planking done through the center of the deck.
 

 
After looking it over I wasn't happy with the alignment with the aft most hatch and skylight.
So I ripped off the planking to the skylight and repositioned the hatch and skylight and
re-planked it. Much happier now.
 
Here is the completed planking and sadly the last that work that will be done for some time to come.
 
 

 
The shop is now officially closed, the Cheerful has been packed up and I'm now starting to
pack up the rest of the shop.
 
I’ll be living vicariously through all of you and hopefully rejoin you sooner instead of later.
 
So long for now!
 

I like it also. If you go on the web site and view it, they show you every angle and what everything is for and what it does. You think about it, we build wooden ships, a good about of us do scratch building, which means you could make it yourself, with more functions built into it. Now I am not saying that it's not worth it to buy, but I think that making one like that yourself could be a pleasure to do. Just a thought and my 2 cents, before they do away or change the penny LOLL
 
PS. I like that you can turn the ship on it side, upside and in fact any angle you want. Nice real nice indeed.