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David Goulden

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Everything posted by David Goulden

  1. Pollex, thanks for the link to the modelling club in Toronto. Not sure how much free time I'll have, but will be sure to check out the website.
  2. My thread arrived from Syren, so excited! Ordered about three times what I thought I'd need, just to be safe. But before I start rigging, and after I finish cleaning, I need to fix a few cracks. Especially the big one in the bow. Is white wood glue ok for that? You can see the crack in the third photo in the first post of this thread - I can't seem to link it to this post.
  3. Thank you for the replies. The model is more 'in the style of' rather than an exact replica of the Bluenose, so I'm not too concerned with exact dimensions. Something that is in the ballpark and looks good is fine. The suggestion to err on the smaller size is great, not something I would have thought of. Brian, your suggestion to download the parts list from Model Shipways is good advice, thank you. Cheers, David
  4. So I am completely new to modelling, restoring a schooner my grandfather built for me. I have the Jenson book of measured drawings for the Bluenose II, and from that have determined the model is approximately 1/80 scale. Can I use that scale to determine the thickness of the thread for the rigging? The plans indicate the rigging ranges between 1 and 3 1/4 inch thick. Breaking out my calculator and dividing by 80, that would convert to 0.0125 and 0.04 inches respectively. Realistically, I don't think I can cover all the different thicknesses. I was thinking to use two, 0.018 and 0.035. Does this sound reasonable, or am I missing something obvious? Thanks, David
  5. Thanks for the tip druxey, looks like some nice rigging and reasonably priced. I should probably order twice as much as I think I'll need for the inevitable mistakes I'll make
  6. The ship is cleaning up nicely with just paint brushes, q-tips and water. It is a slow process though, sure teaching me patience! The Jenson book arrived a few days ago. Although I hate the handwriting-like font, there is lots of useful info in there. I now know the model is roughly 1/80 scale and rather loosely based on the Bluenose. The more I work with it, the more I think I'll need to replace most if not all the rigging. The thread breaks easily, and a lot of the wire is loose or broken. I'll probably spend some time in hobby shops while I'm in Toronto next month. Any suggestions as to what type of thread I should get?
  7. Thanks Reg, I couldn't find 'Elsie' but I found 'Gloucester Clipper Fishing Schooners' by the same author, do you think that would be ok? https://www.amazon.co.jp/Gloucester-Clipper-Fishing-Schooners/dp/0961502150
  8. druxey, thanks for the suggestion. Most of my family still lives in Halifax, and I will be visiting next month. If the Bluenose II is in port I'll be sure to take plenty of photos. If not I'll ask my family, and I'm sure there will be no shortage of books on her in the tourist shops! Maybe even the book of plans you mentioned. Cheers, David
  9. Kees, thank you. That is exactly my plan. I'm hoping once cleaned up and the cracks repaired, I won't have to do any painting. Or at most very minor touch ups. Frankie, good advice. There are two types of material in the rigging. Thin copper wire which seems in relatively good shape, and thread (rope? string? don't know the proper terminology) which snaps with a strong tug. I am fine with replacing the latter. Out of curiosity is it usual to have the two types of rigging on a model ship? Obviously I have a lot to learn! If someone can point me to a primer on rigging that would be helpful. Cheers, David
  10. This log is for the restoration of a model wooden schooner my grandfather made for me sometime around 1960 when I was born. The following information is subject to change as I question my family, but this is what I’ve gathered so far about the provenance of the model. I believe he modelled it off of the Bluenose. According to my mother and aunts after which the ship was named, he built most of it while working on a coast guard ship. He never got around to adding sails, but I remember him mentioning a few times that he always wanted to. That would be the only thing I would want to add beyond restoring it to the original shape. I’m afraid most of the damage is my fault. For nearly 30 years it stood in a nook in our family living room in Halifax. Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s I asked my mother if I could take it with me to Toronto where I had moved some years earlier. I needed to take off the masts and bowsprit to be able to pack it in my suitcase, and foolishly did not think to take a photo before doing so. As you can see in the photos, a lot of the rigging was damaged as well. Another 20 years and two continents later, I’ve taken it out of storage in my current home in Tokyo and am hoping to be able to restore it. I found a few cracks, the biggest one being in the bow. But I think the hardest part will be redoing the rigging. Knowing my grandfather, I doubt it is an exact replica of any one ship but more a composite of some of the ships he worked on as a fisherman and trader out of Newfoundland. My first step was to photograph the model from several angles. I’ll post some of them here. I think my second step should be to clean the years of grime off it. Thanks to this forum, I’ve learned the best way to begin is with cotton swaps and water. I would really appreciate any advice on how to proceed further. I’ve built a few plastic model ships when I was a child, but nothing since and certainly nothing from scratch. I’m not looking to build a work of art, I just want to restore as faithfully as I can the gift my grandfather spent so much time to make for me. I know I could send it off to a professional to get it done right and probably much quicker that I can, but it is kind of a personal journey for me. Thanks for reading this. I don’t have a lot of free time to work on it, but I hope to finish the project by this time next year (summer 2017).
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