bruce d

Siggi, this is going to be spectacular. ✔️

Hello Jeff and welcome to MSW from the UK. For what it is worth, I am retired and the modelling time is still 'catch as catch can'. Pride of Baltimore ll is a lovely ship and a great subject, hope we get to see a build log. Bruce

Hello Kirk, welcome to MSW from the UK. Your models look good. I especially like the half-hulls: makes me want to dig out the drawings I made a year ago for a half-hull HMS Union. Looking forward to seeing a build log. Regards, Bruce

Looks good, Mustafa. 👍

Druxey, has anyone ever mentioned that you are pretty damn good at this?

... and get the asprin ready. 😉 For what it is worth, the rules of the past carried a lot more weight than those of today. There was a clear nonconformist message in the title of Conrad's 1899 book Lord Jim. Virtually everyone at the time knew this not a proper form of address. HTH Bruce

🤞 Bruce

Hello Casi, well done. If you don't mind, I will be watching over your shoulder. Bruce

Bonjour Casi, welcome to MSW from the UK. It would be great to see a build log for Commerce de Marseille. A big 18th century French ship, yes please! Regards, Bruce

Rick, very sorry to hear of your loss.

Hello Johan, welcome to MSW. I hope you post a build log when you start your project. Bruce

Learned a trick today about changing the blade on the Byrnes when using an adapter bush. Perhaps I am just the last to know, but I will post it in case it is new to someone. No pictures but if you have a Byrnes I feel confident you can follow along. I was installing a new 4” blade and it was the first time I had used the 1” adapter bush. The table-top insert was removed and the blade raised to the max. After much fumbling trying to keep the adapter centred inside the bore of the blade while reassembling the remaining pieces, I figured out a better way. Keep the arbour for the blade raised and turn the saw on it’s side with the motor to your left. It is best if the saw slightly overhangs the edge of your workbench so the weight is on the side of the saw, not the edge of the saw table-top surface. Now the spindle is pointing straight up and gravity is your friend. Reach in through the insert aperture and drop the adapter on the spindle. Make sure it is centred. Slide the blade down the spindle and centre it on the adapter. Now slide the remaining holding plate on the spindle, then screw the shouldered nut finger tight. You can either finish the tightening now with spanners or return the saw to the upright position and do it there. As I said, maybe everyone else knows this method. It certainly is an improvement on the mumbling and grumbling technique I started with! Hope it is of use to someone. Bruce

Hello Bluntsymodels, and a warm welcome to MSW from Sussex. What you have posted looks good, it seems you know how to overcome problems. Hope you start a build log, that is fine even if you are already well into the build. It may be useful to the next modeller who tackles that kit. 😉 Bruce

Welcome to MSW from Sussex. Aircraft modelling is the path many have taken to get here, as Chris said. Also, plastic, wood, paper, metal and resin: all go into the models here. Rummage through the logs and have fun. I hope you start a build log for the Pourquois Pas, looks like a good subject. 👍

Welcome aboard, Spooky, glad to have you. Nice work so far!

So, am I right in thinking the frames and keel are not glued to each other?

I have been talking to a man who supplies specialist woods. This is not a large and well known source. Here is the situation: he has buxus offcuts that are too small to satisfy his existing customers and are of unpredictable sizes. Personnaly, I would like a handful of these 'scraps' but I think that the opportunity is here to claim a larger amount. If anyone in the UK or EU wants some, for figureheads or whatever, just express an interest so I will know. I have no idea at all what costs are likely to be or for that matter whether there may be some larger pieces available. We can figure out logistics later. I hope this isn't a wild goose chase. 🙄 Bruce

Looking good. Can I ask what wood you are using for the frames and keel? Or did I miss it?

A warm welcome from the UK Stama, it is always a pleasure to hear from a real sailor. Please keep us informed when you start building. Regards, Bruce

Exactly my thoughts. I also have some tung oil which isn't tung oil. It is quite old and doesn't say much on the tin about what else is in there so I would not dare use it on a model. Maybe furniture, but not a model. The video does a good job of explaining the variations, thanks. The reason I homed in on the example you posted is because of the colouring. I would like to knock the 'pink' off of the Swiss pear stock I have. Having confidence I can get the result I want would free me up to use t in areas that will be left bright. As you say, we have some chemists so perhaps there is more to come? Bruce

I like the look of the right hand example. My one and only half-hearted attempt to add a finish to some Swiss pear was in the hopes of getting the effect you have achieved. With decent weather returning I will be back in the shop and doing a few more experiments, it would be good to know what substitute product over here would give the same effect. Must admit to being stumped by the product name & description if it isn't tung oil. So, a question if you don't mind: what is the Formby's if it isn't tung oil?

What Bob said. Also, since I'm here, there are a couple of specific points that might underline why I would steer you toward the Unimat SL. First, it is exactly what a small workshop needs all rolled into one. It can be moved around easily. Around 90%+ of what you will need from a lathe/mill for a model ship build can be handled by a DB/SL with a milling column, appropriate cutting tools, a decent 3 jaw chuck and a tailstock chuck providing you have another way of cutting wood to size. The circular saw attachment works very well with a bit of practice but a dedicated saw is better so I hesitate to include it in the 'must-have' list. If you find you need further attachments, they are available. Secondly, they are cheaper in the UK than North America. They hold their value also. One last point: IMHO, to consider a CNC option seems almost like changing the subject. In practice, there would be such a steep learning curve that it would take you away from building the model. CNC is very popular with certain types of model engineers and quite often their background has exposed them to the dark art of setting up and programming but for most people it is hard work and does not always work out as planned. Just my opinion, you will know what feels like the best for you. HTH Bruce 👍