Boxbuilds

It's impressive to see the precision of the thin window frames

How did you maintain symmetry between the two sides of such a complex figurehead?

I have one of these in my stash of models and you've inspired me to move it up in my build list. Not sure I could come close to your carving skill though

I've used scrap tile with a smooth surface

Don't forget the cloth polishing brushes. I've found that a CLEAN brush lightly applied at medium speed smoothies rough spots sometimes.

I'd like such steady hands and sharp eyes. I'm sure we can learn a thing or two from you.

Nice matching effort on the lantern. Looks original.

Thanks for the kind words

To make Martha “work” I reviewed pics of other small crab boats on the Chesapeake to identify some of the equipment used. In short, I added crab scrapes, blue crabs, crab tub, buckets, net, life vest, gas can, toolbox, fire extinguisher, cooler, nav light, floatation cushions, floor grate, gauges, sorting board and ropes. To give miss Martha a slightly lived in look I put in a false deck that was weathered. I added thick layers of paint representing many years of maintenance. Woodwork was slightly worn with sandpaper after staining. Scuffs and dirt were applied with diluted mud colored paint. Watery black was helpful where oily grime was appropriate. The crab scrapes were made with soft wire and netting. I think the wood frame is instrumental in deploying and retrieving the scrapes. I used my 3D printer to make 2 crabs as a mount for the stand. I generally use creatures and figures (golden) to hold my models. To hold the identity tag, since my last name is Boeck as in Bock beer, I use golden goats on all my jobs.....kind of a signature. I tagged Martha with the CBMM logo to credit them with this great kit. Now, on to the next The steering mechanism on these boats is unique. Controls are in the aft, near the engine compartment, not in the cabin. Looking at the boat's stern a long vertical lever, blocks, ropes and a steering arm are visible. I drew a little diagram to help illustrate the mechanism. A line is tied to the vertical, steering lever. The line travels from the steering lever through one block and ties to the rudder steering arm. From there the line is passed through the other block, through feeds along the boat bulwark into the cabin, around the perimeter of the cabin and back out the other side of the cabin. Finally the line continues through the feeds and terminating at the vertical steering lever. By moving the lever to the back of the boat the lines pull the rudder to the left and vice versa. With the throttles attached to the engine housing and the adjacent steering lever, the boatman can control his craft.

I cry with wonder....I wish I could do this. your career and patience are producing an exemplary model...no, piece of art. Not diminishing similar experts, you deserve credit for both the quality of your woodwork and the "tutorial" that is being written in your log. Many of us will benefit. Danke.

Martha is essentially built. It still needs its decals and touching up. The build had some interesting challenges but was pretty straightforward. The laser cut parts fit well. Its important to pre-fit and sand a bit. The cabin takes care because there is a tight dependency to getting all the pieces in line. The steering mechanism is a combination of line, pullies, and a steering lever. The pullies are soft metal. The small holes the lines run through should be cleaned up and enlarged a bit. There are fairleads for the lines which tie off on the steering controls and the rudder lever and run along one side, up to the cabin and back in one large loop. The fairleads were wooden, small and really fragile. I managed to break one and decided to use half of a split ring instead. Once the cabin is built it is unlikely the line could be properly run, so do it before. I have decided to modify the boat and make it "Martha" at work....at least my impression of a day on the bay.

Hello Keith. This is a very nice effort. Whatever approach you take to refurbish your ship is the right approach. You want to be happy with the result and your experience with woodworking serves you well here. I have found paint thinner to vary greatly in its aggressiveness. I have used it when I suspect that someone plastered varnish or some other coating over the original paintwork. Over time it turns yellow and black and ruins the original work. The trick, as you know is to test and be gentle, right? It made a huge difference on the Nuestra Senora Afortunado restoration. Although the owner didn't want to retain the patina(sad), the detail in the decks and other bits came out. But soap, toothbrush and water often do the yeoman's portion of the work. I continue to look for matching drawings to identify your ship. I appears to be English based upon its flags. I'll also look into the heraldry displayed on the shields and sails. They could be notional or real. Some look common. As I see anything I'll let you know. I am doing the same for folks at cast your anchor hobbies so I'll combine efforts. The ship appears to represent an early carrack of three masts, 16 guns, topsails on 2 masts and a lateen missen. Interestingly, the bowsprit (or mast) does not go into the ship. It rests below the beak, seated in the stem. It carries a sprit sail. I counted only 7 guns on the starboard but I think I saw a hole where the balancing eighth gun went. Is that possible? Additionally, I count 24 "gunports" on upper decks, which would raise the count to 40 guns. So I think I'll look for a forty gun ship and let you know of any candidates for your consideration. If I overstep here, I apologize and will back off. It's just fun for me. Regarding the maker of the ship....The tag on your ship is just like that on the GH! The turned guns, mast construction, nailed yards, colors and sail materials seem identical. I have a question out to the Cast Your Anchor Hobbies folks about the provenance of a ship like ours that they worked. You may not know that we've identified four other ships made by this manufacturer. Sooner or later I hope to get to the source of these ships. This is an interesting project and I look forward to watching its progress.