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el cid

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Everything posted by el cid

  1. And Das Boot (book and movie, not the recent mini series) can’t be beat for its stark depiction of conditions on the other side. v/r, Keith
  2. Love your work, but must ask if you ever sleep? Cheers, Keith
  3. Not sure how this works at small scale, but this is how I serve bow strings...
  4. Big problem with silicone sealant contamination and fiberglass boat hulls...virtually impossible to get a decent paint job.
  5. Nice work, Spits and Mossies, two of my favorites. I built several of the ICM a/c many years ago and seem to recall a potential issue with fuselage or engine panel fit when the actual engine is used. I think I left the engines out and cemented blanking pieces inside the exhaust openings in order to mount the exhaust pipes themselves. A side benefit is a decent stand-alone Merlin model. HTH, cheers, Keith
  6. You might consider using a dark charcoal gray instead of straight flat black for the base paint. Or maybe flat black lightened with some white. This serves two purposes. First is “scale effect,” which kind of mimics the effect of viewing a real ship at a realistic distance. Second is that straight black is pretty stark. IRL, the paint would start looking chalky pretty quickly because of sun fading and salt deposition. FWIW, Keith
  7. Maybe not jack stays for bending sails, but a modern addition for using safety harnesses when aloft? Keith
  8. The Scientific Dos Amigos was my first wooden ship model. It was a gift from my parents when I was around twelve and I recall the thrill of opening the box. The finished model survived in my childhood home until a few years ago when I finally wrote it off. May be primitive by today’s standard, but with aftermarket fittings and rigging, the kit can surely be built into a beautiful display. Good luck! Keith
  9. The framers of the Constitution were mostly lawyers, not soldiers. FWIW, Keith
  10. I’m curious the backstory behind naming a super carrier after Miller. Up until now, heroic and notable naval and marine corps personnel were honored by having destroyers and frigates named for them. Including more than a few Medal of Honor recipients and people of color. Not sure how/why Miller was bumped to the top of the list of heroic figures, but it seems odd. On another site someone suggested it would have been more appropriate to name the lead ship of the new class of FFGs after Miller, I think I agree. FWIW, Keith
  11. Well, no “tallship” experience here, just small power and sail boats and modern warships. I’ve found that a properly led single figure 8 with a final twist seems to hold most everything fine, even with synthetic lines. As for needing extra figure 8 turns to safely slack a line under tension, in my experience it can be done easily with only half a figure 8 turn around a cleat (and presumably a pin). Even large mooring line tension can be safely slacked with only half a figure 8 on the bitts. It was however common practice to make extra figure 8 turns on bitts when moored. fwiw, Keith
  12. My thinking is the mast would be stowed in the boat or lowered down to the boat crew after launch, then rigged. Seems like a boat with mast rigged and protruding fore or aft would be difficult to maneuver through the ships rigging. FWIW, Keith
  13. To me the engineering spaces always smelled like diesel fuel, hot lube oil, and ozone. Cheers
  14. If nothing else, you might consider doing a “wash” to help make the engine details pop, I’m really enjoying your build. Cheers, Keith
  15. Very nice work, beautiful boat. I’m not familiar with competitive practices at the time, but at 1:1 scale I’ve always put a figure-8 “stopper” knot at the bitter end of my jib sheets to prevent them running loose through the block or fairlead. If a confirmed practice for J-class it might be a nice (and easy) detail to include. Cheers, Keith
  16. For particularly delicate or small features, I sometimes fabricate it as a larger piece and attach it to the model, then carefully trim, file, or sand it to final size/shape. HTH, Keith
  17. This from page 42; it seems closing the gun ports between shots was situational, perhaps as a ship rolls or comes about in heavy seas?
  18. Pages 52 - 54 describes securing and housing a gun, but I'm having a hard time visualizing exactly how the breeching, side tackles, and train tackle are used in the process. Lots of new terms to decipher. It does mention the use of two different types of wheel chock, which I don't recall ever seeing modeled. Thanks again for posting this reference. Cheers, Keith
  19. Good stuff. The “Boy’s Manual of Seamanship and Gunnery” (found via google) seems to indicate Royal Navy practice was similar (surprise). As for stowing the guns on actual seagoing vessels (as opposed to static museum ships), a web search for L’Hermione cannon images may give some ideas. Seems that crew often uses the side tackle falls to shorten and secure the breeching line. They seem to secure the guns as I would, using all available lines to help ensure that the thing can’t shift as the ship rolls. I suspect an actual navy crew would have had very specific techniques for doing same. Cheers, Keith
  20. Bob, I’ve wondered about this too. I assume when a gun is stowed, the tackle is used to secure it against the bulwark to prevent it rolling about. That would require the line be secured to itself or some hard point (cleated, stoppered, knotted?). Were wheel chocks used as well? I imagine great care was taken to prevent a loose cannon. Leaving a gun untended with the tackle lines just coiled on deck (flemmished or otherwise) doesn’t seem prudent. Jason, your model is magnificent! Cheers, Keith
  21. Re: the use of CA for photoetch, for bigger assemblies/longer joints, after bending and tacking the assembly together, I run a bead of thick CA along the inside (not visible) side of the joint and sprinkle the joint with baking powder before the CA cures. The baking powder causes the CA to set quickly and form a filet, making a more solid structural bond. Also, those GLS sets can be pretty challenging (IMHO), so don’t beat yourself up if you find them difficult. Looks to me like you’re getting the hang of it. Cheers, Keith
  22. Not an expert, but I suspect some artists use their imagination to create dramatic effect. To me the whole stuns’l apparatus seems rather weak and only suitable for making the most of light winds. I bet they were quickly doused when winds picked up (more likely with any indication winds would be picking up). FWIW, Keith
  23. I suspect there’s a market for high quality period figures, there’s just not much available now. With the advent of 3D printing, well-designed figures could be scaled up or down as needed. Can figures be designed as digital models directly or do you still have to sculpt a prototype? If digital only, maybe more economically feasible. FWIW, Keith
  24. Wow! The Cochrane figure is fantastic. Any chance you might produce other period crew figures of similar quality? Cheers, Keith
  25. I think the stowed boat looks great. On a small vessel like a cutter, with limited deck space, things must appear “tight.” I suspect IRL there would be much more gear stowed on deck, adding even more to a cramped appearance. Keith
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