el cid

Based on HMCS Moncton before conversion to long foc'sl
W/C  9.5” X 6.5”
Jim

Back in February, Luekutus started a build log for the Billings Calypso which jogged me into finishing a project that I started probably 10 years ago. I really appreciate that he has planked his, it looks great and I’m looking forward to seeing more! My goal was to build a nice model for the mantel that was a good scale and not a warship. While I’ve done some basic research, my model is not 100% accurate and I’ve taken some artistic license in some areas. 
 
The Billings kit is crude by today’s standards but can be spiced up with a bit of detailing and is the best available today in a large scale. The helicopter supplied is AWFUL! I’ve given up on trying to make it look nice and am looking for an after market substitute in 1:48 that’s close. I added some 1:48 welding gas cylinders that look fine and the rope I’ve used is the truly nice stuff from  Syren. Most of the trim is Evergreen and a lot of the wood is from my spares stash. 
 
Enjoy,
 
Don

HMS Valiant refuels a destroyer while under way. Fleet Carrier and two escorts in company 
Watercolour 9.5“ X 7”
Jim

Castle Class Corvette/Frigate HMNoS Tunsberg Castle. unfortunately didn’t last long in service. She was mined on Dec 12 1944 off Båtsfjord, Norway with th loss of 5 crew.
Watercolour 14” X 9”

HMShips Starling and Wild Goose Set out for another U boat hunt While a Norwegian Tanker heads upstream With another cargo to help 'The Few' to keep flying.
14” X 9” watercolour.

Great project Yves. Those wheels are gorgeous! 
In 1972, I rebuilt this 450 Honda. The 450 was a huge step up from the CB350, the dual overhead cams made a big difference. Standing beside me is my older brother who helped me with the project. He and I were both motorcycle fanatics.
 

Not sure how this works at small scale, but this is how I serve bow strings...
 
 

White Star Liner Corinthic in 'Dazzle' camouflage 
Watercolour 14” X 10”

Sunday afternoon lock down session. Samson Class Fleet Tug
Watercolour 10”X 7.5”
Jim
 

Thoroughbred to Carthorse 
Once a crack Tea Clipper 'Cutty Sark' seen here as 'Ferreira' a Barquentine in Portuguese service. Now restored and preserved at Greenwich on the River Thames
w/c 14” X 10”

Not sure how this works at small scale, but this is how I serve bow strings...
 
 

Not sure how this works at small scale, but this is how I serve bow strings...
 
 

Not sure how this works at small scale, but this is how I serve bow strings...
 
 

AMC Otranto
Afternoon Quickie. L to R HM Ships Glasgow, Otranto and Good Hope. Just before the Battle of Coronel
W/C 14” X 10”

Royal Navy Brig HMS Black Joke intercepts a Spanish 'Slaver' off the west coast of Africa. 'Black Joke', probably built in Baltimore, was captured by the British and became part of the 'West Africa' squadron suppressing the Slave Trade. She went on to become one of the most successful ships in the Squadron, freeing hundreds of Slaves.
Watercolour 14” X 10”
Jim 
 

HMS GLENAVON. Paddle Minesweepers head out for the morning 'sweep' passed a 'Bar Boat' working on moorings. 
W/C 15” X10”
Jim

Big problem with silicone sealant contamination and fiberglass boat hulls...virtually impossible to get a decent paint job.

Big problem with silicone sealant contamination and fiberglass boat hulls...virtually impossible to get a decent paint job.

Big problem with silicone sealant contamination and fiberglass boat hulls...virtually impossible to get a decent paint job.

Bruce,  We had similar issues at a client's factory making nail polish.   A vending machine service tech came in one day and used silicone spray lubricant and it got into the air and in the nearby  manufacturing area.  When the polish was put on, it left fish eyes on the surface.   Fortunately, this turned up in QA testing before the batches from that day were shipped and disaster with end users averted.  No silicone sprays were ever allowed in the factory after that.   If a model is being spray painted, the same thing can occur, so be diligent about having silicone spray products in the model building area.   
Allan

Hello Bartley,
Not being a chemist, I must generalize quite a bit. A small amount of silicone completely ruined the finish on three projects underway in my old workplace quite a few years back. Someone had a trace on their hands (left hand from the evidence) and three of the four items we were sweating blood to get ready before a deadline had reactions when painted leaving finger and palm patterns where they had been handled. Besides the commercial crisis because of the need for the whole team to pull two all-nighters in a row to put right the damage there was considerable human fall-out.
The likely source was a can of spray lube for a garage-type door that had just been bought. We had a ceremonial can-burning, Wicker Man style. A friend in electronics then told me his own version of the problem and introduced me to 'silicone nodule migration' (yes, it is a thing).
Hence the NO SILICONE rule when I started putting together my workshop a few years ago in anticipation of woodwork and modelmaking. 
 
I know most people use it and don't have a problem, but any silicone-bearing product in our little corner of heaven has to stay in the house, not the important area where I fiddle around.
 

I was finally able to finish up the rope coils on my model and got all those glued on. I didn't like the fuzziness of some of my rope so I used some wax to clean that up and it looks a lot better. The anchor is also ready to go. I just have to finish a couple oars then i'll be completely done! It has been quite a journey. Still need to figure out the display case situation though. :[
 
 
 

Re: ship's lights.  Below is a transcribed diary entry from a midshipman in SYREN during her expedition with INTREPID to burn the frigate PHILADELPHIA.  I did my best to interpret the 12-hour clock times given to 24-hour time.  Second para mentions lights, but doesn't indicate where they were displayed.  Taken from "Naval documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers" five volumes of which are available online.  Many interesting SYREN factoids within...grueling schedule for the small US force involved.
 
Midshipman F. Cornelius deKrafft
16 February 1804


 
Commences with fresh breezes, clear and pleasant weather.  The Intrepid in company.  At 0230, made the land on our lee bow.  Hauled up the mainsail, took 1 reef in the topsails, and bent the stream cable.  At 0330, backed the main topsail for the Intrepid to come up.  At 0400, lowered down the cutter and sent 9 men on board the Intrepid with cuttlasses, pistoles, musquets. etc.  At 0430, the boat returned, hoisted her up and made sail for the land.  At 0530, mountain Togura (6 or 8 miles to the E of Tripoli) bore SSW, town of Tripoli SW.   At 0600, tacked to the NW.  At 0730, boarded main tack.  At 0930, tacked to the SW, set staysails and jib.   At 1000, called all hands to quarters and run out the guns, hauled down staysails and jib, and hauled up square mainsail, brailed up after mainsail.  At 1030, spoke the Intrepid.  At 1100, backed the main topsail, sounded and got no bottom. 


 
Midnight moderate and clear, lost sight of the Intrepid.  Hauled up the foresail, backed main topsail, sounded in 35 fathoms and filled away.  At 0100, sounded in 14, 12, and 9 fathoms (from 0100 to 0400 standing off and on the shore).  Showing lights for the Intrepid (which were answered).   At 0100, called all hands to quarters, run in the guns and secured them, shipped the ports, wore and stood off shore.  Made sail, the Intrepid on our lee bow.  At 0800, the high land near Tripoli bore SW by W, 7 leagues.  At 1100, the Intrepid tacked to the S and E.  Noon, wore to the S and W, handed square mainsail, reefed the foresail, and set after mainsail.  Moderate breezes and pleasant.  The Intrepid bearing S ½ E, 8 miles distance.

Last construction update..... Finished the Generator and mounted it. Manufacturing the lifting lugs proved to be a bit fiddly but I got it done.
 

Lifting Lugs constructed and attached to the clevises and cables....

Preparing the attachment points....

Putty fills the holes on the ends of the half-round skid bumpers....

Sanded flush and Lugs mounted....

Generator mounted to the lift and raised halfway to full height.....

Opposite side view......

Fully loaded position, the fit appears to be perfect....

Painting off the corners and touch ups....

Another test fit....

Cables painted off gunmetal, the Cables, although when manufactured were painted OD Green, in a very short time with moderate usage the paint flaked off leaving the oiled cables exposed. the cables were oiled to prevent corrosion....

Left side profile with the Generator in it's final position and the cables superglued to their lifting hooks.......

Left Front view.....

Right Rear View......

Right Front View....

Rear view with the generator permanently in place..... (and one touch-up still to do) Mount the drivers door mirror, body hoops and the antenna and she is done....
 
Complete......




With its M-51 Skysweeper hooked up..... I decided not to load up the body with details, I could have gone another couple of weeks building and adding stuff. This would make an excellent diorama subject not often built... I added a tarp, folded in its storage place above the ready ammo lockers, a simple piece of napkin trimmed to appropriate size, rolled and folded to fit it's space, then drybrushed in field drab with olive drab highlights.... An issue vehicle would have it's tarps... And no the M-51 didn't travel with ammo in the autoloader, it's just that sitting on the shelf for 4 months has caused the rotation mechanism of the ammo holder to freeze up. I couldn't rotate them to remove the shells. So I left it this way cause I didn't want to break it just to take a pic as unloaded.....
 

FINISHED!  
 
Thanks for the comments and likes, this was my first major project in a long time and I hope that you enjoyed it.... (even the wife was impressed)
 
EG

Afternoon Quickie 
Cutty Sark drying her sails. In the days before becoming a tourist attraction she was a hard working vessel in the Tea and wool trade.
19” X 7”
Jim