hamilton

You address the challenges of this build well, Yves! This is a great tutorial for anyone building this model in the future! hamilton

Nice going with the planking! The holly looks great - those little planes are nice too - are they from Lee Valley? Also - that marking tool in your first photo - what is it? And where did you come by it? In any case - planking the cabin will be a nice relief after this exacting job. hamilton

Beautiful work! I really need to get back to Bellona...... hamilton

Feel like I just took a short nap since last I checked in on your log, Yves - and now look! This is another huge one from CAF....looking really great so far! hamilton

You work with incredible speed, Yves! She's coming along nicely! hamilton

A very cool looking model! And nice work, Yves! hamilton

I learned that phrase as - "order in the environment, order in the mind!" This was supposed to be incentive for us kids to clean our rooms....let me tell you it didn't work! Your Glad Tidings looks really great, though, Al - nice finish and beautiful workmanship! hamilton

It's been nearly 12 years since I finished the Glad Tidings, but as it says in my signature, it's been in need of a refit for quite a while. I gifted it to two close friends of ours on the occasion of the birth of their first child, and since we visit with them quite often, I've had the opportunity to watch as time, cats, dust and kids' play have taken their collective toll....we went over there for dinner the other night and I sat looking at her throughout the meal and finally resolved to make off with it then and there, and bring it back to the workshop for some much needed cleaning and repair.... After a bit of study, it was clear that the damage was not quite as severe as I had thought - here's an inventory of the parts that needed repair or replacement: -- forestay -- all shrouds & lanyards -- main boom peak halliard -- fore boom peak and throat halliards -- port side bowsprit shroud -- jib downhaul -- the cutwater plate (which had peeled off) I cut away these elements and then spent quite a bit of time with a soft fan brush dusting off the model - this in and of itself was very satisfying and it was nice to see that underneath the dust the wood was still in very good condition. In the end, it was a matter of a couple of afternoons at the bench to fix these, and now it's good as new again! These photos may be a but redundant, but......And now I have to fgind time to get back to Echo and Bellona....! hamilton

It's exciting to try something new! I got into this hobby just after we had our first child - 16 years ago now....As a joke, I Googled "what do retired people do?" and this was the first hit that caught my eye. I started with the Model Shipways solid hull Phantom Pilot Schooner (1:96). They had a deal where they sold it with a rudimentary tool set (very basic but more or less what's needed for this kit - pin vise & some small bits, 2 hobby knife holders and various blades, a small saw) so I got that. I also got a dremel rotary tool after reading a bunch online. It took about 3 months of occasional work at my kitchen table to finish it. I did not concern myself too much with the results, but approached it as something to learn through and see if I liked it - turns out I did! Start with something small and easy - get a few necessary tools but no more and then level up as you go. That's my advice - this hobby can be pricey, but it also goes on for years so there's lots of time to acquire things along the way as you find you "need" them. hamilton

Just catching up on your build, Greg - was that Corel's La Couronne behind Phantom? She looks nice too!! You are sorely tempting me (and my pocketbook) with this build.... hamilton

Looks like an interesting approach - assembling in situ will likely give a more accurate assembly. 88 seems like a big number! hamilton

Looking really nice! hamilton

This is a great tutorial for what I imagine is a challenging task for many modellers! I have the MS Constitution under the bench, and I've book-marked this for when the time comes! Thanks for your generosity! hamilton

Yes - once you've looked in the box it's hard not to just keep on going! Looking forward to seeing another CAF model coming off your bench! hamilton

For me it was my mum - she is a kind of artist-scientist - always experimenting with new materials, methodologies, skills and approaches. Her art practice varies, but she done sculpture (large-scale metal), has worked with sausage casings to make garments (a wedding dress, a kimono), and lately she's gotten into taxidermy, mummification, tanning, etc. (She gave my son a taxidermied bat as a birthday present when he was 10). As I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum, she worked as an artistic director for a theatre company and also knows how to make incendiaries and pyrotechnic concoctions (Halloween was always fun, but slightly tense at our house...) - truly she is a Jill of all trades. She also paints, is a photographer, makes ceramics and jewelry - she can pretty much do anything! My dad is more cerebral and nature-loving - I followed him there, including in a passion for sailing. But the modelling comes from my mum, 100% - she seems to have a boundless energy and passion for making and building things and she has never been shy to help us and encourage us (the "kids" - I'm 53, so the term hardly applies anymore except when I'm feeling grumpy) in whatever projects we've had going on (except the pyrotechnics, which, for my brother and I as boys, was probably a good idea). Even now that she's in her 80s, she is still very active - she just received a medal (one of 30,000 handed out around the Commonwealth on the occasion of King Charles' accession) for artistic merit and achievement. She is my inspiration for sure - from her I learned just to go for it regardless of how difficult, complicated or just plain weird it might be. The one thing she can't do, unfortunately, is wood carving - otherwise I'd be commissioning her! Also cooking.....my dad is also the chef in our house and ruled the kitchen like a dictator - while my mum's love of experimentation is great for her creative work, it tends to produce uneven results in the kitchen.....no offence intended, mum! hamilton