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hollowneck

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Everything posted by hollowneck

  1. hollowneck
    Tis’ a thing of beauty, Sir. Congratulations and kudos. Your build has truly been an inspiration for many of us.
  2. hollowneck
    Welcome to our community,Jack. You’ve made a great start with getting your materials lined-up for your build. I have no problem with you posting photos from my Build Log on yours, especially the materials and various tools and techniques I use. The photos of some components to your Polaris model look well done. You’ re off to a very solid start. Everything you’ll need in the way of information for your ship modeling journey is right here - including a very supportive membership that will be eager and responsive to lend plenty of advice when and if you ask for it.
  3. hollowneck
    Your model is looking good. Nice job on your hull plating, a very difficult and fiddly task. I've been dealing with my model's sail belaying for the past month. There is not a lot of information on the specifics of where and how sail management lines get rigged on a 17th-C, three-masted frigate. Detailed sail and belaying plans for frigates are also in short supply!
  4. hollowneck
    A brilliant "foot (& peg leg) - ectomy" surgery to your cook. He'll still hit his head on deck beams but I'm certain there were other more lethal hazards working in the ship's galley! BTW: Horatio Nelson was 5'6", so was Churchill and Hitler. Napolean was rumored to be 5'2". 250 years ago people were, on average, much shorter. You know, like Vladimir Putin, who is 5.3" and shrinking daily... I'm very tempted to start painting my crew for HMS Camilla. There will be no cook on HMS Camilla: she has a solar-powered microwave in the First Officer's cabin...
  5. hollowneck
    Bravo, B.E. Looks good- and you needn’t change her badge to HMS Porcupine. Also, there will be no excuses now for losing a drunken sailor over her side! 😉 …every time I sit down and look at my model, I see things that need touch-up… Dust: I keep a can of compressed air handy and it works a treat. Prior to final photography, I’ll give my Camilla a Force 5 blast.
  6. hollowneck
    Congratulations,Chuck. Your unwavering focus on quality (and fidelity) is an inspiration to many, many members of this forum. You have truly given so much of yourself, to so many. I know I am not alone when I personally say ”Thank You” for all that you have done to elevate our hobby.
  7. hollowneck
    I think your model will look great with ropes on all the cranes/stanchions, even on the breast rail. Context and all that, a "finishing touch." Without ropes, I think they'd look odd: black prickly bits randomly popping-out of her hull. That would guarantee you'd get puzzled queries from onlookers... Thank you kindly B.E. for your commentary on my build photos as I complete my sails and rigging. I agree they do show the complexity - and frankly, the "beauty" of fighting sail. Macro shots are now required for most of my rigging photos since there is so much in each photo to see. I've tried to make viewing easier in some by adding pointers and circles to illustrate my descriptions. I agree: my Foretack is going to remain as-is. However, my hauled Mainsail has "hit the bullseye" (courtesy definition from @druxey for what I've called "rigging trucks"). Thanks for allowing me to "invade" your Build Log by responding to your post on mine.👍
  8. hollowneck
    Thank you, druxey. Can I claim I've "hit the bullseye(s)?"
  9. hollowneck
    Thank You, Kevin, much appreciated.
  10. hollowneck
    Nearing the finish line on sails and their rigging. Some small changes, diversions (improvements?)... I've removed the hawse cables and mounted a bower anchor. The hawse bucklers (plugs for the thick anchor rope openings) are yet to be scratched and inserted. The Fore course tack rope is very close to the cathead, yet it does lead fair to the boomkin block. This is because the foresail is hauled up against the wind which draws the clue and tack inward. The boomkins should extend further and thus be a little longer. Oh well...next model. The sail rigging necessary to present a hauled Main course is completed. The two bunt lines (center of sail) are rigged to blocks added to the top (like the additional foretop rigging for the Fore course) )and then led down to the deck through shroud "rigging trucks." I'll carefully paint these in a brown acrylic as I think these were made of wood, not iron. These were not supplied with the kit, but filched from my vast stash of rigging gubbins....I know, another 17th-century technical term... The sail's tack rope hasn't been rigged yet in this photo. When rigged, the tack line, (leading fore), will help gather the dangling clue corner of the sail more upward and closer to the yard. The Main Course is hauled and both tacks lead to the mid-deck bulwark cleats. Now that sail rigging is complete, I'll adjust and secure all the lines at the midship's jeer blocks and various shroud cleats. The fore topsail's yard bracing will be done last in this area of the model owing to the limited access after the sail rigging is cinched-up and done. In the log, I've somehow overlooked mentioning that my Maincourse shown here was made from silkspan in roughly half the actual length of the sail to allow a better and more natural depiction. I did mention however, that unlike all my other sails, this Maincourse was created from a single layer of colored silkspan with reinforcement linings and partial bolt ropes at the clues. As a result, the single layer is more translucent, but to my eye this isn't a deal-breaker by being highly noticeable or incongruous. A view of the hauled Main course from the starboard stern. Clue, sheet and tacks have brailed the gathered sail close to the yard, but the sail won't be "gasketed" (tied tightly to the yard with additional ropes) since Camilla is in "fighting sail" configuration. The outline of the added bunt line tackle block that permits the bunt ropes to gather the large sail at the center can be seen at the very corner of the top. Like the Fore top buntline blocks, these two blocks are 3.0 mm stropped, single-sheave ones.
  11. hollowneck
    The berthing rails and deletion of the boomkins are very nice "additions," B.E. Will the brass rod alignments of her cranes be replaced with rope? A few posts ago you asked about my sail rigging on the main fore of my Camilla; your query makes perfectly clear sense to me now! Here's a couple photos of how CLOSE Camilla's foretack comes to getting tangled-up with the cathead. Admittedly, this is the worst-case as the sail is tightly-hauled. Foretack-to-boomkin; close, but no cigar. The tack line clears, but not by much. I agree with your making the boomkins a longer extension, however I'm NOT re-doing mine since the rig runs fair. Next model...
  12. hollowneck
    Here, here. I second that (e)motion! Really good improvements to the model engineering of this challenging part of any period ship build. Investment in Indy...we're getting very close to pounds for dollars. Us lucky Yanks!
  13. hollowneck
    "Wakey, wakey, pussycat"... Model ship builders in the house! Model by Howard Williams, CMMS (Connecticut Marine Model Society), 2019. Tug smoke courtesy of his "mature"feline. Another model by Howard Williams, CMMS 2008. Ironclad smoke courtesy of Howard's younger kitty. Photos: courtesy of me. Apologies Mike. Is this hijacking your thread?...
  14. hollowneck
    Indeed...Holy Smokes!...you got your boiler tenders doing their jobs! Aha. Interesting. I haven't tried any medium with TP, just diluted white glue & water. I used toilet paper (single-ply, important!) on my HMS Swan diorama to get the effect of wind moving across a water's surface. Attached is a close-up where you can easily see the effect of the minute "crinkles" produced by the toilet paper after it had thoroughly dried but before any color/painting. If you'd like, the pic has enough resolution so you can zoom in closer for details. The water surface effect is especially visible near the towed boat. You've gotten plenty of well-deserved "High Fives" on your model. Congrats (again). Great job.
  15. hollowneck
    Congratulations, Glenn. As we all know, it's BOTH the journey AND the destination! You've persevered and arrived with an admirable model.
  16. hollowneck
    Mike, I've discovered that regular, bog-standard cotton balls are hard to work with in fashioning smoke, and in my particular experience, making "sea spray." The solution, ironically, is to use synthetic cotton balls, specifically created and sold as "medicinal cotton balls." Sheep have never come near them. A synthetic, possibly nylon, rayon - or even Biktarvy or Ozempic. The medicinal cotton is easier to work with, can be painted easily and various glues (and hair spray) work well once you've "teased" it into a convincing-looking shape. Hope this helps with the next one. I've got a diorama coming-up soon and I'll likely use this exact same material for some sea spray at strategic spots where my ship's bow is smashing into some big rollers! BTW: I had to buy a large bag of 1,000 to get two medicinal balls for my last diorama. If there's a supply chain problem at your end, just give me a shout-out; I can spare one or two for an MSW buddy.
  17. hollowneck
    Thank you for looking-in, your compliment about my sails, Shipman. Much appreciated. I'd like to note that my Chris Watton designed, early 21st- century Caldercraft kit model of HMS Agamemnon came complete with copper-plated golf balls fastening her copper plating. I didn't even pay extra for this detail. You may be unaware that this HMS Camilla build will be presented in an English Channel action diorama. I also agree that it strikes me as incongruous seeing a ship with sails set yet sitting on a plinth. This information dense forum is a formidable one, indeed: chock full of important details that can be easily overlooked, or just missed.
  18. hollowneck
    B.E., ...and here I thought you'd never ask. 🤣 I love it when you talk to me like this...simple answer: "No." It's a close call though. I'll take a pic and post it. The more difficult rope positioning is going to be the tack on the hauled Main course once I get the sail's bunt folds properly fiddled.
  19. hollowneck
    Thanks, Mark. The first battle is happening in my workshop! To the Victor Go the Spoils! - or, is it the other way round?
  20. hollowneck
    Small update: yet another diversion from my sail mounting... I've removed the anchor lines (hawse ropes) from Camilla due to her inclusion in a diorama on an "action chase." I'll fit her with a variation of what I did several years ago for my model of HMS Ardent (64) shown below. The "stoppers" in her bow's hawse rope openings were called "Hawse Bucklers." I haven't yet discovered a detailed explanation of how these were constructed but I imagine they had to have a suitable mechanism that allowed them to be released from inside the ship and that they had to be quite water-tight to be effective: sort of like a big cork that could be easily pushed out to clear the way for a big, fat rope. My photo also shows a lead sheath that protected the stem's cutwater. Ships that were anticipated to be in action had to protect this area as there was often lots of floating bits encountered that could damage the hull if not protected. Aside: Ardent's coppering has taken on a nice brown patina after 8 years of oxidation. I could touch-up some of the shiny bits with a weathering chemical to even out the look but I've got a few other items on my modeling punch list at the moment...
  21. hollowneck
    Thanks, Thomas. Making realistic-looking sails and then figuring-out how and to mount them is a lot of fiddly and arduous work I must admit: there is nearly as much work involved to add working sails as the entirety of all the other basic rigging. Of course, I could have chosen to not make a diorama as these certainly demand realism IMHO. There's an appropriate English saying: "Horse For Courses..." There are several definitions of this but the one I like is "what is suitable for one person may not suit another."
  22. hollowneck
    Wow. Nice diorama, Mike! I'm also a "figures-on-model" guy, so Congrats on this nicely-executed detail too. The most convincing funnel smoke I've seen on any ship model - particularly ones of the WWI & II eras is made from... wait for it....cat hair. An excellent scratch modeler from my former club models ships that have propulsion from things other than the wind and has a large, furry breed of a cat (Himilayan?) that sheds. He told our members he just snatches a hank when he needs it without describing exactly how the acquisition method happens...from the couch? While she/he sleeps? Very nice model, Looks like you had fun building this one that also didn't take two years to complete!!
  23. hollowneck
    Rusty, either would be an epic build and the "next step" for a superb kit. Keep a keen weather eye on the £-to-$ exchange rate, currently about 1£ = $1.09. This is almost parity and is a nominal 20% "discount" on the previous and long-standing rate between the two countries. I believe that by the time Indy is actually available (late Winter, early Spring 23), the rate will be close to "dollars-for-pounds" - as the English say. Chris has already indicated a price range that's going to hover around £1,100-1,200. If this is true, it could be the most expensive kit ever introduced to the hobby (am I wrong?). Life is a lot about timing- and luck. The former is something we can control.
  24. hollowneck
    The epic film, “Master & Commander” is still a touchstone for a realistic depiction of fighting sail at the end of the 17th-early 18th-century. Personally, I return to watch it every so often for an immersion in history related to our hobby (and the era) I love. The current Vic’s captain’s quarters in Portsmouth looks very “sanitary” by comparison. This First Rate’s spacious quarters looks like a high school cafeteria space compared with the stingy and head-banging spaces of most other fighting ships in the Age of Sail.
  25. hollowneck
    The Metaverse rules! The evolving DIY anchors- MDF and 3D resin. I’ll make an assumption that Indy will offer a set of 3D anchors, Si’? Will you be offering 3D versions a la carte? Different sizes & scales?

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