RickyGene
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Everything posted by RickyGene
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Where do you people come up with these wonderful building tools. I have to settle for shelving and angle brackets from Home Depot! -
Went and read the thread for Gary's thread and keeping up with yours BlackSeraph. I am feeling less daunted by the prospect of maybe starting mine after the current project I am working on. I believe if one follows suit and applies what is to be gleaned from both threads, a fine vessel can be had from this kit. Rick Looking forward to more of your thread BlackSeraph. 😎
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Nice. You have done a heck of a job. I have the older version and someday will give it a go. Keep posting. Rick
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Yes, I used a water based paint, easy to control and remove from areas that were too thick.
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In answer to your question what they are asking for is not the end of the world. But I feel as if my character is being called into question. I purchased from eBay, NOS from a Hobby Distributor in IL. Before those I contacted will help, they want a copy of the sales receipt, a photo copy of the plans showing the parts needed and proof of where I purchased. Yes, I understand the why and sure they have the right. But on the other hand when I contacted Daniel Dusek about a issue, not just once but twice w/in the last three years. No questions asked, what was the issue and he took care of and replaced FOC. Also had a issue w/OcCer, they did the same, what was wrong and the parts sent. I understand their questions, but I also offered to pay for, not just get free. Just goes to show who apricates your business and who, it is just about the money and forget you. So w/o saying their name here in the USA there is a reason I have never purchased from again because of another issue years ago! I have been provided w/another distributor here that has Billing Boats and maybe they can help. If not, I will just march on and scratch build. Thank you for you concern Clare Hess
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Outstanding work and your attention to detail is superb. As for paying $150 to $250 f/a plastic kit that retailed for a quarter of that, sadly not today. I would love to build again but if I have to spend that to do so, I will go hog crazy and buy a Bluejacket kit. I have looked at Bluejackets kit many times and would love to have, but $739.00 and one has to purchase the copper plates @$135.00 a set! Looks like I will not be building the Gray Lady anytime soon. So I will set back and enjoy your build. Rick
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As I remember, I used some old Model Railroad Stain I had called Weathered Oak. After I used the stain, I sealed w/poly clear and sanded. After that a wash of, dark brown, dark green and then black last, wiping between ea. wash resulted in a hull that looked like it had been buried in peat moss. I did not use all the shields, but rather a couple were placed along the sides. As I stated, I was going for as close as I could to the one in the Museum. I even tried to replicate the iron works that hold the vessel up-rite as pictured. Overall the thing turned out so nice, a fella bought to put in his office for display. I wished I had some photos of, but when my old computer crashed, I lost all the photos I had of builds from the past years. Rick
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Nice, I had this kit years ago and does build into a impressive piece. I also noticed you are using Billing Boats Build Slip. I too am using one, what a POS. But it is doing what it was designed to do with some mods I made, to use to build Billing Boats Esmeralda. Your planking looks nice and after one gets beyond that. The rest is a cake walk. I used stain and weathering on mine to replicate the one as shown in the Museum. I do have a question, did you shim on one side or both to use the slip. The wood strips provided were too narrow to use, so I replaced with basswood strips from Hobby Lobby and shimmed one side. The keel is straight as a arrow and held tight. But the slip as designed has one thinking the keel should be dead center! Not. Look forward to more of your build. Rick
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Looking forward to your build. I am a fan of Bluejacket and there is one thing I do get hung up on that keeps me from buying certain kits of theirs's. The kits are well made, albeit sometimes the machined hull is not the best. But overall their kits are nice and with close attention to detail, one can turn out a head turner. But back to what I was inferring to was as you said, I purchased, extra. I can see buying the paint kits outside of the kit, not what they sell now, their older paint was just outstanding stuff, not this water paint everyone seems to hawk now! But the copper plates! I feel if the vessel was copper plated and one pays the price these kits cost, I should not have too purchase separately a item that is a part of that ship. Please do not take me wrong, I am well aware I have the option to buy or not, but if a kit is sold as the representation of that vessel, then one should have what is needed to do so when purchased. Hope you enjoy and will watch your thread. Rick
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- perry
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Thank you, got in touch with, seems they want me to do the impossible to help me. I doubt I would purchase another Billing Boats kit for a dire lack of support. Rick PS: the e-mail address keeps coming back as undeliverable!
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My correction is nothing like yours sir. The wood channel for placing the keel is much too wide to effectively hold/tight. Billing Boats give you strips of wood to shim the keel with and to hold in place. With that said, if one tries as they might to center everything into the slip, nothing will line up and work. However if you adjust and place the keel over to one side and shim there with material sourced from outside the kit, you can get the keel to set straight and level, held tightly. I almost gave up and file 13'd the thing and just by chance, my last attempt got it to work this way. 500 year old year tree, wow. And still to be usable as you have shown. I have two pieces of wood I hope to use one day in a build. 1st, is from some wood work needed on the HMS Victory and 2nd is from the rebuild of the USS Constitution. I just think it would be over the top to incorporate wood from the actual vessel into a build. My camera down load plug is awol, as soon as I can, I will post a photo of my slip with the frame up f/Esmeralda. Rick
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Thanks for the info. Went back and studied the photos. I believe I got it figured out. Agree, the wood for the slip is too soft but one can adjust as needed and replace material. I just went thru a process of correcting a Billing Boats Build Slip #359 and as you pointed out, they are designed to do a job, but one must make corrections. I can not wait to see what you do with the Doulas Fir and the decking. Rick
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Art......nuff said.
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Can anyone inform me of how one contacts Billing Boats USA. I have sent e-mails and they keep coming back. Are they no longer in business? I seem to remember reading somewhere they were no longer producing kits! Rick
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Wonderful craftsmanship. I understand the kitchen table as your building area. We sold our house some years ago to down size to a Town Home. We just did not need all the space of the then home, all the kids were gone and the up-keep was just too much for retirement. So now I too use the kitchen table. And yes, at times it all gets packed up and away until the end of the holidays as well. Looking forward to more of this most excellent build. Rick
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Sorry for your loss. I have lost my Mother and only brother. But take solace, as long as you live, he will be in your heart. Rick
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- reale de france
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Is it me or does the sails at the top of the mast look like a man wrapped in a shroud ......lol.
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Received the kit this week. Comes in a large flat box, this is one of the Billing Boats kits that came w/fittings, ie: 146 brass turned portholes. And of course the rest of the trimmings. The wood is in perfect condition, some of the best plywood I have ever seen in a kit. The kit is not for a beginner, but the plans and instructions and there is also a PDF one can down load. Anyone with determination and the right mind set could build this beautiful ship. I have spent the time wanting for the kit, might I add, I purchased Friday evening and was shipped this past Monday. UPS delivered to my doorstep Wed. afternoon just before 12:00. Now that was service. I had a order from CA take 2 weeks before! Anyhow, as I was saying, I spent the time waiting building a Billing Boats Build Slip #397 that I have had so long I no longer where I purchased. This is the build slip as recommended on the PDF and the written instructions for the construction of the keel/frame. And in keeping with their recommendations, have followed their suggestion. Let me add, the slip is no cake walk, you have to pay close attention on how you place the center building spine. Get it off and the Pooch is, you know the rest. Looking so forward to building this beast. The scale as given is 1/100th, that translates into a hull almost 36" long and 5 1/4" wide deck. That makes for a monster ships hull.
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I have built two of their kits. HMS Bounty and the HMS Victory which was over $400.00 and that was considered high then. I struggled with the Bounty, never did like how it turned out, And not to bash the mfg/kit, my skills then were not where they are now. The Vic however, I had a good grasp of ship building skills by then. But alas due to poor quality of materials, construction method from mfg, this was one of those that went into the never is void. I have not bought another since then. But hey, thats my 2 cents worth. Many build to high standards from these kits, I just never could build them as I have done other mfg's. Rick😎
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Yes sir, you are correct. The Portuguese ship Ferreira, was in fact formerly the Cutty Sark. Cutty Sark was launched as the Cutty Sark. 1895 renamed Ferreira 1922 called the Mario Do Amparo then reverting back to the original name as she is called today, Cutty Sark. She was never called Nannie Dee officially. So reguardless the additional names, the vessel is the Cutty Sark. Rick
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Howdy, I also agree, solid hull builds.....damn the torpedo's. Build and do the best with what they give you. I have built many solid hull models in my life time. The best I ever took a swing at were a company that went by the name of Marine Models. Many of their designs still live today thru Model Shipways. I have a un-built Taube that came w/a hull almost perfect with very little work left to prep f/building. Got it out yesterday and smoked her over. The down side, the fittings are lead! But one can find whatever is needed since she is the common scale of most solids. Anyhoo, like your determination and look forward to more of the build. Not too shabby work room you got there. We sold our house and I lost my build room, man cave and 2 car garage. We live in a Town Home now......8(. All for the sake of down sizing, my wife and I are geezers and did not need all that space. Rick
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Went back and read thru your thread on the Fair-A-Frame. After looking at the photos I got what you did. Genius and I wished I had of looked at this while building a Billing Boats Build Slip I just finished. I believe I might give the Fair-A-Frame another go. You other keel clamp is pretty cool as well. It is obvious you are a wood worker. Just look at the added filler wood you have added to your build' Rick
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I have been assured this is in fact a photo of as you correctly identified as (Witch) Nannie Dee. A name from a Robert's Burns Poem, Tam o'Shanter. Wikipedia: Cutty Sark (Witch). Cutty Sark was a nick name given to the Witch Nannie Dee, a fictional character created by Robert Burns. The photo is from a private collection and I have been informed this is the Cutty Sark while still in service and not as you see today in her present state. But hey, I thought it would be interesting. I have gone back and looked very closely at the photo figure head and the current figure head and the face and expression look uncannily the same? But again sorry for miss-informing. Look forward to more of your build.
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- cutty sark
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Sorry for miss calling the photo of the Cutty, the site I came across the photo said it was her while still sailing.
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