TK1

As I get close to retirement I am shifting my business plan a bit.   I am not retiring yet,  but I am starting to create the end game plan.     My business is currently really two sep. divisions or production flows.      Production of kits and then Production of after market parts, blocks and rope and fittings etc.   Both take a huge amount of time and effort.  I have mentioned before that I am currently working 7 days a week and 12 hours a day easily.  Now that I have moved and enjoy the leisure living in the back country of NJ, my wife has started to use the word "leisure" as a verb.   Chuck we need to "leisure" more.  You work to much.  I want to travel more.  You are going to have a heart attack...yada yada yada.    Sooo,  the Speedwell will be my last physically produced kit.  In addition,  I have stopped production of all of my kits...Kind-of.   I AM NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.  Let me make that perfectly clear.  In fact my business and sales is now greater than at the height of the pandemic.  Lots of rope and blocks being sold.  LOL  I have many many years left in me.    BUT moving forward, I will now be focusing on just fittings and related ship model items...No kit model production.      I am retiring all of my kits.  This includes Speedwell.   I sold the last of 50 Speedwell chapter 1 and 2 sets recently.   I will only be selling the remaining chapters to those who bought those 50 chapter one and two sets.   So that will be easy enough for me to handle and administer.     Its just getting tougher and tougher to source enough wood to make this stuff in the USA and remain profitable.   I also dont want keep buying and storing a mountain of wood in my garage.  Literally a mountain of it as you can imagine.  In addition I just dont have the time or desire to do this in 60's.   The good news is that I will be introducing a ton of new fittings.  Stuff for French ships too!!  I am slowly revamping my website...and you might experience disruptions as I make it easier to find all of the fittings I offer.  I have hundreds and hundres already  and many more on the drawing board.    This is mindless repetitive work and will help pay the bills into retirement and beyond.  So no plans to stop making that stuff anytime soon.   In fact my wife wont let me fully retire until Im 67 so there is that.  God bless her.   Now the fun part...just because I am not producing these current kits any longer doesnt mean that someone else wont be MFGing them.   All of my kits already available will not just go away...you do know him and love him.   I have reached an agreement with Chris at Vanguard who will be taking over the reigns and manufacturing my kits.   This will take some time as Chris is finishing up his Surprise model kit.      The Winnie group is fine...just not selling any more starter bulkhead sets or chapter one sets.   I will continue making later chapter sets available for the group in perpetuity.  Its not a big deal until Chris can take over.      The longboat group build will also remain because that will probably be the first kit being produced by Chris followed by the barge.   So stay tuned and please dont bother Chris about getting any of this stuff.  It will be made available as soon as he can get to it.  He is busy like me...so keep that in mind.   All Winnie parts, and Speedwell Chapter sets and Cheerful parts will continue being sold on MY site for folks currently building them until the hand-off is eventually made.   So fear not!!!   NOW...this frees me up to build and design Newer projects.  These however will be made with the idea that the models will be built using plansets and thus not dependent on kit production.  Those will be released here as open source plans or at Seawatch as a new book.  Or if Chris wants,  he can take them and run with them too.  That is my retirement plan.   Keep making parts for sale for all of your projects while still building models that interest me and passing those designs on.   Now back to making rope!!!  Blocks!!! and other stuff....   Lantern mini kits both English and French are next on deck.  Then ship's wheels and a whole host of other good stuff for you folks!!!       Chuck

More progress... the flags and chart table are complete...
The interior doors into the cabins are my best guess. Photos clearly show only the two forward structure doors that presumable lead to the wheelhouse. It does not make sense to walk through the cabins to get to the wheel, therefore there must have been some sort of interior access to the cabins. If I size the two new cabins equal to twice the size of the single original then you get the dimensions I have modelled. The wheelhouse is slightly larger but now there is space for the chart table and flags that were in Captain Larsen's original cabin.
While conjectural, I think this layout is defensible absent any new information.

The steering wheel mechanism is ready for paint... 
At this point it actually works, but once the paint goes on it will freeze the gears and pulleys in position.

I'm thinking about how to tackle the glazing in the cabin windows... I don't like black rectangles, but there is no cabin interior, so I might put window shades on the inside of the glass. Another option might be to use internet photos of sea cabin interiors behind the windows; details won't be apparent but the eye will see there is something there. I use this method on my model railroad building interiors.
If anyone looking in has other thoughts I'd certainly consider them.
 
Nearly ready to attach this cabin module, then on to the lobby and head aft of the cabins. These are original from 1928, and were kept when the new cabin/wheelhouse was built in 1930.

Work continues on the wheelhouse. I added the cuddies for the signal flags and the top on the chart table. finishing up tomorrow then 
I can start planning the roof and front windows...

I had this brass wheel in my stash, and it turned out to be a near perfect match for St. Roch's... so I used it to start making the steering pedestal. The steering is manual using chains and cables back to the rudder quadrant. This is a picture of the actual wheel today, the gearing and chain gypsy are clearly visible...

Here I have begun roughing out the pedestal... the gears are from a repair set for a Hi-Tec RC servo, and again are a near perfect size for the originals... I am cutting the channel for the chain into the nylon gear hub to replicate the gypsy.

Hopefully in a day or two I will have the wheel completed and installed. Then I have to turn the compass binnacle on my lathe... fortunately St. Roch's wheelhouse is spartan. In the 1930s there was no voice pipe, gyro, or telegraph!
Thanks for looking in and suggestions and comments are welcome!
 
 

G'day all, and thanks again for looking in!
I am continuing to plug away at the wheelhouse and cabin area... 
As you can see from the picture below I have got some paint on, some doors and window frames installed, and I'm working on the rear wall of the wheelhouse with the chart table roughed in. After considering the painting options I decided to go with the wood varnish, to match what appears to be her original deckhouse finish.
I make this look by using Tamiya Brown (coloured wood stain works equally well) then overpainting with Tamiya Clear Orange.
I am following the original 1928 plans for the wheelhouse layout, assuming the original was copied when it was moved forward, then the two cabins tacked on behind. 

I installed the three remaining fairleads and some poop deck fittings that are easier to put on now instead of trying to work around the deckhouse. 
I've also set up my decal sheet and my son is using photoshop to turn the pictures into decals... 
This is a screenshot of the Word document I prepared for the decal sheet layout. The pictures are pretty much close to the final sizes... what the Photoshop will do is adjust perspectives so you look straight on, like for the Plimsoll lines. Then remove the backgrounds leaving what will become the decals!

 It is hard to see, but at the bottom of the sheet is the chart of Queen Maud Gulf that will be placed on the chart table!
Rain is in the forecast so I hope to get some more work done soon!
 
 

These are a couple of photos of my setup. All of the bench storage is from HobbyZone in Poland.
 


 

Well I’ve kinda dumped the idea of a tool/model carry thingy too and from shop to house and back.
 
 Decided to organize the hobby shop and I still have tools in the house for modeling just not as many.
 
 Few pictures of the hobby shop and what I’ve done for organization.
 

 

 

 
 

Got the port rub rail on, and started some fiddly bits...
There are five fairleads that pass through St. Roch's bulwarks... since the flanges are visible on both sides I ordered 10 from Cornwall Model Boats. They are not the correct size so I used my small hobby vise and Zona saw to cut them down and glue them back together with CA...


Here is one being test fit to the bow, again use Forstner or brad point bits for drilling clean holes!

And here are the pair installed at the bow...

How I proceeded to make the hawse... this should be the last of the hole drilling forward of the poop deck!
I measured not twice, but three times, off the plans to locate the ends of each hawse pipe, double checking against photos and the model to ensure they are symmetrical on my hull...
After drilling the holes straight into the hull I used my 4" round file to set the hole profile.

Then my 1/4" styrene tube was fitted...

And the pipe marked for cutting...

I roughed in the hawse rubber on the deck, and the flange on the hull, and glued the flange to the pipe...

Then I filed and sanded the flange to shape, detailed the rubber, and test fit to the hull... 
 

one more to make, then paint and they'll be ready for the anchors!
Stay tuned for more fiddly bits!
Regards,
Bruce
 
 
 

I have the Occre workstation from the original post.  I find it works well for project storage - at present I'm doing kits, either cross-sections or workboats so the size works well.  I have it to the side of my main indoor modelling desk (where I do plastic models, figures, etc) so it's a place to keep some often-used tools and WIP. It sits on top of a set of Ikea "Alex" drawers which then hold more tools and supplies. 
 
Certainly the Occre one isn't quite enough for everything I'd use regularly, but it's a good extension to the drawers to hold clamps, files, small fittings, etc.  When I'm working on a wooden ship then it saves getting everything out or reconfiguring my main desk - although as per pics I still need ot set up Proxxon saw, drill press, etc, if using them. 
 
If I had more space (desk can't be longer due to a door), I'd definitely use other organisers.  But it works for now.
 
As for quality, the construction and instructions were good, once glued up it's really solid and does what it's supposed to.
 
Darren
 
 
 
 

I got fed up with deep drawers with piles of tools, so with permission I got these garage drawers. Being shallow they are fantastic. Also in shot is a very slow Speedy. Rigging is a challenge!

 

I have the Occre workstation from the original post.  I find it works well for project storage - at present I'm doing kits, either cross-sections or workboats so the size works well.  I have it to the side of my main indoor modelling desk (where I do plastic models, figures, etc) so it's a place to keep some often-used tools and WIP. It sits on top of a set of Ikea "Alex" drawers which then hold more tools and supplies. 
 
Certainly the Occre one isn't quite enough for everything I'd use regularly, but it's a good extension to the drawers to hold clamps, files, small fittings, etc.  When I'm working on a wooden ship then it saves getting everything out or reconfiguring my main desk - although as per pics I still need ot set up Proxxon saw, drill press, etc, if using them. 
 
If I had more space (desk can't be longer due to a door), I'd definitely use other organisers.  But it works for now.
 
As for quality, the construction and instructions were good, once glued up it's really solid and does what it's supposed to.
 
Darren
 
 
 
 

I have the Occre workstation from the original post.  I find it works well for project storage - at present I'm doing kits, either cross-sections or workboats so the size works well.  I have it to the side of my main indoor modelling desk (where I do plastic models, figures, etc) so it's a place to keep some often-used tools and WIP. It sits on top of a set of Ikea "Alex" drawers which then hold more tools and supplies. 
 
Certainly the Occre one isn't quite enough for everything I'd use regularly, but it's a good extension to the drawers to hold clamps, files, small fittings, etc.  When I'm working on a wooden ship then it saves getting everything out or reconfiguring my main desk - although as per pics I still need ot set up Proxxon saw, drill press, etc, if using them. 
 
If I had more space (desk can't be longer due to a door), I'd definitely use other organisers.  But it works for now.
 
As for quality, the construction and instructions were good, once glued up it's really solid and does what it's supposed to.
 
Darren
 
 
 
 

TK1
 
 yeah that’s basically what I wanted was a place to store a project ( protect it) and have some tools at hand.
 
 Thank you for your input greatly appreciated.

I have the Occre workstation from the original post.  I find it works well for project storage - at present I'm doing kits, either cross-sections or workboats so the size works well.  I have it to the side of my main indoor modelling desk (where I do plastic models, figures, etc) so it's a place to keep some often-used tools and WIP. It sits on top of a set of Ikea "Alex" drawers which then hold more tools and supplies. 
 
Certainly the Occre one isn't quite enough for everything I'd use regularly, but it's a good extension to the drawers to hold clamps, files, small fittings, etc.  When I'm working on a wooden ship then it saves getting everything out or reconfiguring my main desk - although as per pics I still need ot set up Proxxon saw, drill press, etc, if using them. 
 
If I had more space (desk can't be longer due to a door), I'd definitely use other organisers.  But it works for now.
 
As for quality, the construction and instructions were good, once glued up it's really solid and does what it's supposed to.
 
Darren
 
 
 
 

Hi all,
 
I recently picked up this vintage Aeropiccola kit, of a French Naval Cannon, 18th Century.  I've done a few searches, but can't find much about it. So before I spend $250 plus postage on Boudriot's French Naval Artillery book (over 5x the kit cost!), I'd like to know if anyone could help with info - scale, prototype, rigging, etc.
 
The barrel is approximately 24.5 - 25cm / 9.5 - 10" long, so I'm assuming it's quite a large scale - but nothing in the plans or box indicate the scale, or more information about the type of gun it was based on. The carriage looks pretty typical of British (and I guess French) designs of the time.  Apart from the brass barrel, all metalwork is steel, and the wood seems reasonable condition.  I'll blacken the brass once cleaned up.
 
Not sure if the French painted their carriages red like the British? Or just varnished? I can't seem to even find much on French cannons of the period online.

Also interested if the decoration was commonplace, or does it represent one from perhaps a royal ship, or other decorative version.
 
Given the size, I'd like to do it justice and not just follow the instructions, plus ideally add a base with basic gun tackle for display.
 
Any help appreciated!

Thanks,
Darren

Hi all,
 
I recently picked up this vintage Aeropiccola kit, of a French Naval Cannon, 18th Century.  I've done a few searches, but can't find much about it. So before I spend $250 plus postage on Boudriot's French Naval Artillery book (over 5x the kit cost!), I'd like to know if anyone could help with info - scale, prototype, rigging, etc.
 
The barrel is approximately 24.5 - 25cm / 9.5 - 10" long, so I'm assuming it's quite a large scale - but nothing in the plans or box indicate the scale, or more information about the type of gun it was based on. The carriage looks pretty typical of British (and I guess French) designs of the time.  Apart from the brass barrel, all metalwork is steel, and the wood seems reasonable condition.  I'll blacken the brass once cleaned up.
 
Not sure if the French painted their carriages red like the British? Or just varnished? I can't seem to even find much on French cannons of the period online.

Also interested if the decoration was commonplace, or does it represent one from perhaps a royal ship, or other decorative version.
 
Given the size, I'd like to do it justice and not just follow the instructions, plus ideally add a base with basic gun tackle for display.
 
Any help appreciated!

Thanks,
Darren

Hi folks, does anyone know if Donna has returned to the business yet?  I have tried contacting her several times (two different email addresses) but have not heard anything back.  Grieving can take a while to come to grips with, and I fully understand if she has decided not to return yet - simply asking.  I do not wish to pester her with emails until she is comfortable.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren
 

Finally an update! 
 
This was going to be a quick build, but life got in the way, as it often does.  But I have a few weeks off work, and am house- and dog-sitting for a friend, so that gets me away from other demands, and leave time for some modelling at night. And why not build whilst watching Master and Commander? 🙂
 
So, initial progress made....the hull has been planked. First layer outside, and single layer inside. The instructions don't call for planking on the inner plywood bulwark, but I'll add that when I get the gun deck on.
 
Interior stained with a light walnut, and I'll probably paint the frame ends to cover the ply parts.
 
Stones (supplied with the kit) have been glued in for the ballast, and the orlop deck piece glued in place.
 
Next step is some hold storage items including a hawse cable and barrels.  I was going to add more, but bought limited supplies so may do more later.
 
Next update won't be quite so far away!
 
Darren

Hi TK1. I have tried using Black, Kiwi shoe polish with good success. good black color, gives you your lube for running through blocks, etc.

Funnily enough, I've decided to do cross-sections after doing full models.  So I'm a bit backwards (or maybe upside-down, being from Australia) 🙃.
 
But as others said, they are a great way to learn a lot of the techniques.  I see a lot of new builders struggle with planking a full ship (especially a bluff bow), and getting it right (fairing, tapering, spacing, etc) can be daunting - and take a lot of time.  With a cross-section, you get onto making fittings, doing masts, and rigging quicker - so a little bit of everything you may do in a full model.
 
Plus not being retired yet, and doing other types of models, it takes me years to do a full ship.  Also, my wife was sick of them being everywhere - they take up a fair bit of shelf space!

So, cross-sections should be quicker, some of the kits out there are good, and they offer a great intro to scratch-building as said above.  Plus I can display a few in the same space as a full ship.
 
I'm working on the Modelers Shipyard HMS Sirius at present - here's the build log:  
 
Like any kit, it's not perfect and can do with some improvement - again a god way to get into modifying and scratch-building some components.
 
I have the Hatchett (? part-series with books) sections for Victory and Endeavour, and a few scratch ones planned.  I have the AL San Francisco but I'd avoid it, see the build logs on here - hull frames are weirdly thick, ladders don't fit, etc.  So will be a lot of work to make it presentable.  The OcCre ST looks good.  I'll probably do the Model Shipways Constitution rather than the Mamoli one, as it's slightly larger.  With the Anatomy of the Ship books you can do a good job of scratchbuilding the ships they cover.
 
Dive in and give one a go - and do a build log 🙂.

Darren

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren
 

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren
 

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren
 

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren
 

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren