EricWilliamMarshall

3 minutes ago, druxey said:

thinned to just flow, using a bow pen

After a quick web search, I'm game to try that. I believe I actually have one, in an old drafting set, but I didn't know the name or use until now. Druxey, thank you!

10 minutes ago, Chuck said:

surface prep has a lot to do with it

hmm, that is excellent thought. Many thanks!! As an aside, your work is crazy and beautiful! Delightful!

9 minutes ago, Chuck said:

a shot of vodka and then just free-hand it.

ha ha ha - I'm not sure if that will work, but I definitely will try it!!

What is the best way of make a clean cut of string (or hiding the string fuzz at the end)?

What are the standard knots (if any) for model rigging?

Are there standard references folks would recommend (I love books)?

I'm using mostly square knots and it's a bit slow, plus I have the tiny 'ends' that stick out. If I cut them too close, the knot falls apart. 
Also, what is the best way to cut the string? Sawing away with the X-acto fuzzes the string end for me. 

Thanks for your time (and expertise)! Everyone's models here look amazing!

- how do folks paint clean, even, straight lines?

- how do folks paint clean even wiggly/curved lines?

In the photo below, I tried a few different ways to solve this with mixed results. I'm curious how other folks solve this. Thanks again!

She has her masts and plastic ratlines attached. I lost another cannon and again reinserted it via putty and bamboo.

I'm also curious for wisdom regarding knots and the clean cutting of string.

What advice do folk have for painting even fine lines and strips?

Little by little!

Shotlocker, beautiful!! I'm building the baby version (1/196). If I survive this one, the next will be bigger.   The photos were already useful to me!

A couple quick shots: guns back where they ought to be. A boat added and the bowsprit started.

11 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

No offence intended.

None taken! I was being silly; as a newbie here my giving ' no thought about upgrading or re-modelling.' Also the same 'with the rigging just used whatever was supplied.' The goal is merely to complete the model and get a taste of dealing with the fiddlely strings, knots and the like. 

17 hours ago, Shotlocker said:

I hope you keep it (intact!) as long as I have mine.

Wow! She looks great! Feel free to share some more photos! It looks like you didn't use the 'stock' ratlines. Am I correct? (I realize it may have been a while, no worries if the such details have faded in the haze of glory of a finished model.) I hope anything I work on is around in fifty years!

18 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

it was just glue it and paint it,  built from the box,  rigging and everything.

Umm, that's the plan.  Hunting around modelshipworld has inspired me to take more care, when possible.  Thanks for the encouragement!

First minor disaster - two of the lower guns popped out! (Third from the right was the tricky one).

I tried to use tweezers but that didn't work. I hadn't put on the transom yet, so I tried with long tweezers. No luck, I couldn't 'release' the gun once in the right spot. In the end, I used a bamboo skewer with a blob of mounting putty (fun tack) and that worked. (Of course, the blob stuck to the gun.  ) 

Thanks VTHokiEE, GrandpaPhil, and DanO for the encouragement! The Sharpie Schooner and the Victory look wonderful; thanks for sharing the logs! It looks like Midwest (the maker of the Sharpie kit) has stopped making those kits.  The Constitution is my introduction to thinking about rigging. I have a partial plastic kit of Heller's HMS Victory 1:100 (and I was just looking at GrandpaPhil's build last week before I became a member!). If I hang-on long enough to finish those, then I'll try something wooden. The Sharpie kit looks like a reasonable starting point, but I have many miles to travel before such decisions.

Added deck bits and put the hull and deck together.

Deflashing and paint.

I recently discovered ship models (and this site)! I've been lurking and reading for the last few weeks and I am diving in (in the shallow end). So here goes nothing!