realworkingsailor

Looks to me like bowsing tackle. Used to keep the lifeboat alongside the ship when embarking. It is eased out and cast off immediately prior to lowering the boat.Typically though, it is two double blocks. Andy

Actually, you want the glue to wick in. It makes a far stronger bond than just having the glue bond the surface.

When I built my Pegasus, I had absolutely no trouble with the MDF. As has been pointed out, it's perfectly flat, no warping, everything fit together and aligned cleanly. I didn't have too much trouble sanding it, mind you I did a little pre-assembly prep work with a rasp. If you're worried about any kind of toxicity in the dust, just use a NIOSH rated dust mask and safety goggles. And as long as the MDF is not fresh off the factory floor, the risk of toxins being released, reduces as time goes by and the binder fully cures. Also notice that MDF manufactured in Europe has very low levels of Formaldehye (per Mark's link: http://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/faq-mdf.htm ) To quote: "Q4. How much formaldehyde is released by MDF board?MDF boards manufactured in Europe for construction purposes must meet the appropriate European standards. These are BS EN 622-1:2003 Fibreboards-Specifications - Part 1: General requirements and BS EN 622-5:2009 Fibreboards - Specifications - Part 5: Requirements for dry process boards (MDF). There are two European formaldehyde classes, E1 and E2, depending on levels of formaldehyde emission measured. The release of formaldehyde from E1 boards is less than 0.1 ppm (parts per million) and for E2 boards it is between 0.1 ppm and 0.3 ppm. In Europe, the majority of manufacturers produce only low emission boards. There are some boards available on the market with extremely low formaldehyde emissions and some with ‘no added formaldehyde’, for example those using formaldehyde free binders such as PMDI, i.e. these boards will only have the naturally occurring emissions from the wood itself. Manufacturers from outside Europe may however produce boards that have higher emissions." At 0.1 to 0.3 parts per million, there's probably more formaldehyde in a processed-cheese sandwich. As for the water issue, I had no problems with swelling when applying wet planks in fact I don't recall experiencing any swelling at all. As long as your planks are not running off like a faucet, there's not enough moisture transfer to the MDF. Andy

Hi Michael, An option you may want to consider, have a look at the brush springs for a DC-71 (Pitman) motor: Andy

Hi Jan, I'm afraid I've made very little progress, if any, in all my hobby endeavours. Stupid reality, you see Andy

Have a look here, for a start: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibious_warfare Andy

Simply stunning. Andy

I think the one in AOTS was metal in order to withstand handling as the model could be taken apart (necessitating removal of the tiller). Realistically, I believe it is more correct in wood. Andy

I need to stop by here more often... Yikes... That's some scary impressive machining. Can't wait to hear it turn over for the first time! (When you get that far, of course) Andy

Good luck with the new project! Andy

Amazing work! And incidentally, those anchor chain "chutes" as you call them, are more correctly known as "spurling pipes" Keep up the good work, and the amazing photography! Andy

Yeah.... Uh.....your sidelights are backwards.... Red goes on the left (port) side, and green on the right.... Andy

It's already been declared a national historic site by Parks Canada. It ain't goin nowhere. Andy

Geez.... all I do is run my glue-encrusted fingers over a medium rasp and the CA usually peels right off... as long as you don't apply too much pressure, you won't take any skin. Andy

I've had a lot of success in the past painting decal sheets. Rather than trying to "paint between the lines", start with a blank sheet and paint a section the colour you desire (spray painting is preferred). Seal it with a clear finish like glosscot or dullcote. Then cut out a piece(s) the size and shape you desire. Apply these over the top of the already applied decal with the miss-matched colour. If you have a few spares, cut out the centre of the 9 and use the decal as a template (obviously, you leave the decal on it's backing paper). It may sound a bit weird (painting decals) but it really works well. Andy

So you haven't been carried off by the Almighty Mosquito.... Very nice planking job! Andy

Definetly a Flower class.. Wonder which of the 267 it is..... Do we start alphabetically... Andy

Piet, Go to www.boatnerd.com and click on the "news channel" link. The submarine museum in Cleveland (www.usscod.org) is going to be re-enacting the O-19 rescue on July 12 Andy

The basic technique is almost identical, you just have far more control with an airbrush. Andy

A good airbrush should run between $100 and $200. Best bet is to look in to your local hobby shop and see which brands they support. You're going to want a double action brush, as you have greater control over the paint/air flow than on a single action brush (which acts more like a rattle can). When you get set up, before you even approach your test model, practice on a few pieces of cardboard, or other scrap. Try to get the paint to a nice even coverage with no thin spots or weeps. Airbrushing really is not that hard to do, it just takes practice to do it well. Good luck Andy

So I've been driving across "the" half acre (as in h€££'s half acre) today. Picked up Diana from the ship, then turned around and headed north to the cottage..... About 8 hours on the road Time for some rest... And a goodly amount of beer and other adult beverages... Andy

You've got it Jan. It's one thing on a flat surface, but quite a different challenge on an open truss with thousands of angles, nooks and crannies. Andy

My main issue is the visuals. The truss is going to be a royal PITA to paint, any colour. I'm probably going to get some red automotive primer, then go grey over that. Andy

So it's been a long time since I've posted any kind of an update over here.... The weather is nice today, low humidity and a light breeze, so first thing this morning (ok.... not exactly first thing, but close to it), it was out to the picnic table with some newspaper, a couple of rattle cans of primer, and the big white beastie. (I love the smell of primer in the morning.... well... maybe not) I've pushed this step a little, there are still some details to add to the hull, but I can now see any flaws, nicks, scratches, gaps etc. that I missed when whe was glaringly white. Turns out... there are a few gaps... and scratches... and other areas that need a nice combination of sanding and filling. Not a big deal, I expected that. Incidentally, it's Tamiya grey primer that I used. OK for the hull, but when I do the unloading gear, I'm going to have to find something in a red primer... grey topcoat over grey primer is just not going to work.... Andy

Kevin, great to see you back. Like every one else has said, don't sell yourself short. You've done an amazing job to date. Andy