Freebird

My first stem tapering with a figurehead. Thoughts? Also, how much of a radius should the stem have? I just knocked the corner off for now. Best Regards …. Rick

Very nice Rusty! Best Regards …. Rick

Very clean and neat! Best Regards …. Rick

Thank you Rusty, it's been fun so far. Thanks to All for the Likes, much appreciated! Best Regards .... Rick

Here’s last night’s effort, the stem. It took a fair amount of time to get the parts to fit well, the angle cut of the laser is a bugger and careful sanding is required to get gap free joints. I mostly used a file and sanding sticks, I also used with excellent results my Byrnes 4” sander (RIP Jim, we miss you) for trimming down the joints that Chuck points out is his build. Overall it was a pleasant experience. Now to start the taper... Best Regards …. Rick

Thank you Allen. I totally agree with you about Chuck and his efforts to help the modeling community. Best in the business! Best Regards .... Rick

This marks the start of my Syren POF Speedwell! I’ve been dealing with some medical issues and am now close to being 100%, so here we go! A POF has been a bucket list build for a long time as I’ve admired this style of model. Most of the offerings out there just didn’t appeal to me with the scaffold type of construction. Enter Chuck with his Speedwell, Bingo! I’m a huge fan of Chuck’s designs and all the help he (and the other MSW modelers) provides, it gives guys like me a lot of hope. I’ve built Chuck’s Medway (my first wood build) and it came out awesome. Thanks Chuck! I’ve started Cheerful but a POF build has extreme attraction for me. I’ll probably work on Cheerful when a break is needed. Last month at the New London Conference I got to meet Chuck (and Rusty, Ryland and Olha and several others! Awesome to meet you guys!). Had some great conversations and it was nice putting a face to the name. Also, I got to eyeball Chuck’s Speedwell, pictures in the build thread don’t do it justice. A real beauty! Anyway, here we go! When Chuck said there was a lot of wood in the 1st 2 chapters, he wasn’t kidding! The laser cutting is the best I’ve ever seen in a model. A lot of the parts had fallen out of the billets, so I took some time to place them in their proper place and used some blue painters tape to hold them in place. Because the thickness of the wood, I see a lot of billet sanding to remove surface char in my future. Here’s a picture of the wood. Stem will be started tonight. Best Regards …. Rick

Looks good Jean-Marc! Should be starting my build this weekend. Best Regards .... Rick

Don't forget that many of us don't have access to a mill, much less a CNC mill. So Chuck's offerings give us an opportunity to have the best results, despite not having a machine shop. Best Regards .... Rick

If you really wanted to remove the sharpie, plain ‘ole rubbing alcohol will quickly and easily remove the ink. Best Regards …. Rick

I love how you painted your initials on the hair bracket. Very clever! Best Regards …. Rick

Very clean work, Erik. Best Regards… Rick

Just fantastic! Best Regards …. Rick

Fantastic artwork! Best Regards …. Rick

Just amazing! Best Regards .... Rick

Thanks Rusty! Really looking forward to this build! A POF has been bucket list project. BTW - are you attending the conference at the end of the month? Best Regards …. Rick

Mike, I probably missed that in his post. The picture looks like the support is across the board, hence my comment. l’ll be starting my Speedwell log very soon. Best Regards …. Rick

One suggestion Rusty, I’d add another support in the middle to keep the board from sagging. Best Regards …. Rick

Interesting details, but like you’ve said before, Chuck, less is more. Best Regards …. Rick

Jeff, It’s best to sand the laser burn off the parts while they’re still in the billets. No chance of rounding the edges that way. Best Regards …. Rick

Chuck, Do you think a group build like the Winnie would be a good idea? Thoughts??? Best Regards ….Rick

I’ll also be starting a build log shortly, mine arrived yesterday. Thanks Chuck! Best Regards …. Rick

What does the gap look like on the other side? Remember, the laser doesn't cut perfectly straight, so I would think that a slight adjustment on the other end would be appropriate. I'm sure that Chuck will chime in. Best Regards .... Rick

Excellent Erik, excellent! Best Regards …. Rick

Spectacular! I’m just in awe of this model! Best Regards …. Rick