Snug Harbor Johnny

Lead (or more likely tin/lead) fittings will be soft and bendable. If primed on all surfaces (not sure which primer works best for tin/lead - but what is sold for cast military figures and 'flats' is obviously suitable), then painted with enamel (not acrylic) - they can last a long time without oxidation, since oxygen won't go through the coatings. I found a painted CW tin/lead soldier I cast as a boy over 50 years ago, and it is in perfect condition. Antique figures can be so found, as long as the coatings don't get scratched or chipped. Any lead in these figures has been banned for some time, so tin based 'pewters' have been used. 95/5 tin/antimony is "out" these days because of the antimony. Something like 2% copper is alloyed with tin ( to make Britannia metal), since pure tin degrades under freezing temperatures. (Napoleon's soldiers buttons fell apart on the road back from Moscow.) One can see 'Britannia metal' (tin-copper) plate wear over 200 years old on display in museums in excellent condition, whereas the cheaper stuff with lead go dark grey and can oxidize in high humidity. Conclusion ... Britannia metal is fine without painting for centuries - now I'm not talking about buried in soil, which will ruin anything other than gold (or platinum). Some kits have zinc metal castings, since anything with lead these days is a no-no. Zinc can likely take the same primer, although zinc chromate is the best. Some early zinc cast toy locomotives had zinc with contaminants and suffered from an internal degradation that caused them to crumble from the inside in spite of coatings. I'm talking about stuff from the 1920s and 30s. Since then, there are no reports of 'bad' zinc. Johnny

When hull fairing is achieved (or that of other surfaces), have you considered using a scraper? Cabinetry scrapers are too large for most model making, but fashioning mini scrapers using short pieces of (de-toothed) hack saw blade can be used to have a finish largely free of 'fuzzines' (unless the wood is too soft on its own).

Vladimir, Have you thought of selling through eBay (auction)? The owner of HisModels (Czechoslovakia) sells some of his stock that way (although with a 'buy now' fixed price), and the rest of his shop is direct. For an eBay auction, your starting price would be the lowest you'd find acceptable - then it goes up from there when there are bidders. The money is handled by eBay. You have put in much work on the 1:72 model, and I think you should get what the international market will bring. Of course shipping is something major to consider, given the size of the hull. (Are the mast stub removable?) It would have to be completely bubble-wrapped and in one sturdy (reinforced) box, then that box is bubble wrapped and put into a larger shipping carton. Cost to ship overseas will be costly, so figure that in your minimum price. I was a clerk in a telescope store (a side line to supplement meager earnings as a Pharmacy technician) for 10 years, and we shipped fragile astronomy gear all over. The makers in China or Mexico put them in pre-formed styrofoam shells inside cartons, but loose items from out store (eyepieces, finders, binoculars) were packed by us using the two carton method. For a large, oblong box that the Glory would need, surrounding the inner box with plywood might be needed to prevent torquing, bending or crushing - the outer box can take some beating as there would be plenty of bubble wrap between the cartons. You have done an outstanding job, and an excellent collaborator with Rob and his 1:96 version. I wish you all the best! Johnny

Q: Why do I keep beating my head against the wall? A: It feels so good when I stop. 🙂 Johnny

Rob, were there scuppers on extreme clippers? Also, did the 'doors' that resemble 'gun ports' along the bulwark simply open outward to discharge water from heavy seas that might spill over on the deck?

I'm a believer in needle files - and for greater flexibility set some that come 'curved', known as riffler files. The curved files enable you to work on parts of flat surfaces and hard-to-get places with just the end of the file (the curved part). I've done low-relief longrifle decorations with both minitaure carving tools AND a set of curved-end (and bent-end) files. Snug

My Dad was a retired dentist who modeled 1930s biplanes or WWI aircraft, and used an old-school dental rig like the one pictured. When he passed, my brother got dibs on the drill to work on his fossils ... so I ended up getting the HF flex shaft tool with foot control. It does leave some to be desired - but was cheap and locally available, and has proven adequate so far. But the right-angle head on the dentist's drill was clearly more useful overall.

I'm a big shellac fan, and Zinsser's is a convenience with a couple CAVEATS. Look at the date on the can! Pre-mixed shellac is good for 1 - 2 years, so if the date is OVER 2 years - look for another can. The issue is having it dry completely. If you dissolve your own shellac flakes, do not use "Everclear" or 'clear grain alcohol' sold in liquor stores because it is only 190 'proof' - meaning 5% water. I had trouble trying to use such a product and it 'clouded' the shellac. You need either 'Baker analyzed' pure chemists' ethanol (very expensive and not widely available), but you can use 'denatured' alcohol (methanol) sold in pure form in hardware stores. The flakes dissolve nearly as well as with ethanol, but because of the fumes - good ventilation is necessary is using a LOT of product (like for furniture 'French' polishing, or covering any large area). BTW, methanol is used in Zinsser's. Applying a little here and there (like for securing rigging) is generally not a problem. But inhaling too much methanol can be toxic. If you dissolve your own amber flakes, after a good bit of swirling until most of the flakes are dissolved, let the mixture sit undisturbed in a stoppered Erlenmeyer flask for at least a week. I got some flasks from Edmunds's Scientific Company some years ago - but 'science stores' may have some. The second choice is something tall - like a graduated cylinder, or even a tall glass flower vase. The top portion will be lighter in color and this can be taken off with a pipette, ling dropper (or even a glass turkey baster). This lighter color shellac is the best to use either on the wood or to fix knots, etc. If using Zinsser's, don't shake the can, handle it gently and let it sit for a couple of weeks after purchase to 'settle out'. Then draw off the top 'clearer' portion to use. Fair sailing ... Johnny

Rob, I'm with you on the light blue color choice for waterways and trim. From a recent book: The American Clipper Ship 1845 - 1920: A comprehensive History with a Listing go Builders and their Ships (p.54) "Aboard ship, most clipper deck houses were painted white, as were cabin interiors and bulwarks, while waterways were painted a variety of colors, including pearl, lead, light blue or buff color." I'm not a paint expert, but in the 19th century oil-based (linseed) were the best exterior paints, while interior work was often done with 'distemper' paint (water based) containing varying amounts of casein or hide glue. To get color, super-fine ground pigment had to be added. Less expensive pigments like carbon, red ochre and yellow ochre could be had - but blue (there were several types) cost a lot more, and it took a lot of added pigment to get a 'darker' paint of any color. Hence there prevalence of 'lighter' to mid-range blue paints used for architecture. I'm not talking artists colors for fine art, which had intense colors, but in much smaller quantities. These charts post date many mid-19th c. clipper builds, but you get the picture. Binghamton #17 or Coverall 'deep blue' might be the darkest shades when new, and would fade some with strong UV exposure. Bing. #32, #28, Coverall ocean blue or sky blue are more likely candidates based on the shades cited in the aforementioned book. I wondered what "lead" colored paint looked like, and you can see it on the Coverall chart as well as pearl (gray). Fair sailing ... Johnny

Chuck makes excellent blocks sold through Syren Ships - check for current pricing. The scale rope is now done by another fellow trained by Chuck ... there's got to be a link somewhere, and that is properly laid rope done with a small scale rope-walk. Syren sells a product called the 'rope rocket' that you hook a drill to and can make your own scale rope - you should check it out. There is also a rope server for someone who wants to go that route.

'Great progress, mate. The link to the Gazela manual is very appropriate for the Endurance, and something many Forum member can benefit from - myself included. Fair sailing ! Johnny

I found a laser-produced wood deck for Thermopylae (Cutty Sark also available) on Ebay, and the seller is HiSModel in Czechoslovakia. The standard shipping would have taken 4 - 6 weeks, so I paid extra for Fed Ex. I was in Ebay as a 'guest' (not having an account then - I do now) and paid by credit card. Then I saw the same seller's photo-etch and decal + flag set, and ordered that too (but with standard shipping). The seller (Radimir Beseda) contacted me through Ebay to clarify if I wanted the beech wood versus the oak deck, and if I wanted any thing else to go into the package. I specified then that the beech was lighter in color with a finer grain, so I wanted that - plus the photo etch thrown into the same box so they would both get to me sooner. To my surprise, I got the items in a mere 7 days! (the $23 up-charge was worth it). Fed Ex had slightly bent the box at some point, but the deck was not damaged and a slight creasing in part of the photo etch was smoothed with round handled metal tools - no worries. Radimir included a sample deadeye with a photo-etch surround and a sample CNC milled walnut block. They seem pretty good, and he has them available on his site - plus nice-looking 1:96 belaying pins long enough to properly function - It has been recommended to snap off the plastic pins from the Reveal Cutty/Thermoplylae pin rails and replace with scale brass pins. Since the deck of the prototypes was bare wood, I've never been able to paint a pre-formed (plastic) deck to look 'real enough'. The use of these thin (veneer) deck parts has to be considered right from the start of constructing either kit, and installing metal deck eyes right through the deck (after wood sheathing) was also recommended. Items from HiSModel appear less expensive if bought from the seller directly with PayPal. He seems to specialize in accessories to greatly improve popular plastic ships (e.g. U.S.S. Constitution 1:96). My late 50s Thermopylae (a lucky find) has excellent molded parts (and instructions - although the paper is coming apart), and I'm going to plan carefully how to go about the prospective build - using deadeyes and hand-knotted ratlines for example. Scale points to 3.5mm and 2.5mm deadeyes - pretty small to work with, so I might consider going just a little 'out of scale' with 5mm for the large deadeyes and 3mm for the small ... plenty of time to think about that. Some of the yards that were not painted as seen on several fine all-wood models, can be replaced by wood spars - the the fine build on this forum by Bruma. I'm stuck on whether to build as a Barkentine (early 1890s) or as a clipper. The idea of having a few sails is a great compromise. Fair sailing! Johnny

Louie, I've just seen the Papegjan (1627) build, and all my questions are answered ... she is a 'smaller Wasa', and the masting/rigging can be used - with the addition of diminutive top gallant yards. What a build, with setp-by-step pictures of how to rig ! Johnny

Your many rigging pictures are an answer to a prayer ... the rigging of this 'smaller Wasa' of 1627 can be a template for eventual finishing of my languishing 1:100 Billing Wasa (c.1970 kit). The mast p[roportions are great, and the Wasa only needs diminutive top gallants above the topsail yards. Sure, the Anderson book (and others) have good information, but your build shows step-by-step how its done - with every rope having a purpose. Kudos, and a toast to you ! Johnny

My Dad used to fly RC model planes in the 'old days', and many of the ads for sale of model airplane kits had pictures of pretty women holding a finished model ... sort of like how car commercials often have a gal showing the car. Love it. Johnny

You're doing great! My Dad also built a clipper (looked to be around 1:120 scale) and it was in a glass display case. When my Dad passed, one of my brothers had 'dibs' on the model, which was rigged with whatever sewing thread happened to be handy and black seed beads were used as pulleys. There were a number of thread lines that had simply deteriorated and broken, and the model looked a little sad - but still clean since it was always cased. He planked the deck in flat match sticks - which was an exercise in patience, and the cabin detail looked pretty good. Perhaps I'll offer to re-rig the ship for my brother sometime - but he lives far away and has become an aging bachelor-hoarder. I have bought some items from Cornwall, and they have been generally good. I know what you mean about the belaying pin geometry - and I may resort to turning my own on the miniature (Unimat) lathe my Dad gave me some time ago. I've used the lathe for a wide variety of projects, and although it is underpowered it turns brass and aluminum pretty good with light cuts. I'll have to make a form tool foe the pin profile I want, then cut them off one-by-one after forming. Johnny

Louie, I've checked out your link to images of carracks (and also have poured through artwork of ships in the 1520 - 1620 range) - and a very common (by a large majority) depict a relatively tall first part of the mainmast having a relatively large main sail ... then a much shorter second section with a MUCH smaller topsail, and either a short third pole to fly a pennant from (sometimes only on the main mast) or a diminutive top gallant on the pennant pole (so small compared to the main sail that it is quite puny). All these artists were seeing much the same thing, and trying to depict it in 2-D. Now there are varying degrees of 'artistic license' as well as scale issues, but the 'preponderance of the evidence' is that ships in that era DID look much like that. The small hight of the masting above the large main sail may well be related to the evolution of rigging methods to enable the eventual increase of mast height and sail size by 1650. In deciding how I'm to mast my version of the (dated) 1:100 Billing Wasa model (as sold circa 1970 - so I have to make substantial modifications to based on current knowledge). Their elevation drawing has masting that appears entirely too tall relative to the hull. I took a picture to put on my build log - and due to the camera angle, the image 'foreshortens' the masting quite a bit ... but seeing that makes it appear much like the aforementioned contemporary artwork. Now the picture I took is perhaps a little too foreshortened, but the 'lightbulb' went on that I could 'scale back' on the masting above the mainsail, as the 1628 Wasa can be considered a 'transitional' ship ... the order came after the keel was laid and construction started to lengthen the ship by about 30 feet (and add a lot more guns) - so the builders had to do what they could to comply - and we know the outcome. As has been said, the masting and spars are 'the first things to go' on a wreck - and that may be one reason (apart from housing concerns) that the restored original in Sweden only has the first mast sections. One could also just model that to be 'safe', but without a time machine (or time portal that one could look through without having to go there) who can say just how the upper masting was configured? Johnny

The second window seems blocked by a man in the upper picture. Cabins most often have a symmetry in the design, and the lower photo share seems to show a second window on the port side. A second door is not as clear, but would not be unreasonable in a balanced layout.

I like 'true' Honduran mahogany - but it is harder to find these days and pricy at that. One can obtain a plank by picking through what may be offered at 'Woodworkers' Supply' stores (they all have different, uncatalogued stuff in odd lots). Then one can re-saw into planking stock of the desired thickness, with the desired grain orientation. If used for ships that did not have painted hulls, no stain is needed. Johnny

Well done, mate! She looks impressive, and I'm happy your method with the flat stanchions worked ... also the fray stop (fray check is a name of another brand) on the lines is something I'll have to remember - using clear nail polish instead of CA .. another great idea. 'Bet the fray stop will also work on the line used as chainplate - to tighten-up and stiffen. The steering gear you rigged is an added bonus. This build can be a REAL help to modelers building the Endurance in future, and a great supplement to the picture and video instructions OcCre provides. Nothing beats a good account of 'thinking things out' (sometimes in a different order than kit instructions) and showing pictures of the results. Yeah, I pondered (too late) on the tight situation for mainmast rigging into the deck eyes way down between the walkways on wither side. The same problem would exist if one wanted to put a circular pin rails around the masts as on the prototype instead of the deck eyes. Now it occurs to me that one could tie rigging lines to the deck eyes there in advance - making sure that there was a generous amount of line to work with later, and coil each line up (and kept neat with a couple small keep ties) leaving a few inches of line between the coil and the attachment point on the deck. The coils could be pulled up between the walkways (dog runs) and just left on the deck somewhere until needed later. You can still do this (aided by long tweezers) before things get too much farther along. Then later when rigging, instead of running lines down to the attachment points - the lines would be pre-attached and you would run the lines UP to wherever needed. Nes pas? I'll be following along (as many are) as you go, and I'm sure you'll do her proud. Johnny

'Just love they way you've used scale second planking, as it 'telegraphs' nicely through the paint - just like on the prototype. I think it is a very nice look, and it doesn't matter if it get 'weathered' or not - it will look great either way ! Johnny

'Love your build of a classic kit I did myself as a lad (model long gone, though). I've obtained a Revell Thermie kit (cloned from the Cutty), and I'm thinking to make it in the barkentine mode - an option provided for in the kit to represent her time in the timber trade in the Northwest. She was painted white then, and there are some good photos to model her as she was in that roughly 5 year period. Of course there were some compromises Revell made, as the ship has the same lines as the Cutty. The bow below the water line can be shaped to the 'Aberdeen' curve easily enough, but the stern profile represents a challenge - and the transition from the aft deck to the main deck is somewhat different than on the prototype. The decision to be made (eventually) will be to either cut away the plastic above the prominent lower shear strake and plank in wood upwards from there (but leaving the forecastle alone) to increase accuracy (a harder way to go), or built her as provided - thus 'respecting' the classic kit. I can pare away the intermediate rub rail between the shear and the gunwale, as well as adjust the bow to the Aberdeen profile. No rush, mates - as there is much to do in the meantime. A stash of a mere 6 kits for what is hoped to be a 20 year retirement is hardly an excess. Just thinking and planning how to build (or bash) is for me as enjoyable as actually building. And it is a pleasure to review the many fine builds available on the forum like yours. Fair sailing ! Johnny

'Thought of a way to work out unevenness of 2nd planking ... a mini scraper ! I've done furniture with the normal shapes available in cabinet scrapers, but a model ship would need something smaller and more flexible. So a piece cut from a hacksaw blade (with a Dremel cutoff disc) would do. Then after grinding off the kerf and teeth points to spare fingertips, the back edge of the blade section could be held in a vise have a small burr rolled just like a full-sized scraper . There are You-tube videos (among other sources) to show how it's done on a regular scraper. Then one can flex the mini scraper around most of the ship lines (concave and convex) and pare away uneven plank joins or high spots without leaving abrasive marks like sandpaper. Working with the grain, small shavings come off nicely with a scraper. Special purpose shapes can be ground into a scraper for beading and moldings - like is done for flintlock long rifles (been there, done that). A former manager of mine advised not to point out a problem unless one has at least one good idea of a fix to offer at the same time. I should have remembered his advice sooner. Fair sailing, Johnny

Ahoy mates! Anyone wanting to see more details of one method Rob has previously used for lower deadeye mounting and chainplate installation should see his fabulous build log of the Great Republic ... Sure it may seem a long log (as is the current one), but it is chock full of many nitty-grittys very helpful to those who aspire to approach the beauty and detail of his models - without having to resort to so-called 'purist' methods that require virtually re-building every darn thing from the ribs up. Rob's ingenious method for producing the best (and most practical) simulation of a copper bottom is thoroughly detailed in the Great Republic log - including how the method evolved ... and that has put a hand-cranked clothes wringer on my shopping list next time I visit this-and-that shops in the Lancaster PA area. Many orders (ordnung) of Mennonite and Amish still use such implements, so I imagine they may be available in new or near new condition where the rollers are not 'dried-out' or cracked with age the way some antique wringers are. Hmmm, may one can Google such an item. Now (please don't hate me) in the two photos (above) of the newly mounted deadeyes with chainplate, I think one can see the 'ghost' of a small area on the hull above the coppering that was corrected with a little filler after the final planking. When the light is just right viewed at an angle, there is a slight difference in albedo (surface reflectivity) and texture of the area smoothed by underlying filler. Most likely this will not be noticeable under normal viewing conditions and distance (the photo is substantially enlarged - like looking at one's complexion in a 'magnifying' bathroom auxiliary mirror). One can safely apply any amount of filler over 'first planking' to get the desired lines, as that gets planked-over. And second planking that will be covered by coppering can also be filled with abandon if needed. Maybe the answer for final touch-ups on a surface to be painted and a low spot is found (which can create a 'shadow' after painting) is to leave just a little texture after filling - perhaps with 600 grit paper? Just a guess, but I'll have to think about it before doing anything where wood gets painted. OK, I'll go and stone the deck now - and swab it for good measure. Johnny.

Great job HakeZou on what is shaping-up to be an fine build. I'm learning along with you, as I'll eventually build my own Endurance. The steering gear is well thought-out, and you plan ahead e.g., securing the deck eyes with bends beneath the decking to assure no pull-outs when rigging - and not gluing the stacks from (presumably) coal stoves so you can remove them when doing the railings. Now I suspect the railings will be a challenge, as the vertical stanchions are flat laser-cut brass that may be susceptible to bending or leaning. The small 'spikes' at the base of those posts doesn't give much to sink into the perimeter rails, and per the instructions - rope will constitute the horizontal rails for everywhere. In some places on the original there was rope, and many other places it is some sort of piping. Perhaps a 'fillet' of epoxy (a dab on either side) at the base might stabilize the flat stanchions. My solution was to order 3D stanchions from Cornwall, while I'll keep in reserve until needed. Whatever you do, trying an experimental piece to test the approach could be very helpful before forging ahead on the model. Fair sailing. Johnny