Scottish Guy

Welcome back Scott. I hope you will find all the answers you need and look for Micha

This will really depend on the device you use. If you use a computer / laptop it will come out the same way you can see it. If you use a tablet it might come out the same way you can see it, depending on the settings of the tablet, it could aber shown underneath when the screen size is reduced. On an smartphone all pictures will come underneath each other, same with text and pictures, it will come as a long flow chart, text and picture in a long flow... (if you know what I mean). So yes, it strongly depends on your screen size because the text has to come out still in a size that can de read properly, therefore the pictures will be reduced but the text only to a size that still makes it easy possible to read. Micha

I get the point, but then they should name them different. But I somehow I can understand the idea of the manufacturer, they just try to save money and also make as much as possible money out of it. But a bit of authencity would be somehow appreciated especially when they intend to be a kit of historic background. Micha

I do it the first way James explains it. I just type in my text, then I upload a picture, insert it and set the size I want it to have. Then I just place my cursor behind the picture, press ENTER and start typing again and so on... I noticed that some people just add the pictures and don´t leave any gap between pictures, I personally don´t like that (makes scrolling and looking the pictures much harder. I always press at least once (normally twice) ENTER after every picture, even if I insert two or more pictures in a row (which rarely happens). I prefer to separate pictures wiht text so the flow of reading the thread is a bit more easier. Micha

Unfortunately I have to agree with you here Dean. The kit is started and is far from reality or being authentic. When checking the replicas that have been built you can see that the Billing Boat has nothing really to do with the real Skuldelev ships expect maybe the shape (which ship doesn´t). Again I have to agree with you. To get this kit to a level of being somewhat authentic you would have to build it from scratch and shouldn´t use the kit in any way (tbh. you should avoid that kit if you want something authentic). However, I started it and I will finish it but like you said, I will focus on getting it finished, will learn by the mistakes I´ve done and will progress with the next project. I don´t understand the intend of these kits since they are not even close of being authentic or realistic. I also don´t understand the intend to make the builders life even harder than it should or could be. There are ways to manufature the kits in a more authentic look and way and it might even make the build easier than these pretty tension to glue planks. Also the spine / keel build could have been much easier than the way they do it. I´m a bit looking forward to the 1:20 kit of Billing Boats called "The Skuldelevs" which seems more authentic than the newer version in 1:25. Not sure yet, since I just had a brief look over the kit, nothing to deep yet. Anyway, I´m very grateful that I was allowed to meet you here Dean. You are a really kind and amazing well of knowledge and wisdom and even more grateful I am that you are willing to share all these knowledge to a beginner in wooden kits. I bow before you for this generous behaviour of you. Micha

I´m completely with you here Allan, but sometimes people just can´t afford the "proper" stuff. Surely AutoCAD is on the market for ages but the prices they call are hideous. Also I think that software like AutoCAD is way over the top for what we would need it, it is a professional drawing software for engineers and architects. Blender on the other side is most likely for game designers and video producers but as far as I know as well for free (at least nowadays) and you only pay for some really intensive addons some "bucks". I once tried Blender and have to admit, it is not me, I´m too old or not intelligent enough for it. I can draw 3D pretty well with my hands and a ruler or geometric devices but on a computer I´m a noob like hell. I don´t know why, I would have expected to be great on the computer as well but it just doesn´t work. Same thing is with photography, I own the entire Adobe Suite but barely can use Photoshop or Illustrator, I struggle even with Animate or Premiere Pro but I know exactly what kind of filter I use on my SLR / DSLR to get the same if not a better (more authentic and realistic) effect on the picture than Photoshop ever could archive (unfortunately you can see differences between a real photo taken with a camera and filters or a Photoshop edited version). Does it make me a bad photographer because I can´t use Photoshop? I often get told that pictures are only amazing when post edited with Photoshop, my pictures are often get told to be unreal (when taken with filters and using some settings for aperture and shutter speed). Sometimes I think the problem is that most people don´t know anymore how a real photo looks like since Photoshop and AI took over in Smartphones and most DSLR or Mirrorless cameras. Even when comparing a raw with a jpeg version of the same picture (which my camera produces both at the same time) is a shocking difference. When you can compare it with a pure picture taken with a 1886 Kodak 6x6 camera, then you know how a real picture looks like. So is it always helpful to use computer aided software or is it just the "lazy" way to go because it often does half the job for us? I don´t know the answer, maybe it is because I just don´t know how to use those softwares. But I´m willing to learn and willing to try, but then spending hundreds of USD or GBP for something I´m still trying to figure out? Don´t think so... Micha

The GErman equivalent would be "Tunnelblick" and I knew what it means but not explicit in this situation, but now I think I know it. That I shouldn´t think about any future build but only the one I´m building right now. At the moment I don´t think about any new build lol just the Roar Ege. That´s a lie, I still have in mind about the next model, what kind of ship. But I´m not even sure if the next model would be a plastic or wooden kit. I´m waiting for a 1959 Revell Cutty Sark kit but I would prefer a wooden kit though... so yes, I should focus on the current build, not an anything else at the moment. Micha

Thank you Eric, I´m wondering how many here speak German lol... Micha

No offense taken and I agree Joachim. I`m not a fan of surgery at all, my GP also told me already to wait what the hospital says but he is also not a fan of surgery, he told me already that there is even a 50% chance that my shoulder completely stiffens up which wouldn´t be a benefit at all. Physio I tried already, made it even worse. Right now they think it might be an impingement of the shoulder but that is not certain yet. I had x-ray and might even get a MRI. We will see what times bring but I don´t really want a surgery and when I can get a different job within the company I will definitely not do the surgery. Micha P.S. Liebe Grüsse an meine alte Heimat (Land).

Thank you Keith for the kind and honest words. I didn´t expect to do a home run here, it was what it is, a build to learn and an indicator of what I still have to learn. I will even keep this build, despite it is a bad build (in case I can´t somehow fix it) and put it on display in my work room as warning memorial about what I had to learn. The next build might be better, I hope it will be better because I learnt a lot already and I learnt where my experience is well formed and where I´m missing skills and experience. Micha

Thank you, every day ia a learning day I will keep this in mind for the next build. Again thank you Dean, I think I made a lot of mistakes with this build but I´m determined to finish this build. This is a learning episode and as this I take that build. We are mend to make mistakes, I made mistakes so yes it is the way to learn. I would appreciate if you could share the factors about the difference with me Dean. I´m willing to learn and I´m willing to do the build again, I don´t mind even buying the BB Roar Ege again just to make it properly again. For sure it fulfills it´s purpose, it made me amke mistakes and learning of this mistakes. But what do you mean by using the tunnel vision? I don´t understand this one. Sorry for that. Micha

Thank you for that Bob, looks like we both had the ssame issues to understand the plans. Unfortunately for me I did not understand mine well. I notice right now even a mistake I made on my Roar Ege. Your planking looks idfferent to mine. Different manufacturer, I get that, but the ship should look somehow equal and mine doesn´t, I think that is a reason why I had so much tension on the planks, because I did it worng and let all planks end at the same point instead of going up on bow and stern. Thank you for pointing this out to me and leading me in the right way. Mine is done, therefore I try to make th best out of it. Looking forward to your progress. Micha

I surely will do Glen. It was a pleasure to look at and follow Micha

I have to say, the build looks easier than the Billing Boats "Roar Ege". Maybe I should have tried this one instead. But I stick to my Skuldelev, I started it so I will finish it. But it looks good and I know the rest of the build will be just entertaining and fun. We will miss the two little ones, hope they find their way back home. Micha

Thank you for your kind words Steven, but it´s not your fault. That´s life and we have to deal with things like that... Micha

Sadly I can´t give more than one thumb up. Looks much better and much more realistic. I love that sub, never have done one myself but that one looks really good. Micha

Thank you Steven but there might not be a recovery. The injury I caused on my shoulder might be permanent. RIght now they are assessing if there is the possibility of a surgery, but that´s not clear and not yet certain about the outcome. I might just have to live with the constant pain. It´s just affecting my job and I (and my manager) try to find another job within the company now so I don´t increase the pain and damage to my shoulder. Micha

Hi Johnny, that´s what I intend to do, sanding the bow and stern smoother and thinner. It looks a bit very bulky tbh. I also want to give all the planks a smoother surface, not much just to get rid of the excess of glue that is visible on some planks. After all it makes sense to do the halves of the hull but I think my way is still a bit easier since the clamps are already tight to get in because of some really narrow spaces at the bow and stern. When the hlaf is laying flat on the MDF board (which is suggested in the instructions) then it will be even harder to get the clamps on. But that is my humble opinion about it. I liked my way to build the hull, I just would build a better jig for sure, where the bow and stern are secured to prevent them from moving / warping and I would definitely glue the planks on each side at the same time, for example Part 11 (first plank to the spine) I would glue on both sides at the same time and so on... so the hull "grows" on both sides simultaneously. Thank you Johnny, it boosts my confidence that someone is interested in my LOG and that it might help you to avoid mistakes or errors to make on your own build or someone elses future build. Micha

* Chapter Six * Planking Galore or The Hull rests on the Stand - finally I just thought I will finish the planking today so I can start with sanding over the weekend. I like smooth surfaces and especially a smooth bow and stern. Unfortunately the spine / keel is warping because of my planking. Meaning the bow bends to the port and the stern to the star side. Also the planking is not exactly mirrored, some planks are not exactly equally set in height on both sides which will maybe cause issues to get the ribs in. I will use the little nails to connect the planks to the ribs - at least that’s my plan. View from atop onto the hull, unfortunately you can see some gaps where I put the glue not properly onto the planks. Will fix that when sanded and ribs in. View from the bow and you can see the warping to the port side. You can also see that the lines of the planks are not equal / mirrored. I think I have still a lot to learn. A view from an angle just to show the lines. I’m not happy with that… can’t change it anymore… The hull placed onto the stand (which I don’t really like). The rest of my supper / dinner… Micha

I´ve done it a couple of times (not related to scale models but under different circumstances) also paper (which is somehow also cellulose - somehow wood) for staining it to look old (for bookbinding). It works well and it doesn´t harm the wood or paper in any way at least not that I noticed. I`ve done this for years now and never had any bad experiences with it. Micha

Don´t get me wrong Simon, you did a pretty good job there. Don´t listen to me, I´ve never done any rat lines yet so I´m the wrong one to assess anything comparable. But to me yours looks amazing. Well done my friend I know you will rock the rest as well, pretty much I can learn from you there. Micha

Thank you Glen for letting me be part of it and allow me to follow your build. It looks amazing and I really love the stand. The root piece looks amazing and that the bottle fits in so neat is just great. It was really a pleasure to follow the build and having all this conversations, even the few "heated" ones (I´m joking, I loved every chat in here pretty much). Thank you guys for allowing me as well being part of your conversations. Micha

* Chapter Five * The Orgy continues or Why do Ships have two Sides to plank… Since the last post of the ship some time went by and my situation changed a bit. Work took over most of my day time now (how dares it) but I kept glueing planks on the ship. Only one and a half is missing. This is part 16 (plank) secured to dry half way on. I never expected to be in need of sooo many clamps lol. For the bow and the stern I prefer the metal clamps since they are thinner on the tip and therefore fit better into the narrow spaces inside, also the keep the planks tighter in place. There is quite some tension on the planks as you can see the gap on the unglued side. Gladly the planks are flexible enough to be bend properly to be fitted on after the other side is dried up. Keeping the unglued side in place… After 15 minutes of waiting and giving the glue time to dry and bind up I glued the other side on. Unfortunately it still takes a lot of clamps to keep it in place. The tension is higher than I expected. Again metal clamps in the narrower spots to keep the plank properly in place. Part 17 (plank) glued on one side. Procedure is the same, a bit repetitive the entire job but that is what it is. I noticed that the sides (port and star) might not be mirrored but a wee bit different. Not sure yet. It’s still a learning process. As I wrote in an earlier post, I would do it definitely different the next time. I would glue each side the same time so it’s easier to measure the distances to the spine and between the planks easier. So the sides would look mirrored properly. On the other hand, in real life the ships wouldn’t have been that accurate because they wouldn’t have had the tools (long level and proper measuring tape) to properly mirror their planks. And again there is the tension noticeable on the opposite side. I will try to put the last plank (part 18) on today so I can start sanding the bow and the stern. They look quite weird with the planks stacked up. I will sand them a bit more rounded and smoother, also the edges of the planks I will smoothen and even them a bit to give a more neat and smooth look. Micha

What shall I say Simon, looks amazingly good. I knew you could make it, you just didn´t want to admit your great skills in doing rat lines hehe... but yes, it looks really good. The top bit is a bit narrow though but I don´t know, it just looks a bit narrow, I wouldn´t like to climb up there. Micha

I have two 3D printers but I don´t do the development for the prints, was always lucky to find some ready patterns to print ^^ I really should get into 3D stuff to print my own ideas and not always search the entire internet for some ideas or pattern. Micha