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A little addendum to the story of my Druid.  Grand Rapids (here in Michigan) has hosted for the past six years an event called ArtPrize.  This is a city wide hosted event focusing on art, both professional and amateur.  There is a prize purse in excess of half a million dollars so this isn't small.  This year saw 1536 entries spread over 174 venues.
 
My wife wasn't impressed with a lot of last years entries and said she was going to enter the Druid, which she did.  So I earlier this year became an official entry of the 3-D category (with 346 of my closest friends).
 

 
I ended up being hosted by a seafood restaurant actually directly across from the art museum:
 

 
Over the course of the last week and a half I have been on site talking about my work to over a 1000 people.
 

 
I made up small business cards to advertise (standard fare for this event) but took it up a notch with a customized card holder:
 

 
I do not want to turn this into a 'what is art and what is not' topic but I was the only ~accurate model based entry (all years).  It was a little hard to keep my ego in check with the consistent outstanding comments people directed at me.  There was lots of "My Grandfather / Father / Son would love this / used to do this."  "I grew up with one of these in the house and have always loved them...."
 
The feedback was worth it if nothing else.  I did meet a special youth that I invited over for some ship modeling discussions.  Peter has faced a lot of challenges but has been working on a model of the Titanic with popsicle sticks and pictures (no plans):
 

 
There is a lot of interest out there in models, particularly ship models.  Do not be afraid to engage and put yourself out there,  I can tell you the rewards are huge.
 
Stay Building my Friends,
Mark
 
 

Greetings (again).  Returning to MSW after a bit of off time (eg I just completed my 5th sprint triathlon).  I have not been idle and have lately been kicking it into high gear with my version of the HMS Druid.  Believe it or not, started in 2003 (two kids and a couple of homes ago) but looking to finish in the first quarter, 2014.  I have loved every minute I have spent - probably a little over 300 hours so far.
 
I just finished with the bow assembly (sans the eking rail which will wait until the cathead is affixed).  Previous to that was the stern caprail.  I believe I am on the downhill of this build.  Next up is finishing the rudder metal work and then working up from the berthdeck finishing all the details.
 
Additionally I have made progress on my Lady Anne and finished the DaVinci wing (currently on display at the Michigan Aviation Academy), but that will be a subject for another day.
 
Mark

Hello,
 
No words but deeds, so for today more pictures than talking. I am busy with all kind of (paint)jobs and the ship is approaching its completion
 



















 
Regards, Kees

Some of wooden blocks with weathering - I use Tamiya acrylic paint for this:


 

Greetings,
 
I have completed the spray shields, I have to admit it took a couple of attempts at getting the curve in the correct place.  I have to admit I have lot's of cleanup work to complete but that will all come before the final coat of paint.
 
 
 

 

 

 
Now on to the engine room hatch!
 
Cheers,
Tim
 
 

Stem is finished.

25’ Cutters Ver 2.5 (continued)
 
All progressed reasonably well with the planking from here on, although I did need to make a couple of stealer planks that I would not have needed to do if I were cutting the planks individually from sheet stock.  Never mind – I think I managed to sneak them in in a not too obvious way.  The secret here was to really feather the ends of the stealers so that they blended with the adjacent plank.
 
Here’s a few photos of the completed planking.  The stem needs trimming and shaping, as does the transom, but the hard work is done.  While it could be better, I'm satisfied with the results here - they say the third time is the charm!
 

 

 

 
And just to prove that I was working on two at once:
 

 

 
I thought I’d throw these two photos in to show the real difference in hull shape between the Cutters and the Pinnace (the Pinnace is 3’ (actual) longer than the Cutters).
 

 

 
And finally, just for scale, here’s the obligatory picture of a Cutter in that giant fake hand…..
 

 
Next up, fitting out and painting.  Stay tuned……

I have discovered a real gem.
 
Euromodel have a 'fleet' of large ships that require a fair degree of skill and interpretation which I find challenging and 'just what the doctor ordered'.  I unearthed a smaller ship of theirs which has largely gone un-noticed by most builders. It offers almost all the challenges presented by the larger ships, is much cheaper and allows the enthusiast contemplating some of the Euromodel ships as the Royal William or the Friederich Wilhelm zi Pferde a chance to quickly gain an insight into what the plans are all about. Its smaller size means that you can go through any constructional stage more quickly - right through the hull construction and up to the detailed sails.
 
Anybody interested in seeing this post ? If so, the text and photos will be presented with many, many points being open-ended for you to make your own choices. A little different to what is normally posted.
 
Pete

Good stuff, thanks for the help Antony!!  

And the choicest photos

The case.
 
Yes I know the figurehead still looms out there, but I wanted a measure of safety with not only because of the kids but also spectators that love to put their hands near, if not on, the hull.  So....I needed a bottom to go with that plexiglass top.  Step one was to get some 1/2" oak and some 1/2" poplar (filler) to construct the main base.  Everything was glued together using biscuits:
 

 
Then I added some 5/8" inch cove molding to provide half the slot for the plexiglass dome.  The outside edge was also routed to add some character and the whole thing stained and urethaned:
 

 
Then I cut a 1/2" MDF board down to size to create the slot (between it and the molding) for the plexiglass to slide.  The MDF was painted a flat/flat black along with the stand previously made.  I did not paint the connection point that slides over the keel and between the ribs so it wouldn't stand out.
 

 
I still need to paint the bolt heads that go through all three pieces and are affixed with a nut recessed in the very bottom.  I affixed the Druid and I had not done anything really dumb (which I hadn't discounted):
 

 
So I carried everything (bottom, top and Druid separately) to the family room and put it in its designated place.  I put the top on and stood back (thinking about that FIGUREHEAD).  Yea, that will begin come Monday.
 

 
I really appreciate all the likes / looks / comments.  This last stretch is truly a stretch.  I keep thinking just another week and I will be done but that started 5 months ago and I am still plugging away.  I am still having fun and truly only have one item on the list left (the figurehead - did you catch that?).
 
Stay Building My Friends,
Mark
 
 

I agree with Brian C - The Model Machines Drawplate  is brilliant - one of my favourite non powered toys!! I have used bamboo BBQ skewers to treenail/Trennel/trunnel on my last two builds. I think tree nailing and another dimension to the hobby and, if done well, looks great. I found that the bamboo skewers went through the drawplate well, but had to be sliced longitudinally several times in order to fit into the larger holes. This meant slicing with a hobby knife. I found this to be a pain for two reasons. Firstly getting the hobby knife to slice evenly along the length of the skewer was sometimes difficult. Secondly I tended to cut, stab and splinter myself  with the knife &  bamboo slivers - klutz!!
 
I ended up making a simple jig to halve, quarter and then further divide the skewer if necessary - without blood and swearing!!!(see pics below)
 

 
The Byrnes Drawplate - an engineering masterpiece!!!
 

 
- take 2 identical pieces of pine which are slightly bigger than a razor blade and drill 2 holes through them (clamp together for drilling so holes line up perfectly in both)
 
- insert  bolts which will be fitted with wing nuts for quick adjustment
 
- Fit both pieces of wood together and tighten wing nuts
 
- Drill a hole (about the same size as a bbq skewer) down the centre of the 2 pieces of wood - make sure that half the hole you drill is in each piece of wood. - a bench mounted drill will achieve much more accurate results than a hand held one.
 
- Do the same with a smaller drill bit - for use once you have quartered your skewer.
 

 
- fit your razorblade over the bolts
 

 
- slide the top half of the jig over the bolts and tighten with the wing nuts
 

 
- the jig can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the wing nuts - this will accommodate any slight variation in skewer diameter.
 
- Push then pull the skewer over the razor to produce an even slice.
 
                                 Happy tree nailing!!

Here are some pictures of the rigging.
 


 
I serve my rigging with 80wt thread.
 

Thanks for all the kind words and thanks to Jim, Popeye and Sailor123 for your answers to my questions
 
Advancing forward now, dealing with the occasional bout of disbelief and trying not to get impatient had resulted in some more work, go figure, lol.  Here we go with a batch of progress photos.
 
After all this time I have finally tied off the lines for the boat davits, which had been hanging loose.  Here I applied the 'zero tension' strategy by dabbing diluted PVA into the blocks to lock the lines in such a way as to simulate tension.
 

 
I chose to simply hang the rope coils off the davit 'cleats' after perusing images on the Internet, it seemed like the common method.
 

 
Attaching the life rings onto the aft rails, just a dab of GS cement.
 

 
Bumkins (aka bumpkins aka boomkins) being affixed to the hull.  At first I had planned to modify these but instead I left them as is in order to represent the kit origins - something I have done here and there through the build.
 

 
Hanging the anchors ... here is where I was applying weight to the forward end and then soaking the line in diluted/tinted PVA to give the illusion of weight tension.
 

 
The result with the anchor canted more realistically.  The tint in the PVA is diluted black China ink, not a lot, to give the lines a dirty look when the glue dries.
 

 
A bow view shot of the anchors in place.
 

 
Attaching the 'chains' to the bumkins, some thin black nylon in this case.  This is the midships bumkin.
 

 
And here's the aft bumkin.
 

 
While I was attaching the blocks for the running rigging I consciously chose not to attach the blocks for the braces with the fear that I'd wind up getting confused and use the wrong ones.  Sage forethought as I would have made more mistakes ... but now comes the time to attach all the rest of the blocks for the braces.  A look at the mizzen mast with additional blocks in place.
 

 
Putting the blocks on the bumkins - this is the port aft bumkin.
 

 
And the port midships bumkin.
 

 
Here we go with the first brace, mizzen royal starboard, loosely in place.
 

 
Both mizzen royal braces in place with slight tension.
 

 
And a not too clear view of the mizzen royal braces tied off - additional detailing like rope coils yet to come.
 

 
So now there's just the rest of the braces to do ... just ...
 
This is the part that I never thought I'd get to in times past.  Getting here fills me with mild disbelief and moderate elation, but also there is the growing concern of what happens when I tie off the last line and glue down the last rope coil.  The question of who gets the Dame and where she will stay is still up in the air, thought I now have a place for her to reside temporarily while I figure this out.  However, such concerns I am putting aside until such time as they become the primary ones, right now I just have to concentrate of making sure I do the braces correctly.
 
Stay tuned for more ... but hopefully not a Lot more

A little progress...

 

 

 

 

 

The last BEFORE pic :
 

 
This is almost where I am up to (a couple of pics still to come on my next visit to my van). All the hull is finished except for the Stanchion rigging and Gratings, and the next job will be the masts (a total re-make).
 
Not having any stock of sufficient thickness, I laminated some pieces together to make the Cathead Knees :
 

 

 

 

 
This concludes my Update for now.
 
  Danny

First, a pic from BEFORE :
 

 
Some progress pics of the hatch coamings and deck furniture. I re-made all the coamings from new stock. I'll fit some aftermarket wooden Gratings to several of the hatches later on (naturally, the local Hobby Shop doesn't carry them - they mostly do all R/C stuff) :
 

 

 

 

 

 
Continued in next Post

I won't be finished for a while yet , but here's a couple of pics of the "current state of play". I'll do a full set of progress pics when I get home next week - it's too hard to do with the laptop I'm using at the moment.
 

 

 

 
Craigb - sure, the old guy had a go to the best of his abilities on a very poor kit. The more I read the "destructions" the more I realise why he did it the way he did - they even confuse ME .
 
If he'd have been on MSW from the start we'd have helped him through and I'd have had a much easier task now. Or we'd have talked him out of attempting the kit in the first place and gone with something a lot easier which he probably would have finished before he passed away.
 
  Danny

Hi All,
 
Hi Joe, the Missouri would build into one fine ship, look forward to seeing it one day.
 
Thanks David, it's certainly going to test my patience.
 
Hi Sam, its definitely got some presence.  The Admiral got a shock in the morning when it suddenly appeared on top of the computer desk hutch
 
 
Continuing on, the middle deck which separates the upper and lower hulls comes in three parts.  After careful measuring and using a 600mm steel rule to line everything up I joined the 3 parts using big squares of card cut-offs to bridge the joins.
 
I also placed cut-offs down one side of the centre ‘Keel’ to have a firm edge to hold against when it was time to attach the hull halves.  During glue up I pressed the keel against these cut-offs and stuck down more sandwiching the keel. At I couple of spots I did both sides of the keel and bulkhead. This kept the hull positioned both centrally and longitudinally for gluing.


 
 
When it came time to glue up both halves I placed the horizontal deck upside down on the kitchen counter (and applied more guide scraps) and glued the lower hull down to the deck using PVA glue.  The handy thing about working in the kitchen is I raided the cupboard for tins and jars of soups, sauces etc and used these to weigh down the hull.
 
Once this was left for a hour or so I flipped it over and repeated for the upper deck.
 
Underside of finished hull

 
Topside of finished hull

 
 
Looking down the spine of the hull it is pretty straight(ish), there a few bulkheads slightly to one side or the other but this was my fault due to rushing to get it all positioned before the glue started to go off.

 
 
There is the very slightist twist to the leading edge of the bow.  This is in part to the narrow cross section of the first few bulkheads.  Once you go back 4 or 5 they are wider and support more on the centredeck so resist twisting.  I can get rid of the twist when I come to shape the bow.

 
 
Well the hull frame is more or less complete and as usual being the first time doing this lots of lessons learned and a few ideas to improve the assembly the next time I do a card hull.  Still have the strips of tabs set back from the edge to do.
 
First thing was the amount of gluing surface with the full length of the keel plus all the bulkheads meant that I was working pretty quick during glue up so the PVA didn’t start to skin up.  This caused 1 or 2 little alignment issues.  In future depending on the hull configuration I think I would try locating and gluing the centre keel down first then do the bulkheads.
 
Moving on, apparently only need to fair up and then stick some card strips on to the edges then ‘skin up’ with the hull sections.  This I think would be very difficult to get right, so I am going to get some balsa and bulk up the bulkheads and put in longitudinal stringers before fairing the hull.  Will probably fully fill in the bow and stern with balsa so I can get the correct shapes sanded.
 
Cheers
Slog

Bridge now done. Realised after looking at some detail sheets I'd cocked up on the rear mast base. It should be on two levels so I've got that to rework.
I've also started on the foremast. I can't go much further now so I'll be getting everything filled and sanded ready for primer before I do any detail work.

Hello,
thanks to everyone for the kind words and likes..
 
12 pdrs cannon barrel
 
Pictures from the production of the negative mold to the finished
cannon barrel in the tin casting method.
Karl
 
 
T e i l  46
 
 

Continuing with the braces.
 
We think of rigging as complicated, rather tedious and once done, to be left alone. However, I'm currently reading "The Life of Captain James Cook" by J.C. Beaglehole and I'm intimidated by the fact that in severe gales or storms, Cook strikes the topmasts and yards, only to send them aloft again  when the weather moderates.  Can any of us do that with our models?  Perhaps Grant is the most experienced among us, with his vast experience with broken masts. (Sorry Grant, I couldn't resist). Of course the point is that when one looks at real life experience, rigging takes on a dynamic role with every line serving the ship.
 
This will complete the braces for the mainmast yards and crossjack yard.  Then we can deal with the prodigious excess of line each generates.
 
Main Topgallant Yard Brace. Originates from the mizzen topmast stay collar, passing through the yard block and back to a block on the collar, then to a shroud cleat.
 
 
 
Main Topsail Yard Brace. Originates from the Mizzen stay collar and returns to a block on the mizzen just below the bibbs.
 

 
Main Course Yard Brace.
 

 
Lizzard off the after mizzen shroud.
 

 
The origin at an eyebolt, passing through a block at the rail and belaying to a large deck cleat.
 

 
 

To complete the model...the grapnel was painted and rigged. I made mine from scratch using boxwood.  I think they replaced the one in the kit with a cast metal version they had in stock,  It was added to the model so the rope looked natural.  I made some oars and placed them in there as well.  They were just cut from a 1/16" sheet and the handles rounded off.  Then they were painted.
 
That is essentially the end of the project.
 
Chuck 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hull nearly finished