SkerryAmp

Ratlines are looking good!!

Hopefully some constructive criticism but I think you need to check the kit difficulty for the Caldercraft series.

 

You have ballahoo down as an intermediate and yet Snake as a beginner. Havent really checked the other kits as I have no experience with them but probably worth having a look when you have a moment.

 

Cheers!

 Hi Jim, any criticism is always welcome!!   Thank you for the heads up, I will check those and see if I put them in wrong or if there was a problem with the query!

Adam,  A terrific idea.  Maybe especially for people (like me) who think "code' Is pig Latin or quantum entanglement, but who knows what that is(?)

Thanks Fred,  Code is indeed a strange language if you are not used to it - I have been coding in one way or another since a kid and my dad brought home an old HoneyWell/Bull dumb terminal hooked to his mainframe at work.  Been at this a while - just trying to learn new languages and technologies (keeping up can be a chore)

Adam,

 

Someone said "no good deed goes unpunished". As you compile all this information, I think you will be taking on a degree of responsibility if you make a mistake. Some folks may buy a kit based on the information you provide, and if its wrong... Further, why go through all that trouble duplicating the information supplied by the manufacturer? Why not just prepare a simply list of all the manufactures of which you are aware, a general description of the type of kits they offer, and web address? Manufacturers pay for web sites that provide all the information you would be compiling, so why bother? Let them market their own stuff. I think your idea is good if kept very simple. Beyond that, you are just duplicating the manufacturer's effort and you could be exposed to some responsibility if you mistakenly misrepresent a product. Just sayin'.

 

wq3296

You are correct that no good deed goes unpunished.  However I am not overly concerned with it as the information is just that information and guidance only.  There will be no purchase ability or links to buying the ships so if anyone does purchase one they will have to go find it. This is simply to let folks know what is out there and is directly in response to the several questions I have seen regarding availability of certain types of ships.  It may not be a bad idea to put a quick disclaimer on it though JUST in case

As for simple vs complex listings.  The other half of the motivation for this project is to continue to use programming skills that I either don't use often or are trying to learn.  So it is a win win - info for the club and practice for me .   

And while it is true I am just reproducing the info from the manufacturer (in fact literally that is what I am doing), it is aggregated into one location.  Again, many of users have an idea of what they would like to build but no real idea if it exists.  Some, especially new builders, aren't aware of the variety of manufacturers out there.  So it is a compendium of kits to give a resource to MSW that others don't have or do not have to this extent.   Future additions will include links to the build logs from the kits (once I finish my mad scientist experiment of scraping the site for build log links).  This way anyone coming to the list from outside the site will have an in TO the site and maybe drive some traffic to this terrific resource.   Additionally, MSW will soon be able to give their own reviews of the kits they have built giving even more information to the inquisitive ship builder.

Adam

What a great project. But from all the suggestions that keep coming in there may be no end in sight to completion. May be this will be an infinitely ongoing project. Thanks for your great contribution to the MSW. :D

Thank you very much!  You are correct that this most likely will be an ongoing project. Partly due to the great ideas I keep getting, as well as the amount of material  AND my less than regular updates.  But, keeping it as a side project is keeping it interesting and low stress so I will continue it as long as folks are using it =)

David, really really nice work - classy looking!   You should feel really good about that project!

Mike, the planking came out really well, on your way to a great looking ship!

Wow, your lifeboats look great - I havn't put mine on,  mine kind of look - well, sort of like a boat.   It was upsde down on my table and the lovely admiral asked me what the peanut was doing on my desk =( (She didn't know what it was from where she was sitting , she said it innocently enough )

Well done!

:im Not Worthy:

Augie the cannons look superb, nice coloring!!

Rich, your project really is coming along quite nicely.   I know how you feel about the ratlines, I think half the reason I am stalling a bit on my mayflower is that ratlines is right around the corner!!

Love that you broke out the dollhouse electronics!  Can't wait to see those wired up - surely will add a great touch!

Framing looks great Dennis,  coming along VERY VERY nicely.  Just plain love your builds.

Wayne! LOVE the nets and blanket - those are absolultey great,  nice touch - and compliments to the admiral, knitting with common pins?  WOW!

Horrible Detail? PFFFFT!!!  That will be enough of that!

Curve looks just fine!!  Nicely done!

Spectacular work Danny - the rigging is absolutely exquisite!

Thanks everybody for the likes and comments.

 

Tks Adam, sorry I got sidetracked with this when I got it, and I'm only about half way thru Amati, but getting there. 

Oh man, don't worry about it - bulid away, build away!!!  the DB will come =)

You are doing a fantastic jobo on this project, the planking looks fine and the chest is terrific.   This should be outstanding when finished.

Nicely done sir nicely done.

Larry your Niagra is really coming along nicely!!!  A little behind but caught up now.  The deck came out fantastic - nice recovery and the ports as well.

Enjoying this,  very good work!

Always good work, but seeing them lined up like that really is incredibly cool looking.  Such tight work!!!

Always a mystery trying to figure out what you are going next but never a dissapointment!

Excellent color tone on those cannons,  they look slick!!!

Nice work Adam. I found those little crows nests to be a heck of a challenge, but a load of fun to build.

Thanks Dave, appreciate that a lot.  They didn't come out 100% how I wanted, but with each accomplishment something is learned

hey Adam.... hope you're feeling  better, really liked the picture of the Mayflower, it's so nice when you have a real reference when your building the same ship. Your Build is coming along nicely. by the way if you think ,what is it the 84?, is bad you ought to come out here and test the 91 freeway!!! It's horrible. did you get your Ann. gift yet? lucky dog!!

 

Frank

Thanks Frank, slowly but surely she is getting done!

Ugh, 84 is horrible!!! hehe.  Mainly through CT.  If 91 is anything like it, no thanks I will pass!

*** for the Anniversery Gift,  yessiree.  1 Syren sitting on the shelf.   I have an order in to Jeff before he closes up shop. Boxwood and Holly just for the Syren build.   Won't be milled until mid January, so will gather up other stuff between now and then (Chucks rigging, cannons, eyes, blocks etc etc) and Mid January is the target time to start the Syren!  

Crow's nests look pretty darned good to me!  That micro chuck looks like a good idea for centering those small bits.  I think you'll like that drill press.

Thanks Augie, appreciate it!    That micro chuck is great!! and I do indeed enjoy the drill press.  Has made some things SO much easier!

Hi Dave, As it so happens I have been working on the mayflower,  albeit a bit slower than I had hoped.  Have been stealing moments here and there to work on the Mayflower, the other ships, the database project =). 

The Mayflower is at that portion of the show which I have the least confidence in my abilities.  Wihle I am excited to get the masts and rigging up (after all that is the final stage right, in the home stretch), it is where I get the jitters! .   So I hit it with great trepedation!  Granted, I need to ramp up skills in all aspects of the ship building,  but the masting and rigging is my biggest struggle - planking is a definate runner up to that,  so far I can HIDE the oopsies with the planking though

However, I did get some work done as I had mentioned.   I will apologize, I took pictures as I went along but am not exactly sure where they are.  It is enough to make me think I am losing my mind.  I am SURE I took pictures of the crows nests being built up as well as the mast work in steps - but alas,  I could not find them all.

Anyway.....

I have the masts started.  They were tapered using my Robbe Cordless Drill as a lathe and sanding them down by hand.  IF anyone should try this apporach PLEASE be sure to wear a glove.  I wore Mechanix gloves which are nice in that they fit tight (no bulk) and offer great protection from the friction.  If you try to sand a mast down on a drill bare handed you will definately have a bad time!

Once I got the masts tapered I wrapped em up and attached the rings using chucks suggestion of manila folder cut into strips, stained and glued in place.   Below is a picture of all three mast bottoms.   I still need to attach the cleats and chocks, but once those are on they should be ready to go.

The crowsnests were a struggle.  I used the kit supplied part as the base and per chuck's instructions sanded out the center ridge.  The trouble i ran into is no amount of sanding evened out the color.  I have a clear pale stripe around the center of the crowsnest outer wall.  I sanded the HECK out of that thing and could not get rid of it .  So, it is here to stay. I was hoping that the stain would even it out a little, but alas - no.

So, there is a stripe, not seen in this pic but you will see it when they get installed.   The deadeyes were done up per the instructions and was pretty eas (towards the end) to get them going. The first couple were a pain but by the last one I had it down so that when I was done I was kind of disappointed I didn't have more to do.

The holes were drilled on my newly acquired micro mark drill press.   I have been looking at it and some of the other tools for a while and finally decided to pull the trigger on this one.  I was looking at the Proxxon Mill believe it or not, even had the Admiral on board with it!  However in the end I really wasn't sure all I was going to do with the mill other than be an expensive drill press.  So, got the drill press - should the day come that I find a need for the mill, at least i have pre authorization!

Anyway the one problem I had was the drill bit really didn't fit well in the Micro Mark chuck as it was hard to get it centered well, however after a litle digging - problem averted...

That little guy right there made it so adding a tiny drill bit was a snap!

Then it, with the larger shank, took to the chuck JUST fine!

So, if you use the little drill bits and have a hard time getting it lined up a chuck, or get a lot of breakage from chucks - I highly suggest it.   Although I do know some companies sell the tiny drill bits with the 1/8 shanks,  this will work for me until I can afford to pick some of those up!

The final result..

Some crowsnests which will suffice. (fear not, that one deadeye is not way off center just flopped back a little bit on the thread.  Will striaghten in line when rigged up).

They are not perfect - but they are not to shabby I don't think.

So, like I said a tiny update for now.  I have been working - just not with hours to go as I was for a little bit, but still plugging along....

Until later all - thaks for stopping in and HAPPY MODELING ALL!!

Thanks!

Adam.

Yay Pops!    Saw you mention you were able to get your boundy so have been looking for the log,  finally found it.. look forward to seeing this one come along.    It is one that has caught my eye a few times but never added it to my wish list but always tempted.

Looks good so far, I like the look of the planked transom.

Really like the colors.   Reading yours and some of the others makes it hard to resist pulling mine off the shelf.  I already have 5 kits going right now, I am sure I will cause a ruckus if I start yet ANOTHER... but you guys are making it look like so much fun!!

Mark.. if you are a Padawan than I am a newt!! LOL.

You are much much more than a padawan my friend, that vessel is a work of art as it stands.

Amazing work, love watching it come together.

Looking good John!!