SkerryAmp

I was going to hold on to this,  until I had a little more meat with the potatoes,  but awwww what the heck.......I may as well post it now.....it's Friday's progress.   it's the beginning phase for the paint work of the hull.   if I'm going to attempt lighting this model,  I thought it would be cool to drill out all the portholes.   the admiral had to go to a doctor's appointment......I began at the table,  but soon retreated to the front porch.   when she came home......I guess she was unnerved with not finding me in the house.......I dunno.....she seemed relieved when she finally tracked me down.  
 

 

 
it took a while..........I used three different size drills to do this.....but they are all done
 

 

 

 

 
now I guess I'll try and touch up those screw tunnels 

sorry for my late reply Tim.....work pulled me away...      thanks for the good words.....and yea,  I can agree with that.   unless a person has some skill in scratch building and modification,  plastic kits can be quite daunting.   some detail missing.......incorrect detail and {or} location of said part,  are just a few of the problems one can come across.   I do like the Academy kit......I've resided myself to the fact that all kits have their quirks.....so now I just throw it on the table,  and away I go      The TRMA site....most of these folks {in the forum......a very odd forum,  by the way} utilize the Minicraft kit of the Titanic.  I'm not a huge fan of Minicraft,  but after seeing what the contents of the kit looks like,  I'm tempted to pick it up the next time I see it.
 

 
this is the minicraft kit contents......there are some really major differences.   I think this is 1:350.....slightly larger than the Academy kit.  
 
 
thank Greg........yea....that's the flag staff.   I showed the hole in question a few pictures ago.  it's really not a big deal....I merely posted the info about it,  just in case someone out there buys the kit and stumbles on it.....they won't get all weirded out by it       if I don't find the  {missing}  part soon,  I'll simply fill it in and paint over it.   glad to know I haven't lost one of my pet peeves.........the hole that goes nowhere 

this week has been busy......I've been bouncing from the table to mowing the lawns......to raking up a particularly nasty area by the garage......wiring up outlets and motion detector lights on the garage.  I think this week has been very productive so far      ahhhhh,  but this is the last day of it........I had taken Monday off and it will be back to work for me on Saturday.   I think I'm going to book another vacation........soon...............I want it! 
 
the roofs on the structures that populate the boat deck,  have a pretty distinct bit of paint work.   the funnel platforms need to be painted......but one does not have a distinct platform.......but still has the pattern design to be laid out for it.   I was thinking about it,  while working on another aspect......and then it hit me........make a masking template     grabbed the masking tape and laid a strip over one of the funnel platforms......cutting out the center where the funnel is to be cemented.
 

 
then I cut around the shape of the platform.
 

 
the area in question is here........
 

 
removing the newly formed template and laying it down on the area,  I found that I didn't need the entire template.  so,  I cut off the extra and folded it over.   painting went well.
 

 
then,  I took care of the anchor chain,  painting it black.   I was going to simply replace the chain......but this will be good practice for me.....   I also added the winches on the lower level of the part.
 

 
here is the hole that I mentioned Ben.   yes,  the hole to the very aft is for a flag staff........but I went through the entire set of instructions,  and could not find a part that goes here. I will probably end up blanking it out later.
 

 
I almost had an oopsie moment.....adding enhancement #3 to the cranes.   I wanted to drill a couple holes near the tip of the booms,  to add cables.   they look silly without them.   the drill slipped off it's mark......not just once.......but twice!   it was looking pretty bleak for this to work,  but after patching up the damaged crane with some plastic putty,  I got an idea.
     I would simply lay the ends aside the pulley at the tip and call it good.   I can touch them up afterwards.
 

 
I soon had them all rigged.......
 

 
I was painting up the ship's wheel and helm.....such a tiny part.........and finally cemented it in place.   I added a couple more parts,  and that finishes the stern / poop deck assembly.   I can put it aside now.
 

 
for the bow.  the last two parts to be added are the extra anchor,  and the stanchion.......I believe it would be used as an aide with hauling up the anchors......not completely sure.
 

 
I'm beginning to miss wood

oh,  that's right Gary.........looking at so many,  starting the get them mixed up!  Hee....Hee!   got to admit though....it's a heck of a deal.  I showed the e-mail to the admiral......she looked at me kinda strange whae I asked if I could have another      unless one purchases a kit,  you hardly ever get to see other brands of the model.   in the minicraft kit,  for instance......the only parts that come chrome,  are the stand parts.
 

 
you can see that they don't use the multi color plastic.......and the tooling {in my opinion}  is a lot better.  the bow and stern aren't these large sections,  as with the Academy kit.    oh....well......I guess I can keep on wishing that the admiral will turn as crazy,  as I am     
 
 
thanks John and Frank 
 
 
hello Greg.......it wasn't easy     hence the reason why getting more that these two rungs on there would have been a bust. 
     so close together......and using Ca.....it would have closed up so many spaces.    I have a couple that I need to clean out,  so I called this good,  and am satisfied with it.  thanks for the good word!
 
 
thanks also to all who hit the like button 

I'll post the change made to the anchor chain......shouldn't be too tough to touch up.....thanks again John 
 
before I begin with this update...wanna get in on the fun too    well I got an e-mail from Model Expo today...they are offering the Minicraft Titanic for almost half price!   reg price: $119.99......down to $65.95......and it even has the P.E. upgrade!  I forgot to look at the scale........but it has to be 1:144...it's a little over 30" long!  so, don't be the LAST kid on the block , to own one of these buggers.......promo code  JU2!
                                                    >commercial's over<
 
anyway......I can make amends  to the second enhancement I planned for this kit.   But,  I can't do anything about what I did here........on the first enhancement I started with.  the railings are supposed to have four rungs to them.  I began with that in mind......but in the interest of keeping the integrity of the parts that I'm trying to save,  I settled for a bit less.   I did some electrical work in the garage today.   when I finished,  I managed to out aside a short piece of 16 gauge wire.   Stripping it down,  it revealed the many strands it has.
 

 
setting up the helping hands on my desk,  the sprue with the bulwark part on them,  was clamped in place.   I began with the bow parts.
 

 
the wire was cemented on using CA.......for some reason,  it wouldn't stick too good.   I'd put a dot of CA on and then wipe the excess away.
 

 
finally,  both sides were done.........the best I could do was two rungs.   any more than that,  and I'd be looking at the same thing I cut out in the first place.
 

 
the stern part {the ones that gave me the most trouble}  actually came out looking better than the bow parts.
 

 
the bow parts were painted white...there is a little bit of clean up that needs to be done.   even though they are not quite right,  I'm happy with the results.
 

 
I did a bit of mess'in around,  doing some testing on  'White Star Buff'.    the TRMA site gave a couple of suggestions for paint......one of them was a color called  British Gulf LT Stone  #2137.   I happen to have a bottle of it.   I did a swath on a piece of sprue...there is some ghosting,  but the paint isn't mixed well enough yet.   the separation of the paint was pretty extensive...it's an older bottle.
 

 
I think the orange of the funnels will tint it well enough.   the stern parts were painted as well......a couple touch ups need to be done,  I think this is a better way to go.....rather than the alternatives
 

 
 

I had cemented one chain on the hull already........the other side is now cemented in as well
 

 
more parts were added to the A deck........support racking for the upper deck and benches that line the aft section of the deck.
 

 

 
the anchor chains were wrapped around the capstans,  and terminated through the added holes.
 

 
the stern section got a few new parts as well.....the vents and the bridge,  where the ship's wheel is located.
 

 

 
there is one hole that I have no idea what goes there........the exploded assembly view is very crowded.
 
the cranes were assembled.......I cemented the booms in place.   six large ones and two smaller ones
 

 

 
a few more parts were added to the bow and stern sections.   they are almost complete.
 

 

 
today,  the sun is finally out........the bout of rain we've been having is over.   it's still on the cool side,  but I think the temps will rebound until we get back to where we were.   I should get my butt back out to the garage and finish setting up the electrical outlets and lights.   shouldn't take me too long though.   it will be busy today......but it won't stop me from making some progress.   one finished build for 2015........I'm shoot'in for more 

as I mentioned.  the spacing between the decks,  is not very tall.   I was curious how they would stack.   the bridge deck is not as wide as the A deck ans boat deck.  the bulwark sides allow them to slightly bulge out past the hull perimeter.
 

 
in the background,  you can see the can of primer,   which I think matches the bottom paint.  I haven't tried it yet.  the admiral and I much have looked like a couple of nuts........I was trying to find the number that the TRMA suggested for it.   to make matters worse,  I forgot to bring my reading glasses.......so,  here we are......in an aisle,  trying to find a four digit number on a spray can......we'll soon see if I'm right about the color.  these first two pictures were taken with both lights on......I had to turn the overhead crane light off for the others.     ....a look at the bow end .........
 

 
....and a look at the stern end .........
 

 
the boat deck does interlock with the A deck in two places.   there are decks associated with these two areas as well.
 

 
there are no openings between these two decks.......although there are two holes inside the confines of the forward structure that I'm curious about.......not sure how they come into play.   the stairwells in the bridge deck and the A deck will not be seen.......I may not even bother to paint them  {I'll look into it further}.   the same thought goes for the insert that was cemented in the molded inner structure of the forward structure.   the outer walls were painted,  but from what I can see so far,  this will not be seen either.
 

 
of course,  there is still some touch ups that need to happen,  and more parts need to be added,  before the decks can be joined with the port and starboard bulwark parts.  

I got a bit of insomnia last night.......the admiral and I are trying to cut down....to eventually quit smoking.   so I messed around some more at the table.
 
the crane bases were touched a bit more and set aside to dry
 

 
I added the rest of the hold covers to the bow and stern
 

 
the boat deck has no tab slots,  nor the structures have tabs......I'm not liking this.   I was getting used to no glue marks to touch up.   the forward structure was cemented in place.
 

 
there are 11 stair cases that need to be assembled.   they will be cleaned up and painted later,  once they dry.
 

 
the starboard side chain was cemented in place......the port side will be done once this has had time to dry.
 

 
I am still curious how  these decks will assemble....especially without making a mess.   I'll try and show you how they stack up.
 
 

Both sides are notched out now.  the capstans are in place and the holes are drilled.  I may have to enlarge them a bit more to accept the chain.
 

 
some work has been done to the stern / poop deck.  the double benches are in place,  four more capstans,  and the bollards along with some of the other detail has been painted.
 

 
the same treatment has been done to the fore deck as well.
 

 
I have a few other thing that I'm working on.....there are eight cranes that are to be located on these two sections.  they also lack a bit of detail,  that I think should be there.  I'll show you those next {second enhancement}.   the structure for the stern [ poop deck has been painted.  it was cemented in place on the deck,  the same way I did the long structure for the A deck,  by cementing the tabs from underneath.
 

 
the night is still young....I may do a bit more before I call it a night......I'll post it if I do 

I had today off.......I was going to add electrical outlets out in the garage,  but it was a really cold damp rainy day!   such a good day to sit inside and play      I was looking over what I had done,  and I though you might like to see how these decks associate to one another.   that is the bridge deck and A deck........and also a good idea how light can impact a color.
 

 

 
really not that much space between decks either......looks like about 10/32nds.   I'm only using one of my crane lights for those pictures....both,  and you really go blind!.   I started to play with the stern and  poop deck,  making the structure for it.
 

 
Ben really helped me out with the anchor chain.....I knew there had to be a chain gate.  the detail for this is lacking in this model......hard to imagine,  with all the detail that is there.   in order to enhance this aspect,  I'm going to modify the capstan platform....it doesn't allow for it.  there are two small tabs there,  which I cut off.  a small square of the platform was removed from the starboard side platform.
 

 
not sure if it's doable,  but I may try to make the chain gate from these two little pieces of sprue.  even if I don't,  it might not matter too much......some of the gate detail is missing at the front hawse holes of the guide.
 

 
I will get the port side notched out and then drill a couple holes.  I can touch it up  then.

thanks Augie,  Mark, and George.  I'm finding it quite a challenge to enhance this kit.  with all challenges,  there is a solution.   I will try    thank you!
 
thanks Sam......Have you ever had a kit where the plastic seemed soft.....or peel off in layers when you tried to shape the parts?  raw styrene is actually tough to bend......breaks before you can get any kind of bend in it.  any addition to the mix will cause it to lose it's brittleness and become more flexible.  for this kit,  there are probably 6 to 8 molds to make all the sprue panels.  I'm sure that the planning for the sprues is done by computer.....logic has nothing to do with it.
    in the instance of wood kits,  looking at the arrangement of the parts panels in the instructions........but the actual parts panels have a different arrangement.  I have seen this with Billing's kits.  all I can say is........at least I have the parts
 
thank you Ben.......I have not seen that picture.   before I even got this kit,  I watched just about every you tube vid on the Titanic and her sinking.  that is my question.....comes through the hawse holes.....runs back along the guides,  to the capstans.......but where does it go from there?  I'll show you what I have to work with.....very sad.
     the chain supplied in the kit is two plastic parts,  about an inch or so long....
 

 
I have the two outer capstans in place at the moment.....there are two smaller ones that will sit on those square platforms that the guides lead up to.
 

 
if those capstans were in place,  the chain would wrap around it from the inside,  and out towards the bow again.  I
wonder if there was a sort of chain gate that they  went into,  leading below the foredeck
 

 
we happen to have the movie.......I can't believe you said that Nenad.........ignore all that gooey,  kissy face stuff!  why...... it's the spice!          there has been some debate though about how the ship was 'on set'.....mostly concerning color, believe it or not!   even historians and experts have been baffled as to what the correct colors were...."White Star Buff"  is the most controversial color.  I appreciate the help Ben....if you do come across some pictures,  I'd love to see them.
 
as for you Nenad........I have Monday and the rest of the week off,  this coming week.  we'll set our watches,  make some popcorn.......and watch the movie together.  first one that cries........buys lunch!    is that a deal?   
 
I didn't get anything done today.....got tied up with 'home work'.   I'm going to go review some you tube vids.   I'll have an update soon.  thanks for the kind words and to those who  looked in 
 
 
 

ohhhhh wait.....what about those chrome parts I've been soaking?  well.....I checked them,  and they look ready.   so, I brought them all to the kitchen counter and set up the plastic bags again.   pulling them out one by one and scrubbing them with the stiff brush,  they cleaned off well enough to be thrown in the tub of soapy water.  when I was done,  everything was triple bagged and thrown in the trash.   the parts are tiny......I used a strainer to rinse them off after washing.
 

 
when they were dried off.....this is what they look like now.   I used a dime for reference.
 

 
the A deck when I turned it over.........
 

 
some assembly was done to the fore deck......four of the capstans and two of the hold covers.   I'm kinda miffed about the hold covers.   clear parts are nothing but pure styrene......the hardness hasn't been compromised by the addition of color pigment or additives.  even though I took care to get them off the sprue,  marks can still be seen.
 

 
...and of course,  the A deck with all the clamps off of it
 

 
there are some small part to go on there yet........then I can get going on the boat deck.   I will continue with the fore deck, and begin work on the stern.   the fore deck has two lengths of chain {plastic} that needs to go on there........I want to sub in a couple pieces of actual chain.   I have been looking for a good picture of the chain routing.........if anyone has one,  I'd be pleased to see it.......can't find one out there,  anywhere!   {so far....anyway} 

the paint was removed from the bridge deck using thinner......can't say if I'd stand behind the use of it.  I think it may have ruined some of the deck detail.   I'll know more when I repaint it.   I guess I should count myself lucky that this isn't one of the upper decks.....some it might not be readily seen.   Still curious about the bulwarks and how they relate to the deck levels,  I tried to put them in place on the hull.   only one side stayed put though.
 

 
As mentioned,  the A deck and the boat decks got the treatment using brake fluid.
 

 
then I took a look at how the other processes are coming along
 

 

 
I used the tray with the plaque,  to draw the fluid from when the decks were painted......I have more if the need arises.  I painted on some more after a short time,  and ran our errands.  when we came back,  they got their first scrubbing with a nylon brush.
 

 
I was able to pick up most of the paint I wanted...really stinks that HobbyTown isn't close anymore.
 

 
I had a problem with the names of the paints,  wearing off the labels.  this happens due to the handling they go through,  made it hard to read what they are.....let alone getting some more.   I put scotch tape over the names and numbers to prevent this from happening.   the decks underwent another scrubbing.
 

 
they were them brought outside and given a bath of strong soapy water.  the results varied....
 

 
some of the other smaller deck parts were entered into the process.
 

 
I figured I'd get a little more assembly done on the boat deck.
 

 
I forgot about the rest of the deck parts........I had painted just about all of them
 

 
more assembly of the boat deck......and checking out the new colors
 

 
last thing I did was assemble the main parts of the funnels
 

 
once I can get past the stripping process,  I can get my main table free,  and can do other things.   what a drag!

well.....now that I've caught myself up somewhat.........Andrea's in the gallery,  along with the Lobsie Twins {which was way overdue}........closing logs are done on Word Press {haven't done the Titanic yet.....don't want to wait too long and have them pile up on me}....I can now settle down a little {still have the lawns to mow though} 
 
 
so far,  the only paint I've used is deck tan.......I did all the decks with it {I'm still jealous Evan  }  at the moment,  I'm going to assemble the structures between the decks,  and paint them flat white,  after cleaning up all the joints.
 

 
once assembled I'll try to keep them separate......but with them at this point,  it won't be too hard to see where they go.  I took the stand parts and have them sitting an a container full of brake fluid.  this is the old school method of removing chrome.
 

 
now we wait.........  in the meantime,  I'll share this with you.   I'm a bit of a hound as well......I'm forever curious as to when a kit is produced.  I noticed that on the instruction manual,  it has a copyright date of 2012.   but,  that doesn't tell me when the molds were made......so I looked through the parts.  in the case of the Revell Cutty Sark 1:96,  the date stamp can be found on one of the deck sections.......on the top,  of all places {if I remember right}.  with this kit,  I found it on the flip side of the sprue sheet tabs......1998.  the sprues are stamped from Korea.....the hull is stamped from the Philippines....... another bit of trivia.    so........these parts were put in the brake fluid.  they've been in there for over three days.   now they look like this.
 

 
it's looking like it's time to take them out.......it doesn't hurt the plastic at all.   during this time also,  I've been working on the deck structures.   I will assemble them and paint them after with an airbrush.
 

 

 
this is the bridge deck.  the parts fit in a very narrow impression in the deck.   there are tabs that need to be fitted....a few of them are very tight.....I've had to open them up a bit more to accept them.   these are the parts that Evan was referring to....the fore and aft railings.  I'm not impressed with them.......the railings are molded solid with no slotting at all to depict them.   I want to do something to make this bit of detail come out.
 

 
the next thing I did was to cement the screw tunnels to the hull.   the paint was sanded off and they were installed.  After the rest of the hull seam is cleaned up,  the bottom paint will be redone
 

 
new spelling for the word thread?
 

 
this is the A deck.  this structure goes almost the entire length of the deck.   the clothes pins you see on there are merely for support.  these decks are so flimsy.
 

 
I only painted the deck areas on these deck parts.........I'm curious to see what color the floors were inside the structures.
    you can't see much,  but the inside is still visible to a degree.

Ahoy Popeye!
 
I will also elbow my way thru the crowd to watch...
 
I have the Commemerative edition of this kit that includes Pontos PE and decking.  I don't think it is the most accurate version of the Titanic, but it is certainly representative  of the great ship.  I'm not a Titanic fanatic so I'm not counting missing port holes and worrying about much minutiae, but I did take the trouble to add the openings on the forecastle and stern decks.  I also put some edging around the stern to help support the PE railings
 

 
I didn't like the fit of the deck towards the bow so I scraped off the kit's molded ledge and replaced it with my own styrene version to help the deck sit even.
 

 
Otherwise, I really like the fit and finish and have found it to be a terrific kit.
 
Unfortunately, this is about as far as I've gotten, so I'll look to you for guidance going forward.
 
Good stuff!
Evan

my smaller table was cleaned off........and THAT'S where it is to be assembled.  I told myself that.......the main table is for the wood builds........I really need to get back into that habit.  
 
as you can see,  the stand is a pillar type stand.   there are recessed circles that can be drilled out in the hull bottom.
 

 

 
one thing I might elect to do,  is to attempt to light it.   I have the stand and hull figured out.......it's the upper deck areas that I'll need to figure out.   I'll know more as I go along.   the bow and stern panels are shown here.......right side up.   you can see the detail that they molded into them......it's really nice.   they even embossed the names of the sections on the deck areas.   it's great for knowledge,  but none of this will ever be seen.   still cool though. 
 

 

 
a firm rule is that paint will not adhere to chrome,  so all of this will be stripped.  the name plate is quite intricate.....even the pillars are in halves,  and will need to be cemented together,  and will leave nasty lines.  stripped,  I can sand them smooth and paint them.   I have the Testor's gold and the Billing's gold......I'll be sure to give them a clear coat to resist finger prints.
 

 

 
it's kinda sad actually that they painted the waterline and bottom.  the two prop housings that need to be cemented on are unpainted......black colored plastic.  they tell you what colors are required to mix and achieve the color,  but it can be a hit or miss thing.  I also have to sand and do a small repair to the bottom.......there is a visible mold line and ripped out sprue marks.   I match up a color close to that and redo it.......no preblemo!
 

 

 
I began the build,  by cementing the spacer bars in place,  in the hull.   there are slots along each one of these to accept the port and starboard bulwarks,  once the bulwark and decks are assembled.  there are also a pair of bow and stern bulwarks,  that will be added once those panels are in place.  I am a bit concerned,  since all the decks {except for the bridge deck panel} appear to be a tiny bit wider than the hull,  even with the spacers installed.  I hope they are right.
 

I received this kit for Christmas from my admiral......she was so bummed out,  that it wasn't the Billing's Titanic.  I have never built an academy kit before......I was impressed with how the kit looks.   there is quite a bit of detail to it,  and I really like the size......the hull is 26 1/2 inches long.  I have to be brief....I am to grill supper.   it has been an off the wall busy day!
 

 
  I will start with an overall view of the parts......there are so many small parts.......I really have been away from plastic for quite a while.  I had to do this on the dining room table,  so there may be some bad lighting issues.
 

 

 
the instructions don't look too bad,  but since I plan to do some painting,  I think it best to hold off on the rigging until the painting is done.  {I'm sure they mean well}   I'm not too keen on the chrome....a few of the parts pertain to the stand,  but the name plaque,  props,  and anchors will need to be stripped.  I use brake fluid for the process and a good stiff brush.
 

 
there are a few water slide decals.......jury's still out on the flags.......they are peel and stick.   I neglected to mention that the parts are done in colored plastic.  for those who don't do much painting,  this kit would be ideal........reminds me of the larger scale Revell kit from the past.  here are all the white sprues.
 

 

 

 
the deck parts and sprue is done in a tan color....the deck areas will need to be painted a flat tan.  sorry.....I have the sprue panel upside down.
 

 
there is a black sprue panel,  a couple brown sprue panels,  and the funnel parts are done in an orange / yellow color.
 

 

 
there is a pack of rigging thread tucked in the sleeve of the stand base.   there are plastic ratlines in the kit as well....I may do away with them,  as well as throw another size rigging thread in the mix.  I'm pretty sure that not all the rigging is the same size.  the hull is an interesting part........the bottom paint has already been done.  I'll go into it more in my next post.
 

 
as the build progresses,  you'll see the detail that is molded into this kit.   it is a pretty nice kit......but it's going to be a nightmare to paint the detail on the bow and stern panels.  personally,  they might have done better to increase the part count,  instead of molding the detail into these parts.   that of course would alter the skill level.......and the market span as well.   I just hope I haven't lost my knack in painting small detail 

Ok, I'm coppering the haul. Cutting the pieces wasn't to bad. You just got to make sure you pounce the nail marks correctly. And the painting was easy. I touched up around cannon ports w a black sharpie.

Yea, I followed "usedtosail" and used Gesso as a primer- I took great concern with filling in as many gaps and bumps as possible- and sanded and primed the entire hull. I was aware that the copper tape is somewhat thin and any imperfections would show- the two "gaps" at the bottom of the hull are for my custom made stand so I can complete the model then the very last thing will be to plank and copper the two slots.

Ok, so I decided to bypass the "authentic" planking and use larger bass wood in order to get the model done before the year 2115! I know to some this would be "high treason" but hey I'm a beginner and it's all good to me for my 1st build.It's going to be a gift for my dad. So I'm about to prime the wood a copper the hull. It took over 3 hrs to cut and pounce the nail marks, I took Hunt's advice and watched a movie while I did it. Any advice on coppering would be appreciated.

So, I stained the deck (Miniwax-Golden Pecan) and stained the hatches (Miniwax-Early American) and painted the bulwarks and main rail; and I'm in the process of adding the planks above the mainrail. I deviated from the practicum and drilled the holes for the plank supports (toothpicks) after I glued the mainrail down; I thought it would be easier to align the angles on the holes since the bulwarks are slightly angled- and it would not matter if I aligned the empty spaced to accommodate the supports- I would just drill right into the wood- I started w a very small bit and graduated to the correct size to avoid wood splitting. I used ModelExpo paint, I like the color, and have never used any other type, so my opinion is limited.

So, I read and read and re read and re read the booklet - then stared, and stared some more and stared more at the plans - then decided what the heck, HOW bad can I possibly make it...
 
Started laying rope!
 
So far only have done the 3 collars (Fore, Mizzen and Main), 2 Mizzen shrouds and the Mizzen stay.   MUCH different than the rigging on the phantom - am trying to master tweezers, forceps, clamps, pokers, pryers, picks and needle threaders all without htting the deck like Godzilla through downtown.  NOT easy.   Have had to reattach two channels and the upper bell railing so far - ugh.
 
Anywho,  the one common thing with the phantom is as the rope starts to go on it starts to look more and more ship like and kind of rekindles a bit of excitement in nearing the finish line.
 
I still have MUCH to practice and learn with regards to knots and servings and getting things lined up - but I keep trying to remind myself this is only my second model! Sometimes it helps - other times,  these strings can be frustrating!!!      But, it is on it's way.  This one will be better than my first one - not as good as the next one and a step on the way to the best one!!
 

 

 
 
As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by - more on the way !!!
 
Enjoy and happy modeling!!
 
 

Hello guys, I'm back in Texas.  I'll be working on updates shortly.  We have to go down to Mercedes, TX for some dental work, so I'm actually not really home yet.  Just a brief note, I received a backorder from Proxxon for extension beds for the DB 250 Wood Lathe.  I had many inquires for these and special ordered them from Germany and they arrived last week.  I'm offering these to my MSW friends on a first come first serve basis.  I had 5 available, but now have only 4 available since one has already sold.  Based on past interest I expect these to only last a few days, so if you need one please act quickly.  Check it out if you have an interest.  Here's the link.  More on the Morgan to follow shortly.
 
LINK:
 
 http://www.proxxonto...e_Bed_Part.html

Hey guys and gals,
 
Just wanted to stop in and give a quick update, the build has been on hold while waiting for, and setting up my new tools. Everything is set up and tuned in for the most part, with the exception of my mill as I had an issue with the headstock overhearing with the high speed pulley set installed. That will be sent off to sherline tomorrow for diagnosis and repair. I will say this, assembling and squaring up the sherline 2000 mill could have been a build log in itself! That took some time but it should be a very useful tool when I get the headstock back from Sherline. I also gained a better appreciation for the Byrnes tools, since they come assembled and ready to make saw dust right out of the box.
 
Now that the tools are all sorted out, I should be able to get back to the Phantom soon, I have just been busy with school, tools, and bowling and have had trouble finding the time. This weekend, I think I week head down to Denver for the Rocky Mountain Ship Wrights meeting, I think they have a couple members on here and their work looks to be top notch from their website. I also think they are having an exhibit this weekend, so I should get to see a variety of very nice models. I am excited to see what they are all about.
 
Anyway, I hope to have an update on the Phantom by next week.
 
Until next time,

Great Job Adam !    Look forward to following along !