popeye the sailor

thank you very much Patrick it had the usual imperfections, but it didn't take much to get the hull ready for paint. actually, it was kinda quick.......I did do a coat or two of filler, but I like to sand as much off as I can. it doesn't add thickness to the 'shell'. very kind of you to say. thanks to all for hitting the like button the admiral got a pleasant surprise today...... our youngest son Kevin and his fiancee {spelling.......dunno, I'm used to saying 'girlfriend'} brought her over something to add to her collection ......an M&M hibachi! came complete with the utensils! I might loose the spare room, if she keeps this up!

7-10-2012 the job was done by mid day. I took it outside to do some rigorous sanding. one side went well........the other side...........well?!?!? no matter....in the end she smoothed out rather nicely. I don't recall if I had used any filler at this point, but I will with the second sanding. it will help to get rid of the minor chinks in the armor I'll get to some more tomorrow. thanks for look'in in!

7-6-2012 to speed things up just a little......I wasn't going to go this far into the planking. here is how the stern was shaping up, and a snap of the garboard laid wit h a few more strakes added. the garboard plank fit into the slot and made a nice transition. these sessions were quite long. I'd start working on it, and the next thing I knew, it was time for shut-eye.

6-29-2012 the additional thickness is 1/32, I believe........it mated the rabbits dlush. with what I had on the deck, it was impossible to work on her upside down. I made a stand for it, the keel was trimmed flush...

6-28-2012 more on the planking a strip was laid on each side of the hull to equal the thickness of the rabbits. the aft rabbits was cemented in place.

6-27-2012 the outer hull of the stern was built up to flesh out the aft cabin it was then trimmed and I did some rough sanding on it.

6-25-2012 the planking continued from this point.......the first couple of pictures were blurry, but I think the others show how well she planked over. there were a couple of bulges...but they sanded out fairly well.

6-22-2012 it was back to planking the bulwarks again, after the rest of the pilot house was assembled. I had done some sanding to all the posts.....you may have noticed one picture, where one of them was clamped. I ran into some trouble with a couple of them. the goal was to get the planks to lay as flat as possible, making them just as smooth inside as outside. planking around the stern was interesting.....instead of rounding it off, I left it to come to sort of an apex. it was given a less subtle shape with the finish sanding. the wall for the aft cabin was built up some more. the shape of the deck realized...

6-21-2012 this particular session was devoted towards fleshing out the front of the pilot house. I'm sure more sanding was tucked in there somewhere. the hull looks a bit disheveled at this time.....it'll get better. off of the frame for the dash, the framework for the front wall was built the planking seemed to stall here. I guess I was more interested in enclosing the fore deck. the front wall and windshield was cemented in place. the back section of the pilot house is still removable... the interior looks a bit better after a little sanding and primping. across the back wall, the access hatch to the engine was fleshed out

thank you very much for the kind comments. also thanks for the likes yes it was Mark.......it's one of the reasons why I decided to repost it. I should have done it at that time, when everyone else was rebuilding their logs, but it was a finished build, and if my memory serves me right, I had five or so builds going on at the time. way too much to replace. what amazed me was that I didn't have to put much thought into it...I had everything planned out in my head. I even added in a few extras.......like Andy's suggestion about the windshield wipers! the admiral actually accused me of prolonging the project thanks Pat......I'm sure you remember the log........you followed star to finish! glad your ready to follow again! thanks Patrick.......then you'll get a huge kick out of it! I had just as much fun with this build, as I did with the Andrea Gail hello Lou......thanks for the good word! I guarantee that will never happen......it sits on a shelf, and the admiral STILL won't let me touch it! I wouldn't think of try to mod it in any way.......it's a one of a kind. even if I tried to build another one, it wouldn't come out the same. I've got a small errand to run.........but when I get back I'll post more.

6-19-2012 more aft post work was done, making sure they were all perpendicular to the deck. all around the deck platform, was sanded flush with the bulwark perimeter. here around the fore deck, especially. extensions were added to all of the bulwark posts, to make them all look the same thickness. sanding was going on all over...even some of the faring {I recall this plywood was tough to sand.....a lot of work}. I had also cut the rabbits for the bow and stern. I did the bow at this time in prep for hull planking. the faring process continued... yea......this plywood was terrible to use. at this time, I didn't have a dremel, but I came up with something to use. we had bought what they called a 'peticure', a motorized 'sander' for our dog's nails. he hated it so we stopped using it......just in time for the switch to break. I rewired it so all I had to do is push the battery pack in place, and it would run. it wasn't the best, but it beat the heck out of expending all that elbow grease. you will likely see it in some of the pictures. the planking started by this time. I'll show the highlights of the planking........it can be seen how the planking sits behind the rabbit. the planking was butt staggered like this through the entire process. it better utilizes the planking, rather than the full strip.

6-15-2012 the pilot house was put back in place, so that a section could be added, closing off the port side fore deck. then the rest of the deck platform was added. one of my ideas was to make some lounge chairs for the deck. this involved some soldering. a template was made to make the basic frames for the lounge chairs. the deck platform was finally dry and the clamps could be removed. the first lounge chair frame was done... the chair assembly continued. for the starboard side of the fore deck, a rounded extension was added to allow for door movement {or the illusion that it could}. the pilot house was marked on the deck, in prep for planking. post extensions were added to the stern posts, to frame in the aft cabin. as can be seen, the planking butt stagger lines were marked on the deck. also planned is a dance floor......this is the only thing I drew a diagram of.

fleshing out the pilot house.....three sides were cut with the windows and door marked out. the bow platform was prepped and sanded. the sides were cemented together {here's where the door came in} I decided where the door is to be......only one. making the frame to cement the shell in place......it will also double as a dash frame too. with the shell fitted {not cemented in place yet}, I moved to the aft end, because a cabin is to be located there. the two transom parts are in place now

6-7-2012 at this point, the beam that span the bulkheads were cut out and fitted. the two transom parts were left off until a bit later. planning the layout began here. once they were all in place, the tops were all sanded. 6-13-2012 two beams will be installed lengthwise, in the slots of the bulkheads. the short one was cemented in place at the bow. I want to place the pilot house at the bow, so it needed a short fore deck. I got to thinking......putting the beams in the slots would create quite a bit of camber for the deck. I decided to take most of it out. the beams were set in place, using a level. extra framing was needed to give the deck platform a good anchor point. at both ends of these beams, they were boxed in and cemented to the bulkheads. the deck platform is cemented in place at this time.

thank you Anthony the admiral will never part with it,,,,it is on the shelf along with my other models. in picture #3, you can see my home made slip leaning against the wall.......it has three different set ups on it. more is on the way. thank also for the likes

the figures look great Nils.........I think the shipping cost would kill me though. I have the Preiser site bookmarked...I wrote down the number and I'll look them up there. thanks for giving me the head's up.......I looked at quite a few sets and didn't see these

I knew you were joking John.....no problem I knew he was joking Mike the way I look at it, if one hesitant new comer posts a log after reading it, then it's good I'll check out those links Nils......thanks a lot

the big crash.......a very sad time for the older members of MSW. the tremors we had in the recent past, were but stark reminders of how we all had to pitch in together to rebuild what we once had. some logs never came back......those who past on, and those whose logs were so extensive, that rebuilding them was impossible. one thing that shone through all the turmoil, was how committed the Admins and moderators were in repairing a crippled site, and how committed the members were in helping. those who came after the big crash.........you may have heard about it in passing......but probably not much concerning the impact that it had on the site. a lot of logs were lost...along with a good bit of information...tutorials and such. some logs were partially lost, suggesting the presence of a rim, to the crater that had formed the epicenter, of the void. While some repaired their logs, others were having to replace their entire logs. sadly, some found it to surmountable to accomplish. I was in a similar predicament.......the Gothenborg, the Gundalow, the Nordkap....some of the ones I had to repair......the Nordkap didn't make it, along with this build log of the M&M Fun Ship. I've mentioned this build many times now........I've had my doubts that I could recreate it. when I build my first model, the Nordkap, I started in right away scratch building and bashing aspects of the model, so I learned this very early. I was also entertaining an idea of how to clone hulls from the parts panels.....a much easier path, that having to learn CAD from the ground up. I had missed the boat with the cux 87 build......I had already destroyed the panels. it wasn't until I started the Mary Ann, that I took towards trying to save them. only interested with the hull parts, I traced out the parts for two hulls. one I had traced a couple extra center bulkheads, in n effort to stretch the hull, making it longer. that hull went on to become the Trawler Syborn. the other one sat in a box, waiting to be assembled. during this time, the admiral became enamored with the models, liking them better than my plastic models. she asked me about what I was doing.......and I told her about the 'experiment' {as it were}. her next question was, "so you make the hull......you can make it into anything you want?" I told her .."sure". being an avid M&M collector, it was she, who gave me the idea.....it took no time at all to come up with the concept for it. some of the dispensers she had collected, had these small packs of M&M's inside.........fun size bags. that's how the name came about. even the paint scheme was a no brainer....it should be colorful, like a handful of M&M's I hope I can recall everything it took to build this model. it might not have all the bells and whistles, but I think the pictures will fill in the gaps. in a way, it makes sense to recreate this log, over trying to do the Nordkap. I have another kit of the Nordkap.......a much older one, so it will make a new log all the more interesting. with the first model, in spite of the wood being some 30 - 40 years old, I was able to use over 90% of it. the wood in the kit I have now is much older....it quite possibly might even be close to a first production kit. there is no kit of the M&M Fun Ship..........a one of a kind scratch build. I hope you enjoy the log.......it took roughly four and a half months to build. 5-15-2012 first the keel....... that's the Trawler Syborn in the background, all planked and well on it's way. 5-16-2012 at the time, I had just received the new build slip from Tom. this was the first keel to sit in it. one by one, the bulkheads were cemented in place. even the main table {my only table at the time} was fairly new.......odd to see it without all the scars of time. soon, all of the bulkheads were in place......all except the two transom parts for the stern. the hull frame came out rather straight......it looked pretty good. as with every model, sanding is the dominant part at this point. more will be added before I'd need to get into the really tough sanding. I will add more a bit later......I just got reminded that we have to go out. so, when I get back............

thanks John for the thought........I know that your likely joking, but I don't think of it like that. I value everyone's suggestions and comments......after all, we've all come together within these hallowed halls for one reason....our love for the medium. we all share the same desire.......to create models as accurately as possible, whether it be scratch or kit. this is the only site I've belong to so far, where criticism really hasn't flourished....everyone conveys more of a constructive criticism, than anything else. for all you new comers out there......don't be daunted from doing logs on your projects here......your denying yourselves of an excellent learning opportunity. the beauty of this site, is that we all want you to succeed.......we all want to perpetuate the medium...we all want you to grow along with us I was here a short time before I came out with the M&M project...it was a 'what if'....a fantasy build. in the beginning, the ribbing and jokes I got from it was pretty intense......I almost shut down the log. but one voice suggested I continue, so I did. I'm sure he knows who I'm talking about {if he remembers}..before long, as I got into it more, it all stopped when folks saw how neat it looked. I learned something too...no one was being rude or cruel.....it was merely a lighthearted approach to something they've never seen before. it's too bad that the log was lost in the big crash......if I could remember everything, I'd put it back up. for my first attempt at some real scratch building, it was some pretty nifty stuff if I do say so myself. so.....no, no firing squad........just my friends who care and want to see my full potential. I'm glad your a friend as well.....no one can have too many thanks to all of you who won't let me take the easy way out! when I first started here.......I could count those I considered mentors on one hand. now......forget it.....i've lost count

sorry to hear that.......hate it when that happens hope it's not an extensive repair job. good to hear about the dead eyes....I'm aware you've dealt with them before. I should look at your Half Moon log...but since I'm here......did you order the triangular dead eyes for that project? I'm thinking I should.

thanks Mark.......happy to report that the Norden is in the living room!.....off the table!!! I still gotta expand the existing shelving I have up......or put up a new one, but it can wait till it gets warmer. I'm finally straightening up the inventory bin,,,,throwing out junk from past projects {that I'll never use again}, and relabeling the bottles {bins} so they will be less confusing. I was getting very tired of searching for what I'm looking for. I also need to come up with an organizer for all those eyelets I had found a while ago......I really need to do something along the lines of a passenger liner, to use them up! I have soooooo many!! the main table is still cluttered with the two ships. I will take care of them after I do what I want to do next.....nothing too crazy, I assure you thanks again for all the kind comments and to those whop hit the like button

I thought of that Mark........earlier, that's what I meant about going 'Dr Who' all over it it would be an interesting mod! I just have to trim them so they butt up against the post...the way they are at the moment, it might be a very tight squeeze. this is why I started to think of joining them together, and compensating for the forward camber of the second level. I hope to have some kind of update soon....thanks for your vote of confidence.......and to you as well Piet!

some very nice structure work.......are you using another of the archive pens to touch it up after? how much of this will you / we actually see? detail goes very deep into the model

either way OC........your looking at a powder room

thanks Robert and Piet yes, it was a fun project. at the moment, I have the trawler Syborn and the Half Moon sitting on the main table...the Norden is still on the table in the spare room. I was think'in about these two....the half Moon......I'm debating whether or not to order the triangular dead eyes for her...she might look terrible with the round ones. the Trawler Syborn.....I decided not to use the life boats, and have her sporting the life raft bins. I ordered a package of four from Billing USA, but they are too small....I need to order the larger ones. so the probability meter went into the red for these two. I'll think further about what to do next.......I'll have something on the table soon