popeye the sailor

thanks for the kind comments folks I can count on one hand, the hulls where planking went well for me.....it's not my strong point. but by the time paint or stain goes on, they look good......and I'm happy with it I didn't get much done yesterday.....things to do around here. we visited a new gaming store that the admiral found {my other major hobby}. I talked to the owner for quite some time.......if I ever wanted a part time job, I'd be a good contender for a position I used to play a lot with my younger son, and we've owned just about every system out there. even though modeling wasn't our biggest draw, my sons and I are still very close thanks Zappo....I know I did a boo boo putting a picture of the Nordkap here......I'm not sure which one you mean. the Norden is a fairly up to date kit of a 1930's coaster. it's laser cut with the usual hieroglyphic Billings instructions. I've built so many Billing kits, that it's not a huge problem for me though, I get the jist of the instructions from the pictures the Nordkap is an old kit. the one pictured above had to come from a very early production period. it was not laser cut and featured printed basswood part sheets and planking. the one I got for Christmas is even older than the first one....I would be pretty safe to say it's very close to a first production kit. it isn't laser cut, but instead of basswood, it features printed mahogany part sheets and planking. I'll be using the printed parts sheets {of course}, but the planking I will save for a sailing ship, or a model that I won't feature paint on {I want that wood grain to shine}. on the Nordkap pictured above, I used about 90% of the original wood......something that I'm very proud of. I believe other pictures of her is in the gallery. thanks John and Pat........I'm absolutely froze up here! it's hardly ever been this cold so early in the season. today we have a major snowstorm going on....they are saying 8 - 10 for us........I feel bad for the folks down around the cape. they are bracing for almost 2 feet!.......coastal areas will be hardest hit {praying for you folks!}. I was toggling between Mass. news channels last night. now that the kitchen table is open again, I'll be able to spread the huge instruction sheets out for the Thermopylae without fear of wrath. there's still some deck work, but as John said, I need to get to the masts as mentioned.......the new table is long enough.........I'm sure there's enough elbow room I'm hoping that 2018 is a more productive year. thanks OC......funny you should mention ribs. yesterday I dropped the hull on the floor. where I had a pin in one of the stern ribs, it had cracked the rib in half lengthwise. since I'm so far along with the planking, this won't be an issue.......glue will fill in the void and will still be solid that's a good way to look at the site and what it means to us.......but I have one better. since I have been coming here {2009}, I have met and made so many friends. I've always wanted the ability to 'pen pal' folks in other countries, back in the days when I did it in letters. I recall a fellow in Belgium I used to write to....named Jean {I forget his last name}...a fellow modeler.....I recall some really long letters. a few months later, the letters dwindled and then they were gone. thanks to the internet, we can all meet in these 'hubs', and we can show, share, and compare what we do, and help each other to enjoy our hobby more.......and most of all, learn and expand our knowledge and abilities. it's an unstable world out there........and so is our beloved internet........when things go sour and the site goes down, it saddens me the most when I lose touch with my friends. this site is remarkable.......kudos to all of you that keep the gears moving here...this is by far, the best site I have ever been a member of I appreciate every day I can come in here, to show you all the crazy stuff i've done I'll finish the hull today.....I have a great incentive. the snow has picked up in intensity......it's REALLY coming down NOW! other than taking Gibbs out, I have no plans to go out there. I hope folks stay off the roads and stay safe.!

looks awesome Greg.........I love to see dry fits like this

it's pretty much in all of the pictures, so it doesn't look like it's removable. wonder if it was used to launch the paravanes?

the structure looks awesome.......boats and all! I'm just amazed how all this is coming together.

second that Michael! so good to see your back at the table. the mast redo looks awesome!

you'll be a lot happier with the way they will look the plastic dead eyes don't have the indentation around the outer edge.....bad thinking on Heller's part me thinks

thanks Piet I was ready for the ball to drop......we ordered Chinese food.....I got some of my favorite spirits. our youngest son and his fiancee came over and we played cards. had a couple beers, but never touched the spirits ....don't drink like I used to. when I was younger........'party' at the drop of a hat......but not now. ended up watch'in a movie with Gibbs and never saw the ball drop. I hope you and Gwen had a great holiday season, and that 2018 is good to you folks as well. to one and all........a Happy new year as well.....I hope you are all equally as prosperous! I did get further with the Norden, although I'm making a sow's ear of it. as mentioned, paint will hide a lot of sin I didn't hold the line very well, and it got away from me really quick. not one to back track, I did the best with what I had done. I will add that this hull is a carbon copy of the Cux and the Mary Ann....if you put all three side by side, you'd see the similarity. the 'zipper started at the bow and worked it's way back to the stern. this model does the stern cap differently........Billing supplies two blocks of balsa, that fit into the cavities, to be carved and sanded to shape. the new table's maiden voyage is going along smoothly. it's nice to have the two drawers, allowing my 'most used' tools to be at the ready....just wish the pick ax would've fit in there off to the side, you can see that the admiral got her way.....although I went with a three shelf bookcase, rather that the bohemouth she wanted me to get. I forget what year it was.........I had seen the plans for a wall bookcase....I tore them out and kept them. I found them the other day, tucked in my old yearbook..........I'll save it till we get our own place again {although if I built it here, it would be an improvement}. here is how the Wharf now stands..... up top, you can see the crown jewel of Christmas......the Nordkap. I'm hard on the trail to find the fitting kit for her. contacted Billing/Danmark.....but no reply, so I sent an inquiry to Roger @ Age of Sail, to see if he can help. if that falls through, I'll either have to keep my eye on E-Bay or continue to do, what I started to compile already.......go piecemeal. I'd be pleased to post another log on this vessel.......she was so much fun to build Pictured here in 2011, waiting for her last two pieces. you can be sure that another hull will be cloned from her the only drawback to this configuration, is that I have to keep all my wood in the spare room. that will change though, once I unseat the Thermopylae from the top of the bookcase while I was in my muse state.....I continued to cut out the margins. as mentioned, it's proving not as easy, as I would have liked. due to the width, they are a bit fragile....I will have to do some piece fitting when it gets cemented in place on the deck. it will make deck planking easier though, not having to fit pieces in along the bulwarks. the planking went further back on one side of the Norden......almost to the point of closure. I'm determined to get at least one side done today. I did some sanding.........I do believe there's redemption for the hull after all finally done.........with more sanding to the stern........a little filler should smooth her out quite nicely. the stern bulwarks however, did not fair well, after the initial crunch from that clamp. more had crumbled by this time. I cut it out and removed it......A piece will be made to fill in the gap. I never did like these thin plywood bands........I think, on the Mary Ann, I simply planked from the top of the posts on down, and never used them. in this case, it might have been good not to use them......the band is only 0.5 mm, although the parts list says that it's 1 mm, and the planking looks to be about 1.5 mm......rather than the 1 mm strip the list says. there is a dramatic thickness deficit here, none the less. I'll take care of that later.....right now, I'm geared to get the other side planked and sanded.....take care of the stern, then I can deal with the bulwark band when I fix the stern. thanks for look'in in

I tried that Carl.......that's what got me to where I am today not the bored part though....sometimes it's good to have something to work on while glue or paint dries {now that's the boring part } glad to hear your wanting to dive into a wood build. for so long, I used to look at them and feel daunted by them. they looked so good.....but I would still be hesitant. I had to have one land in my lap, to show me that I was just being silly is the funnel and aft structure cemented on the deck? looks darn good my friend! very nice work!

she's coming along splendidly Michael.

thanks OC......and those who hit the like button I bought a bag of each.......the smaller ones were easier to change over than the larger ones {I have to cut off the bent ends}. I'm not the best planker in the world.....my little hiatus left me a bit rusty. awwww, what the heck......a little filler, a lot of sanding.......no problemo! I've set up the other table in my son's old bedroom, so I can work on plastic projects in there, and the table here in the computer room can be for the wood builds. this new table is long enough.....it might not be so hard to work on another project, if an idea comes to mind. here's to 2018......may it be more productive

great job in whipping that hull into shape.........deck looks awesome too

in your instructions, do they give the size of the dead eyes? as a rule, larger dead eyes are for the shrouds, smaller ones can be used for back stays, and mast tops {the second step of the mast(s)} if you have a rigging diagram, it should tell you as well. you've made some really great progress if you stay with this size though make sure you have enough.....2 per shroud line.

hi there.....HO! Happy New Years to all you fine folk! it's been frigid as all get-out up here in the Northeast.......we should see a break come Weds and Thurs though, just in time for some more snow the holidays are now past......the tables have been re-set up...and I can resume modeling. just after Christmas, I began the planking on the Norden. I had bought some of those paper holding thingies, and fashioned them the way I had seen another fellow do them....looked like a super idea. the planking went well.....in the beginning, but I'm finding that the strips are splintering here and there. I should probably soak the whole lot .....that may stop this from happening. then again, there will be paint, so a little filler isn't gonna hurt. the planking has been slow......short stints at the table..I keep gett'in pulled away. I got more done by the end of Christmas week. I'm hoping to get the hull planked this week.......but I've already made a few problems for myself. the stern bulwark got somewhat crushed by a rogue clamp....I will likely cut that part out and make a piece to fit in it's place. I've also been cutting out those margins, but they are proving to be a bit of a problem as well. I should have made them a little bit wider. we'll see what happens

hello JP......good of you to pick up the gauntlet......my condolences about your friend's passing. I built this model as well.....had similar problems with the cap rails not fitting right at the stern. your off to a great start.....looking real good kinda curious about the openings for the companionway and hold....as well as the hole in the back where the pilot house will be......they were not cut out in the deck platform. I did field a few questions about the aft mast though......I had made a platform for the shrimp cooker, drilling a hole in it for the mast. I added a bracket for it near the pilot house roof, for a firm anchor. looking forward in seeing your progress

I'm sure there are many.....some may even be building a different model, that will be more than willing to lend a hand. you'll find that folks here are really nice. by looking in on similar projects, you'll get ideas on how to proceed. there are even tutorials that can break things down step by step...you can even find cool things on you tube. anyhow.....welcome to MSW. I hope you enjoy

looks good Jan

looks really nice well done!

awesome job so far........very nice to see her at this point! hard to believe this is scratch built. done very well in the detail dept too

she looks super Daniel.......glad to see were able to finish with n more trouble. congratz on the little one....2018 is going to be full of surprises already ! congratz on a job well done!

super progress Michael........glad to see your back at it. hope your over the bug......terrible to feel miserable during the holidays

looks very well done

awesome progress Danny!

the 'Envy' printer........we have that one linked between the admiral and I. I haven't looked into it's properties, nor have I done any real printing with it. I'll have to check it out. I also have two different photo shop programs.....the one I have in the computer at the moment is limited...I only use it to resize pictures. as for the HP F2480 printers, I've been using landscape and portrait.....I'll look into that. thanks for the head's up

I agree with everyone Jesse......the netting came out great! I'm sure you plan on adding the rolled up hammocks......wait till you do that to make a final decision. very well done my friend!

WOW Grant! the first video didn't work for me, but the second one did! she looks awesome on the water........puts up quite a spray! I think Barbie was a little scared though.....Ken.....you speed demon, you!