popeye the sailor

awesome job!   funnel starting to take shape   

I finally finished those non ship kits.....three drag racing cars.....I toyed with them here and there.  thought it time to get them done.   if anyone is interested in seeing them,  you can see them here:

http://wenzelsautobody.wordpress.com/

anyway......now that I'm done with those,  I can get back to Jeanne and hopefully finish her........it's all the goal to clear the main table.   basically,  I did  bunch of prep painting and minor assembly to the last few parts.  I had cemented together the davits earlier last week.

they need painting.....   the props were painted about the same timeline....

today.......in between decorating the tree.......I did some painting and minor assembly.   the flags were painted....I was relieved to see I had all three flat colors for them.

might be hard to see......but I did the windows on the Helicopters.

then the tail rotors were cut from their sprues,  and tipped with flat yellow

hopefully tomorrow,  I can have more time to go further.

really compliments the steps you've taken so far........really looks sweet!   

OMG.........

look'in good OC..........hope you find the planking somewhere  

ohhhhhh....you mean Bazooka gum!  shoot....I can get that by the tub full!      I'm mostly a white glue and Ca guy.......just wish I could remember that other cement I used to use {came in a yellow tube}.   there are other glues out there.......I'm so used to what I use {kinda stuck in my ways},  never think to try something else.   

   I had an urge the other day to start measuring out yards for her.........been busy with life things and non related projects,  that it never happened.  all this talk is making me all peckish........versuvient!  I need to get back to this one.....caught myself chew'in on some basswood the other day  

I think it's time I started to make sawdust again     thanks for the head's up OC.

it will likely flatten out as time goes on......I use semi gloss lacquer for that reason.  below deck is look'in busy........love the effect   

looks really good   

I've not seen that type of cement around here.  I can't recall the cement I used when I built the Nordkap......something along the lines of the old Ambroid cement.  I wonder if Ambroid is still around?   I know the company has been sold to Northeast.....I have their site bookmarked.  CA doesn't even work.....no joke   

looking good OC..........more tapering at the bow,  coming up from the keel,  would have saved you from reaching the upper planking so soon.   you'll still be able to close up nicely,  and should cover well with either paint or copper  

you mini model jig saw puzzle is gonna look sweet!  

don't I know it Ulises....I'm a mechanic by trade....errr..technician {I say that with my pinky raised}.   oh.......if I only had a REAL garage!.....all I got is this dinky little one.  I bought a 1/2 impact w/2" elongated anvil       .....impact sockets...

they have clamps too.......saw a few other tools as well.   spent about $400.00 in there the other day for Christmas   none of it for me!   

beads?.....only folks using beads,  are those either fastening yards to masts,  or making antenna wire insulators.  in my experience.......it's a matter of taste whether or not a modeler is satisfied with using the plastic parts found in wood model kits.  there are some that will build a kit out of the box,  using all of the supplied components of the kit.  on the other hand,  you have those who want to build a model that better represents the actual subject,  and find that some of the supplied parts will not suffice.   there are some that will even substitute the wood itself to achieve the overall look of the finished model.   I myself have a problem.....not with the plastic parts per say,  but the plastic they are made of.  Billing's for example does not use a styrene plastic,  but a plastic that is denser and fairly resilient to most cements.   aside from resorting to the use of a two stage epoxy,  I have yet to find a suitable cement for it.   plastic in a wood kit also has to have a purpose,  and fit or enhance the overall look of the model.

     modeling has many mediums......plastic,  wood,  and diecast........there are others,  but they don't fit the type of modeling we do.   I have encountered only a few plastic models that actually had wooden parts supplied in them...and those are older car kits.  plastic differs from wood for one major reason......exactness of scale.

    plastic models are made from molds,  which are tooled to the scale specified.  wood models don't have that option.......the wood is laser cut to the specific scale,  but it's the fitting that give the kit it's shortcomings.  I guess it would depend on the quality of the kit,  as to how exact to scale the fittings are.  I've seen some that look good.......others,  well.....not so much.  tackle along the lines of blocks and dead eyes should be wood....in wood kits,  and not plastic.   this is something that expanded through the years of wood model kit production,  as a means to cut cost.   I don't mind them,  but I'll only use them for fishing boats.....there is SOME detail value to them.

all this goes back to what I said in the beginning....everyone has a preference.  what I like may not be something you like.......I get that.   so before this gets too off topic,  we'll end it here.  I think we know what we all like or don't like about model kits.  we do the best with what's available to us  

I got a pleasant surprise last week........I visited a Harbor Freight tool store.   not that I needed any tools,  but I hadn't checked it out since it opened.   I ended up buying a torx bit set.....and a mini drill index that goes from 3 mm all the way down to 0.5 mm.   it has five each of the 0.5,  0.6, and 0.8 mm.......3 of the 1.0 mm...

.....and 2 of the 1.2,  1.5,  1.8, 2.0,  2.35,  and 3.0 mm.   if you have a store like this near you,  might be worth checking it out   

I guess the next question then,  would be the difference in scale.......how far apart are they?   I'm not familiar with the Heller Thermopylae.  kind of a unique reversal you'll be doing......I've heard more of folks adding wood to plastic,  rather than the other way around.   most are not happy with the amount of plastic they find in a wood kit,  and end up replacing the plastic stuff with either brass,  or scratch build the parts from wood.   it's your call.   

I have the links at the beginning of this log.   check them out to weigh out your options  

you still have the kit.......I thought you might have already traded it away.   there a re many ways to build a model......if you don't want to feel like your building through imitation {building the same model twice},  you could build her as a barque.  she was refitted in the 1890's,  after being sold to a Canadian company.  I have no info if she was renamed.......in 1897, she was sold to the Portuguese Navy as a training ship,   and renamed the Pedro Nunes.   she does have some stark differences than the Cutty though.  I've always had the notion that Revell back in the day,  cloned this particular series of ship models.  that's the reason why the Cutty kit and the Thermopylae kit are so identical.....they were produced using the same molds.   now that I have the Connie kit,  I want to compare it to the United States kit.......these two are clones of each other.   the Kearsarge and the Alabama are another example of cloning.  I know it's not a new thing.......this method of kit production has been done many times,  in the production of kits through the history of plastic models.  it cut down of the time it takes to make the molds for different models.   later on they came out with the 3 in 1 models and kits with extra parts to create different versions { the latter mainly pertained to aircraft and armor}.

     I do apologize if it sounds like I'm trying to sell you into keeping it......I think this particular series of kit by Revell was the best they've ever done.   I've built many of the 1:96 series.......I liked the fit,  the detail,  and the size of the model.   the Sergal Thermopylae kit is not as easy as the Revell kit,  in my opinion,  but that's up to you.  hope you find the ship your look'in for  

really nice progress EJ.....I can agree that they are added detail.  be careful though in places that can be seen,   along the bulwarks for any poking through.   you wouldn't want to be known as EJ the impaler.  

that depends on how detailed you want to get.   you can get a nice screw effect by twisting thin wire and bending the twist at the top for the 'T'.   a hole drilled through the shaft at the end of the barrel will accept it nicely.   you can find examples of this in some of the logs........good to check them out to see what others have done.   good to see your still making progress on her   

I have to apologize gents.......just ditsy 'ole me for not hitting the submit button 

thanks for the good word gents......I'm so glad I was able to get to the table work.   for the other project,  I've been stuck at my desk......to be honest,  this small crane lamp I've been working under........is by far......under par      I have Jeanne at the table......that's why I mention this.    the decals may be just a little off....but once I populate the deck,  I think it will look OK.   still have a bit more to go on her.

decals can make or break a model Piet..........an incorrect insignia,  and all you have is a model with a lot of colors on it      it's hard to tell if the decals your supplied with are intact and OK to use......my dealings with the old Revell kit taught me a lot.  it's good if there are insignificant decals that you can test,  before you use the ones you need.   with the program I have,  I can make decals that are not supplied in the kit.  there aren't too many decals  for some of the ships we build of wood......perhaps that's one aspect that sets the two mediums apart.   I've tried to bridge that gap   

thanks John and Mark........and thanks for all the likes      appreciate ya'll following along    

thanks RG.....I've built a few Heller kits in the past......totally agree with you.   appreciate the good word   

nice job on the windlass........the deck is really look'in my-t fine      

now.......that's more like it!   the hull looks super J!   are to be exposed paddles under the wheel houses.....or you haven't put them in place yet?  still,  you've done a great job with the hull    nice work!

Floyd gave a good explanation of the messengers.......if you want to see more,  go into Dafi's Victory project.  somewhere in the middle of the log,  he shows these ropes and their function.  she's look'in good Jesse.......very nice progress.   any tool is a good tool,  if it does the job.   I don't even own one.

cranes came out nice    the 'D' effect will certainly be there......1D, 2D, 3D...the detail is so good on these paper models.   your doing a superb job of bringing the detail out      

she looks superb Tom.......really nice that you left the aft battery of guns closed.   I had posed a question about that in the past........never really got an answer for it.....so cool to see the effect       you've done an amazing job.......she'll look even better with the yards !  

please.......no fuel to the fire Carl      I've had a Bat boat on my mind....that's bad enough.   I've put a couple of things together.....but I ended up putting the rest on the back burner for the time being     one of these days,  I might try something that is truly alien    

hello Bob.......I will be getting back to this one very soon.   many thoughts on how I'm going to mast her.   it's not that I dislike the kit.....I never pictures my self having to scratch build something at this scale.   aspects that are left out of the kit,  is another turn off.  if your not big on scratch building,  this may not be a kit to consider....there's a lot of it.  it does appear to build into an attractive model though.....I have no intentions of shelving it.

   too bad you got rid of the Revell Thermopylae....along side the Cutty,  it would have made a great display.  I recently acquired a Revell U.S.S. Constitution,  1:96 scale......something I've been wanting for quite a while now.   I have the United States.....my second attempt to build her again.   she was such a grand build,  even though I didn't do a lot of painting on her.

as you've read......there is something that looks like photo etch available for this kit......finding clinker style life boats is frustrating in 1:124 scale......not to mention that the rigging diagram has the braces backwards.   I haven't encountered a build log that is very descriptive......so I guess it's left up to me.  I will try to depict every step of the way,  in the event that you decide to pull the trigger on this kit.   I hope you continue to follow along.