popeye the sailor

what.......crap! I thought you fell asleep sanding............ life does have it's way of robbing leisure time......there's either a lot of it, or none at all. the only thing I can suggest, is when you see it.........GO FOR IT!!! I'll have to check out your Santa Maria for any new updates. hope you had a great Holiday..

looking good Steffen

thanks for all the kind comments and the likes. the holiday has slowed me down........hope I would have made more progress on her. thanks Pat......I like doing the extra stuff...adds more interest thanks Jud.......I can respect pointers from someone whose been there. if I had those parts and the idea of it, I might have done that.....I make do with what I got. not wanting to damage anything......I'm going to leave them as they are. I was hoping to get this model finished as well, so I could move on to another project......from the looks of it though, I seem to be spinn'in my wheels on it. I do enjoy building these types of vessels......I'd like to learn as much as I can about them. anything you can tell me is valuable....it will make my next one, all the better thanks you as well Patrick........I hope your having the best of holidays thanks John.......I have something of the same problem.......darn computer is about as old as I am {not really, but if you heard the noise it makes, you'd swear that something was running amok in there!} haven't seen it.........but if it sticks it's head out........I got a hammer.....and I know how to use it! thanks for the good word my friend!

looks very good Eric

try and do it from the inside, if the structure isn't cemented in place. the window framing will add a nice effect

good to see your making progress Michael....tedious process to be sure. looks like your going into mass production with the helping hands?

I know.........we're mak'in you blush.......right!?!?!!~ well.....I gotta add to it Nils......she is one awesome ship, when seen in her entirety seeing her stretched over that narrow sill in the first picture though.......kinda gave me a chill. tell me that was an optical illusion ! I know I sound a bit skiddish, but to me, anything less than the overall length of the model... is considered a sill! Happy Holidays Nils!

....and to you and yours Bob!

I played with these pesky gaffs long enough........time to get off the seat! the big problem.......I glue the brass blade sliver to the toothpick........then when I'd go and trim it, it would rip it off. time to get smart.......lets do some prep to the sliver of brass. I want to put a barb at the rear of the blade......try ti cut it with the clippers, and it would pop off. all I got was these two at the early stages of the process. so......lets make the barb cut before cementing the sliver on the toothpick...............BRILLIANT!!!! I had already done a few without cutting the barb.........no matter......I'm gonna use them! ....not like it will be too noticeable anyway. after making the rest of what I needed.....and trimming the point. it was time to paint everything. paint the blades.......and the red ring for a little bling, and I was almost ready to go. yea.......not the best picture........here's a better one..... I started to add the few additional parts to the winch. cementing the gaffs on the racks.......they were cemented in place......in the fish box first. this one is for the companionway...... I'll need to make the netting soon......... this is the diagram I got with the Cux 87.........I have green and I have brown netting. I think I will go with the brown. I also need to make the net bar........I have more than enough chain the companionway gaff rack is in place now. the fish box was put back on deck. I've started to work on the mast again........a few more parts are needed. once the winch is in place, then the mast can be cemented in permanently. I will have to alter my shroud and ratline set up due to the dump ramps, but it won't be too bad.

I made a bit of progress with this build. in between working on two other builds, I managed to separate the birch bark. the bark of these trees are set up in layers......once a layer gets old enough, it simply peels away, revealing the new undercoat. there are like several layers. anyway, I separated it towards the center of the bark. the white outer layer was then scraped away, leaving the under coat. I tried the first batch........wasn't too thrilled with it, so I did a second batch. jury's still out on it.........I'll report more on it soon. I also managed to trace out the sails, which was kinda nice...... not real thrilled with the thickness of the material, but I'll go with it. more on this soon, as well

looks great finally on display Jerry! good to hear that Charlene has started to work on La Nina....hope we see a build log, or even a peek every so often super job Jerry...........so......what's next?

super progress Greg!....all that detail is very nice are you going to paint once you've gotten to a particular point in the assembly? very....very....nice hope you had a good Christmas

very nice Andy! two things you can do about the planks showing through the windows..........you can use tinted cello. I have the stuff they use for tinting car windows........that might hide it enough. or........you can trace out the skylight...cut out and remove the planking, and paint the open area flat black. you did such a great job matching all the structures........very uniform and neat hope you had a great Christmas!

they didn't laser cut your deck panel? interested in what your doing with the cabin panels. are you going to fill in with mahogany strip? great progress hope you had a good Christmas

looks even better now! great job Steffen!

very nice Eric.............and you use legos as well is this a new offering from Mantua? this must be a double plank model......or is it to be covered with P.E. plating?

thanks Lawrence........the buoys was something I did long ago. when the big crash happened, the info was lost. I thought it would be useful to some one if I put it back up.......here is just a good a place as any. I hope you had a great Christmas my friend.........I continue to watch over the fine work, your doing on your bounty. very inspirational thanks for looking in.

I like the window technique as well Rob.........small scale ships would benefit greatly. superb job my friend......I hope you had an great Christmas!

no finer Christmas gift ...made for a friend, from a friend. awesome!

hi there Pat and Patrick........and to those who are following along.........a huge happy Holiday wish to all of you! here at the Wharf, it was wonderful, even when shop laundry blew a cold water hose, and got a little wet in the laundry room! I was at work at the time {had to work the day before and the day after Christmas}.....all I could do was instruct the admiral to shut off the main water feed, and I'd deal with it when I got home. we got through Christmas day without a hitch. usually I set up a vacation, so that it covers both Christmas and New Years.......this year, since we changed over to a different time off system, I couldn't do it. I'll be ready for it next year so it wouldn't be a total loss......I got New Years day and the day after off. not that I tie one on in celebration, but I do watch the ball drop. taint the same since Dick Clark Died good that I poked in here........I would have missed your kind gestures. it just so happens though, that I've made a small bit of progress......I'll keep at it to do more.......and I should be able to report in tomorrow thanks to all!

well.....hello there! good to see your making progress I got this same boat kit for Christmas...guess I'd better be taking notes structures and layout looks super. very nice choice of colors. I use an archive pen for the simulated calking........a bit less labor intensive. planking looks good so far

yea....birch does tend to have a powder residue.......all part of it shedding it's outer coat. I think it will turn out better than the shavings.....the bark is more elastic. I don't think there is a dollar bill in the house.....we tend to rely on our debit cards. what can I say......this is worth a try thanks again for the ideas Dee Dee..........and to every one else that suggested something. it's amazing what folks use......and that there are many uses for common household stuff, and wood working by products. I should have some sort of update soon

not sure what these are.........but I chose the dead ones..........they won't fight back!

Cripes Mark! she looks great, now that she upright! gonna look even better with the excess wood gone!

I took Gibbs out a short time ago........coming in I noticed that the bark is already separating. might be an easy job after all!