popeye the sailor

nice progress Chris........I think with the finished planes side by side,  one would never see the difference.  the only thing I see is a longer aileron surface.  the wings came out really nice!

nice progress James........ great looking model!  lighting will really enhance it!

great job!!!.........the camo looks even over all three pieces!  really should put them in a diorama  

very nice progress    love the bench!

you've got a superb looking model......nice touch using brass tube for the cannon barrels    absolutely awesome!!!  hope you decide to build another....love to see!  

sweet looking model........very nice example in using a jig   we really should see more of these projects......scratch building at it's best!

super looking plane!........I'll keep your recommendation in mind !  nice and neatly done........:  

gotta keep in mind to keep looking in here    sweet look'in box..........shows you were pay'in attention.   so good in fact,  that the admiral confiscated it    I tend to keep the admiral in the dark with my goings on.........I get tired of seeing the whites of her eyes   {makes me think there's something wrong with her,  don'tcha know  }

very nice work........your next one will be even better {make sure you hide it next time}   

she's in the slip Lou........ready for the topside stuff     onward and upward  

Mark knows me too well me thinks    I'm even willing to bet that he thinks I've been contemplating cloning this model    

sadly,  I can't add them to this model Kevin.......the only addition I can do is the 37 mm gun Kennedy had lashed to the bow,  in place of the life raft.  I'm still looking into it  

Rambo........you mean,  in addition to his chopper,  and and I do believe that there is another kit of the chopper and a Jeep.  Monogram put out the chopper model in 1:24 scale.......looks really cool.......but then again.....I thought the 'Airwolf' offering was cool too    but really......all the different ways these boats were outfitted,  one could go nutz with this subject alone     if I did.......I'd likely go along the lines of a assault vessel,  and not follow Kennedy's idea of playing chicken with a destroyer    {one has to think the outcome would not be good}.  

I got a little bit more done yesterday.......I had an important errand to accomplish........get some wheels for my princess   my granddaughter needs a bike,  so we got her a really cool Huffy.....even added a license plate that says 'girls rule'.  we'll be delivering it this afternoon,  so modeling might be scant again today {although I added the final half of 'panel' to the deck this morning}.   yesterday's bit shows the installation of the props and rudders...that was fun.  I ended up chopping out a segment of deck framing and altering the allen wrench,  just to tighten the set screws for the rudders.  sadly enough,  the props didn't receive this treatment,  due to the shafts being too short and not protruding out enough to add the lugs.......would have been cool to see that they spin.  from all this,  I give one small bit of advise........if you gonna sport twin screws,  but them as a set and not separately.  not only that,  when I painted the bottom,  the plastic strut appeared transparent,  as opposed to the metal one.......I had to give it a second coat as a touch up,  at the end of the initial coat.  I found a couple of thinner bottles to decant the hull paints in,  but I haven't done it yet.....I still need to.

in setting the rod to synchronize the rudders,  one got slightly bent........I had them propped on a piece of wood to hold them in place.  it wasn't hard to straighten it......no worries.

before the paint took place.........looking at the deck diagram,  I saw where those three vents go.  they are to be located on the bow......I decided to put them in place before the deck planking.

the deck marked off nicely @ 3 inches......I should add 1 1/2 inch marks too,  to add to the butt shifting.  apparently there is a laminated deck that can be purchased for this model.

on a different model note........I had mentioned that I ordered my first laminated deck for a model from BNA.  it took a while.......and I must say,  that this place has some very good service.  they let me know every step of the way where my order was.  when I knew that the package was near the U.S. shores,  I set up the tracking with USPS and they kept me informed as well.  I got the package the other day.......both of them chimed in!

I've never done one.....but looking at the kit....it will benefit from it    ohh...ohhhh.........the crystal ball has gone dark......I can't tell anymore.  the future is so fickle   once all that other stuff was done,  I could close up the deck on the PT boat.  the deck frame was put back in place, and the panel pieces were cemented in.......the starboard side was added this morning.  these pieces were slightly warped.......I could clamp the port side,  but for the last one,  I had to resort to outside pressures.......one of the rattle cans worked nicely.

I was hoping to get into the deck planking this week.........it should be fun when I do      thanks for look'in in and thanks for the likes......as always,  I really appreciate it!

really nice progress Tom.....the standing rigging and sails look very good  

thanks OC........and thanks all for the likes    she's back in the saddle {so to speak}.......more soon.

can't get any better than those!  the detailing is awesome!

in my time working with wood,  varnish has been this 'soft' finish to me.   when I worked in a cabinet shop back in the '70s,  I worked with lacquer,  and haven't turned back since.   it is a hard durable finish that resists most minor dents and dings.  great for me,  since I probably manhandle my models more than most.  it still is something to look into......experiments are kind of my thing   

didn't get to the model as much as I wanted to yesterday......but while I was at my desk,  I did a bit more than pay attention to the computer   when I assembled the .50 cals,  I just centered everything,  using bits of brass to create a locator pin {there are holes molded into the parts}.   but after painting them and setting them in the carriage,  I noticed that they don't look as straight as they could be........they are good,  but I think they can be better.  even in the holes of the cooling shields.......you can see right through them....there is no evidence of a gun barrel    I have another set........and so,  the second attempt begins.   finding suitable diameter brass rod was not a problem,  lengths were cut and fitted,  and the cooling shields were added to the gun part.

....leaving enough to put the muzzles on

when they were assembled,  they were painted in Testor's Gunmetal,  rather than flat black.  I still will dry brush them lightly with flat steel afterwards and I painted the carriages and gun placement tubs in the Army green.  the props will remain in the bronze color,  but I lightly painted them with bronze to freshen them up,  and to paint the nut and ring in the back.

the comparison doesn't show too much of a difference.......other than the absence of daylight through the shield holes

which is which?  they look straighter........the cooling shields have a backbone.  the test is bittersweet though........because it's too bad I can't put them all on the model    {ohhhhh..........such an evil thought I am thinking  }

congratz on a beautiful model.........fantastic rigging,  sails,  and color     I have this kit.......after seeing your build......I see that there is no way to come close to what you have done!   an awesome model!  

your referring to a 'short hulled' ship?.........even under sail,  it might have been hard to keep them moving straight in the water.  not sure how far back they were used,  but are you suggesting that some form of leeboard was used?  

you certainly did not disappoint.........you've returned to us with a very interesting project!      truth be told,  I've not modeled that far back......I'm not too familiar with cogs or carracks.  it will be interesting to see what you do with this model.  I hear you about scratch building.......I can't do a kit model without changing something      very nice progress!

the stuff I used came from a rattle can.......I've never tried a varnish before.   does it give a hard finish?  

I'm sure some were wondering why I was on during the work week.......I'm usually a missing link    I wasn't feeling up to snuff,  so I stayed home,  since I had enough 'protected' time to use  {I can use it and it won't count against my matrix}.  so I called in and went back to bed......later on I sort of poked around.  the pull got to be too much........so I painted the upper part of the hull.   the weather being what it is,  I just laid a layer of newspaper over my seat and sprayed it........put a fan in the window to exhaust the smell {for the admiral}.

there are a couple small imperfections that I have to fix.......I'll just decant some paint and touch her up later.

one imperfection can be seen at the stern........I was a tad to high with the masking.  the other one is on the same side further up......surprisingly,  it's hard to see.......just a bit of over spray.  the masking must have pulled away on me  

...a slight refine of the bow.  after masking,  I gave a shot of red along the masking,  before I shot the green.  I feel better about the bow with the way she looks now    in using the resin,  I probably should have laid a primer coat first.  the red has definitely calmed down......the wrinkling {which I noticed on the bow as well} is over 90 % gone........I'd call it a win!    when I can give her the once over,  then the hardware can be installed......and then let playtime on deck begin!   only one of the many panel joints along the hull skin shows up....the others are either very faint or totally hidden.  it on the bottom,  so I can live with it.   my week end starts........I'll have more for you when I get back to her!

totally awesome!  the only thing missing is the log 

I would say the celebration started as soon as the deck dried    very nice job....rare model   

Revell produced their 1:25 scale model of the Calypso,  as far back as 1975.........the last re-release was in 2010.

thanks John......and of course those who hit the like button    the props I'm going to leave bronze Lou........most pictures I've seen,  have the tubes and rudders painted....so I went with that.  I had the red in my rattler collection....according to the cap,  it's supposed to be a flat,  but it appears to be a semi gloss.   it has been curing now for a few days.......I want to make sure that the bottom is fully dry,  before I move onto the upper paint.  the bottom has dulled down a bit.......I hope it goes more......I'm rather hesitant spraying a flat clear coat over all this,  given the results from the last time I did it.  

    given the fact that when the war was over,  most of the hardware was destroyed,  rather than brought back to the U.S.,  likely lends some truth to their upkeep during the war.  but for units that would never see any replacements,  some form of 'dry dock' might have taken place.  cannibalism was likely rampant as well,  since getting replacement parts was equally as hard.  they even scavenged aircraft armament to outfit these boats.  it makes no sense that there was no upkeep.......I'm sure some degree did occur   

WOW Kevin.......you've made a lot of progress since I last looked in    the deck looks fantastic........rigging looks to be a nightmare though......never saw  fife rails like that!   very nice my friend..........looks awesome! 

the gentleman must be a member or viewed the site......an amazing stroke of luck  

very nice looking model....really nice progress    the hull kinda reminds me of the Billing's kit Boulogne Etaples.......I cloned the hull a couple of times.  one of them became the Andrea Gail after a bit of modification.  really like how this one is coming out.   how long is the hull?

thanks Lou........thanks to those who hit the like button    I was a bit bummed about the dead rattler,  the darker color might have looked better,  but the lighter color will highlight added detail.  I still intend on trying to harvest whatever I can get out of that can.  not a lot of progress of late.....the admiral was adamant on the lawns getting their first mowing.  I agreed......they were beginning to get a bit shaggy     anyway...........

I did get 'round to assembling the .50 cals.......happy to report that enamels will stick to this type of plastic.   the base of the 20 mm and the .50s were sprayed too

I'll do some dry brushing.....some form of weathering.  I still have another set of .50 cals....in case something breaks.   the deck was marked off for the planking........but I switched gears.  to move forward,  the hull needs to be painted and hardware in place.   the hull was sanded to remove all the 'hairs' that the resin raised,  and to finish off blending in all the panel joints,  so they will be invisible after paint.  when ready.......and with a nice sunny day here finally.....the hull was brought out to the garage,  and the bottom paint was done.  first coat was laid down........allowed to dry for a couple of hours,  and then I gave it a lighter second coat.  that's when I got scared...........the second coat caused the first coat to become active again,  and it began to wrinkle around the stern area.  hoping it would settle down,  I left it to dry.  it did settle down,  but it left the appearance of wrinkled scarring.....faintly,  and enough to feel it.  does it cause a problem........in reality,  no.  to think of these boats in dry dock,  receiving a new coat of paint from time to time,  scrapping the hull and repaint might leave the hull surface in this condition.  I would imagine that the hull was not as smooth as a baby's bottom.  what I wasn't happy with,  was that a couple of the joints are still visible.....not by a lot...but not as I would have liked.

the hull and rudders

with the masking tape removed..........

I think I should have simply stayed with the chine for the bottom........I may change this

seen in these pictures is the panel joint visibility.......these are the worst ones.   we'll see what happens when the paint is fully cured.