popeye the sailor

regards to you as well........Olive!

I'll get it dwindled down sooner or later.....shopping day today. had a funny moment there........going down the refrigerated aisle, a worker was filling an island case. she goes down one side calling out......left.......I go round the other side calling out....right. we repeat the navigation until we get to where the fellow is. I let out a Popeye laugh, and that perked him up! he looks at me and say something about not wanting to follow the navigator.....I reply in my Popeye voice "I follows me own course!" and let out another laugh. I didn't look back to see if he was on the floor or not I do a very good 'Goofy' too........but then again.......that goes without saying

thanks for your kind comments and likes going back to work..I'm kinda mixed......but I think I have another two weeks I can take....one more vacation week, and the other combined personal time. my work week is only three days anyway, so I shouldn't complain Greg: you mean.....the admiral gets a breather! the one here whose really gonna hate it........Gibbs! George: depending on the subject and how far you want to go with it, I guess you could say, is a good way to gauge a kit. if you pick up that box, and ideas start going through your mind.........I'd say you ought to head to the check out right away Augie: hmmmmmmm.......I wonder if there is a market for it? a prerequisite for this would be for the customer to have a home with a cathedral ceiling an anchor hanging in the middle.....would it be too feng-shui, to have a chair positioned under neath? Patrick: it's the same reason why I mentioned you should do a larger scale of your build....it stirs the imagination. to see the sails on your Rainbow, along with that paintwork......it's an awesome combination. actually, I have one in mind.........the Dragen. I know you have space constraints, but I can see you doing that build some serious justice! I enjoy your work

nice recovery Pat......very nicely done!

JULY!!!! wow.......I've been away for a while! sorry Jerry......getting these builds caught up has been slower than I thought! I really didn't count on building the Andrea Gail either.........it's been very hard to turn away from it. that build is almost finished though, and I may pick this build back up next. I was going to continue on one of the other fishing boats, but I may have to order stuff for them. to recap what needs to be done here, I was unhappy with the bottom paint......it seems too low, and there was some bleeds in the corners. this needs to be corrected, before I can continue. once this is done though.......I have plenty of parts ready to go on the model, and there will be some major progress to be seen. I ask for your patience.........I will be back shortly oh......yes flat red!......gotta get some of that!

nice to let folks know about this modification............looking really sweet, by the way

I've used the term semi - scratch for some of my builds......where I tend to make the hulls from kit parts panels, and then scratch build the rest. while I can agree with Andy, for a better understanding {especially for the new folks coming in} of the builds they wish to do, I agree that there no competition here, so the need for such strict rules are given more freedom. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but it was probably on the early MSW, and lost in the crash. we are all out to have fun...and from what I see on the site......we do, with gusto! I don't think it's a bad idea to better classify our builds, it will give the follower a better understanding of the build's objectives, and it will lay the groundwork for a more subtle change in the direction of the site as well. thanks Boyd for posting this...it can be a win / win for both sides

thanks John........had to think a bit, but it worked out I didn't get to do much yesterday.......the bow vents were cemented in place. I have to make two more. the starboard counter weight was hung on it's chain. this is Model Master flat black.......I was hoping it would be less glossy. ...then the port side was hung. I tried to keep them pointing toward the front, but I think as time goes by, and the model is moved, they are going to settle any way they want I had dabbed a small section of chain with white glue, and fashioned it into a pile. after making another hook, the stanchion was set up. this is the last day of my vacation / time off....sad to think it's over. quite a bit was done during this span, but she's not finished yet. the day is still young though

OMG!! I remember TinTin so cool! super paint work Kees.........really starting to come together. very interesting how you got the information for the build.

it's kinda what I enjoy doing........taking the hull of a known kit and turn it into some other ship. your comment Andy, makes a lot of sense......I never thought of it that way.

so much to see Nils....and so nicely done. in the states here, we used to have a hobby {not sure if it's still around} called string art......this ship is definitely a masterpiece! the beauty and detail in your rigging is superb!

she's looking awesome Sjors! don't leave the starboard side vulnerable for too long

I wish you and the admiral the best.......I hope it's something that can be taken care of easily. fingers crossed!

thanks very much for the kind words and the likes! what I was looking for, by making them from metal, is the weight factor. I was looking at both of the instructions I have on this vessel, they are made of wood. on the # 608 static version of this vessel, chain is not used, and the lack of weight made the rigging look limp, with no tension at all. they might be a tad over scale, but comparing them in place, they fit OK.......so I'm not complaining thanks for the picture Piet {I envy the heck out of you right now}. don't be angry with me........but I wrote about you in my Word Press log: https://gundalowdrydock.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/the-andrea-gail-120-scale-part-81/ I looked at Dave's Blogger site, hoping he posted pictures of the gala....I would have posted it as well. again......what Dave and you achieved there, is to be commended, and if there's any way I can spread the word, I'd do it in a heartbeat! I hope I can attend one in the near future...I don't see this as a 'one time event'! models done out of the box can be just as good, but it does show just how generic kits can be. it is as I've always said....they make the kit......and when that kit crosses your threshold, it becomes your kit...you are the builder. imagination goes a long way at this point......and I don't think ability has anything to do with it. to see what is shown...to research what certain aspects do...even a newbie can expand on the subject and surpass what the kit supplies. I'm not talking from a swelled head........I'm just a regular guy.....not an expert by any stretch. I would try and add the extra detail to plastic kits, but it wasn't till I did my first wooden kit, that I felt the freedom, that these kit offer. I've seen some very interesting and beautiful models created here, and I guess you can say I learned something from all of them. I'll probably never learn everything there is to learn.......but I'm sure going to have fun trying I thank you folks for your kind comments.......and giving me the sense that I've raised the bar. I don't think I have, really.......I'm doing just as I always do.......this particular build simply made it easier for me to reach out a bit more. I'm sure the next build will put me right back where I was....and I'll be just as happy. keep on thinking free

that must have been an absolute pain to do! I don't envy you on the clean up...but when you do, it's gonna look great! I use a black archive pen for the calking.....India Ink doesn't seep into the wood as much. I used to use crayon.....works well, but scraping needs to be done due to the crumbs and cast off rubbings. looking at all those nooks and crannies......you did an absolutely spectacular job. are you going to use a clear poly? I use semi gloss lacquer, but I've never use it on plastic......I think it would be OK, if you chose to use it super job!

no.....I promised......she won't leave the table, until she's finished. although, there was a time today, I wanted to remove the cover off the Boulogne {she's on the other table, along with the Syborn}, and do some work on her too. but........I was a good boy........I didn't. .....or maybe finish the funnel work on the Syborn.......NO! ......got to stay on track! rest assured Augie....... .......which brings me to what I DID do today. I did find out that cutting those larger diagonal pieces of round stock, really wasn't working for me. I went back to my earlier attempt, and I made it work. I managed to come up with two, of the four that I will need. one looks longer......and that will get cut down to match. once they are sanded to shape, I'm suing white glue as filler for the tiny cracks and gaps. since I'm not a big fan of watching glue dry either, I thought I'd do some checking, for the diagrams of the parts panels. since I found that the counter weights were made of wood, I pulled up the PDF's for both of Billing's instructions, for the two versions of this vessel. both were made of wood......but I got to see what the parts look like I made some adjustments on my tin snips......got them working much better....and I cut out the main parts. there are the two center parts and four wing parts. shaping them was a bit dangerous.......I cut one of them in half, so I had to make another. I had also drilled the ring hole . I needed a jig.......cut a slot down the middle for the center piece, which needed to be set in place at an angle......and sculpt out an angled area to meet it. the parts were set in place, matching them up, so it all looked even it still ended up being a little wobbly.....helped a bit after I anchored the board to the table with a clamp, but still had to use tweezers to keep the pieces in line. what came of this was these. now comes all the filing.......removing the excess solder and round off the sharp edges.......smooth out all the cutter marks, and it was time to balance them. I had a hunch they would hang weird on the chain. now, it's a good thing I drilled those holes, because the diagrams of the weights show that they have what I would refer to, as a balance bar running through them. using one of my picks, I ran it through the hole and let it hang.......the front dropped down.....not good. drilling another hole 2-3 mm beside the hole, and adding this bar, made the difference here's a better picture I don't know folks can take pictures of their fingers.......the one hand camera thing........is not my thing here is the other one after I balanced it so, here are the counter weights, ready for paint. I did it Piet! I did it! the two vents got their brass locator tabs fitted and a paint job I drilled three of the holes in the fore deck already.........just need to do the one on the port side, by the pilot house.

looking good John........can't believe it's that time again. can't wait to see those whale boats too

looks really sweet Phil!

sorry to hear about the damage Pat.......I hope the repair goes smoothly

WOW! well..again Greg, Very glad you made it through alright. sounds like there will be a lot of clean up to be done. sad when you hear of lost lives. the world is going through such changes, that all we can do now, is batten down the hatches and hope for the best. yea, it's something Patrick........but it's not the end just yet. there are four more aspects that I need to make...I think that's all.......and then what I can do with the added stuff. I have others on the roster, that I need to get back onto....boy......I'll be glad when I can get caught up. I can see myself doing another fishing vessel........I have the Boulogne Etaples still.....and the Syborn {their on the roster}. the Andrea Gail is still on the table......and it isn't coming off until it is finished. more to come soon!

thanks for the kind comments and likes! did a bit more after my last update, but it's small at the moment. I was looking at how the counter weight looks in the instructions, and I see that it is made from three parts. strange I thought, so I got the part numbers and checked out the inventory list. I can't say that I was surprised to find that they are made of wood. there can't be a lot of weight to them, if they are made of wood. gee Greg......don't know if I should have put a like to your post.......but I'm glad you made it through OK. I remember the October storm we had a few years ago........we were out for about a week. I tried to build in the day time, and at night by candles {many of them}....but neither one was very fruitful. hope there was no damage left by the storm.......clean up is always the pits! thanks John........still unsure about the fish boxes.......not even a crab cage. I'm still looking around though. thanks Kees.........the extra bits I'll do at the end, will fill in the gaps. but, it won't even come close to the detail you put into your builds. simply awesome work, my friend I'll try to stretch it out Carl......can't say for how long.....she coming together at her own rate now. so......I'm going to try and make the counter weights out of brass. the stock I bought earlier has no size on it......but it looks to be around 1 mm thick and 10 mm wide. I have some bigger cutters....short of using a hack saw, and I will see what I can come up with. I was going to use the top parts of the gallows, that I disassembled.....but they are too thick to solder anything to them to look good, and there are the pre drilled holes that are too far in, to use rings that would be to scale. way too much prep. so, thanks again to you all for the comments and likes. the build may be close to the end.......but it's been an amazing journey, and I'm glad that you folks enjoyed the log.

Carl.......sorry......I am sooooooooo late with this! I guess it was my day to break things. a little while ago, I broke my favorite pair of nippers! all I was trying to do was cut a piece of brass *note to self:......the right hand tool works better, you know!* anyway.......the reel came off......not without some breakage though. it was an easy fix, and after re-spooling the reel, it was back in place.......just like it never left. after it was dry, the reel was re-rigged. it had to pass through above the bottom bars of the 'X', but I was very happy to see that the lines do not touch them. they are close.......but there is a gap.......and that's allI wanted to see! I had made some hooks for terminating the lines, hooked to the eye bolts of the bulwark posts. I also tightened up the starboard side cable, between the two sections......I still have to do the port side cable. it's not as bad, but I'll do it anyway. the two single blocks suspended under the aft bar. my focus at this point are the counter weights and those vents. I'm hoping that I can produce weights that are just heavy enough to keep the rigging assemblies taught. as for the vents, I cut some wider stuff, but the curve is a bit too wide, so I may have to combine the two different sizes of wedges. I need four of them. it's going to be interesting, I can tell ya that!

gee......I'd better get this update posted......and pronto! thank you all for the super nice comments...can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Ben: quite a comment.....I'm a bit humbled. I'm glad you enjoy the log. there are quite an array of these kits out there {I'd like to check out a Dumas kit}. build what you like...you'll have more fun with it.....save the challenging kits for later . not sure about the time frame......but there isn't that much left to go, and Andrea will be finished. I have a couple more on the roster, but I haven't decided which one is next. thanks for following along, I really appreciate it! Wayne: thanks a lot for the kind word......but I'm just a novice, no swelled head here just a regular joe.........>click heels three times<......just a regular joe

looks very nice Peter

hi there! just checking in for an update hope all is well.