popeye the sailor

thanks Patrick........the ladders are Ok.....it's the way they have the grab rails that I'm looking at. the one that leads to the roof has them......the one that leads from the main deck to to the fore deck does not. I think they would look better with full length railings on both......but mulling over how to do the one from the main deck. thanks George......the pilot house is closed now....no way to get 'em in there I've never done much with figures......even in my aircraft builds. perhaps one day I will. my playtime is slowly coming to a close.........the weekend I work kinda dreading this weekend.......got myself into a rather sticky bind at work last Monday, and I will find out what kind of write up I'm going to get for it. what can I say.......things happen.

a very neat diorama kit.........I like how you did this

yesterday's update isn't very big......the roof asembly is almost finished though. I had assembled the radar and given it a coat of primer. I gave it the second coat. then the holes for it were drilled into the roof. when dry, it was cemented in place. next.....the last two ladders were assembled and sanded to shape. not sure I like how they look in the plans.......I may do something a little different with them I'm also going to do something with the part I had added to the gangway. there is to be only one pulley spool under the gangway, but I'm going to add both of them for what I want to do. I had cemented them in place, butI found that they aren't alike, so I am making another one......hoping I can get a pair that match. once I can get all this done........it will be time to set the first part of the trawl rig in place.

superb detail Kees!.........right down to the electrical conduits! I see you didn't post the picture you sent me...........is there to be a drum on the port side as well?

thank you Bob and Frank.........the spot lights came out fine Frank........just a minor hiccup thank you Kees.......I hope you posted that picture you showed me in the PM........it looks so awesome!

absolutely beautiful Nils!

thanks for the good word and the likes! I'm getting closer to the trawl rig placement.......I can't wait for that! Mark: that's why I was glad to see the black show thorugh somewhat on the cable.......a bit more texture. I have some tans........but I was also thinking about striating some copper on it.....might put a rusty look to it as well I don't want to get too heavy with the weathering though, i'm not an expert with it just yet. Marty: thanks for the tip......next time I'm at Hobby Lobby, I'll check it out. they have a very large glue selection. I've had that bottle of window maker for quite a long time now.......this is the first time it's ever failed me. Piet: I'm going to make the segment cuts a little wider.....but still at the same angle. the curve should be a more 'half circle' shape......these will come out looking like a candy cane..........a very weird idea is beginning to brew here {Holiday Harbor}.......best not to dwell on exestential thought

don't throw it away Kees.......here is how I decant paint from spray cans with hardly any mess at all https://wenzelswharftips.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/decanting-paint/ there is a good chance that there was a problem with the nozzle, and not the paint itself. then you can try the paint through an airbrush, to see if you have better control. good you were able to avert disaster....your doing such a superb job with this build! I just upgraded to windows 7....everything is so small! gotta go highlight the picture so I can drool over the detail!

hi Frank.......the assessment of the lights is a bit premature.......but not to worry......I'll get 'em squared away yet! thanks for the good word anyway........here's the back up plan the cavities of the lights were touched up once again....readied for another go. since I can't use the window maker, I'll have to make the lenses from clear cello. 11/32 was the magic number to make them.......they were cut out, shaped, and cemented in place with the window maker. I had to get one to 'glare out' in order to show you. the last aspect I need to make for the roof, is the radar. you probably saw this piece of brass lying on the table from frame to frame.......a shaft with a collar fitted on it. it part of an old Billing's fitting. a pair of support rods needed to be soldered onto it. I set it up in the vice. ......and the rods were soldered on an upper control box was fitted onto the upper part of the shaft......made from wood. the radar head is a strip of brass flat stock that was bent around a dowel, shaping it. then it was solderd together, and a hole was drilled in the underside of it. it was then cemented on top of the assembly. the bracket you see in these last few pictures, still need to be shaped. I made a pair of them......they are to be the front support brackets for the stabilizer booms. all I need to do now, is drill the holes and paint them I was thinking about the support cables for the aft section of the trawl rig. I found the largest thread that would fit through the holes of those 'U' shaped shackles. it's black thread, and I'm going to wipe it down with silver paint. it came out well.......there is a hint of the black here and there. I will leave it like that. the lights are on the roof.......at last! .........and so is the GPS module the radar has gotten it's first coat of paint. I'll give it another, and then I can fit it into place. so far, I haven't had to drill any holes......for this assembly though, I will need to. so there you go........two days worth of playtime! the lights were an easy fix......the only real thing left, are those vents. they shouldn't be too hard to figure out more tomorrow!

that was a lot quicker than with Vista........down and back up in no time! I also need to make vents for around the fore deck.......three of them. these are unlike the normal vents seen on larger ships......they look like nothing more than curved pipe. I had bought some hollow round styrene, but it's too large.....so, I'm going to do it from smaller size dowel. I cut a bunch of angled pieces......I put the puzzles together later during all this, I had filled the openings of the spot lights with window maker. enough time had passed......lets take a look.. ....... Oh........say it isn't so! the bubble broke in the middle! the other one?....... I'd say it gone from bad to worse...this is not good I guess the opening is too large a span for the maker to work! it's a good thing I have a backup plan........we'll get back to it later meanwhile.......back at the vents. I began to piece together the bit to form the curve.......I think I need to make them with just a little more length. I'll need to make some more.......I'm on the right track though, so that's a good thing. since the lights were a bust, I might as well get the window maker out of them, before it totally dries......at least I can salvage them. out of all this.....there was at least one small ray of light.......the orbcom GPS module

I would have had this update up sooner, but I got rid of Vista today. I upgraded to windows 7......so far it hasn't been too much of a problem getting use to it I did finally order.....and receive the update for the decal maker. once I install the whole thing, I can see how much of a change there is.......enabling the transparency function would be nice so now.....here I am with two updates. with the computer stuff going on, I tinkerd with the A.G.....more sub assemblies with this critter! yesterday, I began with the spot lights......painting the cavities with silver. I useda crappy brush though because I got some on the outside of the light body while the silver was drying......enough to sand off, I made the other pulley. once dry enough....the silver was sanded of and the bodies were repainted. more pieces of dowel was cut up......these still need to be shaped dowel is a tough wood to sand by hand.......cramped them like crazy doing it. here they are in their final shape. the base parts were assembled, as they are to be the same color........the restwere painted in respective colors I will be back in a bit.........more updates! I need to restart the computer

that will all touch up fine.........keep going!

jaw droppingly cool!

I like the windows as well.......pretty neat how you did that......! she's looking really sweet now with the deck in place......coaming and all!

I'll be looking forward in seeing it.......I think a little 'Sjors' rubbed off on me

can't read it either........although I have done a few Heller kit, and I had to translate them too! it must be a daunting task though to distribute kit in the language folks are accustomed to.......glad to hear your able to get an English set of instructions. my admiral helps out wherever she can........she love to go on my scavenger hunts with me, and is very good in the common sense dept, helping me rationalize some of my ideas. she never balks at what I do.......she loves the boats and like to see how they look as I build them. she likes the wood over plastic....but for whatever reason, the last two kits she's picked out for me, have been plastic. I'll look forward in seeing 'Olive' on the site

looks awesome Augie......love the way it accents the stern and badge moldings. can you get a picture of her looking mid ship aft?

she may surprise you Jerry......we have quite a few accomplished female builders here. wouldn't it be cool to add her name to the list! you've done better than I have......my admiral will have nothing to do with the hobby.......she won't even do my sails for me. she tells me that there is room for only ONE crazy person in the house I'll look forward in seeing the start of her build.......has she got a user name yet?

never be afraid to show progress......we do it all the time. it's amazing to see a step so disheveled........then to see it finally cleaned up with the fitted parts. part of the territory.......the grand scheme of things to come. I always look at it this way........"it may look like crap now...but just wait till you see it when I'm done!" you are a man of method Nenad......never be afraid to show it what the heck!!!! you mean to tell me you didn't see any snow this year! if you were a real estate agent.....I think you would have me sold!

very nice updates Patrick.........the winches will look great when seen in application that, I think id the big difference between kit and scratch.......kits yield a bare bones build with a little added detail, but the scratch builder sees so much more. if the detail can be seen with the naked eye, then it can be added.......and makes the build more more appealing. very nice work!

stand is looking really nice Piet........I'm looking forward to the pictures as well!

looking super Kees......when all the sub assemblies are in place on the deck.....it's gonna look great!

decals do have their limits Nenad........what would look as though it's paint, they can be the answer. but, if it's raised detail and paint, then they are useless. color isn't really an issue.....unless they are metallic. ink jet printing draws the line there.......it is possible to get the color, but it lacks the shimmer. what you've done is emphasize both of these aspects........very nice indeed! good to have the opening at the bottom of the gammoning.....you may need it. I believe those are called bob stays.......they will pass through the Martingale and terminate at the tip of the bow spirit boom. the Cutty has such beautiful bow rigging! nice work!

two comments Carl.........I can combine them the admiral is very understanding about my hobby......for her to allow my mess to be in the computer room, is a testament to this. a lot of time I drive HER nuts.......she never knows what we're looking for, when we're out on one of my scavenger hunts thanks all for the kind comments and those who hit the like button......still quite a bit to go yet I'll have to check on that Crackers.....I'm still working on the George Clooney angle for Frank! Patrick.....sadly no about the LED. could be done though........quite easily

so this is where you've been off to! haven't looked all the way through, but what I've have seen.....I'm amazed! looks awesome Piet...I can't wait to see the rest!