popeye the sailor

Friday......I felt restless.....that and I needed some strip stock. I would have preferred 1/32 X 1/32 strip, but I ended up settling for 1/16 {I'll need to sand anyway } the admiral and I went to Hobby Lobby...I like to bring her along. it gives us some 'out time' and she's quite helpful with bouncing ideas back and fourth. I remembered that I needed beads for the floatation buoys......I need to make five or six of them. I was in one isle.......I found some that would work, but I would need to drill out the holes, since they are not the same diameter as the dowels I had gotten. I was looking at a couple of other types, when I heard the admiral ask if these would work..........I headed over to where she was. looking at what she had found.......they were slightly larger than what I had found {not by much though}......but the holes going through them was PERFECT!!! there are more than enough in the package.......if I choose to do a couple extra......I can! the spools are just something I saw that I might have a use for later.......ya never know they're the smallest I've seen so far......I'm always on the look out for these things. once we got home.......I couldn't wait to try the assembly out. it looks good! again, there are no measurements for them, so I will have to size them to the rack. these booms that I refer to, are actually known as stabilizers. for such an elaborate design, the only function for them, is to keep the boat from rocking side to side. they have weights on them and can be deployed......lowered and spread out further, to add mass to the boat, depending how rough the seas are on a given day. I need to find some lead sheet, or strips, in order to make the 'anchors' to tether off of them. I know that lead has been somewhat outlawed for use in plumbing and other hardware uses.......it used to be found in rolls. perhaps I can find it pertaining to the 'soapbox car' medium, those little cars made from wood......I see them all over the place. they even have kits for them I digress........sorry.....my mind loves to wander anyway, it may have been better to notch these squares, but I didn't want to cause a calamity......making a hundred of them, just to get eight good ones......so I took the much easier route. sanding should make them look better...here is the first one. then I made the other one. I did manage to defeat quite a bit of the curvature......just a tiny bit of deflection remains. enough that I'm happy with it I snapped a couple of pictures to show a friend of mine at work......he lives in Maine and has been around these boats. he also has a book on the Andrea Gail....he's going to try and find it for me. he was quite impress with what I've done, stating how spot-on it looks. the only thing we didn't get into was the rigging.......but we can talk further, now that he's seen where I am with it. the kit instructions really doesn't shed much light on it.

So.....the fuel drums are pretty much finished at this point. it may have been better to do most of them the same, with a few odd balls, but I did say I wanted to add color to the dominant white thinking the idea here is that these drums were picked up over a long period of time........in the kit, they show that they are all painted the same...... is anyone familiar with the song "little boxes" by Pete Seger? on with other aspects of the build........ I began to make the rudder......three layers of flat stock, the center one segmented for the shaft that will run through it. sanding and shaping is the next step for it......the rear section of the trawl rig was next to be made. the instructions give no measurements for it, so I had to gauge it to the first section I made. in the kit, it shows that it is a fixed assembly.......I wonder if it is actually hinged, so the height is adjustable? the little squares that are next to it, is another aspect that I will be working on. there are no measurements on these as well........so they are also gauged with the height of the trawl assembly. I cut two lengths of dowel a bit taller that the trawl rig. these 'brackets' will be skewered onto the dowels, segmenting it in four places. being hard to find true and straight dowels......with the next step of the assembly, I will have to try and work the bends out....somehow. this is some of the work I did last Friday........finally got the pictures out of the camera.....it gets more interesting down the road

congrats to you J........great finish to such a wonderful build! she looks super

cannons look super Sjors! I'm sure you'll figure out a method that will work!

saw her in the gallery...........she looks super Patrick!

thanks Michael and Carl........not really a weathering master.....but I'm looking in on both aspects. thanks for the good word

I think the word is 'assume'.........but I don't feel it applies here your breaking new ground here.........I don't know too many folks who have done this. whether you break one egg........or 30....in the process.....your still making progress, and that's what counts!

thanks a lot gentlemen.........yea, it's probably overkill....but why not I think the vent bung could have been smaller Nenad.......I do have some smaller punch outs. I figure these are in good contrast to one another. a bung, is a bung..... on top and unsung.... that would be a hoot, wouldn't it.........to prose about something as silly as a bung believe me Sjors......I'll be careful I think I should be more careful, with the milk crate collection, I've accumulated through the years! the kit instructions show no lashings for the drums........they are simply cemented on the decks. I may do something with this thought in mind though.......thanks for the insight it would be interesting Marty, if I was modeling the Orca. this is another boat, I wouldn't mind doing with the movie 'jaws' as a reference......it would be all one would need to model her and add some really neat detail, and turn out a nice looking build. the other day, I tried to see if another boat was used in the movie. in the case of The Perfect Storm, a vessel called the 'Lady Grace' was used in her stead. in the TV show 'Gilligan's Island', four boats were used in the show......one was called the Bluejacket, which was seen in the opening intro of the show. I remember reading about how they acquired the boat that was seen wrecked...very interesting story on it...I think they were wheeler express cruisers.......the one on the beach was a '63. I never did find out if they used a prop boat for 'Jaws'.

OK........now I'm going to put the finish on the fuel drums. then I can get on with some of these other sub assemblies. there's still a bit more to do with the podium / rack.....the ice maker......still a couple more ladders to make {say it isn't so}.......and for some reason..there's a nagging feeling to cement the pilot house in place {I know I still need to make the roof}. anyway........I installed the decal maker in my computer......wasn't sure that it would work on Vista. happy to report that it does.......now to force myself to get the update for it {keep say'in I'm gonna!} the next couple of pictures, you've already seen.........here they are all done up to the point of paint. so, online I found some logos. I did grab some singular logos.......but thinking that there may be some issue with sizing them down {getting them all to be the same size}, I thought to grab some logo clusters. Hmmmmmm.......sounds like a cereal, don't it "sit right down and have yourself a bowl of logo clusters! they're in the cereal isle, next to the Quaker Sprockets!" for some reason......the A.G. decals came out gray. I did these with the clear decal paper....I have white, but I'm sure to run into the problem of trying to match the background color. I couldn't remember what the stern decal looked like.....it needs to be in white. one saving grace I saw was that the drum color is not that big of an issue.......they used whatever drums they were supplied with, it seems..... either that, or oil that was bought in bulk, was drummed by that supplier. I just got them as close as I could decals were applied after that..........might be a bit on the overkill side, but I think they look pretty good. so......on an overly white deck and layout.......I think I can throw enough color into the mix......meanwhile, I'll put the extras away, in the hopes I can find a 1/16 or 1/8 car model, I can bash the heck out of

I often wondered if this would be a doable idea......I've never done it myself. your proving that it can be done.....bravo! very nice progress as well

yepper Walt! it's a hobby........not to consume our every waking hour.......{well........in my case...it's a lost cause } last night in my dream........I lost a ships boat......heard it hit the floor. this morn, I woke up..........and I STILL can't find it!

kept her shape really well Bob. sweet little build!

sorry to hear that Adam........I'm surprised to hear that your admiral had to learn to kick........I thought their mothers taught them that my son Brandon did Ty Kwon Do as a youngster.......worked his way up to green belt. got into that damn break dancing......and messed up his shoulder and elbow.........go figure well.......you get better my friend.........good to see an update from you.......but not with this news........GET WELL SOON!!!

Hello Sherry! WOW.......you really did a great job on those cannons! such a great idea to make them from paper!.....paper bandings and all! simply wonderful !

I don't know Frank...........but it would be a hoot if I could get him to stop by!

never a dull moment! I like it!

usually I just do the dishes for the admiral.......she likes this I've been holding the ends of the wire down with my thumb nail......you know this stuff makes for great finger nail polish.............hard and very shiny!!! hey!!! it's what all the fashionable modelers are wearing these days

is Gregory Peck still alive?????? I was looking up 'Jaws'........they almost cut Shaw out because of his drinking. he couldn't stand Richard Dreyfus either! {....and you thought they were merely acting, on screen} can't use George Clooney either......he already took the plunge! >pun <.......{he got married a few weeks ago}. Eastwood......I think he's getting too old. either he's trying to get someone to 'make his day', or he can't remember half the time how many bullets are left in his gun. anyway......thanks all for the good word I'm gonna try and get done with these drums, so I can get going on something else. maybe even something where I won't be getting CA on my fingers.......my sense of touch is going south fast!

thanks George.......no need to be quiet. always glad to see new folks looking in. it didn't look like much when I started it, but the more I add to her, the more I'm convinced that I chose the perfect hull to base it on. thanks for the good word......I hope it holds true when it's finished

my first week back at work was.........well.......OK. at least I was able to find humor in it all I left the fuel drum assembly on my desk all week end.......I even cleaned up the desk a little.....which made the admiral very happy so the count was left off like this.......five are ready for paint.......four of them had the ribbing around the body.......and two are bare. I tried to do a little during the work week....but as I figured, that didn't happen. I was also on line, and found the color schemes for quite a few oil companies, along with their logos, so I'll be able to splash enough color on the deck, to offset the white {the dominant color}. at this point...the other two drums have the banding.....they all {6} need the tops I still need to see if the decal maker will install

very nice Piet! the cabin came out really sweet!

very nice set Den.......have you had to do any real bashing to the kit yet?

with every build......you will always feel that way my first build was especially hard........I was collaborating with Tom @ Billing USA at the time. first build.......old kit......right up my alley! I was sending him build logs......he wanted to put a condensed version on his website. the very day that I finished it......I sat back, and felt so empty.......it was the end of the road! it's probably the reason why I now have so many builds in the works..........with every one finished now.......I just feel satisfied!

Matti.....you built the perfect cliff hanger! I was expecting to see the start of the second stepping of the masts. I go back to work, from my holiday vacation.........and return to hear you are finished! AWWWWWWWW! I'm not sad though.......I got to see the most detailed build of this vessel....than I perhaps have ever seen! you have created such a masterful piece of art. I have the Billing instructions for her {someone else was building her at the time}. to go full mast, she would be over 31 inches tall.........think of the case you'd need to build! she's a mammoth 38 1/2 inches long, as it is..........just with what you've done....that equates to a very large case!!! she's a beautiful build, my friend..........can't wait to see what your next subject will be! congrats in building a very interesting ship.......it's much more than "just a model"!

very nice work Gil.......takes a bit of doing to modify 'em, but in the end, what you came up with looks superb! they look great together!