popeye the sailor

whether upside down......or right side up........you've done an excellent job this time around Mark. the portholes look really REALLY good! what I've found to be a complimenting part of this site is the moderation team.....you folks do an admirable job. given the subjects I tend to model, it's good to see you and John {Jim Ladd} have taken an interest. I had the pleasure to meet John, back when I finished the M&M Fun Ship. for me, with all there is to see here in the states, he took the time to stop in for a visit, and take pictures of this off the wall build. I was very humbled and honored. don't know when........or how........but one day, I hope to get to meet you too

there's no ignorance here Keith.......just jaw dropping beauty, from what I see of some of the builds on this site yes, there will be an ice machine.......don't know about the working part....I'm not that good for the drums.......a top and bottom will be made, with brass rings for the segments. once filler is added and sanded in the proper contour, I should arrive at a pretty convincing 55 gal drum. I have quite a few to make. I hope to have more on this and other sub assemblies soon........thanks for the extreme vote of confidence thanks also to those who hit the like button......glad your enjoying the build

you gotta love those easy repair jobs...........remember to make the adjustment to your rudder as well some really nice work your doing, the galley structure looks super!

great sail making technique Nils......the patchings make for a really nice touch they look quite real

your progress is really awesome Michael!

are you going to include the wheels on the back end of the carriage? yours looks much better.......a great improvement given the thickness of the bulwarks.....sounds like a very good idea to cut them out now. would a template help you in cutting them all out exact?

is this a common thing to have the dinner ware at the fighting station? I would have thought it would have 'rose such a clatter' when the cannons were in use. the sadder thought of this would have to be, going to the family and informing them that their son or husband was killed by a flying plate "by a plate....you say?" "well.....let me tell you.....I've thrown hundreds of plates at the blighter, an' none of 'em ever so much as put a dent in his head!" "what would have made this any different?" "Velocity, Ma'am..........velocity!"

good to see her finished Mobbsie you've done a superb job.....she looks absolutely stunning! the level of detail you put into her really shows the time spent I'll be looking forward to your next build.......have you begun the cross section yet?

cannon barrels look great Augie.......do you need to assemble the carriages as well?

great looking forge..........and a wonderful review to go along with it! got some really nice shots there! superb work Dr. Dafi!

thanks Lawrence.........man.......did I pull the biggest goof! I posted a picture in the Holiday Harbor log ...........with a 55 gal drum on the deck! it's just a start.........when I got the thinner so I can paint, I bought a length of 5/8 dowel. looking at it though, it might be a bit too big. I haven't done much else......I took another piece of dowel, and cut some slices. looking at them as well, I have the feeling they might be too large, for what I want to make from them. I'll continue with them though........with what I trying to make, all of my circle templates are too small. ....more on this soon

thanks John.......I was amazed at what was in the camera I watch quite a few builds.......kit and scratch..I try to use the like button as much as I can. so many wonderful builds here........it didn't stop the number from rising. I'm glad to have seen your recent progress, very impressed with what your doing keep it up .........and thanks again for looking in thanks to all those who hit the like button..........and Carl, how did you know what came home with the thinner the other day.......thought I'd keep it a secret I haven't even gotten into the ribbons and bows yet.......hee.........hee! which reminds me.......I'd better get them off the dining room table before the admiral gets home. you should have seen how big her eyes got when she saw the scope of what I've been up to! ..........and that's not even ALL the builds put together......she'd shut me down for sure!

thanks Nils.......a very interesting way of putting it. the Andrea Gail spin off from this build, is more of an expansion of what I've already learned. I started bashing these kits, from the very first one......which was an old kit to start with, not even laser cut. there are a lot of folks that have built from kits, later to turn to scratch builds, which are more challenging and thought provoking. having built so many car models {plastic}, I saw how many spin offs one can make using a particular car body, and wondered if this could be applied to this medium as well. there are some kits out there, that other ships can be made, beside the intended subject.......some even supply the parts to do so. it made me look at the concept of 'the kit'......which led to the parts panels, in which to recreate other hulls. the hull is the basis needed in which to start with. it can then be fitted out the way you want to, to build the ship you intend it to be. the fantasy builds are nice........but the Andrea Gail pushes the envelope a bit further, because I'm using the instruction sheets for the model, in which to build it. when I stood back, after finishing the planking of the Boulogne Etaples, the Andrea Gail was the first boat that I thought of.....in terms of the hull construction. the only flaw was the stern......it needed to be a little longer, and squared {not tapered}. I was going to create another hull, making these changes, but things being what they were....and the pull to do it being too strong, I just took the third hull and started on it. it's not perfect, but I think I achieved what I set out to do I think you'll like this Nils.......I've been wanting to do this for a while now. here they are all together......the Boulogne Etaples, the two Holiday Harbor builds, and the Andrea Gail. to replicate just the hull and go in the fantasy direction, one can let their imagination go wild. but, to create a known ship, the direction changes to a more focused build. personally, I don't think the focus changes all that much, it's more the scope of the build. it's bash 'n scratch at a whole new level the Jingle Belle, Andrea Gail, tree boat, and the Boulogne Etaples the Boulogne Etaples......... .....to the Andrea Gail......a dramatic change fro the original kit. I still have a ways to go in acquiring the level that the more experienced modelers have.....I have doubts that I ever will. I will assure you though, that I'm having a lot of fun trying

it took a couple of days to get through the last bit of progress........quite a bit of thought and "what if I" going on there when the Jingle Belle was dry and I could put it back into the stand, the progress continued. yea........painting will have to wait now.......right now, it would be too fragile to do any masking to her. the helm side wall panels were given the rest of their shape. the windows were cut out to mirror one another at the stern, the frame for the "warming house" began. supports are cemented along the transom bulwark. for all you fire officials out there......yes, there will be 'fire stops' in the walls. they will be built into the base of the wall panels, just above the bulwarks. shimming the front wall beams make them more perpendicular, than to follow the bulwarks. the difference will be hidden in the design. with the side wall windows cut out, they were cemented in place. a front panel was also added, and the comical name was also removed. I'm kinda liking how those capping rails compliment how this is looking.......I hope I can keep them this way. meanwhile, back at the 'warming house', the box is taking shape. due to the shape of the stern, it won't be a square box, but it won't be off by much. the main table has been allotted for progress on the A.G. and the tree boat. this is all the space I have to work in on this table. keen to note that on such a crappy table, I decide to use a cutting board....but if you look close at the board, you'll see some strips I'm bending for the cap rails of the A.G.

Yes John..........I know! I was hoping to have something a bit more productive.......but I was waiting for thinner, and moved most of my airbrush equipment down to the cellar {the landlord doesn't know it yet} a belated thank you to all who posted and commented...I really appreciate the interest. I'm glad that the recent change didn't make anyone think that this build was doomed, or might not go full circle. I'm sure everyone knows..........."an idea is a thought process, that when put into motion, usually moves rather swiftly." this isn't one of them it was later in the afternoon, the other day, that I got my thinner I'm still not in the position yet to do any painting..........so I said "damn the torpedoes" and went ahead with what I have in mind......it will just call for some creative masking later. I had laid a across the opening to the helm floor on the J.B. it was ripped up, and a full floor platform is going to be installed. the side wall panels have also been cut out, ready to be shaped. on the tree boat, I had mentioned molding along the step - down.........that has been installed. it's about time to close up the abomination at the bow bulkhead......time to close up that gap, and rid the graffiti that was comically put on there. an idea for the helm walls is coming to mind. this is all prep for what is to come. I spent the time on the tree boat, because the Jingle Belle is a little busy at the moment, getting a second coat of primer on the hull and rails. I later found that I didn't do as good a job in getting coverage on the top edges of the rails. no matter, I can touch them up later, when I get the deck area to that certain point that I'm looking for.

this unfinished hull is really starting to bug me.........the Jingle Belle is starting to look like a boat, while the tree boat looks like a half eaten carp! not only that......if one of the ribs isn't resting on one of the stand ends, it even flops around like one... there are aspects I'm still looking into, but it's getting to the point where I'll move on and deal with it later. to complete the deck area, the floor platform for the helm area was completed. a locator tab was cemented on rib #2, so the platform would sit level. it's now roughed in.... then......I looked at the scuppers again......and gave a big sigh. why did I make them ALL too big? at this point, it's more of a problem with the Jingle Belle, than the tree boat, since the J.B. already has had a filler treatment. we can fix this though. doing the same that I did with the Andrea Gail, small pieces of wood were fitted in, making them smaller. first was the J.B. ....and then the tree boat they were then dabbed over with white glue and sanded......the J.B. was especially interesting, because it introduced primer dust into the repair, creating a milky hue in places. with this hull, I'm also using lighter grit paper, so I'm now beginning to get a smooth hull. I was pleased with my earlier attempt with the rub rails. the Andrea Gail looks much better for it........I used 1/8 square stock for them, since they appear to be a dominant feature of the hull. here, I plan to used the 1/8 as well. I stopped further back from the bow stem, and even more so on the lower rail. I left a 1/2 inch gap between the two ...and left the same spacing along the side I put this to cap off the rails at the bow. what I do for the bulwark cap rails will decide how these will terminate.......whether they will butt to the rail, or shorted them and round them off. I would have had a picture of the port side, but I found that I didn't have the correct angle, and I needed to correct it. I'm going to add additional vertical rails, but I want to see what I do with the bulwark rails before I install them. I plan to do something a little different with the tree boat, to give them their own character.

that's where I am John........if I'm not at the table for any length of time, the admiral starts asking questions. I'm looking forward to the day, when she would have to pry me away from it again it used to bug the heck out of her.......but I guess I'm seeing the other end of the spectrum. I don't know about that Ed........I think doing something like that would put me too far over the edge. best to leave my thoughts.......'scaled down'

you won't have too long a wait John.......I do have a bit of progress to report......hold on bud........ OK......where was I? oh, yes........everythings in the camera at the moment....gotta get'em out. as for the star thing, to be honest, I really don't pay attention........I look at quite a few builds here it's not about rank.......it's about all the wonderful eye candy I see........yours is no exception I'll look forward in seeing your progress as well

very nice!.............I like the stand look forward in seeing more!

such beautiful work Gil...........glad to see you back!

you would have to take into account for the framing........that might take up some thickness.

in the world of scratch, one thing is for certain.........anything can happen you have a remedy for it, that's what matters

nice looking build Keith.......good method for coppering as well!

it's good to see you back at the table very nice work indeed!

I'm glad as well to see the third member of the 'Cutty Crew' back at it she looks great. hope to see more progress soon!