popeye the sailor

very nice popjack! I have some sails to do as well {for a friend}. I'm on my own.......your a very lucky guy!

here is a little progress I made yesterday. I have more parts to add to the bow, and I stained them in prep. in my pictures of the ship, I do not see these curved rails. I will put them in though, because of what I have planned for them. I'm making a couple more parts for the ship's boat....they need to be curved. I added the bow rails at this point and installed the bow spirit. I drilled a hole in the bulkhead {at the angle needed}, and drilled a hole in the end of the bow spirit, which I installed a piece of brass rod. the rod went into the hole in the bulkhead and the spirit rests on the bow stem. when the pieces of wood were dry, they were stained and seal coated. they will be installed along the interior to serve as seat supports then I finally bit the bullet........masking the hull for the bottom paint It looks ok.......but I think I thinned the paint too much. I got a couple of areas where the paint seeped in the corners at the stern. I need to get more flat red now......I used what I had left on this little venture.

very nice Erik........the first planking came out really smooth! your going to be able to do a great second planking!

thank you Frank.....I was a bit worried that it might be too large, but I guess glad to see the latter! thanks for the good word!

thanks Augie......gotta finish that darn hull work, so I can feel good about getting all the parts on the deck. don't want to do it before I do! thanks for the good word!

thanks J......yea, that finish on them is a real problem. would have been better if they were lead or something...but they are done. I'll hit them with a spray, so I don't have to use a brush. thanks for the good word thanks Piet, John, and Bindy. still more to go......hopefully I can finally cement all these parts on her permanently. that will mark a huge leap in the progress dept. thanks for the good word! thanks Michael.....yea, even the camera doesn't like them :D I can't get a good picture of them...no how! I'm just glad that I could get them.....can't wait to see them on the build! thanks for the good word! thanks Dragzz......hope to see an update on your build soon! thanks Ferit......so good to have you here! looking forward in seeing more of your fine work!

thanks for the likes.........I know you've seen most of the pictures earlier, but it keeps the gaps out of the build. it's my hope that I can get the both of them on the build.........who knows.......maybe some davits?!?!?!? thanks Carl....this is good info for those who find these plastic boats in their builds........."now, what the heck do I do with these?" either that, the keel and skeg can be removed and the shell can be used as plugs. thanks David.......you must be referring to the scratch built boat. the only part that was used from the Half Moon kit, was the gunwale...it was the only real part I had. the rest of it is mainly basswood and Annegre {an African wood....rough cut}. the planking for the plastic boats, is Annegre, which from what I've been told, is a light mahogany....comes in two different shades. the rest of these two will be scratch built.......the ribs will be the only parts I'll use for them. as for the different parts........it's not what you get in a kit........it's what you do with the supplied parts I've got parts from other builds that I hang onto......didn't fit my concept of the subject I was working with. one day, out of the blue......I may need a certain part. I'll look in that bag {it's getting to the point that I need a box}, and I'll see something that I can modify. I jokingly call it my bag of tricks

you moved a while ago.........didn't you? hope this shop tops your other one I'll say it first............pictures??

are you at your summer place? love to see more!

thanks Nenad.........there is quite a bit of info here about these small boats. some use a plug to make them, and some have these mini kits waiting for them in their builds. you may elect to scratch build them........but you might also look into some of the kit manufacturers that offer them. I'm sure someone can help you better than I can........I tend to fly by the seat of my pants......I do it so much......I got grab handles!

pretty easy to make Bob.......perhaps yours will come out better........movable guards? I made some more progress with the boats........staining them was a big first step! no paint on the outside for me, John........I promised you......remember! the last picture you will see of all three together.........the scratch built boat got the Half Moon color. I gave it a shot of the mahogany stain. the other two have gone to the trawler Syborn build. staining the hull of the boat.......I got a good idea where the bleed throughs were. to remedy that, I spread a thin coat of fill to the inside of the hull, evening it off with a piece of wood. I was going to paint the gunwales with a brown paint........but I ended up staining them instead. I figured that if the accents for the interior were going to be stained......it may as well too. the interior is painted a flat red. the floor was created next.......made on the table and fitted in place. it wasn't cemented in until after it was stained. I was curious how this would look aboard ship, so I brought her out and set her up as a dry fit. I might be a little off as far as where everything goes......don't hold me to the layout just for you J...........I know! I pined and cried for the Moon, because I didn't have those tack line decorations. ..........and what did I do when I got them........drilled them and left them lying around on my table, for god and everyone to knock'em off! happy to say that they are in the works! I painted them with a flat red........but I'm beginning to wish I could sand blast them.....that finish doesn't hold paint for #&%@! I used the dark stain to give them a bit of weathering......but it caused the paint to become solvent and move around. the finish showed through. I brought out the red again, and touched them up. the stain mingled with the paint, but they look a bit too red again. after I took these pictures, I took a q-tip and dabbed them a little......they look much better. I'll give them a shot of flat coat before I even try to handle them. it's fine.........I still have to map out their location anyway

so......these guys are all planked now, but I'm still working on the Half Moon boat. in the meantime, I have these guys in the works as well.......sorting out the rib problem. the plastic boat was too big for the Half Moon......I see that now. I made a good move in my decision to scratch build one for it. there is quite a bit of interior detail that I need to put into these two boats........there is also an insert I need to clean up and shape. it's not laser cut.......one of the remnants from the Nordkap build. I had laid the inner keel in one of the boats so far..........but this will give you a fair idea of the inner detail I want to do. I stained all three hulls.........here is the full monty of them this is where they will part ways with each other.......the Half Moon hull got the mahogany tint. so now it will be to give the other boat an inner keel, so I can add the ribs. I only have one of the inserts that I spoke of, so I'll have to make a second one. I'm also in the process of sorting out the rib parts and gluing them back together, in the event I need longer ones there are other parts I'll need to make for them as well.........should be a hoot!

OK....... I was off on one of my tangents the other day........next thing I know, I'm on a tangent, in the middle of a tangent I mean...........REALLY........is that possible?!?! recent musings have caused me to switch gears for a bit....... if you've read my log on the Half Moon, you have seen what I refer to.........the ship's boats. I made the boat for the Half moon build, and while I was at it, I may as well work on this one too. I did get a boon out of the deal......I have a second boat! I hope I can make this work....this will look especially cool. so, I'll make them, and if I can use them both, it will be all the better. if not, I'm sure there will be other projects down the road. now, these pictures I'm sure most of you have seen........I just want to get them in the respective log. it starts out with both of the plastic boats.......slight differences, but for the most-part, pretty similar. then the outside of the hull was planked. both of the hulls are planked now. I was going to remove the keel and skegs, but since they are going towards a more modern ship {build}, I will leaver them as they are. Bottom paint will bring them into the picture. I had two 4 mm thick block panels with the rib parts laser cut into them. I had punched out one of them and found them to be too thick. I decided to cut them in half at this point........this met with a bit of a problem, because some of them broke. so, once I unravel the mystery, I can continue with these two.

good to hear the build is still in progress........I had no doubt. some very good work has gone into her. I remember you mentioning that there was an issue you were having trouble with.........good to know you found a solution. I'll look forward in seeing your progress

very interesting method Nils.........something to remember haven't had the chance to work with blocks that small...........my days are numbered though. my Half Moon has some 2 mm blocks........that should be fum {that's fun, with some degree of fumble in it}

yea piet.........whose the domkop now when I posted, I didn't see your updated pictures.........very nice recovery! what can I say, I'm computer illiterate........if it weren't for the pictures on the screen......I'd be totally lost! glad you made it to your destination in good order.......I hope you enjoy every moment I hope there will be pictures "if you have 24 odds and ends, and 23 of them fall off the table, what have you got......an odd or an end? {George Carlin}

hee....hee........just as long as you don't let them flank you! looking good so far Nenad.........hard enough just keeping the line straight.

sorry to hear...........take care of your admiral, good sir........that's what matters most! I'll keep you and yours in my thoughts.

com'on Augie.........you can do the individual tiles.........I did it for the dance floor on the M&M build cutting all those tiles........making sure that they are square.......the painting. you only have two colors......piece of cake! I still have some of the tiles........I can send them to ya! if your going to use the open concept in there, as well as clear windows, you should be able to see them to some degree

optical aides are Ok........I wear reading glasses now, so I've been safe. I have an optivisor........just can't seem to get use to it. can't recall a time earlier, but I'm sure I've done something like that in my day. feel good in knowing that if you were working on an earlier vessel.......the bow spirit would have been used as a battering ram

in the interest of the log.......yea, I'd do it I checked my half moon.....it's OK........but the Goth, I have to go all the way to the beginning! glad I still have all the pictures

minor glitch a while back.........I should check some of mine again. I know I have a lot to do on the Goth build...dreading the heck out of that !

It is still very demanding, but I hope that will all settle down in the near future. {Anja wrote} when you get back, you can tell us which is more demanding............work, or keeping Sjors in line while on vacation

nice job on the brick work Augie........thin enough so that you wouldn't need to add mortar around them I really like the pattern....sweet!

how in the heck did you do that?!?! most folks endure the cutting method earlier in their builds...........I see that YOU like to impale yourself! is that depth perception........or 3D? new addendum in model ship safety: always wear safety glasses........even around the ship! {that's not a wink......I got something in my eye}