popeye the sailor

while it isn't a three blade prop........you certainly get an 'A' for effort! have a good trip and a safe one as well

cannon and lashings look great Nils.........very nicely done!

awesome update with the masting..........the yards look really good. I haven't seen any pictures that showed the 'seats' but I would imagine that there might have been some creature comforts on board. you really moving along.....sweet!

sweet rigging Mobbsie coming along quite nicely!

looking really good Frank...got some nice lines going there I'm going to have to try the titebond.......I'm almost out of CA.

very nice work on the spar deck Evan.......well done on the paint work!

the chain plates look great........you can throw that noob badge out any time now Nigel said it best......you can't be a noob, and put out this degree of craftsmanship. you've taken this kit so far past it's scope, that if you never told anyone that it was a Billing's kit, they wouldn't know. fantastic work.......your 'eye' and 'vision' of this ship is amazing!

Bob.......the pictures of the jig can be found on page 7 of the United States build. the one thing about the jig, is that there is still the threat of the blade going side to side, altering the desired cut. I'm using a thin blade......good for cutting sharper curves. I suppose if you were to use a thicker blade.....like a band saw blade, this problem would lessen considerably. I found that you can use a scroll saw as a plainer and table saw.......but there's nothing like the real thing. something I should keep in mind for the future thank you very much Mobbsie....it shows me where my wood inventory is lacking I think the continuance of the plastic boats should go towards the trawler log.........boy.....didn't I deviate form that build in a hurry! I will get back to it.......but I will also continue with the scratch boat.......I need to get it stained like the Half Moon now........fun.....fun.....fun!

that is one sweet looking hull..........man, I wish I had the cash! very nice looking planking job.......well done!

thank for the good word...I really appreciate it first hurdle over and done! I plan to do that John......with the interior in place, I don't think they'll look plastic. more down the road thanks Matti Piet and Frank!

OK........on with the mini armada! I used some of the leftover thin Annegre that I had cut for the United States build, for planking the plastic boats. for the interior of these two, I will add in the keel, the ribs, and detail them out. I think that will kill the plastic look. that jig I made has served me a few uses........cutting down the Annegre, then the block of rib parts, and for the latest bit of progress........cutting 1.8 x 3 mm strip stock, in half, to around 1 x 3 mm. it's not quite 1 mm.........taking into account fore the thickness of the blade.........I'm glad I found the other blades I bought for the scroll saw. I had to shim the jig on both sides to center the strip stock, and then work very slowly, to run them through. to give you an idea of what this looks like, here are a couple of pictures. I began to plank the frame, sanding it as I went along. soon, I had one side done I had started to plank the other side......a couple of rows, to keep it from warping...and so nothing else would break off. it's finally done here is the relation to size of these boats.........the plastic one would be out of scale I added the keel to one of the plastic boats. ....and a shot of the interior, of the wood boat

jeeze.......thanks for all the kind words........when I first did it for the Nordkap, I didn't know what to expect. I knew I was too green to do a scratch built one, like I've seen some of you folks do. the only wood one I've done so far was the one I did for the Susan A. I've managed to get the skin of CA off my fingers.......don't think I like a world without touch. the two plastic boats.....I have a feeling that they will find a home on the trawler {if I can fit them}. I like the way the scratch boat came out.......I did have to use some filler on it, but I'm hoping that stain will work out. I'm sure that once the interior of the plastic boats are filled in.......it will hide the plastic aspect quite nicely thanks to all of you for the comments and likes........I am humbled for the interest you've shown. I have the update on the scratch built boat......I hope you enjoy it just as much! can't wait to see what you do with your Gary........what an assembly line! I've never done a metal boat Lawrence.........I think that would make me join the folks doing other builds I've seen, that were unhappy with the supplied parts. they elected to make scratch built boat. there is a lot of satisfaction in taking what is supplied, and making it work. I'm sure you have pictures with your ship's boat in them........I'll have to take a closer look

thanks for the likes and good comments this has gone better than I thought it would. the faring process met with a couple of loose ribs, but it has been done. I also adapted the jig yet again......this time I shimmed it up to cut 1.8 x 3 mm planking in half {thickness}. without a good guide to keep the scroll saw blade from going side to side, it was trying.....but I went slowly and it worked out well enough. how many of those boats do you have for the Titanic Gary? that's gonna be quite a process I wish I could answer you all.......your comments are on the last page, and I can't review them....your all just too kind I have more to add.......but work time calls, and I got to get ready....still need to take Gibbs out as well for his morning jaunt.....I hope we don't see another skunk, like last Monday see you all tonight!

since I got a head start on the scratch built boat, I thought I'd get started on the plastic one. I got an idea to compare this boat with the one from the trawler build. there is a slight difference at the bow stem, but otherwise, the two look very close. a small impression at the skeg, is the only difference . the third pair of ribs were added to the scratch build. the fourth pair were set up......being careful that both sides are done the same way planking the plastic boat was just as I remembered it................there were times where my fingers were fused to the boat.........but I sanded it as I went along, so you'd never know it the last ribs were added to the scratch built one.......adding an extra one to control the planking's turn at the bow. time to finish up on the planking........and then plank the other plastic boat, while I was at it. how many other ship's boats are going to come out of the closet? soon........both plastic boats were done the scratch built one was removed from the jig. it needs to be fared now......I need to see if I have any more of that thin planking. I want to use basswood......but I might use the Annegre I also tried to cut the wider ribs in half........this met with limited results. I can still cement the pieces back together, once I figure out which ones go where ?!?!

well folks......this was a very interesting couple of days. I got a good head start on these boats. the one thing I noticed, is that there is no real curve to the gunwale {cap rails}, so i really don't need any type of jig to make the frame. to do the scratch built one, I will use the gunwale {cap rails].....I traced out the keel, and cemented it on it. I checked the gunwale to the diagram and found that it's the same size. no pictures of the tracings...I'm afraid, I was too far under the spell in punching the parts out of the block, I saw that they are too thick so, with the other parts block, I thought to cut it in half. it worked OK for the most part, a chunk did break out of the halves........but the pieces can be glued back on I did it with the scroll saw......I went out there and located the broken piece. I was able to do this using the jig, that I made to cut the Annegre. made the perfect guide the transom halves were made by tracing the stern of the plastic boat.......after cementing them in place, I saw that they were too big and later trimmed them down. punching out the 'adjusted' ribs......these look much better some of the cast off wood was used to make the stern rabbits.....the first pair of ribs were cemented in place. I made up a jig to measure out where the ribs were to go. ....and then the second pair for the third and fourth pairs of ribs, the larger ones will be needed. to be sure that the widest part of the hull is achieved, these ribs will be reversed, to use the long end to the best advantage.

super looking prop!...........still can't get over the hardware for the crane......looks sweet!

nice start to the planking David....the stern came out nice as well. I thought the same thing about the Gothenborg.....never regretted opening those windows up better than 'em being blacked out like they show you on the box

looks awesome since I last looked in..............very nicely done!

the ship's boat turned out great! I hope I can come up with as nice a boat as you did! very inventive!

very well done Vivian........ a very unique concept. amazing detail

too cool!

there are different parts that make up paint. I would think that brushing it on afterwards {a clear coat} would do the trick. but yes...the best way is to mix the paint before it is applied. there is the ingredient that denoted whether it is to be gloss or flat...of course the flat has less of this additive than gloss paint. another thing to keep in mind though is that if your reviving a flat paint, you should add the base of another flat paint to it. this way, there is the same amount of the additive in the suspension and it won't upset the balance. as you saw with the separated paint, the pigment is heavier.......this is what causes separation in the first place. the suspension and this additive is most likely the same weight. just my understanding of paint......and all my years of playing with it.

hey Bob...............BASHMAN!!!!!!!!! yes folks..........that seems to be the ticket around here! I'll have to make a decent boat......there are two ways to do it, and I think with what I have here......I'll try both! yes John.....other woods......but I hate to see good parts go by the wayside I'll try to use them.....but in a nice way, of course. if I were to use this boat as a plug J........it might come out too large. the skeg looks too modern as well. too late Nenad......I'm already there! {can you see me waving to you?} thanks to all who commented and for the likes.........I think it's kinda cool, actually. it's not every day, that you'll see two ship's boats trying to woo over a ship, that they hope to find themselves nestled in. it's kinda like watch'in 'the bachelor' ...........but to keep with the medium, I think I'll call it.........'the bashlor'

nothing like a clean paint job.........that looks sweet! good to see an update Ron

perhaps you could fashion them, so the split is trapped in the chain plate.....let the wood hold it closed. I like your idea of the irregular dead eyes.....history never depicted that they were totally round