popeye the sailor

thanks Pat.......I wish I could retire.......but I have a few more years in the working stiff brigade I've got more progress tucked away in the camera........it'll have to wait until tomorrow. gotta get some shut-eye........that four letter word is in store for me, when I awake thanks for the good word!

great details Piet

I have some very flexible flat stock on hand Augie........I'll fashion out something......perhaps get it wet for shaping. I might even trim it down a little to make the top surface bigger......still more to do on it thanks Augie yes Michael.......lots of projects. I have resisted from making any more hulls, until at least a couple of these are done. but I'll be honest though......I do have ideas for another build......or two. doing my best to fight off the urge yes Pete.......plans are good for the ideas derived from them........but the research fills in the blanks thanks for the good word! hi Tom.........do you have another build in mind........I see that your pretty comfortable with scratch building!

nice to see you've started on the planking........you've progressed quite well....looks really nice

they are decorations for the sheet / tack ropes Walter..........I should be cementing them in place shortly. you'll get a good idea of their purpose later.. thanks for looking in my friend! they are all drilled J..........I'll choose the best ones and paint them. trying from the front......there was a lot of slippage, one side or the other.......hard to start the drill. I should have an update shortly

....to gaze upon the scrap / treasure continuum I like the parts panels.......Hipexec........I have many stored away. the scary part is that I know which ones go together

very nice work with the lighting.......your doing a super job!

I've built quite a few Billing's kits, and I don't think they are a bad kit. I will agree that the instructions are a bit vague, but I've also heard that of other manufacturers. what comprises the kit is OK for the person just starting out......but I think to get into this medium, a person needs to know a bit more about ship construction, in order to attempt it. as a person get further into the study, some will substitute the parts, with better fittings and woods, to suit what they intend to do with the kit. this is a personal choice. I said it once before, when a person buys a kit.......it is their kit......the modeler is the one who will build the model, in the interpretation as to what the subject is. I cut my teeth on an old Nordkap kit........the fittings were sold separate, and the parts were not laser cut. according to the instructions, expert level or not.......it was quite a challenge! I found even their advanced beginner kits to be just as interesting and challenging. I bashed the Nordkap......just as I have done to just about every kit I've done.........I've loved every minute of it research plays a huge part in the building of these kits. this helps the fact that the instructions might not be as illustrated as they should be. combine these two together, and it will make the assembly a lot easier. If I remember...Billing's changed the format of their kit a couple of times.......most of it was in the 70's. what kit did you purchase.........there might be a date on the box.........I know that on some of the older kits, there is a short explanation as to why the kit are sold as they are {were at the time}. if there is some worry as for the condition of the wood.......I wouldn't.........my Nordkap was built with the supplied wood happy modeling........I'm sure there are many folks here, willing to help with any problems, if you choose to build it

thanks Augie and John.........I might be a bit small at the top.......I also need to fashion a rim for it

jeeze........I don't know about that Tom.........I think I'd sound like crap in the beginning! actually, I think I should have made the upper deck a bit longer......if I add an addition to the helm and incorporate the funnel, there's not going to be much of an aft deck left. I'm working out the back part now.....having trouble deciding how to go about it. even the color has been a toss-up.......would it look good red and white like the lower structure, or a solid color in keeping with the two tone. I've made progress with this ........I've had time to spend on her today. most kit plans that I've used are pretty vague......I only use them as a guide. I remember the measuring and marking I did when I shaped the Nordkap funnel......I just did this one from memory. I still need to trim and fit it. thanks for the good word......there is a bit of freedom that I'm enjoying with this build thanks for the like Bob!

now that I have these little baubles........I guess I better figure out a good way to drill the holes in 'em. I made up a block of wood, with a tape across the span, to stick them on. I first tried to use a prick punch to center the holes in the mouths. all that did was make an impression in the wood. I then thought that if I drilled a shallow well for them to lay in, I might be able to drill the holes from the back. that had only limited success..........I was in the center......in line with the mouth, but would tip causing me to go off course. lucky for me I have ten of them to work with a drill press would be good to have for this......but I don't have one, so I needed to come up with another plan. I took my triangular file, and made a flat spot in the mouth area........I have some dental bits, and I used the smallest one to drill a well in the mouth, as a guide for the drill. drilling the holes was as far as I got with 'em at the moment. I'm hoping I can get her back out and do a bit more ...........still need to do the paint and clear coat before I can continue on.

I took Monday off with the idea of putting some mileage on my builds......it didn't go as planned. I did do a little though, giving some thought to the funnel. I have a rectangular block of balsa.....getting an idea of the height, I cut off about an inch or so. I took it out to the garage........flipped the belt sander over, and commenced with shaping it. since I bordered out the template for the helm, and cemented on the front and side walls, three more pieces of strip stock was laid down within the template, so a floor can be laid down. I also cut some wedges to serve as the dash supports. here is the dash and floor fitted in place. I'm going to do something with the helm interior, but with the small windows, I don't think I'll be going hog wild with it. I'll save the craziness for the other builds I have on the roster.

I found this tool when I was setting up the cellar, after we moved here. it looks old.....don't have a clue how old it is, but I've hung on to it. when I rearranged the garage the other day, I mistakenly threw it out! I managed to retrieve it before the trash collectors came.....whew! Piet is correct....you could use anything that has multiple teeth like this.

nice bit of progress.......the mines will look great when painted looking forward in seeing all this come together. are you going to try fitting them before you go off on your trip?

I have a scrap bin.........and scrap bags with separated woods, to cut down on sifting through it all. the bags that some of the parts come in are very handy. they keep me honest, in my pack rat ways

can you find a perforation wheel.......this will give you better uniformed riveting. the rivets would look better if they protruded, and not sunk in. to give it a more subtle rivet look........make the rivet lines and then roll something over them after to flatten them back down again. this will produce the bumps, without being pointy looking

excellent progress Mark..........very nice!

looking really nice Augie........I see the holds are marked out...are they all marked like that? checker board floor....is that what your planning?

sounds like a good plan Gary........wish I could do it at this time. I have plenty to do at the moment.....perhaps by then, my finances will be more open for me. I'll keep it in mind

looking good Piet! the mine and the pulleys are really cool!

thanks for the good word Vivian.....glad to see your following along. I hope your feeling better the detail that these little parts lent to the model is quite visible, in comparing the rigging diagrams side by side. perhaps one day......one build, I can come up with a ship that is as close to accuracy, as some of the builds that I've seen. I know I don't possess some of the skills, that these accomplished modelers do, but I'm sure there's a way to work around them and compensate. I'd like to think that any model company would extend a hand, and help the modeler, no matter what the project is, they're working on. I think that it's good public relations, and if they weren't, they wouldn't be selling the accessories to build them. one thing I do find strange........but I understand why......is that at no time during our exchange.......no name was given for the person I dealt with. I like to at least know who I am dealing with.....the name to the face thing, but in this case, I guess it's not important. at the bottom of post #695, I copied and pasted the bottom comment to an e-mail, adding that I received the parts and thanked them again, and e-mailed it off to Corel. I thought they deserved the courtesy and kudos. I wasn't expecting a reply, but I got one...thanking me for the e-mail and have a nice day in all my days working with plastic, never had I such re-pore, as I have dealing with companies, working with wood thanks Mark........I guess I'm a lucky guy. so often, I've read where folks have run into problems in their builds, ordered part from the company that makes their kit.....never gets a reply, or takes a month of Sundays to get their replacements. I did a little bit of customer service for Tom @ Billings....you would not believe what some folks write. glad I'm not like that I'm no stranger to simply making another part, or running around in craft stores.......I've even ordered parts and paid for them. if it's an honest mistake, that's one thing, but I have better things to do, than cry over spilt milk boy!.......your going to be one busy guy Gary! I wish I had the money to get the Titanic.....or even the Warrior! I had asked Tom if I could get a copy of the plans for the Warrior.....but that was a while ago. the Wasa {Vasa} and the Norske Love is on my list as well, but they are still out of my price range actually, I have quite a few parts diagrams already..........all I would need to do is have them blown up to a much larger scale......that might be fun to do! you've done some splendid work Gary....keep up the good work! I haven't done anything Mantua yet.....you never know! one of these days, I hope to see my way towards getting an order to Roger @ Ages of Sail.......I see he did a slight revamp on the Billing USA site......good to see he's still running it

thanks Gary.......kinda scares me to think this is a 'miracle on 34th street' moment I'm just grateful they did it.......my next kit may be a Corel kit.......least I can do my dealings with Billing's has been very good..........Tom was very good about things when he owned the business.......I guess I can add Corel to the list. the only one I wasn't impressed with was Midwest.

thanks Augie..........now I'm going to have a hybred! thanks to you as well J..........you showed them first these are for the sheet tack ropes......there should be rigging for all three. in looking at the plan above....the first one will tie at the main sail, the middle one will rig through a block ties to the corners of the fore sail, and the one at the stern will rig through a block tied to the corners of the main sail. there is no sail on the lower mizzen, just the lanteen sail. there is a yard further up the mizzen, but that will be rigged with braces {steering ropes}. there are only six, but Corel sent me ten of them. if you want to compare the Billing's rigging diagrams with yours, simply go to the Billing's site......you can download the whole kit and kaboodle

yepper Frank! I should have done this in the first place, but then again, I like the scavenger hunts. I tend to look more closely at stuff and get ideas, when there something to look for.

much better Sjors.........the galley badges look great! much better than the fashion statement you were making earlier..........or were you being 'unique' ? nice fix!