popeye the sailor

they look awesome Peter.......love the color!

thanks Keith........ and to think I was going to do this build 'out of the box'.......shame on me I might not have done all this, if I did. thanks for the good word

gee....thanks Tom I'll have to look that one up. I have the computer version of paint shop...that's what I used to make it. I installed paint shop pro 10, but with it, I couldn't make the lines thicker, much less change the color. it might have been because it wasn't the program that created it, but I also didn't have the time to get used to it either. I have another version of paint shop on the way....and I have a spare computer handy {XP}.........I won't be hooking it up to the net, so I can play at my leisure. too bad I can't get a hold of an old Alps printer........I know they still sell refurbished ones. they are still big bucks though. that design was actually easy to create....just that I couldn't do the bold lines from the beginning. thanks for the good word and the suggestion.......I will look into it thanks Piet and Augie.........I really appreciate the good word!

glad to see your back at the table..........I see the second planking is going well look like you almost done! very nice!

believe it or not Matti.....the Half Moon had the same design capstan. the problem with mine, was that parts were missing in the kit, so I ended up doing scratch anyway.......we can compare diagrams naw......what's the sense......your would look better that the kit version anyway.......hands down! I like that picture you've shown there......that guy in the foreground......is that David Crosby {Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young}....one of my faves

WOW! thank you all for your comments and likes. I had an idea that these changes would have an impact on the model, but I didn't even imagine just how much. one thing that I'm pleased about, is being able to show decaling in a much better light, to the hobby. I have seen where lots of folks prefer to hand paint frieze designs, coming up with stunning works of art. some decaling is done in this medium, but not to the degree, as in other modeling mediums. while I'm not trying to promote it, I do hope that some will see it as an alternative. {I was on a different train of thought........I was working with a problem on another website, and I mistakenly booted myself out of this one...so I had to rewrite this....it's not coming out like I wrote it originally} thanks John.......I didn't know ants wore pajamas.......bet they're colorful thanks for the good word. thanks Daniel.........there's no carving here, this is all plastic stuff. one of these days I might try it....thanks for saying it though thanks Walter.......some say that about galleons and merchant ships. vibrant colors were a form of mimicry.....sending a clear message to pirates "I may look pretty........but I bite!" thanks for the good words thanks Bindy......your beginning to see things that you might not like in a kit. you'll get ideas yourself.......you'll see! your enjoying it now.......you will find even more, all in good time. thanks for the good word. thanks Patrick.........just for you good buddy I could see you on tippy toes, waiting to see what this would look like. I'm glad it came out as good as it did.......I hope it was worth your wait thank you my friend! thanks sherry......hopefully, I can get the rest of the main hull components done so I can clear coat it. it will look much better when I do. thanks for the good word thank you Mobbsie........I'm going by that picture, no special stuff from me. figuring out how to go about it has been fun though, I can tell ya that! thanks for the good word! thanks Bob.......I wish I had those other stars, I could have compared them. I do admit it though, craft stores have been my god send. thanks for the good word.

nice work on the capstan........I've had the privilege of making a Billing's capstan as well......many parts. I wasn't pleased with the dowel that made up the bars. I had some smaller sized dowel that worked out much better.......not as much sanding all 'n all Matti, the capstan looks great.......you've done a sweet job with the weathering. looks super!

now that the decal work is done......time to move back to the transom. the gun port lids were painted and stained......then the edges were painted flat black. hemp thread was used to make the water shed gaskets, and stained with the mahogany. they were the first parts cemented in place. these are the parts that will fill in the upper and lower fields. included are the stars that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I still haven't gotten those other stars yet.....as mentioned, when I do, I will show them to you. this fills out the lower field......I think I'm a bit off on the 'A' now I know I am! the moon was cemented in place. in as the moon is a raised decoration......so were the stars. what Billing's idea of the stars were, was to paint the heads of a bunch of brads and insert them in the field around the moon........I like my idea better. drilling the hole for the first star......sorry for the extreme light, it was the moon's fault! and with them all in place.......I was going to use six stars......but four were enough add the rudder, which I will need to make the gungeons and pintles, the stern will be complete.

thanks Lawrence

when you get to mass produce it.......let me know .......oh, I forget.......customs has some restrictions on stuff like that guess I'll just have to admire it from a distance

you might need to do a pair Nigel........left and right. just a thought

very nice progress Sherry.........is that 'cornflower blue' ? I still can't get over how it accents the gold........just looks so sweet! the ornamentation is simply outstanding!

home run Danny

thanks Bob........but don't give me ideas.......they are just sooooo dangerous for a mind like mine :D just for you though, I told the admiral that I posted the picture, and told her what you said. she liked the idea! ohhhhhhh, I'm going to burn for it.......I just know it! I'll keep it in mind........no......on second thought, I think I'll do it!!!! she told me that I can start no more builds until I'm caught up.....and it will just fry her eggs to know that she OK'd #9!!!!!! :D :D :D thanks for the good word! thank you very much Borge.......always good to see you here this kit is very nice.......it has it's flaws, but overall, it's very good. I myself, am surprised with what I've done with it......it's turned out to be an interesting project. there aren't too many parts left....but I still have much more to add, before the rigging. thanks for the good word. thanks Robbyn.......I'm just going by the pictures that I have of her. there are a few goofs, but they were things that I missed. it began with the cap rails......and I guess it snowballed from there. I just keep seeing things. thanks for the good word! as for the decal maker, it's called the 'Sure Thing Decal Maker - standard edition'...Testor's puts it out. the basic kit won't allow you to import your own designs, but if you go to www.decalgear.com you can get the standard edition, so you can import images. I just found out that there is an update for the software.......it will cost me an extra $15.00. with what I've done with it so far....it's more than paid for itself. the new update will be download supported only any will need to have the standard edition to run it {sounds to me like it's more of an expansion pack} Testors this is the basic kit........all the detail are there as well. if you get it and need more info.....give me a holler

thanks Frank!

nice job on the hull Sjors.......the second planking should go smoothly for you! nice to see the Half Moon........she's looking very nice as well is the log going to continue of late?

those look awesome Doris........perfectly created and skillfully done!

thanks J ! thanks Doris......I really appreciate your kind comment ....and thanks to everyone who hit the like button....it means a lot!

thanks Keith I've been wanting to move on to one of the other builds........but this one has become addictive! it's been a while since I ran two build together........I have two tables. it's the way I used to do it.......I may have to do just that! yes.......I do find it amazing........I guess having eight builds in the wings, is my case in point the admiral sent me a new picture today.........her sense of humor boggles my mind. thanks for the good word......from your fat forearmed friend I'll have the transom done tomorrow

thanks John......I really need to play around more with this, than I do. I'm going to get the updated program.....hopefully soon. the admiral gave me a good idea about this......she mentioned using typing paper first. I never gave this a thought.......better to blow a buck's worth of paper, than the twelve dollars for a package of decal paper! I can practice a little before I commit thanks for the good word......it really came out better than I thought it would thank you!

I guess it wasn't too big of a problem..........look at how fast you fixed it I think it looks great! with the two lockers, the windlass, the pump and the railings.......it's all going to blend right in! definitely a keeper!

I like it Michael.......it look more functional there nicely done!

one word of caution with this decal program......be sure to let the sheets sit for a while before you apply the bonder. it's best to give the ink plenty of time to dry. there was a bit of an issue with the circle sheet, but not that bad, that I couldn't use them. they also need to lay as flat as possible, or there will be some color bleed. these are to go on the blue border.......I'm hoping that with new ink cartridges, the transparency issue will not be a factor. when cutting them out, you must get as close to the image as possible.....remember, the entire paper is embossed with film. this is clear decal paper........you will see no white, when the decal is applied. they do have a white decal paper.......it works to your advantage, when the image your using has white in it, or the decal is being applied to a white background. there are many variables, but it does have it's limitations. this is actually two layers......the foreground and the background. I did these to a white background......but the actual background color is blue. I could have changed the background to blue......but trying to match color would drive me nuts! it can be done.......but you'd have to know the spectral numbers that make up the color your looking for......too much for this simple mind to follow I was so surprised, when I applied the decal, and it showed up as good as it did! it could use one more circle, so I clipped one from one of the other images. ...and added it to the existing decal I did the other side the same way now I can get back to the transom in peace........no more little voice in my head about these pfffffffff decals! {you gotta teach me more word Sjors........I sound like a surfacing whale!} "Thar she Blows!!!!

I'm glad your all enjoying this.......I'm having a good time with this as well. I'm a bit off the mark with the Gothenborg.......so it's really neat that I have another shot at this. I was going to carry on with the transom today, but I had other ideas. I couldn't get the circle thingies out of my head, so I installed the paint shop 10 program, and checked it out. I had a couple of strikes against me........ 1: it's already an image.....I couldn't alter it, much less figure out all the new functions in the time I was giving myself. 2: I couldn't change the boldness of the image {see reason #1} 3: I couldn't change the color either! {see reason #1} for that feeble reason........I went back to the decal maker. I had scanned off single rows of the diamonds and the circle image I created, and imported these back in. then they were copied and pasted.......and then sized down yet again. I was able to change the color of the circle image.....I did it in red, like it is supposed to be, according to the Half Moon picture. after uttering that famous Dutch word a couple of times {the admiral thought I was having an attack}, I ran them off. they got spray coated with the bonder to seal them up. notice the blotch on the diamonds sheet........never lay the sheet on wet bonder. as I was spraying the other sheet, the diamond sheet was creeping over to it, so I moved it......not a good move. now all the decals in that blotch will be adhered to the paper...rendered useless. not a big deal though.......I think there are enough diamonds there for me to do the whole job. while these were drying, I did a bit more work on the gun port lids. the sand color that the diamonds are to be located, is a flat paint. so, I painted the areas with a semi gloss lacquer. it sealed up the paint and gave it a good surface to work with. the fore deck outer bulwark has a larger surface, so I left some large enough to fit it. the stern area was next..... of course, making them this small, meant that this area had to be done in sections. I stated to do the same on the port side. then the fore deck outer bulwark was done.......that's it for the diamonds. since I used the kit supplied trail boards, I didn't do this to the bow.

thanks Lawrence.........you'll like this next update then........the decals are on! came out better than I expected unexpected events made me put the Holiday Harbor boats in the closet for the time being.......got a lot of sanding to do, and I can't do it in the house {I almost got hung by the admiral}. weather is getting better, so I might be able to work in the garage. I can't work in the cellar anymore......it's off limits. thanks for the good word! thanks Gerty for the good word.......pleased to have yas visit me log....hopes yas follows along! thanks bob!..........yepper! I can imagine what the other sailors were saying............." well, there goes Hudson an' that crazy boat 'o his! them pirates will pick'em off fer sure!" :D I'm going by the pictures I have........hoping I can get real close to it thanks for the good word......I really appreciate it