popeye the sailor

thanks Aldo........I was a lazy putz yesterday.........but today, I play catch up!

ha...ha....just wait for the time you tell her that you forgot something. I was doing the M&M fun ship for her. here on the site, folks were throwing ideas at me left and right. one suggested windshield wipers.......why not?........the windows are large enough. I told her about it, and she got mad......she thought I was dragging it out...........she got even madder when she saw me making them!. when I was finished, she stood right there as I put it on the shelf.........every once in a while I tease her about doing something more to it, but all I get is the evil eye. yea.......I wish I had gotten a thermopylae kit when I had the chance. a friend of mine in Honolulu has three Cutty kits......one of them come from the very first run {no sails}. there is also a museum production kit {special edition} out there, that is pretty old too...late 60's. you can tell........long skinny box with a father and son building it as the box art.....no sails for that one either. early kits of the series had white sail sheets......later ones from the 70's had beige colored sails. I have seen many bash works done on the Connie......there's some really nice stuff out there, as well as here in this thread. you would think that when they retooled the molds for the Connie, they would have added some of the missing detail. I'm sure they got feedback from builders. I am quite certain that they've retooled the molds a couple of times by now. the United states kit is a spin-off from the connie......sadly they omitted a few aspects.......I intend to put them in. for this second time of the build, I'm going to use wood....for the decks and the masts. I will change even the dead eyes and rigging over to wood blocks.......should be cool when I finally can get rolling on her no crappy lines in the decks for me! we need to get together and tell Revell thay they are fools for NOT bringing them back!

I thought of that John.......it's insuring that they butt up against the bulwarks, that concerns me. when I do the stain work, I'll try it out. great minds think alike....huh? although, if I had a great mind, I wouldn't have done it this way in the first place.......LOL!

best wishes for a happy birthday Mobbsie..........wonderful work on your build....looks great!

I really don't think they were either Alex......I guess we'll have to rely on the law of probability

no verne....I'm just saying plastic kits can be rather vague with some of the more intricate detail.....this is the reason why I not a big replica fan. it's very hard to build something that is even close to the real ship.......manufacturers can only do so much as well. you are correct......the original molds for this kit, were made in the later part of the fifties. kits to follow were: Cutty Sark thermopylae U.S.S. United States C.S.S. Alabama U.S.S.Kersarge spanish Galleon ....not exactly in this order.....but this was a series that Revell put out. sadly, the Constitution was the only kit to live on. back in the day, I built plastic as my main medium...........for the last few years though, I made the jump to wood. I still revere this series of kits, to be the finest of all I've had the pleasure to do. since making the jump, I have refined my thoughts on kits in general.......generic would be a better description. they have enough of a challenge for the average modeler, but enough of an 'open end' for the modeler that desires to add to their builds, the detail and functionality that will make their build stand out. for example......the rigging for the cannons, which has been left out.....all they show is the breech ropes. in the connie kit, they have the stern quarters......but in the United states, these parts are omitted......the locator holes are still there for them.....wonder why I built the Connie a long time ago........love to get another, but the admuiral doesn't want me to do any more plastic LOL! I have the United States in the closet....she knows it getting built.....I didn't get it for nothing. this will be my second time doing this ship. I also have the Cutty, which is my second time as well. I built the Alabama too....sadly, the rest of these kits are becoming rare. when I got this kit, I paid $89.00 for it........I last saw it online for over $250.00! please don't think I'm upset or anything.......I just find it sad that Revell gets a bad rap on these kits.......I've built some that were far worse!

is it possible to regulate the voltage with LED lights....like a dimmer?

"I sure do Barney........those natives are really getting restless!" {yabba dabba doo}

the gunports look very nice Mark.........got some sweet looking progress going on there!

looks great Walter........sounds like you have some great plans for her

that's a big puzzle........and a huge room to match! very nice!

thanks Shawn! hope to make more progress it it this week

if the model, whether it be plastic or wood, was to depict a certain time period in it's service, and the builder intends to build it in a later {or earlier} time period, then it is enevitable that there will be discrepancies.

sorry to hear about the spirit boom.......did that happen in the move? you could drill a hole in the centers and install a brass rod, but it would probably be best to simply replace the entire part. you'll fix it......I know you can do it. if you can move your whole family from arkansas to Maine.......you can move mountains!

thanks for that bit of information Alex.........clearly shows my lack of knowledge of these types of ships, and how plans can be incorrect. while I am staining the hull, I will look into correcting this.........this seems to be too big of a discrepancy to leave.

well.....well.....well.........not enough time for the ship, eh ? it understandable your on vacation.........a road trip of emense proportion. way too much to think of.....and do.......to be able to settle down enough for ship building. your not in any place long enough to feel any sort of normalcy. It's OK.........don't feel bad......keep us up to date with where you are on your trip.......if you take some cool pictures......we'd love to see them. remenber.......you can mix business with pleasure......but, you can't mix pleasure with pleasure

Happy was a child.....he understood us and we him......with or without the need for words. having him for the 12 years that we had him, were the best years.......because he was in them. it's funny........in the beginning, I didn't care for the idea of having a dog....too many bad memories {it's all in my mini book}. all it took though, was one stupid episode......the rest is history. the things we did together.....the admiral thought we were crazy......more-so, some of the things I was doing. the mini ice rink.......the snow paths in the backyard......the snow mound.......we had fun.....and he enjoyed it very much. we had to put him to sleep due to a nurological disease that affected his hind legs. it got to the point where he could hardly walk.......we knew it was time. Gibbs is quite different.......he's a half pint.......I think he was the runt of the litter. he sure acts the part. the lash couple of years was a trial....he seemed to have a dislike towards the admiral. he would go after her.....sometimes quite meanly......biting at her and tearing at her clothes. I still have a leash tied to my build table, where I would put him whenever he displayed this behavior. I have some pictures of him, where you can see the devil in his eyes. we couldn't have mats on the floor, or give him any toys at all...he would just tear them up. I did find a couple of balls that were indistructable that he plays with. when he was on the leash, I made it a point for her to take him off of it, and created games that she could play with him. he has mellowed out a lot now that he's four, but he still tried to show dominance.......we are able to stop it with touch, or I just turn him to direct it at me, and then I calm him down. I think he was taken away from his brood way too soon......he never learned to cope.....and he developed his own way of doing it. of course, it's the wrong way......so we had to show him the correct way. as I mentioned, he does comunicate with his 'lip service' and from there we have come to be able to decipher what he wants. he is a good boy at heart.......his rough edges are rounding out.

I'm pulling for you Sjors........hoping you can find some relief hello Alex. it took me a moment to figure out what you meant....when I did, I felt like such a dur. I followed the plans...that's the way they show them they are all like that........the relation between the walls {bulkheads} and deck are done in two different shades of Annegre {two variants of mahogany}. to look at them now, it's hard to see the difference. I have to stain the bulwarks and the outer hull....staining the deck and bulkheads at this stage is going to be hard to do, so I will do them as well. I hope the different shades stand out. redoing them would be a pain at this point......trimming to fit the bulwark edge, and of course, the close quarters.......I think it's best to leave them as they are. I need to scratch make the doors....parts missing in the kit. everything seems to hinge now on getting the hull stained and painted, so I still have some work to do yet, till then.

best wishes for a fun filled birthday........hope you dont have to work {like I'm going to have to}

mmmfmuif, {takes mask off} yepper Andy, looks like I'm donning the mask a bit longer...Sjors had to go and find the resistant strain. thanks for the congrats......glad my work week is over

don't be too hard on her.....what breed is she? both of my dogs were puppies when we got them. Gibbs is our second American Eskimo. our first one.....Happy...was a handful. one day we left him alone to run a couple errands. we came home to a house with toilet paper from one end to the other..........he had gotten into the package {about six rolls} and chewed them apart. he grew to be a wonderful companion and friend.......had to be everywhere I was........we lost him too soon. I have so many stories about what he and I did, I wrtote a book {somewhat}....it isn't finished.....I haven't the heart to do so. Gibbs on the other hand, is very demanding.....and very vocal. he does a sort of 'lip service' that I have come to understand. he's definitely a daddy's boy. both of these 'boys' would stay near me when I worked on my models. the big difference is that Happy would stay with me until I went to bed, and he would not chew anything. gibbs will settle down in another room if he gets bored......and he does tend to chew thing that fall to the floor, if I don't calch it right away.....mostly small parts. he's four now......grown out of many puppy traits.

oh......my! I guess the chew toy wasn't enough.....huh. don't be discouraged {I'm not} I'm sure you'll spark it up again......I'll just keep my eye out until you do. I do hope your puppy didn't swallow any of it.......he won't like what nature has in store.

awwwww, when you put the catheads back on.....just touch it up with whatever finish you used......that'll take care of the white, I think. I wouldn't be able to do that on the Goth........they are nailed down! hee......hee {perhaps a wee bit 'o sand'in too}

thanks Michael.....good 'ole american beer took care of that I'll be back here shortly.

you started it....cool! that signature die cut look......like the parts were cut with a dull blade {puckered wood}. I remember it well yea, sanding will bring it down quick.....careful not to use too aggressive a grit. looking good though......are you going to do something with the view of the gundeck below, through the opening on the spar deck?