popeye the sailor

I just read your last post..........the fact that you have ideas.......that's a very good sign. sounds like it's a go.......I'll reserve a seat

I think your next kit SHOULD be this one.......from the looks of it, I think there will more than enough of a challenge factor for you, with quite a bit of room for a decent bash. I have a friend that has had dealings with Guillow's in the past, and asked him if he knew anything about it. so far i've not heard back. the instructions read like they were written by an experienced modeler...plenty of do's and don't's sprinkled throughout. there's good information about paints and interactions......and believe what they say about dope......it smells the high heaven, and without proper ventilation, it'll have you singing the top 40 in no time flat! I dabbled in Guillow's planes when I was younger......it's a wonder I didn't see kit before.....I'm sure there are others. within the past few years, guillow's has been working towards laser cutting......I believe most of their upper classed kit are by now. the lower tier kits are still die cut though.....I recently bought one of their plane kit {to see if I still had it....the jury is still out on that}, and it was die cut. I happen to have their brochure right here........all of the kits that are laser cut {they are all grouped in a series} have an icon at the bottom corner that say they are. those that don't, well ........you know. I am not real big on balsa as a build material.......very soft......dents and dings quite easily......and sucks up glues and paints like a sponge. but the big thing about this one, is the challenge factor......it's way over the top! it has the fun factor as well......I'm sure that you'll come out of it with a fine looking model.........and with a bit of bash, it'll be a gem! heck......I'd like to get a copy.....can you do copies 1:1 to the kit instructions?

on second thought Frank.......I just unloaded the camera for the night.......I'll post what I have, adding what I already put up. I added the railing to the main top and painted it and the cross tree. eye bolts were also cemented in all the caps. by this time, the cathead block was dry enough to rig. both sides are now done. I won't add anything else until a bit later. another set of blocks I should do is for the brace rigging........I'm not going to like doing them if I get too far down the road. I still need to make yet another set of hearts for the mizzen mast.....forgot about those too!

I'll have more soon Frank.......I know 'he who has no name' is lurking........

Floyd and Grant couldn't have said it any better! the only thing I could add, is the fact that everyone, at one time or another, flies by the seat of their pants.......me.....I have no bottom left {very drafty}. at the time I joined here....I was working on a plastic build.....I thought I would never fit in {cripes, I think Floyd was one of the first members I talked to here}. I found out pretty quick that I had nothing to worry about. I ain't the best.......but I have a lot of fun.......that's what it's all about there are folks here that are sharper than their x-actors....take your time and have fun I use the box cutter blades mostly......but if I'm in a bind, I have a tool that I can fit one of those gillette blades.....super thin. I'm also a saver of the parts panels......you never know when you need to trace out another part on the fly

thanks John..........I picked back up on her right after the AmericA was finished. I've done a bit of work on her already.....I'm going by all the pictures I have of her. seasick worked on her for a spell and got me a bunch more, so I have quite a few. the sad part of it, is there are no decorations for the stern......I'm not even going to try and carve them...never done it before. but, yea....she's back on the table. thanks for the good word.........glad your back!

Hey....I didn't get any shroud cleats with mine!?!? nicely done.........the ratlines look great!

Robert Goulet..........or David Hasselhoff?

I don't think the stern face is big enough for a full monty.......it does look rather bland....how about we spice it up a little: or......I could follow Keith's lead and do this:

from what I gathered from the lobster boat build......it's the deck less walked on. down in the pit {or cockpit} it is called the deck. I looked it up......I can see why they would call it that, but it is the top shell of the hull. The upward slope of a ship's lines toward the bow and stern. the definition points more to the curvarture of the deck, more than anything else. you are correct......I shouldn't believe everything I read.

wow! nice jump on the rigging Bob.......looks really good!

thanks Anja........next phase will be soon

must have tried to lift an 'oil can' all by himself

hi there Sjors.......I downloaded skype........all I need now is the web cam and mic. it'll be a couple days before I can get it together. bear with me......I'm a bit unfamiliar with all this funny stuff. thanks for looking in and the good word

what!!!! what happened? whadidya do.........get a hook in your thumb? from what I see everyone else saying, it isn't serious.....glad your OK.......

give the poor man a chance to get one night's sleep in his own bed.........probably suffering from a case of SUV lag

OK.........meanwhile back at the Gothenborg............and now for something completely different I know I promised to get something up here last night, but I was so full of taco...I couldn't move so previously, I mentioned something about a pair of pulley assemblies that pertain to the catheads. I had cemented a pair of blocks to the catheads to accept this bit of rigging. the purpose for it, I think, is to counter the pull of the anchors {don't quote me on it}. I tied a couple of blocks to the lower eye bolt on the bow stem. I also created the eyelets for the futocks on the main mast top. a piece of rigging thread was tied to the port cathead block, and the pulley assembly was established I went to do it to the starboard side, but the block pulled out of it, so now I'm waiting for another one to dry....for a re-attempt. I took the dog across the street, to the field earlier........I know of a black rasberry patch that I have been raiding. I went out picking this morning......and now I'm going to take a break and make some muffins.......never a dull moment here at the wharf!

gee Adam........don't do that! you'll make it split a plank laughing...LOL! thank you, my friend.......you are like....so kind. oh dear.....my valley boy is coming out....your comment is like....totally awesome!

good grief........the admiral wouldn't be able to handle it........I think I'm diverse enough.......don't you think! AK-k-k-k-k-k! not to worry about that Bob.......I'm way too far from thinking about rigging the Half Moon. but yea.....uncovering the problem made it a real freak show. it's done now....just the messy clean up, which is half done already. I can set it aside and get back to what I was doing on the Goth. gee.........and I had a thought to assemble the gun deck for the United States and plank that....maybe not .....eh...LOL! you only get twins when you go too far with a build Keith.........or if the subject is salvagable. in this case, it was. that particular type of boat is so versatile, it could have gone any number of ways. the admiral has a hard time getting me to dress up........my dress code is pretty simple.......jeans and tee shirt. if the shirt don't have a pocket, I wraps me smokes up in the sleeve. I used to be able to differentiate between the two, but we'd go somewhere........I'd end up doing something or helping out, and I'd end up dirty. my signature says it all "I yam wot I yam.....but there's more: this is me.......there is only one of me, and I am he. you two are awesome....thanks for the good words and for looking in........always a pleasure to get a laugh

love the bow sheer.........nice touch! if all of the boats come out like this one is shaping up........they are gonna look cool!

I've never used Ebony before........I'm big on the use of flat black paint, so I wouldn't be much help. super job on your progress Mark! seeing her out of the jig like that........BOY!!! she's a big girl! I'm awestruck thinking about the amount of detail your going to be putting into her!

agreed! I don't see what your unhappy about.........the decking came out superby! I was going to suggest installing the bow spirit before you did it, but I can see that I was wet behind the ears. I really like the way you fitted it...neat and very tight to form....you did a really super job with it! nice accent with the outer knees.......I think they should be a bit larger.....main load bearer truly wonderful work!

NOW CLASS..........uhhhhhhhhhhhhh Jimmy...........Now give me that knife! KA...................................<THUNK> thank you! Awwwww, no need to punish yourself we've all done thing to try and speed up a process or two. sometimes it turns around and bites us, but if it works......all the better! I was thinking of your diorama..........I did look back in the thread as well.....figured I missed something. I did give thought to the actual model........but that was way back there, in the log. you know...it's funny, but for a long time, I never knew that there was more rigging to the cannons than met the eye. Revell never showed this added bit of rigging detail, they just showed the breech ropes. I come here.......and boy, my eyes were opened wide....the things I never saw. this is the reason why I like your build log here so much.......you expose so much to the light......shine on you crazy diamond!

glad to hear you may be heading in the right direction. be aware that your alergy may even be a certain soap your using.....there will be a lot of trial and error. was this diagnosis an observation that your legs were swollen? are they flaking, cracking {of course you scratch, causing the area to bleed}? I'm rather sheepish to go on........but......are you over weight? I ask this because my Aunt had a similar problem.......she was regimented in her life style........no excercise at all! she would never leave the house, and her foot steps could be counted less than 100. she would walk from her bedroom......to the kitchen table...that's it.........then perhaps fifteen or so steps to the bathroom. both ankles were greatly ammassed and were quite disgusting.......she was like this for many years. when the EMT's and fire dept. took her down fron the second floor apartment, she weighed in excess of over 400 pounds. I won't describe their diagnosis I know you don't fit this bill.........you work, you get out and do stuff around the yard........your an active person. I hate the word obese, it's a wrong lable for a lot of people.........at my last physical....'I' was even called obese! I was 207 pounds....and according to the doctor, for my frame, I should be around 190. my normal weight in my younger days was about 185....and I hovered there while eating everything I could get my hands on......made no difference. now that I'm getting older, I guess I have to watch it a bit closer. I'm going to be 57 at the end of this month.......and I don't even have a scale in the house......I'm looking to get one, because I have a feeling that I gained a bit more since the physical. I do three things........I cut my portions, cut my salt intake, and don't overdo it with the water. water and salt go hand in hand......together they equal water retention. a large percentage of our day is spent standing up, you can see where I'm going with this........ at the end of the day......my calfs feel very tight......to the point where they tend to ache. I've had surgery on my left knee........the right one is starting to go south, and I have reocurring gout in my left ankle. to me, it's all wear and tear.....and my work habits aren't helping the situation. I should slow down........but I can't....it's not in me. I'm sorry if I bored you with my ramblings.......I'm sure your doctor mentioned some of this.......they always do. my wife bought me an ankle brace {like an ace bandage looking thing}........but I ain't wearing that......what a bother!

I don't know Daniel......another man's trash is another man's treasure. I mean.....you got a couple of capstans in there that are even making me envious. but I'm sure Kevin was exagerating. LOL!