popeye the sailor

Sjors! she looks superb, and you even added the subtle detail of not having all of them open the same height! nice work!

I finally have your log back in my list Evan.......yours is a very interesting take on this kit. as I had mentioned on your log {before the site went down} that I had built the Connie, and the United States. I have looked high and low for another U.S. kit....finally finding another one a couple of years ago. I have started it, but I need to finish a few other builds before I get to her. the detail your adding to your build, is just a reminder that for most model manufacturers, what isn't seen, need not be included. I will follow your build with interest.

sorry if I raised an eye brow good sir........that's what the United states instructions say to do. I did white for the Connie....and I did white for the first time I built the U.S. white is the word!

don't feel bad Sjors.....he fooled me too! ......like someone sneaking up behind you with an inflated paper bag!

I see you worked it out.......great! nice fiddledy stuff....that's a lotta bling!

if you have a photo shop of sorts, try sizing down the pictures. my pictures start out over a meg, but when I'm done, they are over half that {50 - 60 kbs}

wouldn't hurt to do a test piece.....sounds like a solid plan you have

WHOA!!!! I didn't know it was your birthday!!! SALUTE!!!

well.....it looks great....however you made it! I even went back and looked at the pictures again........very nice indeed all you need now are the supports

I agree......really! I thought it was a bit larger than that it just makes all the detail you've put into her, all the more fantastic! .....and you call me inventive........modest, I should say.....LOL!

it's a long story RadMan........this is what happens when you jump into something with both feet. I start on one......have to wait for something to dry, start another build........then I get some crazy idea, and start another one. then I get back to the one I originally started, and the cycle repeats itself over and over. next thing you know, I've got six builds in the works. what can I say.......I like to stay busy . I started this one, because someone said that I could use my Gothenborg as a hospital vessel, since I had no cannons in the build. I pulled this one out and assembled a bunch of cannons, to put on the deck of the Gothenborg.........you know.......as a show of force. next thing you know, I'm doing the wood decks I wanted to try and make. it's a longer story than this, I just condensed it. not a problem following your build.......I built this ship a long time ago, but I remember the galley quarters, and noted that this ship doesn't have it. in fact, they seem to be omitted......all the location holes are still there. these two ships are a spin-off of each other....the only difference with this ship, is the extra quarters and the poop deck. they both make for a beautiful build and that this is the best series of models that revell ever put out. it's just too bad that they eliminated all but the Connie kit......there were several ship in this series of 1:96 scale kits. I figure that when I get to continue on the Gothenborg, I might throw a little time here and there on this build. I have the dead eyes I need....may have to get more.......but I also need to get more deck wood. when I'm ready, I will continue. I thank you, good sir, for being patient

good to see you've started you log OK. I'd be pleased to follow along

once those masts are a perminent structure.......you'll have a devil of a time........good words of advice here!

your pulling my leg Frank........but then again, I have so many builds going, it's hard to keep up. I wanted to stay away from paints, but you may have given me an idea. where I want to try adding diluted white glue to the thread, I wonder what would happen if I combined the two.........flat black water base with diluted white glue........two birds with one stone. I'll let you know good buddy, to see how it works. thanks for the good word Frank! I have thought of that John........the admiral even suggested it. I'll have to look around. craft stores do have some, but you have to be careful, some have elastic stretch. thanks for the suggestion and your kind word. I forgot to mention a major player concerning the anchors. when I went to snake a wire into the fairlead, I found that I forgot to open up the center keel area, to make this possible. I wanted to get away from having to cement the chain in the fairlead holes. I guess this can't be avoided. again......if I had the foresight, I could have drilled the hawse holes at the bow, and perhaps moved the fairleads to the front of the winch assembly.......it might have looked more plausable. this little bit of insight, almost makes me want to buy another kit and fly her under another flag.......do all of my little changes, and add this in. I think it would look cool! I've made more progress, and I will try to get it up as soon as possible

you had to do it huh..........Sjors did it, and now you.........SALUTE!!! couldn't have happened to a better guy I'll look forward in seeing the start of your project Tex!

nice update Paul..............superb workmanship!

hope your brother sees good recovery....look forward towards more updates

sorry to hear of the problems your having..........hopefully you will have them ALL sorted out!

looking good Alex

great stuff Micheal! those fittings and shackles make this the most realistic build..........superb job!

OK>>>>>>>>here I am, back at 'er! I still have some work to do before I can start the rigging. I wanted to do something a little different with the anchor. they only give you one in the kit. my idea was to snake a chain from one fairlead to the other, and rig up two anchors. the anchor is in two halves.......to be cemented together.....I will make two out of these. they were cemented to a piece of basswood. they will be cut out and shaped to make them. here is the diagram in how the anchor is to be rigged. I also begun fitting the dead eyes......I still may go with three shrouds for the main mast. I have looked at the Mamoli kit and they show it. the mast hoops are also being set up to be sewn to the sails I have been looking around for different sizes of black thread around here....I'm going to have to find a good place to get some. in the meantime, I have all this white thread from the other Billing kits, and I want to try dying some. I was told that the use of regular dye might degrade the thread, so I thought up another method........using India Ink. this turned into a comedy fest......it started with a pine board and large push pins. doning rubber gloves, I started it using cotton balls.......not a good idea. it was grabbing on the thread and coming off on it. After switching over to an old wash cloth, this went a bit better. the other thing was that I really didn't keep an eye on the spool. it ended up on the floor........Gibbs kept a really keen eye on it for me. as I was wiping on the ink, it caused the thread to twist more and more {the residual twists of the thread itself}.....ans soon I ended up with one heck of a knot! I tried to unravel it, but it was no use. I cut my losses and terminated this run.........I threw it away. I had another spool.....this one I slotted at the end.....to keep the thread from coming off the spool and I stuck it in my pocket. this worked out much better......much better control. I got to the end of the board, so I terminated this run........I have enough to start.......probably enough to do the entire kit. I tried to do a good close up for you.......it did come out pretty good. I will probably give this a coat of diluted white glue after to seal the thread. it is stretched to some degree, to bring it down to the minium thickness. I hope to have more progress real soon.

you know.......it's funny. On my United States build, they say to paint that a yellowish color. I'm not sure if I should do it, but I will pose the question on the thread when I get to that point. personally, I kind of like the idea......I have the perfect color for it too.......if I do it. paint looks good........never used an acrylic before, although, a lot of other folks here have and they like it.

Nice job Sarah! I didn't rinse the sails I stained on the Susan A. I left it full strength! feels good to be 'almost finished'.......huh!

looking forward in seeing your update Mobbsie...........duty calls!

getting back to a build that has been left for a short time can be tough.........one tends to come back to it with a different perspective than was intended. it's a good fix your doing......I'm sure you'll make a positive from it.