popeye the sailor

again.........I posted before reading the whole log. EG........added kudos on the generator......it really complements the tractor I missed the gun added to the ensemble too. Lou....... I wish I could show you the blog I wrote on a site I used to belong to. I can't post it because I swore never to go back there. what EG and Jack says holds true......."to gain insight as a modeler, an indispensable asset is the ability to envision an aspect in one's mind, and hold it in flesh, in his hand. a modeler is part sculptor, painter, and magician, all rolled into one" this is just a small snippet of what I wrote........I was the top blogger on that site. I do a reasonable job with regards to scratch building......but still not as good as some that I've seen. it doesn't deter me from doing it.......haven't done plastic in quite some time, but wood has given me renewed life. I find it a lot easier, with a lot less cuts and bloodletting

WOW EG........superb look'in tractor! I like armor, but was never heavy into it........guess I should rethink super nice detail!

really look'in good Andy.......very detailed and a scratch build marvel

nice look'in die cast...........so you added some of the damage? looks like she went through some 'field fittings'.........I don't think you went too far with it

I found issues with the Academy Titanic.......one of these days, I'll get back to it and try to resolve them. sadly, your finding them here with this kit your not doing too badly with it though......looks pretty good

great job on an older kit Robert........I remember when these off the wall models were the crave very well done!

fighter looks awesome Nick........tough call on the glass. never had any real luck in recovering it....never used a varnish either. turning white is usually a humidity thing.......I get that a lot with lacquer. if you do try to strip it off and it looks promising, perhaps some clear nail polish will bring back the luster

thanks Michael.......sorry all.....wish I could go back to the days when I enjoyed my job (s). my job doesn't put me as close to it, than the 'front line' workers...doctors and nurses. I feel bad for them all, and hope that the virus dies out. very well could be a whole new world when it's over. sorry to hear of your plight....hope everything works out. I forgot your older than me J.......your already retired tell me......does the mind go first? thanks......don't know why I haven't tried that before......it was so easy! I've done soldering, but not like that. gifted.......who you gonna give 'er too? ME?!?!?!?!......awwwwwww...you shouldn't.........you mustn't! you're TOO kind! thanks John was gonna do more, but after the haircut........and an errand, I sat down to watch depressing news and ended up taking a nap. I think I'll watch paint dry next time! I did get a tiny bit more done on the other hull.......should be starting a separate log soon. it's look'in like it will avoid the Viking funeral

she's a sweet look'in ship Jesse.......even with all that's on your plate. she's impressive and a testament.....among many other words that could best describe the effort you put into her it must have been a huge release when you put the last finishing touch to her. congratzs! is there another project in the future?

gotta git me some 'o that coffee............what is it....high test?

good to see the progress Robert........the rigging looks super

hello all........big doings going on here I took yesterday off for no other reason, than Wal Mart showing me that it's not good to save any time off that I accrue. Monday we had a meeting with the Transportation General Manager. a question was posed during another meeting about freeing up our sick time to use in the event that the shop had to close down or quarantine. he said that they would look into it. he announced that we could use our sick time......and that masks had to be worn at all times while at work, during this meeting. several people in the warehouse had the virus and one truck driver is still unconfirmed. if we elected to take the time off, it wouldn't be held against our attendance and he's not advocating it, but wouldn't blame us if we chose to use it. since the start of the PTO program, our sick time has been held in limbo.......only to be used should a member of our immediate family { namely our wives} was ill and we had to take care of them.......it would be considered an LOA {leave of absence}. with the combination of wearing masks, sanitizing every conceivable surface {even the tools}, and how tough it is to social distance, I elected to take time off. two others on my shift decided to do it too....I think the tech 3 is doing it too, but I didn't ask him. I have all 192 hours of my sick time......that equates to around five weeks.......the other two only had three weeks of their sick time, since they used some. we were ready to do the paperwork needed to sign off on it, when we were told something that wasn't disclosed earlier........if we used more than two weeks, our jobs could be posted and we could lose them, or be displaced {this could result in our being laid off or let go}. what a kick in the teeth! so, we all agreed to only take two weeks off.....somehow I knew this was too good to be true...........in the back of my mind, I still have an uneasy feeling. sad when one doesn't trust the business one works for I wasn't shy about telling the manager that the only reason why I'm using it, was that the sick time was ours to use and it was in bad faith for them to deny us access to it. if they were going to change the program, the time should have either been allocated to us in vacation or useable time, or paid out to us. it took me almost 15 years to accrue it and maintain it.......to simply take it away from us was poor judgement. so.......I'm on a two week vacation.......not because of the virus, but from the constant badgering and bickering of preaching the guidelines.......I think I walk on enough 'eggshells' on a normal work day, without the virus. I follow the guidelines.......I know where EVERYONE in my circle has been....I don't need to be scrutinized by work or traced by the government. I know when to get the hell out of the kitchen OK.....enough rant. hey........I got an idea! how about an update?!?!?!?! sound like fun?..........hell ya! the portholes are dry.......and so I super glued them in place. they look kinda 'fish eyed', but the eyelets are rather deep to facilitate crimping, so the window maker filled in a little thick. due to the thickness, they are not totally dry either {believe it or not}, but they are enough to cement in place. I'm sure they will not 'shift' due to being in odd positions now. I've seen how folks solder their brass together to make the fittings they need.......I believe J made up some collars for the bow spirit on his build. I figured I'd give it a try........I bought this assortment of brass from Micro Mark. it was in a bag.........I combined it with what I have on hand. using the measurements from the instructions, I selected the two dowels that will make up the bow boom and spirit. with these, I found the two lengths of brass tubing that will fit them. the tracing included here is for the other hull.....it will have a fore deck as well. I ran a number of methods through my head.......cut all the slices and solder.......I decided on simply evening them up, and clamping them, so they wouldn't move. then I ran solder down as far as I could. I have a worn Zona metal miter box that I could use for this next process. I got the 'El Cheapo' hacksaw form the garage {had to straighten it out.......it was bent}....fitting a new hacksaw blade, the slices were cut off. I left the wood dowels in it, so this wouldn't distort the tubing. six of them were cut........the wood was punched out, and then they were cleaned up......filed ID & OD. I cut two that were thinner than the other four to see what they would look like. I can still cut more if I wanted to.......I might just to use it up. I may also do other sizes and combos, to build up inventory I'm in line to get a haircut as I write this............our barber for the time being is making house calls. I will do more and report later. I can spend more time here too this could be a good thing.....the vacation will be a litmus test to see if {or how much} it will take before the admiral wants to kill me......we will record our findings in preparation for the day when I can retire

you got that right........I've abandoned the original wood on the second hull. the darn stuff is simply too stiff! what made it worse though, was that I planked up the transom too early. so....the bulwarks are Obechi, three strakes are the original wood, and I'm gonna finish with the Obechi. I may elect to use the original wood when I get near the bottom......but I'll wait and see if I feel like being annoyed again this kit does build to a nice looking model.....but I feel that there are quite a few rough spots with it that can be fine tuned. she's look'in good though.......you've got a good color scheme going on her, and considering the instructions, fleshed out well. it is funny though....here I was shagg'in ya outta bed to built it...even build'in one with ya.......and your the one finishing first! hey....what can I say.....it was like that with the half Moon too. here I was going by pictures doing all that crazy decal stuff, and there you were finishing her by the time I was done. I guess if there was a project to be done in pairs.......I'd want to be paired up with you but you gotta slow down though......I'm not as young as I used to be at 63 I like to smell my coffee

I have the Sergel Thermopylae, and this same procedure is required. basically, I didn't put glue to the posts, but I did run some along the planking that will join together. it works out to the same results

rigging looks great Jens........amazed with the amount of chain it really makes the rigging look more interesting. wonderful job!

rigging looks great J......almost to the finish line! I'm not even halfway yet you built her really fast!

WOW! great buy I have the same kit in my closet....just looking for the right time to bring 'er out. mine has been started though........the original owner passed away. but what he did on it looks good, so I'll get my bearings and go from there. judging from your picture, it appears as though it hasn't been started.......good chance that it is intact the glue suggestion is good......I've not tried it myself, since I'm a sworn Testors user. you'll find that there are quite a few different glues out there devoted to plastic.......just read the labels to be sure your getting the right stuff. one thing I'm going to do, is download a Tamiya paint chart....their numbers are different than others, and it will be a big help to cross reference the paint. if you choose to use Tamiya paints, you should be alright, unless they've changed their numbering system, since the production date of the kit. other than that......your in good company here...I think most of us have dabbled in plastic before turning to wood. if you decide to change your mind on upgrades, I'm sure you'll get plenty of links......ModelMonkey, Pontos, and the like look'in forward to the start!

thanks John.........I really gotta go through all these bins and bottles.....stuff is everywhere! I've got stuff from other projects that I couldn't bear to toss out.......I've acquired quite an assortment of dead eyes and blocks too. it would be good to get them all together........organization life's little pleasures J ........been thinking of doing another M&M boat........perhaps racing this time. still more for the deck, but I am pleased how it's look'in so far as for the second hull.........using that wood is a no go, so I will continue it with the Obechi. it's easier to manipulate. with what I have on there already of that wood, you can say that it has a built in armor belt thanks to everyone for the likes. I appreciate your interest

I'll keep that in mind

I have a bunch of those metal parts.... they can be found in many of the Billing kits. you found a really good solution for them..........yea.......looks like a lot of work love the way your deck is coming along.

.........you'd have to come up with one hell of a good 'pick up' line with the ladies

awesome rigging.........did you use Petersson's book? looks very good.......even with those blocks nicely done.......I'll have to remember that tip!

thanks J.......the real heroes though are the health care workers, nurses and doctors. some of their stories are really heartbreaking. they are the front liners.......... doing what I can OC.......... update............turned out to be a good session. M&M has been putt'in out these candy bars that are really big............very, very, addictive! just ate half of it...........must leave it.....ALONE!!!!!!!!! the session started out with searching for parts to make the windlass mechanism. I got some of those gears, but they are too big......... I looked in my little blue assortment tray rack, and I found some small plastic gears and a couple pulleys, from some stuffed toy that had broke a while ago. fitting them together.......they needed spacers.......again, searching through the big inventory bin, one of the bottles had the slices when I was trying to make mast hoops. in these slices was plastic tube slices.......popped a couple out and added them to the mix. this works out pretty good.......glued together with CA, fitting it between the brackets was a perfect fit! off to paint it went........... the portholes were painted gold....I have bronze, but it was an afterthought. painted the handles on the ship's wheel, the aft cabin, the wheelhouse, the windlass mechanism, and planked the roof on the wheel house. by this time, the port holes were dry enough to fill in with window maker. the fore deck was planked and painted...later to have the mechanism fitted in and glued. the ends were touched up with paint........came out look'in the part the aft cabin roof was planked as well. the portholes were not ready to install.......still need to flesh out the companionway door. the deck layout is beginning to take shape. it was time to go grocery shopping.........we got there, the line was all the way to the other end of the building! the new norm is hard to get used to..........it is what it is........hopefully it will end soon

thanks Michael.......this is my slow speed should have seen me when I was younger thanks J ........it is what it is........I see both sides.......they gotta run a business, and I gotta make a buck. I'm glad that I am able to work through all this.......and I feel the pain of those who can't. while I do hope that it ends soon, I don't want to see this come back worse than it started. I count my lucky stars that I haven't gotten it yet.......I'll do what it takes to make sure it doesn't either. there's an update.......just that the admiral is impatient to stand in a line at the g. store I'll be back

I'll be looking at this as well......I have bombs for the Memphis belle too. freehand might be the way to go about it..........but I wonder if there are decals to be had.