BLACK VIKING

Thanks Ken.
 
Its decal time.
 
 

Hi all,
 
Sort of back-to back postings. This is a fix that was so needed. All deck gratings were so out of scale. grrr...
So replaced them. Thanks to the so kind member that suggested that I fix this lol...
 

May leave the bowsprit alone - Not sure yet.

After spending north of $60 USD back and forth with Cornwall in the UK - had to settle for slight size variations. yikes. I wanted to have them all of the size that is superimposed below - but after several attempts to get the same 1.5 mm size gratings that would fit the existing openings (not available) - had to give up  and settle for these 1mm bits that would cut to proper size for these four gratings
 
Nonetheless an improvement IMO 
 
Regards,

I always use a fresh #11 blade for the task. I do the job freehand, and I don't try to cut all the way through the card on the first pass -- score the cut first, then cut through on the second pass. On the curved section I use a jigsaw-like motion using only the tip of the blade and pushing the blade forward instead of drawing it back.
 
I should add that although I have been using the Evergreen Canopy Glue for most of this build, I did not use it for seating the channels, since that task requires more working time to get everything seated properly. I used Aleen's Clear for the job.

Just to let you all know, Vanguard Models has now made TEN more kits of Sphinx available. 
 
Chris is just waiting for some thin pear sheet to arrive from Germany, then he can add the last parts to these kits before a proper restock. Any Sphinx kits ordered in the next week or so will be dispatched the week commencing 29th August '22. 
 
This will let those that are thinking about buying the kit while the VM Summer Sale is still on, to get one so they don't miss out while the kit would normally be out of stock.
 
If you're thinking about a Sphinx, time to get in there whilst there's a £70 sale reduction!
 
https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/product/hms-sphinx-1775/ 
 
 

Work safe, Bob. See you back soon!

No rush, Bob.  Rome wasn't built in a day, nor was a ship.   Kick back, get done the things that need doing.  This hobby isn't going away.  Same applies to buying tools, etc... no rush.  

Hello all got my Sea of Galalie boat today can't wait to start it, I have been buying way to many  tools and models so now I have to do some side jobs, I am a journeyman painter and everyone wants their  place painted be for freeze up, and I got the Inside of a church to do so will be busy till Christmas  then I am retiring again lol . I hope I can do some modeling, but I see long days ahead so I don't think I build much till Christmas  but will pop in on rainy days lol Take care all my friend's  I will miss you lol,

Very nice. Just wondering if you will be producing these in 1-64 scale as I would be the first to bye 
Martyn

Wing fold dry-fit preview.

 
The wing fold hinge detail is very good straight from the box.
 

And now, the BIG REVEAL!
 
But first, some finishing remarks. Last bits were indeed the gun barrels and aerials: two whip aerials, two mast aerials, and the wire aerial between the two masts. The whip aerials needed to be quite thin, so I dredged up a skill I haven't used in many, many years -- stretching styrene rod over an open flame.
 
You may notice that one of the wheels is a bit canted. I tried and tried to remedy that, but to no avail. It's in no danger of falling off -- just crooked.
 
I have a huge amount of surplus parts left over from the kit, unlike anything I have ever run into before with a card kit.
 
As for GPM, well, what can we say? I finished it, but it wasn't the most fun I've ever had with a kit. I won't be sending any more hard cash GPM's way in the near future.
 
The finished model is the largest plane I have yet built -- it doesn't fit on any of my shelves! 😳
 
And now, enjoy some pictures!
 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Cheers!

Hi all sorry I haven't posted for a while but life has certainly got in the way.  But anyway back to the build. 
The guns have been fitted on the gundeck and the sides. 
I have made some lanterns and some weird sticky up things on the stern and fitted some wooden teeth things on the beakhead. 
Next job making the main mast .
Stay safe all.
Martyn 
 

Hi all sorry I haven't posted for a while but life and stuff has got in the way.  I have been slowly working away on the FD . I have finished the hull and have now put some details on the stern galleries and the sides.  As I'm no good at carving I have used modelling clay to make the scary faces and strange fishy things and to make her look old and battered I have put some barnacles and clamy things on the sides. I need to find away of putting some smaller barnacles on the lower hull. 
Thanks for looking. 
Martyn 

Hi all .
I have been a bit busy on the FD . The planking has been finished and sanded down. I was going to second plank the hull but I like the look of it as she is meant to look all beaten up.
Next job planking the decks and capping the bulwarks. All the wood has been left over from all the other builds I have done so this has cost me next to nothing so far and quite pleased with the outcome. I'm not very good at carving so I plan to use modelling clay for the carvings so just wondering what the best one to use .
Thanks for following 
Martyn

Here is a photo I found on the net for the Su-33 Flanker D cockpit. My kit came with a pilot figure, and I may use it this time around. Usually I don't use it.
 

Hi,
following Denis' suggestion, I went a bit on with my build. I must admit that I find this phase of preparing the large fuel tanks a bit boring and also finishing the many missiles is not very exciting. I should have thought earlier to close the slots that are there to hold the tanks so to omit them and display the airframe in its sleek and beautiful shape. Too late for that, these are the tanks now after the usual black followed by several layers of paint:

Transparent clear and matt are still missing. I will not weather them much, because I do not want them to catch too much attention. Meanwhile, I brush painted the pilot's seat which is a QB resin replacement. This is the only aftermarket used for this build, if we exclude the new decals. This is the most prominent piece that will be visible through the closed canopy glass and I wanted it to look cooler than the simplified part supplied with the kit.

I painted it with Tamiya acrylic paints, Vallejo metallic for the buckles and the I sealed everything with a light coat of clear matt. Finally, the cockpit is now complete:


That's all for now, 
thanks for your interest,
Dan
 

It's been a while since the last update. Mostly sails and rigging for the foremast - I thought I'd be on the mainmast by now, but it's been going very slowly. Quite a lot of fiddly work, but not much dramatic to see where I've been.
 
I had to replace the fore-topgallant shrouds - they were looking particularly tacky, the ratlines had gone "feathery" at the ends.

 
  
Fore topsail braces

Adding the new topgallant shrouds.
 
I'd discovered the main topgallant had bent both forwards and sideways, so I had to remove the stay (which had gone loose), bend the topgallant mast straight with my trusty soldering iron and put in a temporary rope holding the fore and main topgallants taut so a new stay could be added. 

Adding blocks to the fore topsail stay for the forecourse bowlines to run through 

And the corresponding blocks on the bowsprit.

Combined fore topsail sheets/forecourse lifts

Fore topgallant stay added while temporary rope makes sure it will be taut.

Forecourse bowlines in place

Topgallant lifts, clewlines and sundry blocks. I've also glued the parrel truck to the mast, with a (non-historic) small wedge to hold it in place.

Overall view
 

And then - disaster! The topsail yard broke - possibly at an earlier mend. So after a lot of soul-searching I decided to cut away the robands and fish the yard (shouldn't be all that obvious when it's fixed.
 
Fish being cut to shape:

Yard glued back together

And fish glued in place

Robands replaced, along with the blocks for the sheet and brace.

And then another disaster - the bitts which were just end-glued to the deck, lifted off under the force of all the lines that were belayed to it.
 
I tried gluing it back on with a sort of spacer (made of balsa) to hold it in place:
 

No good at all. Just messed up the foredeck and the bitts came loose again immediately. I decided I had no option but to remove all the ropes that were belayed to the bitts and make a new set, this time with "pins" carved into the ends, to fit into holes in the deck. All very well, but there was no way I could get a drill into that confined space. I ended up drilling them by hand with the pointy end of a fine file, and an awl. VERY fiddly and time consuming. Unfortunately I did't take photos of the new bitts and the holes in the deck, but here they are glued in place. I'm just hoping they'll stay this time.
 

 
But this time I've added a new couple of side-rails that will take quite a few of the ropes that were belayed to the previous bitts. That should reduce the force on the join with the deck. Unfortunately there's a bit of shine from the (CA) glue, which I can't do much about.

Steven
 
 
 

 
 
 

A little bit of progress for today
- all the guns for lower deck
- ladders and grates
- started cleaning sides, s lot of shavings ((
Everything is under control of my doggo ))

Agreed!🙂

The Big Reveal!
 
The Lewis gun took about three hours to build, but now she is all done. I really enjoyed this build -- quite refreshing after the struggles with the GPM Hellcat. I can't recommend the Kartonowa Kolekcja kits highly enough -- try one! Now, enjoy the pictures!
 
First, the Lewis gun. The Allies didn't have synchronization gear at this point in the war, so the Lewis gun was mounted to fire above the propeller arc.
 

 
And now for the glamour shots!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 
And lastly, a family photo of the two KK kits together, the Nieuport and the DH.82A.
 

 
Thanks for looking in!

Update: engine, cowl, and propeller completed, but will leave the final installation for later. Struts for horizontal stabilizer added, but no control wires yet. The last significant assembly to do will be the Lewis gun.
 

Last pic for today -- tail skid (10 pieces).
 

Finished lifeboat and experimented a bit with lower deck. Still not happy but already better, especially with guns )

Another small (postcard) w/c 6" X 4"

A little more progress today