BLACK VIKING

It's looking good, Patrick. Unfortunately, the further back you go, the harder it is to be sure of how things were done. But then, who's going to tell you you're wrong? 
 
Steven

Completing the  fore stays
The forestay from the mizzen mast is replaced by a served  one (looks better)
 
Mizzen

main

fore

Mast top

 
Next item the shrouds of the top masts. As always, think first, then act. And maybe redo them...😉
 
???? difficult choices...

My  example (Vasa) may not be that reliable in this rigging area after all
Since few or no iron objects were found, they also had to search and guess.
 

Great info about  17th century rigging (free  download)
https://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Corder-MA2007.pdf
 
Thanks for following
 
 

Patrick,
 
Your stays look really good 👍

I've been planking off 'n on today.........need to take breaks to give my fingers some rest.   this stuff is hard to cut.......I've been using razor blades to trim it to proper lengths and the shapes I need to obtain.  it's no longer mahogany.........it's Ironwood!   the chopper is random at best,  in giving me a square cut.   I have made more progress.......I wanted to wait till I got both sides to the first torpedo mount.  but out of habit,  I did some light sanding to the bow area......for some reason,  I always feel the need to sand as I plank.....can never wait till I'm done.  

if I didn't wipe her down......you'd see the sanding dust.  later,  I will set up a small wood block with some sand paper,  and go over it some more......but it looks pretty good with what I've done so far.....

there's still a few high spots........the block will help in leveling it out    my thoughts that there would be some gaps around the structure.....I put too much concern into it.......it didn't come out too bad.  I don't have any dry fits.......I'll have to take a few to show you all.  working around the structure has been interesting at best........cutting and sanding the rounded edges

along the edges at the margins was another concern,  with this wood being harder to work with.   cutting the filler planks,  since they aren't a complete plank width....I'll have to come up with a way to rip them down.  just for chuckles,  I took a full strip and guided it freehand through the scroll saw.  it worked reasonably well........I'll have to make some form of fence to better guide them through.  I was able to fill in the port side and along the starboard side of the helm structure.

well....that's all I have for now.........back to the table I go.   

OK, as it is now two years since the first kit release, I decided to have a sale to celebrate! (Feels like it's been much longer)!
 
VANGUARD MODEL KITS – VANGUARD MODELS

The lowest deck has been fitted. I have done this in removable panels. This would have been necessary to get access to the bilge for cleaning and repairs, especially if transporting horses.

 
Cheers
Dick

Evening folks,    getting closer to finishing  this group  - with Red being applied  - collar/cuffs/shoulder epaulettes, nearly done.
 
OC.

Evening all,   some more progress in my Three hour schedule  -  the vest are painted an  off White/Buff colour  and the trousers dull White.
Just to get an idea of the size of them  - they are ontop of Admiralty Paints  small tubs.
 
OC.

Some news  (exciting I hope)   when I have finished these bunch  and now possibly the drummer boy  -  I will be  (wait for it)..........be starting on the  farm complex - base - scenery, I will have to rearrange the table  to create more room  as the base is quite large at 3 feet  by nearly 2 feet, and I still need room for my lamp.
 
OC.

Well it got to me, I could not stare at it any more to the point that I was ever going to be satisfied with the look of this without dealing with this mast. Also, fiddling with bits of the mast, trying to adjust the length of the lower mast was not going to work so I am remaking this section of the mast, sorry dad, but yours had to be replaced, I am keeping the the mid and upper sections.
 
This gives me the chance to learn from my first attemps on the iron work which while ok, but were not the best I can achieve.


Having read NenadM's comments on the scale of the bands on this section, I have bought a supply of 8mm brass belaying pins. I know they are way to big for scale but for practicality, they will at least hold the ropes and give me the chance to apply the rope 2-3 turns and still have a bit of room to hang the ends loops of rope for the lines.  
 
When making the lowest band, I will install 6 hoops aligned vertically for the blocks to hook onto and horizontal in the next hoop for belaying pins. I will also change the universal joint on the lower gaff to match the design of the one on the upper gaff but hope to refine the finish a bit.
 
If at first you dont succeed, try, try again.
 
Simon

Gorgeous work.
 
OC.

Part 10
 
I've been applying decals,  169 of them in all.  A good portion of them were so small that they measured less than 1/16th of an inch.  Every panel on this bird has a data decal.
 
Here is a little jig I made to line-up the prop markings.

 
 
This is a overhead view.  She is still in gloss coat for the decals to set down.

 
 
The bottom view, one can just make out the data blurbs in the small removable panels.

 
 
Port side view.  "PUDGY" was McGuire's wife's nickname.  This is "PUDGY III',  Roman numerals were not applied until 'PUDGY IV" which was a P-38 J.

 
 
Starboard view,  the white decal on the nose side under the windshield lists the ground crew. 

 
 
More to Come
 
BobW
 
 
 
 
 

The original maker of the glass case  came out to collect the second broken one  - he was going to repair it and bring it back out to us  - it was not fair on him doing that so I to him to call it quits  and keep the money I had paid in good faith to cover all his costs.
 
I found a larger  plastics (acrylics)  company  and did an online  request  got a quote  accepted  it  - it took about Three weeks to make  and  deliver.
Its been an expensive  endeavour  for a  display case  - deffo  a One Off.
 
OC.

Mersey Return
 
Two Flowers and an HDML

W/C 14" X 10"

I think I ll contribute my 2 c
I tried the PVA-wood dust mix but couldn't make it work. Too dry, too crumbly, did not sand nicely. I much prefer purpose made fillers.
I tried mixing Elemers filler with wood dust. Did not work.
In my current hull I used Beech and I tried Osmo filler that comes in various wood colours. Very nice to use, only issue it dries really fast. Yesterday, I did a bit of testing,
This piece of wood has a groove filled with filler. The left side has 2 coats of a water based sanding sealer. The right side has pure Tung oil on. Both were smoothed with steel wool. On the Tung oil side, the filler is barely visible on the non-forgiving photo but it is completely invisible actually looking at it.

 
 

Hello,
Thanks so much for your likes  (;-))
After some very good advice from E.J. – made some changes. Left off, his suggested, two broadside cannons.
 
Then made the needed changes to the forecastle deck removing cathead holes just aft of mast. Added a cut for the lower halliard. Those catheads as I noted in an earlier post would have had no space to anchor to main deck given the inner two forward carriages. Instead decided upon halliard block; same as for main mast. And finished deck inner framing for grating and open area for stairs leading down.
 
Kirill4 – had offered that very good advice along with some contemporary images of SotS’s foremast  fitted that way (see post #69 – if interested)  --thanks Kirill!
 
Finished up installing and adding partial carriage riggings as well. All of this work will mostly be totally hidden from view, but that’s ok.
I used the guns from the current kit, not from the vintage edition – only adding recoil rings
 
Next up; upper hull sides and forward bulkhead timbers to mostly complete this area. It will be tempting to also add the many bronze decorative bits as well….and keel/stem work need completing as well,,,,,,,
 
Regards,
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

'Love the tiny figures ... I've done a couple Ren fairs and have a 'Henry' outfit - but I'm nowhere near fat enough.   Johnny

Did some “light” diorama-ing and discovered it is hard to recreate prairie grass in 1:12 scale. 

Getting back to the Winnie....I have been designing and tweaking the mini-kit for the chain pumps.   I think I have it where I want it now.
 
This mini-kit is all boxwood.  Every part of the this pump is laser cut.  The nail details are laser etched.  These were a challenge because they are the smallest nails I have simulated with the laser.   It took plenty of attempts before I got it right.  This is the Starboard side chain pump.   When I make the other I will take pictures at every step.  But I thought I would share my efforts.  This is actually the very first time I have built one of these as no models I have ever made showed them.   So it was a treat.  Greg Herbert's chain pumps were the inspiration for these.  There are still some details that could be added if you wanted to....I think you will like making these.  I still have to add the handle for the plug.  Compare the detail with any other chain pump made for a kit.   I really tried hard to make it look as detailed as any scratch effort but with everything laser cut.
 
I will also be making these in 3/16" scale and offering them as stand alone mini-kits in both scales.    But these will come as part of chapter 7 so no need to buy the mini-kit when you see it posted..
 
Chuck
 

Greg Herbert's chain pumps are jealous of these! Those laser simulated nail heads are phenomenal. Since you've included the rhodings perhaps the tongue, also in black, would be the icing on the cake.

Wow that is simply amazing work!

Thanks Greg…I am thinking about it.  Just have to figure out how best to do it.  May e some laser board.  I think brass would be too thick.

Evening all,   over the last couple of days I have been re - working  some of my figures  - starting with the French 54/55th Ligne regiment  as firstly I wasn't happy with the tunic shade of Blue, I mixed quite a bit of Flat Black into my dark Prussian Blue  and got a slightly darker shade, I the set about re painting the Blue areas,  to day I have been concentrating  improving some of the details  including giving the faces  Two/Three levels of shading and colour variations  - from slightly rose'y cheeks to highlight areas on the noses and over the cheek bones - same with the hands,   I think they look better  - they are  more tidy now than when I first painted them  - guess that's what happens to us  - we all improve the more practice we have.
 
OC.

Rather than corrupt Chucks Winchelsia folder I am adding a new one for photos of ships crew members. I commissioned the ones below several years ago and am in contact with the artist to see if he would be open to creating a bunch for us. He casts them then hand paints them. I have a couple of them on each of my models and I believe they enhance the appearance, especially for non-modelers. Keep in mind these are 1:48 scale and extremely hi-resolution photos. Actual figures are only 1.5" or so. I encourage others to post photos of high quality crew members here as well.
 

Here is the back of the fore sail with the reef points removed and the blocks, halyard and tie line added to the yard. I put the straight pin through the tie line to hold the parrels on the line while I add the yard to the mast.
 

 
Here are the fore sail and sprit sails on the model but without any other running rigging yet.
 

 
I rigged the fore yard tie around the mast and added the second seizing to hold it in place with the parrels. I started rigging the fore yard halyard by threading it through a hole in the mast and seizing a large double block to the end. I also seized the tackle line to one of the sheaves in the fore bitt and will put these together after the seizing lines are fixed.
 

 
The other sails are in various stages of production so this series of steps will be repeated for them as they are ready. The main sail is next and I have already started adding the blocks to the main yard.