puckotred

Number 103 

You're doing a wonderful job!

You're doing a wonderful job!

I'm building this kit and I'm satisfied with most of it. The instructions could be a little more specific with measurements etc but you can work it out eventually...
The plywood sheet with the smaller details I got was missing a couple of parts, production fault at Occre as I got one of the first kits from the factory. Occre sent me a new one within 3-4 days so good service there.
Building sequence is all wrong for me, but that seems to be common with Occre kits.
I ordered new blocks though... And the 2x4mm ramin as the supplied strip was enough for about half of what needed. I also skipped the metal you should use for the bow plating, too hard to handle, difficult to bend etc. I used the strips for the second planking and grain filling filler that gave the plates a distinct difference in texture from the hull.
I payed 99€ from Occre and you get a lot to build for that price.

I had my moments when I thought I sholdn't make it. But, I think I said before, giving up is not an option  The new railings and anchors looks better. By the way, I havn't found any smaller than 20 mm but I think they are ok.
I will definitely continue. This is so much fun. Again, thanks for all help och advices. I hope one day I will be the one that can advice beginners . I look forward to see your rigging I know it will look better than mine  
Merry Christmas from a not so much beginner  

Cabins now installed on the deck; cranes and detail installed near the stern.
 
Regards,
David

Holy Molly.........ya did it!   congratz to you.........you did an amazing job      I like how you redid the railings.....they look much better than what the kit suggested     it was my pleasure to help ....and I hope you stick with it and continue.  now if I can get off my duff and get back to mine,  there will be another for someone to follow.    this is not a kit for the beginner......and yet,  you finished it.....your determination and effort that you put into the model is to be commended!     

Great job!!!!

Great job!!!!

Hi all! This is agreat day and sort off a Christmas gift from me to myself  . Thermopylae is finished (allmost). I have some  more rope loops to do and hang om the belaying pins and railings.
To start with I would like to thank all that helped me with advice and encouraging words. A special thanks to Denis "Popeye" and Puckotred. You have guided me through a lot of questions. Thanks 👍 and cheers 🍺.
This model was a bit too difficult for me but one can see that it is a ship, but it looks best from a a distance in a dark room 😂.
 No, it is quite allright actually. I have done a lot of misstakes but I could correct most of them. I would like to correct the deadeyes, they are not in line. But that would mean I have to cut off allmost all rigging so I will probably leave it the way it is.
To all beginners I say: Don't start with this modell unless you are much more talented than me. 
 
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !!



 
 



 





 
I

Hi everyone - just thought I would get the lower stays done before continuing with the shrouds(while I can still get my hands in close to the mast tops).
 

 

 
Thanks for looking in.
 
 
Mark

Moving slowly along.
Had a bit of confusion with the instructions re the step downs on the sides from the stern towards the bow.
But I think I got it now.

Update - all lower shrouds done!  Also,I went ahead and fixed the bowsprit in place & added the bobstays & gammoning.  The plans don`t show any catharpins,so I don`t know if I will add them or not.
 
 
 

 

 

 
Mark

Nice!!!

She's looking great!!! Lovely detail!
 
Did you have enough of the 2x5mm white wood strips called "gun port lining"?
Instructions say I should have 56 of them left but I only have like 30...

I guess they call them that because they go around the gunports 😁
 
 
Edit:
Just found the missing strips... They had rolled behind the cupboard where I stack the boxes... 🙄

Missed you 😊
 
Wow! That's some extra work you undertook with the strops and chainplates... And it looks fantastic!
I'm planking the hull now, but it's slow. The dark wood is so stiff I'm struggling with the bow even with a plank bender...

😱
Chinese chain??? It must be pirated.... 😜
 
What did the chain cost on your side of the water?

Beautiful!
(lot's of things happening here in the neighborhood so my building has slowed down...) Hope I can get mine half as good 

More on the sides.  The photo-etched brass sides mount on thin plywood, and the instructions suggest painting that black or blue to give background and depth to the windows.  So I did -- used blue.
 
But as you can see in the first two pics below, the ply backing doesn't come up to most of the windows.  So you have a nice blue background for the small portholes at the bottom, and the larger windows would be uncovered and black -- except where one or two vertical frames show through, which makes it look unfinished.
 
So when I sprayed the plywood, I also sprayed some white paper.  I'll cut that into strips and attach to the back -- the first one is shown below, and the result for that first strip in the last pic compared to the uncovered windows.
 
This works because those vertical attachment points don't line up with the frames, so I can glue the paper to them without worrying that I'm weakening an attachment point for the bulkhead.  Those vertical points are part of attaching the brass to the wood.
 
Regards,
David

Hi - a little more progress. The fore lower shrouds are now finished.  The rope provided is a reddish brown with almost no fuzz. The only bad part is the rope is somewhat shiny & slick,so it`s a little tricky to work with.  The deadeyes are not lined up perfect,but good enough for this ship.
 

 

 

 
Mark

Hi all - been a while since I posted anything.  I decided to by-pass the standing rigging & get all the blocks & ropes attached to the yards.  A couple more issues - the kit only supplies 2 sizes of blocks(big & bigger),so I substituted some different sizes from my stash. The plans also show the studding sail booms just tied to the yards with some rope,so I made some mountings from a combination of brass tube & black cartridge paper - they will not be permanently glued in place until after the sails are attached.  The yards look kind of like a rat`s nest right now,but the footropes & stirrups will be straightened out also after the sails are attached. 
 
 
 

 

 
Another thing - the peak halyard of the lateen yard is shown in the plans as some sort of netting. After some discussion with some knowledgeable members it was determined that it is totally wrong for ANY ship so I made a crowsfeet arrangement  instead. It may or may not be totally correct for this particular ship,but it`s better than the impossible setup in the plans.
 
  Note - the supplied rigging rope is only provided in 2 sizes,so once again I used some from my stash. Regarding the yards themselves,they are not near as shiny as the pictures show(lighting can do some funny things).
 

 

 
I will set these aside for now & start on the standing rigging.
 
Mark
 
 
 
 

Yes I am determent to learn this. But I think like this: If you take ten people who have never played football before and they start to train exactly the same, some of them will be better from start and will be develope their skills faster. Some will be very good. That person is talanted..
A talented model-builder sees what he should do without needing to ask question about everything and is doing great from start. Well, everyone is a beginner and needs practice.
I am not talented but very much able to learn. I will never play football in the Premier League but I can learn to play rather good.
But I need to ask so here is todays question: Shouldn't the block tied to the mast (red circle) be facing backwards since the line is going backwards. The picture on the box shows the way I have done it but I have understood that the pictures and instructions can be "wrong". I am not sure I will change it on this ship but for the future it's good to know how I shall think when preparing the rig. Denis, you explained some in the earlier post but this is more like into details  
Now it's time to go to work so I wish you all a good day