catopower

Well, just to report that I ran into my first real problem with the Alert. However, it has nothing to do with the fact that this is a paper model. This has to do entirely with the rigging material I chose.
 
I decided that this small model provided a good opportunity to try using a product called MOROPE. This stuff has been around for many years. It's made in Europe and there is a person in the U.S. that handles U.S. sales of the product.
 
The stuff looks really good and is visually stiff competition for Chuck Passaro's rigging line because it is well defined and is available in both Left and Right-Hand Lays (both S and Z laid).
 
The first downside to MOROPE is that it's not really properly turned. If it was, when you cut it, it wouldn't immediately start to unravel. Seems like they don't twist the strands first... or is it yarns or threads? Anyway, when you cut Syren line, nothing bad happens. To keep the MOROPE from unravelling, you need to hit the area you're going to cut with some glue first. Then, it cuts just fine.
 
However, now I'm tying ratlines – yes, lovely ratlines in 1/8" scale, so the rows are only about 5/53" apart. As I'm doing this, I'm finding that the MOROPE shrouds are stretching just a little. It may be a small enough stretch that I can compensate a little. But, this far into the rigging, if I can't work with it, I'm going to have to tear most of it down and re-rig.
 
For the most part, I suppose it wouldn't be TOO terrible to take the rigging down as it's mostly a matter of cutting lanyards, which can be replaced. But I don't look forward to the idea of reworking the shrouds, deadeyes, etc.
 
We'll see. I'm almost half way done with ratlines. There's only one mast – it's really not like I'm having to worry about rigging on a clipper ship. So, I'll get through the ratlines, trim them, and see how it all looks.
 
 
I'm sure it's something like I hadn't stretched the line properly first. But, the line is stretchy to begin with and it seemed like the springiness would help to keep the shrouds taught. 
 
The detail at this scale is so hard to see, that it might be enough to cheat and tie an extra piece of line tight under all the shrouds, forcing them to lift upwards a millimeter, which would probably be enough to do the trick. Nobody would ever be able to see the fix.
 
Anyway, we'll see how it goes. More later. Right now, it's back to clove-hitches... "under, over, through... under, over, through..."

And at last it is finished now
See pics below for result. I hope you all like it.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next project is unknown yet.

Paintint the dragonhead in gold, for more depth it need some black wash.
 

 
Studying the pattern.
An impression:
 

 
.
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
This is what is left of the interior
 

 
Finished the armor, I am satisfied with the result so far.
 

 

Just ordered "The Admiral" on DVD, cannot wait to see it...
 
Both side roars are placed, so second deck could be glued. In the middle there is a jig, which was in the kit. It is intented to obtain the right shape in the roof.   Two planks over the jig.       Some guns and fences on second deck and removed jig.   Normally you only plank the hull...now roof too.     First planking.   Thanks for looking in.

After a really long BREAK I continued the build last months and made some progress.
It will be more pictures than text. If there are any questions dont hesitate
 
Working on her tail:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Blackening the metal parts.
The ship will be 'overloaded' by metal parts. Hope it wont sink.....

 

 

 
Heliview:

 
Firs metal parts. It looks Wow imo.

 

 
Building roars:

 
One side with roars finished:

 
This is as far as the build is at the moment.
 
Thanks for looking in.

Well, here is first sail.
Think the pics will speak for themself.
 
Bamboo on sails:
 

 

 

 
Top of mast:
 

 
First sail on ship, not all ropes are placed correct already:
 

 

 
Cheers!!

I emailed them about the saw, took a few days but I got a response telling me the saw was out of stock with a 2 week backorder.   Once they were back in stock, they emailed me an update and an order link to paypal.  Placed my order and its on its way. 

HI Matt.... thanks for your  nice comments.... Denis R mentioned the same thing about the chair too....... kind of strange , I did'nt know about the rope ladder though....... Well anyway it's finished . I  posted all the photos in the gallery.I just ordered the A.L. Marina ll , it's a  bonita boat....should be a fun build....... See ya later!!!.....................
 
and  ........... I'd like to give a special thanks to Russ and Chuck for all their help with the spiling  process, a long with Dirk's excellent build of his "Alert", which was my guide thru out the  whole build ( thanks Dirk!!)....... and last but not least, a BIG thanks to all that supported my efforts along the way.....    
 
Frank....... Now!! to end this journey....  ta da!!!!
 
 
        
 
 
 
 
 
 

Before putting the main stays in place, I needed to get the shrouds and backstays secured. The problem is that they get in the way of dealing with the mainsail. So, I worked on rigging the mainsail first. 
 
The sails came as a set from Shipyard. I originally ordered these direct from Shipyard, but it appears that's no longer possible. I think the company may have blocked U.S. IP addresses, so as to support U.S. dealers, namely Ages of Sail, which sells the Shipyard kits. The problem is that Ages of Sail doesn't currently sell the various accessories. For the moment, if you want those, you can order them from http://www.gpm.pl.
 

 

 

 
Next, I'll be rigging the backstays and then the mainstay. When I want to something a bit repetitive, I will get started on the ratlines. But, that shouldn't take too long, given that there is only the one mast with only lower shrouds.
 

 
 
Clare

Before putting the main stays in place, I needed to get the shrouds and backstays secured. The problem is that they get in the way of dealing with the mainsail. So, I worked on rigging the mainsail first. 
 
The sails came as a set from Shipyard. I originally ordered these direct from Shipyard, but it appears that's no longer possible. I think the company may have blocked U.S. IP addresses, so as to support U.S. dealers, namely Ages of Sail, which sells the Shipyard kits. The problem is that Ages of Sail doesn't currently sell the various accessories. For the moment, if you want those, you can order them from http://www.gpm.pl.
 

 

 

 
Next, I'll be rigging the backstays and then the mainstay. When I want to something a bit repetitive, I will get started on the ratlines. But, that shouldn't take too long, given that there is only the one mast with only lower shrouds.
 

 
 
Clare

Before putting the main stays in place, I needed to get the shrouds and backstays secured. The problem is that they get in the way of dealing with the mainsail. So, I worked on rigging the mainsail first. 
 
The sails came as a set from Shipyard. I originally ordered these direct from Shipyard, but it appears that's no longer possible. I think the company may have blocked U.S. IP addresses, so as to support U.S. dealers, namely Ages of Sail, which sells the Shipyard kits. The problem is that Ages of Sail doesn't currently sell the various accessories. For the moment, if you want those, you can order them from http://www.gpm.pl.
 

 

 

 
Next, I'll be rigging the backstays and then the mainstay. When I want to something a bit repetitive, I will get started on the ratlines. But, that shouldn't take too long, given that there is only the one mast with only lower shrouds.
 

 
 
Clare

Before putting the main stays in place, I needed to get the shrouds and backstays secured. The problem is that they get in the way of dealing with the mainsail. So, I worked on rigging the mainsail first. 
 
The sails came as a set from Shipyard. I originally ordered these direct from Shipyard, but it appears that's no longer possible. I think the company may have blocked U.S. IP addresses, so as to support U.S. dealers, namely Ages of Sail, which sells the Shipyard kits. The problem is that Ages of Sail doesn't currently sell the various accessories. For the moment, if you want those, you can order them from http://www.gpm.pl.
 

 

 

 
Next, I'll be rigging the backstays and then the mainstay. When I want to something a bit repetitive, I will get started on the ratlines. But, that shouldn't take too long, given that there is only the one mast with only lower shrouds.
 

 
 
Clare

Before putting the main stays in place, I needed to get the shrouds and backstays secured. The problem is that they get in the way of dealing with the mainsail. So, I worked on rigging the mainsail first. 
 
The sails came as a set from Shipyard. I originally ordered these direct from Shipyard, but it appears that's no longer possible. I think the company may have blocked U.S. IP addresses, so as to support U.S. dealers, namely Ages of Sail, which sells the Shipyard kits. The problem is that Ages of Sail doesn't currently sell the various accessories. For the moment, if you want those, you can order them from http://www.gpm.pl.
 

 

 

 
Next, I'll be rigging the backstays and then the mainstay. When I want to something a bit repetitive, I will get started on the ratlines. But, that shouldn't take too long, given that there is only the one mast with only lower shrouds.
 

 
 
Clare

Need advice, am taking a break from my victory and perusing a scratch build I want to tackle.
 
The Hokulea a double outrigger canoe that was built in the 70s and navigated the globe.
 
You Aussies and Kiwis should remember it made several stops in your areas
 
My problem do I use basswood blocks and carve the hulls.
 
Or basswood sheets that can be steamed and bent to form the outside hulls.  
 
Any help will be appreciated just in planning stage boat will fall into the 24" range.
 
See attached
 
thanks John

I have built several models of warships boats with carved hulls. I am presently building a 1:32 model of a Royal Navy longboat. All of these models require the hulls to be thinned out on the inside until the hull becomes a hollow shell. Many years ago, I began building carved hulls by carving two half models to be joined after carving. This has several advantages.
 
1. There is always a defined centerline
 
2. As carving proceeds each half hull can be laid on a flat surface representing the keel plane for checking with templates resulting in a very accurate hull.
 
3. It is much easier to hollow out two half hulls than one full one.
 
4. With some pre-planning the keel can be sandwiched between the two hull halves.
 
For my last couple of models, I have been making three sub assemblies, two halves and a keel and incorporating as much work as possible in each before joining them together.
 
Roger

Alex,
 
Did you see this?  

So I've now tested the BlueJacket blackeners, using a variety of metal parts from the Model Shipways naval cannon kit, and am quite pleased with the results. I scrubbed all the pieces in warm soapy water, then soaked them in white vinegar before rinsing and drying. Then I tested the blackening solutions.
 
The bottle instructions suggest diluting the solution 1:10; I wasn't sure which direction this meant (one parts solution to ten parts water, or vice versa), so I wrote BlueJacket. As you might expect, I got a swift and helpful response:
It is ten parts water to 1 part solution. That ratio is really flexible.Some people use it full strength, and others really dilute it a lot. The10:1 blackens the metal in about 5 minutes or so. Make sure to clean theparts first. Here's what the blackened parts looked like after my first attempt (all were soaked for several minutes up to 15):
 

 
The pewter parts didn't fully blacken, but turned a deeper shade of grey-black. The true metal parts blackened beautifully, especially the chains. I really like how the cannon barrel turned out; the blackening kept the rough texture of the metal intact, whereas paint seals it into a glossy smooth finish. It wasn't dark enough for me, so I gave it a thin wash of black paint, which preserved the texture but achieved the right color:
 

 
Compare to the very similar carronade kit, on which I used paint alone, needing several coats to fully color the metal:
 

 
This latter gun has a much shinier appearance that I don't like as much as the blackened and washed long gun. Not sure how well it shows in these photos, but it's very obvious in person. I preferred the effect so much, that I removed my painted chain from the carronade kit and replaced it with extra blackened chain.
 
I did find that the blackening had a tendency to rub off on parts that were handled a lot, so I tried to use tweezers as much as possible. Also, I didn't notice any odor or other such problems, nice since I work in my living room.
 
So for whatever it's worth, I was very happy with these two products as a novice getting started with blackening metal.

I've used both their blacking and browning agents.  Both gave excellent results by soaking.  You have to watch or time the immersion since these are mild acids (etchants).  Fume odors are mild but you might want to do this in the bathroom or kitchen.
 
Keep building and above all, have fun.              Duff 

I have used their Brass Black and Brass Brown. I work in a small shop just off the den and I have not noticed a lot of odor. I have applied with a brush and I have soaked.
 
It will tone brass, copper, and aluminum. I have always used it full strength. Quite often it is necessary to apply the toner, wait a bit, rinse off, blot dry, and reapply, repeating until you get the depth of color you want. For small parts, I usually hold the piece with cross locking tweezers and brush on the toner, dunking in water and blotting on a paper towel each time.
 
Using a toner takes some time and patience. It is not something to do if you are in a hurry.
 
Russ

Cathead:
Call Bluejacket tomorrow and ask them.  They are quite helpful and will surely tell you if the product will do what you want and how to do it.
Kurt

I have a long time interest in the American Civil War. One particular subject is the Brown Water ships used by both sides on the Mississippi and its feeder rivers. I've spotted a few kits I like and they lured me off the Bounty launch for a while.
 
Some of the Union ships were initially started by the US Army, but eventually ended up under USN control. The Choctaw was originally a commercial ship launched in 1856, purchased by the US Army in September 1862, converted into an ironclad ram and finally commissioned in the USN in March 1863. Choctaw was a 260' (79m) long side paddle wheel steamer, with a beam of 45' (14m). She carried 1 x 100 lb rifle, 3 x 9" Dahlgren smoothbores and 2 x 30 lb Parrott rifles. Choctaw took part in operations along the lower Mississippi around Haynes Bluff, MS, up the Yazoo River and participated in the Red River expedition, up to Alexandria in Louisiana in 1864. She was decommissioned in New Orleans in July 1865.
 
This model is a card kit I purchased from ECardmodels.com. There are 8 pages of parts and 4 of instructions. It's a download only, so the purchaser has to print out the pages. Since Heinkel Models is located in Spain, his designs are done on A4 paper (8.3" by 11.3" or so). I got some 110 lb paper in that size, along with a small pack of heavier card. You'll end up laminating a number of parts to about a 1 mm thick card backing for this model. Here's the cover sheet. The model is almost 18" (40cm) long. The instructions say there are over 350 parts in this beast.

 
I reread Chris Coyle's card tutorials a time or three, then made sure I has appropriate card stock and glue. I glued up enough heavy card stock for 3 letter size pages of 1 mm backing. Instead of using3M spray-on cement for laminations, I used some 3M Positionable Mounting Adhesive. No warping of the card stock. I let it sit overnight and laid out the appropriate parts, as marked in the kit, that should be mounted on the 1 mm backing. And there are a few more parts going on another sheet of .5 mm backing.
 
Then the fun began. Make sure you have a good supply of sharp cutting tools. The 110 lb card on top of 1mm backing was murder on blades. Not too bad cutting the straight edges, but the curved parts (bow and stern, paddle wheel covers) were challenging. I felt like I had regressed to the '70s or early '80s in model railroad structures. Multiple slices and retouching any interior corners with a file/sanding device. Many of the parts need to have cutouts so that the superstructure parts interlock. And the hull has a keel and bulkheads. I'll get some pictures of the parts I've got cut out so far next time.
Thanks for reading this.

I used this series of articles to build my Victory.  They are very well done but there are some errors.  I double-checked everything with other sources, such as Longridge.  There is also a compilation of the articles entitled "How to Build a Masterpiece in 1:96 Scale."  The content is identical although the photos are of slightly better quality.

They look good, though. Both pictures and rigging .. You might use indirect lighting ... shine you lamps away from the subject on white paper or aluminum foil, a photographer's umbrella, etc ...or use transparent paper to diffuse the light ... which will make the shadows softer if any are left ...
 
Cheers

Quick update. I started the rigging process and added the lower deadeyes using 24 gauge annealed steel wire. The kit provides faux chainplates to glue over the wire, which I added later.
 
First, I served the shrouds where they wrap around the mast head. I decided to go ahead and serve the forward shroud the full length using the finest thread I could find, short of using fly tying monofilament line, which I've had trouble using in the past.
 
I made the shrouds long and used a method for locating the upper deadeyes show in some of the Shipyard kit instructions, which has you tied the ends of each shroud together with it's corresponding shroud under the hull of the ship. I just used clips. Then, glue the deadeyes to the shrouds all at the same height, making sure the deadeyes are all oriented the same. 
 
Once the glue has dried, you then loosen the shrouds, cut off the excess and then finish wrapping deadeye in the shroud end and trying things off. Of course, you have to make sure that you end up with the deadeye oriented correctly as your wrapping the shroud around it and tying things off.
 
This seemed to work okay, though the served shroud doesn't stretch like the other shrouds, so I seemed to have more issues with its alignment to the rest when I reeved the deadeyes. I didn't tie off the shroud lanyards yet, as I thought I might need to take the mast off the model to work on adding the mainsail, square topsail and boom, gaff and yards. 
 
But, given that there is a fair amount of room to work with the mast in place on this cutter rig, I may go ahead and tie them off. I'll probably add the backstays and mainstays before I start on the ratlines.
 
Sorry, the photos I've been taking lately look terrible. I have been experimenting with lighting and backdrops and such and having really mixed results with everything I've been trying. I have some ideas yet, which I can try another time.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Meanwhile, I've started adding more blocks, eyebolts, etc.  I think I want to get the mainsail into place next before I add the remaining stays.
 
Clare

Quick update. I started the rigging process and added the lower deadeyes using 24 gauge annealed steel wire. The kit provides faux chainplates to glue over the wire, which I added later.
 
First, I served the shrouds where they wrap around the mast head. I decided to go ahead and serve the forward shroud the full length using the finest thread I could find, short of using fly tying monofilament line, which I've had trouble using in the past.
 
I made the shrouds long and used a method for locating the upper deadeyes show in some of the Shipyard kit instructions, which has you tied the ends of each shroud together with it's corresponding shroud under the hull of the ship. I just used clips. Then, glue the deadeyes to the shrouds all at the same height, making sure the deadeyes are all oriented the same. 
 
Once the glue has dried, you then loosen the shrouds, cut off the excess and then finish wrapping deadeye in the shroud end and trying things off. Of course, you have to make sure that you end up with the deadeye oriented correctly as your wrapping the shroud around it and tying things off.
 
This seemed to work okay, though the served shroud doesn't stretch like the other shrouds, so I seemed to have more issues with its alignment to the rest when I reeved the deadeyes. I didn't tie off the shroud lanyards yet, as I thought I might need to take the mast off the model to work on adding the mainsail, square topsail and boom, gaff and yards. 
 
But, given that there is a fair amount of room to work with the mast in place on this cutter rig, I may go ahead and tie them off. I'll probably add the backstays and mainstays before I start on the ratlines.
 
Sorry, the photos I've been taking lately look terrible. I have been experimenting with lighting and backdrops and such and having really mixed results with everything I've been trying. I have some ideas yet, which I can try another time.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
Meanwhile, I've started adding more blocks, eyebolts, etc.  I think I want to get the mainsail into place next before I add the remaining stays.
 
Clare