knightyo

It's fun to see another builder in the West!   The prototype is looking fantastic.

Alan

I'll be excited to see what projects you develop now that you won't be stuck allocating so much time to cutting/sourcing, etc.  It sounds like you will have a lot more fun in your work.  Retiring at 67 in order to get SS max?  

Alan

Maybe a small funnel into a tube of the proper length and diameter

Am I reading this correctly that in NOT creating the kit based upon the ship that was used in the movie, that the kit you are creating matches more closely the ship depicted in the books?  If that's the case, I think most of the interested modelers would prefer your version anyway.

Alan

Still plugging away as time permits.  The deck beams and hanging knees have been installed.  It's not an optical illusion that some of the beams appear to be missing. I had to install the beams and sand them to proper shape, before cutting a few of them out to allow for the installation of the fragile internal components consisting of a lighted lamp which will sit on a shelf above the rudder and the binnacle, which will sit right behind the mast shown. I'm trying to do all of the "rough" work before attaching the fragile pieces and rudder. (note to self: don't forget to shellac interior before installing deck above).

Below, the main mast and its partners have now been installed. The tops of the partners just need a touch more careful sanding to get everything uniform and then they will be done, apart from the eventual shellac.  The parts laying on the deck are my next mini-project. They still need to be further refined before installation.

I won't ever be able to finish the models I already have, but this is mighty tempting.  I have to ask..  Have you thought about having Aubrey/Maturin figures as an option as well?  I'd imagine just about everyone who has read the novels would buy them, especially if they were molded playing their respective instruments. 

Alan

I've performed that method of planking on a number of ships. It feels fun and rebellious to plank in that manner.  Just sand the ends sharp to fit on each end, and use plenty of wood glue.  Once the hull is sanded, provided it's going to be painted, or have another run of planking over the top, it will be fine.  If you look at my Syren log, some of the photos show this type of planking method used.  The hull is then covered with copper, so no one knows that it was improperly planked.

Alan

Kurt, I half-wonder if there should be another clickable link under the NRG Journal (cover of the book) on the home page.  I think that could yield a fairly steady revenue stream.

Alan

I ordered a copy within about 2 minutes of receiving the email notification.  That is a fantastic price for the information contained within, and will probably generate a very large number of orders.

Alan

On 2/16/2025 at 2:29 PM, Chuck said:

 I can honestly say that I will never move again.  

I think I made this declaration about 2 moves ago.  

Alan

Seawatch Books has a really good page-by-page preview on Youtube as well.  If I didn't already have about 126 projects in the works, I'd instantly purchase this book.  I'm sure I'll be buying it eventually however, as the artwork contained within is gorgeous.

Alan

For a first-grade class project, I built a car out of a toothpaste box with an engine mounted in the front of the box (I think from an old hot wheels car) which gave the appearance of a funny car.  I can’t recall all of the detail of the model, but what I DO remember is the amount of praise I received from my teacher.

I grew up with two sisters who were both a decade older than I; my parents didn’t really have the desire/energy to bring up another child, so I was always left to my own devices and rarely received any type of encouragement.  Getting direct praise from that 1^st grade teacher was like a drug (now I understand, literally :D), and I think still plays a part in why I create.  The scratchbuilding bug had hit me early, all due to a random comment from a schoolteacher.  Reminiscing about this is making me want to see if she’s still around; it would be fun to let her know what an impact she had on a little kid back in the 70’s.

I usually find figures on ships to be major negatives, but the look and feel of your figures match the ship perfectly; outstanding job!

Alan

I've had similar frustrations and ended up applying black acrylic paint which ended up looking better than the powder coat.  Next time I have a part to be blackened, it will be a standard prime/paint, which is also far more enjoyable than playing around with caustic chemicals.  

Alan

Welcome!  You hit the jackpot in finding this forum.  One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to brew up my beverage of choice and casually view others' build logs.  Eventually, you'll notice that you are developing a preferred niche to view, and will probably then start a model in that niche.  It's nice to have others' build logs to refer to when you are building your own model as you can see how others have worked their way through challenging sections.  I may be in the minority, but I get more satisfaction in viewing other people's posts about their work than I do in actually doing my own work.

Now that covers mornings.  For evenings, it's nice to fall asleep after reading historical fiction in this genre and there is almost a cult-like following of the books authored by Patrick O'Brien; the Master and Commander series of books.  There are 21 books in the series and many people find them to be very soothing to read;  I've been reading the series annually for years and years now.  We've all heard of comfort food; these become comfort books for a lot of people.  

Alan

I like #5, the shellac garnet

I offer my humble felicitations and trust that one of our estimable colleagues in your vicinity shall offer assistance befitting of your charming object.

Yours respectfully,

Alan

PPS, Maturin sends his compliments and asks that you pay no mind to the fingers in the side table. 

11 hours ago, Nirvana said:

Alan, it is always a pleasure to read through your build log. So instead of liking each and single entry give you a HUGE Like for the whole log.
Keep it up.

Thanks Per!  I'm still plugging away at it.  The supports to the upper deck are now in, and I'm now just in process of making everything look tidy in the steerage section.  

Alan

On 6/27/2024 at 3:19 PM, uss frolick said:

Don't forget to do a Killick, holding the toasted cheese: "Which I'm coming, ain't I?"

I actually have a secret wish for an Aubrey/Maturin set; adding Killick with a coffee pot would be magnificent.   I'm sure Chris wouldn't be able to make a profit on them due to relatively small number of people who would purchase them, but I sure would. Maybe they could be a premium option with an HMS Surprise kit down the road.

Alan

Those figures are fantastic!  I can tell that it's been irritating to have them critiqued so much, but having modelers critique the figures to that degree is exactly what you want and need.  Very few people have the opportunity to have their products critiqued to that degree before they put them on the market.  The critique is what will help to ensure that the figures are top-notch and maximize the number sold. 

I've already purchased a number of your other figures and don't even intend to put them into a model.  I purchased them solely because they are fun look at.  I'm sure I'll purchase this most recent set as well.

Alan

Thanks Bob!  This was my first time using chemical as a blackening agent.  Never again.  I was expecting the metal to darken, but the reaction just created a black film on the surface of the metal which easily flaked off revealing the bright copper underneath.  I've now "sealed" the areas in which the film has flaked off and have applied primer and black paint over the top; also went ahead and blackened the bolts, so the resulting product is a surface that is a little bumpy and does not look machined. My initial hope was to have flawless straps with differently colored bolts in order to show off the small work.  That desire went right out of the window, but I guess in the result at least looks more realistic in the end, at any rate.

Alan

This build thread is incredibly fun to read.  I can tell that there have been some differences in opinion in within the last page, but I hope that everyone continues to post their thoughts, even if they think they might contradict the information someone else is providing.  I think it's better to have a number of dissenting opinions about something, than NO opinions.  That's the difference between a fun and thought-provoking log, versus a single builder just talking to him or herself.

It's also fantastic to see the reference material that people are providing, as that's a gold mine for other builders who follow.   

Thank you for sharing your build with everyone Steven; it's one of the most interesting logs on the site right now.

Alan

I find the below to be the most enjoyable part of building a ship.  Yes, I'm pretty sure I'm on the spectrum.   These are pear, and from old pear blocks I had on hand.  Rough-cut dowels were pulled through a standard progressive drawplate, and the ends sanded down to points allowing me to gently glue them into the predrilled holes.

And then clipped/sanded down

Just a photo of the topside of one of the pintles before the holes were drilled into the sides. 

And finally, the rudder assemblies are about complete. I'm not going to hang the rudder until the topside is complete and the model has been installed onto its base. The ends of the bolts were cut via a rolling motion under my X-acto blade which provided a tiny lip on the ends. They were then inserted into the pintles/gudgeons with a bit of superglue; overall, they hold the pintles/gudgeons more securely than I thought they would.  I'm trying to decide whether or not they should be blackened or left bare. Each one of them reflects light at a different angle, so while it's fun to show that I created such small bolts, it's also frustrating, in that they don't look uniformly placed.  I think I'll eventually prime/paint over them as they should be black in color anyway.

15 hours ago, Chuck said:

I placed him near the tiller on the poop deck also…no railings port and starboard.  Crazy stuff…lucky if the bulwarks are knee high…

 

Ok, that's just shocking.  I'd nervous to steer that ship on a lake. lol

Alan

I see a recipe for kittens with a cat in both bow and stern;  I see that one of them also knocked one of the checkers. down. 

I also like the tombstone cutaways.  Everything looks fantastic.

Alan