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Seahorse

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Everything posted by Seahorse

  1. Very impressive workmanship and attention to detail. Nicely done mate!!
  2. Stanchions installed...will require some "fine-tuning" to correct positioning.
  3. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have not been able to work on the model for the last few months. Hopefully, I will be able to put that behind me now and start making progress again.
  4. Thanks for the kind words Clare... much appreciated. Actually I would like to take a look at a newer kit. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am building from the plans, not using the instructions. I am finding lots of contradictions on the plans...needing to double check and measure continuously before gluing. Some of the drawings just do not make sense. At least I now have an idea of what I will be up against, when I take on Corel's FULL Victory kit.
  5. Trial "Stepping the Mast". Just temporary, to check correct alignment. Vertically Port & Stbd etc
  6. Finally had a couple of sunny days...too nice to stay indoors, so I took the opportunity to ride my motorbike... Rain is back again today....We now have had a years average rainfall in the first three months of 2022. No excuses for not working on the model. After a bit of tidying up of the planking etc, it is now getting close to the stage where the main deck can be built.
  7. Thanks Allan...Always on the lookout for a new authors. Gulp!!...There are 25 volumes in the Alan Lewrie series. I may purchase a couple to see if I like his style. You won't be disappointed with "COMMANDER". My preference is for fact over fiction, so this book has my name all over it..!! Actually that is very true, as my name is Stephen Taylor is as well....!!!
  8. Progress may be slow..but I do have an excuse.... Started reading COMMANDER by Stephen Taylor. A real page turner!!. I have quite an extensive collection of maritime fiction books by the likes of C S Forrester, Richard Woodman, Alexander Kent etc, but am not a fan of Patrick O'brien. This book by Stephen Taylor is well worth the time and effort. Unfortunately, it eats into time that could be spent more productively modelling. None the less, I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this genre.
  9. Slow and steady at the moment. Progress all the same. It will be nice to finish it off to the stage where I can sand away all the handling marks, glue stains, furry edges etc
  10. Greetings Tom, Encouraging words indeed from a modeller of your ability Tom. Thank you for taking the time offer your support and thoughts, which are greatly appreciated. I am a long, long way from ever achieving builds anywhere near your standard of workmanship. I am more familiar with working with steel and machinery parts than wood. I am finding the transition slightly challenging but hugely enjoyable. It is great pleasure to find a forum like MSW, where the membership are so positive and encouraging.....To all who have taken the time to respond to this build...THANK YOU. Steve
  11. Greetings Allan, I understand where you are coming from. However, I must say the Corel Victory cross-section holds a lot of sentimental value for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I purchased it in Genoa over 40 years ago. A time when Period ship modelling kits were in their infancy. Since then it has survived numerous moves and gathered a lot of dust, but was always in the back of my mind, that I would one day get around to building it. To help put things in perspective a little, I also have a DiAgostini Victory Cross Section waiting in the wings. Not saying it would necessarily meet all the criteria of design and materials quality you suggest, but to me it does not have the emotional pull the Corel kit has. I bought the DiAgostini kit for the reasons you suggest....more modern, more accurate, supposedly well designed etc. I tossed up between both kits...which one to build?? Ultimately the Corel kit ticked all the boxes for me, despite some of its obvious short comings. When I complete the Corel Kit, I hope to be able to say my apprenticeship is complete. I will have a better grasp on model building, be more selective in what I build next, and hopefully, the errors I make in this build will not be repeated in the future builds. I appreciate your suggestions and will certainly take a long at look at the kit manufacturers you mention, but for the moment and for my first build, If I can complete the kit to my own personal satisfaction, I will be very happy. Appreciate your input. Rgds Steve
  12. It continues to rain here on the East Coast, so a lot of time spent staring out the window daydreaming. Consequently, progress on the model remains slow. But none the less, another deck was completed and the test fit was a success. Now to mark out the gun and entry ports. Did a quick inventory of remaining parts and found the length of 1.5mm brass rod missing....fingers crossed that is all that is. Some time also spent designing a display case....daydreaming helps immensely with the creative process.
  13. Rainy weather here, so today was more about drinking tea and eating cake, rather than model boat building. Consequently progress was slow, but steady. Commenced work on the Middle Deck, and when I tired of that, it was time for some gratings and another ladder.
  14. Thanks Allan. Decks have been built as per drawings provided and using the template provided. (See image below). This is a very old kit, which possibly may have since been superseded by updates to the kit itself. These updates may reflect traditional build methods more accurately..? I think the intention of this kit is to provide a simple, non intimidating introduction to Period Ship model building. Nothing overly complicated, and the potential to timely complete quite an attractive model, even by beginners new to the hobby. I am struggling however, particularly with the quality and erratic dimensions of some of the materials provided, which ranges from excellent, to very very poor.. Fingers crossed this frustration may have been rectified in later kits Constantly having to re-work some areas due to material dimensional inconsistencies, which as you can imagine, is very frustrating and time consuming. I have made a few small errors to date, but am not beating myself up over these, as the intention of this build is follow the plans provided and learn from my mistakes. At the same time, hopefully becoming more experienced in interpreting the Corel Naval Architects intentions..... Before tackling a larger, much more complicated Corel kit. Thanks again for your input... Rgds SteveT
  15. Steady progress today. Fitting the stanchions so that the correct camber and alignment was achieved was not an easy task. Patience is necessary and constant checking against the plans required. Next the ladders. Initial impression was the ladder appeared oversize and not to scale...this was remedied slightly with some steady sanding which resulted in a reasonable outcome. Unfortunately the first tread worked out to be on the same level as the gun deck....I won't be losing any sleep over this as I can remove the top tread at my leisure before staining and varnishing.
  16. Slow progress today due to other more pressing issues. Made up some spacers to impart the correct camber to the decks before installing the stanchions. Used Loctite GO2 Gel as an adhesive. This is a slow setting cyanoacrylate that allows time to overlay the hull on the plans and make adjustments and achieve correct alignment.
  17. I find in my case, stress is more to do with over realistic expectations of my own ability. Probably brought about during my early years training to be a Marine Engineer. I had one particular supervisor who generously took me under his wing and imparted on to me a great deal of his extensive practical knowledge. Whenever I started to become too big for my boots and full of my own importance however, he would bring me back to earth very quickly with a particularly cutting statement..."Do your BEST Steve...it only has to be rough"..!!! Thanks for the welcome.
  18. Hello John, Probably like a lot of the members on here, we never had the luxury or opportunity to dedicate large chunks of time to a hobby like this, until we approached or hit retirement. I am enjoying this build, but want to keep it simple as possible so that I don't stress over it, or suffer burnout due to overcomplicating things. Thanks for your kind words John. It is so nice to be on a forum that has such a positive and constructive vibe... BTW my real name is Steve Taylor .
  19. Steady progress today. Gun Deck completed and installed. Dimensions recorded for location of mast support so that it can be replicated and placed accurately on the next deck. Gunport openings completed and external planking glued up. Next come the two ladders between the Gun and Orlop decks. Made but not to be installed till after stanchions have been fitted.
  20. Thanks Kostas, I am sticking mainly to the plans, as I am treating the whole build as a learning exercise. If I see an opportunity for improvement, I will take it, However, basically, my intention is that it will be constructed using the materials and plans provided by Corel, with limited modifications. I don't want too many distractions, as, like you, I also have a full Corel HMS Victory kit, waiting to be started. My ship used to call into Piraeus regularly, consequently, I had plenty of opportunities to visit Athens....a beautiful city.
  21. Slow progress today, mainly due to the fact that it was a beautiful sunny Autumn day here in Australia. It was simply much nicer just sitting watching the waves break on our local beach. Commenced work on the gun deck. Caution required here to ensure the mast step is located accurately and consistently on each deck. Started marking out gun port door holes.
  22. Nice work David...I will be following your build. I am building the Corel kit as well, and as it is my first build, I will be sticking close to the supplied plans.
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