robdurant

A little more progress today, putting the framework together. Lots of this goes together dry, and then diluted PVA is added later to fix the whole together. Even without the glue, it's very solid. The only potential gotcha I'd point out is step 17, where a doubling part is glued in place, but you'll want to make sure it's lined up well, because in step 19, you'll insert a positioning tab (32?) that will rely on that glued piece being in the right spot. Having built another Vanguard fishing boat I spotted that coming, and so, although I took a break between these steps, it didn't catch me out. Anyway - we're spoiled by the quality of these instructions! And if you're setting out to get started, you could do much worse than just reading through the whole instruction booklet a few times and getting familiar with the sequence before you start out. It'll help you see these things coming, and prepare you for the kits you may move onto, where your hand will not be held in the same way Thanks for looking in, and happy building Rob

A promising start this morning. As with the Lady Isabella, this kit is exquisite. The parts fit is immaculate, the parts clearly labelled, and easy to find, and the instructions very clear and simple. For anyone setting out into building model boats for the first time, I'd recommend going gently with the sanding of the MDF bulkhead parts... you'll probably end up needing to take them back further than you think, but slowly and carefully is the way forward. Vanguard provide lines to show where they need to be sanded back to, and plenty of great full colour pictures at ever stage to guide you through the process. (And no, I'm not being paid by Chris at Vanguard to write these things - I'm just enjoying this kit)... Anyway - here's progress so far. Bulkheads cut out and the initial bevelling done (with a combination of scalpel and sandpaper stuck to a board... And assembly - all dry-fit at this point. The reinforcing parts on each side at the bow will be stuck in and then tabs placed through, ensuring that they're in precisely the right position. Assembly was achieved with a good tight fit of all parts straight out of the box. Gently supporting the parts and tapping them into place worked wonderfully. Right... that'll do for today Thanks for looking in, and for all the likes and encouragement. Rob

Thank you, Chris

Okay - so having had my immune system attack my brain (explained here... An enforced and hopefully not permanent hiatus), I'm currently unable to think at the kind of level required to make any progress on the projects I had going before (Barque Stefano, HMS Bristol (1775), and Nordkap). To be honest, I can't quite believe I ever even attempted them at all! I'm now having to learn a whole bunch of stuff all over again (new neural pathways, apparently!), and this build is part of my exploring what I'm able to do now Progress is encouraging! Over the past month, I've gone from managing one step of a lego model per day, to being able to use a scalpel again without terrifying everyone within arm's length, to building and painting the brand new 1:48 Airfix tiger moth kit (picture below). I can recommend that kit, btw... it's a fun build! (And no, I didn't attempt the wires between the wings... ) Now, I'm excited to be taking on this beautiful kit as the next step. Having built a model of Lady Isabella before (below), I knew the instructions, kit design and support from this forum, and the simplicity of the build as a whole would be the best shot I have at getting back into this wonderful hobby! So thank you, Chris of Vanguard Models for such an excellent kit! It will be interesting to see how close I can get to this in this new build... I'm hoping to invest in the more detailed sails for Erycina (a rough set are included with the kit, but I can confirm that they aren't a patch on the sails that I purchased alongside Lady Isabella, which I presume are of the same quality as Erycina's separately sold sail set). That Vanguard sells them separately also means I can get them as a separate purchase and spread the cost . Hooray! There are already lots of excellent build logs of this kit, so I'm not expecting to exhaustively cover every step, but I will share my thoughts on it, and if I digress from the kit (not the plan!), I'll note what I've done and why, and you are very welcome to follow along and comment if you'd like to. Anyway - Erycina arrived today, and I shall get stuck in tomorrow. Thanks for reading this far. I'm sure progress will be slow! But slow and steady is just fine More sleep, first! Updates to follow. Rob

Their final appearance suggests that they were put together by the people on the factory floor who'd spent all day doing it and knew exactly what they were doing... I can't pick up any sign of a struggle... really beautiful work! As an aside, my nan was one of those people on the factory floors... she was building Lancaster bombers, though.

Thanks, Jason. Progress is slow but encouraging. Hopefully I'll get back to a place where I can continue this model, but it's well beyond me at the moment until then, I walk past it every day and marvel that not so long ago, I did that! 😆 Great to see you making headway on your stunning Artois class. Rob

She certainly is a handsome subject. I wish you all the best as you set out to build her.

Hi all. Apologies that this build has stalled from my perspective. The post here will explain Blessings on you all. Rob

Hi all. Apologies that this build has stalled from my perspective. The post here will explain Blessing on you all. Rob

Hi all. Apologies that this build has stalled from my perspective. The post here will explain Blessing on you all. Rob

Thanks 😊 I've been following along with interest but have not been well recently. Lots to give thanks for, though, so I shall just wait patiently until it's time to pick up these threads again. The boats are patient, thankfully.

Very nicely done. Thanks for sharing.

You can find it here... hope it's helpful. Any questions, just ask. https://modelshipworld.com/topic/26538-free-picture-resizer-application-i-programmed-to-solve-those-image-rotation-woes-microsoft-windows-10-and-11-only/

Hi Kevin, This is a lovely, welcoming and helpful community. I could not have done half the builds I've done without the support I've found here. Good to have you here. Do consider starting a build log and showing people where you're up to. You'll get more input that way and it will provide a place to ask any questions you might have and get those answers Rob

Congratulations on your retirement. It's great to see progress on this model being made, and I hope you find great joy as you adjust to this new season of life.