Vivian Galad

Great work, Andy. Congratulations on finishing her.

She seems so fragile at this stage!!!

Great work, Michael. Loved the blocks!

Agree with Mark. Some pictures really build some doubt as if they were taken from the big ship itself. You have a fantastic model to show.

Janet, happy to know you persevered cause you reached an awsome result. I´m anxious for your next pics ^_^ !

Alexandru, thanks for the info and the link. Hope I can visit those museums some day.

That´s some good advice, regarding the oar hole.

Joe, that´s something to do if u really want to give a surprise :P I have Frank's Red Hot Sauce amongst my pepper sauces. As for tasting food, I can do that even with my peppers - everything hot, though. And I have a portuguese brother in law who can´t take peppers, lol. Hans, that´s some nice way for eating peppers and Thai food also explores the sweet/hot combination. Indonesian food I haven´t experienced yet, and think dutch food also. Nice music you linked and, as far as the Netherlands may be, anytime u´r near, just let me know that I´ll have some spiced food for u.

Great update, amigo Ulises. She´s coming smoothly, it seems.

Hans, I think to eat strong peppers is a process. I always liked them, but not that hot until I begun to try some new ones, with different types of food; so I developed a tolerance to strong peppers. I read about some new breeds, though and already ordered some Trinidad Scorpion. Scales say Carolina Reaper is a little bit above this one.

Gunther, sorry for that! Jack, meat is a pleasure nature gives us - pepper and meat together is something deific. Michael, we do have some paradisiac food, and well, maybe some more-than-that drinking . I was raised on a brazilian/russian/italian crossover cultural base and drinking is a fammily problem/matter/thing, truth is I have to hold myself with caipirinhas around :rolleyes: . I´m not the rodeo fan, but we have some good bull raiders in here. And Feijoada is hardcore eating!! Every good brazilian cook has it´s recipe (I do have mine ). Popeye, that's mine too. Either make or eat - but some evil genes get on my way and beauty standards keep me from it as I would like. Well, health is an issue too... Buck, ask about online courses to Sjor´s gnomes :P

Nice work with the ropes, Jesse. And the thread really shows its quality - your pictures alone convinced me I need them, lol.

Alexandru, great pictures, really. What ship is that half one (as an architect I love sections, lol)? Great work on your bricks!

Hans, Brazil has many regions and many regional food. Southern Brazilian food isn´t spiced, while northern is. For my taste, I do love peppers, the stronger the best - I have some Bhut Jolokia for daily use... lol

Hans, as I said, I´ll take any gnomes, regardless of color, height, weight, nationality, religion, political view and hobby preferences, since they help with rigging! ;) Sjors, that´s valid to everyone. As for the churrasco, well, that´s a barbecue - brazilian style. Many different types of meat grilled over charcoal - it begun as a gaucho tradition (from the south of our country/continent) and developed into a national passion. Churrascaria is the typical restaurant which serves churrasco. In a churrascaria you eat as much as you can have - meats come at your table every 30 seconds or so. Pictures follow, as solicited (hope everybody be well fed at this moment): The way it´s prepared: The way it´s served: And the caipirinha, a drink made from pinga (a strong sugar cane spirit), sugar, lemon and ice.

Joe, my many thanks. I´m enjoying both research and building - but it seems everyone does enjoy the same. Part of the craft, I would say. Ulises, obrigada, amigo. Mark, I would take gnomes, elves and trolls with the same hospitality - and if they want some churrasco (brazilian barbecue), have some churrascarias really close to home (there are at least 10 in my city, lol). :P :P Wayne, thank you. Only thing I want from the gnomes is help with the ropes, all types of gnomes accepted.

Jud, as my junk is an "elitist" one, no squids to dry on her. The dignitary traveling in the ship wouldn´t be pleased by such an insolence, it seems. I would love to build a diorama, though, with some traders and fishers, drying squids and fishes, nets all around. Have found some pictures of something like that: (don´t have the credits for it, but it´s so great a model)

We always love guns that work. But it´s a project in itself and many times will change nothing.

Sjors, I´m like 120km from a beach, right now, but I´m always the good host and would bring them for some caipirinhas on the beach (I know it must be a bad idea, but coming here is drinking some). I promise to treat them well and I´m already freeing some room space. Word of honor I´ll send all gnomes back with good stories to tell. :D

Hans, I know it´s a bit preposterous to say "my ship is accurate" when there are no plans, more than 500 years separating me from my subject and lots of misinterpretation along the centuries. I´m building a ship over a base (the kit) and texts from monographs and books - actually, I´ve never seen a junk. I see all my efforts as a mean to better understand what I´m doing and to exercise both researching skills and ship modeling skills.

Popeye, in my first build I had no slip, did it using the mdf stand that came with the kit. So, I bought one from a local manufacturer for the junk, but turned out to be too fragile. Then, I built my own. For my next project I´m developing a mdf bulkhead aligner with the holder/slip. The one which is holding the junk will be cleared for another build, soon. Want to have two projects ongoing.

Joe, since you brought the theme, I´ll put my ship where it belongs on time Admiral Zheng He made his exploratory journeys in behalf of China´s Emperor Yongle. First exploratory journey was in 1405 and the last ended in 1433. Between these journeys Ming Dinasty stablished commercial routes with new countries using diplomacy, routed some pirate groups and expanded knowledge on seas and oceans. To maintain those commercial routes after Zheng He´s first contact, chinese junks sailed forth, many trade ships but also official, diplomatic ships (although westerners view the junk as a type of ship, there are many types of junks, ranging from small river junks to the treasure ships, with junks builded for particular purposes as war, diplomacy, trade, fishing, transport, leisure, etc). The Red Dragon from Artesania Latina is a 17th century pirate junk - most fictional on it´s shape and functions, based on western reviews and misplaced in time. There is no link to where the ship was built, neither it´s purpose (although it should be a trader). To build a ship I wanted to build I researched over a lot of texts, pictures and videos to be able to fit her on time, purpose and building location. So, my ship is a fushuan type of junk, built in Nanjing between 1415 and 1420 for diplomatic travels to southern seas. That´s why the cabin is used only by one person, while the crew sleeps on the compartments - same motive for the rudder to be isolated from the cabin (on traders it would occupy the cabin). As chinese coasts and ships were constantly attacked by wako pirates (from Japan), it´s a gunned ship (first guns on chinese junks date from this period). Cannons from this earlier days were simple, mounted on small carriages and with short range. Compartments also hold gifts for good relations maintenance, mostly porcelain and silk, but other treasures as seen fit by chinese bureaucrats (statues, jewerly...). Color schemes are a foggy theme. Later Ming ships are described as red and black painted (there are few depictions, though) and I found no evidence about Zheng He´s ships being painted. For that, I don´t feel obliged to paint my ship, leaving the wood to have it´s natural colors, contrasting as the ships were built with more than one type of wood. The compartment is painted, though, as the color is part of the caulking mixture applied to the bulkheads and hull´s planks. Two features are still on hold, but will be installed - the stern transom painting and the eyes on the bow. There will be no dragons depicted, but a mithical landscape and chengyus (good luck phrases) on the stern transom and dragon eyes (eyes could be dragon, phoenix or tadpole) on the bow. well, that´s it ^_^

Foxy, junks are fun to build. Well, all ships are fun to build, but junks have this unique look. You really should try one. Buck, many thanks. As for the tea, I had to keep on the mood to treat with her. Wayne, gnomes would be great now. Rope work is tiresome, I have to admit - but that´s the work that give the sailing ships their looks. If Sjors can´t lend me some of them, I´ll be brave and do it myself anyways. Ty! Grant, thank you. She´s a pretty model to shoot!

Sjors, I´m using it for building, alone. After finished, I´ll build a beautiful one, so this can hold another project. Got to keep that in mind, they were really all over the place and did give me some work before the photo shooting.

Gunther, I´m still thinking if that will bring me joy. It should be, thouhg. Ty!