themadchemist

Just don't mix up one of Florencia's sails for a hanky. otherwise when rigged it may look like the seagulls used it for target practice

personally I find charmin sensitive with vit E and Aloe the best for the red sore nose.

Good idea, best not to work on tedious things when feeling ill and with a runny nose and watery eyes it would be not any fun anyway probably.  

I hate allergy attacks, they can be horrible. Hope this ends soon for you.

I know what you mean about the chair and TV.

TV makes me angry typically, I guess that is why we removed the TV's service a couple of years even before my disablity. Many have commented that we should have it hooked back up, so I'd have something to do.

Personally, if you look at the tediousness of building as FUN, I find sanding a piece for hours WAY more relaxing than television.

Seriously the commercials are too tedious for me, they invoke anger usually and to me most of the "reality" TV is just a 30 minute commercial....but then thats just an opinion of a mad chemist, which isn't by any stroke of the imagination a definitive anything.

I find it interesting how different people find differing activities relaxing or frustrating, seems to me that TV breeds impatience. If people would try hobbies, whatever they may be and for me TV isn't a hobby. There is just something about creating something that make hobbying awesome but is so lost on so many.

Nice work Jim, I've always loved the darkened rubbing strakes on the SF, they really seem to make the model really so much more and the nailhead effect is the cherry on top. The finish turned out beautiful also, that mahogany, for all its work, is really worth the time and effort.

Addressing your other comment:

as I caught up on your post yesterday, the joy of seeing the beautiful planking became Great Sorrow as I heard you bravely open up in a place with a very touchy and difficult subject. In 2007 I was bitten by a highly infected tick and contracted what the medical profession likes to call Lyme. I watched as the career and life I'd worked my whole life to achieve slowly melt away like warm butter on a hot car hood.

No amount of trying saved me from a disablity that has lead to a horror show over the last 5 years. I mention all this as you appear to be asking when saying goodbye cruel world is appropriate. It is a very Brave question, I know because It is a part of the neural aspect of my condition. Suicide is something I hid from and didn't talk to anyone about, due to the stigma associated with it. I can never know or understand the horror of your reality, but my last 5 years has changed the way I see others greatly. Its ok to be TERRIFIED. Its Ok to be angry. I've ok to scream WHY.

I have since had long discussions with my wife about my fear of all the myriad of emotions that cause terminal conditions to stress us to the point of breaking and just saying "I can't". I've fought the demons so many time and being alone so much of the time makes things seem even more uncontrollable.

I know where you are and I can tell you Its OK to consider such things, I have so many times, but in the end I'm glad I never have and am now at a point of semi-acceptance. Lyme is also terminal, it just takes years to slowly eat away the core. I can't imagine the fear of such a short diagnoises. I weep as I type this, as I can feel your pain and mental anguish.

I've said many times that ship building has saved my life, at the least my sanity. Continue your SF as your able and try to live life while there's life left. I know thats clique, but I've found it to be true. I agree with you on not destroying your last moments with chemo and radiation. I think often that cancer is made so much worse at the end due to unhelpful attempts to do anything in hope of a cure from the shadow of death. I've so many times wished Lyme was a faster progressing disease as the waiting is numbing and terrifying and every other negative emotion possible.

Ultimately it's your life and you are the pilot on this journey. For everything that my condition has put me through, its also opened new ways of percieving the world. Empathy was never a strong suit for me and at times I still struggle with the frustration of it all, but in a sad kind of way it has helped me become better. Just know others are experiencing similar roads and I offer you my sympathy but more importantly my support. Please feel free to PM when you need to talk, as I so well understand the pressure of gazing into the unknown abyss and not wanting to bring further pain to those I love.

Know that you will be constantly in my thoughts and I'm available if you need just an ear. So many time just to be able to vent helps quench the fire of mental agony brought on by the mind. More then Sympathy, I wish to offer strength and support in this time.

Future is something I've had to learn to redefine, with this illness it has forced so much I never chose for myself. Life continues whether you want it to or not. When opportunity knocks, answer. If it feels right, stick in your toe and test the waters.

one thing for sure, if you risk nothing in life - you risk everything and gain nothing also.

I learned to be motivated by my gut instincts and Its usually been correct. I feel I've had an extraordinary life due to following my heart.

All good things in life are a struggle, character to me is not determined by how one handles the loses but rather the Victories (pun intended).

Hey Kevin

One thing life has taught me is that the only constant is change.

Dropping all the weight you have is an extraordinary event to experience. I'm so happy for you and hope your new direction leads to the place you wish to be. Funny how sometimes the best stuff in life hits you unexpected. As a research chemist I never would have even considered teaching high school but life pulled me that way and it felt right. It ended up being my 2nd best decision of my life (Tam will always be the 1st).

Best of luck on your new future plans and dreams. The ports look great also.

As a person trapped in a body that limits everything I do, I have felt the sorrow you've experienced first hand with this situation/illness.

It warms my heart to see you able to post KOM updates. Welcome back my friend, I've been very concerned and am so glad to see this episode ending for you. Take your time and welcome back to sanding

Assuming its the same as the older version, yes it should line up, even more so at the bulkhead - deck. Unless on the newer version the bulwarks protrude. On the older version the Bulwarks actually meet the planking 3mm below the deck line. I had a few issues such as this and shimmed or sanded to even things out and keep symmetry, Mine was not near as much over as in your photos.

Your kit has a completely different stern so I cant really say about it. On my build I had balsa blocks in back.

The original DSotM was actually called Eclipsed as a working title.

All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All you feel
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All you save
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy
beg, borrow or steal
All you create
All you destroy
All that you do
All that you say
All that you eat
everyone you meet
All that you slight
everyone you fight
All that is now
All that is gone
All that's to come
And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon.
There is no dark side of the moon really.
Matter of fact it's all dark.

Actually before my disability I wore support/compression stocking for a time. They are a pain to get on but actually you notice a huge difference at the end of the day.

Do you stand alot at work, are the floors concrete, Tile or hard surface on concrete included? Years of standing on concrete is hard on the legs.

Also the Sodium and water thing is typically a kidney function issue if water retention is the issue. Water flushes sodium out, the body is designed this way. Its not the sodium or the water, it's something else.

There are a lot of misunderstanding about sodium and how the body uses it. Sodium Does Not cause high blood pressure. It's one of those cause and effect problems that MD's don't seem to understand. In a healthy person, water will flush sodium and prevent water retention. The sodium isn't the cause, its the efffect of something else.

Another thing to consider is laundry detergent or softner. I've had reactions to that in the past if Tam changed brands or the company changed recipes on the formula. New and improved may mean - now it causes issues. We make our own laundry soap now.

The sad part of this is you may never know what caused the issue. It may also be a warning of under the surface issues in health. Sadly my background in biochem and analytical/organic chem along with my disablity has changed the way I see MD's. Too many CAN NOT put the big picture together, at least here in the US. I've also found them to be overconfident in there understanding. I've had dozens that have told me things I know to be false. Maybe this is just a USA problem. Since my disablity I've kept track and have seen just under 50 different doctors. I never cease to be amazed by the ignorance demonstrated by nearly all MD's. The only thing greater then the ignorance is the arrogance.

Just to demonstrate - the only MD I still see is my family (GP) doctor. With all the blood sugar issues I've had and the medicine changes I've had in the last few months, I've had 2 inconsistencies (I call them lies or negligence) told to me in the last few months. The last one for example was when they started the insulin. My MD stated that it was rDNA produced and was exactly the same as human insulin. 2 paragraphs into the literature states that Lantus is a modified form of insulin. It has 3 amino acids changed. This is to allow it to last 24 hours.

My issue is this. Sickle cell is due to a change of JUST 1 amino acid in the blood cell. JUST 1. Yet Lantus has 3 human introduced changes. I don't call that the same identical molecule. The main issue is that most MD's continuing Ed is done by drug reps that have no medical background. In the US to be a drug rep required a BS degree and that doesn't mean ANY biology classes. A grad with a BS in philosophy is as qualified as one in biochem. The sad truth is so much of it just comes down to MONEY.

I RANT because I care. I have been destroyed by disablity and the medical profession. Even after way over 100 to 200k dollars in testing, still they are clueless as to what I have. It started with a tick bite that was confirmed Lyme disease, but bacterial infections are so misunderstood and germ theory is Wrong. I hope only the best for you and hope you recieve the quality of care you deserve. Here in the US that's nearly an impossiblity. I hope things are better in OZ.

All the best, hopefully this will all work out. Don't be afraid to be pro-active though. You know better then anyone what your body is telling you.

To furl or not to furl... That is the question?

Nice job Randy, Standing rigging's over 1/2 done. Running rigging soon to follow. Does the new kit come with sails or sail cloth? I think the SF1 is just cloth, but I thought I read somewhere that SF2 has presewn...

As I'm looking at the pictures and I think how it sucks that by the time they get rigged it's hard to get a good full shot without losing detail. The white background really brings out the detail. Love the stay lashings, they really seem to pop. Shrouds look great, all ratlined. Florencia's becoming quite a lovely lady.

Since when has Popeye been able to stick to just one build at a time. I wish I had the room to have multiples going. If rigging gets boring/tedious, Plank instead. 

There's something about planking. I miss it when now its done... although the deck fixtures is fun also. What you need is a clone, Twin Popeyes, just like the lobster twins.

Nice work planking her, Popeye.

Wow that's one big pile of peanuts.

If one didn't know better at a quick glance they look like peanut halves.....or maybe my eyes are really that bad.

Nice work, its good to see the tumbler's gettin a work out.

So once the different sizes of single blocks are done, do you then start double and triple blocks?

Wait a cotton picking minute, not all chemists are craz... oh never mind, I always get that one mixed up too. Carry on, nothing to see...... 

I remember as a kid there use to be a folk festival at the state fair grounds. leather work, soap making and so forth. one year there was a guy doing scrimshaw. I remember watching for hours. As I recall it was a pointed tip, conical point and the tip made the scratches. A chisel point, althought it doesn't look wide maybe be too wide. Of course you may have hit the boundary, but I use to work for a guy whose brother painted on rice grains.  

So after MUCH consideration, I know you can beat a grain of rice painter. Maybe more time in the POD with the doors closed until the heat sharpens your skills as fine as the point needed to skimshaw a 1/2 cm bone handle. Ferit is Right, You'd then be able to do the concentric imploding picture for sure, or at least imagine you did.

There's also the possiblity of using the electron microscope for better visiblity, but that's probably packed already. LOL

Hope the move hasn't caused this.

Seriously though, nice try. It really just need more work I think, as I recall the artist I watched would scratch and wipe. Not sure what was used for die. but like a tatoo artist, he'd work a bit then wipe to see the picture, going back to deepen where needed. maybe just more scratching is all thats needed. Rum probably would help also.

WOW Randy, Bill Nye the science guy Double dog dared you. I didn't even no you knew him.

You don't have to be crazy to build ships, but it hel.......wait a minute, I think maybe you do have to be crazy to do this    

The lunatic is in the grass....... there is no dark side of the moon really, as a matter iof fact its all dark

You dont see many of the SF1 around. Luckily Robbyn spotted the one for me on ebay back several months ago. It seems both kits have benefits and problems/issues. Its always interesting to see how different people build the same ship. It's what gives them all personality.

Randy's Florencia is a fine example of the SF2 and his 2 wheeled cannons are a nice upgrade to a more original build. Personal I just like 'em because they look cool. Sadly the SF2 doesn't have the more realistic (time period correct) cannons as the SF1 kit provides.

Watch Randy as he will try to push you into upgrades you might not want to take on  Watch those double dog dares.

As my build is the older version I cant say for the fit exactly, but the pilot boats definitely have a compound curvature to the deck.

It's a design to help move water off deck and out the scuppers/water-ways. The deck should have downward curvature in the length (higher on the ends) and a rise in the center across the deck. This aided in moving water towards the middle and out the sides. 

From the pictures it appears to be this way,

The main thing is whether its symmetrical from side to side and the slope of the deck transitions smooth. If so I'd say your ok on the deck.

Heck - why wait - Bash away

Rulesand instructions are only guidelines.

..and other then a canoe, the DSotM (Swift) is my first, so inexperience isn't a good excuse, and you have already built a sloop, so.....

You'll find nearly all the answers to build questions within MSW, whether its in a log or an answer from another builder. As you get deeper into building and looking at others builds, let your imagination go free. Of course alot of the final look will depend on whether you want it to look like the box.

For a more accurate portrayal of what the early 1800's pilot boat actually looked like, see PopJacks build, its nothing like the box. The Swift kits are great as they're such a great build to cut your teeth on, especially if you have bashing in mind, which I didn't. The poor quality AL instructions drove me to it.

On my "A Spanish Piece" (PF ref) the name of my SF build I have no clue what may happen. I've purchased walnut for single planking but may change to teak. I've also went opposite of many and plan to single plank the SF1 which was a double plank kit. Many of the SF2 builders have switched their build to double plank from single plank. For a nice example of the single plank mahogany SF2, check out lamarvalley's build (Randy). It has some beautiful wood. There's lots of SF's being built so finding help shouldn't be tough. Actually the camaraderie is quite amazing. Welcome to the San Francisco club

Whatever your decisions along the way, most importantly HAVE FUN

Nicely done. I'm with you on the eye thing. I just about live with optivisors anymore. I went to bed the other night and they were still on, ugh.

oh well, doesn't seem to slow you down and hurt the quality of your artistry.

Wonderful additions, You'll soon be shaping masts.

Greetings Mark

I'm not one to talk much on the SF as I haven't built one yet, but I do have one of the old SF1's on the shelve and have studied nearly every build on MSW of the SF (both pre-crash MSW1 and new MSW2). The bulwarks I am assuming are ply? On my Swift I replaced them with solid basswood and found they shaped much better. I also know they are structured differently from the SF1 to the SF2. I'm assuming your building the newer single planked SF2?

Personally I think planking post attachment is better. Adding the thickness of the planking can make gettting the bulwarks to bend even more of a task.

One thing I can say is that personally I find the AL instruction so lacking I rarely use them. Its one of the reasons I bashed my Swift (AKA Dock Side of the Moon) to oblivion. Of course maybe the newer kits have somewhat better instructions. Personally I have no issues changing whatever seems appropriate to me. Learning to take the reins, to me, is when things become FUN

Just for comparison here's vulcanbombers SF1 vs Gerwards SF2. Notice there are several changes.

vulcanbomders SF1

Garwards SF2

Nice rope work to accent your beautiful wood work. Looking at that broadside photo reminds me of why I love the Galeons, oh so much.

I'd say your a man outstanting in his field but for you - your a man outstanding in his valley

Hello Adriaan

I just dropped in to see how your progressing health-wise. I'm so glad to hear your back to work. As a person that lost that priveledge a 1/2 decade ago, I understand the importance of that step back. I'm so glad things are better and hope they only keep improving, to the point of getting back to building

After all we still need to see you build the Fock (glad to see you got parts finally) and the Endeavour.

Be good and if you can't be good at least be good at it!

I seem to be always catching up.

The rigging is superb and I love that birds eye shot from the crows nest. You always have such interestingly posed photos.

She really coming to life as the rigging fills her out. Great job again as always