RMS Titanic by popeye the sailor - Academy - PLASTIC - 1/400 scale

[popeye the sailor]

holy cow!!!   thank you all for the good wishes........really don't know what to say!   the admiral and I are very close...we do for each other all year 'round,  so when a day like this come up,  we never know what to get for one another.   we did spend the day together........later in the day,  we went for ice cream  {of all things}.    she wanted a hot fudge sundae.   I'm not a big ice cream fan.......I like it,  but it's no match for buffalo wings and beer     we got to the place...she wants to take it home......I say.....fine      she puts in her order,  I order a banana split......freak out the admiral    {predictable huh.....I'll show you!}.   I'm asked if I want the regular banana split.........not knowing that there was a sub-recipe for one,  I say ....yes!   the girl hauls out this 12 inch plastic boat,  splits a banana in half lengthwise,  and put it in the boat.   then,  three huge scoops of ice cream........vanilla,  chocolate and strawberry.  then the pineapple and strawberry garnish,  topped with whipped cream,  nuts and cherries.   she put the lid on it and locked it down.   we no sooner get out of the place,  when this thing starts to leak.......the mad rush to get home begins!  I get her in the car with them,  and we start the drive home........while this is going on,  the thing is leaking on and down her legs,  and onto the floor mat  {glory be the floor mat!}   we get home.......Get her and the 'thing'  out of the car......I grab the floor mat and hang it off the porch railing and park the car.  I come in to find her standing in the shower,  washing off her legs.   I told her to leave me a spot.....I won't go into detail as to what her reply was      she told me it was on a paper plate in the freezer....the mess was contained!

     we ate them a short time later...........it was all I could do to eat 3/4 of the darn thing!  but,  it was very good !      our life together so far has been a fun one.......I do my best to keep it interesting .   I calls her Olive in me popeye voice.........and to this day,  she'll still tell me that she ain't Olive!   she also likes to let me know what's going on  {this just today}........"they're putting up a new telephone pole up the street."   I answer:  "oh,  really.............why?"   she gets all flustered and says......shudup!     now.........I did mention putting up a shelf in the living room.  like I said,  it's nothing fancy......the admiral didn't want a book case style unit.   I was tired of having the other boats in the hallway closet.........the Nordkap has been in a box,  ever since I built it.......the Mary Ann and the Gundalow  followed suit....they were in boxes as well.   time for all these boats to come out,  I think.........so this is what I put up.

 

 

just the metal frame....the shelves I had painted while I was reorganizing the living room.   the admiral was watching keenly as this was going on........she keeps telling me that it was crazy to have the boats in boxes........but my reasons were purely duly aimed at dust collection.   I never thought I'd see it.....but when I took the Nordkap out of the box,  there were cobwebs in the rigging!   amazing!!!   it been in that box since late 2010....I believe {might even be 2011},  only taken out for short periods of time.   when all the boats were on the shelf........I had a hearty laugh for myself.   you know,  you build 'em,  not really thinking about the size of these models,  until you have them in a group.  the admiral is happy......her two favorites are up on the wall........I was surprised to hear that one of them was the Nordkap......the first vessel I ever built.

 

 

sadly,  the America and the Gundalow will have to reside in the black book case.

 

 

this is all the hobby oriented stuff I've done this week.......get through this next work week........and I'll be on vacation again......I'll try and make up for lost time     for the Titanic,  I did dry fit the rest of the boat deck.   now to figure how the two decks will work together,  paint and set up the funnel rigging.   well,  the admiral wants to go for an errand.......I'm to come along  {maybe I'll suggest ice cream again}.........this time we'll be across town.....    

 

 

thanks again for the good wishes..I told the admiral.........she says thanks as well! 

 

 

[captainbob]

Sounds like you had a good day together, that's the way it should be.  Many more happy days,

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

thank you Bob 

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

It's so good to see two people in love. Keep it up my friend.

Greg

[Omega1234]

Hi Dennis

 

It's great to hear about happy people and happy relationships...not being melodramatic of course, but there's just so much crappy stuff happening in the world at the moment, that it's nice to hear something positive.

 

On that note - Congratulations!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

Edited June 27, 2015 by Omega1234

[augie]

Your tales always bring me a smile.  Sounds like you Admiral is a real 'keeper'.  

 

Maybe Mark can laser cut you a set of ice cream-proof floor mats  

[cog]

And have that car smelling of burned wood ( instead of smelling burned rubber)  

[Sjors]

late for the party but ok......you know me Denis         

Congrats on the marriages thing........

Nice show of that few models you have make........

One more shelf and at least 4 more of those please.......

 

Titanic deserve her own shelf !

 

Sjors

[popeye the sailor]

SJORS!!!    where have you been!?!   missed you good buddy!   yepper.....already told the admiral that another shelf will be needed 

 

it's the one thing this crazy mixed up world can't take away from us!    thanks Patrick 

 

glad to see your back Augie........I can go klompen in the car  :D

 

would it be a better smell than the last freshener the admiral bought?  perhaps.....Carl        I still have to put the mat back in the car.......we had a few days of rain.  it must be all washed off by now 

 

thanks Greg for the well wish..........and who commented or liked.......nice to have friends like you folks 

[popeye the sailor]

thank you Nigel.....same here      we're still making future plans that include each other.........so I guess she's not planning to stick me in a box or have me committed      

 

thanks for the kind word on the Titanic.....I've started my vacation,  but haven't touched it these past couple of days.   this is a very nice kit,  in spite of my changing a couple things.   I'm getting to the point where the model is going to make me do the rigging for the funnels and masting.   they show this at the beginning of the build......I thought that was a bit early,  not wanting to wrestle with hanging string while building the main parts of the assemblies.  in looking at this,  I looked at the ratlines for the masts,  in relation to the supplied rigging thread.   somehow,  it doesn't make sense to supply only one size thread,  when the ratlines are thicker........I would imagine that the fore stays and what back stays need to be done,  would be the same size rigging as the ratlines {the main parts of them}.    I'm not a big fan of plastic ratlines either......not sure if I want to go through the trouble of making them.  I do have a though running through my mind at the moment,  to look into the preformed ratlines that are in the United States kit,  that I have.   I'm planning to do the ratlines on that build,  so the supplied ones will not be used.......I could cut them down to get the pieces I need.   this revelation,  coupled with the change in the order of assembly,  is proving to be quite a conundrum {there is also the slight warpage in the aft section of the hull to deal with as well}.   I have a chore or two to do today........but I promise some sort of progress........by this evening...I hope 

[mobbsie]

Hi Denis,

 

Now that things have quietened down a bit I can also add my own congratulations on your wedding anniversary, I can only imagine the things that poor Phyllis has had to put up with over the years, your a lucky guy Denis, I'd keep her if I were you.

 

Good progress on Titanic mate. Looking splendid.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

 

P.S. I'm a few days away from my 41st, you get less for murder these days.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Mobbsie.....yes, I am a lucky guy.   it's been a fun ride,  even though the Zodiac deems us not compatible for one another {if anyone believes that nonsense anymore}.  really appreciate the well wish,  my friend! 

 

I do have some progress to report on Titanic........but first I must take Gibbs out for his morning jaunt........be right back 

[popeye the sailor]

it's been a week or so since my last update.   along with the chores I've had to do around the house,  the admiral and I have been battling this nasty summer cold.   'ole Suzanna was right!  we've been miserable!  it's now settled in my chest,  to make life even more so.  but I have been too lax with the Titanic....as well as skeptical with the instructions.   I decided to go my own way.......if the need arises to modify......so be it    I'm still in a quandary over the ratlines........using the preformed ones instead of the plastic ones.   while I was in my thoughtful spot,  I looked at the photo of the Mini Craft proto type model....and it made me stare........

 

 

not too keen on having this on my build........note the rigging as well.   this is where I tend to think that there should be different size rigging thread.   it would be hard to come up with blocks for the rigging diagrams I have though......too bad this isn't at 1:96 scale........I do have some from the C.S.S. Alabama,  the Cutty Sark,  and the first U.S.S. United States build.

     I've always loved this Revell series........in spite of the conjectures ans conceptions that surround them.   anyway.....I still need to check this out.  last week or so,  I showed where I was,  with the boat deck.......the aft structures need to be painted, the life boat cradles need to be done.......various touch ups....

 

 

 

the fascia wall that houses the fronts of all three decks,  need to be widened at the base of the wall.   one of the name flags was cut out of the parts sprue and slivered into tiny slices,  which were cemented on both sides of the bridge deck portion of the wall front.

 

 

when dry,  it was trimmed and fitted to mate the adjoining wall structures better.

 

 

here,  the slot impression in the deck,  shows where it is to be located.   once fitted,  it stands in place much better.

 

 

now comes the part I've been dreading.........cementing all this together.   the deck itself is so long and flimsy,  it was really a feat to get everything lined up.  imagine trying to do this with three decks cemented together.   I even snapped at the admiral.......she saw my frustration and offered to help.  I apologized profusely after the ordeal......it's never been my way to get that agitated.  I was very glad to hear she didn't take it to heart.   during the procedure,  one of the  walls came off.

 

 

before the fascia was cemented in place,  the wall was reinstalled.  I made those simple clamps to keep the walls perpendicular while the assembly was drying.   I did the same for the aft section,  cementing on the top areas of the mating at the aft........it won't be so flimsy,  when I do the underside {where I wanted the glue marks to be in the first place}.   I have some damage control to do later.

 

 

there was a slight adjustment of the clamp,  but the front fascia was cemented in place at this time.   I will also finish this up,  when the glue has had time to set.    yea..........like all night!!!     this morning.......I took a look,  but haven't touched it yet.  when I do,  it will be to pull it back off and cement the underside.  the fore and aft sections of this part of the assembly,  will need to be masted and rigged,  before all three sections can be cemented permanently in place.

 

[augie]

Glad to hear you're feeling better and have smoothed things over with the Admiral.  At times we all get frustrated.

[lb0190]

She looks like a difficult build Popeye, but she looks pretty good to me!

[Omega1234]

Hi Dennis

 

She's coming along beautifully. Everything's nice, crisp, clean and precise; all of which adds up to nice detailing work!

 

All the best

 

Patrick

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Denis

You've a real gem there with Phyllis. Not many admirals would stand being yelled at, even though you were under stress. No wonder you have made it this far!

You are going great guns with the model and it seems a very difficult process that you were doing. Keep it up, but next time try not to get so stressed. Looks who talking, I used tablets to help me when I'm stressed because of my condition.

Well Havagooday mate

Greg

[GLakie]

She looks great Dennis!  I hate summer colds. There just the worst. Try to take it easy, and get over that stuff soon! 

[popeye the sailor]

thanks all for the kind comments and the likes.   it wasn't that bad Greg......but enough to warrant an apology.  usually I'm the one whose bummed and she's the one giving me the pep talk    we're good 

 

took the clamps off it after I mowed the lawns..........I can pull it off now without any more horseplay......I glued the underside and touched up the glue marks on the surface.   I need to be careful with it now.......cripes,  I'm knock'in off the vents and stuff.  this is the reason why I made the change in assembly.  I didn't want to have too many small parts on there that can get knocked off.   I can't wait to see how the other two decks {assembled} go on there.  I did do a dry fit with the A deck.......it fits pretty snug.   hope to have an update soon 

[popeye the sailor]

thanks George 

[NenadM]

...  I decided to go my own way.......if the need arises to modify......so be it   ...

 

Following your logs, particulary Titanic, all the time I was wondering when this moment will appear  ... and here we go.

 

So, real fun begins !

[lb0190]

Popeye, if your doing a little kit bashing here is an idea...   

I suspect you may have seen this but in case not   

[GLakie]

Oh no!! I'm remembering the movie all over again.   

[edmay]

Hello Denis, Belated congratulations on your anniversary(his and hers medals),But behind every good man there is usually a good woman,Love your excellent model display, and your progress and workmanship on the "Titanic " is first class,Regards to your admiral,Edwin

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

I second it Edwin!

Greg

[mtaylor]

Looking pretty darn good there, Popeye.  I hope you don't make her sink.... 

 

Good admirals are tough to find.  Keep yours happy..

[Jim Lad]

Easy does it, Popeye.  You're coming along well there.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Good Progress Popeye,

 

must be fun bringing the superstructure parts together now

 

Nils

[UpstateNY]

Hi Popeye,

 

She's certainly coming to life! Great to see how all the colors are complementing each other as the decks come together.

 

Sorry to hear about the difficulty of aligning the decks. I guess this is what you were worried about when you said right at the start of the build you were surprised how flimsy the decks were. 

 

You mentioned you wished the scale was 1/96th...now that would be something to see as she'd be over 9ft long! You may need another shelf! 

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks all for the kind words and likes.   I got a chance to do a little on her yesterday.

 

I wish it were Nigel.......the TRMA has some wonderful rigging diagrams.   I'd love to use them,  but it just wouldn't look right.

 

I haven't seen that one Larry......kind of reminds me of that Bugs Bunny cartoon where Daffy Duck does his "exploding duck trick".    bugs is clapping saying "wow Daffy,  that was some neat trick!"    ....and there's Daffy,  floating to heaven,  saying  "yea.........but I can only do it once!"

 

done some rigging to the bow section.......mast is up.   I'm using two sizes of thread......the difference in size looks pretty good to me.  however,  I did settle on the kit supplied ratlines......close compatibility on the preformed,  but no cigar.