Willie L Bennett by Jack12477 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:32 Scale - skipjack

[mtaylor]

Nicely done, Jack.  You're becoming a soldering and metalwork master as well as a knot tier and rigger.

[Jack12477]

Lawrence, thanks for the compliment and stopping by.

 

Yes, I am slowly getting the hang of soldering and I think the iron is now "broken in" as they say because it seems to melt the solder a lot quicker than when I started.  Right now I'm in the midst of deciphering the rigging diagrams and figuring out how these "Lazy Jack" lines get rigged and also how to make them with all their Y-branches.  Also have to transfer the sail pattern from the blueprints to another piece of paper so I can have the Admiral make me two sails. (She volunteered to do it). And messing around with some other fiddly bits.

[Jack12477]

Just checking to see if everything is still viewable. Still working on the Lazy Jacks and other rigging

[Jack12477]

Small Update/Progress Report:

 

I installed the shrouds around the main mast and lashed the deadeyes in place.  Had a lot of trouble with the deadeye rings supplied by MS - they spread open too easily and pull out of the chainplates. Spent a lot of time using medium CA getting the "glued" back into the chainplate.  They are the ones circled in red in the last photo below. 

 

[russ]

The rigging looks good so far.

 

The deadeye strap issue is a problem. The CA will hold it, but getting it to look neat is a different problem. Soldering is a good way to keep that from happening.  

 

Russ

[Jack12477]

Finished installing all the blocks and other rigging prior to doing the sails. Still trying to visualize how the Lazy Jacks actually get installed, the blueprints show the running down the port side under the sail/boom/club foot then back up the starboard side to an attachment point. However, the exact attachment method is not clearly shown in the blueprints or described in the instruction manual.  I know what they are and how they are used; but not how to correctly rig them on a model. So it's off to the "library" for some research.

 

Next up is to trace out the sail pattern on paper, transfer it to the kit included sail cloth, and make the actual sails.  <Still trying to get this DLSR camera to do things my way instead of the computer's way; sure miss the old relic 35 mm film camera(s) >

 

Project pictures showing progress to date:

[mtaylor]

I love her looks, Jack.  I have no idea what you're talking about on the lazy jacks, but i'm assuming the rigging.  Can't wait to see the sails.

[Jack12477]

Mark, Here's the definition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_jack

 

See the photo of the Skipjack Kathryn in Frank Mahuna's build log; they're the inverted triangle lines emanating from the mast downward under the boom and back up the opposite side of the sail  - with branches off the main leg.

[cog]

Nice progress, Jack. I know what you mean with the old 35mm, but we can do different things now, although not so much with the camera

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the link, Jack.  Interesting read.

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

wow.......you've come along since I last saw her!  the rigging looks neat.........really adds a lot of detail.   I have some of those dead eye rings too.  if you have some really thin wire,  wrapping around the narrow part will keep them from opening up.   if they were going through a chain plate,  you wouldn't have had that problem......but with the set up you've got,  binding them somehow would be your best bet.    she's looking really good Jack!

[Jack12477]

6 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

wow.......you've come along since I last saw her!  the rigging looks neat.........really adds a lot of detail.   I have some of those dead eye rings too.  if you have some really thin wire,  wrapping around the narrow part will keep them from opening up.   if they were going through a chain plate,  you wouldn't have had that problem......but with the set up you've got,  binding them somehow would be your best bet.    she's looking really good Jack!

Thanks Denis.  If you look back at post #134 the 4th and 5th photos show how they spread open to hook around and into the chain plate hooks. I didn't solder them because I need them free to rotate once the chain plates were installed against the side.  But in hindsight I should have wrapped the indent (waist) with rope or wire to keep them closed.

[Jack12477]

Got a little bored with the model, still have to do the sails; so I decided to put it aside and take a stab at coming up with a display stand. Didn't want the typical brass pillar stand, so after mulling it over in my head I decided to pull a Popeye (Denis) taking some inspiration from his work and try a work yard motif with the boat displayed on cribbing.  I had some Poplar 1/4 x 1/4 inch x 36 inch square dowels on hand; at 1:32 scale that works our to a little over 6" x 6" cribbing beam. Cut them into 6 ft and 8 ft scale lengths and started stacking them alternating them as I stacked.  I just  eyeballed the height off the ground by placing the model on the crib until I thought it looked about right. At first I tried just using two cribs but it wasn't too stable so I went with three cribs. As seen in photos below:

 

 

Close up of the cribs stained with Min-Wax English Chestnut to give them a weathered look. After test fitting the model on the cribs I found I had to add some wedge timbers to the crib tops to keep the model from rocking side-to-side. That took a lot of trial and error fitting and shaving with a very sharp 1/4 inch wide chisel.

 

After getting it to sit level and balanced. I had to develop a "work yard" appearance that looked like a seaport work yard, which meant sand, rip-rap rocks for the cribbing, gravel for the sand, and of course sea shells.  Finding sea shells is not a problem, finding them small enough to look in scale is a chore and a half. Finally found a bag of micro miniature sea shells in Michaels of all places. 

 

My supplies:

Rip-rap rocks

Gravel and sand and sea shells

After that it was a matter of laying out the sandy work yard on a  piece of  1" x 12" x  24" Maple I picked up in Lowes and masking it off, cutting a rough outline for the sand yard, pre-painting it with Gesso tinted with a Sand colored acrylic paint, then sprinkling on the sand, some gravel, then using a tweezer selecting and placing the various sea shells, filling the cribs with rip-rap rock.  There is still more to do on the base as well as the model so it has not been mounted yet.   I'm still fiddling with the work yard, so stay tuned for further updates.

 

The view so far, sans boat.

 

[russ]

Very interesting stand and very artistic as well. Nice work.

 

Russ

[Jack12477]

Thanks, Russ.

[Landlocked123]

Hi Jack,

 

That's a very clever and interesting way to do a stand/mini-diorama.  Will you be bringing it to new London?

 

Best,

John

[Tigersteve]

Nice!

Steve

[Jack12477]

13 hours ago, Landlocked123 said:

Hi Jack,

 

That's a very clever and interesting way to do a stand/mini-diorama.  Will you be bringing it to new London?

 

Best,

John

Thanks John. I had not considered bringing it to New London; I didn't list any boats on my reservation, when I sent it in. But I guess maybe I should give it some thought.

[Jack12477]

Thanks Steve.

[mtaylor]

She'll look great in that setting, Jack.   I'm surprised shells could be found that small.

[cog]

Nice way to display her, Jack. It makes her come a live. Not so static ...

[Canute]

Well done on your base, Jack. Nifty little diorama. I'll have to keep that in mind. Like Mark said, didn't know you can get miniature seashells.

[Jack12477]

7 hours ago, mtaylor said:

   I'm surprised shells could be found that small.

 

1 hour ago, Canute said:

 Like Mark said, didn't know you can get miniature seashells.

 

I was surprised (pleasantly) that I was able to find them so easily available commercially. I thought I was going to have to send my Maryland granddaughter on a beach combing adventure. Since they moved to Maryland some 6 years ago my daughter and granddaughter regularly go to the MD beaches in search of sea glass which my daughter collects. As a result my granddaughter (now 11 years old) has amassed a sizable collection of shark's teeth and ray teeth (mostly fossilized) measuring from 1-2 mm up to about 1/2 inch (maybe even 1 inch). Her little eagle eyes can spot the teeth in the water at surf's edge easily, or she picks up a handful of sand and "sifts" thru it with her index finger and picks out the small teeth and shells.  She has several jars filled with shark and ray teeth.

 

So yes if you walk along the seashore (or any large bay like the Chesapeake) you can find them - might have to bring a small sifter/strainer but they are there.

 

Thanks everyone for visiting, posting and the "Likes".

[popeye the sailor]

never gave that concept a thought Jack.........I guess it's all your own     well played orange!     skippy looks great perched on her stand......it will look even better now!

 

super job my friend!  

[Jack12477]

Thanks Lawrence and Popeye. 

 

I'm still working out the details for the base but here's a photo of her temporary set onto the base.

 

[popeye the sailor]

like it..........I love it!!!!!!   no more mind melding for you!  model long and prosper!

[Jack12477]

Thanks Denis !  But there is more to come ! Surprise !

[russ]

I agree with Denis. Very nice presentation. Good work.

 

Russ

[Jack12477]

Thanks, Russ.

[mtaylor]

  She's looking perfect in her new home, Jack.