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

[Canute]

Nice work on the base. Pretty job.

[CaptainSteve]

Lovely display, Jack. She looks perfect in that setting.

So ... what's the surprise ??

(Impatient ?? Me ??)

[Jack12477]

20 minutes ago, CaptainSteve said:

So ... what's the surprise ??

(Impatient ?? Me ??)

Patience, grasshopper, patience. All will be revealed in due course !

[Jack12477]

With the Admiral's help I finally got the sails cut-out,  trimmed, panel lines sewn in, and finally I myself hand sewed the bolt rope around the edges.  The drawing called for thimbles seized to the bolt rope to carry the lashing that holds the main sail to the mast hoops <Photo 1 & 2 below> . Not having anything to create thimbles with I substituted 4 mm rings and sewed them to the sail, seizing the bolt rope at the same time. The plans also called for hanks to be attached to the lower stern end of the main sail to secure the reef tackle < photo 3 >. Since the hanks are 3 inches high (about 3/32 inch in 1:32 scale) I decided that the rings were a better choice.  The main sail is shown in photo 4.  The jib is finished except for sewing on the bolt rope, which is my next task.

In between working on the sails, I added a few more parts to the boat.  Secured the anchor chain and anchor, since the boat is in the yard I decided to display the anchor off-ship on the ground in front of the boat.  Painted and added the navigational lights to the shrouds. I also added a ladder, paint bucket, and bosun's chair to allow the work crew access to the various areas of the boat for maintenance.

 

[popeye the sailor]

she's look'in super Jack!  another admiral who helps with the sails..........how do you gents do it?  

[Jack12477]

Finished sewing the bolt ropes onto both sails. Bent the main sail to the boom and lashed it to the mast hoops. Then lowered it into the stowed configuration on the boom.  Next up is installing the jib.  Don't mind the green velcro plant straps; there just there for security to make sure it doesn't fall off the cribbing while I'm working on it. When I am finished I will permanently glue it to the cribs.

 

[CaptainSteve]

Looking better and better with each update, Jack !!

[russ]

Good looking model. The diorama is really good.

 

Russ

[mtaylor]

Sweet work on the rigging, Jack.  Just gets better and better.

[cog]

Dispite your problems with soldering, she turns out rather spiffy, mate

[Jack12477]

Cap'n Steve, Mark, Russ, Carl, thanks for the compliments.  Still more to come.

 

To answer a question posed by John (Landlocked123) in a much earlier post <I've answered him in a PM but posting here for all of you> I will be taking the Willie Bennett Skipjack model to the Northeast Joint Clubs Conference in New London CT the end of April.

[popeye the sailor]

the way you added the sail is veery nice      there is a deadline..........so there must be another project on the horizon.....any thought?   gonna be one great looking model to show

[Jack12477]

Denis, thanks for the compliment.

 

Installed the jib and secured it; also installed the Lazy Jacks. The Lazy Jacks were not as hard to rig as I had thought. I have to re-review the plans and double check everything.  Now to work on the surprise feature(s).  Almost finished.  Photos as of today (outside before tomorrow's pending big heavy wet snow storm) 

 

 

[mtaylor]

Beautiful work, Jack.   The base that you've done with all the bits and pieces adds a lot to her.

[Jack12477]

Okay, the boat is finally complete. As promised the surprise is unveiled. The CREW !

 

The ship's motley crew has finally returned from their Blue Crab Fest (read orgy, pig-out on Blue crab) and is getting the ship spruced up and ready for her re-certification inspection by the USCG..... (yeah, right !!! - for a model ??!?!?!)   Pardon the poor quality of the photos, my workshop is not conducive to photography and I'm fighting all the little icons, menus, et al on this new fangled Digital SLR (sure wish I had the old 35 mm film camera - only 5 secs to change settings).  When I can get her outdoors in the daylight I will update this log with better photos.

For those who are curious about the figures and where I got them. They are the PT-109 crew figures from Italeri.  I didn't want them to look too military so I took great liberties with their clothing's paint scheme except for one figure.  I will be taking her to New London to the NE Joint Clubs conference the end of this month.

 

 

[Tigersteve]

This project came together very nicely. Great work, congrats!

Steve

[CaptainSteve]

She looks amazing, Jack !! I'm sure that if you took a few ever so slightly out-of-focus pics with a nice sepia background, they'd look exactly like those old historical photographs.

Bravo !!

(PS: You were right ... the surprise was worth waiting for)

[mtaylor]

Super work on the crew, Jack.   They look appropriately motley... and a fantastic addition.  Now you can knock them dead at the conference.  

[popeye the sailor]

congratz!    she looks absolutely stunning!   the diorama effect really shows her off nicely!   very well done  

[Ryland Craze]

Congratulations on completing your Willie L. Bennett.  You did a great job on building this skipjack and I enjoyed following your build log.  I really like the display and am looking forward to seeing it in New London at the end of the month.

[russ]

Beautiful model. The diorama is nice. Well done and congratulations.

 

Russ

[Jack12477]

Tigersteve (Steve), CaptainSteve (Steve), Mark, Popeye (Denis), Ryland, Russ, thanks for the compliments and for following the build.  Ryland, looking forward to seeing you again in New London. Mark, don't know about "knocking them dead" but thanks for the vote of confidence.  And thanks to all who have followed along silently and clicked the LIKE button.

 

Now to take a short break and do some rearranging of the cellar so I can have more elbow room in the work shop before I decide what model to build next.

[Jack12477]

On display atop the TV armoire with the other two ships Marie Jeanne (L) and Virginia (R).

 

[cog]

Nice finish Jack. You'll be needing more display room for your next build!!

[Jack12477]

Or a bigger house, Carl!

[popeye the sailor]

awesome display Jack.........I think the two gents in the back are stunned!  

[cog]

15 hours ago, Jack12477 said:

Or a bigger house, Carl!

 

That's a way of looking at it, but you will have to do a lot more cleaning

 

13 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

awesome display Jack.........I think the two gents in the back are stunned!  

 

You missed the one gent hiding behind the ship on the right

[popeye the sailor]

.......and the little fellow sitting to the left,  in the Freddy Kreuger shirt       the skipjack makes a great center piece though.....no doubt about that!  

[Jack12477]

37 minutes ago, cog said:

You missed the one gent hiding behind the ship on the right

 

29 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

.......and the little fellow sitting to the left,  in the Freddy Kreuger shirt      

Good catch Carl !  Good one also Popeye, but he's not sitting.  You missed the gent hiding behind the Marie Jeanne, Carl. And you all missed the Blue Crab picnic taking place right next door, altho Popeye did spot one of the picnicers. Actually these are the wife's Byer's Choice Christmas Carolers, the Nautically attired figures stay up year round to augment the boat display. But the entire shipyard disappears from Thanksgiving to about the Epiphany for the Caroler display.

 

 

 

The Picnic (2 Santas flanking the Sailors)

 

The Christmas Caroler display

 

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

if my mother was alive,  she'd enjoy seeing this    she was also into owls and Christmas villages.     we do the village thing.......the admiral used to paint the houses from kits.