Charles W Morgan by texxn5 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:64

[texxn5]

Thanks for all the likes guys.....greatly appreciated.  Slowly moving along.....bowsprits are always fun for me...I think they're cool....more for tomorrow...

[Sailor1234567890]

And I thought I was the only one with a fetish for bowsprits. Underhill talks at length of them in Masting and Rigging. I think they really cool. Long and tapering, or short and stubby, they add a certain something to a ship. I gained a monumental appreciation for the strength of their supporting rigging when I made a small repair to the bowsprit on my 1:96 Cutty Sark that snapped off due to my clumsy movements. I drilled out the end of both pieces, inserted a sewing needle and then glued it back together. It really was a half measure, still a little floppy and flimsy but once I rigged the bobstays and bowsprit shrouds, along with the forestays it really steadied up. All hail the long lith bowsprit.

[texxn5]

Hi Sailor, you're not alone in the bowsprit department.....I remember when I first built the Constitution I discovered that the bowsprit was almost as long as the mizzen mast.  I thought that was strange.  Then when I rigged it I just really thought it was cool and have loved them ever since.  They're quite ingenious and really set the tone for the entire ship...

[texxn5]

Today's progress, again not much, had to go to town this morning.  So far today I have finished the chain work on the bowsprit.....total of 4 chains, 2 for the bobstays, and 2 for the bowsprit shrouds.....those are 1/8" deadeyes, and it was tedious to work with them, especially running the 3 loops of the lanyards...more later...

[augie]

Deadeyes look great John.

[texxn5]

Thanks Augie

[texxn5]

Finally got some sunlight....haven't seen the sun in quite a few days, so I took a couple of "affect" pictures, I'll share a couple....

[texxn5]

a couple of more

[SkerryAmp]

Chains and eyes look really good!!    The sunlight pictures are great - love these ships photo'd under natural light, makes them look so nice!

[texxn5]

Thanks Lawrence, yes it does feel good, and it's a learning experience....by the way, welcome to the Captains Table, congratulations on the promotion.....you can now join the rest of us Blowhards.....

[texxn5]

I was studying the deck on my ship and the copper oil cooling tank didn't look good to me.....kind of stark.   So I got to thinking.....dangerous at the least...what would they do in real life.....like what about rain, weather, pitching seas, sloshing, so I decided to build a wooden hatch cover for it, it can be removed or tied down depending on the need......also adds some more clutter to the deck......

[texxn5]

I then stained it a cherry color...and spreayed it with a satin varnish..

[Blue Ensign]

Great detailing John, love the look of her

 

B.E.

[popeye2sea]

Chains and deadeye lanyards look great, John!  Based on that the rest of your rigging should be first rate.

[texxn5]

Thanks for all of the likes.  Thanks for dropping by Adam, haven't seen you lately.  Thank you BE, I strive to eventually have the smoothness and crispness that you do with your models.  I'm glad you stopped by....I'm honored...

[texxn5]

Hi Henry, hope all is well.....cold weather in Boston must have opened up the shipyard....should be seeing some progress soon....

[popeye the sailor]

your progress looks really nice........it will get even busier,  when you get to the masting and standing rigging    very well done!

[mobbsie]

Your making great progress John, I love the detailing and the chain work on the Bowsprit is very impressive.

 

I am looking forward to further updates mate.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[trippwj]

Your craftsmanship continues to impress me, John. Wonderful job on this - you do her justice!

[texxn5]

Thanks Popeye, and Mobbsie, and all the likes....welcome back.  Good to see you Mobbsie, glad you're enjoying, I'm getting there....hope all is well across the pond.....I found my chains at Hancock Fabric in the bead department.  The chains that came with the kit are not satisfactory.....they are way too small and not at all to scale.....it's like....why bother.  Not even a small thread will go through the largest link....another disappointment in the kit.  You know, other than the laser cut parts of the keel, stem, stern, and bulkheads not much else is of use.  This very easily could be a (here we go again...those bad words...) a scratch built model....ok....I said it....ok?   All you need is a set of plans, this forum and a few tools....enough of my rambling....  

[texxn5]

Thanks Wayne....greatly appreciated...

[popeye2sea]

The shipyard is always open, but I only get a couple of hours a week to work on the model.  Plus cannon rigging is getting tedious.

[gjdale]

Another nice touch with the details John. Very impressive build.

[popeye the sailor]

what's this???????......John getting picky?????  it's a short walk off a long pier John.......scratch building.   you can do it.....after the work you've done on the tryworks.......your a prime candidate!   I see so many buy a kit......look in the box......and come up with ways to make the build look better.   it's a conspiracy.......launched by the Scratch Builder's Guild

 

they go around.......and put this 'stupid stuff' in the boxes......in an effort to make us all scratch build the parts we need

 

......but really........kits are generic.......while they turn out to be a fine looking model,  there are folks out there {you know who you are} that see beyond the kit.   a person built the proto type......but no modeler is exactly the same.......and so,  we build the kit the way that we envision it.   sooner or later,  a person realizes that they've done some degree of scratch building.   you've done it already.....build on it now     from what I can see.......your well on your way 

[texxn5]

Yes Popeye, getting picky, I'm almost there.....most all of the work on the Morgan has been scratch.......a pile of little sticks, a little glue and a knife and next thing you know you've got a model ship....I have found that it's amazing just how much time and effort goes into every part when with plastic you wind up taking much of it for granted.  I've enjoyed the plastic kits I've built, and certainly enjoying my first wood ship, but yes, scratch building could be in the future....

[Moonbug]

Nice touch John, it's the "what would they have done" line of the thinking that both adds to the overall look, and gets us in trouble.  

 

AND it creates a good rivalry between the "bashers" and the "scratchers"!  *laff*

 

- Bug

[texxn5]

Thanks Bug....absolutely right..

[texxn5]

Well, this has been a slow week, actually the shipyard has been closed most of the week with no progress.  We have out of town relatives coming to visit sunny southeast Texas from Indy coming in tomorrow, so the shipyard had to be picked up and packed away, and the house had to get cleaned up for them.  So, since the Morgan occupied a rather large space on the main table we eat at, it was necessary to open it up so 4 people could eat without getting food on the ship and the rest of the build occupied the game table, the ship had to go.  So, it also allowed that god awful thing of having to tidy up the shipyard......all the scrap wood, chips and junk had to get chunked!  So they show up tomorrow and will be here a little while, so the yard is closed until further notice.  Should I survive all of this we'll reopen shortly after they leave......whenever that is......you know company starts to stink after 3 days, so we'll see if that holds true.....maybe if I start to stink after 3 days they'll leave??????   I guess I'll study serving if I get any time on the computer, as it is next to have to figure out.  I'll be studying the logs to try to learn as much as I can before I actually have to tackle it.....take care, I'll be back as soon as I can....

[Piet]

Hi John,

 

I'm patiently waiting for "the rest of the story."

 

Cheers,

[trippwj]

Ahoy, John -

 

Just thought I'd stop by and see how things are going!