Half Moon by popeye the sailor - Billing Boats - 1:40 scale kit

[Bindy]

That looks fantastic Popeye!  The colours, the decals, the decorations and yes I prefer your idea over Billings too haha

Edited April 4, 2014 by Bindy

[patrickmil]

Wow Popeye! I go to watch a ballgame and come back the next day and you've got so much done. The decals and decorations look great in place.

[newbuilder101]

Wow Popeye! I go to watch a ballgame and come back the next day and you've got so much done.

And he probably built another couple of ships in the night while we were sleeping! 

Looks wonderful Denis! Looking forward to the addition of the rudder.

[mobbsie]

Super job Popeye, she's turning into quite a colourful lady.

 

Indeed you are maintaining your high degree of skill and inventiveness mate, love it.

 

Looking forward to more.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[captainbob]

Love the moon and stars.

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

WOW!  thank you all for your comments and likes.   I had an idea that these changes would have an impact on the model,  but I didn't  even imagine just how much.   one thing that I'm pleased about,  is being able to show decaling in a much better light,  to the hobby.  I have seen where lots of folks prefer to hand paint frieze designs,  coming up with stunning works of art.   some decaling is done in this medium,  but not to the degree,  as in other modeling mediums.  while I'm not trying to promote it, I do hope that some will see it as an alternative.   {I was on a different train of thought........I was working with a problem on another website,  and I mistakenly booted myself out of this one...so I had to rewrite this....it's not coming out like I wrote it originally}

 

 

thanks John.......I didn't know ants wore pajamas.......bet they're colorful    thanks for the good word.

 

thanks Daniel.........there's no carving here,  this is all plastic stuff.   one of these days I might try it....thanks for saying it though 

 

thanks Walter.......some say that about galleons and merchant ships.  vibrant colors were a form of mimicry.....sending a clear message to pirates   "I may look pretty........but I bite!"    thanks for the good words

 

thanks Bindy......your beginning to see things that you might not like in a kit.  you'll get ideas yourself.......you'll see!  your enjoying it now.......you will find even more,  all in good time.   thanks for the good word.

 

thanks Patrick.........just for you good buddy      I could see you on tippy toes,  waiting to see what this would look like.   I'm glad it came out as good as it did.......I hope it was worth your wait       thank you my friend!

 

thanks sherry......hopefully,  I can get the rest of the main hull components done so I can clear coat it.   it will look much better when I do. thanks for the good word

 

thank you Mobbsie........I'm going by that picture,  no special stuff from me.  figuring out how to go about it has been fun though,  I can tell ya that!   thanks for the good word!

 

thanks Bob.......I wish I had those other stars,   I could have compared them.   I do admit it though,  craft stores have been my god send. thanks for the good word.

[usedtosail]

Wow, I just read through your whole build. That is one sweet looking boat. I might have to add this one to the futures list. I really like your use of decals for the fine details.

 

I noticed you were having trouble with the images for your decals. I recently came across a free program that works like Adobe Illustrator that lets you go from images to vectors and back to images, so you can make changes to the patterns like your circles. It is called Inkscape - I don't have the link in front of me but a google search should bring it up.

 

Thanks for the great build log.

[Piet]

Hello Popeye,  one word - - -  NICE !!!!

 

Cheers,

[augie]

Fantastic, Popeye!

[themadchemist]

Excellent!

 

...but then I expected nothing less then spectacular. Its so magnificent I'm seeing stars

[popeye the sailor]

gee....thanks Tom   I'll have to look that one up.   I have the computer version of paint shop...that's what I used to make it.   I installed paint shop pro 10,  but with it,  I couldn't make the lines thicker,  much less change the color.   it might have been because it wasn't the program that created it,  but I also didn't have the time to get used to it either.  I have another version of paint shop on the way....and I have a spare computer handy  {XP}.........I won't be hooking it up to the net,  so I can play at my leisure.  too bad I can't get a hold of an old Alps printer........I know they still sell refurbished ones.  they are still big bucks though.  that design was actually easy to create....just that I couldn't do the bold lines from the beginning.   thanks for the good word and the suggestion.......I will look into it 

 

thanks Piet and Augie.........I really appreciate the good word!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Keith........ and to think I was going to do this build  'out of the box'.......shame on me    I might not have done all this,  if I did.

             thanks for the good word

[NAZGÛL]

Nice stern! All these great builds of this nice ship... Well done Popeye!

 

 

 

/Matti

[popeye the sailor]

thank you Matti and Lawrence.......this is the Billing's depiction.   I am trying to stay with the kit......but the pictures add so much more

                 thank you gentlemen for the good word 

[riverboat]

Popeye you're out doing your self !! ... ( again    ) really nice looking job on that stern....

Frank

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Frank!  they say that a picture is worth a thousand words.........I guess it amplifies when it's made into something tangible.   I guess I am lucky that a few kooky ideas paid off

[Walter Biles]

Nice job on that stern  Popeye! 

 

Walt Biles

Edited April 8, 2014 by Walter Biles

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Walter 

[dragzz]

vary nice work that u have done so far keep up the great work

[popeye the sailor]

thank you Dragzz.   good to see you.....hope you are well 

[mobbsie]

I was going to make a comment but I don't see any progress pics mate.  

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[popeye the sailor]

gotta love that gentle nudge Mobbsie     I wanted to do some more on her during the work week.......but I'm usually too pooped to pop

 

I got home Monday evening,  and had to play  'catch up'  on all my sites.  I was so happy to see that Frank finished his Supply,  saddened to hear about Vivian {I hope she pulls through alright},  and all the progress folks have made........before I knew it,  it was after midnight.

     I've got a few more things to do.......then it's the bottom paint and clear coat,  but I need a good day to do that.  we'll see whatI can get done today.     thanks for looking in Mobbsie.....I'll have an update soon.

[popeye the sailor]

well.......I seem to have a renewed sense of direction on this build.   true.....the weather hasn't been my friend.......but it seems to have turned for the better!   I have to do my painting in the garage...the temp and the rain has done a nice job of hampering me.......until now     there was also another factor that dogged me...a key piece of detail that I was determined to find.

 

it all starts with a build of the Half Moon,  done by jct......here on the site.   I am enjoying his build,  and since it is a Corel kit,  we have had a great time exploring all the differences with the two kits.   he got to the point of prepping out the sheave rope decorations that line the hull,  and I took a step back.  the Billing's kit doesn't have them!  they are not listed in the parts list.......and not even shown on the plans.

 

 

I tried to look for these decorations in craft stores........but to no avail.  I even tried a few jewelry stores, and got the look........like I was some kind of nut!   with this scavenger hunt,  a complete bust,  I went with my last resort.   I contacted Corel........I downloaded parts of their catalog,  and I found the complete fitting kit for the Half Moon.   I told them that I was working on  Billing's kit and that I wanted to purchase the sheave decorations - part # D-228......if necessary,  I would be willing the purchase the entire fitting kit.

 

they e-mailed me the next day,  asking for my address.........they were going to send me the sheave decorations....at no charge!   free!!  holy cow!.......you could have knocked me over with a feather!  I sent them my address,  and soon after,  another e-mail came saying that they were in the post.  they sent them on the 28th of May,  and I got them yesterday,  the 2nd of June  

 

 

 

I should have put a coin by them to show you how small they are........about 5 mm x 4 mm.  I will need to drill the sheave holes in them,  in prep for paint..........but this is small effort,  if you take into consideration the added visible detail,  they will give to this build!  

 

my thanks to you Corel!  you reaffirm my belief that once a kit is purchased,  it becomes the builder's kit,  and it is his {or her} interpretation,  that guides the outcome of the model.  even though the kit isn't one of your design,  I am grateful that you chose to help the modeler achieve,  what the kit could not. 

[riverboat]

Now..... that's customer service !!

[popeye the sailor]

yepper Frank!   I should have done this in the first place,  but then again,  I like the scavenger hunts.  I tend to look more closely at stuff and get ideas,  when there something to look for.   

[augie]

Holy cow!!!!!!  Unbelievable.  My hat's off to them --- and to you for asking them!

[jct]

SCORE!!! those are some nice castings, you shouldn't have a lot of prep work, looking fwd to seeing them on your HM.  Are you planning to run lines through all 3?  The Corel plans only shoe rigging the one closest to the stern

J

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Augie..........now I'm going to have a hybred!  

 

 

thanks to you as well J..........you showed them first     these are for the sheet tack ropes......there should be rigging for all three.  in looking at the plan above....the first one will tie at the main sail,  the middle one will rig through a block ties to the corners of the fore sail,  and the one at the stern will rig through a block tied to the corners of the main sail.  there is no sail on the lower mizzen,  just the lanteen sail.   there is a yard further up the mizzen,  but that will be rigged with braces {steering ropes}.   there are only six,  but Corel sent me ten of them.  if you want to compare the Billing's rigging diagrams with yours,  simply go to the Billing's site......you can download the whole kit and kaboodle

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Gary.......kinda scares me to think this is a  'miracle on 34th street'  moment     I'm just grateful they did it.......my next kit may be a Corel kit.......least I can do   my dealings with Billing's has been very good..........Tom was very good about things when he owned the business.......I guess I can add Corel to the list.  the only one I wasn't impressed with was Midwest.

[Vivian Galad]

Hey! That´s something to think about - Corel gained my attention through your efforts, Popeye. So far I was silently following your build and have to say it´s great to see she´s evolving. Keep the good job - and nice work on getting your fittings. ^^