Glad Tidings by Jond - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Diorama of 1st Pinky in Boothbay - built from modified kit

[RonGinger]

Looks great Jon, I look forward to seeing it up close and personal. Do you dare bring it to a guild meeting? I suspect it will not travel well.

[Jond]

Joe

 

Thank you for you kind words .  Yes you hit on the joy of going back and combining the love of history and telling of stories with a diorama.  That is niche I am falling onto.  My modeling skills are improving but I have a very long way to go if i want to replicate natural wood etc.  this niche allows my limited skills to blend with research and history and then focus on the local scene .  The build I interrupted to do this diorama is Aphrodite, the first ship built in the harbor 1853.  I am already working on more of the history there and will be back in that log by next month.  The ship is a tiny scale for me at 1:96 and I still want to show things that demonstrate how the ship sailed.  Here on this model I am just touching on how they built things.  I plan, as I stated in the first posting, to consider a second smaller scale scene where one pinky, Superb, is a waterline model with all the rigging in place, something that is missing here.  Then the second hull will be on a slip way with all the frames, so it will be showing more about building. That will extend this experience and side by side give me time to learn more about how they built back when.

 

 

Thanks again for following.   I have read a few books about the Erie canal that went very near to you and I understand the joy of project celebrating your local heritage too.

'

 

cheers

[Jond]

Thank you Richard

 

I am still watching you too and love your work.  Love those schooners.

 

jon 

[Jond]

Hi Ron

 

I will bring the schooner on a cradle and ask a few more questions as usual.   My next trial is stop at lowes and see if i can get a large sheet of Acrylic cut down, so I can handle it and try to make a case.  All suggestions appreciated . the dimension grew on me so i need sheets about 24 3/8 to fit around the diorama....  bummer   

 

jon 

[Jond]

Post 33

 

Get ready for the cover.

 

I paid a lot for the glass box that covers Bowdoin.   I wanted to try to make my own box this time.   I made a silly mistake on day one of this project.  I had a perfect 24” by 24” piece of plywood for the base.   I should had cut it down to 23.5” by 23.5”  but was not thinking about a cover at that time.   If you go to Lowes/H depot everything is for 24 inches.  I needed four sides at or just under 24.5 and a square top at 24.5 both ways.

 

While at Lowes, a nice guy helped me out.  He had a left-over piece of acrylic at 44 by 28 that we cut into two-piece 24.5 square and 16 by 28.   He then said only Lexan comes 36 by 48.  We cut it into three strips of 16 inch so I could make the other three sides

 

No if you think about this there is a problem if you want to connect parts by solvent welding.    How do you connect Lexan to acrylic?     We talked about it, and I read some about it and settled on a tube of Loctite super glue.  Before we get there, we have few more steps to follow

 

• 276 I needed a seat to receive the box, so another trim piece is added to the bottom
• 277 that new section needs to be painted out to black for underground or blue green for water.

 

Fix the crew

• 278 one of our guys lost his hand.  I drilled and put in a wire frame
• 279 I shaped a new hand in sculpy.  I did not think it wise to put this guy in the oven, so I coated it with very thin AC
• 280 after a little peach paint we are all good
•  
• 281 our painter needs a bucket.   I chose to machine out a dowel, like I made gas barrels before. 
• 282 here the little bucket of black paint and a paint brush complete the scene.
• 283 finally we need an adze for the spar maker. I put a thin brass rod into his hands, stuck on a flat end for the tool. I then wrapped the brass with tape to get the right thickness.   What is fun is making all this up as we go. also I see in this photo I need top be sure I painted the blue tape.

 

Now the box

• 284 here we are gluing it up.  After using a concrete block to hold the sides vertical with the first application of super glue, I came back and ran a fillet on the inside of each joint.  This stuff is only about 1/8” thick and a bit flexible.  We’ll see how it goes. At least it won’t hurt anyone if they hit it.
• 285   here we are…amazing it fits
• 286  I should have asked for help as things fell over .  now it is shaky to take if off.  I will wait till be are closer to the showing before removing all the protection. 

 

cheers

[G.L.]

11 hours ago, Jond said:

 one of our guys lost his hand.  I drilled and put in a wire frame I shaped a new hand in sculpy.  

You're not only a fine modeler, but also a skilled surgeon!

Nice work with the box.

 

[Jond]

thank you G L   

 

I know some one who makes complete figures with wire and sculpy or other similar materials.  My attempt was a disaster, so I have bought figures.  I am working now at very small scale and may try..wee'll see

 

cheers  and thanks for dropping in

 

     

[Jond]

I just wanted to conclude this story with a picture in the Windjammer's Emporium museum store in Boothbay Harbor Maine . She is sitting beside last year's project of the 1924 Bowdoin diorama we built last year. come see them

 

cheers 

 

 

 

[jlefever]

A really sweet project, Sorry I hadn't found it earlier.

 

Jim