Clotilda by popeye the sailor - Steingraeber - 1:60 scale - slave ship - modified Agilis kit

[jct]

Man your gonna add sails too...are you gonna sew um and all that??

[Retired guy]

Coming along brilliantly Dennis 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[popeye the sailor]

I wonder how petrified wood burns?......or does it?   

 

so far......yes,  sails are in the plan.  haven't used the sewing machine for some time though....might need another reminder where the gears are    by the way.......did you use a lot of the original wood for your model?  I seem to detect a problem occurring with the second hull.  I should get the Agilis log going......I can better explain it there.

 

thanks Richard  

[popeye the sailor]

made a tiny bit of progress yesterday....I worked on the second hull.   added some deck beams for the fore deck...

also drilled the anchor hawse holes.  I used eyelets to trim them out

started to work on the cabins......haven't gotten too far on them.  should have them for the next update.

[md1400cs]

Denis, 

Went back and did some catching up - nice project - also very much like your choice of wood for the deck.

[jct]

I used what I could manage to rip down, all of the deck is kit supplied oak, rub strake,  the trestle and cross trees, and some other small bits here and there.   Used a bit of the pine/fir for paneling in the fwd hold.  All else is from the spares box

[popeye the sailor]

hello Michael......Jct and I are having fun with our project.  I name mine differently though,  but since I'm not using the parts and wood for this ship,  I made another hull with the leftover stuff.  that project,  when I create the log for her,  will be my Agilis project.   so far so good for this one,  though not having a lot to go on.  it will be fine    welcome aboard.......

 

I seem to have developed a delaminating problem with the other frame....so far,  the problem is small and local.   I have taken steps to thwart it........more soon  

[jct]

9 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

developed a delaminating problem

I chased tose for awhile as well...even had some pieces fall apart that were fine when first cut, untrustworthy material

[popeye the sailor]

hi J........yea small problem.....got it sorted out.  I worked on her for a while,  but I kinda got ahead of myself with the transom........boarded it up already.   now planking the counter is going to be a lot harder,  unless I come up with an idea around it.  I got the fore deck figured out on the Clotilda.   now to finish gluing it in place and plank it.  yours is coming along nicely  

[jct]

Thx, I have a tendency to do that myself, it can be a pita

[popeye the sailor]

hello all.......here's another thrilling update while my colleague leaves me in the dust {jealous how yours is coming out J}.  I'm finding that the location of the masts is making it hard to do a good representative of the Clotilda;   the grates are not accurate,  and adding the fore deck and windlass,  there really isn't enough room for the forward cabin.   altering the fore deck will give me enough to have some sort of cabin there,  but it won't be proportionate to the actual ship...........it's like this particular hull is a few feet shorter than the Clotilda.   the build goes forward --->

 

tracing the shape of the bulwark,  I made up the parts that will become the cap rails.   I cut five of them seeing that I have the two hulls....one is an extra.  bundling them all together,  they will be sanded to take down the high spots and make them all look alike.

that is a roll of some demonically rough paper...takes them down in a hurry     first........the inside edge,  then turn the clips around and do the outer edge.   between sessions of sanding,  I was looking and thinking over the fore deck issue.

you can see how much room there is between the fore deck and the mast hole.  I've also thought about running the mast through the cabin roof.......if push comes to shove,  that's what I'll do.   the pieces below the hull are the walls for the aft cabin....I still need to put it together.  I tried earlier,  but it fell apart when I began to sand it....just crumbled in my hands.....the pieces of 1/8 strip glued to the side parts will thwart that from happening again.  arriving with an idea for the windlass,  I finished sanding the cap rails.....this time using finer paper.   they were unbound and fanned out....light brushes with the paper knocked off the residual hairs that the hard sanding left.  dry fitting one.......I was saddened to find that they possessed too much of a curvature and were way out of whack....totally unusable     back to square one  

  cutting another bunch and bundling them up,  sanding commenced again.  these are not as wide as the first batch.    I guess you could call this 'aggravated sanding',  'cuz it didn't take long to bring'em down to shape.

these came out much better.......they will still need to be fine tuned here and there,  but they match the bulwarks.   all I need to make now is the section for the transom.

the first two pictures were taken on the 5th..........these last two were taken today.  amazing what five days will bring     I did more today.........don't have the pictures out of the camera yet,  so there will be another update later.  thanks for look'in in.....thanks for the likes   stay safe 😷

[Retired guy]

Your cap rails have come out great Dennis 👍

 

Regards

Richard

[Jim Lad]

Great stuff, mate!  She continues to look better and better with every post.

 

John

[jct]

The cap rails look great D...she's coming along and looking good...I'm really not that far ahead, considering your still workin'... and building two

[Old Collingwood]

She is coming on a treat denis  - really nice build.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the kind comments Richard and John.   to envision how this vessel looked in her day is tough,  only having one real picture to work from,  but I think I have a good direction to come up with a decent model of her.  today I did a bit more.

 

thanks J.......not really building two at the moment.......still spinn'in my wheels on how to plank the counter.  I laid one plank,  and that one was OK........but I laid another one today,  and right now it's sticking out like a sore thumb.  I gotta remove it and try something else.  as far as the work front goes........two have been confirmed positive in the warehouse,  which is a separate building on the same property.  the shop has seen one driver come in with a fever...but so far has not been confirmed to have it.   they are fools to think that we can work six feet apart ALL the time........and their guidelines {to me} are less than adequate.  if we have a 100 degree temp,  they will send you home and pay you for the day.  your out for three days........if this just an isolated spike and your fine the next day,  you still can't come back...your to rely on your PTO and PPTO to pay yourself.  to compound the issue,  you have to get clearance from Sedwick,  Walmart's care provider....you will need to be tested.  the stumbling block here,  is that you have to have the symptoms to be tested.  now.......if I had the virus,  they would pay me for the time out.........but when we transitioned to the PTO program from what we used to have,  they took our sick time and put it in a sort of limbo.  the only way I can use it,  is if the admiral gets sick,  or I need to be out to care for her........even them I can only use 80 hours of it.........I have all my sick time....all 192 hours of it!  I get it........this is some terrible stuff.........but when I have a manager that treats me like I have the plague,  and I have to comply with their petty rules {even though what I do in the course of the day won't allow it},  and I hear the general manager preach the six feet rule {but if I'm OK with it,  we can be close to one another},  it just tells me that all they care about is keeping the Walmart engine running,  and they don't give a sh__ about me!

    sorry to vent folks......but if I said this to them,  they would tell me to go home {and pay myself}.  they don't hear us and they don't care.  the news I'm hearing is not good,  and everyone know what the problem is........and I'll drop it right here,  because one crazy New Englander doesn't know what goes on in the Ce-ment building *hic*    

 

so.........on with the update     the aft cabin was assembled again........it was given a slanted roof and a companionway.  the portholes were also drilled out and fitted.  I still need to do more to it as well as paint.  as for the fore deck.......seeing that it is in the picture,  I cut out a section for the windlass.  it's still in the planning stage.

  

I got held up for a few moments during all this.......somehow the tube of CA got close to my little hand drill and cemented the mandrills together.   .....had a great time cleaning it out.  so on the deck,  the aft cabin looks like this:

and with the grates 

instead of a tiller,  the Clotilda had a wheelhouse.  that is the next aspect I made......

there's more fleshing out to do back there.......I know it looks a bit bland.   the last thing I did was add to the fore deck..........I didn't get back to it until later.....I did get some ideas of the mechanism  

I don't think it solves the problem,  but it does expose the windlass and its workings.   I will likely run the mast down through the forward cabin to retain its size.   one thing here is I can't do the cap rails until the fore deck is done,  so I will continue to flesh it out and go from there.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks OC  

[Kevin]

she looks brilliant Dennis

[Edwardkenway]

Now she's coming on Denis,  looking really good 👍

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Kevin and Ed........and to all who hit the like button.  I've done a little towards fitting out the mechanix last night..........entered a contest from Eduards {win a free model kit...and what a kit it is}......and solved a problem with my printer in the process.   but hey......what's life without a few chiggers in the armor?  but this is key to continue.  I hope to have more to report today  

 

 

almost forgot:    if anyone goes to the Eduards facebook page on the 17th through the 20th...........please vote for me 🙏    the model kit is a three pack of Fokker planes flown by Ernst Udet in 1:48 scale!  it's a really awesome kit!

Edited April 16, 2020 by popeye the sailor
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[md1400cs]

Denis,

 

Just catching up - to do that with the speed your working at I rented a hydrofoil - nice updates indeed.

[jct]

the deck and steering houses look fine...nice job, I think your representation of the Clotilda is gonna be great overall, sorry to here work is a pita

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Michael.......this is my slow speed   should have seen me when I was younger   

 

thanks J  ........it is what it is........I see both sides.......they gotta run a business,  and I gotta make a buck.  I'm glad that I am able to work through all this.......and I feel the pain of those who can't.  while I do hope that it ends soon,  I don't want to see this come back worse than it started.  I count my lucky stars that I haven't gotten it yet.......I'll do what it takes to make sure it doesn't either.

 

there's an update.......just that the admiral is impatient to stand in a line at the g. store    I'll be back

[jct]

I for one thank you and all the rest for hanging in there...your services are essential to keep the rest of us up to snuff while we trug thru this disaster 

[Old Collingwood]

Indeed  dennis  our best to you and yours, stay safe  keep your immune system  well fed.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks J.......the real heroes though are the health care workers,  nurses and doctors.  some of their stories are really heartbreaking.  they are the front liners..........

 

doing what I can OC..........  

 

update............turned out to be a good session.  M&M has been putt'in out these candy bars that are really big............very,  very,  addictive!   just ate half of it...........must leave it.....ALONE!!!!!!!!!    the session started out with searching for parts to make the windlass mechanism.  I got some of those gears,  but they are too big.........  I looked in my little blue assortment tray rack,  and I found some small plastic gears and a couple pulleys,  from some stuffed toy that had broke a while ago.  fitting them together.......they needed spacers.......again,  searching through the big inventory bin,  one of the bottles had the slices when I was trying to make mast hoops.  in these slices was plastic tube slices.......popped a couple out and added them to the mix.  this works out pretty good.......glued together with CA,  fitting it between the brackets was a perfect fit!  

off to paint it went...........   the portholes were painted gold....I have bronze,  but it was an afterthought.

painted the handles on the ship's wheel,  the aft cabin,  the wheelhouse,  the windlass mechanism,  and planked the roof on the wheel house.  by this time,  the port holes were dry enough to fill in with window maker.

the fore deck was planked and painted...later to have the mechanism fitted in and glued.   the ends were touched up with paint........came out look'in the part  

the aft cabin roof was planked as well.  the portholes were not ready to install.......still need to flesh out the companionway door.

the deck layout is beginning to take shape.  

it was time to go grocery shopping.........we got there,  the line was all the way to the other end of the building!  the new norm is hard to get used to..........it is what it is........hopefully it will end soon   

 

[Jim Lad]

Looking first class, Denis.  Where would we be without our 'bits and pieces' bins? 

 

John

[jct]

Nice progress...sugar high???  Deck layout looks fine

[popeye the sailor]

thanks John.........I really gotta go through all these bins and bottles.....stuff is everywhere!   I've got stuff from other projects that I couldn't bear to toss out.......I've acquired quite an assortment of dead eyes and blocks too.  it would be good to get them all together........organization  

 

life's little pleasures J ........been thinking of doing another M&M boat........perhaps racing this time.   still more for the deck,  but I am pleased how it's look'in so far    as for the second hull.........using that wood is a no go,  so I will continue it with the Obechi.   it's easier to manipulate.   with what I have on there already of that wood,  you can say that it has a built in armor belt   

 

thanks to everyone for the likes.  I appreciate your interest  

Edited April 19, 2020 by popeye the sailor
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[popeye the sailor]

hello all........big doings going on here    I took yesterday off for no other reason,  than Wal Mart showing me that it's not good to save any time off that I accrue.  Monday we had a meeting with the Transportation General Manager.  a question was posed during another meeting about freeing up our sick time to use in the event that the shop had to close down or quarantine.  he said that they would look into it.  he announced that we could use our sick time......and that masks had to be worn at all times while at work,  during this meeting.  several people in the warehouse had the virus and one truck driver is still unconfirmed.  if we elected to take the time off,  it wouldn't be held against our attendance and he's not advocating it,  but wouldn't blame us if we chose to use it.  since the start of the PTO program,  our sick time has been held in limbo.......only to be used should a member of our immediate family { namely our wives} was ill and we had to take care of them.......it would be considered an LOA {leave of absence}.  with the combination of wearing masks,  sanitizing every conceivable surface {even the tools},  and how tough it is to social distance,  I elected to take time off.   two others on my shift decided to do it too....I think the tech 3 is doing it too,  but I didn't ask him.  I have all 192 hours of my sick time......that equates to around five weeks.......the other two only had three weeks of their sick time,  since they used some.  we were ready to do the paperwork needed to sign off on it,  when we were told something that wasn't disclosed earlier........if we used more than two weeks,  our jobs could be posted and we could lose them,  or be displaced {this could result in our being laid off or let go}.  what a kick in the teeth! 

   so,  we all agreed to only take two weeks off.....somehow I knew this was too good to be true...........in the back of my mind,  I still have an uneasy feeling.  sad when one doesn't trust the business one works for    I wasn't shy about telling the manager that the only reason why I'm using it,  was that the sick time was ours to use and it was in bad faith for them to deny us access to it.  if they were going to change the program,  the time should have either been allocated to us in vacation or useable time,  or paid out to us.  it took me almost 15 years to accrue it and maintain it.......to simply take it away from us was poor judgement.   so.......I'm on a two week vacation.......not because of the virus,  but from the constant badgering and bickering of preaching the guidelines.......I think I walk on enough 'eggshells' on a normal work day,  without the virus.  I follow the guidelines.......I know where EVERYONE in my circle has been....I don't need to be scrutinized by work or traced by the government.  I know when to get the hell out of the kitchen   

 

OK.....enough rant.   hey........I got an idea!   how about an update?!?!?!?!  sound like fun?..........hell ya!     the portholes are dry.......and so I super glued them in place.

  

they look kinda 'fish eyed',  but the eyelets are rather deep to facilitate crimping,  so the window maker filled in a little thick.   due to the thickness,  they are not totally dry either {believe it or not},  but they are enough to cement in place.  I'm sure they will not 'shift' due to being in odd positions now.   I've seen how folks solder their brass together to make the fittings they need.......I believe J made up some collars for the bow spirit on his build.  I figured I'd give it a try........I bought this assortment of brass from Micro Mark.

it was in a bag.........I combined it with what I have on hand.  using the measurements from the instructions,  I selected the two dowels that will make up the bow boom and spirit.  with these,  I found the two lengths of brass tubing that will fit them.

the tracing included here is for the other hull.....it will have a fore deck as well.   I ran a number of methods through my head.......cut all the slices and solder.......I decided on simply evening them up,  and clamping them,   so they wouldn't move.  then I ran solder down as far as I could.

  

I have a worn Zona metal miter box that I could use for this next process.   I got the 'El Cheapo' hacksaw form the garage {had to straighten it out.......it was bent}....fitting a new hacksaw blade,  the slices were cut off.  I left the wood dowels in it,  so this wouldn't distort the tubing.   six of them were cut........the wood was punched out,  and then they were cleaned up......filed ID & OD.  I cut two that were thinner than the other four to see what they would look like. 

I can still cut more if I wanted to.......I might just to use it up.  I may also do other sizes and combos,  to build up inventory  

I'm in line to get a haircut as I write this............our barber for the time being is making house calls.  I will do more and report later.   I can spend more time here too    this could be a good thing.....the vacation will be a litmus test to see if {or how much} it will take before the admiral wants to kill me......we will record our findings in preparation for the day when I can retire   

Edited April 22, 2020 by popeye the sailor
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