Mayflower by SkerryAmp - Model Shipways - 5/32" = 1'

[SkerryAmp]

Glad to hear you are on the mend Adam.

Foremast looks nice. Feels good to start making her tall, huh?

Usually, all I can think of at that point is " one step closer to rat lines".... Ha ha

 

Cheers

 

Thank you sir, and yep.. that is exactly what I am thinking

 

Great to hear you're feeling well enough to get back to it.

 

Yup.....there's not much more frightening than breaking out the old 1/2" drill on a 5/32" scale ship model.

 

Don't sweat the ratlines.  Master the knot and don't let the rats pull in the shrouds.  Take your time.  Just a bit of swag is a good thing.

Thanks Augie,  I keep telling myself ratlines are just another project but boy if isn't daunting - I see such awesome jobs on them and just get shaky thinking about it - but I will overcome and adapt!

 

Hi Adam,

Nice to hear that you're healthy enough to get back in the shop.   I quite agree about drilling holes.. a white-knuckle trip for sure.  I hope you have the holes already drilled in the keel .. or will you mount it some other way.

 

Thanks Mark,  nope, no holes in this keel - going to build a cradle, the little pedestals just seem to tempting to fall over. So some good solid cradle work will make me feel comfy

 

Ouch on the calf.  I did kick-boxing for a number of years until I reached the age that I spent more time trying to heal than staying in shape...

Glad to see you back in the shop. 

Personally, I plan to distance myself from any sharp objects tomorrow night, hope I won't need a blood-pressure cuff. ..  GO PATS!!

Oh hex don't know it.  Getting ready to settle in with some pizza and get comfortable on the edge of the lazyboy. Not planning on a relaxing night but hopefully the boys can pull it off! (I think they have a good shot at it)

[DCIronfist]

Guess your shot panned out congratulations on your teams super bowl victory.

[gerty]

Glad you're feeling better Adam !   The Pats win should of helped with the rehab -- What a game ...and finish !  YaHOOOOO!!.

 

Great to see a pic of your terrific work - lookin' good !

[popeye the sailor]

kinda surprising that the mast holes weren't already drilled {I get some of my best detail bits this way}   glad to see your up and about!

[SkerryAmp]

So, spent some time at the bench - boy did that feel good!

 

When we last left our hero there was a mast!!

 

Wish I could say something profound or had some really cool step by step things to share but was so happy to be working with wood again just went to it and now we have...

 

3....3 masts  ah ha ha ha ha

 

Of course it wouldn't be back to business as usual without an injury - first day back at the bench and got my thumb with the xacto - OUCHIE...but hey,  finished them masts!!!!

 

 

[mtaylor]

It's great to see you back at the bench, Adam.   Mayflower is looking great.  As for the blood.. as long as it's nothing serious requiring stitches, that ok.  I think every ship that's ever been built has DNA on it somewhere.

[texxn5]

Hi Adam, I just got to catch up on your log. I've seen the Mayflower several times over the years....your's looks better than the real thing. Nice job. Glad to see they're restoring it during the off seasons at Mystic Seaport. The ship was starting to look pretty ragged. Look forward to you joining The Morgan Club someday.

John

[SkerryAmp]

It's great to see you back at the bench, Adam.   Mayflower is looking great.  As for the blood.. as long as it's nothing serious requiring stitches, that ok.  I think every ship that's ever been built has DNA on it somewhere.

 

Thanks Mark,  yeah - I kind of considered the cut a "Welcome Back" present - a quick reminder of what was to come

 

Hi Adam, I just got to catch up on your log. I've seen the Mayflower several times over the years....your's looks better than the real thing. Nice job. Glad to see they're restoring it during the off seasons at Mystic Seaport. The ship was starting to look pretty ragged. Look forward to you joining The Morgan Club someday.

John

 

Thanks John,  I am looking forward to the Morgan - visiting the ship was a great experience since the only ship I have been on is the Mayflower (that I can remember that is). I was on the Conny when I was very young so don't remember much of anything,  strange thing is the Conny is closer to me and still have not made it back down.   The Morgan though looks VERY interesting now, ahem - once my current armada is caught up that is!

[popeye the sailor]

'tis just a scratch.........just a reminder to follow protocol....      good to see some progress my friend!  she's really looking good 

[SkerryAmp]

'tis just a scratch.........just a reminder to follow protocol....       good to see some progress my friend!  she's really looking good 

 

Thank you sir!  It was indeed just a scratch - have had and am sure will have worse - I am a klutz after all!!!

[SkerryAmp]

Just a small update - we have deadeyes and chains all ready and waiting for their shrouds at which point I will anchor the chains into position, right now they are just kind of dangling a bit - however a bit of other rigging work before we get to the actual shrouds, but the eyes and chains came out pretty well.  Let me tell ya though, them channels were ooooooh so fragile - snapped 2 off while reforming the grooves to take the chains.

 

All ended well though!!

 

 

 

Thanks as always for stopping in,  more to come shortly!

 

(The masts are in place and drying overnight, then MORE RIGGING! )

[donrobinson]

Very sharp looking boat, you are doing a great job. I'm at about the same stage with my Mayflower and am looking forward to seeing your rigging being done

[usedtosail]

Adam, your Mayflower is looking great.

[SawdustDave]

Sorry I lost track of your Mayflower build Adam. Beautiful job.

Dave

[SkerryAmp]

Very sharp looking boat, you are doing a great job. I'm at about the same stage with my Mayflower and am looking forward to seeing your rigging being done

 

Thanks Don - appreciate that!  Am about to start posting pics of the rigging - I am certainly not an expert in rigging.... a LOT to learn and practice, but am doing my best =)

 

Adam, your Mayflower is looking great.

 

Thank you Tom!

Sorry I lost track of your Mayflower build Adam. Beautiful job.

Dave

 

No problem Dave, I lost track of my work bench for the majority of a year with school so - not much to have missed.  That is changing though =)

[SkerryAmp]

So, I read and read and re read and re read the booklet - then stared, and stared some more and stared more at the plans - then decided what the heck, HOW bad can I possibly make it...

 

Started laying rope!

 

So far only have done the 3 collars (Fore, Mizzen and Main), 2 Mizzen shrouds and the Mizzen stay.   MUCH different than the rigging on the phantom - am trying to master tweezers, forceps, clamps, pokers, pryers, picks and needle threaders all without htting the deck like Godzilla through downtown.  NOT easy.   Have had to reattach two channels and the upper bell railing so far - ugh.

 

Anywho,  the one common thing with the phantom is as the rope starts to go on it starts to look more and more ship like and kind of rekindles a bit of excitement in nearing the finish line.

 

I still have MUCH to practice and learn with regards to knots and servings and getting things lined up - but I keep trying to remind myself this is only my second model! Sometimes it helps - other times,  these strings can be frustrating!!!      But, it is on it's way.  This one will be better than my first one - not as good as the next one and a step on the way to the best one!!

 

 

 

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to stop by - more on the way !!!

 

Enjoy and happy modeling!!

 

 

[mtaylor]

It's great to see you back at it, Adam.  In some ways this hobby is like riding a bicycle.  You may not have done it for awhile, and you fall off the bike a few times, but you get yourself back on and then there's that magical moment.. it'll comes back and everything comes together. 

[donrobinson]

Real good start Adam, I'll be here cheering you on.

[SkerryAmp]

It's great to see you back at it, Adam.  In some ways this hobby is like riding a bicycle.  You may not have done it for awhile, and you fall off the bike a few times, but you get yourself back on and then there's that magical moment.. it'll comes back and everything comes together. 

 

Thanks Mark, while I keep having visions of me tangled in string glued to various fingers as I move forward - it is indeed great to be moving forward and getting progress.   The bike is a perfect analogy, when I first broke it back out I did kind of stare at it like "what the heck was I doing?!?!?!?!"   Then - it came back hehe....  onwards and upwards!!

 

Real good start Adam, I'll be here cheering you on.

 

Thanks Don - looking forward to getting more ropes and itty bitty bits attached - stuck at work, but I know what I am doing when I get home hehehe!!

[augie]

Way to go, mate.  Those tools will become a part of your hand in time.

[SkerryAmp]

Way to go, mate.  Those tools will become a part of your hand in time.

 

Thanks Augie - they are starting to,  just got to keep the xacto from being IN my hand and just a part of it hehehehehe   

[Canute]

Nicely done, Adam. Tools need to become extensions of our hands, so we don't have to continuously think about them.

[trippwj]

What they said, Adam. I hear tell that CA judiciously applied aids in becoming one with the tools......

[riverboat]

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY"Adam 

 

Frank

[SkerryAmp]

(Returning Preamble)

Whew.  Hey all.

 

I am not sure what protocol or etiquette is for continuing a build log after a very long hiatus.  I feel the need to explain my absence though, so whether necessary or not here goes.

 

It has been one heck of a year.  Shortly before my last updates here I was beginning to venture into a new career as well as getting involved in Muay Thai Kickboxing.  The first, for security the second for health reasons.   That, very quickly, became my life for the last year.   If the admiral and I were not going to the gym or sparring I was dug deep into code projects and work related things.  It pretty much consumed my world and thus my time.  Combine that with a bit of frustration and a disheartening event with the mayflower and well - a building hiatus ensued.

My career seems to be going well at the moment (hopefully I did not just jinx myself) and I have evened out on the learning curve. The Kickboxing has hit a nice groove with a nice schedule that we have fallen into.  This has, luckily for me, freed up some time and let me return to my other loves - writing, playing guitar and building these wonderful wooden vessels.

I popped back on shortly before Christmas to get caught up.  Am amazed, as always, at the progress of several projects and all the new ventures I saw.  As I searched for updates on some of you guys I sadly came across the news of Augie.  That took me back a bit - so sorry to hear that (even though I am late to the news).

Well, after re-evaluating my process and goals with building ships I am getting back to it.  I sort of have a very high bar set for myself which did lend itself to frustrations with my various builds.  I have decided to put that to the side.  After all, I am far from an expert - heck barely out of novice really - so my ships will be as good as I can do them with the skills i have.  Each ship will get better and my skills will grow - and that will do just fine =)

So - if there my seat at the table is still around here some place - I think I will get back to building =)

Good to see you all again!

(Since I have many build logs going, this will be CnP'd to the my first post across all of them - sorry for the repetition).

With regards to this build log - well, the Mayflower build ran into a bit of trouble when I last left it.  I damaged some deadeyes trying to rig the ship and could not come up with a good solution for fixing it.  Still can't really.  So, until I solve for that I will be focusing on the other builds I have going for now.  Specifically the Santa Maria the moment - which I will be updating in a moment.

 

Hopefully progress there will help build some confidence in repairing the Mayflower and I can finish her up!

 

Again, glad to see you all again - missed ya'll quite a bit and am glad to be able to return and look forward to a nice solid year of modeling!

 

Enjoy!

 

[Tigersteve]

Glad to see you back! There aren't enough Mayflower logs to follow. I have this kit on my shelf for my third build. Look forward to your progress.

Steve

[SawdustDave]

Looking good Adam..... rat lines are right around the corner!    

The Styrofoam board make s a nice background, huh?

 

Good to see you back at work mate.

 

Happy new year!

[SkerryAmp]

Glad to see you back! There aren't enough Mayflower logs to follow. I have this kit on my shelf for my third build. Look forward to your progress.

Steve

 

Thank you!  I will be back to the Mayflower once I get an idea of how to fix my issues.   I am slowly coming to the realization I may have to take some parts off and rebuild  and well - that terrifies me! LOL

 

Looking good Adam..... rat lines are right around the corner!    

 

The Styrofoam board make s a nice background, huh?

 

Good to see you back at work mate.

 

Happy new year!

 

I do like the white back ground - I am not sure where it went so for now people get to see my messy desk.

 

As for ratlines - EEEEK!   Trying to scare me off already! =)

[popeye the sailor]

they're not too bad Adam........I finally broke down and made up a jig for them.   now I can't wait to get the Half Moon back on the table.   hope to see your off and runn'in soon  

[SkerryAmp]

they're not too bad Adam........I finally broke down and made up a jig for them.   now I can't wait to get the Half Moon back on the table.   hope to see your off and runn'in soon  

 

I think I have a plan for them when the time comes.  I hope I have a plan. Well I definitely have A plan, whether it is a good plan or not - it is at least.... a plan