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

[SkerryAmp]

On to the beakhead!

 

Kind of nice to get off of the hull itself and add a new "feature" to the ship.  Although through the adding and fitting and photo's I am spotting all kinds of little blemishes and "neatness" issues which are reall embarassing and driving me crazy.  Not sure how to clean those up quite yet, but am mulling that over.

 

As to the task at hand!

 

The beakhead has begun,  the Mayflower has been without a face for far too long.

 

The stem knee was a super pain.  Apparently with all the sanding, shaping etc of the hull I drastically messed up the contour so when lining up the stem knee it was way off.  Pointing to the moon!!

 

So, carefully positioning it where was supposed to be and gluing the bottom in place and letting it set allowed me to get it basically into position.  Some creative filling with hobbylite made it look like it was right where it was supposed to be....

 

 

The laser cuts beakhead sides were VERY NICE!!!  Notched the base to go over the upper wale and set them into place.   The stem knee wasn't QUITE as centered as I thought, however luckily getting the sides into place and lined up with the forward part of the stem knee forced everything in place...

 

(that was rude, my wireless keyboard died right in the middle of typing fear not replaced the batteries and back in action. Of course none of you really knew that so I didn't have to share but it was in the flow of thought so decided to bring you all in for the moment )

 

 

 

So, as that dries I now plan and plot my next move....  moving on moving on..

 

 

Thanks all for stopping by ..

 

Enjoy!!

[patrickmil]

That's looking great Adam. I also agree with you... wireless keyboards can be very rude from time to time. I'm still trying to figure out what you were watching in the background.

[popeye the sailor]

your eyes are going to play tricks on you,  you know..........all through the rest of the build,  your going to see things that might not look appealing to you.  it's all part of the process   from one step to another,  you will encounter glue marks.......simply dabbing over them what ever seal coat you've been using,  will hide them quite well.   from where I'm sitting........your doing a fine job!  

 

bravo....that your able to move onto bigger and better things.  

[augie]

Glad to see you off and running adding those details.  Yes, it's funny how all those little dings and 'misses' start to reveal themselves.  Not to worry ... we all find them.  Sorry about your wireless problem.....Marconi might be upset !!!

[SkerryAmp]

Well ladies and gentlemen we are back with another thrilling installment of To Build a Mayflower!!

 

Please hold the applause till the end of the episode, thank you thank you.

 

Have sort of started hitting this project with a bit of a vengeance I guess.   I have a lot of catching up to do (by my own timeline and goals, granted ... it will be done when done yes, but I have gotten far too behind on these projects so....  rawr!!     )

 

I started this last session off by identifying a couple places I could work simultaneously.

 

First, the quarterdeck needed to be put on and the beakhead needs to be finished off.

 

So,  used a scrap of plank to get the stright line used to line up the locations of the bulkheads used to support the quarter deck..

 

 

Drew me a nice straight line  (well, line is straight but those nails don't seem to be any more... good thing there will be a deck over those =( )   By the way, trying to do some close ups... even though I am not comfortable that my work is close up worthy,  I figured I needed to break that comfort zone and put it all out there ( )  Like I have said before,  my ships are 3 ft ships - look at them 3 feet away please

 

 

With a nice straight line I added the bulkhead frames and overhead support beams.  the rear one broke - luckily it is still valueable as a support beam and since it is not seen I could still use it.

 

 

While that was drying nice and solid, I went ahead and added the cross beams to the beakhead.  It was a bit of a bear to cut but with some diligent cutting, recutting and sanding and shaping got them all to fit relatively well.

 

 

Once those were in and they were haivng their turn to dry I returned to the quarterdeck and installed the false deck, rear hatch and grate.  (kind of ugly without the decking and finishing....  luckily it is only temporary )

 

 

That was really driving me nuts so , installed the decking,  cleaned up the hatch and grates,  used a little of the putty that was used on the rest of the ship to weather it a little bit,  then stained it all up! I went over some of the surrouding areas with a little light stain to blend the old and new parts a little, worked out kind of well I think.

 

 

And finally, since i had the stain mixed and ready, went ahead and stained the beakhead.

 

 

I know the instructions suggest doing them all up and then installing them,  I tried and it just wasn't working for me, so installed the beakhead and will dress it all up in place.

 

 

 

You may notice the capstan is not in place.  This is because I am trying to not use the kit supplied white metal one, it is kind of .. well,  it is okay.   I am attempting to scratch build one but after 7 attempts still dont' have it down.   Will get it though, fear not...  I will get it!!!

 

 

So,  thank you again for stopping by all - glad to see folks again.... hope you enjoyed your stay and happy modeling!!!

 

 

 

 

[russ]

Nice work. I like this kit. You are doing a really good job on it.

 

Russ

[trippwj]

Nice work, Adam.

Have fun, as you may recall, is rule 2 on the model builders code of mis-conduct (rule 1 is there are no rules, only guidelines).

As long as you are enjoying, ignore the bugger who tries to make you work to a schedule (even if the bugger is you.)

[augie]

Good to see you back in there, Adam.  She's shaping up very nicely.

 

As far as looking back in time and seeing some 'room for improvement', I do it all the time.  These are long projects.  And when we look back at something we did a year ago, it's almost inevitable that we're going to think 'Gee, that could have been longer/shorter, higher/lower, straighter, lighter/darker '------ you name it!  Look at the positive side........ since you did 'that' you've become more skilled, more critical.  In a word, 'better'.  That's a good thing.  Sometimes, it's worth a 'do-over'.  Other times it's worth a mental or actual note for the 'next time'.  We each have our own levels of tolerance.  And so long as those tolerances get smaller with time, we're on the right road.

 

That's why I always use a slightly oversized display case

[popeye the sailor]

I see you have those two guys on your shoulder as well....hindsight and oversight. it's like a card game really.......hindsight tried to trump oversight, with the woulda....coulda.....shoulda......but just keep on play'in the 'fact of the matter' card.......that'll keep'em in check! instructions are merely that....a guide.

I'd say that there are many of us that have a certain flare, in the way we approach a step.....I myself, have to build it on the ship, so I can see how it's going to look on the model...either that, or I'd end up doing an um-teen number of dry fits

 

you picked up where you left off quite well......both the beakhead and the aft deck came our very nice! matching the stain work can be the hardest part......nicely done.....sweet! wonderful progress, hope to see more of your fine work!

[SkerryAmp]

Nice work. I like this kit. You are doing a really good job on it.

 

Russ

 

Thank you sir!  Appreciate that!

 

 

Nice work, Adam.

Have fun, as you may recall, is rule 2 on the model builders code of mis-conduct (rule 1 is there are no rules, only guidelines).

As long as you are enjoying, ignore the bugger who tries to make you work to a schedule (even if the bugger is you.)

 

I agree Wayne,  fun is the main goal - I do try to ignore that bugger,  but he is a big bugger and stalks me everywhere I go - figured I may as well give in a little bit .  Besides I have a shelf of kits just taunting me after neglecting them for so long and a closet waiting to be gotten to and a wish list the admiral says will stay wishes until the current collection gets a little bit of TLC    (She says that is my motivation to finish them because she wants to see them on the shelf hehehehe)

 

 

Good to see you back in there, Adam.  She's shaping up very nicely.

 

As far as looking back in time and seeing some 'room for improvement', I do it all the time.  These are long projects.  And when we look back at something we did a year ago, it's almost inevitable that we're going to think 'Gee, that could have been longer/shorter, higher/lower, straighter, lighter/darker '------ you name it!  Look at the positive side........ since you did 'that' you've become more skilled, more critical.  In a word, 'better'.  That's a good thing.  Sometimes, it's worth a 'do-over'.  Other times it's worth a mental or actual note for the 'next time'.  We each have our own levels of tolerance.  And so long as those tolerances get smaller with time, we're on the right road.

 

That's why I always use a slightly oversized display case

 

Thanks Augie;  yep - the looking back is sometimes hard though but definitely is fodder for the future!!  The worst for me is when something isn't clicking .. then several steps later after doing the best that can be done it just suddenly (for whatever reason, I think it is the brains way of tormenting us) the mind goes OH YEAH! THAT is how that should have been... .

 

 

I see you have those two guys on your shoulder as well....hindsight and oversight. it's like a card game really.......hindsight tried to trump oversight, with the woulda....coulda.....shoulda......but just keep on play'in the 'fact of the matter' card.......that'll keep'em in check! instructions are merely that....a guide.

I'd say that there are many of us that have a certain flare, in the way we approach a step.....I myself, have to build it on the ship, so I can see how it's going to look on the model...either that, or I'd end up doing an um-teen number of dry fits

 

you picked up where you left off quite well......both the beakhead and the aft deck came our very nice! matching the stain work can be the hardest part......nicely done.....sweet! wonderful progress, hope to see more of your fine work!

 

Ah Dennis, indeed Hindsight, oversight and a little bit of shortsight I am afraid .  I have started to drift from the instructions are law and more of the have to make this pile look like that thing (saw someone mention that in one of the other logs and it resonated quite a bit).  Use the paper and instructions as a guide to do that!    I do have to get better with the dry fits, i sometimes get a little overconfident   

 

The stain was a bit of a worry, I had a batch mixed from the start but enough time passed that it dried up   and matching it was a bit of a chore, but I was lucky - I remembered the ratio !

 

 

And yep, there is more coming... tonight will be more of the beakhead (if I can find my grating material) and more deck fittings (rails, etc).

[popeye the sailor]

I know what you mean........I'm on my second month of no work at the Wharf. had too much B.S. going on around here to concentrate. I've even resorted to building a plastic car model to jump start myself. I've had this idea in my head though......perhaps I should give in......maybe that's what is mess'in me up {I was like this when I did the Gundalow}

 

to drift from the plans isn't a bad thing.....especially if you see something that doesn't look right, and research tells you so. dry fitting is quite useful, once the basic shell of what your working on is already there. I like your way of doing the beakhead......on the Half Moon, I did it the other way around. your still on the right track......as with all builds and kits.......have fun with it

Edited August 21, 2014 by popeye the sailor

[md1400cs]

Adam,

 

I just happened onto your build. Hmmmm beautiful, super scaled detailing, lovely paint work. Very nice project.

 

Regards,

 

Michael

[SkerryAmp]

I know what you mean........I'm on my second month of no work at the Wharf. had too much B.S. going on around here to concentrate. I've even resorted to building a plastic car model to jump start myself. I've had this idea in my head though......perhaps I should give in......maybe that's what is mess'in me up {I was like this when I did the Gundalow}

 

to drift from the plans isn't a bad thing.....especially if you see something that doesn't look right, and research tells you so. dry fitting is quite useful, once the basic shell of what your working on is already there. I like your way of doing the beakhead......on the Half Moon, I did it the other way around. your still on the right track......as with all builds and kits.......have fun with it

 

I was just thinking that I couldn't find anything recent from ya - started poking around to see if I missed a new one or something .  If it is an idea in your head, your track record says you really should give in - I am sure it is amazing!!!

[SkerryAmp]

Adam,

 

I just happened onto your build. Hmmmm beautiful, super scaled detailing, lovely paint work. Very nice project.

 

Regards,

 

Michael

 

Thanks Michael, appreaciate the good word and stopping by,  feel free to pull up a chair and pop in some more (just watch out for that Sjors fellow, he will steal your pop corn!) 

[SkerryAmp]

As promised back with yet another fun filled episode!  (Although a little shorter this time).

 

My goal was to work the beakhead up,  however I seem to have run short on grating material.  So, I did what I could.   I finished up the inner stanchions which finishes out the framing of the beak head.

 

 

 

There is a grate that goes in near the middle of the beakhead so I did rough out the frame for that. And that is set aside and drying.

 

I then realized it was time to start working the pin racks and kelves(?).   Which meant I would need pins, which means.... (trumpet blare) TIME FOR BLACKENING!    Not sure why blackening is so cool to me, but it is so look forward to this activity.

 

Decided since i was doing the belaying pins that I would blacken everything else that would eventually need it.   Cleats, Parrel Beads, Belaying Pins and Chain, ALL went into the solution.

 

 

The solution is a 60/40 Water to Blackenit.  I threw the parts in all together and set aside to do it's thing.

 

In the meantime I installed the rear stanchions (which I had forgotten) and the first pin rail.

 

 

While that all dried I moved over to the Santa Maria to do a little work there.

 

Will post back here shortly with the blackening update  once i update the Santa Maria build log.

 

Enjoy!!

 

[russ]

Adam:

It looks good. Keep at it. Little by little she is coming together.

 

Russ

[SkerryAmp]

Thanks Russ,  every little bit counts right?  Each part, no matter how little is one less step to do tomorrow

[SkerryAmp]

So, finished up the build log entry on the Santa Maria and am back here a moment to post the results of the blackening. 

 

I think I like it.

 

The cleats are White Metal, which usually (for me anyway) come out a wierd brown,  however this time around .... 

 

 

Not to shabby!

 

The belaying pins and parrel beads are brass parts which always tend to blacken well,  in this case they came out a mix of shades of browns, blacks and brown/blacks.  I like the variety, will actually make it nice to mix them up a bit for effect.

 

 

 

The one I was actuallly most impressed with, mainly because I had no idea what to expect, was the chain.  I have never "blackened" copper before so this was purely for my own experimentation.  What i got wasn't black, but was a rusty, brown/black.. what looks like super weathered chain.

 

I am happy with it!  Curious what others think.

 

 

 

I am wondering if it was the mixing of materials in the same batch that gave the results I got. I usually do one type or one part at a time,  this time I just threw them all in at once and soaked them for about an hour and a half or so.  The results are just different from my normal results and my expectation sthat I am curious.  

 

Enjoy!

 

 

[russ]

The blackening looks good. I am not sure if the mixed materials approach gave you the finish that you achieved. I usually blacken brass, however I have done it with aluminum and copper, but never together.

 

Russ

[augie]

Ah, you're a chemist at heart.  I usually do different materials separately but I'm not sure it makes a difference.  I think you'll find the finishes will change slightly over a week or two. 

 

It's all a personal preference.  I like a slightly 'weathered' / used look as opposed to a painted finish on these type of parts.  Not on cannon though.  I particularly like your pins and chain.  You can always give them a second treatment if you like.

 

As always, make sure you've rinsed the blackened parts thoroughly to stop the reaction and be careful not to have them rubbing against one another whilst waiting for deployment.

 

Good stuff!

[popeye the sailor]

looks super Adam........I'm not a blackening sort of fella, but you done a sweet job of it! gonna look nice on the build

[lamarvalley]

Looks good Adam.

Chemistry ain't my thing.. I get it but don't get it if you know what I mean. I like the black but for me it was always a case of hit and miss… some went coal black and others only went gray… could be how well I cleaned the part, could be the metal, time frame… don't really know but I got what I got…  

[DCIronfist]

Looking great. I do like the chain very much.

[SkerryAmp]

The blackening looks good. I am not sure if the mixed materials approach gave you the finish that you achieved. I usually blacken brass, however I have done it with aluminum and copper, but never together.

 

Russ

 

Yeah, I am not sure either - was more of a "huh" moment .  Most likely it was just how it went.  The copper was new to me, I really had no idea what to expect,  but it seemed to work out quite well.    You mentioned doing it with aluminum? Does that blacken as well?

 

 

Ah, you're a chemist at heart.  I usually do different materials separately but I'm not sure it makes a difference.  I think you'll find the finishes will change slightly over a week or two. 

 

It's all a personal preference.  I like a slightly 'weathered' / used look as opposed to a painted finish on these type of parts.  Not on cannon though.  I particularly like your pins and chain.  You can always give them a second treatment if you like.

 

As always, make sure you've rinsed the blackened parts thoroughly to stop the reaction and be careful not to have them rubbing against one another whilst waiting for deployment.

 

Good stuff!

 

Maybe a mad chemist but that is about as far as I can claim,  I am definately going to do another round I think, I am used to them changing color a bit over time but they already have started lightening up so am hoping another bath will darken up better and have a bit more staying power.

 

looks super Adam........I'm not a blackening sort of fella, but you done a sweet job of it! gonna look nice on the build

 

Thank you sir!  I have tried painting in the past but never can get a nice clean finish, always too thick.  I got turned onto blackening from back in my model train days

 

Looks good Adam.

Chemistry ain't my thing.. I get it but don't get it if you know what I mean. I like the black but for me it was always a case of hit and miss… some went coal black and others only went gray… could be how well I cleaned the part, could be the metal, time frame… don't really know but I got what I got…  

 

 

That is pretty much my experience as well, usually another bath or a quick sealer has preserved it for me.  This batch already is lightening up on me, so I need to soak em again I think.

 

Looking great. I do like the chain very much.

 

Thank you DC,  appreciate that. I was quite pleased with the chain as well, pleasant surprise since I didn't know what was going to happen

[russ]

Adam:

I have blackened aircraft grade aluminum and it went pretty well. It was a large piece so it took some time and a few times in the solution to get the color deep enough for my taste.

 

Russ

Edited August 23, 2014 by russ

[SkerryAmp]

So tonight was spent doing a lot of hemming and hawing over the Kevels.   I am not all that comfortable scratching stuff yet, heck I still can't get the gersh-dern capstan right (am on attempt number 15 I think on that one).

 

But in the end,  I looked at the cast metal Kevels and decided I would take a crack at it.  Even painted up I felt they just wouldn't fit the ship well but stand out as "metal".  I am sure others can paint simulated wood, and I would love to learn - but decided to take a crack at scratching up some replacements out of some spare wood I have laying around.

 

So,  here is what they look like out of the kit. Not bad really,  cleaned up and painted right i am sure they are fantastic!  But,  like I said,  wanted to at least try getting some wood ones in there...

 

 

So, started by rough cutting some strips and creating the basic V shape.

 

 

That didn't go too badly, started to get some hope .   So, went ahead and trimmed them all down to about the right size based on the metal castings supplied with the kit.

 

 

So far so good!   Once those dried I found some stock to make the cross member and then used the trimmings from resizing them to make the ends of the posts.

 

 

Starting to think this may actually work out

 

Finally, once those were pretty well dried I wanted to stain them up. The first one I tried was so delicate that applying the stain caused me great pain. So rebuilt the one I wrecked trying to stain and decided to try dipping them! 

 

 

Well what do you know!  It worked!    Granted, they are not perfect, but they are usable (I think).  They will definitely look better once in place. 

 

That will be tomorrow night!

[SkerryAmp]

Adam:

I have blackened aircraft grade aluminum and it went pretty well. It was a large piece so it took some time and a few times in the solution to get the color deep enough for my taste.

 

Russ

 

Excellent!  Good to know,  thank you!

[russ]

Your kevels look very good. Nice work and a decided improvement on the kit parts.

 

Russ

[DCIronfist]

Look at you practically a scratch builder. Kevels look awesome :)

[augie]

Kevels look great!  I see the dark side coming!