HMS Victory by Bill97 - FINISHED - Heller - 1/100 - PLASTIC

[Kevin-the-lubber]

I have a feeling the smallest I sent you, Bill, were 4mm, plus some at 5.5mm and 7.5mm. I'm not sure if used McKay's p.114/115 as the reference but even if I didn't, the 4mm would correspond to the yard tackles (H11 - 15"). The 7.5's roughly correspond to jeer blocks (H12) and the 5.5's don't correspond to anything (!), they were just a halfway house and for that matter making these was mostly just a random break from what by then had become the tedium of modelling the stern. I think I tried making the 10" common blocks (H19) at either 2mm or 2.5mm but may have struggled with the printing, though I'm not sure now why that would have been a problem, I'm printing equally thin sections these days without any issues.

 

[Bill97]

You aren’t a thorn Marc. It is a hobby I love without a goal of a completion date. Of course you guys are in my head now. As the wife is pulling a driving shift I am contemplating the best way to cleanly remove  the already installed wood blocks on the yards. Unfortunately I applied a small drop of CA glue to the thread of each to hold in place. Also contemplating the easiest way to paint a bunch of the printed blocks I got from Kevin. Probably run a thin wire through a sleeve of them then put in my air brush little tent. There are a few places that I have already used the same wood blocks that I will most likely just leave as is since they are permanently affixed now (ex. Some of the stays at the channels and deck, and rigging at the bowsprit).

[Dave_E]

Your choice of CA is not a bad one. Step back 3’ and if you cannot easily detect the issue at hand (and you have the eye for it)… standardize from this moment forward if you wish. My .02 for what it’s worth. The ship is beautiful at this point! 👍😀

[Kevin-the-lubber]

I don't think you'll regret that Bill - the ship is so lovely so far and, like Marc says, you might kick yourself otherwise down the line. Two of many things I've experimented with in recent months, from this forum, are acetone for removing CA and matt nail varnish for sealing/glueing rope ends. Both of which are readily available from any cosmetics counter. I've used the acetone a fair bit as it's also good for cleaning brushes if I forget to do this straight away and it certainly strips CA (and paint). I've only tried the nail varnish on a test run of the serving machine but it does seem to do the job, just not quite as quickly as CA, and of course it's virtually invisible.

 

Painting those blocks is going to be a bit of a chore. Has to be done though, not just for the cosmetics but because the resin will gradually degrade with repeated exposure to UV light. Don't worry, you won't wake up next week to find a pile of dust and loose string, I have stuff sat on my windowsill for 18 months without any evidence of change so I think we're talking years and years.

[Bill97]

Yeah Kevin, me an acetone have become close friends during this build. 
If I am understanding your recommendation Dave, you are saying step back a few feet and look at my ship as is. If I am not to bothered by how it looks leave it as is and use it the correct blocks from this point forward. 
 

That is tempting as well. Will lay in the sun on the beach this week and contemplate the time continuum and the blocks on my ship. When I get home next week who knows what I will have discovered about the universe. 

[Dave_E]

Now your talkin! 😎

[Kevin-the-lubber]

54 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

me an acetone have become close friends during this build

That made me laugh. Perverse as it may seem, I have also developed a fondness for acetone over recent weeks; it means I'm far enough along to be slapping my forehead almost daily at my stupidity, unsticking whatever it was that I've stuffed up, doing it right or better, and then moving on to make the next mistake. I've been painting the hull for the last couple of days. Jeepers but that's a trial of patience and perseverance. I don't know how some people, you included, breezily announce that you painted yours 'today' as though this is just a 'by the way' thing. I could be on it for weeks, maybe even months! My wife poked her head in the workshop this afternoon, looked at the ship, looked at my wobbly hand, opened her mouth to say something 'helpful', looked at my face, and beat a hasty, silent retreat. If you learn anything in a marriage, it's that some things are best left unsaid.

 

Anyway, have a good week.

[Hubac's Historian]

Kevin - I feel your pain.  Take your sweet, sweet time.  You will never regret it.

[Bill97]

Funny story Kevin. I have recently been tossing hints at my wife that I would love to build a table to set my Victory case on in the living room. After the amount of time I have spent on it and my pride in it, I want to show it off. Not just be in my ship room. She gives me unconvinced looks. 

[Bill97]

Ian I even showed her the picture you posted of your’s on the table. I may convince her. If I get my blocks straight that is. 😊

[Bill97]

A mistake I guess I made was mixing wood blocks and printed blocks. A lesson I learned for when I build my Soleli Royal. I started out early using the Heller provided blocks. As you all know rigging them versus the wood blocks are a little more difficult because of the absence of the groove around the exterior. I decided to order wooden blocks because I really like the look of the wood and they are easier to rig. As a cost savings I decided to use the wood blocks in the more visible applications and the painted printed blocks (Heller and Kevin) in places not as visible but still functional for the rigging. Thought no one would really notice or question the combination. Now that I am pass the point of no return (not going back and removing a bunch of previously installed blocks of either type in order to be uniform) I must decide which type to use going forward. Obviously the printed blocks are more to scale. Will practice painting the printed ones to see if I can get a good wood look. 

[Bill97]

So then naval ships graduated. USS Yorktown!

[Dave_E]

NICE! I think Ive seen every plane on that deck in action except one. 😀

[Bill97]

Contemplating the space time continuum and the size of my blocks 🤔. Which is easier to decipher?

Maybe a little kayaking with playful dolphins later today will open my eyes to the meaning of life😀

Edited June 6, 2022 by Bill97

[Dave_E]

I’d be fibbing if I said I wouldn’t want to be in your (flip flops) about now. 😎

[Kevin-the-lubber]

47 minutes ago, Dave_E said:

I’d be fibbing if I said I wouldn’t want to be in your (flip flops) about now

Me too. I sometimes wonder why I'm doing this as I know already that I'll retire in another year or so and go straight from doing that full time to this full time, and still be looking forward to holidays! Looks very nice Bill, I can feel that soft, warm breeze even from here.

[Hubac's Historian]

I am 13 1/2 interminable years away from retirement.  My personal life is just ripping by, but work feels like time has just stopped.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

It speeds up once the finishing line is in sight.

[Hubac's Historian]

Man, I hope so!

[Dave_E]

See what happens Bill, you put your feet in the picture and your ship building thread got highjacked with vacation and retirement talk. 😂

[Hubac's Historian]

Yeah, sorry about that, Bill.

[Bill97]

Oh no guys, you can’t see them but in the photo I am holding a printed block and a wood block. I brought them with me to study the pros and cons of each 😊. So there is still ship building involved. Grandsons digging in the sand and demanding my engineering skills interrupted my deliberation. 
 

I retired in 2010 after my youngest graduated from college. Just passed my 12 year anniversary this past March. Turn 70 this August. Worked all the years my 3 kids were growing up and, as I am sure most of you identify with, missed a lot of their events. When the grandkids started coming I decided I was not going to miss their growing up. Even though there was an income adjustment, as there is for everyone, I decided to take the leap. All my retired friends told me “once you make the decision don’t second guess and don’t look back”.  I have never regretted my decision. Had I continued working until today I would have a much larger savings account but no way I would have the countless memories I have been able to share with the 7 grand kids that call me Papaw!  I so highly recommend when you personally and financially can. 

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Bill97

[Dave_E]

Sweet Bill! Thank you for sharing Brother! 👍😎

[dafi]

On 6/5/2022 at 3:25 PM, Bill97 said:

Will practice painting the printed ones to see if I can get a good wood look. 

Hello Bill,

 

I do not know the color of the printed blocks, but if they are black I just applied a light-brown drybrush on them. It looked much better than a complete coat as the coöor has a bit of variances, just like the wooden ones do.

 

All the best, DAniel

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by dafi

[Bill97]

Thanks Daniel. The Heller blocks are black. Kevin’s are a light blue maybe, and the wood blocks are a natural wood color. Maybe if I switch to the correct size printed blocks, painted a satisfying color, I can get by carefully hitting a drop or two of the same color on the wood blocks I have installed other places that are permanent now. The camouflage of the matching colors should make the wood still in the rigging less noticeable. I used the wood blocks for the backstay applications that required blocks instead of deadeyes on the channels. My deadeyes are wood and I have the blocks matching almost perfectly. I also have all my stays and backstays correctly tightened to where my mast are perfectly vertical. Those I am just going to live with as well as a number of blocks in the bowsprit area. 

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Mine in the raw are a medium grey. I usually just buy grey resin because it's great for seeing detail and is usually the cheapest. I've been thinking about this lately, whether to get some brown resin, but up until now figured they'd still need painting so why bother. But a light dry brush of a different brown sounds quick and easy. 

 

 

[Bill97]

Kevin is that the color of the ones you sent me?  I don’t have them with me. 

[Bill97]

Let’s see, this appears to be the perfect color! 😊

Edited June 7, 2022 by Bill97

[Veszett Roka]

Thats life Bill! Happy holidays, keep the grandsons entertained and enjoy the sea!

[Bill97]

Thanks Veszett. The age difference energy level is amazing. They don’t stop. Took them kayaking on an inter waterway and thought I was going to have to tie a rope to theirs so they could pull me along! Wow!