Nonsuch 30 by bobandlucy - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:24

[bobandlucy]

Painted the topsides white. . .

 

 

 

[BobG]

Looks great!

[GGibson]

Looking really sharp, Bob! Love how that topside looks in all white right now.  Nice clean look!  Great job.

 

Saw that the Nonsuch is featured in the latest NRG issue, but haven't looked at it yet.  

[druxey]

Looking like a Nonsuch!

[bobandlucy]

Thanks guys, for the nice comments.

 

Outfitted the boom and mast with the required fittings. There seem to be minor discrepancies between the manuals' text and the plans, and between the plans and the rigging plan, regarding placement of fittings for the wishbone boom. After some (a lot of) studying, I made my best guesses, installed the fittings and primed the assemblies. I don't think any of the fitting locations will be functionally impactful regardless, but any chance to activate obsessiveness will be taken and I guess I enjoy that! I decided to paint the blocks that are attached to the boom and mast, and leave the others in bright metal.

 

Through some trick of photography, all of the photos don't show the pieces as primed gray, but they are gray. . . 

 

 

 

 

 

Permanently installed the boat on its supports. Added the pulpit, spurling, and a couple of the cleats. All is looking pretty good to me (especially without magnification). I do see now that the pulpit should have been installed a with a degree or so higher incline to match the upsweep of the bow. It is not installed horizontal, but does create a visual discrepancy as it is. I am thinking of adding rollers for the anchor chain which may cover for this somewhat. It was very tricky installing these pieces (pulpit and support) on the fly. . . and I'm not going to attempt to change them now as I used epoxy.

Edited December 1, 2022 by bobandlucy

[bobandlucy]

Spent a some hours cleaning up the metal parts for the deck and then installed them.  I wish I'd noticed earlier- there are four holes laser-cut for winches located on the aft of the cabin roof, but there are only three winches required, two port, one starboard. I filled the extra hole and touched up the paint. No biggie, but I am finding that doing brushed paint repairs on airbrushed surfaces is difficult. The different textures reflect light differently, and are apparent. However I don't really think anyone will notice besides myself.

 

I decided to leave the ventilator (red interior) with a polished metal finish rather than white painted. I saw online both versions, and felt that there is enough white already, although I like the clean look. . . But the "stainless" or "chromed" look is also appropriate for a modern boat.

 

I should have addressed this earlier- the forward three port openings on the cabin wall  need to have interior structural elements painted black.

 

As always, photos reveal areas needing touch-up!

 

 

 

 

In a sign of encroaching age-related mental deterioration, I found that my online perusal of history, photos, and sale advertising for these boats somehow morphed into shopping.

 

I don't know how to sail, so this is especially ridiculous. 

 

I don't have room in my yard or driveway for even the smallest of these boats. I started thinking of purchasing a small lot. . .

 

b

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bobandlucy]

I made and added, for lack of a better term, "anchor chain rollers" to the pulpit. They are of wood and painted aluminum to match the pulpit. I saw online that most of these boats had these installed, maybe by the owners?

 

 

 

Added the grab rails to the cabin roof:

 

Painted the cabin companion door and added framing. I don't know that my attempt to make the door look like wood grain is all that convincing. . .

 

[BobG]

Beautiful!

[thibaultron]

Looks like wood to me.

[Seventynet]

Well done!

[druxey]

Looks champion to me, Bob.

[tlee01]

Outstanding Bob

[GGibson]

The door looks like wood grain to me!  Great work! 

[bobandlucy]

Thanks to all! This model is so much fun.

 

Added the cockpit stand, steering column, and wheel.

 

 

 

 

I'm getting very close to "stepping" the mast, and am kind of nervous about that. . .

 

 

[GGibson]

Loving the detail, Bob, and the chrome fittings look awesome with the white and the natural wood grain appearance.  Curious if the steering wheel was all one piece or did you have to assemble it from parts?  Are you planning to do as much rigging and sail work as you can on the mast "off ship" before stepping?  Was just reading about the coin ceremony believed to have started in ancient Rome.  Not sure the smallest of coins will fit through that mast hole, though!  

 

Continued great job, Bob!

[bobandlucy]

Thanks, Gregg. The wheel itself is one piece, and yes I will do what rigging I can before installing the mast.

 

Added the anchor and chain, with my first shackle made from copper wire. I hope to get better at shackles. . .

 

 

Added the optional "wood" trim at the top of the cabin walls and around the toe rail.  These are of card and painted. The trim for the cabin is 1/16"

wide and I found it very hard to cut such thin strips from the card stock. So I bought this paper trimmer which, with practice, made some

passable, if not perfect, strips:

 

 

The 3/16" wide trim for the toe rail is cut using the laser sheet that contained the deck halves as a guide. This operation was very difficult to

pull off and I discarded 75% or more of my attempts.

 

 

I'm thinking that if I'm going to add a Bimini I ought to get it installed before adding the mast and sail. . . 

[druxey]

You have achieved an excellent result with your 'wood' trim. Well done, Bob!

[yvesvidal]

13 hours ago, bobandlucy said:

That model is gorgeous. It feels like looking at the real boat.

 

Yves

[bobandlucy]

Thank you, David and Yves. Very kind of you both.

[bobandlucy]

I managed to solder together a frame for a small bimini. The hardware store had silver braze, and I tried that first. I was able to make one good

test joint, which is very neat and strong, but was unable to reproduce that result consistently. I switched to soft solder, which does not look as

good, but I can do. . .

 

Here is a picture of the simple bimini I am trying to reproduce:

 

 

And here is my frame:

 

 

 

 

Now my worry is making an acceptable fabric cover, which I am beginning to doubt I have the skill to do. I made the decision to keep working on it,

as a side project, but go ahead and finish the model before attempting to add the bimini, which I will only do if it equals in quality what I have achieved

so far. I am very happy with this model and don't care to mess it up! So I went ahead and added the mast:

 

 

[druxey]

Rather than fabric, consider using SilkSpan for the bimini. Stretch it like watercolor paper and use dilute acrylic paint, before cutting and fitting it. The boat looks great so far!

 

As an aside, I see Mark Twain on the wall. You must be a fan!

[bobandlucy]

35 minutes ago, druxey said:

Rather than fabric, consider using SilkSpan for the bimini. Stretch it like watercolor paper and use dilute acrylic paint, before cutting and fitting it. The boat looks great so far!

 

As an aside, I see Mark Twain on the wall. You must be a fan!

Thanks for the suggestion! I remember this stuff being used on model airplanes (though I never got to that stage). Adhered with "dope." How would you deal with the clear plastic windows?

 

And yes, I'm a lifelong Twainiac!

 

Bob

 

 

[tlee01]

9 hours ago, druxey said:

Rather than fabric, consider using SilkSpan for the bimini. Stretch it like watercolor paper and use dilute acrylic paint, before cutting and fitting it. The boat looks great so far!

 

As an aside, I see Mark Twain on the wall. You must be a fan!

I need to try this, I am just finishing the Smack and I am really disappointed with my sails..

 

Bob, the boat looks really great.

[druxey]

I can't advise you on the curved transparent panels. They need to be of some flexible plastic and using plastic is something I've very little experience of. Hopefully someone else here can advise you.

 

And yes, Mark Twain was a great writer. And then, there's the notorious 'Court of Elizabeth' essay!

[bobandlucy]

3 hours ago, druxey said:

I can't advise you on the curved transparent panels. They need to be of some flexible plastic and using plastic is something I've very little experience of. Hopefully someone else here can advise you.

 

And yes, Mark Twain was a great writer. And then, there's the notorious 'Court of Elizabeth' essay!

 

David, thank you. I'm thinking of trying the plastic insulating sheeting used over residential windows to create an air gap. They are meant for heat shrinking, but I would forgo that. The downside may be shrinkage over time from ambient temperatures- it gets hot here. . . but I have not noticed that occurring when I've used the stuff in the past. Maybe it can be pre-shrunk. I think I may already have some, if I can find it!

 

On Twain, I don't throw out the baby with the bathwater!

 

bob

[bobandlucy]

I made the sail. Luckily, the kit furnished enough material for two, because I botched the first.

 

I ironed the material before and after cutting, but could not get it to lie flat. And it appears that I scorched it a bit the second time, at the lower center. The iron and I have never been friends; it's come out of the closet only 3 or 4 times in 25 years.

 

Well, it will have to do:

 

[bobandlucy]

Started rigging. Very enjoyable.

 

I replaced the rope with product from Syren. I was late in ordering, because I was going to use some Syren rope I already had, but it was slightly undersized.

No problem, the new rope showed up 3 or 4 days after ordering- from across the country! I'll say it again, what outstanding service! And there is simply no 

comparison to be made between the ME supplied "Jewelry Thread" and the Syren rope. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by bobandlucy

[GGibson]

Nonsuch is looking great, Bob! Congrats on what you have accomplished!

 

I have purchased rope from both Syren and Ropes of Scale, and have had awesome customer service and delivery speed from both.  Yes, much better than the Model Expo-supplied rope in my amateur opinion.

[druxey]

There are not many kit makers that spend just that little bit extra to supply better line. If you are taking care to build a really nice model, then go the extra mile and buy quality line. It really makes a difference, as you've discovered!

[tlee01]

I really like the look of this boat Bob.  Really great job.