Frigate Essex by Rafine - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Kitbashed

[rafine]

Thanks Grant, Mark, Alistair and the"likes". 

 

Mark, I think that I may need a new scrap box by the time that I finish the cathead supports and eking -- if I don't run out of wood first.  

 

Bob

[Remcohe]

Sweet looking head section!

[Gahm]

Excellent work, Bob! The head rail already turns into another highlight of your Essex!

 

Thomas

[rafine]

Thanks so much Remco and Thomas.

 

Bob

[KenW]

Impressive as always.  Can't wait for the finished result.

Cheers.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Ken. I think that we both have quite a while to wait for that. 

 

Bob

[rafine]

Good news and bad news: First the bad news -- after beating my head against the wall trying to do the cathead supports and eking, I decided to take a time-out. The good news is that I did do the lower rail and then decided to do other work on the head ( the gratings, ledges, knees, boomkin chocks).

 

Apart from the grating, which is a laser cut kit part finished with golden oak stain, all of the other parts were made from boxwood strip.The lower rail is a two part lamination to create the molding.

 

I will now return to the cathead supports and eking.  

 

Bob

[BareHook]

Bob

Did you procure a full set of matching planks in boxwood before starting this build, or do you have the capability of cutting your own strips?

She is looking great, but you must have a ton of basswood strips lying around. I cant get over how clean all your connections and joints are.

 

Ken

[Sjors]

Come on Bob,

 

With your skills it wil work !

Look at it with a fresh look and ......yippie, you've done it !!!!!!!

Your build is still museum quality !!!!!!

 

Sjors

[uss frolick]

Hey Rafine,

 

the next time the USS Constitution goes into dry dock for repairs, they might request your assistance.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Dirk, Ken, John, Sjors and Frolick for the very kind comments and also the"likes".

 

Ken, I got boxwood and holly strip and sheet from Hobbymill to do this build. I have neither the capability nor the desire to cut my own. You are quite right that I have a big pile of unused basswood from this and previous builds -- seems like almost enough to go into business      .

[Guest Tim I.]

Fantastic!

 

- Tim

[rafine]

Thanks so much Tim and the "likes".

 

Bob

[Gahm]

Excellent work, Bob! You already did an outstanding job on the head rails and timbers, the cat head support cannot be that much more difficult!

 

Thomas

[Guest Tim I.]

Bob,

 

The problem I have with your build is finding new superlatives to use. Those I have not used yet are in short supply!   

On a serious note, I have cancelled my Essex kit order. After it being on back order from late November last year (2013), I decided to allocate the funds to my Constitution build for some upgrading fittings and lumber.

Although I am considering exploring the idea of scratch building the Essex in 1:64 scale (in a plank on bulkhead format) once I am done with the Constitution. There is a gentleman locally here that does laser cutting, so I may have him cut a keel and bullheads for me. Or I may break down and buy this kit once it is finally available. The direction is still yet to be determined.

 

Until then, I will continue living vicariously through your superb build!

- Tim

Edited September 19, 2014 by Tim I.

[rafine]

Thanks so much Thomas. For whatever reason, I've just had a lot of trouble with them.

 

Thanks so much Tim. I think you made the right decision on the kit. I'd love to see you do the scratch build at 1:64. Since I've scratch built almost everything, there are days when I wish that I had done that.

 

Bob

[rafine]

Well, for better or worse, I installed the cathead supports and eking. I still wasn't entirely happy, but I had had enough of it.  After finishing that, I had a burst of activity and did the seats of ease, the anchor billboards and the waist gang board rails.

 

The supports and eking are boxwood, as are the seats and billboards. The waist railing uses the same brass stanchions that I used for the quarterdeck ladderway, with a rope railing. 

 

The remaining work on the head is the figurehead, the iron railings and supports and the boomkins. The railings and boomkins won't be done until I've made and installed the bowsprit and done the gammoning. My Sculpey and a set of clay modeling tools just arrived from Amazon, so I'll start experimenting with the figurehead. I'll probably also start working on the bowsprit at the same time.

 

Remaining work on the hull consists of the deadeyes, the hammock stanchions and netting, the anchors, the lantern and the boat(s). It is my current intention not to do any of this until I have at least made and installed the lower masts.

 

Bob

[Guest Tim I.]

Bob,

 

Looks great as always. My favorite picture is your last one showing the gun deck down from the spar deck.

 

- Tim

[aliluke]

It looks superb to my eye Bob. Not sure you need that grumpy face if I'd made those head works I'd .

[Rustyj]

Hi Bob,

 

I just had a wonderful time reading the 8 pages of posts I'd missed and truely enjoyed every minute of it!

As many have said your workmanship is outstanding and an inspiration to us all. Thanks for taking the

time and sharing it with us.

[gjdale]

Superb as always Bob. Not sure why you're not happy with the head works - I'd be delighted to have done the same!

[rafine]

Thanks so much Tim, Alistair, John, Rusty and Grant and the "likes".

 

Alistair and Grant, You guys know as well as anyone  that we are our own worst critics. I think that I just spent too much time on the cathead supports. After a while, nothing you do looks good.

 

Bob

[HIPEXEC]

Your workmanship is excellent!

[Gahm]

Bob, I know I am repeating myself, but whenever I look at your work I have the same thought: this is absolutely beautiful! It is just a pleasure to follow your build log!

 

Thomas 

[rafine]

Thanks so much Rich and Thomas and the "likes". Always appreciated.

 

Bob

[trippwj]

Wow, Bob - very nice job on those bits.  The details look spot-on, and the cathead supports look amazing.

 

So - have you done carving before?  If your sculpey work is anything like your wood work, that figure head will be a piece of art!

[rafine]

Thanks so much Wayne. I'm looking forward to progress on your Essex.

 

I've never tried to carve a figure of any kind, either in wood or clay. It should be interesting to see how it turns out.

 

Bob

[rafine]

I've been working on two areas --one successfully and one not so much. The bowsprit is done, but not yet permanently installed. The work included tapering and shaping the piece, making and adding the bees and bee blocks, making and adding the cap, making and adding the dolphin striker, making and adding the gammoning cleats, jib boom saddle and spritsail sling saddle and adding the single woolding. The bowsprit itself is a dowel, stained with golden oak stain, and the other wooden parts are boxwood. The bowsprit will not be mounted until the various hearts and deadeyes have been attached.

 

 I have made the hearts from boxwood strip and the deadeyes I'm using are from Model Expo. I am now in the process of making their collars.

 

The less productive work that I've been doing is on the figurehead. I can only describe my efforts to date, both with clay and wood, to be embarrassingly pathetic. So bad in fact that I took no pictures and won't even describe the results. I need to do some rethinking. 

 

Bob

[Sjors]

Very nice again Bob !

Please be careful with that bowsprit and boom under it.

It's easy to break such thing !

 

Sjors

[Guest Tim I.]

Bob,

 

Looking great as always.

 

- Tim