Frigate Essex by Rafine - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Kitbashed

[rafine]

Thanks, Augie, Hamilton and Wes.

 

Hamilton, the old Elmers was a creamy paste. The current stuff is dryer and grittier -- I don't like it as much, but you can get it to work. I put a little on with a piece of strip wood and then use my finger.

 

Bob

[Sjors]

That looks cool Bob !

 

I hope you use a electric drill and not a hand drill ?

Great job !

 

[aliluke]

Hi Bob. Your precision continues to amaze me - great work. I'll keep following.

 

Cheers

Alistair

[rafine]

Thanks so much, Sjors. Actually, I use both. I use a hand drill to make starter holes and then a Dremel to finish.

 

Bob

[rafine]

Thanks Alistair for the very kind words . Much appreciated.

 

Bob

[patrickmil]

Hey Bob, I'm glad you went with doing the treenails. I like the look of the darker treenails and especially how you have them arranged.

[gjdale]

Nicely done Bob. Good choice to proceed with the treenails.

[BareHook]

I used the elmers putty as well on my AVS. I used an adhesive syringe with a largish needle a bit larger than the holes to insert the putty. It worked pretty well and there was less sanding and cleanup after, you just have to keep the tip sealed with electrical tape or such so it doesn't dry out in the needle.

 

Ken

[rafine]

Thanks Patrick and Grant. I'm glad I did them and I'm pleased with the look.

 

Ken, That sounds like a good way to do it, but the stuff dries out so quickly, i'm surprised you can keep it flowing.

 

Bob

[BareHook]

I would occasionally discard dried "pellets" from the needle to keep it wet, plus when I pushed the plunger it tended to keep flowing, so you just "bop" (for lack of a better tech term) your way down a row of holes.

[Trussben]

Nice Bob, making some fair progress there, I like.

 

Ben

[rafine]

Thanks, Ben.

 

Bob

[rafine]

I'm going to hijack my own thread for a bit. Recently, I shipped two completed ships in glass cases to my daughter in the Chicago area. The shipper was one that we had used numerous times before, including multiple shipments of ship models. One of the models arrived perfectly. The other, however, was a disaster. The glass case was smashed and the ship, an MS Flying Fish done some years ago, was significantly damaged. I went to Chicago this past weekend to assess the damage, determine if it could be repaired and start the repair process.

 

As shown in the attached photos, the keel had been torn off in two pieces, leaving the model detached from its base. Numerous other parts were also torn off and/or damaged. The masting and rigging were in a very bad way. After some agonizing, I decided to try to go forward with repairs.

 

In the few days I was there, I was able to reinstall the keel and remount the model using much longer screws to give some stability. I then repaired the copper bottom and did a little work on the deck fixtures, rudder and other more readily accessible parts. I spent the remainder of the time trying to come up with a plan for the masting and rigging. Since we live so far away and won't visit again until spring and summer, and then only for a few days at a time, tearing it out to start again was not an option. Being without access to my tools and supplies doesn't help either. I'm hopeful that I can pull this off, but it will take time. I'll keep you all informed on progress when it occurs.

 

Bob

 

 

[augie]

Really sorry about the shipping mishap, Bob.  In spite of the best precautions, you never know.  A long distance repair will be challenging.

 

On the other hand, she's a beauty!!!!

[Rustyj]

Ouch, That really sucks. Well I guess you have something to look forward to doing during your visits.

[rafine]

Thanks Augie. The best you can say now is that she WAS a beauty.

 

Rusty, until it happens, you don't really know just how much it sucks. As much as I enjoy model building, I hate repairs and I'd rather be spending the time with the grand kids.

 

Bob 

[hamilton]

Ouch! Looked to have been a beautiful model - and will be again!

hamilton

[twintrow]

Sorry about that Bob...hope you had her insured.  At least you can get paid for the extra work.

Tom

[rafine]

Thanks for the interest and concern, Hamilton and Tom. It was a shock to see it in person even after getting pictures from my daughter.

 

Bob

[gjdale]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune Bob. I had a similar experience with a house move some years ago. The rigging on my Cutty Sark was damaged to the extent of having to be completely torn off and re-done, while my Victory hull (at that stage with first layer of planking completed) was completely destroyed and had to be-built from scratch. (Yes, that's the same model I'm still working on, some 15 years later.......).

 

Hope your repairs take a little less time Bob, and that your daughter truly appreciates the gift you are giving her.

[rafine]

Thanks, Grant. If I had it home with me, I would have seriously considered removing at least the running rigging and starting again. Given the logistics, however, I'm just going to have to deal with fixes instead. 

 

Bob

[Trussben]

Sorry to hear about the damage Bob, if you can handle everything you are currently doing, I'm sure some repair work won't tax you to hard, will just take longer due to the distance.

 

Ben

[Kurt Johnson]

Maybe I weird (actually that's a given, but sometimes I get more satisfaction repairing something like that, than originally building it. Still sucks though.

 

Kurt

[rafine]

Thanks for the interest, Ben and Kurt. But that's enough of Flying Fish for some months.

 

Back to business on Essex. A small update. I've installed the wale on the port side ( the stern still needs to trimmed). The wale is made of three strakes of boxwood. Later, it will be painted black. Now it's back to the starboard side and maybe some stern planking.

 

Bob

 

 

[hamilton]

Still can't get over how good the trunnels look!! Looking good Bob

hamilton

[rafine]

Thanks so much, Hamilton.

 

Bob

[patrickmil]

The wales planking looks great Bob.

[augie]

You're really flying on this one Bob.  Looks spectacular.

[rafine]

Many thanks, Patrick and Augie. I don't know about flying, Augie. I was pretty bogged down for a while.

 

Bob

[rafine]

I've completed the upper hull planking on the starboard side and done the treenailing on that side, as well. All of the procedures followed the methods used on the port side earlier ( boxwood planking, caulking simulated with pencil, treenails simulated with Elmers walnut filler, coat of Wipe-on Poly as a sealer). Finishing a section of treenailing always feels good,like when you stop banging your head against a wall. 

 

Now it's on to the starboard wale and some stern planking, before tackling the lower planking.

 

Bob