Mayflower by Jake Groby - Trumpeter - PLASTIC

[Jake Groby]

I'm going to try and do a build log as I go, I set up this post vs. piggyback off Bill97's excellent Build.  I just placed an order from True North Paints (enamel like Model Masters) , once I get those in I'll be able to pick up the pace a bit. Since I'm doing this for a client, I'll need to work as directed, one side will have the cannons extended and one side will have the ports closed (they can turn it when they like). I'm going to strip the paint off the stern and probably remove the fish and redo the wood grain detail (client is undecided as of now and understands there is no information either way on the matter).  I'll also need to figure out if I'm going to use the stern gun ports.  I've ordered the Parrell rollers needed for the yards, I'm researching the correct blocks needed, the small ones in the kit are strange.  My reference is the "Rigging and Masting of 16th. century ships.

 

The deck detail technic I used came from "How to Build Plastic Ship Models" by Kalmbach. Base coat flat black, let dry 24 hrs. then topcoat in your choice of tan/browns, I perfect Testors Armor Sand due to being light enough to detail the caulking on the planks and still give a dark water wash.  I've also pre-prepped the deadeyes and other various parts in a basecoat of flat black.

[Jake Groby]

The basecoat turns out like this one complete, this one is the Heller Chebec,

[Jake Groby]

I bronzed the cannons and worked on the anchor stocks a bit tonight.  Still have some work to do on the stocks, more holes to fill.  Base coat of flay black then top coated with a 50/50 mix of Testors Metallizer "Titanium and Burn Iron".  No one makes a decent shade of dark bronze. The stocks will get a coast of flat black with a topcoat of dark wood and some destressing. Even though you prob. won't see the pin/punch holes, there is no reason not to fill them. Aside from that, I managed to cut my thumb with a new #11 blade, don't you hate that when it happens.....

Edited December 5, 2023 by Jake Groby

[Jake Groby]

Holidays over time to get back on it, various shots showing decking detail.

[Jake Groby]

Got a bit more prep painting done this past week.

[Jake Groby]

Got the stern cannon ports closed up. I have got to still carve off these dolphins, I can find no evidence that they were on the Mayflower.

[Jake Groby]

Tonight's project was sanding off the incorrect fish, windows and name detail on the stern. I've not made up my mind on the 'Mayflower' yet? I penciled in the rubboards as well.

[Jake Groby]

Some further updates got the stern putty done and re-scribed stern planks, now to address building the windows. Patched the original mounting hole for the bowsprit, recut and tested the new alignment so its

centered.

[Jake Groby]

Got the base coast on the hulls and stern, need to detail the stern more then add/cut in the windows and bracing such as it is. Next comes adding the masking and various colors to the hull sides.

 

[Bill97]

It is really looking good Jake. Your client will be very pleased. That is an interesting subject I have thought about. My ship room is becoming overcrowded. Many times people who have viewed my ships have said “you should sell these”.  I would have no idea what I would charge. Two of mine, the Heller HMS Victory and Le Soleil Royal, each took well over a year to build. How in the world do you put a price to that. And I would think it would be after it is completed that a client would offer to purchase it. Can’t imagine a client asking me to build a ship for them that may take a year or more to get. I have offered my Mayflower to my grandson’s school library. They study the subject in their history classes and he told me it would be cool to look at it in the library and brag to his classmates that his grandfather made it😊.

[Jake Groby]

Started the trim work on the hull, 40 minutes of masking for 2 minutes of airbrushing ;).  I also used a tooth pick to pre-stop the other colors as a guide/reminder in Pic 2.

 

[Jake Groby]

[Jake Groby]

Completed the masking

[Bill97]

Coming along great Jake. I do remember that extensive masking so well!

[Jake Groby]

Got the colors laid down and started on the Base. 

Edited May 3 by Jake Groby
word alignment

[Jake Groby]

Got the base completed and the model locked down.

[Bill97]

Jake I peeked in to see how your Mayflower was going. Looking great!

[Jake Groby]

Got some more done, daughter and grandson are down visiting, so not my shop time.  I'm still working on the stern windows, waitin gon some after market one to come in to see if they will work, I give her a wash down with a med brown water based wash to draw out the detail on the planking and tone down the colors.  I choose the early version of the painting scheme from the early years, thaere really no real records of how she was painted, thats why when the refit the Mayflower II, they changed the scheme.   I'll ad coils to the deck boat to hide the lines as well.

[Jake Groby]

Call this Post "Trying to Make a Silk Purse from a Sows Ear"..... the stern was designed way incorrect based on surviving drawings of the same period ships and the 1958 Mayflower II, where Trumpter got the idea to add the dolphins and other decorations are just strange. While I cannot correct all the mistakes I can at least TRY to address some of them. I first sanded off the dolphins and windows as well as the clam shell. filled, sanded and re-scribed the planks and then re-grooved them to replicate them a bit. I cannot replicate the knees on the exterior of the transom, I can add some framed windows.  I laid out the general shape of the windows based on the Mayflower II, once the filler sets up, I sand flush and inset some screen material, dry brushed pewter and black out the "window". Comment ALWAYS welcomed.

Edited July 11 by Jake Groby
spelling

[Jake Groby]

I still need to paint a 2ns. coat and then fit the screen, but better than what they had.

[Jake Groby]

Starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel. I still need to repaint and detail the flower and add weathering, but the stern windows, while NOT perfect are much better than the dolphins and other stuff it had originally, the only way I could replicate the leaded window was with plastic screen, I'm testing a piece with liquid mask to see if I can get a proper window effect. I've dry fitted the stern to see what nightmares await, but it does not look too bad, I should be able to fill/close any gaps. The next part will be turning a new job boom, the kit suppled one is too short (Thanks Bill 97 for that information). I'm also doing some research on where the belaying pins were located, Trumpter left them out/off the design, The one pin rack that have up on the foremast, ONLY had the tops molded, I redrill and added wood to create a full pin.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the rest just yet, the available wooden belaying pins are not correct in length/scale, but I may have to just accept that as brass pins, even painted will be worse.

[kirill4]

Good day,

Dear Jake Groby,

Your assembling of this model is very accurate, but may I ask You, what happend with location of gratings and why it was not corrected ?

Why they are off from the center line? It could not be like that by any standarts of the former and present times... never saw such arrangements of gratings location before... 

it looks like very" interesting" idea invented by kit maker :)))

All the best !

Kirill

Ps

I could suggest that locations of the belaying points for running rigging are typical for this period and sails plan and could be borrowed from any suitable reconstructions of the similar small galleons - such as Susan Constant , Mayflower II or Golden Hind replicas...

Our  collegues on this site, recently allready created a few great models of the similar sizes of the galleons as Mayflower and You could use belaying diagramms of this models  for making running rigging for your own model?

Edited July 13 by kirill4

[Jake Groby]

IT would have been near impossible to redo the main deck, I gave it some thought, and I felt it was simply not worth it.

 

Edited July 15 by Jake Groby

[kirill4]

Good day... 

Dear Jake,

Oh yes, You are right... I was thinking about it as well, You are right that idea to redo main deck is near impossible ... it sounds like new complete deck need to be made with correct location of gratings ,etc., but it is may be too much for this kit...

All the best!

Kirill

[Jake Groby]

A touch off Topic, but I go out of my way to find and buy loud Hawaiian Shirt, the louder the better, I have some real sweet ones. (lots of tiki prints). But I ordered this last month and its fits our hobby to a T. I never noticed the ships name were in Russian, that makes it even better.

Edited July 21 by Jake Groby

[kirill4]

😁.... its not russian script- most likely brothers ukranian 

[Jake Groby]

On 7/21/2024 at 6:13 AM, kirill4 said:

😁.... its not russian script- most likely brothers ukranian 

Ah Thanks, BTW, I have the book on the rebuilding of the Susan Constant, so I'll use that as a guide for the belaying pin rail locations, Thanks.