America by popeye the sailor - FINISHED - Billing Boats - 1:72 scale

[augie]

I have decided! I was given pob plans for the San Felipe and I'm going to take the plunge into scratch building! 

Sherry-  So you're going to go for the 'dark side'.  OK, we'll be watching!!!!!

[popeye the sailor]

congrats on your decision Sherry.......remember,  once you go to the dark side......tie a rope around your waist,  and tell your husband to pull you out if you get in too deep!  LOL!   good luck,  I'll be watching!

 

 

thanks Rick!   you'll like this kit!

[popeye the sailor]

I do have a small update for this build.......I did this last week.   the upper part of the hull got a second coat of paint........I am so sorry to have done it with a brush!

I also did the paint work to the skylight.   sad to see that the sides of the structure show through the bottom slots of the slotted windows.   perhaps I will fill the bottom ones in and clean that up.

I also painted the stand and added fely to the contact points.

I didn't use the whole slice of felt........too thick.   I cut felt slices from them and super glued them in place.

[riverboat]

Look'n good!!!!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks frank!  you know,  I forgot to mention that when I removed the tape,  it left marks on the copper.  seemed it was dry to the touch, but not for any type of adheasives......damn!   I rubbed some of them and they seemed to disappear a little.....now that the hull has had some time to dry more throughly,  I might try a polish on it.  if that don't work,  then I might give it another coat of copper after a fine sanding.  I will use the airbrush this time.   thanks for the good word Frank.

[slagoon]

smart use of the felt! Was that part of the kit or your idea?

[mtaylor]

Popeye,

 

Looking good, sir. 

 

Sherry,

Looking forward to seeing you on the darkside.

[Jim Lad]

Coming along very nicely, Popeye!

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

hello Sarah,  the felt was my idea......good to protect the hull   thanks for looking in

 

thanks to you as well Mark and John......your good word is much appreciated!

[popeye the sailor]

I have a lot to catch up on........and so much to post too !    I made some progress on this build.   I finally painted the top rails

the companionway and tiller assembly was cemented in place

painting the tops of the side wall for the skylight structure flat black  solved the problem I had with  the white showing through the bottom slats

after this ws dry,  the roof was cemented on the structure.   I then started to work on the masts.

the skylight was cemented in place at this time.

 

I wish I could get more........but it's getting late.

[popeye the sailor]

round and round I go......what I'll come up with next......I leave that up to the model gods.   I did a bit of work to the AmericA yesterday....I was in a slump Tuesday.......just couldn't get into it.   I did kind of a round - about assembly of some of the parts.   some of the players were:

 

the grate.....I'm going to give it a Annegre covering.

 

 

the capstan and the shafts....the kit does everything in brass.

 

 

the winch post and the parts imvolved.   I don't know why there is a hole in the middle......there no bell and nothing seems to attach there.  some of the parts will be painted ahead of time.

 

 

they have the tiller as a small piece of brass rod.   I used some basswood and fashioned one in it's stead.

 

the winch post had a couple of holes drilled,  and two eye posts were cemented in place.  a shaft will be

fitted through them.

 

 

the grate got one pair of the sides cemented on

 

....and then the other.....after the edges are trimmed, I can start on the top.

 

a piece of brass rod was fitted in the end of the bow spirit.

 

 

the winch is assembled

 

the tiller arm was cemented in place

 

the grate half way there

 

the winch was cemented in place

 

some of the hardware was fitted on the bow spirit and the fore mast

 

the fairleads and the vent.  the opening to the vent was flat....I drilled a hole here in an attempt to make it look a bit more appealing

 

the grate is complete and apinted with clear lacquer

 

 

with all these parts ready,  they were cemented in place.   I made use of that hole in the winch post,  it made a good place to locate the bow spirit

 

 

and the other parts followed.

 

 

 

[patrickmil]

That's looking good Popeye. Please keep the updates coming! With as many builds as you have going there is usually something you have done that we can look in on daily.

[popeye the sailor]

that's pretty funny Patrick!   .....I like that.....pressed the little button and everything...LOL!  today I thought I'd put on the decals that came with the kit.   the stern has an eagle emboss on it......or rather,  it HAD.   the decal film is very weak,  and even with it solvent on the backing, it broke up in three or four pieces.   there are some decals that are to go on the bow......I took those and sprayed them with the decal bonder thatI use for the decals that I make.   this solved the problem......I was able to get those decals to work.  I sent an e-mail off to Billing's.......hopefully I can get another sheet,  so I can dress up the stern.  thanks for the good word Patrick.....I try not to disappoint 

[Jim Lad]

Still charging ahead very nicely in true Popeye fashion!

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

thanks John.......I have the entire picture log of the Gothenborg in my computer......and I'm ready to start.

 

I got an e-mail from Billing's this afternoon......another decal sheet is on the way.  as mentioned,  I did try the decal bonder,  and I was able to use the rest of the decals.  so, when I get them,  I can put the eagle decal across the stern.  I also did more progress on this build,  I should have it up soon.

[popeye the sailor]

Since I took a couple quick pictures of the Denny-Zen,  I was able to get these pictures ready also.   there is another small skylight that  I was at odds as to just what to do with it......it's totally made of plastic,  and very odd.  I can't do much with the dome,  but I can replace the base with wood.

 

 

making circles,  and checking the hieght,  I glued three of them together.  while this was drying,  I put the cleats on the deck

 

 

I went to put on the decals next.......there was some trouble here.   the decals are a film that is very thin,  and even with them solvent on the backing,  broke into pieces with the stress of trying to move it around, and so the eagle didn't make the cut.  I thought to spray the rest of them with the decal bonder,  and that helped out perfectly!   I wasable to get the others on.   I contacted Billing's.....they sent me an e-amil this afternoon letting me know that another decal sheet is on the way....I am pleased!   so I did the other decals and the waterlines....a byproduct of the decal sheets I made for the lobsie twins.

 

you would have seen the eagle here

 

I got back to the skylight.....{or galley light} and sanded the base round.

 

 

after some drying time,   she's back in her stand.

 

 

before I forgot......I still needed to do the rudder.   I had one more length of decal,  wet on the table.  it was a bit of a rush to get the rudder in shape,  so I could use it.

 

[Jim Lad]

You'll be rigging her before you know it, Popeye!

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

slight change of plans..........after I posted about this galley skylight......I sorta got miffed at myself.  nothing I can do.....ehhhh!  Well!

 

 

hangs onta yer 'ats..........me gots an idier!  AK-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Gary......glad to see you here......started a build log yet?

 

 

thanks John.....that's what I'm shooting for!   this manic constructive disorder.........it'll get the best of me yet!   they told me not to breathe in the sawdust......but I didn't listen....LOL!    love thy hobby!

[patrickmil]

Popeye, the progress is looking great as usual. An idea for your skylight... You could always use a dremel or hot exacto knife and cut the window areas of it out. I would suspect that the frame of that skylight would have been made of metal and the plastic would look good for that bit. A little clear acetate and you'll have a better skylight in no time.

[augie]

Gee Popeye, she sure looks sleek and seaworthy.  Absolutely great job on her classic lines.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the good word Augie......a bit more,  and I'll be masting her

 

thank you as well for the good word Patrick......and your idea.........it's close......very close 

[popeye the sailor]

As mentioned,   after I had finished posting,  I wasa bit miffed.  I didn't want it to look like the part on the kit.

 

 

 

this is not normal plastic.......certainly not a styrene plastic by any stretch.   looking at the underside,  I noticed the dimple in the middle.....looked like a good starting point....I drilled a small hole,  but not deep enough to go through.

 

 

then I chased it out with a larger drill

 

 

then,  using a new 1/2 inch drill bit and a freshly bladed x-actor knife,   I took out as much material as I could.

 

 

checking the thickness with my x-actor knife, the material was reamed out until I was satisfied.   then the windows were cut out.

 

 

 

I wanted to hollow out the base,  but the the delimma of the bottom occurred to me......that and I didn't want it to look weird.  so,  I painted the frame and the base.  the very top of the base,  I painted with a light coat of black......it'll just suck into the wood anyway,  and give me the  'nothingness' look I was after.

 

 

I let the frame dry for a bit..........and then filled the panes in with the window maker.

 

 

it was a quarter to three in the morning when I went to bed.......got up around seven AM.   I wanted to look at it,  but there was just too much activity.......dog wanted to go out.......brought the son to work.

     passing by the coffee maker......I wanted my first cup......no time,  I had to get the trash out to the curb.  finally got that cup of coffee......and then I got my first look.

 

 

it was a little blurry.......I put on my reading glasses.

 

 

put on it's base,  I was quite satisfied with the results.   I's strong to da finich,  cuz I eats me spinach.....

 

[cog]

That's outstanding mate!!! You keep surprising the lot of us

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Carl........now I know what to  do about the galley skylight in the Gothenborg build

[patrickmil]

That is looking really sweet. What's the old saying? Oh yeah... "Great minds think alike". That will be a nice adornment and looks lightyears better than 'out-of-the-box'.

[ricky146]

Great modification, Popeye. That is what modelling is about - putting your own stamp on it!

 

Looking forward to more posts.

 

Ricky

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Rick and Patrick........model manufacturers do a pretty good job of supplying the parts to make some really fine models.   there are some parts that we see that might not give a good representation of that particular aspect.   I see something that can be done better...I'm going to try it.   now that I've tried this and see that this is a doable thing.......I can do the same thing to the galley skylight on the Gothenborg........there's one in that build as well.  thanks for the good word!

[captainbob]

Popeye,

 

America is looking good (the boat that is).  Glad to see it being built instead of in the background of other builds.

 

Bob

[Jim Lad]

Excellent re-work of the skylight, Popeye!

 

John