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

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Augie..these part are always fun to do.   there are parts in just about every kit,  that might not look appealing.  it's neat when you can make them look the way you want them to.

[md1400cs]

Yo, Popeye keep on eatennn that spinach---

 

Your work is superlative. Lov your updates. A joy for my eyes, and brain; I'm learning a lot from you. I'm a novice only on my second build (though my first was a beginner kit), so I am a tabula rasa; sponging in a lot.

 

MJD

[newbuilder101]

Everyone's right Popeye...great looking sails!

[Jim Lad]

Crikey, Popeye!  I get up in the morning and find that you've gone beserk with your model overnight!

 

Just one thing with your sidelights - move the lamps to the back of the screens, otherwise they'll show the light too far abaft the beam.

 

John

[BANYAN]

Lookin good Popeye.  Mate, do you eat, sleep and socialise in the workshop.  Your work pace is almost the same as Danny (is this a special club?)

 

cheers

 

Pat

[trippwj]

Wow, Popeye - each of your updates is amazing!  I know you have to shovel snow on occasion, but do you sleep?

[popeye the sailor]

thanks MJD...I appreciate the good word.  you got your feet wet......that's all that counts.   now I'll have to see what your being so modest about

 

thanks Sherry......just think of the word sailor as sail-taylor AK-k-k-k-kk-k-kk-k!

 

thanks John......the light boxes are un finished......I still have to paint them and put the 'glass' in and paintthem as well  it was only to show what the replacements will look like.    plastic...........baaaaaaaa!

 

thanks Pat.......I could have ten builds in the works.....and still not be as busy as Danny!   LOL!   he's leagues above me though.   good weather's coming though.......I'll be doing the dreaded  'yard work'  soon.   the admiral and I went out today......she needed a part for her computer.   I tried like crazy to steer her towards Hobbytown......but she wouldn't budge   but,  not to worry.......I leave my schedule open for the simplist of things   thanks for the good word.....and your concern,  good sir.    now I must go,  and install said part in her computer.....before she beats me with it!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Wayne........you had to say it.........yes,  it's looking like snow Monday nite into tuesday.   I hope it misses us    thanks for the good word.

[cog]

had to take some time to wrestle through to the end, but it was worth my while. nice progress. lovely towels

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the good word carl.   it took me a minute to think of what you meant by towels..........but if it's what I think it is...that's the ironing board....LOL!   glad you were able to wade through all the lobster jokes 

[riverboat]

Nice goi'n Popeye....... love the sails ,super job. You'er slowly but surely going full time to the dark side!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Frank.   getting closer towards being rigged!   still have to do those darn reef lines!  thanks for the good word!

[Nirvana]

Popeye,

I saw in one of the pics that the vent funnel is not located to the deck as on the Constructos America.

Interesting but really nice and quick build.

[themadchemist]

Popeye,

Sails turned out great, Nice work, again.

Guess I'm gonna have to learn to sew. The light boxes are a Nice upgrade also.

I love the lines of this ship, its so elegant.

 

So I got confused somewhere, the decals (the Eagle) came with the kit? or you made it? I thought I'd read earlier that you had another sent. What I'm interested in in how do you make decals. Is there a post showing that? or was that old MSW? I have a Bluenose that I wasnt going to paint if I don't have a way of doing the scroll work. Thanks for any help.

 

Oh one other thing, if the watered glue painted sails where dried on a light globe or fish bowl (something rounded) would they keep that shape like a sail full of wind?

 

Shine On -/\=

Keith

[Cap'n Rat Fink]

She looking real good Popeye........

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the good word Dr Per.   the vent funnel on on this kit is located on the grating.  I found it odd,  so I cemented it to the deck derectly behind the grate.......but it bugged me,  because that is not what the instructions said.  I didn't have any good pictures of it to go by,  so I put it back onto the grate.

 

yes,  I had another decal sheet sent to me Keith.  what I have is the Testor's  'decal it'  decal maker {standard edition}.  you have to be careful,  because the basic kit is out there,  and you can't import designs into it.  with the standard edition,  you can.  look at the Susan A build......those decals were all hand made.  one drawback to this program.....it depends greatly what type of printer you have.  I have an ink jet printer....these printers can't do white,  or metalic colors {they look like the color, but don't have the sheen}.  you can go here to see it:          Testors

 

since they are done with ink,  they need to have a skin coat applied....the ink will come off.  you'll also need a product called decal bonder....testor's sells that as well.......great product.   The AmericA decal were too thin and lacked the approporiate filming behind them, causing them to micro crack into bits and pieces on the backing.  I sprayed the rest of the decals with the bonder,  and I was able to use them.   when I got the new sheet,  these were sprayed as well,  and I was able to do the eagle decal for the stern.  it is possible to fool the program (in a way) to do white......simply by printing the decals on white decal paper....it can be purchased in clear and white.

    you just have to adjust the colors,  so that it will print the way you want them to.  there is also a small transparency issue that I'm trying to iron out.......laid on a light colored surface,  they are great.......but the darker the subject color is,  the less you can see the decals.  the decal on the Lobsie twins show the real good.  I'm still working with it.....I don't use it all the time,  and at this point in time,  I've run out of decal paper,  so I just can't sit and experiment.  I have done some importing though.....stencils are the best!

 

hello Mario........thanks for the good word!  rigging soon, my friend! 

[captainbob]

Looking good Popeye.  Can't wait to see those sails up.

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

yepper.....me too Bob!   I'm doing a few things to the Denny-zen at the moment  and doing the small things to this one while things are drying.   thanks for the good word.

[mobbsie]

I'm gonna say "ditto" with all the other comments made so-far, great job Popeye.

 

Mobbsie

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Mobbsie.........almost there! 

[rdsaplala]

Beautiful detail work on the fittings, rudder, masts and sails Popeye, she's a real show-stopper

[alpentex]

Hallo Popeye: I'm following your log with great interest because you seem to be a much accomplished and experienced builder unlike myself. My current build is also the America, I will include some photos soon. My immediate issue is with mast fittings, specifically the Jib Boom requires four sheets according to the 1:1 plan. If I drill the tip to accommodate the four eyebolts, it will crack. How did solve that issue? A mast ring with four eyelets would be nice if I could only source one.

Your comments will be much appreciated.

Alpentex

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Aldo......I hope to get to the sail rigging soon. 

 

hi Alpentex.......is this the Billing's AmericA your working on?   I was looking at another manufacturer for Ideas.  the bow spirit needs to be tapered......there is a ring that is supposed to go at the tip.  I drilled the holes straight through....top to bottom and side to side.  I used the copper eye bolts,  and what stuck out the other end,  was bent to make the opposite eye bolt.  be careful though,  or it will break.....I'd love to do this boat at a larger scale......there has to be more than what the Billing's plans show     thanks for looking in and the good word.  I hope I helped you out

[alpentex]

Hi Popeye - many thanks for your help; yes it is a Billing, I'll give it an other try and see if it works.

[popeye the sailor]

let me know how you make out.........

[popeye the sailor]

OK>>>>>>>>here I am,  back at 'er!   I still have some work to do before I can start the rigging.   I wanted to do something a little different with the anchor.   they only give you one in the kit.   my idea was to snake a chain from one fairlead to the other,  and rig up two anchors.   the anchor is in two halves.......to be cemented together.....I will make two out of these.   they were cemented to a piece of basswood.  they will be cut out and shaped to make them.

 

 

here is the diagram in how the anchor is to be rigged.

 

 

I also begun fitting the dead eyes......I still may go with three shrouds for the main mast.   I have looked at the Mamoli kit and they show it.

 

 

the mast hoops are also being set up to be sewn to the sails

 

 

I have been looking around for different sizes of black thread around here....I'm going to have to find a good place to get some.   in the meantime,  I have all this white thread from the other Billing kits,  and I want to try dying some.  I was told that the use of regular dye might degrade the thread,  so I thought up another method........using India Ink.  this turned into a comedy fest......it started with a pine board and large push pins. 

 

 

doning rubber gloves,  I started it using cotton balls.......not a good idea.   it was grabbing on the thread and coming off on it.   After switching over to an old wash cloth,  this went a bit better.   the other thing was that I really didn't keep an eye on the spool.  it ended up on the floor........Gibbs kept a really keen eye on it for me.     as I was wiping on the ink,  it caused the thread to twist more and more {the residual twists of the thread itself}.....ans soon I ended up with one heck of a knot!  I tried to unravel it, but it was no use.  I cut my losses and terminated this run.........I threw it away.

 

 

I had another spool.....this one I slotted at the end.....to keep the thread from coming off the spool and I stuck it in my pocket.  this worked out much better......much better control.   I got to the end of the board,  so I terminated this run........I have enough to start.......probably enough to do the entire kit.

 

 

I tried to do a good close up for you.......it did come out pretty good.   I will probably give this a coat of diluted white glue after to seal the thread.   it is stretched to some degree,  to bring it down to the minium thickness.   I hope to have more progress real soon.

[riverboat]

Hi Popeye.... don't think I've seen this one before.... great looking build you've got going.... next time you color some rope try using a small

top of something like a medicine bottle or anything that will hold your coloring media. grab one end with your tweezers and use a stick to hold the rope down in the liquid then pull it thru .,don't put all the rope in the liquid leave it out side of the liquid then pull it thru as you hold it down with the stick ..... let it end up on a pc. of paper towel pat it dry then you can roll 'er up!! you might want to try some water based  flat paint for your coloring. Make a wash or thin accordingly Thats all I use , works good for me. weathering powders work well too, thats what I used on my sails.   Good Sailing !!....

frank

[Jim Lad]

Popeye,

 

Do you have a decent sewing store anywhere around you?  You can usually pick up commercial threads in different sizes fairly easily.  You could also try a shore repair place or an upholsterer's workshop for thicker linen thread.

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

your pulling my leg Frank........but then again,  I have so many builds going,  it's hard to keep up.   I wanted to stay away from paints,  but you may have given me an idea.   where I want to try adding diluted white glue  to the thread,  I wonder what would happen if I combined the two.........flat black water base with diluted white glue........two birds with one stone.  I'll let you know good buddy,  to see how it works.

thanks for the good word Frank! 

 

I have thought of that John........the admiral even suggested it.  I'll have to look around.  craft stores do have some,  but you have to be careful,  some have elastic stretch.  thanks for the suggestion and your kind word.

 

I forgot to mention a major player concerning the anchors.   when I went to snake a wire into the fairlead,  I found that I forgot to open up the center keel area,  to make this possible.  I wanted to get away from having to cement the chain in the fairlead holes.  I guess this can't be avoided.  again......if I had the foresight,  I could have drilled the hawse holes at the bow,  and perhaps moved the fairleads to the front of the winch assembly.......it might have looked more plausable.   this little bit of insight,  almost makes me want to buy another kit and fly her under another flag.......do all of my little changes,  and add this in.  I think it would look cool!   I've made more progress,  and I will try to get it up as soon as possible

[popeye the sailor]

I've made a little progress of late.   all of the mast hoops are set and ready to be sewn onto the sails.   it wasn't too bad....only twenty hoops to tie thread onto.   the finished ones were held at the top of the mast, while those that are drying.......a small touch of glue on the knots......were kept separate on a lower level.

 

 

I did more....even started to do some on the fore mast.

 

 

soon,  they were all done though.

 

 

next was the dead eyes.   I did some looking,  and I do believe that there are three dead eyes for the main mast.   it makes sense...and quite logical,  since there are two steps to this mast.   lucky I have extra parts for this......came out looking pretty good.

 

 

 

now I have to get the blocks and reef lines on the sails.........and then,  I can begin the sail rigging.  to make it a bit easier,  I may do the hoop / sheet attachment before the shrouds......they won't be in the way.  more progress soon