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

[popeye the sailor]

I started this kit just after Christmas,  although I didn't get this as a gift.   this is a reissue kit.....I've never seen the older version,  but this version looks to be of good quality.   I did find a couple of small flaws in it, but nothing to go ballistic over.......they were quite easy to repair.   the build starts as a split keel design, numbering the pairs of ribs was a bit of a challenge........the rib layout diagram was different than the laser cut part's panels.  once I figured it out,  it went much better.   I will try to narrate some of the missing text, but if you'd like to read the entire build as it stands so far,  you can go here:

 

http://wenzelswharf.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/billings-america-a-172-scale-kit/

 

there is much more text here than I could ever put into any site.....without seeming long winded, of course.

this is where the first problem surfaced.....one of the ribs was nicked by the saw and caused an edge to be flattened.  the fix was to cement a piece of basswood onto the offended area and sand it to shape.  on the 30th od December,  the numbering,  fitting and subsequent assembly of the keel halves began.   they supply a nice board to assemble the halves on,  but I have a large length of pine board, that worked even better......more than enough room to do both sides at the smae time.

this picture gives you a good idea as to how large this pine board is.  in this next picture,  I will show the repaired rib.....I'm certain you can see which one.

[popeye the sailor]

to continue the build log is quite easy.......I'm liking this a lot.....my hat's off to you folks here at MSW

 

this next section occurred on new year's eve day......and into the eveining.  I used the deck platforms to keep the ribs in correct alignment over night,  until the glue had dried.  I did the assmbly of the keel halves,  decking,  and even the planking,  in a different order.  I felt it easier for me to do it this way.  it begins with cementing the halves together.

the rudder

keel assembly

the stand

I did not cement in place the transom ribs yet......I wanted to make sure they were even and level to each other.   here is how I did this.

....and then the bow rabbits

the deck sections will be planked before they are installed.   it was shown in the instructions as full length planking......I'm sure there is staggering involved,  but I went with it even though logic told me not to.  I used the archive pen to simulate the calking.

then they were trimmed and sanded.

....and then given two coats of semi gloss lacquer.

[Walter Biles]

Popeye, Good to see you back.  I like that kit.  looks like it would be fun.  Enjoy!  The Navy's newer version of her was in the slip right next to my build, The Meridea, back in 1969.             Walter Biles

[popeye the sailor]

I guess you can add Dick Clark to the list of New Years memories......right next to Guy Lombardo.  it is the evening of the 31th......I'm plying the beers......the TV is is shouting the festivities {I'd rather be watching NCIS}......and I'm still at the table,  playing with the hull frame,  sanding the top surface.   the admiral is lost in her Zooworld......poor lass......I keep trying to tell her it's virtual,  but she won't listen.   time to cement the sections in place on the frame.

I gave it two beers to dry..........american domestic.......oh, well.....better than 'ole Millwalkie,  I guess

in gluing the center border in place, I got some white glue on the deck.......never use water on fresh lacquer........

 

I sanded the offended areas lightly with some fine sandpaper,  and gave it another coat of lacquer,  in a effort to solve my problem......it did as I hoped!

 

 

[Anja]

Hello Popeye and welcome back,

 

A nice gift and a nice ship. She's looking great.

I went through your buildlog, which was, as always a pleasure to read

 

Take care,

 

Anja

[popeye the sailor]

well.....hello Walter!  so glad to be back!  I chimed back in the other evening,  but was too pooped to pop!

 

I have a lot of ground to cover.........I do hope you follow along!  saw you began your build log.....I will visit, I promise!

 

I didn't get back to her till the 11th of January........damn Lobsie twins were keeping me in stitches!  I was busy building what would come to be known as the Denny-Zen......I was working full steam to get him up to speed with his counterpart,  the Phylly C.    I began to plank the America....the next step in her assembly.

    here is where the other problem was.......the planking looked as though it had been cut with a dull blade.   the edges were very unruly......I won't go into this......if you want to see it,  please refer to the link at the beginning of the thread.   you'll see pictures that aren't posted here. I was able to clean them up and use them,  beveling the bow for a better fit,  as well as the mating edge to the preceeding plank,  to fit against the plank better.

[Jim Lad]

Aha!  One of Popeye's logs is back - great!

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

Hi Anja........I thought you might like it if I put the link up.....I know how you love to read

 

 

I did a lot of sanding at this point,  to quiet down some of the plank lines.   I hardly used any filler on this hull.......I did not want to spoil that aspect.   there is a balsa plate that is to be cemented onto the transom area.......as far as ships go,  balsa seems to be my achillie's heel.  it proved to be as big a pain with this build as well.   it needs to be trimmed to shape.......as I was doing that,  a chunk broke out of it,  ruining the looks of it.  I cemented the chunk back in place,  and made up some sawdust and white glue,  to fill in the bad spots

here is how the transom looked after I treated it.

 

[popeye the sailor]

hello John.........I'm on the road to recovery as well!   we'll get this place ship-shape  in no time!  cripes!  I was shocked to see how much was already here when I got in the other night.....makes a fella proud....don't cha know!   I so glad everyone like my little prose.....I read your post and verses came into my head......gotta put'em somewhere!  LOL!   believe it or not {i forget the fella who posted it}...I think it was in my original post introducing myself......someone posted a poem to me.  I was touched........

 

In the evening breeze, from our seats of ease
We hold our court in the bow
Tho’ me mates thinks I’s daft, on art verses craft
On applied research I’m a “WOW”!


When the day is done, they take their fun
With a tot of rum at the peak
Whilst I, if I’s able, I borrows a table
And works on me scarphs for the week


Now I ain’t prolific and I ain’t terrific
But I gets me little job done
If I’s hard pressed to finish, I has me spinach
And carries on with me fun


Because in the end – I am what I am
 

 

I copied and pasted it........the heck with telling you about it!   I {again} want to thank the person who sent me this........I keep it in file,  and in backup on memory stick 16GB......it has every picture and stuff I've done to date.....except for the Wharf logs   thank you very much for the welcome home....to you and everyone!

[riverboat]

HEY Popeye, Finaly  up and posting .... nice to seeYA!.... I haven't seen this build of yours on the old site, looks really nice, you did a very good job on the planking. Are you going to repost all of your CURRENT builds!!

frank

[popeye the sailor]

OK........so, I got the planking done.   I messed around with the deck fittings next.   I also separated the bag of fittings as well.......and wouldn't you know it!   I lost one of the tiny perls beads for the booms!  I looked around for it.....but it was long gone!   luckily,  I had bought a container of them for the Gothenborg and noted that they were the same size.  so, I added a couple to replace the one gone,  and went on my merry way.   I started to work on the structures.

the companionway plug and the skylight plug.   I couldn't do much with the companionway plug,  but I thought of something for the skylight plug.   I wanted to make it look open inside,  so I cut two slivers of the plug and glued on the sides.  I will add a bottom.

this is what it looks like sanded and cleaned up.  with a flat black bottom,  it will look open inside.

the tiller seat, trim ring and companionway is partially assembled.  the grate on the deck looked a bit out of sorts too......too tall and both grate pieces wouldn't fit on the plug for them  I framed them in and made them lower to the deck.

so, then I did a dry fit

[popeye the sailor]

hello Frank......I'm finally getting my butt in gear........don't want to let you guys have ALL the fun!   yes,  I will be posting the rest of my active builds.   the finished builds will go in the completed gallery.......I have those pictures ready to go as well.  this one is easy.....it's still rather early in the build.........the Gothenborg and the Lobsie twins are the ones that's going to give me fits!  LOL!   thanks for the good word.......hope you follow along.

[mtaylor]

Popeye... I'll be following....    Great work.

[popeye the sailor]

I had a stroke of good luck.  I wa walking from the living room,  to the computer room.   looking along the edge of the wall as I was coming through....and I saw a tiny round thing.......it was that silly perls!   I got it back!  here is how small it is.

 

this should just about catch this build up.  I had halted it to work on the lobsie twins.  now that I have the both of them well in sync with one another,  I thought I'd switch over.   I cemented some light mahogany on the inner bulwarks,  and prepped up the top rails to be cemented on without flaws,  the stern bulwark wall is a two piece part,  but it seems too low to mate with the side bulwarks.   I added a piece of flat stock to the bottom and brought it up.

 

after the stern wall was sanded to shape,  it was fitted and cemented in place.......the aft top rail sections were then cemented on.

I took som of the same mahogany and covered over the wood plys on the deck side.....the other side is painted

Across the bow,  a small piece of planking was cemented in to bridge the gap.  a concave deviation was filed into it for the location of the bow spirit.  

[popeye the sailor]

hi Mark!  thanks for the good word......be proud to have you follow along!  this will definitely get this build up to snuff......the hull paint!  I used the Billing's paint on this.......I went with copper for the bottom.

the slots in the skylight roof was filled with the window maker,  and then the inside walls of the structure was painted flat white......the bottom was painted flat black,

the masking tape was removed........this copper is more of an earthy tone.....not a real shiny copper color....once the sheen calms down,  it should be good.

I had to do two coats.......I used a brush instead of the airbrush.   I should have used it......I am so spoiled now!  the copper had dried long enough, I think........so, the upper portion was masked up and it got it's first coat of black.

and there it is.........I am all caught up!   I have more progress,  but it's still in the camera.  I took tomorrow off,  so I'll try to get more done.....my morning will be a busy one though.....both grand kids are coming over!  can't wait to see them!

 

[rdsaplala]

Hi Popeye,

 

Pleased to see you back in action my friend

Just catching up with your beautiful America log, I must have missed it in the old forum

She's looking great, mate, very nice and  clean work

[cog]

popeye,

 

It's good to see some spinach on the table again!!! Aye, I sure missed your inventive mind here at MSW. Good to see you back.

[patrickmil]

Popeye, it's good to see you back online again. This was a great build you were working on and I look forward to watching it grow. 

[trippwj]

Glad to see this ol' girl back - love the things you come up with to spice up a build!

[dafi]

Hello Popeye,

 

great to see this again, I am actually enjoying all these déjà-vues :-)

 

Great work, daniel

[augie]

Good work, Popeye.  She's a lot sleeker than the 'twins'.

 

Pretty!

[Jim Lad]

Ain't nothing can slow Popeye down!

 

John

[riverboat]

Hey Popeye: the only thing that'll slow you down, is looking for something else to build    . here's a tip for you ole' buddy, get youself a small St,Anthony picture, statue whatever, and keep it on your workbench. He'll help you find things when you loose them ( he's noted for helping people find lost items)  It works for me, the only time I can't find something  is when he can't find it either!!   The nice thing about this is, you don't even have to be religious!          ( but it helps!!)

Frank

[SkerryAmp]

Love your builds Popeye!  Will be following along this one as I have the others!

[BANYAN]

^{Great to see you back Pop-eye.  Now all we need are some M&Ms}

 

^cheers

 

^Pat

[popeye the sailor]

I want to thank everyone who commented here....I'm quite humbled with your positive responce.   I only have this build up so far,  and a couple in the finished gallery......trouble is,  they're in the wrong one.   I will see if I can have them moved to the proper forum.   I'll have some more progress up for this build very soon.   I'm no expert  by any stretch of the imagination.......and I should know about imagination, but your good words tell me that I'm on the right track     I will continue to raise the bars and eyebrows,  as I move along in this wonderful, and very interesting hobby.  thank you all.....it's great to be back........and here with all my friends!

 

 

oh.......Frank......I'd put a statue on the table.....but I'd be too afraid that it would end up in a build somewhere!  

[newbuilder101]

Great to see your build...she's looking great

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Sherry.........more progress soon.....I hope.  have you decided on another build?   I'll keep my eye out for your log.....as I try to rebuild.

[newbuilder101]

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

[ricky146]

You have been busy, Popeye.

I love the lines of this build - a really graceful hull.

Your attention to detail and forward thinking is evident here just as it is in the Lobsie twins. I am looking forward to seeing this build progress and have added the kit to my wish list.