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

[patrickmil]

The eagle on the back looks great. It's hard to tell it's a decal as you can't see the transparent film. That indicates some top-notch decal work. The masts and their accompanying bits look really good too. It sounds to me as though you plan on putting some sails on her. I'll be watching for that.

[popeye the sailor]

thank you everyone for your kind word!  I'm almost there......one more big push,  I think!

 

 

Patrick and John :   you can see how thin those decals really are.   I have dealt with ones like them in the past......but not like this!  I was pretty bummed when the decal broke into pieces on the backing........I thank Tom and Susan for getting me the decal replacements so quickly.........thanks again everyone!

[newbuilder101]

You have been busy! I can only echo everyone's comments...it's looking great Popeye!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks sherry.....the kit assembles quite well.   now I can get set up to do some sail making........progressing right along.   thanks for the good word.

[trippwj]

Very sharp looking, Popeye!  No water skis on this one I take it???

 

;)

[captainbob]

Looking good, Popeye.

 

Next sail and rigging.  Then we go sailing. 

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

yepper Bob........that's what I'm getting ready for!   funny to see my table cleared.....LOL!   I'm also going to do the sail for the lobster boat as well........I seem to have lost the diagram for it,  but I just took measurements,  and I've drawn it out.......all is good

 

the admiral will be shocked to see the sewing machine coming out of the closet......perhaps she'll do them for me.........nawwwww,  not a chance.....I'm on my own,  good buddy.   thanks for the good word.......

[popeye the sailor]

spent most of the day on just making the sails..........now they need to be trimmed and washed with diluted white glue.   I should have an update soon 

[riverboat]

I'm sure they'll be done first class!

[DSiemens]

Beautiful work.  I really like the America she's such a cool ship.  Your doing an excellent job on this one.  Keep it up.  

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Daniel......I'm getting to the the good part.......thanks for the good word.   parhaps a larger scale of this one in the future

 

 

thanks Frank.........I have two trimmed and treated at this point.......all they need is the reef lines

[slagoon]

Absolutely beautiful, and the eagle is a great touch! What kind of decal setting concoction do you use?

[DSiemens]

thanks Daniel......I'm getting to the the good part.......thanks for the good word.   parhaps a larger scale of this one in the future    

 

That is something I would consider.  I need to get a log up of the Elsie kit I recently got.  I'm totally lost with it.  

[popeye the sailor]

I've never seen that kit before.....by all means.....start a build log,  I'd love to see it

 

thanks Sarah......these decals were very thin.  that's the main reason why the eagle {the first decal I went to apply} broke when I tried to move it around on the backing.   Testor's has a product called decal bonder......I use in on the decal that I make,  to seal in the ink from the printer.   it has many uses too.......as you can see.   when I built my Revell Cutty Sark,  I had gotten a new decal sheet for it, since the kit supplied one was garbage.  when I went to use it,  I found that they were too old and that they had micro cracked.  if I had the bonder at that time,  I could have saved them.   I usually don't have too much of a problem setting the decals,  but if I do,  I use a product called decal set,  put out by Testor's as well

 

Testors

[popeye the sailor]

I finished off the rest of the sail work today.   this kit supplies more than enough material to make the sails.

     first,  they had to be drawn out......traced onto the sail material.  while I was doing this,  I also assembled the rudder and installed it.

 

 

the sail diagrams....

 

 

 

then they were drawn out...

 

 

then,  it was off to the sewing machine.......to sew the edges and the pleat lines

 

 

the fourth one was done as well........I failed to show it.   after the stray thread was trimmed away,  they were ironed and painted over with a dilution of white glue and water.

 

 

that's about as far as I got........it carried over until today,  when I could finish the task

 

 

now the last two sails have to dry.......when they are ready,  they can be rigged onto the build.  I still need to make the booms for the fore and main sheet.   more updates soon 

 

 

[DSiemens]

Wow those look great!  Is it the white glue that gives it the slight off white color or is there something else mixed in?

[Jim Lad]

Popeye, those sails are looking good, but is there any way you can get that rudder closer to the sternpost - that looks a fair gap there.

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

I used the supplied parts to do the rudder John.......I should have done what I was going to do,  and used eye bolts.   if I can change it,  I will.   later on,  I might just order another kit.......I have other idea that I thought of  'after the fact'  that I think would further enhance the build.  thanks for the good word

 

when the glue dressing dries,  it tends to go clear.   that's the sail material.   I like the supplied material......it has a nice hue to it.   I have some other material that looks like canvas,  but it's a little bit thicker,  so I stuck with this.   the process I use to dry the sails can be altered slightly to put ruffles in the sails,  to give them a wind blown effect.  thanks for the good word Daniel.

[Sjors]

Popeye,

 

Is it your hobby to make sails??????

Or you just want to sit behind the sewing machine……..

 

[Anja]

Great sails Popeye!

 

What kind of material are they made of? Cambric, cotton, silk?

Will you leave them in white or give them for example a creamed color?

 

Can't wait for the sails to be hoisted.

 

Take care,

 

Anja

[BANYAN]

They look very good Popeye, a fine addition to a fine build - now you had better get on with it instead of talking about lobsters, popcorn and oysters or the thread police will come after you     

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited March 13, 2013 by BANYAN

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Sjors and Anja......cool that I can reply to the both of you together.   the sails are the color they will be......actually they are sort of a beige color.....light beige.   I kinda like using the sewing machine......it's pretty cool!   now if I can just get away from breaking the thread as much as it happens.....I can make short work of it.   rigging starts soon!

 

 

thanks for the good word pat     the police can come knocking.......I'm not guilty of anything.......other than having a lobster boat build

      nose to the grindstone........that's where I'm stay'in

[mtaylor]

Thread police????    Hmm....now there might be an idea..I wonder where we can find some.

[Sjors]

Do you mean something like this Mark?

 

 

[slagoon]

is more Mark

[patrickmil]

Well, I think it's about time you considered your own business making sails. Those look incredible and will really add to your America. Very nicely done! She'll be racing in no time.

[popeye the sailor]

I like making sails......I was surprised that the material in both kit was very thin......not like the material I got in the Gothenborg kit {although it looks more like real canvas}.  I have two rolls of it.....one from that kit,  and one from the Regina kit {even Hakan didn't use it.....too thick to be actual}.   I have some prep to do now....and then the rigging can begin   thanks for the good word Patrick

[popeye the sailor]

I made more progress on the AmericA.   there is some prep involved,  before the rigging can be done and the sails erected.   the gaffs have to be assembled,  the yokes for them are made of plastic.  I think I posted the pictures of my easrly attempt at making them from wood.   the 1/16 thick hard plywood worked out much better.......I only had to make one extra one,  to get the pair that I need.

 

 

they will be cut to size later,  then fitted to the sail.  the next aspect I looked at was the light boxes.  I had mentioned earlier,  that I didn't like them......I still don't.....their too fake.

 

 

so, I cut the parts needed to make them,

 

 

set up my jig again,  and made them up

 

 

 

while I was waiting for them to dry.....I made up the chain plates

 

 

when the boxes were dry,  I began to shape them......then to even them out to make them look alike

 

 

I had ordered some lights.......with no realization as to how small they were.   these will be perfect for the boxes.  they will have the window maker treatment and then  the glass will be painted the colors they need to be.

 

 

 

eye bolts were added......the yokes were sanded to shape.....so far I have come up with this

 

 

the next aspect will be the anchors........to me,  there's smoething wrong here.

 

 

the anchor chain comes out of the fairlead {which to me are in the wrong place}...........it should wrap around the drum,  and exit through a hawse hole in the bow.   I can do that......but it might look strange...any thoughts on that?

 

 

I have extra chain.....enough to do this,  I believe.   the anchor is another story....it too is made of plastic and need to be cemented together.   since there are two fairleads and two drums....I was think of making two anchors.  I will cement the anchors to a piece of wood,  cut them out and then shape them, to make the two anchors I need for this.   any thoughts would be appreciated

 

[popeye the sailor]

I looked ahead........and I didn't post those pictures.  here are all the sails....completed.

 

 

here are the pictures for the gaff yokes.   my first attempt was with older wood.   it seemed a bit harder with age,  so I thought to try to use it.....it didn't work.   it srarted out good,  but in cutting out the mast insert,  it split in half.   I then thought of this thin plywood.......I'm sure you have seen this stuff in kits you've done........it's only 1/16 of an inch thick,  very stiff and hard to work with.   I had better luck with it.

 

 

 

I cut one wrong,  so I had to make one other........this worked out much better........finished picture above.

[augie]

Beautiful sails, Popeye.  Your attention to these final details really brings your ships to life.