Holiday Harbor by popeye the sailor - 1:20 scale - multi build

[Jim Lad]

Looking good with the wheelhouse on, Popeye!

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

thank you all very much!  thanks also for all the likes  

 

thanks Mobbsie.........I do have to be careful.  if I keep going like that,  I might as well put my plan B into motion,  and let this one leave the fold like the Andrea Gail did.   actually,  it's not a bad idea.......a lot of the thoughts I've been having takes this ship away from the holiday theme.  I'm beginning to think that I can't domesticate the wild  

 

thanks Bob...that a heck of a nice compliment for this northeastern landlubber  

 

thanks John and Lawrence......I guess there is beauty in the simpler things.  I wanted to give it a bit more shape,  but at the same time,  I didn't want it to eat up too much of the fore deck.  there is more to add......there always is.......I've filled in the edges and need to sand it a bit more.  I also want to add 'deck texture'........you'll be seeing this very soon  

[popeye the sailor]

I did the first step with the deck treatment today,   but I needed to get to that point first.   I began with the fore deck,  cleaning up the helm room.......squaring the windows and sanding.   I want to cement the two structures together,  but I had to mark the decks where these structures are located.

 

 

now I have the tracing done........cement away!

 

 

while I was at it,   I fleshed out the hold for the main deck.   it will be sanded and primed later on.

 

 

now...to plank the fore deck.

 

 

 

it didn't take me too long to do it.....I didn't do any calking or butt staggers.  with what I'm going to do,  I won't need to because there is a very good chance that it will never be seen.  the fore deck is done.

 

 

 

 

I haven't gotten around to paint the helm room yet.......I should have for this next photo.  I had to find and re drill all the holes for the railings.........clearly,  I have assembled them too soon.

 

 

with the primer that I had decanted earlier,  I painted the unplanked area where the helm room is to be located.

 

 

the rest of the dash was added to the helm room.......a hole was pre drilled for the ship's wheel.   I took it to the porch to paint it with the primer......and that blasted can of primer wouldn't spray!   I couldn't get it unplugged,  so I'll end up decanting the rest of it........in the meantime,  I brush painted it.

 

 

 

the fore deck will be lightly sanded at this point in time.   it came out pretty good........almost too good for what I'm about to do.   here goes nothing  

Edited April 27, 2016 by popeye the sailor

[Omega1234]

Hi Denis

 

I feel your frustration at having pre-drilled the stanchion post holes, only to find that you'd done it too early! I reckon I must've done similar things many a time, before.

 

I'm also intrigued about the foredeck planking. Mmmmmm, what have you got in store, especially if they won't be seen once done.

 

Really nice work, as always!

 

Cheers and all the best

 

Patrick

[popeye the sailor]

oh Patrick.....I feel so sad

folks shaking their heads....Popeye's been bad

to ruin and destroy that precious planking

they gonna give me ....one heck of a spanking

 

the grain is gone......there is no hue

and nothing about it,  I can do

I swished and swashed with one fail swoop

and turned it into.....one.......BIG........oops!

[popeye the sailor]

oh......thanks for the good word and those for the likes.  I gotta go now and find a sharp chisel

 

oh why didn't I listen 

to my own inhibition

 

I'm usually quite attentive you see

 

as I crept to the table

and read the label

 

it clearly says....."not to be used with......"

[mobbsie]

Come on Popeye, come clean, what've you gone and done.  

 

I bet it's all planned and you've got us dangling on a piece of string. If not I hope it's not serious.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[riverboat]

Love your play with words!!! ....... oops.... almost forgot... your work too!!!!

Edited April 27, 2016 by riverboat

[popeye the sailor]

......just sentiments of the way I felt as I did it.......it just didn't feel natural.   is it a common practice?   I recalled back when I did the Maine Lobster Boat.........I thought planking the deck was the cat's meow.   it did........it gave the boat a touch of class..........but as it was pointed out to me,  work boats don't usually look that good.   so,  I quickly assembled another hull,  and turned it into a two boat project.......no skin off my nose      I might have thought about it at the time,  or I was too fearfull of the outcome.......I'm not sure.......but there was an easier alternative.   as mentioned,  the deck was planked without doing the simulated calking.....it would have been a waste of time.  I didn't do any butt staggers either......I recall learning that poop decks and fore decks should be done in whole length planking........I kinda stuck with it.

 

paint 

 

I initially was going to simply spray it over with the red primer,  but I didn't want the decks and the bulwarks to be the same color.   I didn't want white......gray would be the logical choice.  I didn't want a spray either...too uniform and most likely wouldn't give me the look I wanted.   looking in my paint inventory......I found this:

 

 

flat aircraft blue........seems odd,  but there's a logic to it........I'm hoping the gray and blue attributes even out the paint scheme.   the primer red..........and I want the outer hull to be either duck egg blue, or sea blue.   I added a little extra thinner to the aircraft blue to bring it down to somewhat of a wash.  I worked small areas at a time.

 

 

 

spreading the paint out as far as it would go,  I allowed ghosting.......taking into account that the wood is going to be thirsty........it sucked the paint up like a sponge.   in the beginning,  it looked real blotchy.......but as the paint cured,  it slowly went away and became a flat finish.  the same went for the structure roof / deck....it was planked as well.

 

 

 

I was a little off on my center......the port side planking went to the edge with just a tiny bit of a deficit.

 

 

the starboard side however had more..........I filled it in with some 2 mm wide strip.

 

 

 

it was then masked and painted the same way.

 

 

clear to see why I won't use a green      the structures were placed back in place......the gap between the two is pretty much gone at this point.

 

 

 

 

now I guess I'll get started on the main deck.......here I will do butt staggers.  I need to map it out first though  

[popeye the sailor]

hey there Mobbsie..........kinda planned,  but was unsure of the outcome.  it will look better when both decks are done     thanks for look'in in and the good word.

 

 

hi Frank........you might get a kick out of this    appreciate ya look'in in and the good word  

 

thanks for all the likes!

[mtaylor]

Denis,

You just never cease to surprise me on your builds.   Keep up the great work, friend!!

[Omega1234]

Hi Denis

 

Loved the poetry. Very much Dr Suess, I thought.

[popeye the sailor]

gee....glad to see that many likes.........as mentioned,  it is a little out of the ordinary.   it's a neat way to add more detail to a painted deck.   where I like to use an archive pen to do the simulated calking.....I envisioned the paint activating and lifting the ink,  sending black streaks all over the place {my main reason for not doing it.....should have mentioned it earlier}.   it dried a bit more blue than I would have wanted.......I guess looking through the bottle was a poor barometer for gauging color.   if I had looked a bit harder,  I would have found the pale gray.......I have two bottles {1/2 oz}

 

thanks Mark.........this hobby is full of surprises.  the best thing any modeler can do,  is just let it happen    thanks for the good word,  friend!  {right back at ya}    

 

thanks Patrick     I mentioned somewhere that I used to enjoy writing short stories and poems.  I still do every time I have time to think...those came to mind as I was painting the deck......I just had to write them down.   I like a couple of different styles........nice to know I won't scare little kids     thanks for look'in in and the good word.

 

well,  I have the deck lined off.........today must have been too much excitement for me,  cuz I didn't get much further than that.   tomorrow for sure  

 

thanks for all the likes  

[Piet]

Hey Popeye Denis,

 

Just now catching up after a few weeks not being able to even log-on to MSW, to see what you've been up to.  Wow, what marvelous additions to that boat!  She's really coming along great.  Never a dull moment in the Popeye shipyard - for sure.

 

Cheers,

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Piet for the good word....yep!  that's me........still here,  experimenting and seeing what I can get away with    I think i'm skirt'in too close to the 'triangle' though  

 

I got some of the main deck done yesterday.......and then I got pulled away.   figured it was going to happen sooner or later.

 

the deck was mapped out.almost looks like a football field...all I need is some green turf  

 

 

now I always cut the stripping freehand,  squaring up the ends with sand paper afterwards.   this time I came up with a process....a jig of sorts.   it works out pretty good,  so I'll use this in my future work.

 

 

it starts with two planks rows in the center being full length.

 

 

I try to run forward -> back.......get the structures out of the way first.   planking around the structures,  it helps to eliminate the separation lines that can occur between the structures and the deck.   to make the butt joints stand out a little,  I'm sanding them at a slight angle,  so they will be more visible.

 

 

 

my first trimmed plank around a corner of the lower structure.......

 

 

when planking around structures like holds and such....one has to think if a butt joint is going to fall within that space.....I goofed.   so I had to rip up a couple of rows.  even though the glue was fresh.......I still managed to gouge the deck in a small area.  nothing major  

 

 

going along the sides of the hold,  meant I had to trim these planks as well.   this is done evenly on both sides

 

 

 

so....I ended up at this point on the deck planking.......I'll try and finish it today.

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the likes gents     this has to be the largest deck I've done so far,  besides what I did with the United States decks.   I got much further today.......but I'm not out of the woods yet.   I think I had 50 strips in that bundle.....after going a bit further today,  I looked at the bundle,  and the bag was empty!   all that was left,  was on the table.   oh,  crap!

 

I made it around the starboard side of the structure......this side is now totally closed in.

 

 

I had better get the port side boxed in before I run out.  I did that.......and a bit more,  as I got down to the last few bits.

 

 

I haven't removed the structures yet.......I'm hoping I still can.   the lower structure slides under the lip edge...so it might be tough.   it is a trial,  but it can be done....I could trim the lip a little,  to make it a bit easier.  I dunno.......I might.

 

 

I guess I had better order some more.......huh     I'm gonna need it.  I went through my tubes of wood stock,  and I found another sleeve with eight or so strips in it!   great.....I can go a bit further!   I did more with the starboard side...and am now at the point of closing in on the bulwark.  I've already closed in the first segment at the stern.

 

 

it's also beginning at the bulkhead as well.  there will undoubtedly be a lot of trimming to do.

 

 

then I can get 'round to the port side.   I'm going to order some more........I got the OK from the budget director  

 

[Omega1234]

Hi Denis

 

Nice and neat!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Patrick....and everyone who hit the like button.   didn't do anything today.....It's my work week  

 

appreciate the good word!  

[edmay]

Hello Denis,The admiral and I think your doing  very neat work, pity we didn't live closer as I would have helped you out with the planking shortage,regards to the budget director, Edwin and Urmilla;

[Jim Lad]

That deck looks really good, Popeye!

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Ed.......appreciate the good word and the offer       I ordered another five bundles of 10........I wanted to order the photo etch for the Sergal Thermopylae,  but the admiral suggested I get the wood first,  and order the etch in a couple of weeks.   I'm not starting that kit right now,  so it was fine with me        I guess that's one of the drawbacks,  wit ha site like this.........you can have such great friends...but there are so many miles in between.  

 

thanks John.........this should take care of the problems with detailing a deck for a fishing boat.   once both decks are done...and especially when the hull paint is done,  it should look even better     thanks for the good word.   proof is in the pudding though that you can make a ship look just as good without paint.........you've proven that already!  

[popeye the sailor]

this is agonizing.........I SOOOOO want to be able to paint this deck!   I ordered another five packs of strips.......I probably won't get them till the end of the week.   this morning,  I filled in the starboard side........filled in two more segments from the stern,

 

 

this in turn,  filled in the first couple segments from the bulkhead.

 

 

I wasn't too crazy with that imperfection in the first segment.   looking in the scrap pile on the table,  I found this piece.

 

 

not as long,  as I would like.........but it looks like the only piece that will come close.  dry fitting it in,  it looked pretty good,  so the area went from this....

 

 

....to this......

 

 

all that remained was the one in the middle,  and that was filled with a small strip and some scrap.  from the eight strips I found,  I only have 3 1/2 left.........doubtful that it will finish the port side and complete the task.  we shall see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2016 by popeye the sailor

[Piet]

Awesome planking mate, looking good!

 

Cheers,

[cog]

The finer arts of planking ... a masterclass by popeye ... also available on video?

 

Looking very good, those last little pieces just finished it to perfection ... now the waiting is on for the postal service ... the need for patience is sometimes so frustrating ...

 

Cheers

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Piet and Carl.......depending if a margin or waterway is added,  it can make life easier.   in this case though,  I think I would drive myself crazy,  bordering the deck out......too bad all I have is some 0.7 x 25 mm dark mahogany.   not that it would have mattered....I painted it,  but the hue might have come through since I am allowing ghosting.   anyway,  I thank you for the kind word and all the folks who hit the like button  

 

now for a story on a very interesting day............

 

I finally got the two e-mails I have been waiting for.......my order from Billing USA.......has been shipped and is in transit.   After I posted on the starboard side planking,  I went to work on the port side.

 

 

yea........there's quite a bit here to do.   I gave it a go,  keeping in mind of the utilization of wood.  I did a fair job of this,  all through the process.....each strip was reduced to a 1/2 inch stub,  along with various small clippings.  these,  as you can see,  do come in handy at time.....I don't throw anything away,  till the task is over.  I had 50 strips......it probably took 5 or 6 strips to do the fore deck and structure addition.   I was sure that I had more than enough to do the main deck.....but considering the size of the strips being used....this was a big deck.   I got the open field down to four segments......

 

 

one at the bulkhead was filled in.......

 

 

...and one at the stern was as well.

 

 

I did another search for 0.7 x 5 mm strips........through all my tubes,  and all of the kit part boxes in the closet.......no more were found.  I had only a few choice pieces left..........looking at the part box for the trawler,  there lay a bag with assorted strips in it.   some were dark walnut, for wales and rub rails,  some were lighter shades of walnut......but there were three strips of 0.7 x 5 mm Annegre that I had painted red on one side for the Gothenborg build {they've been around that long,,,,I save everything}.    the unpainted side had some red blotching on it........I wondered if it could be sanded away?

   taking the first strip and sanding it with an aggressive paper......it appeared to be working........that is,  until the paper grabbed the strip,  snapping it into a bunch of jagged pieces.   lighter pressure proved to be better,  and I was able to use what I had sanded to fill in most of the open area.   I used the rest of the unpainted stuff to do around the scuppers...I didn't want the red to show through the openings.

 

 

....and so,  the deck is finished........now it needs to be sanded.

 

 

 

there were a couple areas that needed some tidying up before painting........now that it is indeed painted,  I still need to tidy up one or two small imperfections.  if they prove to be a pain,  I can always figure out some way to hide them.

 

 

 

 

After finishing,  I don't quite remember if I had a couple of sandwiches then........but I do remember eating them.  I may have browsed the site for a short,  but Gibbs and I retired to the living room,  so I could watch the second episode of game of thrones again {I couldn't watch it Monday night}.  I saw it Sunday night,  but I like to review it,  in case I missed anything.  while there I had eaten some onion and garlic chips and a soda.  I came back to the computer to browse the site  {I wanted the paint to fully dry before posting the results},  when I began to feel itchy,  dizzy,  nauseous and began to sweat.

     I got up as it intensified and went into the dining room.   it got to the point where I was using a chair as a crutch...not getting any better,  I called to the admiral.  I went to lie down....she got me a cold compress for my forehead. it got worse and short of breath / hard to breathe.    after a while,  it began to lessen.......I could sit up and drink some water......totally alien to me........coffee,  pepsi,  and beer.........my staple usually.  we had ordered out for supper......Kevin had gotten it in the meantime.......I ate mine a bit later watching TV again.......I did nothing more after that.   Gibbs was by me the whole time........and of course got to share supper with me.   I'm OK.....for the rest of the evening,  I was fine.   I can only come to the conclusion that it was an allergic reaction to something,  with a panic attack thrown in for good measure.  the last time I can remember this happening to me,  was in a bar in Florida,  back in the 70's.......I was drinking draft beer!

Edited May 4, 2016 by popeye the sailor

[Kevin]

hope you are fully fit again now, maybe when you were last like it, it might have been the worry of buying a round, Im so impressed how you have so much going on, and make progress, where i have one build on the go, and dont seam to be going any where

[Jim Lad]

At last I can see your photos - my internet has been as slow as a wet week over the past couple of days.

 

The main deck looks spot on, mate - and I'm glad to hear that you're feeling OK again.

 

John

[mtaylor]

Nice work on the deck, Denis.   It has that slightly weathered look to my eye.    

 

I'm happy that it was nothing serious that nailed you.   Paint fumes?  Some paint hit me hard.

[popeye the sailor]

I had to laugh........I corrected it.......onion and garlic ships?!?!?!?       who would have thought!      I do thank you gents for your kind comments and think'in of me......yes,  I'm fine now    thanks for the likes as well.

 

I don't know what to tell you Kevin....all I can tell ya is your one heck of a modeler.   the subjects you choose are very complex  and labor intensive,  but you make them beautiful    there is a very funny story about that night......I had bought a pair of fancy black dingo boots.   I had to go home.........my feet had swelled and I couldn't get 'em off!   I took four showers after I got 'em off !   after I felt better,  I put on a ratty pair of sneakers and went back......came home near dawn    

 

thanks John     it's wet and cool around here too......hoping for a warm up soon.  hope I don't feel like that again too soon    I'm usually a healthy guy,  the only thing I ever went to the hospital for was my knee surgery.

 

thanks Mark.....yea......I'm think'in the same thing......allergic to something in the paint.   but I've used this stuff before and never got a reaction like that.         oh well........that I can change very easily.........I'm not about to go look'in for it either.  if it happens again,  I just have to get it checked out.....that's all.

 

can't be the chips,  I know that........they are my favorites.  I did a little at the table today.   but I gotta work at the airport tomorrow.......I'll do a bit more tomorrow when I get home.   thanks again everyone........I'm still in the saddle!

[Piet]

Wow babe, that's sure a scary thing that's happened to you.  Glad you are okay.

Deck work looks great.

 

Cheers,