Andrea Gail by Popeye the Sailor - 1:20 scale - Finished

[augie]

I'm with you, Popeye.  I just may have chosen someone saltier to portray Cap'n Billy.  

[popeye the sailor]

gee......who would you have had in mind.......David Hasselhoff?     ohhhhh,  right.......he was known for brawn....not brains!! 

 

soooooo.......anyway......tinkering still going on.....cleaned up the nasty rod ends on the reels and touched them up.   added some strip stock to the top edge of the pilot house,  to stiffen the side walls up.   I took a look at the Tree Boat's hull frame to get an idea where the bulkheads are on the Andrea Gail.  the area of interest is between the third and fourth bulkhead.......if I remember,  it's roughly 51 mm.

 

 

from this,  the template was made.  the fourth bulkhead is the fore deck bulkhead on the A.G...since the top rub rail follows along the main deck line, I used it as a reference.   staying within the increment,  I was able to drill the pilot holes.......then a size larger.

 

 

the next size after that put the holes close to the size of the porthole inserts.   19/64ths......I used a rat tail file to enlarge them the rest of the way.

 

 

 

it went well........only one very........very tiny chunk occurred!   I figure paint will take care of it     the fore deck railings were adjusted and cemented.......still need to be trimmed

 

 

I drilled the holes for the aft section of the trawl rig.......but it made the rig unstable....bother!   the Billing's kit doesn't have the portholes....figured I'd put 'em in. 

 

 

small issue with the exhaust fan..........working to get it resolved 

 

 

 

[GLakie]

Sweet! 

[michael mott]

That worked out well Denis, you don't have to worry about it any more.

 

michael

[popeye the sailor]

thanks George and Michael........my main concern was hitting one of the bulkheads.  but it all worked out! 

     

thanks for the good word and to those who hit the like button 

[Piet]

Looking very nice Popeye and glad things worked out to your liking.

 

Cheers,

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Piet 

[patrickmil]

The A.G. is looking fantastic Popeye!

[NenadM]

I have little problems with my english to understand some of your thoughts, but, generaly, great build and very interesting log

[riverboat]

WOW!!!....... DENIS... THAT IS SO COOOOOOOOL.   this is definitely another WINNER!!!

 

Frank

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Patrick! 

 

 

if you find that there's something that your in question of Nenad....just let me know.  I will do my best to explain things a bit further.  thanks for the good word and for looking in 

 

gee Frank.......thanks a lot!!    I count myself lucky to be able to decipher these Billing's plans,  as well as I do     I have both sets of plans......the smaller kit  BB608....and the larger ABS hull version BB526.  I've been following the 526 plans more.   thanks for the good word!

 

...and again,  thanks to those who are following and hitting the like button 

[popeye the sailor]

HOLY COW!!!!   I've been catching up on all the builds I watch.......MAN!!   you folks have been busy!

 

    I watch so many builds......it's a wonder I get any of my own building done  .....I love it though,  so many beautiful builds out there........and more ideas that I can shake a stick at      so much......that I had to take a day off from work.   no....I didn't play hookey.......I have plenty of time to cover it!   I still have two weeks of vacation time.......took one for the Christmas holiday.......and now the admiral is ribbing me for when I'm gonna do it again.  you'd think that after a four day  'week end'....she'd be sick of me  

   Gibbs loves it when I'm home......actually he like to goad me into the living room,  so he can sit on the floor with his chewies......or sit with me on the couch and watch TV!   you should have seen him the day he saw a real horse!        here's one of his favorite poses,  in his efforts to get me into the living room

 

----------->

 

      what a HAM!!!!!!!  he has a few other tricks......but I would have to show you in video 

 

anyway........Monday started out with something I wanted to do for a couple of sittings now......the start of the upper gangway

 

 

it will span the length between the first section uprights.......it's what the tall ladder is for.  I also wanted to put the finish on the rack / podium......first adding extra  divider pegs for the floatation buoys.

 

 

then.....a little sanding to get them all to match

 

 

I got out some of the netting that I had found a while ago,  in one of my scavenger hunts.   the kit supplies green netting for the reels......but I have some in brown as well.

 

 

I also brought out some tulle.....for another area of the build......not sure what the kit supplies for this,  but it is shown in the instructions.

 

 

the gangway frame got the platform floor put on at this time

 

[augie]

That gangway is a real piece of work!  Give the puppy a hug from me.

[popeye the sailor]

the tulle was used to net off the railings of the podium........I was looking at the lower area.   there is a part that is level with the cap rails.....I have such an itch to put something there......it's killing me!   the plans show nothing there.......so it's a hard decision  {I don't want a  'man overboard'  situation}      I got a bit rushed with this.......the top part of the podium frame has been added as well.

 

 

 

oh.......oh.......picture problem......

[popeye the sailor]

FINE!!!!   I'll just do a reset!

 

 

there.......it worked now!      the instructions call for a single rail on the gangway........I have stanchions for three rails.......I'll use them     after all.......I don't want to copy the plans to the letter now,  do I?!?!

 

 

one corner is a bit more than the other,  but with what it took to do this,  I left it.   I saw that it was just the matter of drilling another hole,  moving the offending stanchion,  and then filling the hole,  but it's all cemented at this point........really don't want to see what it would look like after    ahhhh,  but we all know what happens to things that irritate    I then made up what I believe is the sampson post......I think I cut the  cross bars a bit too short......I may make another .

 

 

more bits of detail was added to the first section of the trawl rig......those horseshoe looking thing I showed earlier found a place here.   the yokes at the ends of the cross bar were also added......these are Billing's idea of the pintle / gungeon assembly in some of their kits  {I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here}.   I also have some of the plastic yokes used in some of their gaff parts....I hang onto them.......use them for other things.

 

 

yea........this process was a bit rushed as well........I failed to take pictures of the step by step.   the gangway is in place at this point.

 

 

 

I had to do a dry fit........but now it is unstable.   I used a prop pole for this,  since I haven't got the roof done yet.   it's the next thing.........

 

 

as a matter of fact.........here is the beginnings of the roof.....left to dry over night

 

 

now the shaping.......the visor {front and sides}..........I really need to get some paint on her,  so the pilot house can be cemented in place.   the next update should be in detailing the structure 

[Mfelinger]

Hi Denis

Meticulous work, it looks very nice, congratulations.

 

Matija

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Augie........you caught me in mid post      the gangway looks much better now    Gibbs says thanks 

 

thanks Matija....I appreciate the kind comment and welcome to my log.......always glad to see new folks   

[GLakie]

Very nice Dennis! Amazing detailing work. 

 

Cheers 

[popeye the sailor]

thanks George!    .....that little tube of super glue......at one point,  I couldn't find it!   I looked through the mess on my table...and I couldn't see it.   I knew I had removed the build - up on the nozzle....but what did I do with it from there?   I found it hanging off of my shirt!  it must have been on the edge of the table, and I leaned in to do something!

 

it's the weird stuff....it makes one laugh!  thanks for the good word! 

[NenadM]

Good place to hold superglue, to always know where is. I must try this ...

[Omega1234]

Hi Dennis

 

Every time I check out your next entry into your Log, your AG just keeps getting better and better. I love the railings, gangway and all the other details really add up to a beautiful model.

 

All the best

 

Patrick

[Piet]

Great Scott Popeye, you are going like gang busters with this build!  Marvelous detail work.

 

Cheers,

[mtaylor]

Looking good, Popeye.  I have no idea what's what there, but I'm sure that when it's all together, I'll know.   

[michael mott]

Denis you do seem to be going along at a pretty good pace on this build, it is looking great with all the details that you keep adding. The tube of glue fiasco made me laugh, sort of like looking for ones glasses while wearing them.

 

Michael

[Omega1234]

Good place to hold superglue, to always know where is. I must try this ...

I concur as well!

[patrickmil]

Popeye, all I can say is WOW! Great work.

[Sjors]

Amazing Popeye,

 

You still find the time to look at other builds and creating a masterpiece of your own build !

I don't know how you are doing it but you are doing it !!!!

Hat off for you Sir !

And give the Admiral an hug from me ( I love dogs but not to hug them  )

 

Sjors

[popeye the sailor]

it's a losing battle Sjors........I'm JUST getting caught up again!!!!  .....and that's just the scratch builds!!!  thanks for the good word! 

 

:D Nenad and Michael...........I think that's where 'crazy glue' got it's name.    never stick it in your pocket though........we all know what happens to pens    thanks for the good word as well

 

Omega {Patrick},  Piet,  and Patrick....thanks for the good word!  color is getting to be quite an issue now.......glad when I can finally get there 

 

I think I know what your referring to Mark........that open area in the rack / podium.   well.......silly me......I had to mention it.   all this time,  I've been looking at the build from the starboard side....not paying any heed to the port side.   when I turned the boat around,  is when I noticed it.....but kind of shook it off since there was no platform there.   but then I began to think.......what if for some reason,  there was a problem,  and the only access to it was from this vantage point.   brrrrrrr.......cold chills and a watery drink!  so I decided to put something there.   I know that it's not in the plans......perhaps not even on the original vessel........but why not add it in anyway

 

first things first.......let's drill the holes.  I have one more of those stanchions left.....shame to have it in inventory.......what would I use it for?

 

 

then I cut and bent the railings for it

 

 

I had to make a jig to drill the holes........sad to say I was 1/2 a MM off.......but I did a bit of trimming and I got it in place.   I'll just have to fill in the holes.

 

 

 

possibilities of probabilities........we'll just chalk it up to added detail.   gee......perhaps a platform there would be in order

[popeye the sailor]

since I was on a railing binge........I figured I trim the railings on the fore deck.   I had already cemented them together.   at the bow cap,  the lower railing was trimmed off and the top one was bent down,  according to the plans

 

 

 

 

then......the moment I have been waiting for........damn the exhaust fan,  the pilot house,  the rack / podium,  and the first section,  are getting primed! 

[captainbob]

Really coming together and looking good.  I like your additions.

 

Bob