Where are the Sailing Ship builders

Anyone still here that takes on the daunting task of working on the old frigates?

Reply to
AHoy
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Well, currently I have left frigates for SOL. I have two under construction, one a POB wooden kit, one a large Heller plastic.

With this kind of model I never put it on bench and work on it straight through till finished. I get burned out and switch to something else. When the model car kit on my bench is finished, it will be back to the Heller Soleil Royale. Hull is virtually done. I am adding gun tackle on all visible guns, and still have a few more to do. Then will erect masts and start rigging.

The wooden kit is the Le Superbe. Hull is done, guns rigged, will be putting in lower mast and bowsprit next and proceding to rigging.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

Don Stauffer wrote in news:x1vpg.1$ snipped-for-privacy@news.uswest.net:

Sweet. My neighbor picked up Heller's Victory not long ago. Upon inspection, I was impressed with Heller's plastic hull. The brown plastic with the wood graining can easily be prepped with a wash and could be considered complete. I prefer the plastics these days as turn around time speaks for itself. I'll go to great lengths to create any plastic to look like the wooden displays. In fact, I'm at a point where I'll just require the plastic hull and deck. I have a large collection of dowel rods that I'll contour to any form. My testaments include a 3' Cutty and 3' Constitution that took a 4'foot fall (both)on a carpeted floor and absolutely no damage was done. Both boats fell straight on the bowsprit / dolphin strikers. I use wool and cotton floss for the rigging, florist wire and soft solder throughout. I can turn a Revel

1/96 scale out in under 90 days and customers are always most impressed and pleased with the savings.

Best of luck on both projects.

Reply to
MossyOats

any pictures? i've been sitting on a constitution for years and need motivation. help me see what's possible.

Reply to
e

Ah man...I've built countless numbers of the 1:96 scale Revelle's line of USS Constitution. Just picked one up off of eBay recently for a whopping

20 bucks. Flawless. I wish I had a camera, as its on the bottom list of things to pick up, too many darn vet bills lately (cats). I can tell ya this..I'm sold completely on the Tamiya acrylics. I used the testors forever and a day, then found the Model Masters by accident. But then I was introduced to Tamiya and I haven't looked back. It flows so smooth and uniform with any decent brush. Clean up is a breeze.

I'm not able to devote the time anymore for the typical planking anymore for wooden scales. I have worked out a method using a CAD program where I grab up 4x4s and 6x6s, mill them into 1/2 inches strips with a rough contour and construct the main hull from the keel upwards, sanding to desired contour.

But when I need a quick sale or someone wants some nice furnishing for their den or wherever, I grab a Revelle quick like and I'm on the run. When I mentioned under 90 days, that's an 'average' of 3 hours a day. When I'm motivated, I can spend a day. If time doesn't permit..its minute detailing or sub-assembly as order of the day.

I know you've gleemed the 'net over photos of serious wooden ships. You can duplicate an exacting appearance with little efforts on the Revelles and Hellers.

Mentioned above, the falls on the dolphin strikers and jib boom suffered no damage whatsoever. Had I used the plastic booms supplied, I would have been forced to remove hours of rigging, strip parts and redo w/the dowels. I use wool, cotton and nylon for rigging. The wools and nylons will stand the test of time, bar none. Any good sewing shop will keep you brainstorming on choices of rigging thread. I could ramble on for days.

I was disappointed to see Revelle drop the Cutty. I shop high and low and can find vendors out there with old stock. I grab them quick like when I can. Got one now, in the box. Die marks suggest it was made in 1973. It was in cold storage so I can anticipate alot of the yards and mast could be brittle. No worries. The Hull's integrity is all I really need. Dowel rods to the rescue and I'm off and running. :D

Enough Rambling.. Just joined this ship heads group this am...

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Heave..........Heave....

Reply to
MossyOats

I just happen to be doing a pair of sailing ships for a late 1930's Maine Seacoast diorama. First time and it's quite a change from model railroading. OTOH, I love the challenges and may become hooked.

Norm

Reply to
Norm Dresner

well, maybe you'll get mine in trade. i may not be up for it.

Reply to
e

Reply to
Andrew M

Fire away with an offer. We can have a private discussion at your convenience. You can reach me at cuttysark_96[at]hotmail[dot]com. Lets HAGGLE !!!

Reply to
MossyOats

On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 15:08:22 -0500, Andrew M demanded to know:

I fasten all the main and studding yards with 18-24 gauge wire, reducing wire diameter as you move up the mast. Non-Rosin Silver Solder serves to create the raceways on the lower masts to assist in the yards' turning and positioning. Solder and stainless paperclips make great 'jewelry' for accents. Braiding nails..finishing nails make great railing posts as well as tie-off points for deadeyes and cateyes...which I heat on a portable hotplate burner and press into the plastic hulls. Holds forever. The superglues found for plastic models are the only way to rig. Knot-tieing slows the turnover down too much. Alot of the knots that require tieing (for visual reasons) still need a drop of superglue to ensure they do not loosen. I use the cotton floss and wool yarns (and heavy gauged nylon for lower ratlines) for the rigging with the typical wax block to eliminate the fraying. As such, the wax buildup will not always guarantee a secure knot..they can slip loose. Just a drop of glue prevents this.

...[realizes that pictures speaks volumes]... When I can, I'll illustrate this otherwise rambling with some drawings and send them up to the webspace to help convey this discussion better.

Your question was about the dowel usage. You can not have enough square and round toothpicks. You can easily make better cross-trees and dolphin strikers.

More to follow. HTH 8-)

Reply to
MossyOats

Don, I have 2 of these in my ship stash (the rpice was right) and was wondering what your opinion of it was, the Heller Soleil Royale. I also have the Heller HMS Victory to do too but am still dabbling with a car here and there, plus the rigging on the large RM Constitution.

John D.

Reply to
John DeBoo

Reply to
Ron Smith

On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 22:58:43 -0500, Ron Smith harmoneously whailed into the shower head:

Oh we know full well the etiquette of usenet. We're just lazy on Saturdays.

Reply to
MossyOats

Reply to
Ron Smith

Well, I've found that different groups like different styles of reply. Its hard to keep everyone happy. If I had snipped some part of the thread...someone else would have complained.

Reply to
MossyOats

Awesome tips - these really get the creative stuff flowing.

Reply to
Andrew M

Are you open for discussion on some trading?

Reply to
MossyOats

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