FINISHED - Life-Like (nee Pyro) 1/250 "Mayflower"

Thanks, folks, for the kind words. Next model, while in a larger scale, will still be small. I do have larger models, but they have to wait for more space. 

Next project? Not sure yet.

Rob,

Well done on your Mayflower. The jig you made for the shrouds and ratlines is very cool. Not wanting to sound like a broken record, but what you do on such a small scale is amazing.

Steve

Cool stuff, my Mayflower is an older version. I got a Lot of 3 kits off Fleabay, this the Constitution and a 'ship in a bottle' kit of the Golden Hind, all Lindberg minis.

I plan to use something like that loom.

warshipguy

That is an interesting system you created.  How does it compare with the Heller system, with those looms provided in their kits?

Bill

 

I find the Heller loom to be too rigid on the shroud positioning. Basically, you have those set slots (sawteeth), and that's it. Here, one can adjust the lines even more precisely. The downside to this loom is that the shrouds are free to move around perhaps too much until the glue sets. It takes a lot of practice. 

 - Robert

That is an interesting system you created.  How does it compare with the Heller system, with those looms provided in their kits?

Bill

warshipguy

Stunning work, especially given the limitations of the kit! I am most impressed!  How did you do the shrouds and ratlines?

Bill Morrison

 

I used a modified "McCaffery Loom". Miniaturist Lloyd McCaffery came up with the basic design years ago. My modification is to use sections of a yard stick, as well as drilling additional holes for smaller diameter bolts (obviously for smaller models). For larger scales, I still prefer the old fashioned method, but this isn't always practical for smaller models.

Thinned Aileen's Tacky Glue is used to glue the shrouds to the foot ropes. The footropes are fine black nylon line, while the shrouds are brass or copper wire, in this case 32 gauge copper. I try to stick to non-ferrous wire for rigging, as steel tools sometimes have enough of a magnetic charge to make the work a chore. In this case, though, it turned out that the "copper" wire was really just copper plated steel, and was a bit of a nightmare in a number of places, but fortunately not here. 

I use a divider the get the measurements I need for the shrouds, and then lay the first and last ones in place, mirroring them in sets.

After the glue sets, the ratlines are painted, flat black here, and cleaned up while still on the rig (they had yet to be cleaned here). When it came time to remove them, I put lengths of masking tape over the nylon lines at the bolts. This makes cutting the finished ratlines out much easier. I use scherenschnitte scissors (very fine) to carefully cut them out. They are trimmed, touched up, and glued into place, again using Aileen's but straight and not thinned.

Hope that answers the question!

Cheers,

 - Robert

Stunning work, especially given the limitations of the kit! I am most impressed!  How did you do the shrouds and ratlines?

Bill Morrison

A tiny beauty you have here! Wonderful work!

1943Mike

Robert,

Yours is such a delightful, diminutive ship! I certainly would not attempt rigging with all those tiny blocks! It would drive me madder than I already am.

Mike

 

Thank you, though only a few of those miniature blocks are real. They are actually made with blobs of Tacky Glue, for the most part. Just built up layer at a time and painted. In total, I'd say less than a dozen blocks on that model are really blocks! Old technique that I learned from McNarry, Hunnisett, et al. 

Cheers,

 - Robert

Robert,

Yours is such a delightful, diminutive ship! I certainly would not attempt rigging with all those tiny blocks! It would drive me madder than I already am.

Mike

Here is the finished model. 

Here is a size comparison shot. 

This took far longer than expected, due to other issues, as well as experimenting with techniques. The end result turned out better than expected.

Onto the next project. 

Cheers,

 - Robert

The kit only comes with one anchor, and it lacks a stock. Using sheet styrene, I carved out as close an approximation as possible, and made a ring for it from brass wire. They were painted and weathered before the stocks were added (brown cardstock). 

With that, the model was complete.

Model is 98% complete. All the rigging that I plan on adding has been done. I am watching some of my live rigging (fabric lines instead of my normal wire) behave like barometers, stretching and shrinking with temperature and humidity. On larger models, not a problem. On models this small, where tolerances are much closer, it's a problem.

Still, it is looking pretty good. At some point I need to make two anchors, two flags, and a nicer stand. And, of course, do something about the weather predicting capabilities of some of the rigging. 

Cheers,

 - Robert

Work continues.

I decided to do the mizzen martinet with cotton line in order to lay across the sail more realistically. As I foolishly mounted the mizzen yard to port instead of starboard, the plan was simply mirrored.

The rest of the mizzen rigging proceeded very slowly, due to my not having planned ahead and skipping to other lines. Lesson learned; work inside to outside. 

The mizzen bowlines are run to the main ratlines, as per Anderson.

The mizzen sheets were simplified and attached astern. I decided to tie them just aft of the main braces. Some additional rigging was simply ignored, such as the mizzen brail lines, as adding them would have been extremely difficult.

I then decided to work on the topsails bowlines. Here, 32 gauge copper wire was used once more. 

Now, a few more pieces of rigging remain, plus two anchors and flags. 

Soon.

 - Robert

BashMonkey

Very cool, I just got one of these off Fleabay, have to try your methods on it :-D

 

I hope it is this version. The last couple of Pyro Mayflowers that were on ye olde pyrate bay were the earlier version, with a very toy like appearance and dimensions that would make a soul wince. Be sure to share it once it arrives.

 - RL

Very cool Rob!

Steve

Not much work the past couple of days. The braces are up on the the main mast yards. Was a bit harder than anticipated due to shaky hands. Starting Monday, things should improve. Sorry for the picture quality, main camera is still down.

I've had quite a slow down due to some medical issues, but am moving along again, albeit slowly. The running rigging is underway again, using a combination of fine copper wire and traditional waxed thread. Just a little further to go.

The mizzen lift was fairly complicated. It was accomplished with a combination of cotton thread and copper wire. Angle isn't quite right, but it still looks good enough, I suppose.

Cheers!

 - Robert

Shes tiny!  And pretty!

Steve,

It was a pretty good Thanksgiving, but really hampered by some other issues (health related). Smallest T-Day dinner I've ever had!

Bakster.

Thank you.

I've been doing what I can, but to be honest am really wishing I had stuck to my old method for a model this small (that is, using painted brass and copper wire for the rigging). While this model was an experiment of sorts, I had higher aspirations for it. That said, the lifts are up with regular fabric rigging, whilst the clew lines (and probably all line hence) are wire. 

Photos soon!

Cheers,

 - Robert

It looks fantastic Rob!

Rob,

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. 

Man, I knew those kits kits were small, but you get a real eye opener when you see the model in your hand! That is one small model. The repairs look good from the pictures, at least in my opinion.

Steve

warshipguy

As John Tilley is fond of saying, a serious model can be made out of a beef bone (or sow' ear).  I loved these kits growing up in the 1960's, but have rarely seen one completed to the standard that you are achieving!  She's beautiful! This is one of the best that I have seen posted on this site.  That said . . .

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  

Bill Morrison

 

Thank you, Bill, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 

RL

As John Tilley is fond of saying, a serious model can be made out of a beef bone (or sow' ear).  I loved these kits growing up in the 1960's, but have rarely seen one completed to the standard that you are achieving!  She's beautiful! This is one of the best that I have seen posted on this site.  That said . . .

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  

Bill Morrison

She's a beauty!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This is my little Mayflower as of today. The sails are up, and the running rigging was coming along nicely... and I had an accident today that undid a lot of hard work; a bottle of glue fell over, hit the model which was foolishly near the edge of the workbench, and gravity took it from there. I implemented repairs, but they do show.

Anyway, the sails are tissue paper bent to new wooden yards (reshaped toothpicks and basswood strips). Before the sails were attached, the yards were painted and detailed with the sail robands laced on beforehand, the sails glued over them. The sails were made from white tissue paper, with drawn on pencil detail and watercolor washes. Three of the sails are partially furled, as on the prototype model, but the lateen mizzen is on the opposite side of its mast. 

As of this evening, I've managed to get the spritsail and rig repaired. Won't make Thanksgiving, I'm afraid, but maybe a day or two behind.

Cheers!

 - Robert

Rob, 

Thanks for the tutorial. I have been trying to think of a way to do the same patten on a large scale Revell Mayflower I have in the stash. It has been calling to me lately since Steve(Bakster) started his most excellent thread.

Steve

Hi;

      I think she looks great .WIP or finished - Put her on the table . T.B.