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A pleasant surprise. The Bluenose II.

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fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 9:20 PM

OK, I got back to work on the Bluenose. Started on the standing rigging. While putting the blocks on the stays, I thought I would be running out of line, and I was right. Good thing my wife has quite an inventory of all kinds and colors of thread for her business. Got more than enough now.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WCtK68qGwW97TfhW8

Completed the 1st 18 stays and started rigging the ship.  

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QgFuGjkVZRgzcG1cA

She's starting to look good as I keep adding the stays. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yEjdG6feSZgi478N8

As often happens to us old fouggies, we often get to visit doctors, get stuck with needles and put into large round machines that make a lot of noise. Well, that's what I'll be doing the rest of the week and next week. Just trying to see if a small problem is going to turn into a bigger one. So, I'll keep in touch when I can. Don't think I'll get much done on the workbench.

Ya'll stay safe now, ya hea!

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 9:46 PM

Uh Yuh Yuh, you got that right driver! 

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 10:44 AM
Hi JIm! Lol!Lol! Loved your come-back. Leave it to wives, huh?
fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, July 29, 2024 9:47 PM

Sorry. I'll try to send the pics again. I think what I need is a very patient IT expert to sit down with me and teach me how this *$^&$@$%&* machine works. My wife tries but I guess I just push the wrong buttons and she looses patience with me. Oh well, here we go again.

Workroom photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RMRmU7CZfYobMgY78

Bluenose photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GyokYNEAKzfwDLMv9

Hope it worked.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, July 29, 2024 4:54 PM

Hi Jim,

 

I just see black rectangles. Apparently Gary sees more than I do.

 

Bill

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, July 29, 2024 2:38 PM

Hi TB!

My wife gave me the answer to that question a few years back. She did a 6"x6" needlepoint of a turtle riding a bike. Underneath the picture, it says "Over the hill and picking up speed". Does that answer your question?Wink

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Monday, July 29, 2024 7:40 AM

Well!

     You certainly impressed me(Made me jealous actually) with the Room. Now I suppose you're going to do it with the Model. Well, what's your rush?

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Sunday, July 28, 2024 5:30 PM
Hi everyone! Well, the entire workroom project is finished and I can get back to work on the Bluenose II. 
 
Thought I'd post a few pics of the hobbyroom before I show the Bluenose progress. We decided to do the stairway ourselves. We just had the floor people remove all the wall-to-wall rugs from the stairs. After they were finished with the whole house, we started on the stairs. I rough sanded the stairs then started filling all of the staple and nail holes. Another sanding. More filling. More sanding. Sound familiar? Two coats of white primer, two coats of flat white then two coats of white enamel. Step pads installed then the runner was stapled down. FINISHED!
 
 
Now, at the top of this georgous staircase is the "Hobbyroom". First is the basic "ThunderRoad" flooring. Great name, right?
 
 
Now, the Hobbyroom.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OK, enough of the workroom.
 
The hull and the deck of the Bluenose II is completed and now it's time for the masts and rigging. The Main mast and Foremast hole bases were missing soooooooo I scratchbuilt them. Completed and installed the Crosstrees. Started making the various blocks and tackles and installing them. The topmasts were tapered on my proxxon lathe and the mast trucks were installed.
 
 
 
 
That's the 1st 4 pages of the 2nd instruction book. Now comes the real FUN, the clump blocks, rigging, small rigging and ratlines. It's a good thing I have quite a collection of left-over rigging because I don't think there's enough in the kit.
 
I hope this works as it is one of my many tries to post photos instead of links. It looks like it is working but I won't know for sure until I hit the enter button and it does enter. If it doesn't, I'll try, try, try until it does.
 
Stay safe.
Jim Emoji

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, July 8, 2024 8:19 PM

Got almost all of the unboxing done and put sort-of where I want it. Got word friday that management decided this week it was time for the yearly inspection. Worked all weekend and today to make it presentable so it poses no problems for me. They are coming 9:30 Wednesday morning. Hopefully, by 10:00 I will be sitting at my workbench working on the Bluenose II. That is, as long as the world doesn't come to an end or some other ungodly disaster happens.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Sunday, June 30, 2024 9:57 PM

OK! Good news. The new floors are down and my room was first to be done. It was done on Tuesday. The floor looks great. Moved, uh slowly lugged about 1/2 of the boxed-up stuff back up on Tuesday night. Got the furniture and shelves set where I want them and started unpacking. Been unpacking ever since. Still have about 8 or 9 boxes left in the garage that have to go up. Think I'll call my stepson and grandkids (19 & 23) over to "Help" get them up there. In the meantime, I'll get all the models out of the garage and up on the shelves. Really miss being able to work at the bench anytime I want. More good news! This is definitely the last time for this. I am definately too old (83) for all that heavy lifting and all the up and down steps. Thinking about a chair lift for the steps or one of those new easy installed elevators advertised in AARP. Hhhmmmmm.

Will be back to work on the Bluenose II as soon as I can get all the stuff out of the boxes and back where it should be.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Monday, May 27, 2024 7:19 PM

That's a good case of recycling! I hate to throw away good stuff!

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, May 27, 2024 5:12 PM

Hi Pawel!

Before I retired, my office had a very smooth floor and I just barely moved my feet and the chair would move. I loved it. When we moved to this home, I never got used to trying to move my chair. Had to reach under the seat and lift-and-walk with it. My wife never got used to hearing the thumps on the floor every time I moved. She keeps asking "Are you OK?" I had a habit of not just setting it down either. I either just dropped it or gave it an extra shove. It's kind of heavy too. It's large with all kinds of adjustments. Found it on trash day on someone's lawn. Beautiful chair but the upholstery was torn. No problem as the wife is and was a seamstress all her life and after we got married, we both took upholstery classes at the local college at night as an add-on to her window treatment business. We tore it down, added some new foam to the seat and back, picked out a nice piece of fabric for it and it turned out great. I know for a fact that the chair will outlive me.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Monday, May 27, 2024 3:28 AM

Hello Jim!

Having to box al of the stuff up sure brings modelling to a halt... But maybe you can use this opportunity to sort your stuff, maybe even find something interesting and long forgotten in it - hope dies last, as the Germans say it.

But I also wanted to write about another thing I learned from the Germans... When I was working there long time ago we moved from the office (with carpeting on the floor) to the workshop (with smooth resin floors) to make some experiments on some prototype cars and we took our chairs with us. They really were gliding over these floors, those chairs... And then one day an occupational safety and health inspector visited us and said we have to get other wheels for our chairs - ones especially made for resin floors. Those were "braking" the chairs and it made sense - on a resin floor it's easy to inadvetently push the chair with carpet wheels, the chair glides away, and you "sit on air" and fall on the floor and can potentially badly hurt yourself - so please be careful here!

Good luck with unpacking your workshop again and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Saturday, May 25, 2024 7:31 PM

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the lack of updates on the Bluenose. The reason is that life happens and a few things came up that kept me away from the bench. Well, the most present happening is that every year, a small number of the homes in our development are singled out for new flooring. I think a lot of you know what happens next. Our home looks like we are moving. Everything is boxed up and ready to be stored in the garage when the floors are ready to be installed and the workers can move the furniture around as they install the flooring. My loft, that I just finished re-arainging, is all in boxes to be stored iin the garage. Sooooooo, I am out-of-business until the flooring is installed. The one good thing about all this mess is that the carpet monster will be gone forever and replaced with a light grey laminate flooring. My chair will roll effortlessly instead of constantly bogging down in the plush carpet that is on the floor now. 

The process for this undertaking has already begun. We've picked the flooring and now they will decide how much of it they will pay for. We already had to change our pick for the downstairs as it cost too much and they wouldn't pay their portion as it would have been too high. So we picked a less expensive flooring and it's now their turn. Will have to wait to see if our choice is in stock in the warehouse or not. If not, it will add more time to our upsidedownness. Then we will see how long it will take for the installation start to finish.

I will be back at work on the Bluenose ASAP. Fingers crossed that I can get them to do the loft first. With my luck, it will be the last to be done. This sitting around and not being able to get some work done on the bench is very frustrating. Think I'll go down to the range and take it out on a few targets. See yall soon. Have a great weekend.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 3:27 PM

I hear you TB! One of our old sailing sites is sort of down in the valley. One day the cops showed up and said "There isn't any trouble but I have to tell you that there has been a complaint made. A person in one of the houses behind you said that "your sails are blocking my view of the lake". If she calls again, I'll take care of it but this was just so you guys would be informed." Other complaints came in about all the noise. We went to the township meeting with my sailboat and showed them there were no motors in them except the servo to let out the sails. I had my PT 109 too with 2- 12V motors. I turned them on to show them how much noise they made. "Complaint dismissed." Chased away from another site for "chasing the fish" because they hadn't caught anything all day. All kinds of BS. Some people can't stand to see others having a little fun with their hobby.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 5:12 AM

Hey Fox!

      You are so right. I just always put a clearcoat on them to protect them from what might be in the water. My vessels are run mostly in the river, because the parks here in New Braunfels, TEXAS, say My boats would "Disturb the Wildlife" . A mad Goose can do more damage than I can!

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 3:16 PM

Hi TB!

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, they do look nice all polished up but those tiny belaying pins are hard to hold and polish once installed. I usually polish them before installing. They also say to put a coat of varnish on them to keep them from rusting. In all my years of using them, I never saw one rust. They went back to their original dull finish but never rusted. I used a ton of them on my R/C boats and they got wet but never rusted. Unless it takes another 50 or so years to rust???????Winkthen I'll never see itWink.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 2:30 PM

Hey Jim!

 Well, I guess I don't have to ask "How's it coming". It seems like you have a good flow going and I won't bother you with more than "Can't wait to see her with the masts set!

 Not rigged, just set! That hull looks audacious! Before you set the Manila or Hemp rigging is when you polish everything in place! That's how I did it. At least one end was fastened in place and a tweezer turned into a little hook held the other end-Polished the daylights out of stuff!

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, April 15, 2024 10:00 PM

Here are the latest photos of the Bluenose.

Most of the deck "furniture" is on now. When I started working on the ships boats, the small size gave me a lot of trouble so I've put them aside for the time being. Still thinking about them and I think I've come up with a solution but it'll keep for now. I can work on them later. The railings in the aft end of the boat were fun too. The "rope" is twisted stainless steel and makes bending and seizing the loop at each end slightly difficult. The wire used to do the seizing did not take well to bending more than once. Soooo, I looked through my extensive wire collection and found a reel of each size wire that was clear plastic coated, left-over from my R/C boat days. That went so much easier. That's good because I now have 6 lines to attach to the bowsprit. Then there's all those white metal fittings that need to be "Polished". It's tough holding a fitting that is 1/8" long in your hand and polishing it at the same time. Lots of work done and lots of work still ahead.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SDDaCmBSWwoqKp4N8

If I can be of any help to anyone just ask. If you see anything you think I need help with just let me know. I'm always open to help, giving and/or receiving. And, I accept constructive criticism readily. 

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Thursday, April 11, 2024 8:11 PM

Thanks Pawel! Heard that AL kits were sometimes a very big problem. This one seems to have just enough problems to make me really try harder to solve the problems without letting it show in the finished build. The next photos will let you see it really taking shape. 

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, April 11, 2024 3:01 PM

Hello Jim!

Looks very good to me. I think you are taking great care of a kit that is not so straightforward to build... Good luck with it and have a nice day!

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 9:31 PM

Sorry for the long absence. Got quite a bit of work done. The basic hull is completed. The bowsprit has been installed. The prop shafts and props are in place. There were no hinges on the rudder so I made some out of a thin piece of brass in the scrap box. Don't have any bolts on the hinges (YET). The kit stand kept breaking with any movement of the hull. The uprights were made with the grain running horizontally so I made a new one. Seems to be doing the job. Starting to add the deck "furniture". The measurements for placement of a few of the parts was really off. One of the "cowls" that send fresh air to below deck, if I followed the measurement on the plan, would have been placed directly in front of a door leading from below deck. I used the photo of the completed ship for placement. I'll have those photos in a couple of days.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HLLaiMNiNtRQ7aYx5

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Friday, March 15, 2024 6:28 PM

fox
establish a line for the remaining planks and started planking from the keel up.

It can be very satisfying to follow the full-size method (if only for doubling the number of books a person can consult.

And part of it is in, functionally, treating each plank almost as a model unto itself.

For example, in 1:1 construction, the garboards are huge bits of timber, often  foot or more in width rough cut.  The bottom edge is left square to be fit to the rabbet in the keel.  The top edge is narrowed fore and aft to the planking interval at stem, midships, and stern.  The upper back edge is "backed out," e.g., tapered to about half its thickness and half the backside width in 1:1 to reduce the beding stresses (this is seldome needed in model construction).

It can be slow going, but, as you have seen, you can put the time between planks to good end in building deck furniture, or roughing out spars and the like. 

Now, a set (or three) of these is very handy, too:

Model Expo (and similar vendors) used to have a set with like a 1mm "step" so the holding-down "toe" would lay more flat upon the plank, more like these from MicroMark:

fox
found the trick to getting the pics over to my computer a little easier,

The next step is the slow-going bit of inserting them in the text.  Which an be sore counter-intuittive here.

I went to your link, picked the middle photo, then right-clicked "save image link"

Then, pasted that link in the "Source" box of the Image Tab:

I specified 600 pixels wide, as that pretty much neatly "fits" the default page size here at Kalmbach (you need not specify a height, it will be proportional)

 

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Thursday, March 14, 2024 9:26 PM

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay. Life and old age is doing a number on me. Had problems getting the photos from my wifes phone to my computer also. Got the pics moved over tonight.

After following CapnMacs suggestions, the first planking went well. Gave it a good sanding and fixed a few imperfections. Coming along nicely. Put 2 of the second planks under the bulwarks to establish a line for the remaining planks and started planking from the keel up. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vbeWqssWWvQ5tNpu8

The planking went very well. Did 1 plank on each side at a time and held in place with strips of masking tape overnight. Finished the planking and gave it a good sanding. While waiting between planks, I worked on some of the deck furnishings.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mr5YaGDcrWKhU4jS8

Installed the rudder and I'm now working on tapering the bowsprit. My small lathe is really getting a workout. Used it to polish the parts of the windlass and capstan too. There were no hinges supplied for the rudder so I'm using some thin brass to make them. 

We think we found the trick to getting the pics over to my computer a little easier, so, hopefully I'll get photos over to here faster.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 8:05 PM

CapnMac, I have been following your suggestion on planking the Bluenose. I started at the garboard and worked up to the bulwarks. It has made the planking a lot easier. I've been very slow doing the planking as life got in the way and really slowed my modeling time down to a crawl. The first planking is done and I will have photos up soon.

Bugatti Fan, thanks for all that info. It's much appreciated. I'm building up quite a folder of info on this build. 

Stay safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    January 2011
Posted by Bugatti Fan on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 10:13 AM

Model Shipways instructions for their Bluenose kit can be downloaded and I think that you will find their rigging instructions very helpful.

There is a book by author Lennart Petersen about fore and aft rigging.

Also there is a book from the Bluenose 2 Trust named 'Bluenose 2, Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners' that will give you all the rigging details you will need.

And not forgetting Howard Chappelle's very comprehensive book about the North Atlantic Schooners.

Hope these suggestions help.

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 9:11 PM

Capn, the plans call for the bulwarks to be put on first, then the planking started from below them down to the keel. While getting the bulkheads sanded and using one of the planks to check the fit of the planks as I went, it just seemed to me that working from the keel would definitely be easier just as you suggested. Now that I think about it, I did my Scottish Maid their way, from the top down to the keel and I remember having a lot of trouble at that point.

I've started attaching the new bulwarks and managed to get them to fit. When finished, I think I'll follow your advice and start planking at the keel. Thanks Capn, I apreciate the advice.

Stay safe.

Jim Captain 

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Monday, December 4, 2023 11:38 AM

fox
Ah.......there's the other ship again. Well, if I can't make them fit right, I'll just have to make new ones. Luckily I have a large box full of assorted wood scraps from all the kits I've built in the past so I shouild be able to replace the bulwarks.

It's easy--all too easy--to bash AL kits.  I've done plenty, and with good reason from my point of view.

I find that they make decent "jumping off" points.  The planking?  Yeah, "spares box" along with about half the deck furnishings.  The metal fittings are not horrible.  Cordage and blocks--iffy, but, with much sanding and beeswax, acceptable.

For the planking, I'm more likely to go get batches of bass strip wood and just shape them to fit.  Some of that is kit experience, and an equal amount from 1:1 planking experinece.  So, you taper the ends, and back out the planks (at least as much as a 1/72 or 1/64 model will allow).

And, like 1:1 practice, I'll start from the garboad (next to keel) plank and work up to the wales.

But, we each find a way to get what we want out of the process.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Monday, December 4, 2023 7:30 AM

I remember building the plastic Bluenose kit with my Dad when I was a kid, and thinking with the black sewing thread rigging and vacuum-formed sails, it looked pretty darn good! Even unpainted, the dark green and tan plastics made it look like an actual sailing ship. And I even managed to not get too many gluey fingerprints on the hull.

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