900-Ton barque

Advert

New Replies

Report Bug

Help/FAQs

900-Ton barque

This topic is empty.

Viewing 12 posts - 51 through 62 (of 62 total)

← 1 2 3

Author

Posts
12 May 2020 at 10:37 #87834
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
It has had over 1,000 views here, although not much interest beyond that, but across the world, there is enormous active interest in it.

Bob
Advert

13 May 2020 at 17:19 #87895
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
Wednesday, 13th May, 2020

900-ton barque.

I have now completed all the standing rigging (thank goodness!). This included a total of 70 pairs of tiny deadeyes all with the lanyards visible – a very tedious task. I have also made and painted the lower yards, lower and upper topsail yards, but not yet fitted the furled sails to them. All that was completed this morning, so have been taking it easy since then!
15 May 2020 at 16:55 #87970
pete graham
Participant
@petegraham99294
Hi Bob,

A splendid model….I am drawn to the rigging ( as usual) and just wondered if you have used your standard rigging technique of individual strands of wire glued at each end.

Could I mention your home made "brass" name plates which you raised in Miss Morris. I discovered that Windows NotePad Font 2 will print out perfectly on plain paper and a ships name at this size on the bows would not look out of place on my 1" to 75ft..models……. with no rigging in sight who is going to worry about a "leetle" increase in the size of the ship's name !! You printed out on self adhesive film and I just wondered which product you used. I have been on Amazon and they have so many options that it makes the eyes roll!

Thanks Pete
15 May 2020 at 18:22 #87975
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
Hi Pete,

I do make nameplates in the way you mention and print them onto white airmail paper. The self-adhesive film for "brass-simulated" nameplates is glossy mdp mr decal paper from Ebay.

Friday, 15th May, 2020

The main lower topsail, and both upper topsail yards have now been fitted, and a lot of rigging added. The fore and main braces have also been rigged. As I was rigging the lower topsail yards, I was uncomfortably aware that it was not as easy as previously, as I found it difficult to focus on the fine wires all in close proximity to each other. This was not caused by the right eye that had the surgery in September, as that is near perfect, but by the left one that is the less dominant one. Normally, I am not aware of this, and can even read without glasses. I was beginning to think that I was at last coming to the end of small-scale sailing ship modelling. But in the afternoon, when I moved further up the masts with the upper topsail yard rigging, I experienced no real problems, maybe because the further up the masts I go, the less cluttered it is. Also, the main yard on this model, at 20 feet to one inch, is only three inches long. If I had been building a four-masted barque at the same scale, a typical main yard would be 100 feet long or five inches, and I probably would not have had any problem at all. After completion of the rigging of the six yards already fitted, there only remains the two t'gallant and two royal yards to make, paint, fit and rig, so I am now very close to completion. I am really pleased with the way this model is turning out, but there has never been much interest in this sort of thing here!

Bob
15 May 2020 at 21:13 #87994
pete graham
Participant
@petegraham99294
Thanks Bob, that is very helpful;

You have certainly turned out a fine model and in seemingly very quick time

You mentioned your concerns on focusing in close proximity to fine wires and I find this interesting……..I have one eye affected by macular degeneration and vision greatly distorted. , the other eye near perfect which normally carries me along very well indeed. But this week I was experimenting (again) with very fine wire rigging and finding great difficulty in the accurate placement of the rigging ends……I couldn't understand what the problem was and then suddenly realized, of course, that my vision has lost its ability to judge distance in 3 dimensions. And it is a funny thing but having discovered this and come to terms with it I can still get the job done satisfactorily but it just takes some time longer..

Pete.
15 May 2020 at 21:28 #87995
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
Pete,

Similar with me, but in my case I got a bubble of liquid under the retina two years ago. This caused some central distortion. They told me that if I was patient, it would probably disperse of its own accord, and sure enough, the bubble has virtually gone now, but it has left a slight bluriness slightly right of centre, and if I get that in line with a fine wire, I can't see the end of it. I had a far worse one between 1984 and about 1992, but that eventually recovered completely for over 25 years, but came back suddenly in 2018, so I am hoping it will eventually go again. But like you, I find I can manage, and in normal life, it is not even noticable, it is only close up. The problem in the other eye was high pressure, requiring eye drops ofr over 20 years to control it. But following Viscocanalostomy last September, pressure down and no more eyedrops needed and no damage to optic nerve either.

Bob
16 May 2020 at 09:53 #88003
pete graham
Participant
@petegraham99294
Hi Bob, It is very worrying indeed when you notice something adrift with your vision….all sorts of panics set in but as in your case and mine we have had the benefit of this amazing technology and as we agree, the results are manageable. My wife recently had laser treatment to one of her eyes which was completely successful and we were both left in such enormous awe at the knowledge and skills that the specialist hospitals have..

I may proceed with obtaining sticky back paper but in the meantime ( last night) I discovered that a tiny piece of thin unglazed tissue paper, when stuck to a painted surface ( like the bow of a model ) with Matt varnish becomes completely invisible. So far not proven but hopefully a ships name printed on the tissue "should" show up clearly. Experiments on the go.

Re the sticky backed paper, I got rather cold feet at the prospect of peeling off the backing from a printing about 1 mm in depth by 5 or 6 long….and then locating it without damage.

Pete
16 May 2020 at 16:47 #88009
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
Hi Pete,

I was fortunate that they were able to do the surgery before this virus cropped up, because I doubt if they would have done it if it was a couple of months later. rather unpleasant experience, but I am glad it is behind me now.

Nameplates I cut them bigger than 1mm, and stick them on, covering the joins up wih paint. I also make funnel emblems in the same manner.

Bob
16 May 2020 at 19:42 #88016
pete graham
Participant
@petegraham99294
Hi Bob, Yes, the virus has pretty well altered everything we do in our normal lives and as you say you were fortunate to get your eye surgery out of the way. Rearranged waiting times ….when they get around to organising them, I hear, are going to be astronomic. My hospital appointment for attention to profound deafness problems was cancelled the day I was due to attend…..in fact I was just about to get into the car. They cannot even guess when I might get another shot.

Anyhow , on to nameplates. Great success printing a 2 point font onto tissue paper. And application to ship's bow is perfect. Held in position with matt varnish the evidence of the tissues presence is completely absent.

BUT, and its a big but…. I have been squinting through my collection of ship photos and note that the vast majority have names printed in WHITE. and especially on dark coloured top sides. Black names sometimes appear on white bow aprons.. If I cannot find a way to print in white on blackened tissue then black names it is. As H.Ford said….any colour as long as its black. Perhaps I should stick to ships with coloured hulls. There are plenty to chose from.

Pete
16 May 2020 at 20:11 #88017
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
Pete,

I print white names on a black background in a normal word processing programme. You can just abou see it here.

Bob
16 May 2020 at 20:15 #88018
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
And rather better here:
21 May 2020 at 18:54 #88211
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
It is now mounted on its base, and I have even completed the display case. Not a great success in the popularity stakes, but I really like this one, and feel it is one of my best so far. No flash clipper, but a typical workhorse of the sea that, as Conrad said, "knew no triumph but of speed in carrying a cargo, no glory other than that of long service, no victory but that of an endless, obscure contest with the sea!"

And that is what appeals to me most of all about these obscure ships that are now virtually forgotten.

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 21/05/2020 18:55:41
Author

Posts