Iron barque

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I spent over 4 hours today just painting it! (With several breaks, of course). One false, move, sneeze, or cough, and a lot of damage can be done. It was a great relief when I could sit back and look at the finished job. Even managed the bulwark panels as well. Still to fit the forecastle and poop bulkheads in position, and then I can start the deck details. The deckhouse I built earlier in the build, it is just stood on the deck at the moment. I did make the bowsprit some days ago, but have now managed to lose it! If it doesn't turn up when I tidy my desk, I will just make another. Usually a lot quicker than a protracted search. No great disaster when scratchbuilding, part broken or lost, just make another! I am getting the usual reaction with this one from casual observers, eyes glazing over and the odd "that's nice!"
Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

Hi Bob, I was tempted to say 'that's nice' but wouldn't be so unkind. Looking genuinely lovely

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob

Fine work as usual, been watching your miniature ships over the years, I learned a long time ago we make models for our own enjoyment, some encouragement from others on this forum always helps

Regards Ray

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks, the second image below is what it looked like this morning, before I started the painting! I have been building them for over half a century now! My writing career began with Model Boats magazine way back in the late 60s and early 70s, but changing interests made my type of model practically obsolete. I would find it hard to stop building them now, but as collectors love them, there is never any problem getting rid of them, and have built over 270 in the past 26 years since I left the sea.! The little schooner, below, is my last sailing ship model, completed a few weeks ago. My wife painted the sea.

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 27/04/2018 22:46:09

[Graham AshbyParticipant @grahamashby76887]

Check your PM's when you get a moment Bob.

Kind regards

Graham

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Graham,

Your PM received last night thanks. My reply is already in my sent box, but showing "unread" at the moment.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Progress Sunday, 29th April, 2018.

Sunday, 29th April, 2018

I have now fitted the deckhouse, three cargo hatches, two cargo winches, and the fife rail around the base of the mainmast. The fore and mainmasts stubs are also in position. The bowsprit is not yet painted, and is only in there at the moment to offer some protection to the figurehead.

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 29/04/2018 17:58:34

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

Exquisite!

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks, This is the plan that I drew up myself to the scale of the model – Bob

[Ian Carter 2Participant @iancarter2]

Have just had a brief glimpse through your album, all I can say is, Wow. Only to have such skill and ability…… mind you time would probably help.

Ian

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks,

I don't spend all that much time on them though. Even the most complicated only clock up at about 100 hours, spread over a few weeks. (I time all the work with a stopwatch). Most of them are in the 50 to 60 hours range, and that includes making the display case and carrying case. Because they are so small, and rigged in wire, there are no knots anywhere, and special techniques allow me to build very quickly. They are completly scratch built.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have made a lot more progress. Catheads, anchors, light towers, ladders, compass platform, lifeboat skids, poop rails, wheelbox, saloon skylight, ventilators fitted. Nearly finished the hull now.

Bob

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

Got a photo Bob? I'd love to see.

Kind regards

Graham

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I wondered if anyone would ask! I struggle to get anyone interested in this type of ship (merchant sailing ship, 1880s) ! This is probably my best one yet, maybe because I am taking my time over it.

Bob

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

It's looking a real treat Bob. Lovely crisp detailing. Are those white metal railings and ladders?

Regards

Graham

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The rails are 5-bar made from 38swg tinned copper wire. The simulated teak capping on top is also made from tinned copper wire beaten flat on a shiny piece of steel. The ladders are also made from tinned copper wire, and the rungs are all soldered in. The ladder handrails are 38 swg tinned copper, each side consisting of four lengths. The cowl ventilators are again made from two thicknesses of tinned copper wire. Here are the ladders. All this sort of thing is not difficult at all, with special methods. Sadly, very few model shipbuilders will try it, declaring that the could never possibly do it, without even trying. I have ceased to even take them along to the local model shipwright society that meets every month, because they rarely attract more than a casual glance. But, on the other hand, collectors all over the world are falling over themselves to get their hands on them, and because of this, I had to stop taking private commissions some years ago because it was becoming like a millstone round my neck. I often hear it said that the model builder is too busy, and does not have sufficent time to scratchbuild, but when I ask them how long it takes to build a kit, the answer is usually in months, or even years with hundreds, or thousands of hours work! My miniatures rarely go over 50 or 60 hours! (All timed on a stopwatch) The collier brig Sicily, shown above, took 25 hours, spread over 13 days, and that included making the display case and carrying case. Building costs – virtually nothing, as it was built from bits and pieces left over from larger ones..

Bob

PS.   The hull length of the brig is about 3 1/2 inches!

Edited By Bob Wilson on 08/05/2018 06:37:30

Edited By Bob Wilson on 08/05/2018 06:40:37

Edited By Bob Wilson on 08/05/2018 06:42:14

Edited By Bob Wilson on 08/05/2018 06:43:21

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

It's beautiful work Bob and the lovely thing about the models is that they're an eminently practical size. It's no wonder they're so popular. Lovely.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Yes, miniatures are very convenient for both the modeller and the final owner. I took them up around 1969/70 after seeing a collection of Donlad McNarry miniatures in South Africa. I was at sea at the time (Early1961 – Late 1992), and large models were very inconvenient getting home at the end of the voyage. I never felt that I couldn't build them, but had no idea how to start, so I wrote to him, and he replied and was very helpful in pointing me in the right track, beginning with is book Shipbuilding in Miniature, that supplied all the initial clues, especially the techniques used for rigging with wire.

Here is a link to his model of Nightingale: **LINK**

I seldom build warships, that seem to be more popular because of the supposed "romantic" angle. But in peacetime they are just a continuous round of practice, drills and discipline, and when wars crop up, merchant ships are always dragged in anyway for those who like that sort of thing! So 99% of my models are of merchant ships because there are so many different types, from a few tons up to quarter of a million tons or so. Also more colourful, and interesting. I sailed in colliers, cargo ships, iron ore carriers, bulk carriers, tanker, log carrier, container ship, a number of class 1 passenger liners and one cruise ship. Also spent one years in the Falklands 1982/83 when my ship was requisitioned into the Royal Navy! All very interesting, but would not have liked to have spent my life in a warship. (Nobody shot at us, bombed us or tried to sink us, so no trauma involved, but the weather was pretty awful)!

Bob

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

Sounds as if it should all be documented Bob, I hope you've written it all down? There's a book in there!

Edited By Graham Ashby (Editor) on 08/05/2018 15:31:21

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Already done it! This one was rejected by all the mainstream model publishers because I kept well clear of famous ships like Cutty Sark, Bounty, Victory, Titanic etc. and stuck to the obscure and semi obscure. In the end, I took to the much sneered at "vanity publishing," and paid for it to be printed myself, exactly as I wanted it to be. From paying and sending the printers the PDF files, to actually receiving the first print run was approximately 12 days. Since then, it has been reprinted quite a few times and is currently sold out, but the download version alone continues to sell internationally, and has paid for all the printed copies. My last five "vanity" publications are all currently sold out after numerous reprintings, but only the one shown is about ship modelling, the rest are about my life at sea, and the download versions more than cover the printing costs of future books. I took up this writing lark when I was 4th radio officer aboard the once-famous passenger liner RMS Windsor Castle in 1965. The chief was always complaining about my literacy (or alleged lack of it) for my involvement with the production of the daily ship's newspaper for our 850 passengers and 400 crew. So I took out a British & American writers correspondence course that cost me £10 – best £10 I ever spent. When I became 2nd radio officer aboard the Castle liners in the early 70s, part of my job was editor of the daily paper, and by that time, I was very much hooked on it. After leaving the sea, I ran a monthly shipping column in "The Telegraph" the monthly paper of the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers Union for ten years. That was always illustrated by my own models. After that, Conway Maritime Press published my articles in every issue of Model Shipwright for a further ten years, until they discontinued their model ship publications in 2013, so many forum members will have read my articles. I continue to write, mainly for my own enjoyment, and began ship plan drawing several years ago.

Bob

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

I'm delighted to hear it Bob, with that much experience of both life and modelling it would have been a real pity not to share it. As for vanity publishing – fantastic! Where would we be without it? Swamped by models of Victory and Titanic (lovely as they are).

Kind regards

Graham

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

This where it all began , 66 years ago!

Bob

[Graham Ashby 1Participant @grahamashby1]

Wonderful shot Bob! I had a pond yacht just like it

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

After 49 hours work (timed on a stopwatch), spread over 32 days, the hull is now complete, and all ready for the masting and rigging. The hardest part is now over, as rigging these miniatures is far easier than making the hull and deck details. The ship will be shown in a sea, under full sail. I have already assembled the display case, but not veneered the edges yet. The sea and sea base have also been made, but not finalised yet. This model has followed the usual path as far as interest by fellow ship modellers is concerned. Namely, a small number who are interested, to begin with, but trailing off as the build progresses. Merchants ships (so I am often told), do not possess the appeal of warships, and therefore, we do not often see many models of them!

Bob

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