My Latest Miniature Boats

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Made them on Sunday.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Unbelievable, Bob, I don’t know how you can see them, let alone build something so exquisite.

 

Peter.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks, it took about 3 1/2 hours to make all eight. Not my favourite pastime in modelmaking. It is not all that difficult though, using special techniques, and the good old computer to make the insides and the grablines. More repetitive than anything else. My methods can’t be used for larger boats, but are fine for miniatures!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Excellent workmanship…..Well done Bob….Absolute perfection!

 

You must be using some sort of tooling somewhere along the line?

 

What are they for?

 

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Bob,

 

No special equipment used. The boat shels are 0.015″ plasticard sheet, vacuum formed in a small home-made vacuum box into which I plug a normal vacuum cleaner hose. Heat source from hobby heat gun. The keels are thin copper wire stuck on and the whole lot sprayed white with matt aerosl spray from Halfords. The insides and grablines are printed on the computer printer and stuck on.

 

They are for a 32’=1″ model of the Union-Castle intermediate passenger liner HARLECH CASTLE of 1894.

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks for the info, Bob

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

A lovely subject Bob, please do put at least the occasional build post on here.

 

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Colin,

 

Lately, owing to an almost complete lack of interest on modelmaking websites, I have not really been displaying images anywhere apart from my own website. The HARLECH CASTLE is almost complete now and here is the progress as of 1600gmt today. The display case, sea and carrying case are all complete, so when the model is finished, it will only be the work of a few minutes to screw it in the sea.

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Thanks Bob, I really love the ships of this era. You can see exactly what they are just by looking at them. The deep hulls also offer the opportunity for practical working models as well.

 

Is this one on spec or do you have a buyer lined up?

 

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

No, I just decided to build this one. Completed last private commission in November and still haven’t heard from person who ordered it apart from saying they liked it very much on getting completion photograph, consequently becoming disenchanted with the prospect of accepting more commissions. Don’t mind people changing their minds on seeing completed pictures, but I am one of those unreasonable people who feel they should at least tell me if they have deceided not to go ahead with a purchase!

Bob

 

 

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Bob,

 

That sound like an extraordinary attitude to me. It’s pretty obvious what your building standards are like and presumably the person responsible knew what the prototype looked like so to prevaricate at such a late stage is pretty poor behaviour.

 

Your models sell for hundreds rather than thousands of pounds so shouldn’t represent a potential bunkruptcy situation for buyers in this market!

 

Colin

 

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

The prospective buyer already has three of my models, so there may be a genuine explanation for the silence, but these days, I seem to be suffering from communication failure on a large scale. Even when I am trying to buy something, phone calls are seldom returned. I often get asked to supply research information, but only occasionally do I receive a simple “thank you” for my trouble.

 

I suppose I am developing a complex about it, but it really is annoying. I do get fed up of continually hearing “Press 1 if…….” “Press 2 if……..” and the obligatory quavering music interspersed with “You call is important to us, please hang on until someone is free to disconnect you!” etc etc.

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

If it’s any consolation, I am deaf and call centres are consequently a total nightmare!

 

What I need is ‘Press 1 to consign your whole setup to perdition’

 

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

PM sent to you Bob.

 

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks, I have just replied via PM.

Bob

 

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