ShipbuilderMN Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Can't remember what scale I made this, but, as you see, it is pretty small! Scratchbuilt, wood, plastic, metal masts & rigging. Bob 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidelvy Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Rather like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jockster Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 That's just beautiful! Very nice ship, very neat work, do you have any more photos you could post? Welcome to BM too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Here are two views of the British four-masted barque Donna Francisca, built to a scale of 32’=1”. Bob 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decoman Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Wow, what a nice looking model! I hope you keep it somewhere where it won't collect a spec of dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 It is in a display case, but no longer in my possession. I had intended to keep it, but the grandson of its old bosun really wanted it, so I sold it some time ago. As I have built so many over the years, I have sold most of them. I have completed 265 since I started counting in October 1992. I hardly completed anything last year, only two of them! Although I am still very interested in the subject, I have lost a great deal of interest in building them as hardly anyone else builds this type of ship (Merchant Navy). I am equally at home with modelling steamships or sailing ships. When I take them to the local ship model club, they rarely attract more than a casual glance. I have never been any good with kits, not having a great deal of patience. I like to see the job up and running within the first few hours of work. Models like the Donna Francisca take about 60 hours (timed on a stopwatch) and spread out over about a month. That time includes making the display case and carrying case. My wife always paints the seas and that time is included in the total hours. Steamers usually take 80 to 100 hours as they are far more complicated with all the rails, portholes, lifeboats, deck machinery etc. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I Know what you mean Bob on the Interest when showing at a model club. not many take a look, if it does not have guns or wings, then it gets little attention. But its a very hard type of model to build, but you have from your pictures two very nice models, 'what ever scale'. A change is good as a rest they tell me, so delving into our types is a good thing in my book. Again very nice work Bob Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Thanks Frank, Sailing ships on this scale are relatively easy, as the rigging is all wire. No knots to mess about with. Take a length of thin copper wire and stretch it slightly with two small pairs of pliers. That makes it go straight. Measure the length you require on the model with dividers. Cut the straight bit of wire to the required length with a scalpel. Pick it up in the middle with tweezers. Dip each end in contact adhesive and place in position on the model. Very very easy. Blocks are blobs of white wood glue mixed with black acrylic paint. If you try this, you will soon see how easy it is! At the moment, I am making a log cabin (Alaska, 1898), but can't really see an appropriate place to put it on here. Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jockster Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Another stunning build Bob, you will find plenty of interest here, especially with your kind of talent. Glad you posted the extra pics. Truly a case of the more the merrier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Bob that,s some stunning work,beautiful in fact,I am an aircraft modeller for the most part and the guys are right that Maritime subjects are generally the poor cousin even on BM,but I have started my first ship since lord knows when and enjoying it so far.Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I wish ours was your local club, I would spend hours looking at those little gems, they're just stunning!! Lovely models! Keith PS any chance of some pics of your steamships? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Thanks for replies, I have started a "Steam and Motorship" thread. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I think those would attract interest at our club too - people seem quite open to different things and everyone appreciates good modelling. Which this certainly is - those are beautiful models in every way. I read your rigging suggestion with interest - do you use the copper wire for the ropes which aren't under tension, and if so how do you get the catenary curves so smooth? Thanks, Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Andi Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Just a quick post to add my support for these models and for this genre of modelling. Bob, I think you have much to contribute, to show and to teach us: if not us, then certainly me! I for one would be glad to see a lot more of what it is you do, .... and just how it is you do it. Cheers.............. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Yes, all the rigging is wire. To get a curve, first straighten the wire by stretching it slightly. Pick up by one end, and draw finger and thumb very lightly down it. This will put a curve in it, and the harder you squeeze it, the more curved it will be. Only the slightest pressure is used if only a light curve is required. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forlornhope Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Stunning work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeKay Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Absolutely beautiful! Well done Bob, they make very pleasing viewing, you are a master Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 How on earth did you get those out of the bottle? They are mightily impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamwalker Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Amazing work MORE please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeardySi Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Absolutely fantastic, really love that brig. I've got an odd soft spot for brigs for some reason! Would love to see more of these, I never had the patience/skill for small scale rigging but I adore sailing ship models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 18, 2014 Author Share Posted December 18, 2014 Thanks, but I don't have much patience, and never have had! When ship modellers tell me they build kits because the haven't got the time to scratchbuild, I ask how long a kit model (ship) take to complete. The answer is usually months or even years. These miniatures take either days or a few weeks at the most! The Medium did not take very long, and I rigged it in a couple of days. There were no knots to mess about with. The rigging was all fine copper wire, just cut to length and glued on. Please see my website via my profile to see lots more. Now, for something really complicated, take a look at the one - the France. (100 hours building time, including display case and carrying case) Even so, it was much easier than building passenger liner! Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 That's a really beautiful model again Bob, mightily impressive rigging! I would get totally lost trying to work out where that lot went! (I'm currently trying to work out the rigging for an Airfix Iron Duke - & getting a lot of headaches!) Lovely work! keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted December 18, 2014 Author Share Posted December 18, 2014 A large amount of the rigging is "standing rigging!" That means that it does not move, but just holds the masts up. The backstays go behind the masts and the forestays lead forward. The running rigging that the sailors haul on, controls the angle or height of the yards, but the whole array is made easier to understand when you realize that the rigging on each of the square-rigged masts is the same. And the rigging on each yard is similar to all the others on the same mast, but get simpler the higher up you go! One ship was pretty much the same as another, so that the seamen did not have to learn it all again when moving to their next ship. All this should become clearer if you look closer at the France model! Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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