Bertie Builds a Boat - Lady Isabella - Scots 'Zulu' Herring Drifter - Finished ! ! !

[Bertie McBoatface]

47 minutes ago, SafetyDad said:

Smashing job there - very well done!

 

Thanks Dad. 😀

 

47 minutes ago, SafetyDad said:

And thanks for the sandpaper tips and advice.

 

I should add that I usually cut the paper into small strips about one inch by four and then wrap them around a pencil eraser as a sanding block. I buy the erasers a dozen at a time and then cut them up as required to make particular shapes as I need them. This works out tons cheaper than sanding sticks, and is more versatile too.

 

47 minutes ago, SafetyDad said:

Very impressed

 

SD

 

For once in my modelling life, so am I! I like that each of the four plankings produced a visibly better result. The run of the strakes gets more and more straight and parallel throughout. It's still a million miles away from that impossible standard 'museum quality' but it's definitely going in the right direction and I have been able to accept that as good enough, for now at least.

 

I don't know whether it's caused by working in wood or just a coincidence, but I've given myself a break in many areas of life lately. I stopped taking my shoes off 'to protect the carpet' for example. Now I keep them on to protect my feet from splinters! I'm not bothering to iron clothes as I'm usually covered in sawdust from the models and mud from the dogwalks, and who cares anyway? Also the iron is stained with sap and glue! Most importantly perhaps, I have loosened the death grip of the clock on my life just a little. A month of planking has taught me something about patience and enjoying the moment. That's how I can take a couple of days just admiring the shape of the boat without rushing onto the next operation, whatever that's supposed to be.

 

How odd that I had to come to the natural home of the perfectionists, Old Time Sailing Ships, to let go of my own perfectionism! I'm going to regard the first five (at least) ship models as Infant's School where just hanging my coat on the right peg deserves a hug from myself. I'm not bothering with attainment tests until number ten and given the time these things take, I will probably be dead by then anyway! 😆

[Bertie McBoatface]

On 4/23/2022 at 10:31 PM, Bertie Psmith said:

It's all very sane and sensible over there on Model Ship World so I needed somewhere to put my crazy. Its going to be mostly here:

 

 

 

 

Looking back through this thread to see how bad I was earlier, It appears that I'm not even allowed to post links to my build on Model Ship World. Is it some kind of secret society? 

[Courageous]

23 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said:

I'm very pleased that the hull planking is now done and very, very pleased with these results.

And so you should be, great stuff and looks fantastic.

 

Stuart

[Bertie McBoatface]

35 minutes ago, Courageous said:

And so you should be, great stuff and looks fantastic.

 

Stuart

 

Thanks Stuart and thanks for the continual encouragement. It does make it all a little easier.

[Cerberus]

10 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said:

Is it some kind of secret society? 

 What have you stumbled into Bertie? Will they ever let you leave... 🤣

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

7 hours ago, Cerberus said:

 What have you stumbled into Bertie? Will they ever let you leave... 🤣

 

I’m sure it won’t be a problem. When I joined I remember reading in the rules that “you  can check out any time you like…”

[ArnoldAmbrose]

"  .  .  but you can never leave?"

[Bertie McBoatface]

26 minutes ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

"  .  .  but you can never leave?"

 

I don't know about the 'secret society' but I have an ever-growing impression that wooden ships might be ferociously addictive. Already the Zulu isn't a high enough dose. I want cannons, shrouds, ship's boats...

[Faraway]

[Bertie McBoatface]

2 minutes ago, Faraway said:

 

Are you ready to start yours yet?

[Faraway]

On 19/05/2022 at 15:49, Bertie Psmith said:

Did you know there's a 1/200 Prinz Eugen kit out there? It's wood and photo etch mostly. Right up your alley!

I had a look for this, wow, stunning, but out of my league. Perhaps with your experience............?

Jon

[Faraway]

2 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

 

Are you ready to start yours yet?

‘fraid not. Even “the mighty ‘ood” is on a go slow. I’ve just got a new car and I’m still trying to figure out what all the buttons do.

Jon

[Bertie McBoatface]

25 minutes ago, Faraway said:

I had a look for this, wow, stunning, but out of my league. Perhaps with your experience............?

Jon

 

Unfortunately it does nothing for me. I have scant interest in iron ships of the 20th century and absolutely none in the nazis. 

 

But had it been this one...

 

 

HMS Bellerophon (1907)

[ArnoldAmbrose]

46 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

I have an ever-growing impression that wooden ships might be ferociously addictive. Already the Zulu isn't a high enough dose. I want cannons, shrouds, ship's boats...

Gidday Bertie, I don't think you're the first to be bitten by some sort of ship bug - there's a number of variants doing the rounds. And don't bother seeking medical advice, as there's no cure. 🙂

    Regards, Jeff.

[Bertie McBoatface]

24 minutes ago, Faraway said:

‘fraid not. Even “the mighty ‘ood” is on a go slow. I’ve just got a new car and I’m still trying to figure out what all the buttons do.

Jon

 

I'm rather hoping that my old Toyota will 'see me out'. It's hardly out of Earth orbit and I believe they will go to the moon with regular oil changes.

 

Thanks for your continued interest in the Zulu build, you are one of the regulars and your presence is much appreciated. There's a lot less traffic down here in the sub-sub-genre and sometimes it seems deserted.

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 minute ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday Bertie, I don't think you're the first to be bitten by some sort of ship bug - there's a number of variants doing the rounds. And don't bother seeking medical advice, as there's no cure. 🙂

    Regards, Jeff.

 

The only thing that bothers me is that the cupboard full of plastic kits is becoming less compelling. Like shandy to a beer drinker.

[Faraway]

56 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

old Toyota

We’ve had 4 Toyota’s, excellent cars. But we gone to another maker.

Jon

[Faraway]

41 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

 

The only thing that bothers me is that the cupboard full of plastic kits is becoming less compelling. Like shandy to a beer drinker.

Sell ‘em.

The ‘For Sale’ section on here is good.

Jon

[ArnoldAmbrose]

44 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

The only thing that bothers me is that the cupboard full of plastic kits is becoming less compelling.

Well, you never know, your tastes and interests in genres may swing back again. And as far as I know they don't have a "Use by: " date so they won't be wasted. If they're not built by you then someone sometime probably will. Regards, Jeff.

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 hour ago, Faraway said:

we gone to another maker.

 😱

 

1 hour ago, Faraway said:

Sell ‘em.

The ‘For Sale’ section on here is good.

Jon

1 hour ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

your tastes and interests in genres may swing back again

Jeff

 

I go with Jeff here. There's only a dozen or so and sometimes, when it's hot and sweaty at the boatyard, I might fancy a shandy. 

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

On the other hand, there's no reason not to build up a little wooden stash is there. I'm pretty sure now that I can handle the material and enjoy it immensely. I already have the next one on hand, HMS Beagle , but the original Bellerophon 1787 has always been the ship that I was working towards. She fought at Trafalgar and was the ship that Napoleon surrendered to after Waterloo. The Jolly Jack Tars struggled with the fancy Greek name and so came to know her as the Billy Ruffian which I think is really charming.

 

 

This was the scene when Napoleon was brought to England as a prisoner.

 

I've read reviews of the kit by Victory Models and find little to object to. Apparently the box weighs in at a staggering 30lbs!

 

The Beagle was a 10 gun brig, while Billy Ruffian was a Ship of the Line with 74 guns. I estimate three months to finish Lady Isabella, nine months to build Beagle and perhaps two years on Bellerophon. So that's me sorted for ship kits until May 2025.

 

These are inflationary times so what's the point in hanging onto cash savings? However, there was a nasty voice in my head telling me "don't buy another one until you've finished what you already have!" Fortunately I recognised the voice as my mean and joyless old dad (who is long dead anyway), so you can imagine my reply as I reached for a credit card. 🤣 

 

Hobbies.co.uk are offering 5% discount if you join their club for an annual sub of a tenner. This was well worth while just for the deal on this admittedly expensive kit and there's a mystery free gift too. Yippee!

[Faraway]

23 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said:

The Beagle was a 10 gun brig, while Billy Ruffian was a Ship of the Line with 74 guns. I estimate three months to finish Lady Isabella, nine months to build Beagle and perhaps two years on Bellerophon. So that's me sorted for ship kits until May 2025.

Looks like I’m in it for the duration then. though I might need more than beer and popcorn.
I’ll live my wooden ship building through you, if that’s ok ?

So carry on young Bertie.

Jon

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

51 minutes ago, Faraway said:

Looks like I’m in it for the duration then.

 

Brilliant. I'll need all the help I can get. Most of my relationships were over in less time than it will take to build Billy Ruffian!

 

Thinks: "Bertie Builds a Billy" Now that's a catchy title To follow "Bertie Builds a Beagle"

[Bertie McBoatface]

I've started the WIP for HMS Beagle though it's not even at the overture and beginners stage yet. No harm booking the theatre though and maybe getting a few bums on seats. Beer and popcorn are available in the lobby. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

I also sanded the hull smoooooth. You can still see the planks though and according to my references, which I will try to photograph for you, that's a good thing. Soon the varnish will go on and I'll be enraptured by the woody beauty of the er, wood.