Clickable links

Foolishly I forgot to include clickable thumbnails in my post so, to save editing it, here they are instead.

Well its been age but I have been posting progress pics on my WIP thread over at the Forum of Doom. In classic style I altogether missed the deadline for the comp and have decided I have the planning skills of a dodo. Still, must finish..must finish, repeat mantra etc.

Anyway I thought I'd post up some shots of the work so far.

The boat got underway with some planking

and I built the deck planking individually (insane) from strips of balsa, making nail holes using a bit of brass rod.

While the ship continued

I built the first part of the base. Built a basic box out of MDF and shaped the rocks out of a variety of foam material.

Then I put ready mix filler over it all.

Until it was all covered and a bit more rock like. Undercoated it in black car paint.

and laid the base colours in

Then I took some aquarium plants to bits and built them back up into more realistic looking plants and made some coral from green stuff.

Painted that and then laid in a false bottom for the ship so it can be seen 'under' the water when the perspex is laid in.

Then I put the perspex in and built the cliffs up further to the area where some models will stand.

Painted that and added a walkway.

and did some harness work on a shetland pony and built it a cart to pull.

Then the ship was completed.

and undercoated.

And on it goes!

Aaargh ship ahoy, shiver me timbers..etc etc

At last the ship gets underway...ok ok there is a rational choice to make at this point about how many boat related jokes to make in a single post. With extreme restraint I shall try and contain (er) myself as I sail through this entry and not make any wav..ok I shall stop it.

I mentioned in my post about making the choice of ship plans that I had chosen the Wargames Foundry ship plans to make a start with. So with some balsa, basswood, plasticard and exciting foam glue, I set off.

The longest bit so far was choosing the materials and cutting everything out. I went for balsa for the main decks, basswood for the sides (not cardboard as recommended). I shall be cladding the thing with some planking for a more 'shiplike' appearance. It caused a suitable amount of desk disarray but this shows everything with gluing commenced. Looking at it makes me realise I am about as tidy as a whirling dervish in a paper shop, but that's life.

Anyway I managed to get the decks in place, here are a couple of shots with the quarterdeck and foredeck in place but not glued together, but they give a decent idea of scale.

Obviously some way to go yet..but pretty pleasing so far. The plans are nice and easy to follow..easier than a Tamyia kit anyway!

Its not going to be a massive ship, but one to scale would be huge and I prefer to think of my pirates scooting round (pirates on scooters..now that would have made a diorama), in a speedy neat little vessel, not some big bloaty thing that is easy to out run. So..onwards!