Modelmaking Misadventures: The Ascenscion Island Chronicles.

[snitcythedog]

That is looking superb, can't wait to see the final result.

Superb to say the very least.  This build is really the high side of outstanding. 

[mikedemana]

That's one excellent looking ship! 

Mike Demana

[Cat]

Super job!

[FifteensAway]

Re: the derrick - where you lead, I shall follow.  Nice work with enough photos to 'appropriate' ideas.

[carlos marighela]

If in Germany it is vital to have a Derrick. It resolves all mysteries.

[Andy in Germany]

Oh, dear, this thread has been rather neglected. This is for a variety of reasons, one of which was visiting family in the UK. sorry about that; mind the dust...

I did however manage to get some souvenirs, York is a very helpful place in this regard, because it is a major tourist centre. As such the shops offer such wonderful things as miniature telephone boxes, mugs showing the city crest, and for the high class tourist, nodding dashboard models of Charles Windsor.

I managed to avoid all these, (although steampunk “Souvenirs of Ascension” coffee mugs would be some fun merchandise) and I instead came home with the items seen above.

I’m working on a few more gangs to make life on Ascension more interesting as well as a few more navy figures: in the last game I managed to get my Royal Navy Air Force Police mixed up so I think it is time for some more variety...

On that subject, it is high time I got a game together and moved the story on Ascension forward a little, but that will take a while for various reasons. Mostly because life has intervened on several fronts at once, but also because I keep getting distracted designing steampunk coffee mugs…

[Silent Invader]

Somehow I missed the cargo ship updates: absolutely brilliant work

[Patrice]

  Just discovered this excellent thread.

I wanted to make a ship like this since a long time but could not imagine how to make the hull shape.

[MaleGriffin]

Absolutely brilliant! Perfect pulp gaming prop! Well done!

[Andy in Germany]

Life has been getting on top of me for a bit, but I was determined to make some progress on the Tramp Steamer this week: I decided on the whistle as a quick and easy project.

Long term readers familiar with my high-tech fine scale model making will not be surprised that I made the whistle from the best quality materials; a clothes tag connector from a shirt I bought in the UK, from Marks and Spencer, no less.

It takes a serious state of perma-nerd to see model making materials while clothes shopping. It probably also qualifies as the most obscure souvenir ever…

[voltan]

Did you actually want the shirt or just buy it for the part?

But yeah it's a good addition that most won't think about.

[Andy in Germany]

Did you actually want the shirt or just buy it for the part?

...maybe.

(Honestly, I needed the shirt for a wedding, but I may have been swayed to get this one by the tag. Perhaps...)

[Andy in Germany]

After the excitement of actually making stuff last week, I decided that the trap doors on the Tramp Steamers hold covers needed hinges, so I made up a prototype out of very small bits of card.

Lo and behold, it worked: the trapdoor looked like it could be opened on a hinge. At least if you squint a bit, and ignore the absence of another hinge…

Much smugness, until I looked at the rest of the ship and realised that I’ll need to make two hinges for each doorway, which means lots of tiny bits of card, superglue and sanding…

Again.

I never learn…

[Andy in Germany]

After last week’s realisation that I was, once again, going to be making lots of little bits, I as usual sighed, got out my knife and started cutting…



Then gluing...



Then cutting some more, and gluing some more…



Let’s not mention the moment I realised I’d miscounted, again, and had to cut a whole fresh batch in order to make enough for all the hatches…

But eventually after even more cutting, and sanding, and supergluing everything to everything else, pulling it apart again and gluing things to what they were supposed to be attached to, I had a set of sort of almost identical hinges for the ships hold covers…



Finally finished: that was bugging me for some time.

Another part of the ship that’s bugging me is those Lifeboat davits: I’ve been trying to convince myself they don’t need a rope, but I’m failing…

[FifteensAway]

And one day, glued fingers notwithstanding, it will be done..and played with.  Or so we all believe.   

Looking grand if a bit crowded on the decks.  Oh, no, did I say that?  Now he's going to go back and rebuild the whole thing!!! 

Or not.