Tour Ship

[Sumpter250]

Pete,
Have been following along also, I really admire your modeling expertise and how you are able to convey the entire look of the boat from forward to aft. Bruce

Bruce, and anyone else who likes what I am able to do.....Thank You.
I must confess, this hasn't been an "overnight success story". I'll turn 69 in November, so I have been building models for about 65 years now.
It started as part of the family Christmas tradition - - -
1- except for cards, there was no "Christmas decorations" until Christmas morning !
2- Because my parents were "up all night" creating the "magic of Christmas", they wanted to sleep in a bit
3- We hung our "stockings", and early Christmas morning would get up and see everything there, lit, wrapped, and the very picture of Christmas. We'd take our stockings down, and play with the contents until our parents were up.
4- My older brother and I would usually have a Strombecker wood model to build ( one of the smaller ones ), and that would keep us busy.

It has taken all those years to develop the model building skills to what you see now, and they're still being improved on.
Yes, I am sure that some of the "talent" was inherited, but "talent" has to also be "trained ( pun intended ), taught, and practiced". Part of that talent,( and another learning curve ) is being able to research detail, understanding what the function of each detail is, and figuring out the right way to represent it in scale.
A lot of it is "in the eye", being able to "see" things with respect to other things. Separating fact, and fantasy, and using each in the best possible way, or combination. It's been a long, sometimes daunting learning curve, but it has been, and continues to be, an exciting trip.

For those, whose "trip on the learning curve" is just beginning, or still has a long way to go, enjoy every twist, turn, peak,and valley of it. It is, after all, a "learning" curve......just learn, and keep learning, it's all part of any Hobby.

[Catt]

Pete ,if I have not said it before "Your modeling is awesome". Like you I have been modeling for a very long time (was about 6 when I started 7 when I got serious about it )I wish I had some of those old Strombecker kits.Except I would probly just go ahead and build them. :mrgreen:

[ngauger]

For those, whose "trip on the learning curve" is just beginning, or still has a long way to go, enjoy every twist, turn, peak,and valley of it. It is, after all, a "learning" curve......just learn, and keep learning, it's all part of any Hobby.

and take it from those of us who know.......

Pay CLOSE attention to the first line of Sumpter's signature.......

It's 100% accurate!!!!!

[Catt]

We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!

Actually in my case both lines are quite accurate.

[Sumpter250]

One of my Father's favorite "sayings" was......" To err is Human, to make the same mistake twice, is criminal folly". It is from this, that I arrived at my signature's first line.
The second line?, that came from 21 years active duty Navy......I certainly could, and usually did.

[Sumpter250]

   
Looking at the lounge, and staircase down to "main deck cabins"
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A touch of "greens" in the centerpiece vases.
Those are 9" plates on the tables, It's something I've been looking for a project to try making them for. They are .013" styrene, and I used a 2.8 mm leather punch to cut them out, and a slightly smaller Pin Punch, to add the "depth" to the centers.
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The Foc's'l, and forward starboard corner of the lounge showing the benches/ chairs, and the book case.
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The anchor windlass. Just behind it ( painted ), the casting for the top of the hawsepipe, that carries the anchor chain down to the chain locker. The white piece on deck forward of the windlass, is a casting that guides the anchor chain across the wood deck. It is there to protect the wood from damage, by the chain.
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11 more doors have been built, and stained. That leaves only the port and starboard Pilot House Doors to make. When the stain is dry, I can install the doors.

[Schraddel]

hock:
Welcome on board, i could only say.

[Sumpter250]

   

Here's the new doors, the two with no window in them, are for the "Water Closets" in the after end of the Bridge deck superstructure. The stain is dry now, so I can begin installing them.
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The anchor windlass has a motor! OK I got "creative", and it may not look anything like "Diana"s" windlass, but it's done and installed !
The anchor is also installed, its chain runs through the wildcat, and down to the chain locker now, and it's all painted.
There's still a lot of interior detail left to do before the Bridge deck can be permanently attached, and the stanchions, and railings on the Shelter deck can be built and installed.

[Sumpter250]

   
Another shot of the windlass. I enlarged the pilot house window openings just a bit, they were looking like they would be a bit too small, especially after the frames get installed.
The nice part of modeling " Diana ", as her "American cousin" is that I can play with the "details" a bit. I'm still considering a lifeboat, stored above the "bridge deck" cabins. Maybe two, on "Gravity Davits", similar to this;
   
This / these, can wait until I'm ready to glue the "bridge deck" overhead in place.

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New window frames for the port, forward lounge. Also, the skylight sill.


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Port side with all the doors installed.

[Kev1340]

She's really coming together now 8-)

Cheers,

Kev

[Ralph]

Geez! No kidding! Looks fantastic!

[Sumpter250]

Glad I only built eight window frames - - - I have to re-do the cutting jig for the window frames, they are too big !!
( :oops: line one of my signature applies )
Did some research on "regulations", and it looks like a vessel of this size only requires one lifeboat, or one boat for every six life rafts. If she were over 500 gross tons, she'd have to have one boat on each side.
I could install davits for the one lifeboat, and still have a "tender" on the opposite side, a lighter boat for general purpose use. ( with, possibly, a different method of deployment )
:?: Choices, choices.

[Sumpter250]

I got the eighteen smaller windows built, installed seventeen, :oops: have to make one replacement

After the windows were in, I decided to build a set of "Gravity" davits, for a lifeboat / utility craft. I have about three thousand words to state, so I'll let three "pictures", make the statement. 8-)
The basic framework of the davits, is in position. The "supports" under the lifeboat / utility craft, are just to hold it in the position it will occupy once the davits are done.
   
   
This last picture, is primarily for me to be able to either "get used to" having the lifeboat there, or maybe decide to not include it on the model. So far I am pleased with how it looks. There's still a lot more detail that has to be added to the davits.
   

[sailormatlac]

Sumpter, it's getting more and more interesting!

Matt

[Sumpter250]

   

Looking forward, port side, the only windows and doors left to build are the pilothouse windows, and doors to the bridge level weather decks.

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The on deck storage bins aft on the shelter deck, and the bridge deck.
The bins on the bridge deck are not fastened down yet, I'm going to plank that deck, once it is glued to the top of the shelter deck, cabins/spaces. ( after curtains are installed )

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I found a photo that shows most of the lines used by the Gravity Davits, so I can get them rigged, and a winch built. It won't be much longer, and I'll be building the details on the deck above the bridge, and bridge deck cabins.