Slow but hopefully sure, I continue with the rigging. I rigged the main stay but haven’t completely seized the fake upper eyesplice. I have seized the lower deadeyes and started to attach them to the ship.
I finally loaded the ship’s boat. Looks fairly decent.
Now comes the shrouds. The learning curve is rather steep, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.
You have to look hard; however, if you look closely at the anchor rings, you’ll see that I actually puddened the rings. I used the thinnest line I had to wrap around the rings.
Steve
Just superb work so far…Cheers Mark
Thanks Mark for the continued support. Your Japanese flattop is looking great.
Steve
Happy Halloween everyone!
Just a couple of shots tonight, but I have more on the way. I finished the standing rigging and the running will start tomorrow. Here are a couple of shots of the yard lashing.
Steve
Well, here are the finished pictures of the Kogge. I entered it into the IMPS Modelzona contest and show today and did not win anything. I’m bummed but it just means I’ll have to build something that will blow them away next year! Not sure what I’m going to build. I have the Revell Nina Pinta and Santa Maria that need to get finished. And I offered to do a tutorial on artist oils, so I could use the Revell Santa Maria for that. Anyway, enjoy and thanks for all the support guys!
Steve
Here are some more build photos with rigging.
Steve
Steve, your Kogge is a thing of beauty! If you didn’t win, I can’t imagine what else was on display! Must have been some seriously impressive builds!
BTW, I’m totally interested in a tutorial regarding your finishing methods with artist oil paints, since as you know, I’ll be trying it out myself very soon! I could really use some extra pointers!
Very nice work, my man!!
Dave
Thanks Dave. Actually, I really thought I had a chance, but the judges thought differently. As I looked at it objectively after, I found a number of small things that could have and probably did affect the judging. That’s what I get for rushing at the end. So With that, I’m going to take the lesson and do better next time!
Also, please feel free to ask any questions on how to do artist oils. One thing I did learn is to give the acrylics a few days to cure. A good method to check if it is cured is the smell test; if you can still smell the paint, it ain’t cured. Another thing is that you want to make sure you put down an Acrylic base instead of an enamel base. When you start to put on the oils, it will start to liquefy the enamels and you’ll have a big mess on your hands. So if you painted the hulls of the guinea pig with Model Master enamels, you should let those dry completely and maybe airbrush an acrylic base coat over it. The problem you face with that is that you start to lose details with each successive coat.
Steve
Good info! I used MM Acrylic for the basecoats (I prefer acrylics for airbrushing)…so hopefully I won’t have any trouble with the oils on top…and I definitely want to avoid applying too many coats of paint…I’ve seen the de-crisping effect of thick coats of paint before…I like sharp details!
You have done a stunning job on her Steve. I really love it…Cheers mark
Three points.
One is obvious: this is a superb model based on an outstanding kit.
Two: Docidle has provided yet more ammunition for me regarding a subject I’ve brought up several times here in the Forum: I don’t believe in model contests. I obviously wasn’t at the one that didn’t give this model an award, but I strongly suspect the judges were airplane, armor, or modern warship enthusiasts who didn’t understand what they were looking at when they looked at this cog. If I’m right, any award they’d given to this model would have been meaningless anyway.
Three: I don’t get to say “I told you so” many times - but this time I can’t resist. I gather Docidle had been working on this model for a little while before he started this thread on October 5, but it clearly was barely under way at that time. Now, a month later, he’s (a) finished a super model that will look great on his mantle, (b) made a tremendous impression on his fellow modelers (at least those who know what they’re looking at), and (c) gained a lot of experience in all sorts of facets of the hobby. Surely this was a better way to spend a month than starting (barely) a Constitution, Victory, Cutty Sark, or Soleil Royal.
Folks, if you want to break into sailing ship modeling, start with a relatively small ship on a relatively large scale. You won’t regret it.
jtilley,
I agree that this shouldn’t be a subject to take anything away from this excellent model, so this will be the first and last post on the subject here as a rebuttal to your comments; most of which I agree. However, as an ex IPMS/USA Head Ship judge, I do not speak officially for anyone.
“Two: Docidle has provided yet more ammunition for me regarding a subject I’ve brought up several times here in the Forum: I don’t believe in model contests.”
That’s okay. Many don’t compete for many of the reasons you state. I do, because I know the judging techniques behind each and every contest I enter. As long as that is known by every entrant, then few surprises are experienced.
I obviously wasn’t at the one that didn’t give this model an award, but I strongly suspect the judges were airplane, armor, or modern warship enthusiasts who didn’t understand what they were looking at when they looked at this cog. If I’m right, any award they’d given to this model would have been meaningless anyway.
You are correct in that the judges were probably not “experts” on rigged sailing vessels. At local and even regional IPMS/USA contests, finding qualified judges is a near impossibility.
IPMS/USA judges are trained to judge PLASTIC models, but other media is encouraged to enter. I realize Docidle’s model is plastic, but National IPMS ship judges are trained to look more for proper “basic” construction as defined by the Head Ship judge and the National Contest Committee. This is all written in the rules and is available to anyone who wants them. They look for parts alignment, seams, paint finish, decal application, mast alignment, glue spots, etc. So thier decisions are based on that. Unfortunately, accuracy is pretty far down the list when considering a winner. I am NOT passing judgment on Docidle’s model or anyone else’s. I am the first to say that photos are VERY kind to models. I have had many models published in FSM and my own how to CDs that look WAAAY better than they do in real life.
If you seek “experts” in the field you build, seek contests endorsed by the Nautical Research Guild or similar organzations. Unfortunately, local and even regional IPMS/USA contests don’t have the luxury of 30 ship judges to choose from as I did as HSJ for IPMS/USA. I actively sought out rigged ship builders and assigned them to those categories.
Go into any contest fully informed and you will enjoy yourself. And if things don’t go as you would like, sign up as a judge next time. They can use your knowlege to make it a more enjoyable contest for everyone.
Why I don’t ever enter contests.
I don’t disagree with any of Mr. Cervo’s comments. I’ve vented on the subject of model contests quite a few times in this Forum; quite a few people have disagreed with me, but I’ve been surprised at the number who feel the same way I do.
In 57 years of model building I’ve entered, and judged, more than my share of model competitions. (I was a judge at, among others, the 1990 Mariners’ Museum contest - which, until it was discontinued, was widely regarded as one of the biggest competetive events in the ship modeling world. I also, when I was working at the MM, wrote most of the rules for the 1985 version. I was supposed to judge that one, too, but I got laid up in the hospital with a bladder stone. Fate does work in mysterious ways.)
Three basic things bug me about model contests. One is that, somehow or other, they seem to bring out the worst, most childish behavior in people. (I used to be a little league baseball umpire; I’d rather face a herd of screaming kids and parents than a couple of guys who’ve lost at a model contest.)
Two: winning or losing seems (though it shouldn’t) to have such an emotional effect on people. Docidle knows better than to give up ship modeling after his loss at that IPMS contest, but it sounds like it did discourage him a bit. Like I said, it shouldn’t. (If you enter contests to have fun - great. If they’re a major part of your existence and winning is crucial to your self-respect - not so great. I’ve known people who fall in the latter category. Most of them are not happy people.)
Three: people sometimes let their experience in competitions influence their modeling. I firmly believe that’s inappropriate. No judge’s opinion (and that’s what judges have: opinions) is ever going to influence how I build a model. I love to look at other people’s models, and I’ve gotten all sorts of good ideas from seeing how other people do things. But I don’t need a judge to tell me which ideas are good and which ones aren’t. That’s my business.
I’m a big believer in model exhibitions. The model club I belong to (Carolina Maritime Model Society; next meeting Dec. 1 at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort) has an annual exhibition that coincides with the NCMM’s wooden boat show. The members bring in their models and display them to the public. (Several thousand visitors usually show up.) I take pictures of them with my DSLR against a tailor-made backdrop, put the results on a CD, and give copies of it to anybody who wants them. The guys in the boat restoration shop make little 5-part fishing trawler kits out of wood scraps, and kids are invited to build them on the spot. (Most enthusiastic participants: Girl Scout troops. Typical reaction to the experience of building a model: ecstasy.)
There’s no competition of any sort in that club. In about 15 years as a member of it I’ve never heard an uncivil word exchanged. The membership includes plastic modelers, wood modelers, and people who (like me) don’t identify themselves as either. There are modern warship enthusiasts, HECEPOB enthusiasts, RC experts, and a guy who builds huge models of people’s luxury yachts on commission. We all learn all sorts of things for each other, and have a great time. That’s my kind of model club. The meetings are well worth the two-hour drive.
At my age (62) I don’t feel like I have anything to prove as a modeler (or anything else). I don’t need a judge to tell me my models aren’t as good as Donald McNarry’s, Harold Hahn’s, or Phillip Reed’s; I’m perfectly capable of figuring that out for myself. I’ll never judge another model competition. I just might enter one, though - if the grand prize is a brand-new Ferrari and each Honorable Mention gets a new Corvette. And if I don’t win, the judges better watch out.
It should go without saying that all the above observations are personal opinions, with which everybody is free to agree or disagree. But I do think they’re worth thinking about.
" I take pictures of them with my DSLR against a tailor-made backdrop…" Don’t forget to snap a few to post! I would love to see them.
One of these days I really need to learn how to post pictures. I’ve got a good camera (Pentax K-10D) and I’m competent (barely) with Photoshop Elements, but I’ve never learned how to post pictures online. Our club, as I understand it, is building a website; maybe that will make it easier. I’ll try to find out at the next club meeting (Saturday, Dec. 1, at 2:00 at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort; new members and guests always welcome).
It isn’t hard, after all I can do it. The trick is that the file has to be a jpeg, not a pdf. I suppose there are other file types that work, but I get jpegs off my digital camera.
First, get the file out of your camera and on to your hard drive. I bought a nifty little deal that’s a card reader. It plugs into the USB port on your computer and has all kinds of little slots on it for memory cards. It cost maybe $ 12 and I like it because it’s not a cord I have to keep track of. Just sits in the port.
Then join a photo sharing website. Photobucket is pretty good and it’s free, in the current definition in that you have to watch ads to use it. Uploading your picture files to that will give each one an http address on the www.
Then it’s just a matter of using the image insert feature on the current version of this forum site.
A big side benefit of uploading your photos on the web is that you can look at them, print them and email them from any where, at any time. I like showing my model photos to people on my iPhone or iPad when I am chattting with them about the hobby.
Hope this helps from one old fart to another, beggin’ yer pardon.