Man, you know your Navy, you know your rigging and you know your electronics. This is simply a jewel, a masterpiece and a wonderful creation.
But this is not just a bunch of posts, much rather a documentary on how build such a splendid ship.
I envy your patience and dedication to a model so accurately modified as to make it become real.
I have never seen such an accurately reproduced vessel in my life, but I also have to confess that I have never built one either, nor am I specialist in such modeling.
I am more the Tank and Aircraft guy and if ever, another sort of vessels: the space kind, but they are also much easier to build since they do not have guns that can be seen, a lot of rigging, or masts and sails and therefore I better stick to those ones.
Still, I am so amazed at your precision and keen eye to detail on a ship that is indeed more complicated in every single detail you have decided to build in scale.
You are a true artist and true engineer, there is no doubt about it.
All my admiration goes in your direction, although to tell you the truth, I will never venture in a similar build, it would simply blast my mind to do so.
I salute you Captain of the Seven Seas. Safe sailings from now on and may the winds assist you.
I am humbled by your kind words, Crazy-Creator. When I started this project, my goal was to show everyone what I was doing - good or bad. Many times I ended up recreating the same part (the camboose, or stove) multiple times until I got it right. But not just for me, to show others that with a little time and patience - and persistence - virtually anything can be done. I hope that many of my “step-by-step” images and explanations can inspire others to try it as well.
So happy that my wife is equally marveled by this build as well. She was a bit of a skeptic when I started this project, but is now my biggest fan - next to you of course.
Again, thanks for the kind words and praise.
Bob
BTW, this is actually the 3rd set of boats I have started. These will be going on the model.
I have absolutely no doubt that your wife has become a fan of yours seeing how much work and hours you have dedicated into your project and every bit more interesting and detailed than the other.
On my current projects I try to apply the very same discipline and patience and you gave me a great idea with your explanatory text on your pictures.
I am working on a project called “The Last Warning” dealing with one inspection by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel to one of the communication centers near Omaha Beach in which he warned his officers that the invasion would be the longest day, not just for the Allies, but also for the Germans. Hence also the title of the famous movie “The Longest Day” in 1962.
Although the terrain and the Communication Bunker have been completed there is still lots to do.
But to take a break and not making it a routine work I also took a break to scratch build yet another Bunker on Omaha Beach in rigid foam, which will then be covered in plaster and an acrylic compound simulating concrete.
It will be a dedication to the men who landed on Omaha Beach and the sector I am depicting lies to the East, near Colleville-sur-Mer, called by the Allies Fox Green and by the Germans WN61 (Wiederstansnest 61 or Defensive position 61), one of the most dangerous, together with WN60, Wn62 and to the West, Wn72 and Wn73, also known as sector Charlie.
Since there was no model of this particular Bunker anywhere to be found I had to build it myself following accurate plans of the period.
This particular one was also called R677, or H677 (meaning Regelbau - Regular Construction or Heeresbau - Army Construction) and contained one of the most dangerous guns of WWII, the PAK43/41 88mm anti-tank gun which was also mounted on Jadgpanthers (Hunting Panthers) and Königstiger (King Tiger, or Tiger II).
In any case, should you be interested to visit my two pages describing both builds here are the links to them:
And with that I salute you once more for an excellent work so far. I hope to see more of your tiny gems taking form.
Boats for the davits have all been completed. Now on to the fun task of making wooden oars. Got a dozen or so completed, stained, painted and varnished.
Taking them to my shipbuilders meeting tonight. Hanging them from the davits tomorrow. Another item off the punch list!
Bob
Excuse me? What the heck did just happen? They are wonderful! And in such a minute scale it must have been quite a feat to detail them like this. I particularly like the oars fixed with laundry pins. What a splendid and economic idea! I am slobbering all over in envy, but my eyes are just popping out from my orbits seeing such a work of craft and artistry combined.
What can I say that could surpass all that?
No, better be silent and savor the magnificence of those tiny jewels.
Man, if you were a modeling teacher I would take lessons from you.
Thank you for the humbling and kind words.
Bob
Those little boats are fantastic and packed with details. Great finish as well.
A couple of years ago, a local distiller out here in PA blended a special batch of Carribean rum, and passed every drop of that batch through a piece of wood off the USS Constitution. They called it Shipmate Heritage Rum, and i bought a bottle because a remembered visiting the ship on a class trip when i was a kid. If i hadn’t opened and drank about half the bottle i would send it to you!! This is a herculean effort, and it has been an absolute pleasure to follow along with the progress. Truly inspirational for those of us who sometimes fall into modeling slumps and breaks.
Thanks Rainbow & Keavdog. It’s comments like these that keep me building through the “low mojo” times. And while I am a bourbon guy, I would be happy to sip your Shipmate Heritage Rum any time.
Bob
You sir have some amazing talent! Your attention to detail is outstanding, and inspirational.
You have some real talent sir .very envious . 
Boats have been completed and hung from their davits. Decided to modify the 32’ barge from the Revell kit so there is something showing from the original kit. Naturally, I had to add quite a lot to make it look realistic (compared to the rest of the kit). Just finished painting it.
Here is the barge modified and painted. She now has the correct number of ribs and thwarts, and also a rudder (not shown). Used styrene to do the mods, as she will be hung from the masts simulating recovery/stowage onto the 34’ launch.
Bob