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August 2015
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Vol 5, Issue 8
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Dear Shipmate: |
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The month of July found our gallery packed with vacationers from all points of the globe. It's so interesting to talk with them. Some are pretty good modelers, others have no idea what they are looking at, and some ask some really interesting questions. Every day is different.
The next class we will be holding is the
planking class, September 28th thru October 2nd. I'm reasonably sure we will use the
Herreshoff 12 1/2 as our model. Each day is 9-3, you get to bring your hull home with the rest of the kit so you will be able to finish the model, and the class price includes all the tools you need, plus shipping your stuff back to your home. The cost is $475. We still have a few spaces left, so sign up!
BlueJacket participated in the 68th Annual Lobster Festival in Rockland. Many of our customers stopped by to say hello and we made new ones, too.
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BlueJacket is a proud sponsor of:
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Model Ship World is an on-line forum of ship modelers. Topics range from kits to scratch builds, in-process continuing stories, tips, manufacturer information, technical topics. Too many to list here. Go take a look!
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Nautical terms and origins
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Careen - To tip a vessel to a steep angle, to repair or work on her bottom. It comes from the French word
carene, of the same meaning, and can be loosely traced back, through Latin and Greek, to Sanskrit.
Kippage - Now a rare term for the apparel and personnel of a vessel. Its origin is the Middle French
equipage, one meaning of which was total equipment.
Spider - An iron outrigger, to keep a line clear of other gear. It may have got its name from its spindly appearance.
Workaway - A merchant seaman, not a member of a crew, who works with the crew to pay his passage from one port to another. It was originally a merchant-service slang term.
Information is from the book "Origins of Sea Terms" by John G. Rogers
copyright 1985 Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc. and available from BlueJacket.
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| Half Hull Class |
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We held a class on half hulls two weeks ago. Only one person showed up, so he got Al's full attention.
He said he learned a lot. Here's a photo of Kirk from Nova Scotia with his completed half hull.
While waiting for the paint to dry, Kirk and Al decided to make a model of his model. Here it is:
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Model of the Month - SS Portland
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You all know I've been working on this model for some time, so here's a few shots of the finished product. It was a lot of fun, but the railings were the tedious part of it. Towards the end of the construction, I didn't like some of the rigging materials, so I updated the kit. I also sent a package to everyone who bought a Portland since the beginning of 2014. If you have one not finished yet and you got it before 1/1/14, shoot me an email and I'll send you the upgrade kit.
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| What's on the workbench? |
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Nic's bench: Back in April of 2014 we sold the model of the USS Kidd that was in our gallery. Now it's time for me to replace it. Al, of course is delighted that I'm diving into "gray stuff" and I must say I have a lot to learn about WWII vessels.
Al's bench: After taking a week off for the Half-hull class, Al is back to finishing the Kearsarge. Earlier this month, in a flash of inspiration, he decided that the gunports should be laser-cut, so they are all uniform and square. It's all part of making a better kit. Here's how that looks:
And now he's almost ready to hand it off to me for the rigging. Here's the bow:
The stern:
The bilge pump assembly is 12 pieces. Notice that the shrouds are on turnbuckles, not deadeyes.
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| Something fun |
Here at BlueJacket, we have a "joke of the day" posted on our refrigerator.
Some are general, and some are personal. Here's a photo of a recent one.
Our very own Dr. Al is partial to steel navy, while I'm the "stick and string" guy. We have fun teasing each other about it.
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| Tip of the Month - Signing your models |
Charlie Cook, that voice on the other end of our help line, has a unique way of putting his mark on the models he builds. He fashions a small overturned wash bucket and mop. Here's a couple of photos of his "signature," usually near the mainmast.
Duff, who built last month's Le Superbe, has a really classy way of signing his models. He uses a miniature plaque with his name and date on the rear part of the keel. So does Ron who built the Godspeed from a couple of months ago.
As for me, I like to put a figure or two on my models. It's more of a style than a signature, I guess.
The late Bill Hitchcock in all his dioramas had a discreet man behind a bush relieving himself.
So what's your signature? Send me a photo and description and I'll post them in next month's newsletter.
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Thanks for your support
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My final message in this newsletter will always be the same because it is what BlueJacket has done for 110 years, and we're not about to stop.
We appreciate our customers, we exist for our customers, and we listen to our customers. What we do is fun, just as I will try to make this newsletter. If you have any suggestions or comments, still, as always, please just give us a shout!
There's nothing I'd rather do than work on, or talk about model boats. Have fun!
Sincerely,
Nic Damuck
BlueJacket Shipcrafters, Inc.
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