‘Great job Jeremy. Love the fix on the leg joints. I was a little concerned, but like you said, hardly noticeable. Once again, thanks for great job.’
‘The Eagle has landed safely.
Hi Jeremy,
Hope you had a good holiday and the weather suited you. I have attached a few photo’s to show the model on it’s base, and all I did was sand a hole for the plastic stand so the legs of the model just rest on the Lunar surface. So with my effort to find you and your splendid effort to restore it we’ve saved a rare model which can’t be bad.
Best wishes
Allan
‘Houston, Tranquility Bay here, the Eagle has landed’
‘Roger Tranquility, we copy you on the ground’
5″ Britannia on the SMET track
2″ scale Fowler at Dundee Transport Museum
Purchased last year, I have found this the most fantastic camera for taking very good quality video. I have fixed it to my various live steam models (5″ gauge steam locomotive and 2″ scale traction engine) for footplate views.
Not the steadiest of platforms when moving which makes the results even more incredible, such steady films for posterity.
The other evening I hit a technical glitch when transferring the files from the camera to my computer. Mid transfer the GoPro froze, the computer flashed up the message ‘USB device not recognised’. Disconnecting the GoPro it refused to turn off or do anything, the two arrows indicating file transfer remained frozen in the window. On this model access to the battery did not seem possible and removing the SIM card and then replacing it did nothing either.
The GoPro website did not provide any solution either. Consternation, choice language and depression. Have I lost my latest clips?? As it was still under the guarantee I got the receipt out ready to take to the shop for exchange.
As I could not turn the darned thing off it remained on overnight. When I checked it in the morning the battery had discharged and the screen was now blank (obviously!). I decided to reconnect to the computer and see what happened. Yeah! It sprung into life and completed the downloads.
The reason for posting this? It may help someone else if they have the same issue or similar. Let the battery discharge and then see if on recharging it reboots itself.
A wonderful camera.
In June 2012 I questioned why modellers chose to remain uncredited for their painstaking work unlike artists who invariably sign theirs.
An article appeared in the 12th July issue of The (Dundee) Courier magazine about the recent sale of a model of the ‘Charlotte Dundas’ by the Australian auctioneer, Leonard Joel Auctions of South Yarra. Apart from the staggering price what struck me was how well documented the provenance of the model was. Not only were the builders named, but the source of the material was identified too. For me this made a refreshing change that for once the builders gain recognition for their work.
Without this documentation I wonder what it would have fetched. The usual £50 to £100 as a dusty relic no longer loved?
To read more about it follow these links to the Auctioneers website:
One of the delights of my restoration work is opening my ‘inbox’ and reading an unexpected update from a previous client. Just such a thing happened the other Friday;
“Dear Jeremy,
I expect you’ll recall about two years ago restoring the galleon which was made by my grandfather.
Once it arrived back in Chobham it was kept safely in its box, having first been admired. At the time we were embarking on a kitchen extension which became a protracted project, dogged with difficulties and plagued by problems. Part of the scheme was to block the old exit to a first floor balcony (which was enclosed to become the extension) and my husband designed a feature for the old door space which we hoped would do justice to the galleon. The attached photo shows you its final resting place, which I hope you will feel displays your work well. We had considered covering it with a glass dome but decided it should be seen in its natural glory. Needless to say it’s my job to do the dusting!
I thought you’d like to see where it ended up and hope that you approve.
With best wishes and thanks once more, Sheila Catchpole.”
Read about the original restoration
Leonard had spent his entire working life on the gravy train.
His ambition for retirement was to sail to exotic locations….
It seemed natural that his colleagues bought him a Gravy Boat!
Modellers use a lot of buzz words to describe various activities in their hobby which to the lay-person can be confusing. Understanding what is meant by the various terms increases the pleasure of the casual observer.
Ripcord – A pair of old trousers loved by the owner now with the ass hanging out.
Kill Cords – Brightly coloured pair of corduroy trousers, usually bought on line, embarrassing to the rest of their family.
Bi Plane – Last words uttered by stunned model aeroplane owner as to loud applause their expensive toy disintegrates on impact with the ground.
Carbon Fibre – The contents of the thick black smoke emanating from your now well alight model which leaves black bits all over your face, hands and shirt as you frantically try to smother the flames.
Fire Extinguisher – Come in all shapes and sizes with brand names such as Reebok, Adidas, Tottie Short, Dunlop Universals etc.
When I wrote the first blog on this topic I concentrated on how to keep the paint finish on ones model in good condition. I was interested to read that the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society (MNLPS) have a new regime for keeping their already spotless locomotive’s paint sparkling. They wash it down with warm water and a suitable car wax to remove the grit and grime and avoid using dirty oily rags like the plague. A method I would wholeheartedly endorse.
A mirror smooth finish?
Blemish free platework?
Modellers strive hard for the perfect, blemish free finish on their models. Mirror smooth metal work and paintwork gleaming brightly. Museum models are precise and pristine. Prize winning models at exhibitions are flawless.
For the day to day work horses reality is different so why if we are modelling one of these do we spend time producing an unrealistic finish?
Pass the Isopon P38 filler please!
My restored model of the the steam yacht ‘Elizabeth Morag’ came in for some ribbing over the planish marks on the copper hull; “You should have filled it with Isopon and rubbed it smooth.” Show me a plated and riveted hull which is smooth. Even a welded hull has ripples across it which can be seen clearly in certain lighting conditions. The only truly smooth hull I can think of is on the Royal Yacht ‘Britannia’ and John Brown spent a lot of effort achieving that finish.
The perfect deck?
William Mowll in his book HMS Warrior 1860 makes the point on page 53 when he writes about ships planking. I would suggest his opening sentence ‘The question of decking on model ships and boats is a paradise for critics.’ He basically says in real life there is no such thing as a perfect deck so why put one on the model. This is applicable in many other areas.
I am not condoning sloppy or careless work, but unless you are modelling a Rolls Royce I am suggesting that a perfect, blemish free finish is unrealistic.
Okay, perhaps this is going a bit too far!
This last one illustrates a museum’s approach to preserving as much of the original as possible. Personally I think this is too much the other extreme and just shows neglect after it came out of use. The original manufacturers and owners of the engine would be appalled!
Sundry Observed Disasters In Technology
From time to time we all have those little disasters which seem to defy logic and are euphemistically described as obeying Sod’s Law. Here are some more of them.