SS KRAKOW in 1:400 scale by JSC No. 42

It was a bit busy at the shipyard today...got a few more updates for you! :D

I was doing a bit of multi-tasking with this build, nice little jobs that come together eventually...hopefully. :roll: I started with the cargo booms and tackles, using fly tying silk and paper discs as I have in the past for the gear. It's really a matter of building the smaller assemblies off the model and then adding them to the masts, one step at a time, working from the top to bottom. It's also a good idea to work from the middle of the mast upwards lest you start boxing yourself into a corner trying to work around rigging that's already in place. While the cargo masts would normally be rigged in real life with the stays before the cargo booms and gear are installed, the stays limit your access to the base of the mast, so I did the cargo booms first. This is particularly true in a smaller scale where the clearance is even closer...and my shakey hands have been known to pull a few lines lose while doing something else. :cry:

Anyway, at least I was able to do the forward area, taking about two nights to first build the smaller assemblies and putting it together on the model tonight. Some of the close-up photos show how rough some of the finish is on parts, but my eyes don't pick this stuff up as well as the camera lens apparently does. :roll:

I still have to install the ladders leading from the forward deck to the midship house, but they're all about done and just ready to be installed...but it got too late on this workday night to get it done in time for tonight's update.

Anyway, here she is so far. Still a ways to go, the midship house needs more ladder rails and her life boats, and the after cargo area and fan tail are only about a third done...but it's moving at a nice pace now so I'm happy with how it's falling together so far.

Hope you like the photos, never ceases to amaze me how some photos look good on the preview viewer but when they get downloaded they are out of focus, so those I didn't bother posting.

Thanks for watching!

Cheers!

Jim
 
And a few more views for tonight...the close-up of the bow area shows a bit of roughness in the finish of parts, like the way the railings ended up on the bow bulwarks. :roll: I swear I couldn't see that with my magnifiers, but the camera shows all! :lol:

Any comments or suggestions are always welcome!

Cheers!

Jim
 
Jim............I'm still amazed at the scale. WOW! :D

It does look great ............. I kinda expect to see the cook come out and toss the dishwater over the railing! :shock: :D

Thanks again for sharing!

john
 
Hi Jim

A dam fine build mate.

At that scale makes it even more amazing, you would think to look at the photo's that the build had been done in a larger scale!!

Well done Jim, more very soon I hope

Rob
 
Congratulations, she's a beaut. Just as a point of interest, this was the first Polish ship to return to a Polish port after World War II. I have had no luck locating any photos of the original.
 
Hi, everyone!

Well, the fireworks for the 4th of July have just died away so it seems like a good time to settle down and post an update. Actually, it's been a busy weekend, more so than usual, but I still managed some time to fiddle around with this build.

First, thank you all for the very kind and generous words; I'm quite taken aback by many of the comments as I know from seeing each of your builds that you are all excellent modelers, far better than I am...I just suffer from the strange affliction of building these little guys in a smaller scale. :D

More importantly, I'm very happy that you all are enjoying these posts, or at least I haven't bored anyone with the updates...yet! :wink: My sincerest thanks for everyone who has stopped by to give this build a look see.

@ Simon, thanks for the history and for trying to find a photo of the real ship; I as well have not been able to find anything on line. I will try and get a translation of what the kit provides by way of a history for her, but if anyone already has any further information about her I would appreciate learning more.

I've been able to get a few things done over the past week and this weekend, but there are still a few things to do before I will consider her done. I installed the rest of the cargo gear, some more of the mast stays and a number of ladders. I also started to add more to the fantail, putting in the quadrant steering gear which was just printed on the deck in the original kit. It was just begging to be done, and I couldn't just leave the printed impressions on that fantail, now could I? :lol: I still need to build and install the after winch, finish up the fantail railing and add the after ladders leading from the after cargo area to the fantail deck. I also have to finish up the lifeboat davits, and then do a bit of touch-up painting. Looking over the deck, I see they printed small, black rectangles to represent the bollards, so I think in keeping with the fantail work I will have to build them...I have a few ideas on how I will try this, basically the same thing I did on the Mexico Victory, so that's half the battle.

I'm posting a few more photos than usual because I want to show some of the things I added, like the built up anchor windlass and the after steeing gear arrangement. You will also note the boat davits are installed but I need to put in the hoisting gear.

Now for some confessions....
I did another idiot move, something that being more careful would have avoided...I put the wrong cargo boom on the number 2 cargo hatch forward! :roll: I thought it was a bit shorter than it should have been, and, sure enough, it was supposed to be the sole longer boom...which was happily sitting on my working area looking up at me and wondering why I put the other boom in it's place. :lol: In the process of handling her, I got the shakey hands, no, I'll be honest, I was being clumsy, and knocked one of the lines out...believe me, it didn't take much. Anyway, I got a crash course in damage control, re-installed the line and it' seems none the worse for the wear. I then discovered in my haste I put the line leading from the stack to the forward cargo mast at the wrong height, which threw off the position for the highest line that joins the masts at the top! :roll: Boy, this was getting annoying! Anyway, again, some damage control and it seems to have worked out.

Well, enough of my rambling... I can hear Barry and Rob say "come on, mate, get on with the photos!" :lol: So, here's what she looks like today, mistakes made, attempts to correct, and all. :wink: Hope you enjoy them.

Thanks again for stopping by! :D

Cheers!

Jim
 
Lovely, simply lovely! All the more impressive because of the scale. I can't manage 1:250 fiddly bits, let alone 1:400. :lol:

Great job and excellent photos and writeup!
 
I love reading this, not least for the amount of new words I'm (gradually) learning - fantail, davits, bollards (haven't figured that one out yet, but don't spoil the mystery by explaining it, I'm sure I'll get there eventually...).

Leif
 
Hi Jim

A nice little work of art there mate
You shure did get a lot of detail into it for the size.

How the heck you cut the hole in your work top to hide the big red bit I'll never know :lol: :lol:

Well done mate and can't wait to see your next little gem

Rob
 
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