Tilting At Windmills; With or without the smock...

[THE DC]

Sorry I have been absent a couple of weeks. Been on the job!


I wanted to follow up with the mechanical description with some pics of the finished model and some final thoughts.



The kit turned out alright. It's a simple kit with some good properties, as well as some things I would suggest be changed. First, let look at it done with some commentary...

[note the head tilted as if blown off center by the wind]

The final kit is pretty clean and adding a few optional tidbits improves it a bit. The kit, as suggested builds as a simple model. Adding plastic for the windows, detailing the sails, and movement to the head and veins, all made it a bit nicer than the basic build.




I found couple of images on line of other people's builds of this kit and you can see that its a clean build without the enhancements. I am glad I put some of the extra detail into mine, however.

 

[THE DC]

Here's a few details about the finishes kit:

The sails were worth the extra effort of layers and managed paper thickness choices.



What I wanted to accomplish was the illusion of wooden framework, covered with a different layer of canvass to make up the sail. I curved them according to the wind direction and made each sail sightly different, layering folds to add dimensionality to the final product.



The sails can now be viewed from both sides and have detail discriminating each form the next.




I think the added effort makes them believable in miniature.

 

[THE DC]

A few more details to share.


The framework of the directional sail looks better when cut out and pieced, instead of just folding up a solid piece.



Splicing the lightning rod on front and back, makes the little touch of the eliminated white space.



The sails linkage looks better in three dimensional layers.



The plastic windows look better than the hand drawn versions in the kit. All that was needed was careful cutting of the window sills and affixing the plastic behind them.

 

[THE DC]

I'll crash out now [3am here!] but I'll get back with some final thoughts on this thread.

 

[Cybergrinder]

Brilliant! As you noted, the added detail makes your stand out!

 

[zathros]

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

@THE DC That looks really good! I like how you were able to layer the windmill blades.

 

[THE DC]

Thanks gentlemen. Nice addition to my thread, Zathros; enjoyed it.


I have some closing thoughts regarding this kit. I had a few added plans that I abandoned but I thought I would share.

I had originally planned to add boarding to the side with 67lb paper, and individual singles to the roof with copy-stock paper, to add texture to both, but when I tested the effect, I was not pleased with the result. The hand drawn graphics made the effort look silly and cartoonish. In a different kit, with different graphics, I would have gone that far. When trying the technique here, the heavy black lines from the hand drawn design stood out too much. My scoring the stone from the inside of the basement paper also blistered the exterior for texture, but the bleeding water color effect didn't work well with defined stone.

I also gave up replacing the side beams for similar reasons.I wanted to cover the broken-fold lines but with the rest of the exterior two dimensional, the result looked awful. I decided to stick with the kit's graphics. This was a practice run for a more detailed windmill model, graphically speaking. I'll get one to which I can add the extra touches.

The good thing about the kit is the fit is smooth, save for the top of the tower. The build id easy too and the design allows modification to permit movement of the blades and head. So well do they move, once modified, that when i took the finished kit outside to photograph, the wind spun the blades around and the head tilted into the wind!

I would recommend Fiddler's green make an adjustment to the lid, to cover the top evenly. I would also suggest including the mired parts. As always, I encourage kit sellers to include build directions with tips.

I would also suggest a recolor and redraw of the siding and roof, as well as main support frame (something that FG often does with their kits). Removing the broken lines along the frame and redrawing the details with thinner lines would make more quality techniques an attractive investment in time. Luckily, I spoke to Scott at Fiddler's Green and he said he was interested in getting a redraw of the exterior. That would be good, as the kit has potential.

I also found out that Fiddler's Green was looking for a designer to make a Smock Mill similar to the Long Island type I described early in this thread.

-real L.I. Windmill, Smock type


FG had proposed a windmill that is in their New England section, under buildings, called a Windmill-Nantucket, but it was never advanced for completion. Scott said he's seeking an author for it.

Windmill-Nantucket












My final thoughts about this kit is that the fit is true and the sails nicely detailed to allow modification. I was even thinking about adding a scratch built interior, but it wasn't exactly the mill that I wanted to build, so I held off this time. With the clear windows, lighting is easy and practically, internally contained.

For the price its a real deal. Scott revealed that the kit was originally a postcard kit, so given the quality if kit build, its pretty impressive. If anyone winds up designing the Long Island or Nantucket Smock mills for FG, or redraws the detail on this one, please let me know. I'd love to see the result.

Slainte!

 

[zathros]

You superseded the kit's original design and made it really nice. Great job!!

 

[THE DC]

Thanks!


I was testing out sail techniques for when i can get a smock mill closer to the Dutch LI type.

Glad you enjoyed...

 

[zathros]

I'd consider using Parchment Paper for the sails, as it can be wet and formed easily, and making the frames thick, as with the spars, and also separately. This will really make the model pop!
The Hayland Windmill on Long Island is worth looking at, it has a wind powered "tail rotor" to power it turning into the wind, as seen in the picture. It is still a working windmill too!

Don't make it for anyone, you won't get paid anything for it, they will own the rights, and someone else will reproduce it, and there isn't a thing you can do about it. IMHO

 

[THE DC]

Good idea about there paper for the sails.

I'll have to look for that my next trip to LI.

A few years ago, I met with a contractor on Long Island who'd built a 3 story replica that was fine in form. It was near Mattituck. I have the photos somewhere...

Unfortunately, I think it was sold and moved.


I'll post the pics if I can find them. It was cedar sided, if I recall, and nice to go in and snoop about.


Wish I'd bought it!!!

 

[THE DC]

Someone sent me this image of a kit that you can get at ECardmodels. It looks very detailed and has excellent vein work and the push-arm set up. I can't speak for the detail of the siding from the pic, but it is a LI windmill that is still standing and can be visited.



I may get this, and if I do, present a build thread.


Alternately, it would be great for someone else to build it with their take?

 

[zathros]

Kind of Tiny. You could design one. Why not take a stab at it.

 

[THE DC]

Luke...Luke...come to the darkside...


:fight:



HA! Okay. Got to think about that one...


I REALLY need another hobby-skill.


You did say it was POSSIBLE with my Mac.