Only a few days late, but finally April’s Project is done and dusted……a 1:130 scale model of The Cutty Sark.
To celebrate the fact, a youtube video….
Category: Operation Cutty Sark
Operation Cutty Sark
Operation Cutty Sark Day 28
I write this on a Saturday morning (feeling slightly guilty that i haven’t blogged for a week – hence this) with the end of the month looming and April’s Project, the building of the Cutty Sark, looking far from seaworthy.
It has been a very busy week: Media Studies deadlines, after school club, parents’ evening and we are looking after the mother-in-law’s dog for a couple of weeks why she is in hospital.
Meaning the Cutty Sark has taken a bit of a backseat. Although I have still managed to at least erect two of the masks, yes slightly off square, and yes lacking paint, and yes very wobbly, but erected all the same. Cue moan: the picture makes it look easy. It wasn’t. Three words: small, glue, plastic. Enough said…..
With the actual Cutty Sark now reopened, the pressure is on to complete! So, the vitally important Y10 and Y11 GCSE exam preparation marking will have to wait….
Operation Cutty Sark Day 20
Day 20 of April’s Project of building the Airfix model of The Cutty Sark is going exactly the same way as the other 19: bloody fiddly.
Stage 11 of 19 is complete. Lifeboats are in place, as is a particularly rickety barrier that surrounds the deck. I must admit that I have cut corners with the painting (not done it) and been relatively creative with the instructions (guessed), but at last I feel as though I can see the light at the end of the tunnel….
Although looking at what is coming up, I’m not feeling quite so confident….
The next blog should show some major changes: the masts should be in place. I can’t guarantee that they will be straight, in fact I can’t actually guarantee they will even be in place!
Still looking for suggestions for something to do in May…….
Operation Cutty Sark Day 12
Firstly I would just like to reiterate how thankful I am of my little sister for the gift of the Airfix model of The Cutty Sark. Never before have I had soooo much fun! It has taken all my willpower to avoid smashing up the frigging thing and throwing it in the bin!
Day 12 has progressed to the completion of stage 10 of 19. Stage 10 brought the same problems: stupidly silly small %#€$#@ pieces, ridiculously baffling %#€$#@ instructions and increasingly %#€$#@ troublesome painting….
This month’s project has definitely tested my patience. On first sight it may actually seem as though I’ve not done much since the last post, but look closely and you should see more rubbish cluttering up the deck, how the sailors in the 1860s managed to avoid falling over all the crap I’ll never know….
The actual Cutty Sark is due to reopen on 26th April in time for the extra tourists the Olympics will bring. This in only 4 years after the fire that destroyed it in May 2007, thanks, in part, to a £3.3m gift from an Israeli shipping magnate, although I would be amazed if they have had the same problems I have had to deal with.
The Cutty Sark Trust will be pleased to hear that I will be holding off my relaunch until the end of April to avoid any possible media clash. At the moment I am in negotiations with various personalities that have shown an interest in conducting the relaunch. Although I can share the names of some who haven’t made it through the first round of negotiations: Jimmy Saville, failed to attend meeting; The Queen, apparently she’s too busy this year; Lawrence my neighbour, mowing the lawn; President Mugabe, not feeling too well.
Operation Cutty Sark Day 6
Stage 9 of 19 is now complete. “You’re nearly halfway!” I hear you call. I know technically you would imagine that we are about halfway done, but having looked ahead in the instructions, you are wrong. Not only are there still 1000s of pieces to assemble (exaggeration I know), but it looks like I may actually need a PhD to complete this month’s project.
Problems occurred since last blog entry: stupidly small pieces, holes not big enough to fit pieces and badly moulded plastic pieces, to name but a few. Close-up of deck shows some very shoddy model building…
But I’m passed hoping it is going to be a work of art that will end up in Tate Modern or on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square. Although, having someone attempt to build The Cutty Sark whilst sat on the plinth could actually be quite entertaining, however it may not be for family viewing (I’ll drop Boris an email).
Stage 10 requires yet more small pieces to be added to deck before we look to assemble the masts and associated stuff. Not to forget loads more painting. This is how it looks at the moment…..I realise it looks much the same as a couple of days ago…..
I think I need a break from The #$@*$@* Cutty Sark!!!!
Operation Cutty Sark Day 4
This isn’t going too well, it even prompted me to tweet…..
https://twitter.com/#!/phillengthorn/status/187515549704654848
Stages 2, 3 and 4 were small assemblies that needed to be made and then added later in the build. Only problem was that they all required assembling half a dozen ridiculously small parts. The assembly of these small sub-assemblies require either two people with freakily small fingers; or two miniature sized people of the Tom Thumb variety. Together with the fact that the instructions aren’t exactly clear as to what you should be sticky where you can probably guess that the assembly of said sub-assemblies didn’t go too well. The pieces are so small that they seem easier to stick to your fingers than any other piece of the model. After lots of swearing, a broken scalpel and aching back, stages 2, 3 and 4 are complete……
So 4 days down, I have even begun painting the odd bit. That’s another thing, why do airfix make the model out of shiny plastic? It is impossible to paint. The look I’m going for is the ‘just been risen from the seabed’ look.
The facts: 4/19 complete, 26 days to go…….I think I’m doing alright……
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