Lachlan's model of QE2

[pete cain]

Once again Lachlan, MAG NIF I CENT  (do you find yourself just looking at it  in awe of her lines) regards Pete..

[June Ingram]

Hi Lachlan - I echo Isabelle's and Pete's posts !  Your work is magnificent and your QE2 model is certainly a miniature of the real QE2 !  Beautiful work !  June   

[Lachlan]

Thank you as always for your kind comments. Unfortunately Pete because of the shape of the shed I use for building these models I have not seen it side on to admire the lines of the ship but I do see the Oriana model and I enjoy just gazing at her lines.
I know when QE2 can finally be seen beam-on then I'll enjoy savouring her shape.

Have a good weekend everyone and I have high hopes for the cricket starting next week.

[Bob van Leeuwen]

Really nice model Lachlan!


All of the crafts involved in building it, did you learn then yourself?

[QE2forever]

Wow, your model is growing magnificent, Lachlan!

Everything looks so perfect and of right proportions. I'm speechless!

[Trevor Harris]

The best and most detailed model I’ve seen!

[Twynkle]

Oh My Word, Lachlan - this is a masterpiece!
It's a little worrying because it looks more than a little fiddly and the guilt isn't easy this end!
Bet you are cursing the need for detail - trouble is - this is one heck of a Huge Ship!
Very much hoping that it's not giving you real live nightmares....

In the early days of the Forum, Pete and I did talk about and agreed, that there is nothing like leaning on railings...
Little did we imagine then that we'd be referring to you and your ship when we were in Glasgow,  we did miss you.
Hoping that you managed to have a good holiday - and that now, you'll be enjoying some lovely summer days.
Just so sorry that we can't be there to give you a hand with the sticking the railings on!

[pete cain]

Rosie, I'd like to be there getting in the way

[Lachlan]

I find it hard to keep up with your generous comments. Bob, I made a 1/200 model of SS France from a kit once but the kit was so inadequate that I scratch built much of it. It worked quite well so I thought I should have a go at building a whole model from scratch. I just figured it out as I went along. The experience I gained from making my model of ORIANA certainly helps.

It does take patience and it does require imagination to enjoy seeing the model take in miniature the form of the real ship. Encouragement from the QE2 forum helps greatly as you give me an incentive to make progress to share with you.

I don't go into technical descriptions of how I do the various things to the model but I could if thought there was that level of interest and if I thought it would be helpful to others who might be making, or contemplating making, ship models. It would require me to make a disclaimer saying that there are some model-makers who make far better models than mine.

[dellboy]

Lachlan, I've been following the progress of your model from the start. The attention to detail has kept me interested but I'm curious as to where your models of SS France and Oriana are and where your QE2 is destined?

[Lachlan]

Hi Dellboy,

the model of France at 1/200 is not too big and is in our home in Melbourne. The model of Oriana at 1/96 scale is big at 2.7 metres in length and is also in our home. If you go to the Forum Index, to the non-QE2 area, to Ships and then to SS Oriana (last post was 9 April, 2016) you will find some terrific posts by Forum members who knew this ship as well as some great memorabilia - even a picture of the official invitation to her launching! There is also a pic of the finished model in its case.

There is an informal committee in our household. It is the How-Many-Models-Can-a-Home-House Committee. It consists of my wife and me and it will be the Committee's job to determine whether the model of QE2 can find a home in our home.

[dellboy]

 I feel your pain in housing oversized models the largest model I had was of the megayacht "Dubai" can't remember the scale but as you can see it was pretty big. I got it on the internet when I got home there was a large shipping crate in the garden. It was housed in the spare room before ending up in the attic, once in the attic, all models are destined to be broken up and parts used in scratch models. It's in my nature I cant leave models alone and as you can see I gave M.Y.Dubai a navie blue hull.

I thought your models might be displayed in public with some sort of "art consignment contract agreement" where you still retain ownership of them. 
     

[Thomas Hypher]

I feel your pain in housing oversized models the largest model I had was of the megayacht "Dubai" can't remember the scale but as you can see it was pretty big I got it on the internet when I got home there was a large shipping crate in the garden. It was housed in the spare room before ending up in the attic, once in the attic, all models are destined to be broken up and parts used in scratch models. It's in my nature I cant leave models alone and as you can see I gave M.Y.Dubai a navie blue hull.

I thought your models might be displayed in public with some sort of "art consignment contract agreement" where you still retain ownership of them. 
     

At the risk of going off topic, sorry Lachlan, MV Dubai was the biggest of the yachts that met QE2 on her final approach and arrival to Dubai - featuring in Nakheel's arrival video Rob recently posted elsewhere on the forum.

Thomas

[Lachlan]

A few photos are attached which show some progress on the Boat Decks. The davits are in and aligned except for the large tenders which require their own special davits. The railings around the decks at the stern have mostly been installed and their wooden cappings attached.

The tenders have been made and moulded out of resin and now need to be painted before installation. The covered sections for four of the open lifeboats have also been made. One is visible in the photo. The two large tenders finished up being a bit heavier than I would have liked so I will have to make the davits and their supports strong enough to carry their weight.

The small deck cranes (there are six) have been made and will be installed. The mast has been fixed in place to allow for proper alignment of fittings and details on top of the wheelhouse. The bow-thruster signs have been applied to either side of the hull forward.

Two cracks have appeared and been fixed, caused by weather extremes. Last week it was 43C at the place I am building the model. During the winter it gets down below 0C so some expansions and contraction is inevitable and is not too hard to rectify.

The one big thing I am still putting off doing is finishing the funnel. It has some strange compound curves around its base which I will have to think of a way of re-creating. The vents on the after side of the funnel need some attention, too. I have started making the tender landing platforms - two aft and two smaller ones forward and they will go on in due course.

Bye for now.

[Lachlan]

Here are the other photos I meant to attach