I am just starting a topic that will contain news and events for my small ship model company. I hope you find my products and projects interesting and helpful to your ship modeling journeys.

To begin, many of you will notice that along with having my plans for the HMS Winchelsea made available here for a free download, I have also added the plans for my English Cutter Cheerful. As I wind down my business and storefront for Syren over the next few years, I am thrilled to have a space where I can offer my projects and plans and parts and experience as a legacy. It is fantastic to have a place to share all of this. Retirement is not the end...its just the start of a new era for me and the fam. Most of that time will be spent here at DDM.

There will be other plans and stl files and tutorials added from the Syren Ship Model Company line-up as time passes. This includes free access to the plans and files for the Ketch Rigged Sloop Speedwell.

Most important will be the ability to concentrate on making new projects and models to add as the years pass. I have several new projects on the drawing boards as I write this.

In the meanwhile...you can still purchase anything you need from my Syren Store. Retirement is still a few years away!!! I am hopeful that anything and everything I offer in my store..I can eventually show you how to make and enjoy yourself through step by step tutorials, mentorship and guidance.

www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com

Very generous of you, Chuck, to make everything available for free; looking forward to seeing all the great things you come up with!

Hi Chuck,

It has been my extreme pleasure to work on many projects with you. Your innovations to ship modelling have been amazing and makes for a truly enjoyable build. I also believe that because of this there are a lot more completed models out there. Though you say it's retirement by your standards, we would call it full speed ahead. Just not a sweat shop environment anymore.

Thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for us modelers!

Rusty

Thank you guys for saying!!!

I am still chugging away. I have at least 3 years left of having the store up and running. But I am a bit impatient. I would love to just build models and design projects and release them here for our members. I imagine 3 years will go very quickly.

Chuck

Panic buying commences in 3.... 2... 1... 😂

Three years goes by like a 💨 in the wind! That’s almost enough time to finish half a model! Thanks for your contributions and advancement in the hobby and not leaving us high and dry. Your work will carry on!

2 hours ago, Rustyj said:

Hi Chuck,

It has been my extreme pleasure to work on many projects with you. Your innovations to ship modelling have been amazing and makes for a truly enjoyable build. I also believe that because of this there are a lot more completed models out there. Though you say it's retirement by your standards, we would call it full speed ahead. Just not a sweat shop environment anymore.

Thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for us modelers!

Rusty

Well said, Rusty. I think you have expressed the thoughts of many of us in the ship modeling community. I consider Chuck a mentor to me, and I am grateful for all that he has contributed to the hobby.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by Ryland Craze

2 hours ago, Mike Y said:

Panic buying commences in 3.... 2... 1... 😂

I remember when Jeff Hayes of HobbyMill announced his retirement. The response was so overwhelming that he received enough orders to keep him busy for another year.

1 minute ago, Ryland Craze said:

I remember when Jeff Hayes of HobbyMill announced his retirement. The response was so overwhelming that he received enough orders to keep him busy for another year.

I have to admit I was one of those! And I'm still using his wood.

It's taking me so long to get through my Cheerful build (it's about the journey not the destination, so no big deal 😄), that a number of suppliers have come and gone since I started the build in 2016. I purchased my wood from Jason at Crown Timberyard. And I had bought most of the materials, mini-kits, rope, etc from Chuck at that time. I took a multi year hiatus, Crown Timberyard was gone, but Modelers Sawmill was there instead. I've taken another break over the last year, and now Modelers Sawmill is gone, and Hobbymill in Europe is now the go to for wood. I had made sure I stocked up on all the Syren stuff last year that I'd need to finish the Cheerful build, particularity rope. When a lot of the suppliers are small one-man operations, there is a lot of coming and goings of vendors. I don't blame you for looking forward to retirement Chuck. I had worked for a while as a production coordinator at a model railroad manufacturer (another hobby of mine). Sometimes it's tough when your hobby is also your job!

Erik

Chuck,

As someone coming back into the hobby at the time that Syren is starting to wind down, I sincerely appreciate the ability to have access to your designs going into the future. When I first started looking around the hobby about 2 years ago after a 20+ year time away, I saw several of your kits that interested me but I have missed out on most of them in that form. Cheerful is now number 2 (or is that number 3?) in my queue and will be my re-introduction into a fully rigged model as well as an introduction into scratch building the hull. This also means that Speedwell may still be within reach as a scratch build POF project.

Steve

Thank You so much for saying!!!

I am about to restock my belaying pins. They will once again be available in "Boxwood" and "Pear" colors. I have redesigned them slightly as well and used a new stronger resin. Beefing them up slightly for strength. These new versions of the 3D printed Belaying Pins are now pretty darned strong...although a bit thicker as a trade-off. Too many folks said my old versions sometimes broke too easily. You wont have that issue with these at all. And with a new deeper "Boxwood" finish.

I will also be working on finally printing up and offering a package of Mice...Mouses, LOL...for rigging stays. You will get two each in a natural resin of seven sizes. You will have more than enough sizes to fit most scenarios on a ship model you are working on that is either 1/4" or 3/16" scale.

You can paint or color them to suit your needs. It all depends on what color standing rigging you are using. They are made with a large, deep weave to simulate what an actual mouse looks like while still being visible at the tiny scales that we are working with.

I dont mind saying that my rope coil tools and rope hank tools are selling out every few days. Its using up a lot of wood. These were just as good as a similar version I used for years made from scrap and never intended to make and sell as a tool.

Anyway....so as part of my wanting to get stuff out there for folks to make and use on there own, I have now been making a 3D version of those tools. These will of course be added to the STL library here for folks to download and print on their own as soon as I get them completed. I cant actually physically make parts and blocks and stuff while I am away with my father...but I can work on my computer getting things prepared like this.

These were literally made using TINKERCAD....completely free software and web-based tool. A tutorial on this software would be a great thing as well in the future. It was literally made for kids to play around and make stuff. If you know a few tricks you can make so many things for our ship models. This version of the tools I imagine, will be even more durable as well than the wood versions.

But what color to print them, LOL.

The wood versions are great...but I am making them every few days. I cant keep up that production.

All good on the test print...

Starting the Rope Hank Tool for 3D printing now!!!

These are now available to those who can not 3D print their own in my Syren Store.....Now you get 4 sizes of coil plugs and tools.

The Rope Hank Tool is on the way!!!

I had not seen this tool Chuck, what a clever idea.

Michael

Thank You Michael. It was a fun day when I completed the prototype and tried it out. Here is a quick video showing how to use it. I am just finishing up the rope hank tool to restock those too as 3D printed items.

Rope Hank Tool is now a 3D file. I am test printing now. If its all OK I will upload to our Library for folks so everyone can print their own. Its basically the same as the coil tool except for the shape of the plug. Once again their are now four sizes of plugs to make even more sizes of rope hanks. Al for FREE download but I will be selling in my store for those who cant 3D print them.

Chuck

Ebonized deadeyes will be back in stock by the end of the day...I know some folks have been asking for them.

Chuck

Speedwell finally cased up and ready for final delivery. Case to be completed and assembled at its final destination...Black base chosen by new owners.