The Rattlehead is complete! (and other things being worked on)...

Welllll...it's about time I FINALLY got a project completed!

Intrepid readers will remember that yesterday I was working on numerous "projects"...That little endeavor continued today as I began to ACTUALLY COMPLETE (oh my!) some of them!

First up was one that I started almost two years ago....

I needed/wanted a cheap, and playable "tramp style merchant ship" without all of the uber detail to make playing on it impossible, and increase it's rate of breakage...and currently there were none on the market, so I started scratchbuilding my own....

And today I finished it...

I present to you, the Merchant Cargo Ship For Hire, "The Rattlehead".

The Rattlehead at sea...sitting still awaiting delivery confirmation instructions or perhaps having her engines worked on...again....

The Rattlehead is a medium sized cargo ship built in the late 1940's in a Soviet shipyard on The Black Sea. The basic ship structure and setup is (in true Soviet tradition), copied from the US "Liberty Ship" design.
She was launched in Sept. 1950, and upon launch struck a large rock, damaging the rudder. Relaunched in Jan. 1951, she was soon plying her trade to Soviet Ports along The Black Sea.
Over the years she has been damaged significantly, including hitting a rogue WWII naval mine in the Mediterranean in 1958, (which resulted in a large massive steel "patch" upon her bow), and various other "dings and dents".
In 1991 she was sold by the Russian Govt. to the Kizzov Shipping and Exports Corporation (Headquartered and ported out of Odessa Ukraine).
She underwent engine and electronics modifications and soon put to sea.
She currently plies the sea routs along Africa, The Suez, The Med, and The Black Sea, delivering a large and wide variety of "goods and cargo", (Much of it suspsect, but due to internatioanal regulations cannot be verified.)
She is a frequent cargo deliverer to Port Tuziak and the Ports in the Capital City of Sudekia, in the nation of Bongolesia. Lately she has come under suspicion of carrying out illegal arms shipments to various factions along the African coast, and to the Bongolesian Govt.

Here's the boat, when she's not in the water...


She currently takes up almost one complete shelf of my bookshelf...She'll have to be move eventually....In this pic, you can see the wear and tear on her...

As with these pics. While she has seen better days, she is still capable of making the delivery...and for a nice affordable price too. It's rumored that she is used quite a bit by "Honest Abdul" ("The Shoppers Friend!") when he is "importing goods" to his Emporium...



With the national flag in the background...kind of puts a lump in your throat doesn't it...btw...Don't ask about the rust stains....

Besides the ship, I've come close to finishing up on the airport control tower building. Here it is in it's final stages of completion.
It's built in a "futuristic Soviet style" from the late 1960's and early 1970's when Soviet influence in the country was at it's highest.

Tower and control building...

Here's showing it to scale along with a 15mm JR ruin, and some 15mm PP vehicles...

All that's left of this is to put the final weathering touches on it, and the "Welcome to Bongolesia" sign and she's ready for action!

More items to come as I finish them...

Comments are appreciated!

Busy on a snowy day!

So it's a lazy quiet Saturday here at Casa Del Murphy, and the snow is falling heavy and fast outside, so there'll be no going out today for anything....

And the truck gets yet another coating of the white stuff...

Looking out my window and seeing the big fat flakes come down....

Meanwhile....my wonderful lady is thoroughly enjoying her "most favorite Christmas present"...

Yes...the "Skull and Bones" SNUGGIE that was given to her as a Christmas present by His Excellency, President-For-Life P'hat Daddee B'wonah of Bongolesia... (interested readers wanting to know more, can click this link right here... http://bongolesia.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-in-bongolesiaoh-dear.html )
I think she likes B'wonah more than she wants to admit now...
Although I must say, that the idea of skulls and bones on a Snuggie is "so B'wonah", and ummm....kind of disturbing....
Sooooo....with snow coming down, it's time for me to head for the project table!!!

Can't forget the coffee...and believe it or not, the tube of Green Putty on the table is approximately 20+ years old...; and still going strong....

My main projects of the day, 2 BTR-152's, some technicals, some GAZ trucks, a bridge, (The spider is not on the "to do list" today....)....
But first I put together my Paintier 80...
It's a nice paint holder...it works better with my GW, Reaper, and old Ral Partha paints over my Vallejos. I really wish I had been able to get one of the racks from Silicone Dragons before they went goofy and closed doors, (ie: Became a bad dealer)....

The rack with paints on it...very nice...I'd like some more of these in the future!
Currently (as 0f 17:15) I have done the following:
1: Finished ALL major painting on my cargo tramp steamer.
2: Named by small coastal trawler, (more on that in the near future).
3: Painted the airport control tower.
4: Primed the Presidential Palace.
5: Painted the bridge base colors.
6: Base coated the BTR's, the technicals, Jeeps and Land Rovers.
7: Drank some coffee and realized that I need some more music on my Iphone/Ipod thingy...
8: I also made a case holder for my fixed wing aircraft....
Things are coming along quite nicely and I hope to get more done tomorrow. I've a lot to do before Origins and after this bunch is done, I've got to get to work on the US Marines....
More pics to follow, but right now, we have hot pizza on the way, and will be watching "The Evil Dead" tonight. What a GREAT way to spend a snow day!!!!
Comments are appreciated....