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Blue Ensign

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About Blue Ensign

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    The Green Shires of England
  • Interests
    Eighteenth Century Naval History, ship modelling, wandering the Lakeland Fells, cocker spaniels, Golf, and too keen an interest in red wine.

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  1. Post One Hundred and Sixty-two. Woolding the masts The kit indicates use of 0.5mmø line throughout. According to Steel the wooldings for the Fore and Mainmasts are of 3” circ line, and that for the Mizen 2½” circ. This equates to 0.37mm and 0.31mm scale diameters. I used 0.3mm and 0.4mm cotton line from Modellbau Takelgarn in Germany. Wooldings are generally 12” deep which scales to 4.76mm. The method of applying as shown on the kit plans is the recognised approach to take, and will be familiar to readers of R.C. Anderson’s wordy but excellent book The Rigging of Ships in the days of the Spritsail Topmast 1600-1720 I wouldn’t be without it. 4132 4133 The line was dyed using Colron Jacobean Dark Oak wood dye which gives a less black effect than commercial black rigging line. The final touch is adding the wooden hoops that contain the woolding. 4140 These are simply made using very thin strips cut from a Manilla folder. 4137 4138 4148 Nearly there! and with great timing the the display case arrived yesterday. B.E. 28/03/2024.
  2. Thankyou Kevin, Bug, and Rusty, your words are much appreciated. @ Bug - That Chris Watton has a lot to answer for, I dread seeing the next irresistible model to emerge from The Forest of Dean, I’m already struggling to find a suitable space for ‘Indy’ Cheers, B.E.
  3. Thank you Jason, enjoy your Pinnace, it's a great little kit. Post One Hundred and Sixty-one. Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part four) At this point I couldn’t resist the urge to see how the Pinnace would look onboard ‘Indy’. 4108 4112 Temporarily placed in the suggested position on the skid beams. 4113 4117 The kit provides a set of oars in laser cut Pear. These benefit from a little fettlin’ beyond char removal. The blades should be thinned down toward the outer end, and the shank rounded a little at the bottom third leaving the upper two thirds square to represent the loom. 4121 4123 4127 4128 4106 4109 I think a spot of woolding is up next. B.E. 26/03/2024
  4. Post One Hundred and Sixty. Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part Three) Getting the correct thwart levels and height is a critical part of assembly. It is important to get the thwarts all square across the boat. 4038 When fitting the thwarts it is advisable not to exert even light pressure on the centres of the thwarts, particularly those with the mast holes in them. The final tricky part is fitting the gunwales. These delicate parts are pre-cut and include the thole pin fittings. 4041 I decided to fit the gunwales as provided, complete with thole pin fittings for eight double banked rowing stations. I know all the arguments about Pinnaces being single banked to accord with historical custom and practice, and that boats of 32’ were 10 oared, and even that traditionally Pinnaces had a centre board running between the thwarts. There are more than a few difficulties involved in making a diversion from the kit to reflect the above, and as with the smaller Pinnace on Sphinx, after long consideration I decided that leaving well alone was the best course. 4044 No matter, it is a very fine boat to display with Indy. Chris has put a lot of thought into the design of these boats, and the fine detail is the best around at this scale. 4055 The wale is next fitted and does require a degree of edge bending to conform to the line as it rounds the bow. 4048 4045 The lower hull has been painted in Ivory to provide a contrast with the ‘bright’ timbers up to the wale. Painting these small boats requires careful masking but the tyranny of the macro w-i-p photos required several goes to improve the lines to a point I found acceptable. 4103 Vallejo blue/grey is used to decorate the top strake and transom, and w-o-p is applied to the bare wood. 4104 The rudder is fitted with the modified quick release arrangement common on these boats. 4097 Making these small boats provides hours of fun and frustration in equal measure. They are absorbing little projects that I enjoy doing despite the frustrations at times. Just the finishing touches to add now. B.E. 25/03/2024
  5.  

    I would like to propose some photos of the work carried out so far for the construction of the HMS Unicorn. The problem is that it always seems like the end is approaching, but it keeps getting further away every day, because doubts always arise. For the figures I only modeled the Captain....Horatio Hornblower... just to give a proportion to everything in 1:48. I should make more figures because they are difficult to find in this scale.

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    1. Blue Ensign

      Blue Ensign

      Hi Giulio,

      My profile is not really the place to post  photos of your build, I would suggest you start your own build log where a wider audience are likely to see it.

       

      B.E.

    2. Giulio Junco

      Giulio Junco

      Thanks for the clarification, I'll organize myself to do what you tell me, the truth is that I don't get around this beautiful site all in English and different from my standards. Thanks again
  6. Fabulous set of photo's Daniel, this is one classy build, that holds little fear of the macro lens. B.E.
  7. Thank you Giulio, apart from the Capt. included on the Quarterdeck of the finished model, the others were assembled from various bits of body parts from various sources, completed with modelling clay. The Capt. is a Mantua white metal figure. Some of the figures are too rough to include on a finished model but they serve as scale markers. B.E.
  8. Thanks Nils, I've built six of these boats without any problems when removing the frames, but with this one the planking separated in sections, no doubt due to deficiencies in my gluing. All sorted now. B.E.
  9. As you say Allan it is a kit limitation; the keelson, such as it is, sits below the footwaling. Modification would entail messing with the provided part - a step too far given that little of it will be seen once the thwarts are in place. B.E.
  10. Post One Hundred and Fifty- nine. Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part Two) Freed from its building frame and the centres removed the process of fitting out can begin. I have always been amazed that twisting away the mdf centres leaves the hull intact with little trace of their removal…. But not this time; - the planking partly disassembled, requiring careful re-fitting and use of diluted pva on the inside to stabilise the hull. How this will impact on the build remains to be seen, but it may be necessary to paint the inner bulwarks. 4008 I made a Styrene foam cradle to support the hull whilst attempting to clean up the inside. I used a combination of micro chisels, pen sander, and sheets to remove the glue adhesions and rough surfaces. This is quite a fraught operation and needed careful handling. I take notice of where areas will be covered by the footwaling, fore deck, benches and thwarts, and make pragmatic decisions how far to take the cleaning up in these areas, against risk of further damage. 4007 I wasn’t too keen on the set-up at the stern, so I installed a stern post. I dislike the brass etched rudder facings, supplied with these kits, convenient as they may be. The wooden rudder core was faced with 0.6mm pear and then sanded down to shape. The hanging arrangement will be modified to reflect the true set-up. 4020 Unlike my previous experience of Vanguard boats the Pinnace has Pearwood gratings and footwaling which I like. More convenient and natural looking than the brass etched versions which require painting and sticking with ca. At this stage there are a few additions one can make to the boats to add realism. Lifting ringbolts to the footwaling, and mast steps as shown in the above photo. 4016 I divert from the kit when it comes to fitting the thwart supports, I leave them extended to the stern to support the sternsheet benches. 4017 The benches are provided as a unit including the aftermost thwart. 4025 I prefer to cut this away, modify the benches and add the thwart as a separate item. I have added a panel below the aft seat which will double up as a compartment. When it comes to the cox’n seat there is a slight issue; a grating is provided, but it sits far too high to be a practical platform for the Cox’n ‘s feet. 4032 It is prevented going lower by a ledge forming part of the keel set-up. Careful paring away of this incumbrance allows the grating to sit at a more realistic level. A minor point maybe but the detail devil in me wouldn’t let it go. 4037 The bow platform comes as a pre-cut item which wasn’t a good fit on my build no doubt because of my failings. Fortunately, there is plenty of fret to re-make these items. 4028 Still very much w-i-p and a lot yet to do. B.E. 21/03/2024
  11. That fourth. photo gives a great impression of the mass of rigging involved with a square rigged sailing vessel. Nicely done Kevin.👍 B.E.
  12. Thanks for the links Allan, I agree the convention for Pinnaces was for a single banked set-up with the thole pins off-set port and starboard. There is 1:48 scale drawing of a 32’ Pinnace in the AotS book Diana which also shows a bench board running down the centre between the thwarts. This feature also shows on the Adm drawings. I will look to at least modifying the thole pin set-up on the kit Pinnace. B.E.
  13. Post One Hundred and Fifty- eight. Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part One) This is the one boat example that I may include on the skids of my Indy. I think the Pinnace is the nicest looking boat type and my go to for display on a ship. I have built an example of every boat type in the Vanguard range, and my detailed logs are elsewhere on MSW, most recently on my Sphinx log. My approach in building the Pinnace will be as previously recorded, so I’ll include less detail with this log. There are a few areas of approach to building these bijou boats that may be of use to others. Setting up the frames. These are delicate parts and I like to protect the framing, and I add support pieces to protect the bow and stern. 3981 These slotted strips protect the very delicate stem by avoiding the risk of flex when fitting the first strakes. 3979 At the stern the transom is secured square. 3982 This is a weak part and support boards are added to reduce any risk of flex during fairing or attaching the planking strakes. The planking strips are nominally 2mm x 0.8mm and as I found with the Sphinx Pinnace, they have very little excess in length to accommodate edge bending which applies very near the bow end. 3984 Both lateral and edge bending and also a degree of taper is required to maintain the flow of planking. These features were applied once the first plank had been installed. 3988 The first four planks fit into the stem rabbet, followed by the addition of the Garboard plank. For the Garboard I used a wider 3mm strip. 3993 Planking continues to completion. The final spiled plank that sits below the round of the hull is traced onto Tamiya tape and cut out of the 0.8mm Pear fret. 3998 3999 Three days’ work and the planking is completed, albeit still in a rough state. This will be cleaned up before moving onto the next stage. B.E. 16/03/2024
  14. Post One Hundred and Fifty- seven Mast Making. Starting with the Mainmast:- For the reduced height masts I firstly need to work out the relative positions of the wooldings, iron bands, and the point where the side cheeks and front fish terminate. 3967 I replaced the Pear laser cut cheeks and fish with Boxwood versions to better match the Ramin masts. The iron bands need to be fitted before the cheeks are put into place. With a 12mm ø mast my go to use of heat shrink tubing will not work, so it’s back to thin strips of black card. Once the cheeks are fitted the remaining iron bands need to be applied, they sit beneath the Front fish. I work the bands so that the join will also be beneath the Fish. 3970 The Fish is then fitted 3972 3973 3974 3976 3977 The saddle for the Driver Boom was also replaced with a Boxwood version. 3978 3971 The woolding remains to be done, but I am out of the correct line sizes. B.E. 12/03/2024
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