HMS Fly by Martin W - Amati/Victory Models - 1/64

[flyer]

Hi Martin

 

Those hatchways don't look that bad to me. I wonder if sanding all flush and giving the top a convex finish (parallel to the cross section of the deck) and perhaps slimming the frames by sanding on the outsides would make the whole arrangement more acceptable to you.

Please,  give my regards to that gun-toting old lady in Boston and don't forget to visit the museum-shop - I found some useful books there. Enjoy the trip!

 

peter

[Martin W]

Hi Peter -- I just wanted to mention that I had a great time on The Constitution.  She was in drydock, so I got a pretty good look at her hull, and the sorts of repairs (beginning with sailors using sledge hammers to knock off chunks of the stem).  And, following your hint, I dropped a good sized bundle in the bookshop.

 

Now I'm back on the dusty prairie, still thinking about those clerestory lights.  When (if) I ever get anything worked out (following BE's advice about the plastic), I'll post the results.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Martin W]

The summer temperatures here in Oklahoma have one benefit, and that is driving people like me indoors.  As a consequence, I got to spend a few uninterrupted hours at the work bench yesterday, and finished the clerestory lights.

 

I took Blue Ensign's hint of using some styrene, which has the nice quality of cutting easily (and filing).  I would have been happier if the styrene was thinner, but I used what I had on hand, left over from the stove.  Once I cut the basic shape of the top line and the individual lights, I set the styrene in the coamings and attached thin strips of boxwood.  Here's the result:

 

                                                  

 

 

 

                                                  

 

The individual lights are not glazed, primarily because with the thickness of the wood on top of the styrene, I just couldn't see adding yet another layer (excuses, excuses ).

 

I also managed to cut the pieces for the ladder, using the jig designed by Alan Yedlinsky, which makes a snap out of this little job.  I'll post a photo of that soon -- right now it's in clamps.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

 

 

 

[Mirabell61]

hello Martin,

 

nice update on the lighting hatching and housing, looks great....

 

enjoy a pleasant time in Maine...

 

Nils

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks really great Martin!  Very nice job!  The hatches came out really well too.

 

The boxwood looks really nice against the holly deck planking.  

Edited June 27, 2016 by Landlubber Mike

[rafine]

Well done Martin.

 

Bob

[Blue Ensign]

Looks good to me Martin, regarding the lights you could always add strips of clear thin acetate behind the windows which would catch the light and give the impression of glazing.

 

B.E.

[Martin W]

Thanks guys, your support means a lot.

 

BE, that's a good suggestion.  I have some clear plastic (from egg cartons) that I used on the Rattlesnake with fair effect.  I'll give that a try here, but the "glazing" would be set pretty far behind the wood mullions.  But there's only one way to tell how it'll look.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Martin W]

Once again, the Oklahoma heat drove me indoors yesterday, and once inside I decided that I'd drifted rudderless too long in this sea of ship modelling.

 

I've been looking at the sections on the rudder in FFM 2, and in Greg Herbert's build, FFM 3.  What I find appealing is the detailing in the matter of the tabling that brings the 2 sectional lengths together.  Essentially, this is a type of joinery designed to endure stresses both longitudinally and horizontally.  Even though my micro mill is out in the un-air-conditioned workshop, I still thought I would give it a go, to see if I could cut a boxwood rudder.

 

First step was to cut 2 blanks from the stock.  For this, I simply used the rip-taper jig on the Byrnes (I used a template to determine the angle.)  Next, I traced the pintle slots on the foreward edge of the forward piece using the kit's rudder as my guide:

 

                                                          

 

Then, I traced the pattern of the tabling on the matching edges of the two pieces, allowing for an interlocking alternation.  I also cut the upper taper on the aft piece, finishing off the 2 hances with chisels & files.

 

                                                          

 

For the bearding, I used a little thumb plane to trim the angle.

 

And here it is, without any of the metal work, and, for that matter, basically un-sanded, and untrimmed along the bottom to match the keel (and I noticed the tip of the keel needs a bit off as well).

 

                                                          

 

I've located the photo-etched pieces for the pintle & gudgeons, and will probably spend the next several evenings fretting over their placement, and then (I hope) finally breaking down and putting them all on.  The rudder itself will go into safe keeping, since I'm sure I'd break it off if I set it in place.  (LL Mike:  let me buy you a beer sometime and we can both weep over how many times we've knocked those guns out of place -- grrr!  )

 

So I'm now assured of sailing in a direction -- even if I'm not sure which way it is.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Blue Ensign]

Nice work Martin, and the planking in that last shot looks excellent.

 

B.E.

[Martin W]

Thanks, BE, and thanks for the likes guys.

 

BE, I don't have to mention, I'm sure, how much I studied your own rudder detailing.  And now I'm stealing myself for the pintles & gudgeons.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Mirabell61]

nice progress Martin,

 

I´ll be looking forward to your rudder fittings....

 

Nils

[Martin W]

I have made some progress on the Fo'c'sle decking.  But I'm not sure I want to keep what I've done.  Here's the problem:  I wanted to put a pair of scarph joints in the margin plank, but I ended up putting them too far aft, since the catheads would cover them up if they were at the curve where they logically belong.

 

This led to the bigger problem:  the hooked planks now line up right at the scarph joint, which essentially puts joint up against joint.  So here's a question:  should I rip it out and do it over?

 

                                            

 

All opinions are welcome.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

Tricky one that Martin as you've made such a nice job of the scarph and the hooded planks.

 

You have yet to line and cap the Foc'sle bulwarks so there will be less of the waterway (and scarph) showing when finished.

 

I have to admit I would probably leave it, telling myself that it is a small issue in the overall build, but then I'm not a purist.

 

The only question is can you live with it.

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

[Martin W]

Thanks, BE, your opinion matters quite a bit.  But what's this you say about not being a purist?  Sir, I beg to differ!

[Landlubber Mike]

Hey Martin, really nice work.  Not sure what I would do.  Once you get a lot of the deck structures in place, would you notice this and would it be an issue?  If it would continue to bother you, I'd say go ahead and do it over.  Otherwise, if you can move on, then leave it in place.  I know for me that if things are going to remain an eyesore for me in the future, it's just better for me to redo things.

[Martin W]

Hi Mike -- You've pretty much summed up the two horns of the dilemma.  Will the planking annoy in the future?  or will it either be covered or cease to matter.  Hmmm.

 

Since I'm back into the work week, I'll have a few days away, and I'm hoping that when I look at it next weekend I'll see it with dispassionate eyes.  

 

Thanks for your comments, they'll help me think this though.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Martin W]

A brief update and another question:

 

For better or worse, I kept the hooked planks and scarph joints, telling myself that I would take one step and consider how it all looked.  I took several steps, and eventually they led me to a fully planked & treenailed fo'c'sle.  And they led me to a bit of a perplexity.

 

This picture shows the starboard planking, largely identical to the port, and my problem.

 

                                     

 

You might be able to see that the planked deck comes all the way up to the top of the bulwark.  On other Amati Swan builds I've studied, the bulwark extends a little -- not very much, but a bit -- above the deck.  (And the scratch-built Swans seem to extend significantly more).  I can only attribute this problem to my placement of the gunport strips -- I believed I aligned them with the tops of the bulkheads, but perhaps not quite high enough.

 

At any rate, I now need to raise the bulwark somehow.  My question:  How?  And by how much?  Since the combination of inner & outer planking on top of the ply strip constitutes 3 layers, I suppose I could replicate something similar.  But the height seems minimal enough that I don't know how stable such an addition would be.

 

Suggestions?

[Blue Ensign]

Hi Martin, I've had a look back at my early stages (on the other place) and very little of the  bulkhead extension appeared above the deck base before planking. Here's a few photo's to better explain.

 

 

 

 

 

It makes a big difference once the capping rail has been fitted.

 

I wouldn't get too bothered over this, once you have put the inner planking on you can always add extra height by adding a solid strip on top tapering it down towards aft, before the capping rail is attached.

 

Hope this helps - feel free to remove these pics  from your log.

 

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

[Martin W]

Thanks you guys.

 

Ha ha, Spy, I think that if I started removing bits and pieces I might not stop till I removed everything down to the bulkheads.    I know it's hard for you to send off your Pegasus, but I think it's found a good berth, and I know all of us Swans will be cheering her progress.

 

BE -- Those pictures do help.  Especially seeing where you've painted the inside planking -- that shows that only the merest sliver (sort of like the Quarterdeck bulwarks) pops up at the breast beam.  In my case, there isn't even a sliver. 

 

The plans show about a 3 mm rise at the bowsprit partner; that I have.  But it also shows maybe 1.5 mm (my eyes have turned into little raisins, I'm sure of it, so that seeing those tiny marks is not so definite) at the breast beam.  So I think your idea, BE of doing the inner planking then adding a strip might do the trick.

 

I might just be able to squeeze in a few moments in this evening before the dinner gong.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Martin W]

Work on the fo'c'sle continues:

 

In the six weeks (ahem) I've been silent, I've managed to drag my weary self into the boatyard a few evenings to get some of the fo'c'sle details done.  The steam gratings took a surprisingly long time, mostly because I kept making them the wrong size -- first too big, then too little.  The problem is that they're pretty doggone tiny, so that just about any size looks big.  In the end, I decided to go with consistency, and made the coamings the same height as those of the hatches.

 

In between the gratings goes the chimney.  Now, FFM shows the sort of chimney that I would expect on a wind-powered vessel, namely with a forward bent flue to let the smoke pass to the bows.  But, the NMM plans show a straight vertical structure.  Torn between aesthetics and "accuracy" I chose, this time, to go with the plan.

 

                                                       

 

To make the chimney, I attached a length of dowel to a squarish piece of stock.  You can see it lined up alongside the plans (reduced to 74%, which is just about the right size for this scale).

 

The kit's version would also end up with a vertical structure, but undersized:

 

                                                        

 

After sanding the wood to conceal as much grain as possible, I put on a coat of sealer, followed by some black stain.  Next I set 2 pieces of bent wire into the top, and attached a round piece of blackened brass on them to give a baffle of sorts:

 

                                                        

 

And here it is between the steam gratings:

 

                                                        

You can also see the base in this view.  Many people have added coamings around the chimney, and I think they do give it a finished look.  I can't quite make out if the NMM plans show those or not, but I am thinking of adding them -- very thin versions.

 

Next come the bitts.  Theoretically, the fore topsail sheet bitt standard extends down to the main deck, providing ample strength for the belayed rigging.  Because I simulated those extensions when I made the manger, I was able at least to set the standard into a solid base with brass pins.

 

To make the pins, I used 3/16 stock, and cut timber heads in the tops., making measurements for consistency, then using an x-acto to make the angled cuts.

 

                                                         

 

These also have a sheave cut into them, and cheek blocks sitting outside each one, made from 5/32x 3/32 boxwood.  To make the sheaves, I used my milling machine, drilling the holes with a 1mm bit (the smallest I have, which seems a might oversized here); then I used the same bit to run a shallow groove between the 2 holes.  I would have liked to angle the holes a touch to give the appearance of roundness, as for the working part of the block; but I just couldn't figure out that technique.

 

I've noticed on a few other builds that the cheek blocks have angled tops.  Mine do look pretty plain -- even puritanical; but I'm hoping there will be enough other Baroque decorations to distract the eye.

 

The cross piece is shaped from 5/32 x 3/32 stock.  It doesn't take much shaping, just some chamfering, and general light sanding.

 

Only the fore jeer bitts have standards. 

 

                                                          

 

And wouldn't you know, those steam gratings had to get in the way.  These standards have the curious detail of a groove cut into them for access to the block fixed into the pin.  I tried filing my standards down, to get around the gratings, and I considered pulling the gratings up and redoing them at a smaller size.  In the end, I chose the path of least difficulty, and used thinner stock for the standards, thereby eliminating the need for that groove as well.  They definitely look undersized, but my justification is that these don't seem to provide that much support anyway.

 

You can also see in this last picture that I've fashioned something of a breast hook, which is lying on the deck awaiting placement.  According to FFM, there are four iron bolts on each wing of the breast hook holding it on the bulwark.  These bolts I simulated with drops of glue touched with black paint (I used the tip of a needle dipped into paint).

 

Next up is the drift rail, described by Antscherl as "the most challenging rail to make."  I've decided to make mine out of boxwood -- maybe that puritanical strain is growing?

 

But then, again, I took a look at BE's belfry last night, and started thinking that might have some anti-puritanical fun hidden in it.  So maybe I'll go with the curve.

 

Meanwhile, the September 1 deadline that was keeping me from posting regularly has passed, and I got my work in (a close run thing, but I did get it done).  So now I'm hoping to keep more up to date with my log -- though very often the only progress is to hear myself using language I'd never thought I knew.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Really nice work Martin.  Great job on everything.  

 

Those Fly plans are really detailed, to the point of even detailing the friezes.  Are you going to add them to your Fly?  Will you use photo-etched parts (not sure if the Fly kit has them, the Pegasus does) or paint them on?  I think I'm leaning towards painting them on.

Edited September 23, 2016 by Landlubber Mike

[Blue Ensign]

Nice work Martin, I would have gone with the NMM plan Chimney as well for Fly. Incidentally the NMM plan for Pegasus shows the angled cowl arrangement, but it's nice to reflect these little differences between ships of the same class.

 

I must admit I went for a simplified arrangement  for the hances on the drift rails, I  ruthlessly suppressed any 'puritanical'  ideas.  

 

B.E.

[rafine]

Looking very good Martin.

 

Bob

[flyer]

Hi Martin

 

Very nice work. I like that chimney. It meets the standard of your galley stove and is even visible!

But I'm afraid you have a tendency to leave the safe path of kit building and come under the influence of the dark arts of scratch building. This could lead to an even more creative language with a tendency to startle yourself again. Beware!

 

Cheers

peter

[Martin W]

Thanks for the nice compliments guys -- they really add a lot to this hobby (read:  mild obsession).

 

Mike-- I'm doing without the decorations.  The kit has a photo-etched piece for that, but -- and here is the Puritan in me again -- I like the plain look of the boxwood (I really like the look of boxwood).  Like you, I'm trying to do as little painting as possible; so far, I've only put a brush on the wales, the gunport frames, and the gun carriages.  I'm hoping that I can put that fine camel hair away for a long time.

 

BE -- I think the only way I've seen you express any Puritanism is by making that poor one-handed sailor work as hard as you do.  Your hances are pretty clear in my mind, and I'll be consulting them again.  And again.

 

Peter -- The darkness calls, but my clumsiness has made me stumble enough times that I still walk in the light of plain old kit building (with the odd bash now and then).

 

Thanks for checking in Bob, your build is an inspiration!

 

And thanks for all the likes.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Martin W]

Hello everybody -- Since it's Halloween, I have to present my version of the Olde Play,  Bats in the Belfry.  (Or maybe just bad joke )

 

The lovely Georgian Belfry did catch my fancy after all.  I began with the stanchions, based fundamentally on those shown in FFM. 

 

                                           

The base is no doubt too wide (as will be proved below).  But this is what I'm going with.

 

Next I devised the curved canopy, simply by starting with some thick stock, measuring to the center, then two points equidistant out from there, and cut out the curved shape.

 

                                            

 

To cut the molding in the canopy, I first used my mill to cut the lower panels, in a graduated series.  That gave me the basic pattern which I could sand lightly to round over the edges.  For the curved molding, I simply set my thumbnail against the canopy's curve, found they matched pretty well, and then traced the outline of the nail onto the wood, and lightly, ever so lightly began scraping with the backside of an exacto blade.  For the headstock, I followed the same strategy as the belfry, but in simpler, stockier form.  I used blackened card for the iron straps, and the kit's bell.  Here's the finished belfry:

 

                                           

Actually, this is Belfry 3.0, the first few tries finding a better home in the scrap pile -- but I'm discreetly drawing a veil over those details.

 

Now the spar racks teased me a bit.  I couldn't really work out a solid basis for any dimensions.  The kit plans don't show the rack, but simply an inner railing.  What I came up with is based on the overall length of the breast railing/belfry/spar rack configuration, allowing room for a scaled seaman to pass by (in the fuzzy video of Master and Commander that runs through my head). 

 

In short, I worked out these two:

 

                                            

 

After a bit of consideration, and the simple test of laying a spar in the rack to see how it fit, I found that they needed some filing and refining.

 

Then came the slow process of the rail.  The stanchions were easy, as I cut the timberheads with the exacto, and the sheaves with the mill.  The railings required careful measuring for the placement of the stanchions, cutting the mortises for the stanchions, then scraping the molding on the edges.  I followed the advice of FFM of gluing a thin (molded) strip along one edge to close in the stanchions, and it worked brilliantly.  Until I found that I needed to file the ends off the rails a bit since they overlapped the spar rack, at which point the ends fractured at the out corner of the mortise.  Repeatedly.   Finally, I just took the bit that had broken off and glued it onto the stanchion as it stood in the rail:

 

                                             

If you look more closely than politeness dictates, you'll notice the gobs of glue on the port stanchions.  And those were there until they became solid enough to scrape away.

 

I don't know what's next.  Work is, well, work, and lots of it.  As the weather cools, I find being outside very desirable, so my modelling time is even shorter than before.  But Fly still calls to me.

 

Meanwhile, following Peter (aka Flyer) and BE's gestures of presenting lovely views from their different treks, I thought I might offer a view from my study window:

 

                                             

 

It ain't the Lake District, it ain't Iceland, but it's what the Southern Plains has to offer on a mild day.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

Nice work Martin, neat job on those stanchion sheaves and I love the belfry.

 

Great view from your window, looks just like an English woodland scene I am so familiar with.

 

Ps: Where is the rolling prairie and corn as high as an elephants eye

 

B.E.

[rafine]

Great job on the belfry and rail Martin. They look just right.

 

Bob

[Martin W]

Thanks for the nice words, BE and Bob.  And thanks for the likes.

 

BE, the last elephantine creature to pass through here said goodbye during the ice age.  And most of the corn I see usually reaches only about as high as a spaniel's eye, since our annual rainfall is what you'd expect in a week.  Just about 2 miles in the direction opposite to the photographic view is the Indian Meridian, where all the land rush pilgrims lined up in 1889.  From there on out to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico, the land is about as flat as you could ever imagine.

 

I guess I've deferred that Drift Rail long enough.  The next few evenings will probably find me just trying to visualize it.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin