ChrisLBren

Hey Group,

I just ordered the La Renommee Monograph  from Ancre.  I have fallen in love with this French ship.  The extreme tumblehome, oblique inner planking, and sculptures seduced me.  I will be figuring out the case situation for Confederacy while I wait for the Monograph to arrive.  Thanks again for your likes and compliments regarding Confederacy.  

Chris

Spectacular !!!

Thanks guys - just like anything with this hobby - you fixate on certain "elements" during construction - always the most recents ones.  With a little perspective/time away -  those "elements" tend to blend into the background.  The bands stay as is.  This one is FINISHED.  Per Gaetan's advice I will shoot some photos on a black background for the finished model section.  

I have two more pressing decisions - a display case and the next build....

Thanks so much for the flattering comments gents.  

Here's a close up of the anchor and its bands - should this be re worked with thinner/narrower metal or even artist tape painted ?  I feel like they look clunky - but then again maybe Ive been staring at them too long.  Any tips feedback is appreciated.  

Thanks Michael and Mark - both of those questions will be answered soon.  Im a big fan of photographing your model - thats how I noticed a molding off the quarter gallery in the second shot crooked - its fixed.  I really have issues with CA and won't use it on future builds unless absolutely necessary.  I may have a second go at those anchor bands this weekend - they are an eyesore to me - cutting them thinner would make a big difference and not an issue to re rig them to the knightsheads.  

Put a pin in this one - Confederacy is completed !  I wrapped it up earlier this week than  I thought this evening - here are the latest photos.  I think the area I want to improve the most with the next build is metal work - my anchor bands look a bit chunky.  Johann is an inspiration in that area.  But overall very satisfied with the build and the enjoyment it gave me over the last 8 years.  Thanks again for all of the support/encouragement and comments.  And thank you Chuck for second to none plans and guidance with this build.  

Appreciate the comments gang !  I promise I'm not trying to tease about the photos....

I am toying with the idea of simply placing the anchors on the display base near the bow.  With them lashed to the hull it sort of breaks up the beautiful lines of the vessel (the same reason I decided against building ships boats for this one - I think if she was masted would probably be a different story).  Ill take photos both ways and get some feedback from you guys.   

After almost 8 years of construction, a marriage and birth of twins - she is mounted on pedestals and awaits the anchors. It was kind of a surreal moment this AM - by far the longest/most satisfying  build I've ever completed. I should have the finished photos posted by next weekend.  

Chris 

Beautiful work Jason - also nice beer in the background shot !

This is a spectacular build - I've been watching your progress on the Ancre site - such a gorgeous model - congrats !

I bought this product off Ebay and have a couple of jars of it - to me it works very similar to a sepia oil paint thinned wash.  Some of the Russians mix it with Tung Oil as a finish. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pentart-Liquid-Patina-30ml-Bitumen-for-Antiquing-Decoupage-/202061449669?epid=1565589069&hash=item2f0bcd09c5:g:xf0AAOSw7NpZw7GT

My vote is for a scroll saw as well - but dont skimp on the cost.  I owned a table top Delta unit I paid 100 USD on ebay - the vibration was so terrible it was almost impossible to use and broke many blades.  My new DeWalt mounted on a stand made a world of difference - it cost me close to 500 USD but is a dream to use - its extremely accurate and i can cut curves closely to plan lines easily.  I will be using this saw quite a bit cutting out frame pieces for my next fully framed build.  

Wow - nice work !!!!

Hi Michael,

This is very helpful - I too have wondered about Thickness Sanders vs a Planer.  I have an operation near where I live that mills my flitch of Pear to billets of standard dimensions - 1/4 or 3/8 thick by 2 inches wide by 24 inches long - I have no desire to do the heavy lifting here.  I do want the best tool for precision work for final dimensions.  It sounds like if I can get a hang of it - the Byrnes tool is the right one for my purposes.  

Best,

Chris

Hey Group,

I too am wondering how to use this tool - I've only used it a few times - but soon I will need to reduce some 1/4 inch thick blanks to 7/32nds thick and I want consistent results.  I hope Kurt doesn't mind me jumping on this thread - but I think his question is similar to mine.  What is the step by step way to carry out this operation ?  A tutorial for using this sander if you will - that will address amongst other things - how much do you take off per pass to get to close to final dimension before using the finishing side of the drum.  Also I read somewhere on this site the sander feeds better if you rest the front of the machine on a 2x4 so the table is more horizontal.  

Thanks 

Chris 

Thanks Dave - Ill probably just end up mounting it 2/3rd's up the stem unless any other concrete info comes to light.

Chris

Hey Group,

I am about to mount the boomkins to the stem of my Confederacy and have been trying to find some information as to how high on the stem they would have been mounted.  I have seen photos showing them mounted anywhere from resting on the beakhead deck to almost the top of the stem itself.  These are spars curve downward so changing the height they at which they are mounted on the stem changes their appearance.  I don't own Lees Masting and Rigging - maybe there is some info there ?  Any info is appreciated.

Chris

These guys are the best - I bought a flitch of Pearwood from them this past spring - I had it milled here in Chicago into 70 planks 24 x 2 x 1/4 and 6 planks 24 x 2 x 3/8.  And thats only half of my supply - the rest is on pallets.   All in for wood/shipping and milling it cost me 700 dollars.

http://www.rarewoodsusa.com/

Beautiful cabinet Mike !  Id personally go dark - your ship is swiss pear - that color will "pop" against a dark base.  Then again I am biased - I'm using a black base with my Confederacy

Hey Karl,

Sorry to hear about the damage in your workshop - the new version is sure to be better than the original.  Im a huge fan of your work.

Best,

Wow....

Thanks Steve !

Good morning group - bit of an update without pictures this AM.  My brass pedestals arrived and look great - however after testing them out on my recently painted display base after some slight adjustment - they marred the finish.  Im using General Finishes Lamp Black Milk paint - which I found out in hindsight needs 30-45 days to fully cure - so after re coating the top - I've set it aside and am finishing the final assemblies.  

The knightheads are proving trickier than I thought to get right.  Being so close to the finish line  I was tempted to use the second set - but I know the third will be better - so why compromise now ?  Especially now that Ive got some time on my hands while the display base cures....

Thanks for the comments everyone - its been a long journey that started back in 2009.  At the time I was thinking of kit bashing a newly issued Model Expo licensed version of the Vanguard right when Chuck was making his initials prototype of the Confederacy.  Thanks to his encouragement I decided to go for a scratch build.  At the time I only owned a Preac Table Saw and a newly purchased crappy Delta Scroll Saw.  I was dating my now wife and had more time to work on the model than the past 4 years after the twins arrived.  Thanks to Jeff, and the now closed Hobby Mill, I had nice timber to work with at perfect dimensions.  And along with Rusty and Knightyo - we built along with Chuck - of course Rusty  finished his beautiful model first....  As many who read my original log which was lost in the crash of MSW Version 1 - I wanted to quit so many times out of frustration and being a "perfectionist" which I've learned is in the eye of the beholder more than anyone else. Seasoned pros such as Keith Harrison (Jack Nastyface), Greg Hebert, Druxey, Gaetan, and of course Chuck kept me in the game.  And I have learned a ton....

I love this hobby, this forum, the exchange of ideas and most of all encouragement it offers all of us.  

As to my next project - I have vacillated so many times, Ive considered Le Gros Ventre in 1/36th, Swan Class Model in 1/48 and Le Commerce de Marseille in 1/48.  If it were up to the twins I would be finishing Wappen Von Hamburg - because it looks like a pirate ship and has "bad guy sculptures on it"  That model is sentimental to me and I will finish it maybe sooner or later - who knows.   

For me the dream project has always been a 74 in 1/48 - I possess the most documentation on that vessel thanks to the books authored by Boudriot.   Many of you may have seen the pearwood I purchased earlier this year.  According to the wood dealer it may be from the Versailles region of France - whether is is or isn't - the wood milled really well and is standing by.  

I'm fortunate enough now to have a dream workshop with some pretty nice tools - of course nowhere near as nice as Gaetan's....And yes hopefully inside of two weeks Confederacy will be mounted on something else other than MDF !

To be continued....

Thanks for the likes and comments everyone....

After almost 8 years of construction this should be my last update before finished pictures.  The first shot shows the hull with the dummy masts temporarily placed.They still need gammoning and cleats.  The black board will be her display base - Im waiting for the pedestals Im having machined for me here locally.  

The second shot shows the bowsprit - which still needs to be mounted, rigged and small parts added.  

The third shot are the toilets - for some reason the ones by the roundhouse proved very tricky and took me the better part of a week to get right - there are many angles here to take into account.

And finally the last parts - the anchors in very rough shape, the knightsheads and the boomkins which still need to be shaped.  I also am making some repairs to the rudder.   

Looking good Toni !  I just got thru this on Confederacy and was dreading it - after completion I have to say - most satisfying part of my build.  Im sure your headrails will be as beautiful as the rest of your ship in the end.