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Blue Ensign

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  1. Blue Ensign
    Great progress Christian, she is looking splendid. 😊 B.E.
  2. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Jason, I'm back from Dorsetshire now and ready to do battle with the Garboard plank and the one above it. Ideally I want to get these two fitted and then work out the plank tapers for the ones in between working both up and down to infill. B.E.
  3. Blue Ensign
    Hi Michael, I'm not referring to Footropes or horses as slung below the yards, but the complicated crowsfeet arrangements fitted to many stays on ships of the 17th century. The crowsfeet that are fitted to the tops of 18th century ships were the last remaining vestige of the use of crowsfeet which died out towards the start of the 19th century. The sort of attachments shown in your last photo above would I believe be classed as crowsfeet, but a prime example of their use in 17c ships would be the Spritsail Topmast backstays, certainly on English and Dutch ships, where very fancy set ups were the order of the day. The Martnets (or Leechlines) were also of a similar form, and may benefit from some stiffening assistance to get them to look right. Cheers, B.E.
  4. Blue Ensign
    The problem with retro fitting the gun barrels, except perhaps for the 'hidden' guns is that how do you then get to fit the trunnion cap squares, tricky little beasts to fit at the best of times, let alone the keys and chains. .... but if perhaps you're not over bothered by such fripperies then the issue doesn't arise 😉 B.E.
  5. Blue Ensign
    Love the latest shots Michael, she really is a beauty. Re tensioning the plethora of Crowsfeet on ships of that era; to get them to look right without pulling other lines out of true you may need to resort to stiffening them insitu using diluted wallpaper paste or similar. It's a method I've used with some success in the past, once attached, the Crowsfeet are put under proper tension using a temporary line and stiffened until they stand on their own. The procedure can be repeated until the desired effect is obtained. B.E.
  6. Blue Ensign
    First rule of shipmodelling never wear sleeves😉 B.E.
  7. Blue Ensign
    Like what you've done with her Mike, I'd be pleased to. Only hope I can get somewhere close with my own effort. B.E.
  8. Blue Ensign
    Your thought processes re the gangplanks mirror mine Martin. I couldn't get over the awkwardness of those Foc'sle ladders, and fitting the gangplanks also provided an opportunity to differentiate the model from the basic kit layout, something I am prone to. Re pinning the guns; even at this fairly short interval my memory starts to dim, but I believe I set the carriages in place on the deck, and micro drilled thro' the carriage bed into the deck. I then c.a.'d the pin into the deck, trimmed so that it would just fit up to the level of the bed. With the gun completed I just coaxed the assembly over the pin, adding a spot of c.a. before I pushed the carriage to the deck. - but epoxy sounds good too. I await with interest your next update. Regards, B.E.
  9. Blue Ensign
    Coming along beautifully Bob, very nice work. B.E.
  10. Blue Ensign
    Look forward to it Steve, 😊 I've had a tentative look at the Garboard strake and the one above it, and the bend does indeed look short and severe. I'm not entirely clear how to determine the exact shape of the garboard plank at the bow end as yet and its relationship to the one above, which by all accounts should not curve upwards at the stem. B.E.
  11. Blue Ensign
    You must be one of them there Cockeney Oklahomans Martin. The first two strakes have been bent but not tapered. From now on there will be tapering involved as well as bending, but at least one strake will need spiling, and maybe others if necessary. Taking a week off now but when I return I'll re-mark the bulkheads and try to fit the garboard plank. Cheers, B.E.
  12. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Chuck, I have taken your advice, and thanks for the very useful 'Barge' pdf. So the top sheer planks are replaced. 7846 Full size strips, dry heat curved after wetting to align with the bulkhead tops. This is quite a gentle curve from around the mid point with a slightly more upward sweep aft from the centre. 7851 This time I have shaped a balsa block to temporarily protect the plank extensions for the decorative transom. That's the easy bit! The second plank below the sheer plank I have also fitted untapered, but have used the water/dry heat method to create the 'S' shape as shown below. 7822 This time I started the curve much further back in a longer length of strip. 7826 The downward curve is quite severe at the bow. 7859 So Grommit what d'ye think of it so far. hmmn not too impressed eh. Time for a break I think and a trip down to Dorsetshire. B.E.
  13. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Steve, I too prefer to approach a build from both ends; once the top few planks are fitted, I like to fit the Garboard and then work up and down towards the centre. With the Pinnace particularly, the top two planks provide stability to the bulkheads. Thanks for your input Chuck, my rough spiling template indeed shows the 'S' shape. It is the short curve at the bow that has defeated me using just water and heat; aft of the first three bulkheads the treatment works fine to achieve the more gentle 'S' curve. On your original Pinnace build, where I think you just used water and heat to achieve the shape, did you have to start the short bow curve well back in a longer length of strip to give you the leverage to form the bend? Regards, B.E.
  14. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Nils and Steve. I did edge glue the planks Nils, the caulking still showed thro. There seems to be a limit to the edge bending with the Boxwood strip I am using Steve, and the downward bend over the first three bulkheads is just too severe without some buckling and within the limits of the 4mm wide strip the bottom edges just will not lie flat against the bulkhead at the lower edge. Shims would constantly have to be added with each successive strake on that basis, which is just not right. So, it's back to the drawing board. 7590 7592 After several days and much frustration I have decided to remove the first two strakes and start again. This will also allow me to re-instate the planking to take the decorative second transom which I snapped off earlier. Fortunately the planks came away without damaging the bulkheads. The topmost sheer plank will again be fitted full size, and this does not really present any problems. The second and subsequent planks however will be spiled to shape to hopefully allow the plank to sit flat on bulkheads I. J. and K. Round two.... B.E.
  15. Blue Ensign
    The first Boxwood strake went on well and I think it is firm enough to continue. 7140 Although a little thinner than the provided Limewood, it has a much better finish, and I think it will need much less sanding, so it will probably work out much the same in the end. The crushing and dinking element prevalent in Limewood is also not an issue. I fiddled about some time working out a strategy for the second planks and had a couple of practice runs. 7139 I tapered the plank to 4mm at the bow, starting the taper quite a way back from just forward of Bulkhead A. At the stern the plank was also similarly tapered from Bulkhead 12. The planks will bend to follow the strake line plank, but to reduce tension, once the tapers had been made the strip was given the wet/heat treatment to impart the required curves. The plank was then lightly bevelled on the back top edge, to hopefully get a tight join. A Pilot marker was used to impart a caulking line between the strakes. 7138 I found it a fiddly and frustrating business to get the second planks in place, particularly at the bow area where getting clamps in place to hold the planks during glueing, and if I thought the second plank was frustrating to fit, the third plank has even more shaping involved. Tapers are firstly applied towards the bow and stern, having marked the strips against the hull. I do this with the strip wet and cut the taper with a scalpel. A shallow concave edge curve along the centre section of the plank, with shortish convex edge curves at the bow (b/hG) and stern (b/h11)where the plank meets the stem and transom. The curve around the bow is then formed, all using the wet and hairdryer system. So far so good, but then the plank across the first three bulkheads at the bow refuses to lie flat at the bottom edge, leaving gaps between it and the bulkhead. Seem to be having trouble getting my brain around this build, and to cap a couple of tiresome days I managed to snap off the sheer plank extensions for the decorative transom. Joys of small boat building. B.E.
  16. Blue Ensign
    Cheers Steve, Michael, and Martin I think William thought I had retired so he's not too impressed that I'm apparently fiddling with a Pinnace. The Pinnace is 11½" long with a 3" beam, Martin, and these first strakes are giving me some trouble, far more rusty than I thought I would be. I don't think in imperial currency now but that doesn't mean I have forgotten how many pennies in a pound,(240 if you're wondering) or our lovely old coins, silver sixpences, Half Crowns, and Florins, the Farthing with its Wren motif, the Ha'penny with its sailing ship. or the Thrupenny bit with its Portcullis. Still reminiscing about our Imperial past won't get this Garboard Strake fitted........... B.E.
  17. Blue Ensign
    Kind of you to say so John, and enjoy your new build, the Swan's make great models😊 B.E.
  18. Blue Ensign
    Thank you Christos. B.E.
  19. Blue Ensign
    With the fairing completed the stern transom is added. 7026 This has very little to hold it securely at least until the first strakes are added, so I also drilled and pinned it to the false keel. Even so very soft hands are required to fair the transom piece. As a trial I am using 0.6mm thick Boxwood strip, slightly thinner than the provided Limewood. 7033 The sheer strake is applied full width. PVA is used to bond the strip to the b/heads, secured with an assortment of clamps. 7032 7051 Water and heat are used to bend the strip both laterally to follow the rise of the sheer, and to curve around the bow. 7053 7058 7055 The foremost Bulkhead K rises above the sheer line. 7060 The Sheerline strake extends beyond the transom. When I made the mini version for Pegasus I omitted the second decorative transom piece, still not sure what practical purpose, if any, this addition served, but as they were a feature of the 18th Century Pinnace, I will include it on this build. Once the glue has hardened overnight I will add the next strake, and then make a decision whether to continue with the Boxwood, or remove and revert to the Limewood. 7038 C'mon ain't you spent enough time on that today. B.E.
  20. Blue Ensign
    Contrasting hull colours look great Michael, the black wale sets them off a treat. B.E.
  21. Blue Ensign
    Nice work Bob, I like the idea of leaving her in frame below the waterline. B.E.
  22. Blue Ensign
    That fairing business. The temporary bracing I have employed is keeping the frames rock solid for fairing. Early check reveals that several b/hds needed shims to give a fair run along the hull. A little surprised by this but some 0.6mm boxwood strip sorts the job out. In total I have shimmed two on the portside and four on larboard, but now along the sheer at least there is a fair run. Not one of my favourite pastimes fairing, seems to take forever, even on a small project such as this, just when you think you have it right another hollow reveals itself. 6941 Not first planking but a boxwood strip to check out the fairing at sheer line level. 6938 one of the benefits of the notched bracing strips is that it provides an anchor for the clamps. 6942 Speaking of boxwood I do have a good supply of Boxwood strip 4.50mm x 0.6mm plus several other wider sizes. The kit provides Limewood strip for the outer planking 3/16" x 1/32" (4.76mm x 0.79mm) In practice the thickness is closer to 0.70mm =0.66" My 0.6mm boxwood strips at 1:24 scale = 0.57" a tad finer than the kit provided stuff. Limewood is a very soft wood normally used for first planking on double planked hull and I'm a little concerned about dinks and getting a smooth finish. So the question is should I go with the limewood or would the slightly thinner Boxwood be ok. Hmmn something to ponder. According to Steel, the timbers for a 21' Pinnace are 1½" thick equiv to 1.59mm at 1:24 scale. Back to fairing for the moment. B.E.
  23. Blue Ensign
    Great to have a reminder of this superb model Nils. B.E.
  24. Blue Ensign
    An interesting project Danny of a not very well represented era in ship modelling terms. Look forward to seeing her develop. Cheers, B.E.
  25. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Michael, I just marked them off along the top of the bulkheads, cut them with a razor saw and finished with files. Easy to do as the strip wood is soft limewood. B.E.

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