Blue Ensign

Ray what are you doing, I presume you are getting some satisfaction, or why do it, but I find it hard to imagine what image you're seeing from the fruits of your labour. I have to tell you that this is not wooden ship modelling as would be recognised on even the most generous of assessments. If you have a genuine interest in the subject I think you need to start with the basics of planking a model, and there is a tutorial for beginners on MSW. here's the link. http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Framing_and_Planking/plankingprojectbeginners.pdf if you can grasp the principles of fairing a hull before planking, and tapering planks to better fit the hull, you will be on the road to making a half decent model, and hopefully gain far more satisfaction. Members are very generous with help on the forums, but they need to see that an effort is being made to understand how to construct a wooden kit model. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but you're going nowhere in the hobby with your current approach, and I suspect many members are at a loss to comment on your log. My advice would be to get a simple beginner kit to hone your skills on, using the tutorial above. B.E.

Michael I will message the Lees info to you tomorrow. B.E.

Great result Hennie, a fine model completed, and she looks so good displayed on your sideboard. Models look so much better to my eye when uncased, but present a major cleaning problem for these large square riggers. Well done B.E.

Well done Steve, I just love the Gallows display mode. I may find myself using that idea in the future. B.E.

A fine, fine, model Peter, love the look of the boats on the Davits. How lucky is your friend to be the recipient of such a handsome gift. I think she will as all models do look better out of a case, and she is of the style that could be kept clean with periodic dusting - easy access and limited rigging. Well done Peter B.E.

Hi Michael, your Masthead and shrouds look great, and I know where you're coming from being attracted to interesting little rigging exercises, I'm prone to it myself. I don't know if it's perspective from the photo but the blocks look a little oversize for the Catharpin rigging to my eye, and I see that you have used a triple block rather than a deadeye in your trial, both Anderson and Lees show deadeyes, unless I'm missing something. Lees has a good drawing of the English setup on page 43 of his Masting and Rigging book. It seems to me that the falls between the blocks could be rigged off model (set the appropriate distance apart) and the line made fast around itself. The Catharpin legs can then be secured to the shrouds and rigged thro' the deadeyes, maintaining and controlling the tension. There seems to be sufficient doubt about both fitting and style for anyone to really gainsay you whether you decide to fit or not, but it would be an interesting little feature on your Vasa. B.E.

Love those outdoor shots Don, a very fine model. I suppose the tarred rope binding around the mast base performs the function of a mast coat to prevent water ingress, a nice touch. B.E.

The casing of Pegasus took place yesterday, one of the most stressful operations since constructing the Headworks. Slipping the cover over Pegasus with only a few mm clearance each side of the Main Studding Booms ends and Jib boom was scary to say the least. Still all done now, and here she is in her designated place. Moving on now, to what not quite decided. B.E.

For those who may be vaguely curious about the face behind the model, here's yours truly posing with Pegasus before she is cased. B.E.

There was usually a Rudder Coat fitted to prevent ingress of water thro' the counter. The Rudder Coat was a loose fitting bag like cover made of tarred canvas nailed to the rudder head and counter. Tricky little beggars to make at model scale but you will find examples around the model builds. Where the Rudder head came thro' the deck another small tarred canvas cover would be secured around the head and to the deck to reduce any water ingress to the deck below. The photo's below show the arrangement I used on my Pegasus build. Rudder coat in course of fitting. Canvas cover around rudder head, on Pegasus an additional cover was built over the rudder head to further protect it. B.E.

Looking splendid in those two update photo's on the previous page Michael, would make a fine display model even as she is. B.E.

Hi Ken, I upload photo's directly from my computer photo files, and they appear along the bottom of the log entry I am making. You can do this for all the photo's you wish to include in a particular log entry. I type in the blurb for the log, and then move the cursor below the line of print and click on the photo I wish to select which then appears in the body of the log. Again move the cursor below the photo and begin writing again in the body of the log, and so on. Hope this helps. B.E.

Beautiful result Tony, and your log accompanied as always by clear explanations and how to's. Great job B.E.

Thanks once again Guys, there will be one more photo - when she is encased and placed in the spot reserved for her. In the meantime I am using the huge collection of photo's amassed over the past seven years to put together a large format 120 page photo book record of the build. Regards, B.E.

What a stunning sight It just gets better and better. B.E.

Cheers Guys, These are the completion photo's, before Pegasus is enclosed in her case, which is still wip. firstly the detail shots: The Rigging shots With the Longboat, which will be placed within the case, but not on the temporary stand as shown below. Overall shots B.E.

Thoughts about Pegasus This post concludes my build of seven years, and one I have thoroughly enjoyed, as I have enjoyed sharing this journey with my fellow modellers on MSW. The beauty of this model is that it is large enough for detail but not so big that it raises any serious display issues. It is also highly decorative and is placed in the period before the Nelson chequer and austerity removed much of the decoration from Georgian ships. Victory models are the ‘posh’ end of Amati a bit like Lexus and Toyota, and the basic kit produces an attractive model of this pretty bijou Frigate. Thanks are due to Chris Watton who designed the kit, and to Amati who produced it. Even so, most commercial kit manufacturers make simplifications to extend the appeal to a greater range of modeller ability, and include somewhat out of scale and generic fittings and Amati is no exception. Much of the enjoyment for me has been in enhancing the kit by use of different materials and fittings and bashing it about a bit with a fair amount of scratch building. Apart from the basic skeleton and some of the brass etch, very little of the kit provided material and fittings have been used, and I am quick to gloss over the additional costs involved. Outside sourced materials and fittings. Boxwood strips and section http://www.originalmarquetry.co.uk/product_details_335.htm Rigging blocks and associated attachments https://www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/ http://www.model-dockyard.com/ Rigging line. https://www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/ http://home.foni.net/~agondesen/left.htm Guns http://www.rbmodel.com/index.php?action=products&group=023 Anchors http://www.jotika-ltd.com/Pages/1024768/Fitting_Front.htm lantern https://www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/ Dowels- Ramin for lower masts Various suppliers - check online Additional brass etch. http://www.jotika-ltd.com/Pages/1024768/Fitting_Front.htm Scratched modifications Stern Gallery style and decoration. Great Cabin interior. Beneath the Foc'sle deck. Foc'sle rail and belfry. Quarterdeck rails. Head works and Cat heads. Capstans, Gallows, and pumps. Hatch Coamings Swivel gun posts. Masts and yards. Scratched additions Galley Stove, Galley Chimney. Binnacle, Steering stanchions, and Tiller. Rudder head Cover, Rudder coat. Clerestory Style Companion top. Hatch railings, Gang planks, Fish Davit. Pinnace and Long Boat. Swinging Booms, Flag staffs and Ensigns. Reference Works. For references I primarily used Steel and the Fully Framed book series by David Antscherl, cross referred to Lees, and Marquardt. Particularly in relation to Masting and Rigging I used Steel to work out the dimensions and line sizes. http://www.hnsa.org/resources/manuals-documents/age-of-sail/the-elements-and-practice-of-rigging-and-seamanship/ I am quite pleased with the end result of my build and there are only a couple of things I would have done differently were I starting now. 1) I would have reduced the width of the first(Bridle) port to make it narrower than a standard gun port. 2) I would have included the bands of top and butt deck planking on the upper deck. I would also hope to improve the finish in some of the areas where my knowledge exceeds my skill to carry it out. I will finally post some completion photo's in the next few days. Thank you all for following along. Blue Ensign 8th April 2017.

Hi Christian, I have had a look in the AotS book on Diana and David White does not show additional seats of ease in the aft corners of the headworks, but that space on your model is exactly where such seats would be fitted. David Antscherl in Vol 11 of tffm (Para 11.33) does indicate fitting of these additional seats as an option for the Swan model. I didn't on my Pegasus because the headworks are quite small and a Sloop is a much smaller ship than a Frigate. In the book are photo's of the Frigate Minerva model (Rogers Collection) which clearly shows these additional seats of ease, and my inclination would be to fit them over that space or at least fill it in with additional grating strips. Regards, B.E.

Beautiful work Christian, the head works look splendid Is there a second set of seats of ease to be added where there is a space aft of the gratings? I think the 'False' Rail above that area was in part to provide a modicum of security and privacy for users of the facility. B.E.

That is quite some build you've taken on there Anton, great job on the gunports, a tricky job that gives me the yips just thinking about it. Well done B.E.

Very pretty Kurt, reminds me of the launches of our English Lake District. However, my interest leans towards the 18th century, and the offerings of our vey own Chuck are a very strong draw. B.E.

Thank you Christian, Michael, Nils, Anton, Bob, Steve, Mark, Grant, Tigersteve, and Kurt, and to those who hit the 'like ' button. @ Michael - There won't be any framing around the case, a simple acrylic cover to fit over the base. I guess the re-issued log uninterrupted by comments is a Kindle edition book of sorts. @ Bob - Steady on there Bob, there are many builds on here that I rate far higher than mine, your own great models included, but very nice of you to say so, you bring a blush to my cheek. @ Kurt - Nothing finally decided as yet, except it won't be a three masted square rigger. Something like a larger scale smaller boat is probably favourite, but I need to get Pegasus off my work bench and under cover before I begin. Once again many thanks to those who have followed my Sloop adventure. B.E.

Making a Base for Pegasus The cradles are cut from some 1/8th Boxwood sheet stuff having used the kit stand as a template. For this the beast has to come out. Two lengths of 12mm square walnut are slotted to take the cradles. The little miller is very handy for this. The basic cradles completed. My preferred option is for a base where the model sits on stylised Keel Blocks supported by cradles of the minimum profile sufficient to give the model stability. The Bohler makes quick work of cutting the keel blocks from 12mm section Walnut, which will be topped by 9mm section blocks on which the keel will sit. This is not the proper base, just an old drawer front used for the purpose of setting out. The model sits on a plain oak base which will be contained within a protective acrylic case. Setting out the keel blocks. The base completed. I now need to have the protective case made. This is not unsubstantial being 780mm long x 640mm high x 330mm wide. In the meantime I will continue to fuss over the model tweaking and cleaning. B.E.

Hi Jason, thank you for your kind words. As far as the Great Cabin is concerned access is most definitely there - provided you are only 25mm tall. Hi Martin, hope you do get some progress in the boatyard this weekend; Cephalic feline nature eh, you plains folk surely are Highfalutin. for myself I'm off to the Cotswolds for a spot of R&R. B.E.

No need to go to the other place Martin, the detail is here on page 3, post 72 of my log. The Cathead should butt up against the Main rail of the head works and during the process of fixing the cathead it is worth checking they sit right. On Pegasus the Main rail is a pre-shaped piece of walnut so it is an easy matter to blu-tack it temporarily in place before the cathead position is fixed. Cheers, B.E.