Blue Ensign

She's shaping up into a very nice model Martin, with some great extra touches. I like your headworks, so often a weakness in kit offerings. Whether to serve or not ; if it creates an overscale look, a bit bulky , then it is perhaps better not to do it. I have yet to reach that point, I will attempt it, but let my eye be the final arbiter. Here's the link for Steel. http://hnsa.org/doc/steel/index.htm I do have the book, but use the online version all the while, I find it an excellent reference source, and in truth it is the basis for all the more modern writings on the subject. Regards, B.E.

Hi Bob, Picked up your log from the photo profile thread, beautiful lines you have achieved with your Bluenose, a very appealing build. Regards, B.E.

The wheel looks good Jason, and very neat work on the blocks. Rigging the tiller is the first bit of rigging, and you've done an excellent job. ps, It's never too early to get the next generation interested in the hobby, and your lad looks to be making a good start. Cheers, B.E.

Hi hamilton, Goodwin includes the crowsfeet as part of the standing rigging in the Blandford book, I would use blackened line. Regarding the Lion figurehead, many years ago I modified a boxwood chess piece to create a 'lion' figurehead on a scratch1:96 scale model of an early 18th century first rate. Lions are popular subjects, and if you don't feel confident at sculpting look around for something that might fit the bill. Cheers, B.E.

Hello Paul, i would suggest that the jeer falls having passed through the hooked deck blocks adjacent to the mast were hitched around themselves to secure, or maybe having passed thro' the blocks were secured to cleats attached to the mast. In the absence of Bitts there doesn't seem any other viable option. B.E.

Hello Ed, I recall seeing your build the first time around and it has lost none of the WOW factor seeing it again. I can only marvel at the quality of your work, a worthy successor to Longridge, and at only half the size. A wonderful model. Regards, B.E.

I've just picked up on your build Bill. That is one hell of a kit bash, in fact the term doesn't really fit at all. Your depth of research, attention to detail, and evident skill is producing a model of exceptional beauty. A new benchmark for a Mantua kit for sure. Look forward to seeing more. Regards, B.E.

Another side project Daniel, with three Victory's on the stocks, how do you do it. Excellent photo's tho' to assist the weathering of models. During the Napoleonic era, I suspect most British Ships on blockade duty took on a very weathered look. Refit intervals stretched way over time, and often with very limited local repair facilities. Contemporary writings record the parlous state of many ships on Blockade and patrol duties, reporting such things as the Quarter Galleries lost or severely broken. Captain Rose of the Agamemnon whilst on the South American Station in 1809, wrote a report on the 'deplorable' condition of the ship, citing such things as movement in the standard knees and hooks, much decay in the lower deck ports, broken metal work, and beams working loose in the clamps. One can imagine that a ship returning from many months at sea looked far from Shipshape and Bristol fashion. I suppose a more modern comparison would be the look of of A Flower Class Corvette in 1942 after a winter in the North Altantic. M.

Fine looking model Rusty, set off by your beautiful ships boats. Confederacy really is an immensely attractive kit. Well done B.E.

Hi Hamilton, glad your books have arrived, now you have something to get your teeth into. Regarding the Main Wales, personally I would go with Goodwin. There are plenty of contemporary models of sixth Rates and larger of that era with the distinctive double black Wales picked out, I think it sort of defines the period. Goodwin does say in his book that the period was one of transition with old and new features being incorporated at the same time, and that the Blandford was unusual in some respects in her construction. This gives you some scope to show differences. The Crowsfeet at 1:100 scale would be pretty fine, but I think you are right to attempt them, using the finest line you can get hold of. 0.1mm diameter is usually the smallest commerciallly available rigging line, but there may be other options. I would in any case drill the micro holes around the rims of the tops. Look forward to seeing developments. Cheers, B.E.

Hello Michael, I was alerted to your build by your post on my own log. You are doing a very fine job, and like yourself I love it when there are external sources available to correct and improve on the simplifications and errors evident in kits. The modifications you are making are creating a very special Wasa, and now I know about it I will continue to follow your progress. Cheers, B.E.

That's a fine pair of catheads Robert, far exceed my own humble efforts on Pegasus. Well done. B.E.

Well the models are certainly varnished presumably to represent 'bright' sides, and they do correspond pretty well with the contemporary paintings. M.

Hi Jason, when using natural line such as supplied by Jotika, I always pre-stretch and wax the line. This is particularly important with the stays and Shrouds. Far less tension is required on a stretched line and the risk of pulling masts out of alignment is much reduced On my models I also like a bit of slack on some of the lines such as the Braces and Bowlines, and stretching allows this to be formed in a natural sort of way. Lines for the Main and Forestays I tend to hang with weights for some time before use, but for shroud lines I use a home made rack as per below. This is sufficient to take a set of Shrouds. To achieve an induced sag or change of direction I recall from German site that diluted wallpaper paste achieved very good results particularly where used to stiffen the multi block crowsfeet prevalent on 17th century ships. Cheers, B.E.

Another fine offering from Daniel’s bumper book of everything you wanted to know about matters nautical but were afraid to ask I can hear the scratching of heads from here. The definition ‘bright’ meant payed with Rosin, the main ingredients being Rosin and turpentine. The colour of bright sides would presumably vary dependant on the rosin used but light to mid brown would be my best guess. Paintings around the time of the Seven Years War may provide a good clue. Most contemporary model of the 18th century are shown bright, but the finish may not be representative of the real thing. Have a look at the works of marine painters such Charles Brooking and John Cleveley http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/a-naval-snow-173093 http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/ships-in-a-light-breeze-173091 http://www.lanefineart.com/component/virtuemart/shop.product_details/12/flypage_images.tpl/70.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/a-naval-brigantine-in-a-calm-sea-173289 http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/a-sixth-rate-on-the-stocks-173292 This is probably as close as you will get. As far as weathering is concerned, how will we ever know. A ship model kept indoors may well darken with age whereas open to the elements fading is more likely, much in the same way old varnish appears today. Carr – laughton makes mention of a ship having a dull appearance, like a bright sided ship discoloured by use. - Reminds me of my Garden bench. The practise of painting ships sides long pre-dated the Nelson fashion of the late 18th/early 19th centuries. Carr- Laughton cites an Admiralty order dated 12 July 1715 that the outsides of ships be painted of the ‘usual’ yellow colour, which suggests that the practice was in force for some considerable time prior to this. Other contemporary references throughout the 18th Century indicated that painting was a normal practice. However, this does not fully explain the case as in 1777 an order was issued explaining how the sides of ships were to be ‘payed’ and another in May 1780 saying that when ships sides were painted, the material usually allowed for paying them should not be issued. The inference to be gained from this is that the two methods co-existed, perhaps changing in precedence from time to time. Is your question related to one of your multiple Victory builds Daniel? Cheers, M.

That looks better Jason B.E.

Nice work David, she's looking good, I like to see models set on keel blocks. Cheers, B.E.

I don't have an issue with posting an image to clarify a response to a query, it often helps understanding. Using a members log to promote your own build is a different matter, and probably irritates most of us. Fortunately this doesn't seem to happen very often on MSW. B.E.

I also think that your companionway looks very good Jason, and very neat work on the gratings. Cheers, B.E.

Hi Aldo, your replacement Gallows look so much better. I scoured all my references looking for an example that matched the kit version without success, and I couldn't live with the Chinese Pagoda look either in the end. I rather liked your bitts with the sheaves, and the set up on the deck didn't look out of scale to my eye, on the photo at least. One thing to bear in mind re the spacing of the bitts, the rhodings for the pumps are attached to the inner faces of the bitts and will need to line up with the pump cistern centres. Cheers, M.

I've enjoyed reading thro' your log David, a really attractive build with some nice extra touches, Well done Regards, B.E.

Just come across your excellent log Rusty, fine work to produce an immensely attractive model, love what you have done. Regards, B.E.

Thanks for the link John, I hadn't seen it before. The problem we are faced with working at 1:64 scale, particularly on a small vessel such as Pickle is that the side tackle set up can look too heavy and overscale for the gun if say a hook is attached by an eye to the line. That is why I changed the blocks to JB models 2mm versions and stropped them with wire, forming a hook out of the twisted end. This also avoided the need to seize the block to the eyebolt. Not authentic I admit but at the scale involved I prefer that the tackles look proportionate rather than replicate the full size arrangement. Regards, B.E.

Hello John, Those Pickle Carronades are the very devil to assemble and rig. Each of the side tackle blocks are stropped with line fitting along the groove in the block. At a simple level the line is knotted around the eye bolts set in the hull side and bed of the carronade. A separate tackle line is secured through the strop of the right hand block and it is this that passes thro' the left hand block from beneath, back thro' the hull side block, and is either then coiled as shown or frapped around itself to secure. A lot of modellers make up a little jig to rig their side tackles to hold the blocks the required distance apart whilst they thread the line. Often they prefer to attach the block to the eyebolt before the eyebolt is fitted in the hull side. My own approach to the carronade rigging is covered in my log, as per the link below. Regards, B.E.

You're welcome Augie, your words are much appreciated. I'm glad you like it David, and thank you for your generous words. I hope the log is of assistance to those thinking of building Pickle. Regards, B.E.