Blue Ensign

Beautiful work Rusty, she is a very fine looking 'Winnie' Your care and attention have paid dividends as is so clearly evident. Regards, B.E.

Well done James, and hopefully some beneficial results for Vanguard. 👍 B.E.

Post Sixteen A workshop enhancement I have been feeling cramped of late as I try to manoeuvre the ‘Indy’ beast around, with only 600mm of depth available. My latest acquisition is this work stand. Bott work stand. It is in the same range as my work bench and equal in terms of depth and (adj) height but being portable I can re-position it to give me either more length or depth to suit. 0647 In a straight line I now have seven foot+ length to play with. 0649 This ‘L’ shaped configuration is likely to prove even more useful. It allows me to walk around the model and provides more space for turning. 0651 I am hoping it will remove the frustration of working in a space a tad too small to freely manoeuvre the hull without risking bashing it on the wall. A small price to pay for the added convenience. B.E 01/04/2023

Thank you Gus, Glenn, and Alistair, your interest is much appreciated, as is those who have 'liked' the posts. Post Fifteen Fresh supplies from the timberyard. My supply of Boxwood has arrived from Hobbymill, Estonia. 0627 0628 The strips relate to decking and hull planking down to the wale. 0629 0630 The quality looks very good with the strip wood accurately cut to size – thank you Vahur. I do note that Chris is now offering an ‘Indy’ Boxwood deck planking version for an extra £150 over the basic, which makes it a competitive option, altho’ some wider sheet stuff would be necessary to cut margin planks, unless that is also included. 0634 I did ask Vahur to send me a few samples of his coloured Hornbeam. I was curious to see if it could be used to represent the ochre stripe in the area of the gunports. 0635 The colour doesn’t suit my eye, too yellow, and the wrong shade, so I won’t pursue that option. 0636 The lower strip of black Hornbeam has more potential for use as wale timbers, altho' I have not tested it for cut in top and butt planking. B.E. 31/03/2023

Cheers, Guys. Post Fourteen Before I fitted the central strake of three I used a micro saw to remove the gunport sections of the upper strake. 0613 I used a length of 8mm x 1.5mm limewood strip to fill in the central gap, a little tapering towards the bow and stern and the fit is good. 0614 0617 I glued the plank to the frames and along the edges of the adjacent planks. 0623 The gunports were the fully opened-up before re-fitting and gluing the pear patterns into place. 0626 The blurb indicates areas where glue should not be applied, relating to the extensions to the bulkheads which will later be removed. I added double sided tape to these areas to temporarily secure the patterns in the upper areas. 0637 Speed gluing and clamping is the name of the game. 0638 In this shot she looks more 64 than 44, what a lovely chunky beast. 0639 0644 0643 Fitting the patterns concludes this section of the build. B.E. 30/03/23

Good progress Glenn, I think it is the right approach to fit those transom stern planks aft - forward. I always form those planks from a longer length to ensure a smooth curve. B.E.

Beautiful, beautiful work Glenn, a stunning model, the only downside is the anti climax I feel when I go back to my stuff. B.E.

Post Thirteen- completing the fairing Having applied the test planks at all levels along the hull, paying specific attention to the bow and stern areas I have reached the point where enough is enough. Or perhaps not quite. The next stage is to apply the patterns (248/251) around the bow. They are formed around the extension pieces of bulkheads 1 -5, which have a subtle convex shape to them that the pattern should follow. 0596 To this end I did find it necessary to soak the patterns to achieve a good conformity. 0598 0599 I did do a little more fairing in this area to further fay the longitudinal gunport strips into the extension shapes. 0601 0602 These bulkhead extensions are eventually removed, but the subtle shape remains. 0603 The patterns are now re-clamped into position. 0608 A milestone of sorts is now reached with the fixing of the first plank. The lower plank runs beneath the bow pattern and level with the lower gunport frame. The lime bends well and with the plank clamped into place, it gets the heat treatment to produce the bow curve. 0607 The aft section of this strake has a slight lateral upward curve from bulkhead 12 to the stern, which again was induced using heat after pinning to the hull. 0606 These photos also show the second plank fitted which runs level with the upper gunport frame. 0609 The section between the two planks are now filled, but I found that an additional 6mm strip doesn’t quite fill the space leaving a gap of around 2mm. I suppose the intention is to fill this with off-cut slivers but I think I have some wider stuff lying around so I’ll dig it out and spile it to fit the space. B.E. 27/03/23

I have to say Gentlemen that I too was far more circumspect when building my single planked Cheerful, with expensive timbers. I felt comfortable with the mouse for this project, in a way that I have never felt with say the Dremel, which I have never let near any on the model work. Regards, B.E.

Dave, I usually fit the margin plank first, how I form it depends on the severity of the bow curve. I then plank from the centre outwards and as I reach the margins I cut the joggling into the margin using a fine micro chisel. The waterway I add once the decking is complete, and then cut the scuppers into it. At 1:64 scale and smaller I tend to scribe a false scarf joint in the margins. B.E.

The 'Mouse ' proved very useful on this very large hull, I found it lightweight, quite controllable, and unlikely to unintentionally over fair unless you really worked at it. On smaller hulls, I wouldn't bother, a case of courses for horses. Cheers, B.E.

Post Twelve. Hull fairing - Day 0ne Considering this is one of my least favourite aspects of ship modelling, the day went well. The support board held the hull securely, and the ‘Mouse’ sander performed well. 0580 I started with the hull upright and sanded the topsides down to gundeck level. I started with vertical strokes on the gunport side timbers, and followed on using a long sanding stick along the hull. 0577 0578 The hull was then inverted and the ‘mouse’ brought into play. I used P80 sanding sheets. I am grateful to Jim and Chris for the heads up on this little tool. 0584 0583 This is the state after around three hours work. Time now to test the plank lay. 0587 The 1mm thick lime strips bend easily around the bow without any need for pre-bending, but I will pre-bend when I start planking to take the resistance out of the wood. I am particularly interested in the run of the planks up to the lower transom. 0588 To this end a test plank is pre-bent using hot water and heat. 0590 0591 0592 0593 0594 0595 Looking ok so far, I hate to see any hint of a sharp angle in the plank runs in this area, they should have a smooth and even curve. That’s enough for one day, I’ll look at it again tomorrow with a fresh eye. B.E. 24/03/23

Thank you Kevin, and Pavel. @ Kevin - I think 'only slightly ahead' is slightly understating it. 😁 @ Pavel - Thankyou for looking in on my build.👍 Post Eleven Fairing the Hull. This is such a big beast, I couldn’t quite decide the best way to approach the fairing business. Not easy to hold while fairing, altho’ holding at angles during the process is almost a certainty. I finally decided that having the hull inverted was the best approach, so I knocked up a simple jig to hold it inverted. 0569 This consists of nothing more than styrene packing material cut to fit snuggly inside the hull and hold it clear of the base during the process. 0570 The packing should protect the delicate bulkhead extensions. 0571 Battens were fitted to the board to hold the hull in place during the sanding. This arrangement will also double up for the planking and coppering of the hull. 0572 All the necessary stuff is assembled, but I won’t be doing the fairing in my workroom, too much dust. I need to wait for a quiet, mild day, without the gusting winds we have at present. The forecast for these ‘ere parts doesn’t look that brilliant over the next few days, so I may return to the small boatyard and Medway. B.E. 23/03/23

It's amazing the difference a good sanding does for a hull, the lines are looking good Kevin.👍 B.E.

Post Ten. Internal bulkhead frames – sanding – what joy! The purpose here is to get a smooth line to which attach the inner bulwarks, quick works in 18thc parlance. The spirketting will be added later. 0520 I found it easier to sand the frames with the hull upright, using a combination of an angled finger sander and sheet paper cut to size. Working from the opposite side, my free hand supporting the bulkhead extensions. Contrary to this posed photo, it is advisable to work with bare lower arms to avoid snagging cuffs etc on the bulkhead extensions. 0547 I used a combination of 80/120 grade papers. The fit of these parts is very good, a slight bevel on the leading edge of the foremost (optional) part all that was required. 0541 The fit along the deck line is very clean, as are the three join lines between the four sections. The top-line rises a fraction above the upper longitudinal gunport rail which will be sanded flush with the Longitudinal top rail. Under clamps the sections seemed to conform well to the framing without the need for wetting. I did blast them with heat under clamping. 0544 I applied the starboard side sections sequentially, applying pva directly to the frames to enhance adhesion it was then left overnight to cure. The procedure was repeated on the Port side next morning. 0551 Atop the longitudinal rails are fitted the deck beam strips (Deck clamps) which slotted into the bulkheads without issue. Into these the Upper deck beams are slotted, again without any issues. 0563 0566 I also took the opportunity to add carlings below the hatchway openings of the deck. I really don’t like to see those thin edges of the false deck, particularly for ladderways and hatches with the gratings removed. 0556 The foremost deck beam incorporates a representation of the Bowsprit stop. This will be removed and re-set some 15mm further back between the legs of the Fore Topsail bitts, which will then allow the manger boards to be installed. The inboard face of Bulkhead 1 is disguised in shades of black and grey. In an oob build this area is hidden but with my build the Gundeck will be visible thro’ the unplanked upper deck. It is another smoke and mirrors device to help mask this pob construction compromise. 0554 0555 0562 The Upper deck beams fitted across the deck and slotted seamlessly into place. It is useful having the reference numbers stamped on both beams and clamps. 0567 Once the fit is established the ‘clamping’ strips are glued into place and the beams removed for a later stage. I now need to stiffen my resolve to begin the hull fairing. B.E. 22/03/23

It’s always good to have a plan Glenn, so much better than banging them on and hoping for the best. 👍 B.E.

Me neither Kevin, been 18 years since I worked for a living, now totally unemployable, and I’m not sorry.😃 B.E.

Fingers crossed for a quick recovery for your boy, the hours surely do drag when they're at the Vets for a procedure. Some progress that Kevin, I'm still on page one of your log. B.E.

Thank you Jim and Chris, so I can leave the deck line alone, and simply sand the top of the bulwark pattern flush with the longitudinal rail. Cheers, B.E.

Sorry to appear obtuse Jim, but doesn't the lower edge of the bulwark pattern sit on the deck line? 0541 This is how the patterns line -up with the top-line just above the upper rail in places. 0540 0539 This is how the pattern aligns on the plan against the ports, dipping below the deck-line, and the upper rail, which would suggest a fair amount of trimming off the bottom of the pattern. This is the cause of my confusion. B.E.

A quick question if I may Jim, Are the inner bulwark patterns meant to run flush with the tops of the gunport upper rails? I can't quite decide from looking at the profile on plan sheet 2. My inclination is to fit them as is with the tops flush with the top of the rails which I think you have done. Thank you, B.E.

Thank you Ron, I do prefer my cheese unadorned, and preferably with a glass or three of a fine merlot. To sit outside on a fine summer evening, after a satisfying day in the workshop, or out walking the hills with my Spaniel, - perfection. 😊 Dammit Ron, you’ve put me in mind for the very thing😉 Cheers, 🧀🍷 B.E

It is used for electrical insulation purposes, and is widely available - Amazon, e-bay, hardware stores etc; I used it on my Alert build for the banding you describe, the anchor stock bands, and the bands around the main boom. I most recently used it to form the iron bands around the masts on my Sphinx build. Regards, B.E.

Post Nine. Basics Today I took time out to prepare a building board for Indy. A plain board of 900 x 245mm indicates the size of this beast. 0526 Battens are placed on the underside to both raise the board a little and provide space for finger grips, this is /will be a heavy hull to move about. The space is also good for clamping purposes. 0530 The board is firstly configured for securing the false keel, but will later be modified to hold the keel, full hull, stem and stern posts. 0527 0529 Simple corner brackets are used for the purpose. I spoke in an earlier post about getting an additional Amati keel clamp to support the long and heavy hull when I require to hold it higher or at angles. 0533 I was a little reluctant to pay out the £50 for a new one but as luck would have it I managed to get one on an e-bay auction for the princely sum of £24. It arrived quickly and is in excellent condition, better than my original. 0536 This should provide the necessary stability for angling the hull when required. B.E. 19/O3/2023

I invariably use heat shrink tubing for iron bands these days. Get a selection of sizes in black, and cut sections off with a scalpel, job done. B.E.