Blue Ensign

Post One hundred and Sixty-five. Back to the Qtr deck cranes I’m not entirely convinced about fitting these items, but I’ll look at them as the manual and instructions are somewhat thin on these fittings, and hopefully fill in some of the gaps. As previously noted, these are position specific so will be dealt with on a pair-by-pair basis. There are eleven sets of these which require sorting, fettlin’ and blackening before fitting. They are present as indicated on the contemporary model of Amazon. Amazon Model The cranes look a lot finer on this contemporary model than on the kit. I also note that the first two cranes are single unlike the kit, but to what purpose? 8530 This is the foremost crane along the Quarterdeck and the base plate has been fitted to the crane prior to fitting to the hull. The plate mortise required some adjusting before it would fit onto the crane, and the plates needed a little filing before they would fit into the available space. 8528 The crane in place; they are fiddly little items to assemble, but it is a mark of Chris’s attention to detail that the base plates are even supplied, I suspect many kits would have the cranes just slotted directly into the hull, even if they were supplied in the first place. 8551(2) I do not intend to glue the base plate to the crane, only the stem of the crane to the slot in the hull. 8573 The cranes are chemically blackened with the base plate attached and a spot of ca will secure the unit to the hull. 8560 Those two foremost double cranes do rather catch my eye, even if they are a logical structure. For this section, beyond the Quarter rail, there is nothing otherwise to secure the inboard side of any netting. 8559 8562 8556 For the purpose of this test I have left the base plates off to give a more secure fit in the hull. 8568 I don’t think I would like to fit these cranes post full rigging, it will be a very tricky operation, and I can understand why James left them off. Personally, I would have fitted them first, but if fitting post rigging, I would have left the base plates off, which will make it easier to get a firm fit into the hull. 8565 Another decision to make but one I will defer for a few days while I get on with something else. B.E. 26/09/2022

Great job on the sails Ron, she is looking wonderful. Glad you've recovered from the ‘plague’ B.E.

I run out of superlatives to describe the quality of your work Glenn, suffice to say I greatly admire what you are achieving. Regards, B.E

I'm sort of thinking that also Glenn, after all Navy board style by its nature is incomplete in many respects, and I don't want to over egg it. I usually ask myself - What would Chuck do but he hasn't got to the iron work aspect of his Winnie yet, and maybe doesn't intend to. The waist cranes are fixed, along with the Foc'sle stanchions, but the breast rail cranes are removeable. The contemporary Amazon model has them fitted, but they somehow look finer on that model, and not so intrusive I think I will make up a few of the quarterdeck cranes to get an impression of how they will suit my eye and refer back to my peer group. Thanks for your advice. Regards, B.E.

Post One hundred and Sixty-four. While I ponder on the best way to fit the Quarterdeck Cranes, or even fit them at all, I turn my attention to the Waist Hammock cranes. The cranes are beautifully formed and detailed brass etch fittings even down to the hooks and eyes. Amazon model I do have the excellent example of the contemporary Amazon model which includes the cranes, and having test fitted them on Sphinx, I have decided to follow suit. 8525 My approach to fitting these cranes is to glue the foremost and aftermost cranes first and use fine brass tubing to align the holes. I then fix the centre crane, and infill with the remainder. Ca applied to the crane stems fixes them in place. 8518 8524 I will leave the brass tubing temporarily in place to highlight their presence and hopefully reduce the risk of knocking them as I continue to work on the model. 8534 The Foc’sle rail stanchions are location specific, and these are separately bagged, and blackened before fitting. 8546(2) 8545 Cranes are fitted along the Quarter-deck breast rail. 8549 The stanchions for the boarding ropes complete the ‘ironwork’ set in this area. Now, what to do about those Quarter deck cranes. 🤔 B.E. 24/09/2022

Hmmn 🤔 I wonder why that would be, still I'm more occupied in working out how to fit them. B.E.

Easy for you to say James, I'm scratching my head as how to proceed.🤔 B.E.

Post One hundred and sixty-three. Final touches. With the boats put aside it’s back to looking at what is left to do on Sphinx. I turn my attention to the Hammock Cranes, sorting and prepping the individual parts. I find myself puzzled by the Quarterdeck cranes. There is scant mention of these, a brief comment on p102 of the manual, referring to fitting them later, but nothing follows. Prototype build. I note that James dodged the bullet in the prototype build, they are missing from the final completion photos. The cranes are identified on Plan sheet 11, Suppl. drawings 7. (PE93 – 103 R&L) The cranes are handed, and specific to each location. This presents issues when the items are to be chemically blackened because each set ideally has to be kept separate, and there are eleven sets. They can’t therefore be batch blackened, and the cleaning and blackening will have to be done on a set basis to avoid mixing them up. 8510(2) Each crane consists of two parts, the crane, and a tiny base plate into which it fits. presumably up to the nub on the shaft How it fits is not immediately clear and it looks like the base plate needs drilling out to allow passage of the crane thro’ to the hull. The secondary question is whether it is better to glue the plate to the hull first, then drill and fit the crane, or attach plate and crane first, and then fit to the hull. CA is probably required to glue these fitting, which raises the concern of how to fit these without marring the blackened surfaces. I rather feel that a brief explanation of this fitting and a couple of supplementary photos would have helped in this area. B.E. 24/09/2022

An interesting project and conversion Kevin, she's going to look magnificent when completed, the lighting will make her very special. B.E.

Post One hundred and Sixty-two. Completing the Yawl The third of the allocated boats for Sphinx, it’s nice to come back to it with all the planking having been done previously. 00620(2) I have built this model before but on that version, I rigged her for sail. The Sphinx version is set up for rowing but will be tweaked a little to reflect the layout in the Pandora book drawings. I won’t bore everyone with blow-by-blow details of the construction I covered this in the log below. 18th c Ships boats by Blue Ensign – FINISHED - Vanguard Models -1:64 - - Kit build logs for subjects built from 1751 - 1800 - Model Ship World™ However, having thought that the Yawl would prove to be the easiest of the three to build, having done it before, it has turned out to be the most problematic. I wasn’t happy with the fit if the sternsheets, so I decided to scratch a replacement. 8287 Despite the fact that Lavery notes: The Yawl was unusual in that it was decked throughout its length, in three stages. I opted to use the provided brass etch decking and grating, altho' it did mean drilling thro’ the decking plate to attach the lifting rings. As with my first Yawl build, I reduced the foredeck by removal of the board adjacent to the mast support. 8482(2) With the Yawl I opted to use the kit non-operational rudder assembly, except I did not use the brass etch facings, preferring to laminate the core with 0.6mm Pearwood. The strapping was formed using laser board strip. 3814(2) This Yawl plan from the NMM (ZAZ7122) is set up for six oars which is right for the size and does show tholes set up each side on alternative thwarts. Does the plan indicate that there would be corresponding tholes on the starboard side of the hull? This would suggest that she is set up for double banking, but single banking would also work with this layout with tholes on the alternative thwarts. I have left the kit arrangement as is- set up for six oar double banking. 8465(2) I couldn’t resist seeing how two burly fishing boat skippers would fair sitting double banked on the narrowest thwart. 8501 and at midships, with a space of 5’ 9” It seems to work at 1:64 scale, but enough of this playing around. 8484(2) I used the provided Pearwood oars with the char removed, and with a very limited round applied to the shafts. These are delicate pieces, and the handles particularly will break very easily. At this scale there is very little option to model the swelling of the looms without working the shafts using separate 1mm Boxwood square stuff, something I was not prepared to do for the number involved over the three boats. I opted to paint the oars red as a contrast to the bright finish of the boats. 8502(2) 8506(2) The kit also provides very pretty little grapnels. These were silver soldered together before chemical blackening. 8481(2) 8476(2) The completed set: has taken a fair amount of time to complete the boats, but it’s time I don’t begrudge, they are interesting little projects in their own right. 8488(2) Fully convinced that Sphinx looks better without boats onboard. 8499(2) 8495(2) I will now return to Sphinx to attend to the final finishings. B.E. 22/09/2022

Looking great James, would have loved those lodging knees for Sphinx, would have saved me a whole load of cutting out. Ah well. B.E.

Hello Haiko, I’m pleased that you are finding my log of use. The main yard served as an example of my approach to the fitting and stropping of the blocks used on the yards, but there are differences both in the numbers and sizes of blocks used on the Topsail and T’gallant yards, and you go thro’ the log you will see that I have detailed the blocks used by size and type as I attend to each of the other yards. I didn’t use the kit rigging plans, my rigging was based on Steel’s rigging tables, and the excellent Volume IV of The Fully Framed Model, Rigging a sixth rate sloop of 1767- 1780 by David Antscherl. Regards, B.E.

In the days before the internet and MSW, each edition eagerly anticipated.🙂 B.E.

Nice collection Chris, remarkable similarity to my own library, even down to the old Model shipwright editions. Even now I can’t resist adding to the pile and your fishing boat kits have created a whole new category😊 B.E

Looks good James, realistic finish, I like it. 👍 drip tray a nice addition, I recall I had to make one for Sphinx. B.E.

Thanks Guy's, for your supportive comments, much appreciated.👍 I'll be fiddling with Sphinx for a while yet when I get back from the Lakes. Whether to fit the Hammock cranes or not is one thing on my mind as I look out of the window at Hartsop Dodd, thoughts of model making rarely go away completely.🙄 B.E.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been busily trying to complete the Yawl, which is now all but done. Sphinx is now back in her case whilst we decamp to the Lake District for a spot of hill walking. 8315(2) 8327(2) Deciding how I will display the completed model is something occupying my thoughts. B.E. 09/09/2022

She’s looking great Doug, a fine clean job you’re doing. As far as the head tapering is concerned, Allan is correct in that the head did taper from top to bottom, but as far as the kit is concerned such adjustments may affect the other kit designed features, such as fit of a figurehead, and other features around the headworks. In my humble opinion best left alone unless you’re planning a modification early in a kit build, lest the outcome looks not as good as the original. B.E.

Nice result Rusty, a fine model.👍 B.E.

I just love the sweep of your hull timbers up to the the lower counter, and I think you were right to remove the first go at the counter frieze. I too am a fan of Chuck's paper friezes and they look so good on Winnie, I adapted them for Sphinx. Beautiful work Glenn. B.E.

According to Brian Lavery (Arming and Fitting) skid beams were standard by 1750, initially with iron crutches to secure them, but he indicates that their use on Ships of the line became more permanent by the 1780's. His comments regarding frigates which is more relevant to Winchelsea is that; Frigates were rather slower in adopting gangways and boat booms and do not appear to have them until the early 1800s. I think Chuck's approach of spare topmasts to support a ships boat feels more appropriate, and more aesthetically pleasing in relation to 'Winnie' of 1764. B.E.

Post One hundred and Sixty-one. The Launch – completion 8258 Busy, busy, in the workshop, a case of spot the the boat. 8264 With the wash-boards attached a fair bit of cleaning up is required, but overall I am satisfied that the modification was worth it. 8265 The Rudder The final addition; as with the other boats I put the kit arrangement aside in favour of a working rudder using the typical long pintle at the lower end. 8254(2) The long pintle is silver soldered using a fine brass eyebolt and pin. 8255(2) A brass micro tubing sleeve is used to give support where it fits into the lower stern post. 8266 The long pintle is particularly important in relation to the Launch as to work the Davit the rudder would need to be removed quickly and easily. 8260 8262 If the rudder is shown in place, then the Davit is stored in the Stern-sheets. 8270 If the Davit is shown in place, then the Rudder is not fitted, it would be taken onboard. 8274(2) For display purposes I will have the Davit in place as it is a launch specific fitting. 8276(2) With ten days labour I think I’ve had my moneys worth out of the Launch kit, a lot of modifications in one small hull. 8279(2) Two down, one to go. B.E. 29/08/2022

Thank you shipman, for your kind words and support of my logs. I do enjoy doing this stuff as part of the modelling experience, and it's good if others find it of use. Regards, B.E.

Post One hundred and Sixty. The Launch – ongoing Detailing continues; the thwarts are in place along with the Windlass. The lifting rings have been added to the keelson. 8220 Still to add the thwart brackets. Fitting the brackets is an exercise in frustration; they are incredibly tiny items, seemingly smaller than those for either the Pinnace or Yawl. The only saving grace is that brackets are required for only three of the thwarts, which allows a margin for the inevitable escapees. Before I move onto the wash strakes I needed to decide whether to paint the bottom of the launch up to the waterline. 8221 I had intended to leave the whole hull bright across the range, but I quite liked the effect on the Pinnace, so ivory bottom it is. On the kit the hull is painted white overall up to the wale, but I prefer a bright hull between waterline and wale which provides a nice contrast. Wash-strakes These are formed using planking strips allowing for the oarlock spaces. The blurb says add more lengths of planking along the bulwark top for the oar positions. Easy to say, not so easy perhaps to achieve. There is nothing to support these thin strips and they should follow uniformly the curve of the hull. The kit arrangement is a simplification, presumably due to scale. In reality there would be tholes to secure and take the pressure of the oars, and against which the temporary wash boards would be secured. 8224 To try and add a tad more realism to the set up I fitted strips between the frames along the inner hull to support the tholes. Admittedly I am doing this as an exercise to see if I can, and it does extend the build time which means I don’t have to think about another one.🙄 The thole positions are marked and the process can begin. 8234 The wash strakes at the Bow are attended to first, these are heat treated to follow the hull before fitting against the first thole. 8244 With that done the next thole can be fitted with a 1.25mm spacing, and so on. 8241 8250 I will continue to fit the wash boards and hope it all turns out ok. The danger will be when I come to clean it all up, whether these delicate pieces will hold in place. B.E. 27/08/2022

Post One hundred and fifty-nine. The Windlass This is a tricky fitting to make, the actual length of the Windlass is a mere 28.4mm which has to contain both square and octagonal sections. Steel records the Windlass for a 24’ Launch as being of 8”ø which equates to 3.2mm at scale. I will be using 3mm Boxwood Square stock for the makings. How to begin. When in doubt refer to Chuck; Chapter four of his Medway Longboat Monograph explains the process and fortunately I have his wonderful Medway Longboat at ½” scale, and in the plans is a template for making a windlass. 8184(2) Reduced to 1:64 scale it provides a guide that should prove very useful, provided my eyesight is up to the job. I have made windlasses at 1:48 and 1:64 scales previously but that was some years ago. The templates are glued to the faces of the square stock and it’s then down to how well the octagons can be formed. 8186(2) The stock is supported in a simple ‘V’ jig. 8187(2) I use No11 scalpel blades and micro chisels to form the octagons. 8190(2) I use the No11 scalpel blade to form the rebate. 8195(2) The template certainly simplifies shaping the windlass particularly at this scale, as marking with pencil lines is not so easy on this small area. With the template removed a little more definition is given the the octagonal areas, and the ends formed. 8198 Trial fitting of the windlass into the support chocks. 8201 The Main Thwart is checked against the Windlass position. The remaining thwarts can now be made and put into place. A final thought, given that the windlass is an important feature of both Longboats and Launches, I think a resin version of the Windlass would be a good ‘optional’ fitting for the Vanguard Launch kit. B.E. 25/08/2022