Blue Ensign

I will be following the Joseph Marshall painting which includes channels, deadeyes, and Chainplates. I think they add to a 'Navy Board' style model. B.E.

Post Fifty-six Upper deck fittings continued Colouring the Coamings. There is a lot of Red ochre on the model so I decided to paint the coamings black. I felt this would give a nicer contrast to the Pearwood gratings which I will lightly varnish using w-o-p. The coamings were shaped on the underside to match the deck camber, and plank thick strips added to give the correct height above the deck planking. These pieces took a lot cleaning up and removal of laser burn, before painting. Below the grating rebate the coamings were simply varnished. Admiralty Brand Ironwork Black was used to colour. 1952 With a grating section removed there are glimpses of the Lower deck thro’ the Main Hatch. 1941 The trickiest part of modifying the main hatch/ladderway combo, is working a round-up to the head ledge between the hatch and ladderway. Through this section pass the forward stanchions of the pump handles. (412) which continue through the Upper deck to seat on the lower deck. The holes need easing to allow passage of the stanchions without stress, and a ‘round-up’ is cut to fit around the stanchions. The Fore Hatch grating has been cut into two sections, and looks much better to my eye. 1939 0063 I now have the option to leave the forward section off giving a view down through the Lower deck to the Hold, and the ladderway to the forward platform. The aft ladderway with Capstan step. 1938 1951 Looking thro’ the aft ladderway coaming down to the Lower deck ladderway to the Orlop. 1968 With these modifications the impression is thus given of a model with all decks represented. 1958 1956 The next stage is to glue the centre line fittings to the false deck, but a couple of the gratings are not as good as I would like so I will defer until I receive the replacements from Chris. It is easier to fine tune the gratings with the hatches off the model. 1959(3) Overall it’s going to plan, so I’m happy with progress to date. Happy New Year to you all. B.E. 26/12/21

Hi Chris, Presumably this is round stock, which would give a nice finish to some of the Booms, yards, and masts, but can you get Square stock? Square stock allows for nicely profiled heels and heads on masts, and forming octagons on yard centres, but the round sections obviously have to be turned. This may be beyond the remit for your target kit market, but simple masts such as on your Fishing boat kits would benefit from such an enhancement as Pearwood dowel. In preference to the standard Walnut (too dark for my taste) or Limewood dowel (tends to warp) I use Ramin for lower masts and Boxwood square stock for Topmasts. A Pearwood alternative I would find appealing. Cheers, B.E.

A pleasurable catch-up Derek what a fine job you are doing with the Duchess, she looks splendid. The only downside of looking at your log is that it cost me money, another three items of interest to follow up including those wonderful looking chisels. Have a good Christmas, and a safe New Year. B.E.

Thank you Glenn, I think 'Merry' is the traditional greeting in England too, certainly the written version on cards. A quick look around all the cards we have received would suggest so. I'm a Christmas baby so Merry and Happy get rolled into one.😄 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours. B.E.

Thanks Ron, an interesting idea about darkening the 'parquet' flooring, I'll bear that in mind.👍 Post Fifty-five Deck fittings With the port linings completed I return to the Upper deck and the centre line fittings of hatchways and gratings. I have decided to fit these first and plank to them. All the deck fittings are designed to sit atop the deck so these will need beefing up on the underside by the thickness of the planking. Firstly there are modifications to make. The kit provided hatch sets lack a round-up to the head ledges; many contemporary models show this feature and a camber to the gratings. This look appeals to me, and my eye expects to see it. I have also carefully removed the shot garlands which in the kit are an integral part of the coamings. For the Navy Board style model I envisage they seem an unnecessary and fussy addition, and I can always re-install them. Modifying the kit Coaming/gratings arrangements. Fore and after hatchways Using 2x2mm Pearwood stock the head ledges are created. 1925 I had bought some Pearwood timber from Hobbymill E.U. in anticipation of this modification. I was a little apprehensive about messing with the pre formed Pear gratings, but I thought if things go pear shaped (no pun intended) I could buy some from Chris, Vanguard sell Pearwood gratings with 1mm square holes. 1901(2) The kit gratings are soaked and heat bent around a tube to create the camber in the top. This went well for the gratings of the Fore and Aft hatches. Main Hatchway 1875 The main Hatch grating is firstly divided into three sections before soaking and heat bending. 1905 Such meddling does have its risks as can be seen here. An order is already winging its way to Chris. 1921 The general look I’m aiming for. Still a lot of work to do and decisions to be made about the finish to the coamings, Natural, Black, or Red ochre. 1919 Looking forward from the aft Ladderway. 1914 I think I will also split the Fore Hatch grating into two sections and have one removed from each of the Fore and Main Hatches to allow a view directly down to the hold and lower deck. So fettlin’ the hatches is what I will be working on over Christmas. I take the opportunity to thank all my fellow modellers who have shown an interest in my builds, and wish all a very Happy Christmas and a safe New Year. B.E. 23/12/21 ps: no issues in uploading these seven photos.

A wealth of interesting info in the last couple of posts, Ron, she should look very impressive set in her seascape. 👍 B. E.

Well worth repeating Ron, this is an expensive kit and deserves careful construction. I like your comment 'this is no "slam dunk" of a kit' , sort of sums it up. You have a good point Glenn about the flooring, I am far from convinced myself. The b&w pattern is simply scaled and printed off, it's how it will look thro' the deck beams that will be the final decider, and the kit version may well better suit the understated look I am aiming for. B.E.

Thank you Christian and James. @ Christian - This is a great kit and the design is such that rapid progress can be made from the early stages, but it is a two edged sword. Great care and forward thinking is required to avoid poor fitting and compounded errors. The danger is that the many pre formed parts can beguile you into thinking it is a simple fit and glue job, in my experience it certainly is not. @ James - I now remember your good advice, but as it happens I forgot to do it, 🙄 fortunately there was no bleed.. Cheers, B.E.

It looks like Algo Rithm has developed critical judgement of photos and is rejecting any it doesn’t like.😳 I found that Glenn, if I fiddled around with the photo in photo editing, it may eventually accept it. I hope it doesn’t decide my logs are not worthy and summarily removes them😬 B.E.

Post Fifty-four Completing the Great Cabin. The cills are made using 0.8mm x 6mm Pearwood strip. 1832 The unused seat pattern (198) made a good template for cutting the cill to fit between the frames. 1838(2) The slots were cut out on the scroll saw. 1835 Fitting was a case of slowly adjusting the slots to fit. 1841 The process went far more smoothly than I dared hope. 1846 The bulwarks have been given the w-o-p treatment and I’m still not sure whether to paint the panelling with an ivory tone. Also wracked with indecision about the kit provided ‘parquet’ flooring or use of the alternative b/w chequer. 1845 This I can defer until I see how things look between the Qtr deck beams. The Gallery doors present something of a problem, I removed these when I modified the Qtr Galleries, and the question is how or whether to refit them. I don’t think Chuck fitted doors to the Quarter Galleries of Winchelsea. The doors are engraved on one side only, are not square, and if to be displayed open need reversing to show the patterns. If hinged on the left they open against the bench arrangement, and either way they open onto the spirketting and deck clamps. Another feature that I can’t get my head around and I’ll leave them off for the present. The port linings and inner bulwarks have been painted; careful masking of the port surrounds is required to avoid getting paint on the ‘bright’ outer planking. 1850(2) Tedious business this, using a fine brush and not too thin a paint mix to decrease the risk of bleed. I note that Chuck leaves the inside edges of the planking around the ports clear of paint, an arrangement I followed on my Cheerful build. I do like this effect, but it is not one reflected on many contemporary models and I think I would struggle to replicate it on the 1:64 scale Sphinx. 1867 1861 1859 1857(2) Four months into the build and I am now ready to set out the centre line deck fittings. B.E. 21/12/21

Recently when I upload a series of photos for my log, the system seems to randomly fail to upload some of the photos stating 'unknown error'/ error code 200. There is nothing unusual in these photos, file size for instance. Any thoughts? B.E.

Cheers Guys, @Mark - I think you’re probably right Mark, the section plan in the Pandora book shows the bench set up higher on a step but that arrangement didn’t transfer well to the Sphinx model. @ Kirby – I started looking into Greek mythology for suitable depictions when I remodelled the Pegasus stern decoration, there were far more characters to play with in that tale. @ Thomas – You can’t go far wrong following Chuck’s example.🙂 Regards, B.E.

Post Fifty-three The Great Cabin flat pack assembly continues. I faffed around with the octagonal style cover but couldn’t get it to sit right with my eye. With the kit set-up the Rudder head position throws the cover too far backwards when the forward edge at least should meet the deck edge. To achieve this the cover would have to be too broad and not fit between the stern frames as required. This also has implications for subsequently fitting the rudder and seating the rudder head within the cover. Back to basics I considered the purpose of the fittings; to give a reasonably realistic impression as viewed obliquely and from above thro’ the Quarterdeck beams. With that in mind I have opted to follow Chuck’s lead. A rectangular cover masks the actual line of the rudder head and provides a clean line to set the benches against. The cover is fashioned from some Pear sheet, and decorated with some ebony strip, and a depiction of a Greek sphinx. Very keen on Greek mythology were the Georgians, altho’ the Sphinx is a far less attractive subject than the rather elegant Pegasus. Both winged creatures, but I wouldn’t fancy meeting this Woman/lion/Raptor combo, who delighted in tearing humans limb from limb if they couldn’t answer her bloody questions. Still one young likely lad who went by the name of Oedipus did indeed answer her riddle correctly, and in a fit of pique, Sphinx threw herself from a cliff and smashed on the rocks below . Fortunately, a fate not shared by the ship named for her. Still I digress. 1816 Trial fit of the cover, I basically followed Chuck’s method, without the luxury of laser cut parts. 1826 The benches are fitted each side of the cover. Fairly straightforward using Pear strips of 6mm and 10mm widths. 1829 I use scale figures to set the fittings at the right height. I find that such figures do aid the setting up of these things. 1830 The distance between the bench tops and stern Window cills is around a scale 4½ feet, which seems a little high to me, the Captain would have to stand on the bench top to see out of the stern windows. The cills and the Gallery doors are yet to be fitted, then the area can be cleaned up. B.E. 19/12/21

Post Fifty-two Great Cabin modification With the Qtr galleries now in place I can move onto an area of the build that excites my interest, the fitting out of the Great cabin. Chris’s design lends itself to this type of Navy Board style conversion, but is perhaps less relevant if the Qtr deck is to planked over and the model fully rigged. Having said that I would probably have done it anyway. Again I will be using Chuck’s Winchelsea example as a guide. This shot from Chuck’s wonderful build shows a typical arrangement altho’ with Sphinx the head is octagonal and of smaller proportions. There are drawings of the Rudder cover and bench arrangements in the Pandora book, good for dimensions, but not a good fit for layout. The first task is to create the internal framing to support the cill and internal horizontal planking. 1794 Small sections of 4x4mm square stock are used for this and fit between the vertical stern framing just below the window frames. For the internal planking I am using 4mm x 0.8mm Pearwood. Strip. 1798 This continues down the stern frames to the deck allowing for the rudder head space and cover. I have cut the octagon shaped cover from a section of square stock Walnut, hollowed out to fit over the rudder head. The octagonal Rudder Head cover, which scales to a diameter of 30” (12mm) and a height of 35.3” (14mm) sits between the central stern frames. 1804 1807 I am constrained in the actual positioning of the cover by the position of the Rudder head and stern post, and this will ultimately determine the layout of the bench and other fittings. 1800 I think I am likely to have more than one nibble at producing the cover, my preference is for Boxwood with Pearwood mouldings. 1808 If I can’t get the Octagonal cover to work I may have to follow Chuck’s example of a rectangular box which would give me more leeway. Before I do further work on the cover I need to see about the bench arrangement. The bench seat scales to a depth of 15” (6mm) and a height of 20” (8mm) Without a formal plan to work to a lot of trial and error will be involved, and I expect to be faffing around with this set-up for a while yet. B.E. 17/12/21

The Bellona model is the one I recall as having the stop, wonderful craftsmanship, and if it’s good enough for the artists of the time............. B.E.

If before you re-glue the patterns you pin and use a few clamps to hold the patterns in position you can then run a tape directly below the patterns which will give you the line, and an immediate visual check when you come to glue them in place.. B.E.

Post Fifty-one Port Linings – again. I am using 0.6mm Boxwood strip for the purpose. The cills are the easy bit, the side pieces with their angles not so. 1751(2) A card template was made to cut the sides from 10mm wide boxwood strip. Each side needing final sanding and fitting, forty-four pieces in total, quite a time consuming business, and not a very exciting one. Waiting for the replacement Quarter Gallery part to arrive gave me the impetus to get stuck in. 1757 Fitting in progress, to my eye the ports look better lined. 1790 It has taken 3 days to complete the fit, but the tricky part remains of painting the linings without marking the topsides planking. 1781 Cleaning up the inside bulwarks. A specifically designed sanding stick was required to avoid catching the spirketting and deck clamps whilst smoothing off the inboard linings. In reality the Quick-works should extend over the inboard linings but having used the pre-cut inboard bulwark patterns this option was not available. 1787 I will leave any further work on the linings for the present, as the replacement gallery window patterns have arrived, (thanks Chris) and I can now complete the Starboard Quarter gallery. B.E. 14/12/21

Me too Glenn, We know the dates when names were introduced on the sterns,(1771) we know when the arrangement changed from small letters in a cartouche, to large as possible. (1772) We know they were always painted, never raised block lettering, and that Keppel had the names scrubbed out on his fleet in 1778, during the period of that year. .... but why the stop, yet another of the myriad of questions constantly buzzing around my head that I don't have the answer to. B.E. ps. I note that Marshall in his painting of Sphynx in 1775 did not include her name on counter.

Fine little model the Fifie, I found it a pleasure to build, I’m sure you will too. B.E.

Thank you Mark, I will apply the fixative before I attach them to the model. The beauty of print your own is you have endless goes at the process. 😊 B.E.

It is such a damn tricky business getting the paint lines right, drives me mad at times, spend hours doing countless re-touch ups. I'm sure you will get there in the end Mark. 👍 B.E.

I was keen this morning to see how Chuck’s magic looked on Sphinx. I am not disappointed. 1763 1762 The arrangement will be enhanced once the decorative rails are applied top and bottom of the counters. 1768 Before the final pieces are applied I will lightly spray with artists fixative which may slightly change the colour. I will need to create a paint mix close to the final tone for areas where background painting is required, but that’s a way ahead. Thank you so much Chuck, what an asset you are to the ship modelling community. 👏 B.E.

My plan is to just use the printed paper strips a method often used on contemporary models, and as used on Chuck's Winchelsea to great effect. I believe at some time in the future Chris is thinking about a decal version for use on his models, but I doubt that will be in the time frame of my build. Cheers, B.E.

Hi Kirby. Generally, and particularly on small ships like Sphinx the frieze work and counter decoration would be painted, but often in a style to represent carved work. In reality such painting would be very limited on small ships, and probably not present at all. Actual Carved work of varying degrees was applied to the stern facias particularly on prestige ships, but even this reduced significantly as the 18th century moved towards the early 19th century. I think there was a fair bit of artistic licence used by artists and contemporary model makers, to impress potential funders of the real thing, but they probably all knew that the Navy Board put strict limits on how much they would pay for such decorations. The budget got tighter and tighter as the American and French wars dragged on. Sphinx as painted by Joseph Marshall, shows her highly decorated with a Blue ground to the frieze and counter work, it makes a very nice looking model. In reality the blue work officially should be black, but I am happy to follow the Marshall example. B.E.