Blue Ensign

A fine looking model Erik, you must be feeling well satisfied, and she looks very elegant in her display location. Well done B.E.

Nice progress Tim, great looking gammoning, and wooldings, and nicely shaped False rails. 👍 B.E.

Post Twenty Completing the First section This involves cleaning up the hull, fixing blemishes, and re-coating the topsides. The moulding rail has been extended onto the Bow stem, and paint added. A Further coat of wipe-on-poly was applied to the unpainted areas. I will leave the painting of the capping rails until I have fixed the internal panels. Progress photos to complete this stage. 0114(2) 0115(2) 0116(2) 0118(2) 0124(2) 0127(2) 0153(2) Moving onto the internal fittings. B.E. 16/04/21

You're making excellent progress Jean-Paul, Gunport linings look good, and very clean work overall. 👍 B.E.

Post Nineteen Lower Moulding Rails The stern Frieze patterns that run from the Flying Transom to the break of the stern sheets govern the position of the lower rail which sits just below the carved decoration. 1588 I used separate colours on the plan to better identify the individual carving pieces. Between the upper rail and the lower rail top there is a space of 4mm running from the bow to around Frame O where it starts to widen by degrees. I used a 4mm wide Pearwood plank to mark the level of the lower moulding to this point, and applied Tamiya tape to secure the line. 1589(2) I cut out the frieze patterns from the plan and Blu tacked them in position to determine the level of the rail at the stern. 1591(2) The required space was thus established and marked with Tamiya tape placed to run with a natural curve to meet the previously placed tape. The main objective is to get a smooth transition and avoid any hint of an awkward angle in the run of the moulding. I have decided at this point to get some paint on the topsides before I apply the lower moulding. 0056(2) This will speed up the process and will provide a good line to fit the moulding to. For the purpose I am using Vallejo Flat Red. With five thinned down coats applied it is time to fit the lower moulding strip. Further coats will be added post fitting. The Boxwood strip used for the moulding is not long enough to cover the full hull length and requires a join. 0066(2) Fortunately, there is a sculptured ornamental decoration that runs downward at the break of the sternsheets and covers this point. I am using ca to fix the rail, but careful as I was tiny amounts of excess ca squeezed above the moulding which will mar the paintwork. 091(2) This is why I haven’t sought to complete the paintwork before fixing the rail. 094(2) 089(2) 086(2) 0108(2) Testing the fit of the carved decoration blanks, I did have to tweak the aft rail sections to get a close fit to the carvings, but fortunately they popped off easily enough with the point of a scalpel blade. Before I move on to the next phase there’s a fair amount of cleaning and further painting to do. B.E. 11/04/21

Post Eighteen Ears and Cap rail mouldings. These are provided in the form of pre-shaped Boxwood pieces for the ears and Boxwood strip for the mouldings. These items require a shaped profile to be scribed into the face. I start with the ears; the profile must be simple given that the edged surface is a mere 1.2mm wide. The means is a single edged razor blade, and the way is to cut the profile shape using the edge of a mini file. This is a method I have used on all my models requiring a fancy edge to rails. 1550 Several passes along the ears, and the centre groove is cleaned using the point of a micro file. The same procedure is used to create the profile in the Boxwood strips six of which I think will be required, barring mishaps. The big danger with the fragile Boxwood strips is running off-line as the profile blade is drawn down its length. These strips are 1.20mm wide and 0.90mm thick, and 325mm in length. 1554 I use a simple guide jig to hold the strips to prevent lateral movement. Well, that’s the plan. 1561 The very tiny profile shape can be seen here cut into the blade. 1552(2) The ‘ears’ go on first, needed a tiny bit of fettlin’ to get them to fit reasonably tight against the cap and stem. 1578(2) I used pva to glue the ears on. 1576(2) With the glue set, a little re-shaping was necessary, which resulted in re-scribing of the profile pattern where it meets the stem. 1584 I used ca to fix the top moulding along the cap rail, and heat bent the forward end to de-stress the curve around the bow section. 1585 For the stern section I found it better start at the Flying transom and move forward, as the moulding finishes at the forward edge of the FT and is angled to suit. 1575(2) I now need to establish the position of the lower moulding to allow for the frieze work and decide at what point I will paint the area between. B.E. 09/04/21

Thank you Michael and Bob, @ Michael - Yes those are the untrimmed filaments, works quite well in this situation with a delicate hull and not much to drive into. Easily trimmed with a scalpel blade, and to sand flush. @ Bob - sounds good to me Bob, and your trip sounds wonderful, have a great time, and stay safe. 👍 B.E.

Post Seventeen Adding the nails Following on from my last post I have applied wipe-on to the decking and the framing below the hull planking, and a further coat to the keel pieces. I now need to consider the nailing. Having applied some several thousand copper nails to the clinker hull of my Alert build, this seems like light relief. 20lb black Filament is supplied and a#74 drill bit is recommended for the purpose. Some 1650 mm of line is provided which is sufficient for 330 5mm lengths, more than enough to fulfil Chuck’s suggested arrangement. I’m not familiar with either filament or #sized drills, but converted to metric a #74 drill = 0.5334 mm ø drill #75 drill = 0.5334 mm ø drill The filament has a 0.5mm diameter, and I used a corresponding drill to suit. 0.5mm ø at scale equates to 0.47” which seems somewhat overscale, and less than half of this is probably more appropriate. However, I appreciate that the whole nailing set-up is purely artistic license, but I rather like the effect. For the lower plank I have restricted the nails to only where the plank crosses a frame, it seemed pointless to insert a nail into a plank without anything to connect it to. In reality a clinker-built boat would be planked from the keel up. 1520 For this operation I inverted the boat for ease of working. 1522 I eyed the position of the nails and used a simple jig to fix the drill point at 1mm from the edge. For the upper plank nailing I followed the kit scheme, again sighting and marking the position, and using the jig for the drilling. 1532(2) This time I had the boat the correct way up for marking and fitting and inverted for drilling. 1542(2) 1543(2) I have decided not to apply any more wop to the planking until I have fixed the moulding rails which is the next stage of the operation. B.E. 07/04/21

Always an exception to prove a rule, we are talking generalities here. B.E.

The one I heard is that you can put a boat on a ship, but not a ship on a boat. B.E.

Boats are very welcome, at least my last several builds haven't been thrown off the site, all much smaller than ships.😃 B.E.

This thread makes me smile when I consider how contemporary models and even more recent iconic models such as Longridge’s Victory are treated. Even the NMM no longer considers most ship models are worthy of displaying and has shipped them off to storage at Chatham. The last time I saw Longridge’s Victory it was in a poor condition, and that too is no longer on display at The Science Museum. Sadly, the broad sway of the public have no interest in ship models, including most of your relatives. How long the models we build last is of little consequence in the overall scheme of things, build them to enjoy in you own lifetime. B.E.

Thank you Jean-Paul, I regularly check out your excellent build as I proceed. B.E.

Post Sixteen First internal fixings While I continue to fettle the frames, at this point I felt it time to install the floorboarding and Platforms. The main floor went in without issue. 1457 The Amati planking clamps proved useful once again. 1490(2) I made up the aft and Fore platforms, pre-formed strips that went together without issue. These are simply edge glued together. Fitting the aft platform involves using Chuck’s simple height gauge to mark the correct level on the frames, which may be subject to some tweaking. I found that Frame 9 did need further reducing to allow the height to be marked. The gluing area is pretty small so weights are used to obtain good contact. 1510 Aft Platform completed. The Fore platform proved the trickiest to fit and by the end I was wondering whether Chuck was having a little joke at my expense. It is in two parts fitted either side of Frame (I) The larger section effectively balances on only one frame (H) and butts up against Solid Bulkhead (I) without any batten like support. The smaller section is butted against the forward side of Bulkhead (I) and rests on the ‘V’ the Foremost Frame ( J) I so wanted to add a support rail beneath this platform, and certainly would have done had I been solid planking the hull. 1492 I noted that Jean-Paul (JpR62) used a temporary batten taped to the Bulkhead to give support while the glue took, and I happily followed his example. 1495 Frame H took a lot of fairing to get the platform to sit in the right position with the aft end sitting on the forward section of Frame G and the forward end of the platform at the right level on the Bulkhead. Again, there is little gluing area and I used weights to ensure a good contact. 1497 The final piece of this testy little exercise is to fix the fore end of the platform where the intention is to make it appear to have mortised thro’ the Bulkhead. 1500 I must admit the gaps between floor and platforms I find untidy looking and unfinished. Surely a shaped beam, attached to the frames would have been used to support and secure the inboard ends of the platform planking. On a practical level whilst holding the model I did inadvertently put pressure on the forward platform which gave way along the seam. I am still toying with the idea of attaching a beam to the frames to give support. 1516 1502(2) 1512(2) I will spend the rest of the day cleaning and fettlin’ before I apply a coat of wipe-on-poly to dry overnight. B.E. 05/04/21

There are no rules about building a model in any way you wish, but I think perhaps you are approaching the subject with the wrong mindset. By its very nature ship modelling is generally not a quick fix activity, and in order to get a half decent result the planking and hull construction at least needs, and indeed takes, time and effort. There is no real way around the need to fair bulkheads so that the planks lay correctly. or to shape the planks to some degree. Shortcuts generally involve leaving off detail or displaying a model without masting or rigging, for which there is a fine tradition in the form of Navy board style models. Having said that, you are of course welcome to start a log, who knows, once you start your enthusiasm may develop. B.E.

As Alan says diluted pva is good for adding 'weightiness' to line. With cat tackles I suspend a small lead weight from the cat block hook and paint diluted pva on the tackle lines. B.E.

Post Fifteen Completing the fairing of frame and rail. The method I trialled on the first few frames worked out well. Use of the scalpel speeded up the process, and I also used the scalpel to carefully reduce the width of the rails which saved a lot of sanding. 1414 Having sanded the outboard of the rail flush with the planking I used dividers to lightly score the near finish line which was sufficient to prevent the scalpel point running off-line. 1421(2) I used a template from the plan to guide the shape at the bow where it meets the stem post. 1428 Not there yet but getting closer. 1433 Using the width gauge to check a uniform width of 2mm Once satisfied with the rail I turned my attention to fine tuning the frames. 1434(2) The simple width gauge can be seen lying on the frame centres. 1438(2) 1435(2) 1442(2) 1444(2) 1445 The prominent sheer is apparent in these shots. 1439(2) It can be difficult to know when to stop, but I think I’m there with the rails and frames. Test fitting of the floors may prove me wrong in relation to the frames. I think some tidying up is required before I proceed to the next stage. B.E. 01/04/21

Phew that’s a relief, but whichever way you choose she will look great.👍 B.E.

Hi Glenn, Beautiful work on those guns, a joy to behold. 👏🏻 Just a point to check, should the cut-outs for the anchor cables be in the Main hatch gratings rather than the Fore hatch, if not I’ve made a major error on my build🤔 B.E.

Thank you Rusty.👍 Post Fourteen Fairing and thinning. I felt myself getting a touch of the modelling yips trying to decide on the best approach to this task. At first glance the fining down of the frames and thinning of the rails seems a task fraught with danger given that there are some 46 delicate frame sides to reduce to a uniform and elegant shape. I decided to start at the stern area taking in the aftermost five frames. 1410 I am using a No11 scalpel blade to pare away in an upward motion to achieve a narrowing curve up to the rail. This reduces sanding time, creates a nice clean line, but has its risks in that I am working with the blade coming towards my steadying fingers at the rail. For this reason, a fresh blade is used every two or three frames, keep it sharp, keep it clean. 1411 Once I have pared down the frame to rail level, I sand the rail horizontally and repeat the exercise. I use a pair of dividers set a tad over 2mm to score the width of the rail which I then line with pencil as a guide. I picked up on Rusty’s log where he describes his use of a simple width gauge to check the rail width as he progresses. 1412 The difference to the yet unworked frames is clear. At this point I decided to move forward to the following frames and reduce them to the same degree before returning to fine tune the whole set. 1413 In my next post I hope I will show the successfully completed frame reduction task, but this may take some time. Cheers, B.E. 29/03/21

You and David are surely a ship modelling dream team, beautiful work Greg. Is that a seat of ease, or a pisdale located in the bow bulwark? B.E.

Set of the sail looks good Erik, very nicely done. 👍 B.E.

Ha, Ha, Bruce, testimony to Chuck's design, I think she'd stand more than a 2lb weight, but I'm not about to push it. 😉 B.E.

Post Thirteen Cap Rails and frames I can’t say I’m looking forward to the slow and delicate process of adding the cap rails and fining down the frames. The Cap rails are first fitted and then the frames and rails thinned down to achieve a consistent 5/64” width along the entire length of the rail. I scratched my head a little over this. As we in the UK have used the metric system for many years, (Napoleon did at least win this campaign, eventually) for ease of working I need to convert. 5/64” as a decimal = 0.0781 x 25.4 = 1.984mm The finished rail is indicated as a hair less than 3/32” 3/32” as decimal = 0.09375 x 25.4 = 2.38mm I was a little puzzled as the working width seemed less that the finished width, but by less than 0.5mm. I decided to aim for a working width of 2mm. First things first, the frame tops are to be levelled flush with the sheer strake. Chuck is right these took more work than first envisaged. I started with the Starboard Bow rail. This needed a deeper recess at the stem point to allow it to sit at least flush at all points with the planking at the bow on the outboard side. (Probably something to do with my fairing of the bow area.) 1308 Once set, I fitted the Port side rail which was no trouble at all. 1310 The long centre rails were trimmed and fitted next without issues. The final stern strips involve a little more work, bevelling to meet the Flying Transom and notching of the Transom to take the rail. This begs the question how much of a notch? Given that the finished rail should be 5/64” or 2mm in my world. I opted to make the notch 2mm including the thickness of the Sheer strake. I pre-cut the stern rail from the Flying Transom forward to Frame 10 to a 2mm profile. 1311(2) The rails needed one further tweak, a slight edge bend to follow the inward curve as the rail meets the Transom. Here the lower Starboard rail has been subjected to the treatment. 1314 The ‘tweaked’ stern rails. 1321 Stern Rails in place, the pre thinned area aft of Frame 10 will eventually be continued along allowing for a flare at the bow. 1319(2) 1326(2) 1320(2) Sanding down of the rails to be flush with the exterior planking is mostly done, a little tweaking here and there. I now need to work out my approach to the internal fairing of the frames. B.E. 28/03/21

Thank you, Bruce, and Rusty. @ Rusty – I only hope I can match your standard of rail/frame completion. Useful tips on your log, I like your use of a width gauge for the rails. Did you first start by thinning the inboard rails, or the frames? It seems to me that the rails would be sanded horizontally along the grain, and the frames vertically. Regards, B.E.