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Blue Ensign

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  1. Blue Ensign
    I was hoping you would post a photo of your new assistant, he looks a fine little chap - hi Winkie. has he met the neighbours yet - those large furry brown ones. I think you would find the Proxxon mill ideal for model making, I don't use mine a lot but it comes in for slotting and profiling, and when you need it you need it. B.E.
  2. Blue Ensign
    The Crowsfeet look good at this stage Derek, they really are tricky beasts to get the tension right without distorting the stays. Thinking back to my Pegasus build I think I resorted to stiffening them with diluted pva to stop them running off line. I still like them as a feature on models tho'. B.E.
  3. Blue Ensign
    Yes Dave, just a simple knot to secure the ends, pulled tight, sealed with a spot of glue, and trimmed close. B.E.
  4. Blue Ensign
    That looks a fine little model Bruce and makes my recent subjects look positively chunky by comparison. The fineness of those ribs is something to behold but will add authenticity that simply adding internal strips to represent them can’t truly replicate, but at 1:64 scale real ribs would be the ultimate nightmare. I look forward to your return to this build once you have garnered the necessary resolve. Regards, B.E.
  5. Blue Ensign
    Generally no, there is little point in adding parcelling as it is hidden by the serving. Worming may be appropriate at larger scales on large cables. In serving you do need to be conscious of the final effect at scale. I sometimes find that serving over true scale lines makes the overall effect look too bulky. The smallest serving line is around 0.1mm diameter, and I usually reduce the host line diameter a little to compensate. I use a small knot at the start sealed with pva and smear pva along the line as I proceed to keep it tight and reduce the risk of unravelling. At the end I use a spot of glue to hold the line before fixing with a simple square knot. B.E.
  6. Blue Ensign
    Thanks guys for looking in, these bijou projects can get kind of addictive, I may be tempted to do one more when Chris brings out his 36' Admirals Barge. B.E.
  7. Blue Ensign
    Very nice planking James, I'd be very pleased with that. 👍 B.E.
  8. Blue Ensign
    Good to hear from you Martin, and great to see your Fly emerge from her hibernation. Sorry about the damage but at least it wasn’t the headworks, so all should be good. That is an amazing workspace for you to set things out to best effect. Remember the basic rule, you can never have enough power points. I’ve got eight in the space of six feet, and twelve overall in my office/workshop set up. Pleased you have taken on a new shipyard companion, hopefully once he/she starts to feel safe, trust will return. Looking forward to Fly progressing. Regards, B.E.
  9. Blue Ensign
    That looks so impressive Chris, even in its raw state, if only I were younger. B.E.
  10. Blue Ensign
    Looking good Tim, the design of those chains and plates is very well done. I do recall that I had to fiddle with the chains for the Main channels to get the plates to fit above the wale, hopefully you will fare better. B.E.
  11. Blue Ensign
    Your copper is looking very good Richard. I found it useful to have a small pot of Acetone handy and a supply of cotton buds or similar, to clean the worst of the ca staining as I went along. It meant the final cleaning up was a lot easier. B.E.
  12. Blue Ensign
    Post Twenty Completing the build. I have used the laser cut Pearwood oars and modified the boathook to fit in a wooden handle. The grapnel was silver soldered and chemically blackened. The final addition are the thole pins; I used the provided etched kit versions, I simply couldn’t contemplate trying to make wooden versions of that tiny size. 0620(2) 0627 0628 0631 0636(2) 0640(2) Together with the original 18’ cutter which I made in Boxwood. On balance I think I prefer the Boxwood finish for small boats. The Yawl now joins the Cutter Alert in her case along with the 18’ cutter. 0642(2) 0649 0653 0654 0656(2) After five weeks of effort this little project comes to an end. I can’t say with certainty that the way I have rigged it is fully accurate, but I think it looks ok at the scale involved and gives an idea how these boats were sailed rather than rowed. B.E. 19/02/21
  13. Blue Ensign
    Post Nineteen Stay tackles For the stays I am using Syren 0.20mm line and for the Lanyards Morope 0.1mm line. For the blocks Syren 2mm with Syren (now withdrawn) 3mm black plastic hooks. The stays are simply looped around the Masthead and fitted in pairs. 0511 The trickiest part is attaching the hooks of the lower blocks to the hull straps. 0562(2) Fore stays in place, it took quite a few hours to strop and set up, rather like rigging the side tackles on 6 pounder guns, but without a convenient jig. 0565(2) 0553(2) 0561(2) 0534(2) With the stays completed there only remains for the equipment to be added. B.E. 18/02/21
  14. Blue Ensign
    Thank you Radmancoop, The Truss pendants secure the yards to the mast as indicated above. The other pendants you refer to are the Burton pendants or Pendants of tackles. These go over the masthead before the shrouds, thimbles are attached to the ends to take tackles for heavy lifting, altho’ sometimes blocks are secured directly to the pendants. Regards, B.E.
  15. Blue Ensign
    Well done Eric, a very nice Pinnace. 👍 B.E.
  16. Blue Ensign
    Post Eighteen Rigging continuation The rigging continues with the placing of eyebolts and cleats to take the sheets, and the eyebolts to secure the Fore and Main stays. Drilling through the forward ‘brass’ grating to take the Main stay eyebolt was the most difficult part. The tacks are simply secured to the mast below the snotter. The sails have brails added which allow the quick furling of the sail against the mast. 0043 Running each side of the sail through a grommet in the leech of the sail, thro’ small blocks at the masthead to belay at pins set in the mast benches. 0041 For the belay pins I used brass etched versions unused from my Cutter Alert build. 0039(2) 0038(2) I will continue to tinker with the brails to persuade them to hang with a natural sag. The less than appealing task of making up eight sets of mini tackles now looms. B.E. 15/02/21
  17. Blue Ensign
    A sweet looking Fifie Gb, very nicely done. 👍 B.E.
  18. Blue Ensign
    Thanks for looking in Ras, I’m pleased it has been of help. @ Bob - the books are Landscape format 28cm x 21cm. B.E.
  19. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Tony, Lateen rigs were used on naval boats and there is an example shown in the Pandora book of a Pinnace with such a rig (but without the fine detail). These yards needed to be shifted around quite often so a simple set up as shown would probably apply. B.E.
  20. Blue Ensign
    Hi Tim, The kit provided Amati swivels are of very poor quality, I replaced them with RB Models brass 15mm guns which are perfect for scale but do need the yokes making to hold them. I think Chris Watton may have some swivels as supplied with the Cutter Alert kit, but I don’t know if he supplies these as a separate fitting. I also have an idea that Chuck (Syren) also makes a gun suitable for use as a swivel. If you wish to stick with the kit versions you don’t have to fit them to all of the posts, I left some of them off on my Pegasus build. Cheers, B.E.
  21. Blue Ensign
    Thanks Tony, at small scales it is a convenient way to secure the bolt ropes, and slits can be put in to pull the cringles through where required.. Post Seventeen Rigging attachments Eyebolts and ringbolts are not such an issue but four sets of plates secured to the wales to take the stay rigging present a problem because of their very small size. 0481(2) Attached to these will be simple tackles utilising 2mm single Syren blocks and 0.1mm Morope line. 0482 Holding such a small boat securely necessitates knocking up a small jig, not very pretty but it is effective. Here the hull plates have been ca’d into place. Then there’s the Snotter; up to a few days ago I didn’t have a clue what this was, but Steel provided the answer; A short rope, spliced together at the ends and served with spun yarn, seized to the size of the mast leaving a bight to fit the lower end of the sprit which it confines to the mast. I pondered how to produce this at the scale involved, and finally settled on a simple seizing of a line around the sprit and the mast. 0487(2) At the fore lower part of the mast there is a cleat to take the sail halyard. This is too tiny to use any pre-made cleats, but a small eyebolt cut at the ring top allows a cleat to be fashioned. The halyard is attached to the nock of the sail and runs thro’ a sheave in the mast head. 0495 0492 For the remainder of the rigging, I need to do a little more research as I am hampered by a lack of clear drawings for the belay attachments for the sheets and other lines, and there does seem to be variances in the set-up of the rig. John McKay’s Yawl drawings in the AotS Pandora differ from the sprit rig shown on a Pinnace by Marquardt in 18th c Rigs and Rigging. 🤔 B.E. 13/02/21
  22. Blue Ensign
    Post Sixteen Thinking about the rigging. I first needed to work out the relative scale sizes of the masts and the sprits. For this I go to Steel who gives the dimensions in his 1794 work. The mast lengths are 2½ times the breadth of the boat which gives a mast length of 72mm. The Sprit lengths are ⅛ more than the length of the mast giving a length of 81mm. Steel also gives the relative details of the sails. The sails will be made from 21gsm Modelspan using a re-scaled plan. I had to go back eight years to my Le Praetorian build to refresh my memory on making small scale sails. 0448 The Modelspan is taped over a cut-away box, ensuring it is large enough to cover the required sails. 0450 Diluted pva slightly discoloured with yellow ochre, is painted over the Modelspan. 0453 Hairdryer on hot is used and the Modelspan dries taut. 0455(2) The Modelspan is removed, taped over the patterns, and is cut out leaving a margin. 0458 The sails are overpainted with a diluted off-white water-based paint. 0460 The hems are folded over and 0.2mm line is used to form the bolt ropes with cringles in the four corners. Pva is used to seal the hem. Before I proceed further, I need to test check the fit of the sails and work out the position of the Snotter to take the heel of the Sprit. 0469(2) The sails are only roughly laced to the mast at this stage. 0467 0476 I think it will be easier to rig the sails off-model. B.E. 11/02/21
  23. Blue Ensign
    I think you’re correct about the thwarts Dan, apart from the question of scale there is mis- alignment with the Rowlocks. I don’t think a sailor would have made that error. B.E.
  24. Blue Ensign
    Post Fifteen Fitting the rudder. As with my approach to the cutter build I have discarded the provided rudder with its brass etched facings in favour of a new rudder cut from Pearwood scrap. 00397 The thickness matches the etched ‘sandwiched’ original but the length is left slightly longer to give me more leeway in the positioning of the tiller. 00421(2) On the model a small eyebolt with a fine brass pin silver soldered into it made for the pintles, and eyebolts for the gudgeons. The lower pintle was fitted to the sternpost, it was longer than usual for ease of location. The upper one was fitted to the rudder. 0412 This arrangement was to facilitate ease of removal and re hanging whilst the boat was in the water. 0402 I think it’s time for a general tidy-up.🙄 0443(2) 0426(2) 0427(2) 0439(2) 0440(2) I still need to treat the Pearwood hull with wipe-on-poly and add the rudder straps, but for all practical purposes the basic boat is complete. Before I proceed further, I will attend to the iron hull fittings for the rigging. B.E. 10/02/21
  25. Blue Ensign
    She's looking very smart Eric with some nice little tweaks and additions, which all add to the build experience. Your Pinnace is morphing into a Barge before our very eyes. 😉 B.E.

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