Blue Ensign

Thank you all for your 'likes' and generous comments. @ Martin, - I was surprised when the phone was answered, he sounded a really nice chap, and I don’t think us modellers need much of an excuse to talk endlessly about the subject.😃 @ Glenn and John – I did think about making some scale ‘silver darlings’ when doing my Fifie build, but then reality kicked in.😉 I will however make a set of Cran baskets, quite relaxing basket weaving. Cheers, B.E.

All looking good to my eye Tim, nicely done. 👍 B. E.

Great backdrop to a wonderful model, a work of art. B.E.

Post 39 Completion of the hull Three months of fairly consistent working and the hull and deck fittings are complete. Time for a photo shoot before I clear the work bench and move onto the second stage of Mast making and rigging. 8849 8848 8845 8842 8840 8838(2) 8833(2) 8828(2) 8817 8811(2) Modifying this excellent kit to reflect a specific boat has added immensely to the build enjoyment for me, and my thanks go out to Chris for providing the makings. The high basic accuracy of the kit make it a good subject for modification, and had I decided to model the Zulu Fidelity (BF 1479) very little reconstruction work would have been required. B.E. 18/11/20

Thanks John, even so reports would indicate that Zulu's were a hard place for those prone to sea sickness. I think the same was said of Flower Class Corvettes, that would 'roll on wet grass'. Regards, B.E.

Post 38 Bilge keel To add or not to add, that is the question. The Underhill plan doesn’t show them but both the George MacLeod model in the NMM, and the Gordon Williams model show this fitting. There is also a photo of the Zulu Mary Jeanie 1898 in dry dock which also clearly has them. The version on both the George MacLeod and Gordon Williams models looks like a flat board rather than a keel piece. 3488ab Gordon Williams model. My understanding is bilge keels were more of a shallow triangular profile pointing downwards and outwards below the round of the hull. Purely on the off chance and with little expectation that the telephone number was still extant I called Gordon Williams who lives in Monmouth and whose splendid model of Muirneag resides in the museum in Stornoway. To my surprise he responded and I had very interesting conversation about his model and his inclusion of Bilge keels, which were absent from the Underhill plans. Gordon had personally examined the NMM model which informed his own build and he had taken the inclusion and style from the model in the NMM. This had been built in 1955 by George MacLeod who had taken the measurements directly from the vessel before it was broken up in 1947 and formed the basis of the Underhill plans. Amongst other things, I did confirm the pronunciation of the name Muirneag – Moornach which he had got directly from those who know whilst visiting Stornoway. At least I now know how to say my models’ name. 3587 The Zulu Research (originally Heather Bell) under restoration at the Fisheries Museum, Anstruther. The aft end of a bilge keel can be seen that looks different to the form on the two models. Research is the last surviving large Zulu. A boat of 80’ she was built in 1903 so is a contemporary of Muirneag, and she had a long career, fishing until 1968. With such a long active service with many modifications over the years I don’t know if the bilge keel is original or a later addition. 8753(2) Not having any direct plan to work from I estimated the position and length from a combination of photos and models, and I drew an approximation on the kit plan. 8752(2) A 1mm thick Pearwood strip was fined down to dimensions that looked right to my eye; 140mm in length with a centre width of 2.5mm tapering to 1.75mm at the ends. A degree of lateral bend was imparted, and the outer edge was thinned to 0.75mm. That is the easy bit, retro fitting the keels less so, and the more I looked at it the less I fancied it. It will involve messing up the already painted hull, positioning is everything, and ca would have to be used to get a rapid grab. However, having satisfied myself that Bilge keels were appropriate, there was no putting the Genie back in the bottle. 8792(2) The first job is to mark the position of the keels; for this I used a strip of lining tape. 8800(2) To aid positioning and final gluing fine pins were inserted through the keels into corresponding holes in the hull. 8806(2) Went somewhat better than I feared it would 8758 I took the opportunity with the hull needing attention to add the keel straps at the bow and stern. These are reinforcing straps where the stem and stern posts meet the keel. 8766 I used Syren card gudgeon straps at the stern and soft pewter strip at the bow which took a better curve. Hopefully, this concludes the messing about with the hull stage. B.E. 17/11/20

Strakes look spot on Erik, for small additions they do take a fair amount of work don't they. I made the same point in my log about the supply of an extra length of 1mm walnut strip, it is a tricky timber cut that thin. B.E.

Cheers Glenn, Richard, and John. @ Richard – I’ve a way to go yet, but I would hope to finish it by the end of the year – I’ve other boxes of delight below my bench awaiting attention. 🙂 @ John - Interesting snippet there John I wasn't aware of that. I see what you mean from this photo taken at Charlestown back in September. There is definitely a blueish/green hue to the glass; whether I can replicate that at 1:64 scale is a different matter. 🤔 Regards, B.E.

Post 37 Side light boards Navigation lights were introduced during the 19thc initially for steam powered vessels but later extended to sail. I can’t find any contemporary photos of Zulus at sea with navigation boards in place, perhaps they were unshipped when underway in daylight; the nature of the fishing business was that herring were fished at night with the return to port in the morning. Still they are a valid addition to the model and present another interesting little modelling exercise. I scaled down from the Underhill drawings to produce a mock-up made from thin card. 8709(2) Once I was happy with the proportions, I made the items out of 0.6mm x 6mm Boxwood. 8712(2) The dimensions are 18mm long, 4mm high (reducing to 3.5mm) and 4mm wide (reducing to 3mm) 8704(2) The board is supported on stanchions 14mm apart slotted into sockets I had previously fixed to the aft side of the stringers. For ease of construction the stanchion and support frame are made in two parts. Uprights using 0.9mm ø brass tubing fit thro’ the sockets into the deck. 8702 The board support arms (0.6mm ø brass wire) slot into eyebolts on the aft side of the board and are angled to throw the board parallel to the centre line. The arms slot into the upright tubing. 8727(2) 8735(2) 8732(2) I need to sort out the lights but I think I have now added all the inboard fittings indicated on the Underhill plans. There is a decision to be made about bilge keels before I move onto mast making. B.E. 14/11/20

A helpful how to, and excellent result on those margin planks Glenn. ps: Love your little pointing trowel. B.E.

I haven't found the need to use isopropyl I remove and separated parts simply using water. For glue excess, water on a paintbrush seems to do the job. B.E.

Great set of photos Yves, a fitting conclusion to a beautiful build. Nice photo of your good self with the model, I had no appreciation of the size of the beast, very impressive.👍 B.E.

I have used it on my builds for some years, wouldn’t use anything else, it does have a quick grab time. I rate the stuff highly. B.E.

Thanks for your supportive comments Guys, much appreciated. Your right Tony, trying to produce something to add to a kit is one of the pleasures for me, and the more you do it the more adventurous you get. Having an appreciation of the ‘art of the possible’ is a valuable asset in ship modelling. @ Martin – they say that necessity is the mother of invention, and I’m sure I’m not alone in our model making fraternity in looking at everyday items and thinking hmmn 🤔 that may prove useful at some point. 😀 The only issue is remembering what it was or where I put it. 🙄 Post 36 Mizen boom fitting This involves positioning the Boom saddle and boom chocks to support the after-sail boom. In the kit instructions these are referred to as the boom support and boom bracket. I remade these items to better reflect the Muirneag fittings. A chain necklace secures the inboard end and an iron strap in the manner of a cap square at the outboard end. In considering the position of these supports the Mizen boom needs to be test fitted as it passes very close to the horizontal ships wheel. Fixing these parts proved quite tricky not least due to the stern overhang making supporting the hull difficult in this area with the rudder in place. Pressure is required to form and fix the strap over the stern boom saddle but putting any pressure on that area of the deck causes the hull to shift. 8666(2) I got around the problem by securing the horizontal bar of the keel clamp in the jaws of the vice which prevented any downward movement. The kit dimensions for the boom are spot on compared to the Underhill plans, 4mm dowel is used tapering to 3mm at the outboard end. 8669(2) Forming the ‘iron’ strap. 8688 Blackened and fitted. The retaining pin for the strap can be seen on the outboard side. If you think the wheel looks a little weather beaten, the finish has been battered because I decided to solder the stem to the underside of the wheel. I had originally ca’d the wheel to the stem but it stubbornly refused to sit firmly no doubt because of the tiny area to take the glue. 8679(2) 8676(2) The chain necklace can be seen at the inboard end. As with the Bowsprit a shoulder was cut in inboard end of the boom to rest against the face of the chock. 8674(2) 8689(2) Onwards… B.E. 11/11/20

Thank you Radmancoop, I'm pleased my log is of help, and I hope you are enjoying your Pegasus build. I've looked back through my files and below I have copied the section on the Bowsprit netting and set up. 09/02/015 Returning to the head With the Bowsprit fixed and the gammoning in place I can return to the head . 14 The Berthing rail and stanchion which provide a safety barrier can now be put into place. For the rail 0.7mm brass tubing is used. I had previously fixed the eyelets to take the rail and small hooks inside the False rail to hold the lower edge of the netting that completes the job. 26 For the netting I returned to my stock of old net curtain material which has 1mm square holes; cut on the diagonal it looks about right. Colron Light Oak wood dye was used to colour the netting, the dye was simply brushed across the netting both sides and allowed to dry. This produced a pale hempy colour similar to the running rigging scale hemp and to my eye gives a reasonable scale effect of untarred rope. The Boomkins Dimensions taken from Steel and made from 3mm dia dowel tapered down to 2mm. Outside of the False rail there is a curve in the spar, this was induced by firstly soaking and then curving over a suitable former. 30 69 48 51 60 Regards, B.E.

Looking very nice Jason, some good 'fixes' there to get around making those tricky little fittings. The cutter is a great little addition to the deck, beautifully made. B.E.

Well done Erik, a very fine planking job. B.E.

Cheers Guy's glad you like it. Post 35 Riding lamp completion Before I cleaned up and blackened the lamp I wanted to make sure I could fit the lamp glass. I did eventually settle on using a fine paintbrush cover, slightly opaque and of 3.5mm ø. Several attempts later I managed to get a 1.5mm slice of the tube that fitted snugly in the lamp. 8615(2) 8620(2) With the lamp ‘glass’ looking ok I could move onto the blackening. 8627(2) The glass was removed, and the body cleaned using micro files, fine wire wool, and acid, before immersing in the blackening fluid. 8640(2) Came out a lot better than I had dared hope, given the small size and delicate handling required during cleaning. 8637(3) 8634(2) Time to get back to the main event. B.E. 09/11/20

Post 34 Riding lamp Having made the Riding light stanchions I was committed to at least having a go at the lamp. The basis of the lamp is small brass Billing Boats masthead lamp bought from CMB. At (6x4mm) it was the smallest I could find and is a good fit for scale. 8565 To convert it to the riding light I first had to mill thro’ the back of the part to give a 360 degree light. The strap and top handle were then added using brass strip silver soldered to the sides. I use a high melt point (690 degrees) paste to allow for adding further items. 8580(2) 8586 Holes are drilled in the straps to take the retaining eyebolts. 8596(2) The eyebolts of necessity are very fine. I used Caldercraft etched versions of 0.25mm thickness with a 0.7mm ø hole. The danger in soldering these in place is that the flame may melt the eyebolt before the solder flash. A test piece was made before committing to the lamp. A lower temperature paste of 671 degrees was used for the eyebolts. I scratched my head for a while as to how to produce the shaped oil container at the base of the lamp. 8575 The answer came in the form of a small brass countersunk screw head. 8607(2) The completed lamp in its unfettled state fitted into its bracket. 8612 … and as would be used onboard, final height yet to be determined. 8610(2) The final hurdle is how to represent the clear glass cover of the lamp. My first thought was a section of one of those clear plastic covers that protect fine paintbrushes. Ideally a clear cover would be inserted thro’ the hole in the bottom of the casing, but when it came to soldering the base on, the obvious would occur. I have one or two ideas about creating the ‘glass’, but the subject bears more thinking about before I commit. It has been interesting making this little ‘extra’ if only as an exercise in silver soldering tiny parts. Still the finishing to do but I’ve rather enjoyed the process thus far. B.E. 09/11/20

Thank you Thomas, here's a few more. 😉 Post 33 I can’t quite decide what to do next on the build so I decided to play around with some optional fittings, namely the riding lights. I suspect that these lights were only used during fishing when the boat was drifting, mast and sails lowered. 8549 The aft riding light slots into brackets on the aft side of the mast crutch. 8538(2) 8542 Not too difficult to construct with brass tubing, wire, and a spot of silver soldering. 8562 Will be trimmed to size once I have sorted out the lamp. The forward light sits in a similar forked stanchion that fits in a socket set against the forward coaming of the fish hatch. 8550 8559 8558(2) That is the easy bit, what to do about the lamps is the tricky part. At scale these hurricane style lamps are a mere 6mm high x 3.5mm wide. 🤔 B.E. 06/11/20

Cheers Guys, @ John - do you have the name of the village your Great Grandmother lived in, I may have some references to it in my reference books. B.E.

A fine job Richard, would even work as a single layer hull in other circumstances. 👍 B.E.

I like the look of her Richard, I think you have got the look of a working boat spot on. 👍 Those little pearwood 'triangles' look suspiciously like yard cleats, may come in use on other builds, I don't recall seeing them either. 🤔 Re the capstan - I don't tend to glue down deck fittings if I don't have to; easier to clean the model if they can be removed. Regards, B.E.

Thank you Glenn, Erik, and John. @ Glenn - The losses suffered by those small fishing communities make for sobering reading. In one notable storm in October 1881 189 men were lost, 129 from one community leaving 263 children fatherless. No social security in those days. The possibility is real that many of the boats lost were rendered unmanageable owing to crews being weakened through men washed overboard. Losses overboard were an ever present danger. @ Erik - I think I'll leave the stem plate unpainted, I do like the look of blackened metal. @ John - Coming from an old salt like you, that's good to know. 😀 Post 32 Bobstay sheave Situated on the starboard side of the stem is a sheave to carry the Bobstay. The kit provides a simplified etched piece (PE11) referred to as a stem cleat. I replaced it with a scratched version based on the Underhill drawings. 8487(2) 8493(2) Silver soldered together from thin brass strip and micro tubing. 8504 8501 8507 Competed and chemically blackened. 8512(2) In checking over the inboard fittings I realised I had forgotten to make the Mizen halyard sheaves so two of these were made in the same fashion as the Bobstay sheave. Rope stopper The Underhill plan shows these lines spliced around the stringers both port & starboard ahead of the Fore and Mizen halyard sheaves. 8532 In use they are bent to the falls of purchase with a rolling or stopper hitch and take the strain while the running end of the fall is taken off the capstan and belayed to the cleat. 8515 In the absence of any other information I have used Syren 0.63mm ø line. which looked about right to my eye. 8529 Not an anchor chain but the Bowsprit necklace chain that will be trimmed to length once the Bowsprit is fitted. 8535 All the Foredeck fittings are now in place. B.E. 04/11/20

Love the look of those little carronades Glenn, nice work. B.E.