Blue Ensign

Thanks for the heads up Alan I will have a look. I do quite like the Kit guns, but you shouldn't have to work that hard to get them to look anywhere decent. I don't have an issue with either the Syren or RB guns for style, the difference to the kit gun is perhaps the muzzle flare. The Syren and RB guns have a seamless flare that closely follows the design of the Armstrong gun which is period correct, and as shown in the Alert book drawings. The kit gun looks like it has less flare and a reinforcing ring around the muzzle end that looks rather like the style on the model of the Hawke cutter. You pays your money and takes your choice. B.E.

Well done Caroline, cleaned up and fitted out, that will make a nice addition to your Pegasus. B.E.

Thank you Kurt and Dave. I did try dowel for the Sheaves, Dave, but also found they split even with a 0.5mm drill, still in the finest tradition of 18th c model making I can always pretend they are bone or ivory.😉 Post 24 Looking at the Ordnance – Part 1 the barrels. The white metal guns do have a nice scale look about them but leave something to be desired in terms of finish. Mine had prominent seams, and there are noticeable longitudinal striations along the barrel, almost like a timber effect. 2995 These are apparent to the naked eye and not just the macro lens. It will prove very difficult to get a clean surface, my attempts using wire wool and files were frustrating with the danger of affecting the reinforcing rings around the barrel and the already indistinct Royal Cipher. 3043(2) The barrels did however respond well to blackening using Casey Brass Black. 3047 I did happen to have a set of Chuck’s excellent little fibre Royal ciphers, the smallest of which fit perfectly on the barrel. There is an alternative Syren barrel in Brass with a length of 11/64” (29.75mm) This is a good match for a six pounder at 1:64 scale. I did check the availability of a resin version with Chuck but these are some time away, pity because his already produced versions are superb, complete with clear cipher and touch holes. 3051(2) Here a Syren 11/64” barrel on a kit carriage. 3053 Here the same gun on an incomplete Syren carriage. 3162(2) From left to right; Blackened white metal Kit gun, Brass 11/64” Syren gun, Blackened Brass RB 29mm gun, Blackened Brass RB 32mm gun, Brass Syren gun on Syren carriage. 3159 From a different angle, at this point the carriages are incomplete. 3161 3157 I do like the proportions of the kit guns, but I can’t live with the quality of the white metal. Chris has since posted that as an upgrade to the white metal guns, cast resins versions will be available. I would suggest that these be made standard even at some extra cost to the kit. I can’t imagine a high satisfaction level from modellers with the metal versions, and for me the shortcomings of the white metal guns do damage the kit quality image. The Brass Syren guns are beautifully made and a set for Alert will currently cost $46.50 for the barrels and $18.00 for the Boxwood carriages if required. RB Models of Poland also produce very nice brass guns, I used their 32mm versions as the six pounders for my Pegasus build. These look a little heavy on the Alert carriages, but their 29mm guns are a good match and very reasonably priced at around £10 delivered to the UK for a set for Alert. Before I make a final decision on the guns I would like to check out the Vanguard resin upgrade and will buy a set if they become available, otherwise it will be between the Brass Syren or RB guns. In my next post I will be attending to the carriages. B.E. 20/10/2019

Post 23 Catheads and hawse ports The Catheads are one piece and pre-formed out of some 3mm wood, and have additional brass etch decoration and a pe cleat. There is no reference to sheave holes in the Cathead, but I’m not sure of the wood type or whether it would stand up to slotting. I decided to cut new Catheads out of 3mm Boxwood and cut a double sheave in the end. This will allow for the rigging of a Cat Block and hook, something I like to see on a model. 3066 This is where the Proxxon mill comes in, very difficult to cut these slots by hand at the scale involved unless perhaps if saw cut are made in the outboard end which is then capped. 3091(2) The sheaves are cut from Evergreen Plastic round section and held in place with brass wire. 3147 I did use the brass etch cleat for the Cathead stopper and the decorative border as these would be difficult to replicate at the scale. The border has a very fine profile on it, which I decided to preserve by coating the brass with only very flat matt varnish. The kit also includes a Cathead decoration of a Crown representation. There is no evidence that ships of this period carried such a cipher; Known decorations consisted of Lion/cat faces (hence the name) Star motifs, Fouled Anchors, and simple geometric mouldings. 3142(2) I replaced this with a Fouled Anchor motif. 3140 I added a cleat on the upright to secure the Cat tackle. 3144(2) I used the kit provided Hawse Port parts. 3134 The final addition to the Cathead set up are the support brackets. 3150 3152 3148 I will next have a look at the guns. B.E. 19/10/2019

170 are called Crowsfeet, they were used to prevent the topsail getting caught beneath the Main top. E17 is called a Euphroe, it is a wooden block used to rig the Crowsfeet. B.E.

I see you’ve not wasted any time getting started Caroline, it certainly has the look of a Pinnace, looking forward to seeing how it works out. B.E.

Thank you Dirk, Nils, and Rusty. 🙂 Post 22 Looking at the rudder I prefer to fit the rudder at this stage of the build while I can still fully manipulate the hull before any of the deck fittings are in place. The provided kit rudder is good for profile but does need pre-fit fettling. No mention is given in the instructions that ideally it should taper somewhat from fore to aft and from the hance to the base. There is also a chamfer or bearding on the forward edge of rudders. 2929(2) I have scribed the line of the Back piece of the rudder Those who may wish to enhance the rudder could do no better than have a look at Chuck’s online instructions for his Cheerful kit (Chapter 11) or his own log (p25) 2926 There is a lot of trial fitting of the rudder. For the Gudgeons and Pintles the kit provides pe parts with a simplified arrangement that allows for easier fitting but does not allow for movement in the fitted rudder, and looks slightly odd to those with an eye for the proper set up. I happen to have parts of Chuck’s Pintles and Gudgeons kit left over from my Cheerful build which even at 1:48 scale can be tweaked to suit Alert. I applied this system and it does work, allowing movement of the rudder and unshipping. 2955 Fitting the gudgeons from the Syren kit. 2954(2) A length of wire is used to align the holes for the pintles. 2958 Fixing the pintles to the rudder. 2961(2) I also used the fibre board straps from the Syren kit, which if anything look more in scale on Alert. With everything in place small blobs of pva are used to represent the bolt heads. The final touch to the Rudder head is the addition of the ‘iron’ hoops. These are represented by my old standby slivers of heat shrink rubber tubing. 2964(2) With the rudder completed the tiller can be added. This is scratched from a scrap of boxwood section. A piece of stiff wire connects with a push fit to the rudder head. A question arises in relation to the length of the Gudgeon braces. The kit indicates they are fairly short and contained within the width of the stern post, and this is the arrangement on the Admiralty plans. This is also mostly the case in the Alert Book drawings, but the General arrangement drawing on p52 shows them extending onto the hull, as do the photo’s of the contemporary model of the Hawke circa 1777. The lower gudgeon straps of Cheerful also extend beyond the stern post. 2988(2) I have opted for the short version given that it reflects the admiralty plans. 2984(2) In rudder hanging the aim is to get as narrow a gap between rudder and stern post consistent with rudder movement. 2983(2) The subtle taper of the rudder is apparent in this photo. 2980(2) Lemuel my Helmsman confirms the fit of the tiller before final finishing. Next up – a look at the ordnance. B.E. 13/10/2019

Thank you Nils and Dave, and to those who have looked in on the build. Post 21 Finishing the hull – part 2 With a few coats of white paint applied to the lower hull and being more or less satisfied with the top line, I could at last get some poly on the topsides above the waterline. I quite like the combination of varnish and white paint on a model. 2951 2947 2943 2942 The inevitable stepped waterline is clearly apparent in this shot. 2953 2941 2940 2939 2938 2936 2935 2934 So after four months, and at this point I can review the changes made to the build thus far. The most obvious is of course the clinker planking using thin Boxwood planks cut from sheet material. Clinkering is not an easy option, can’t be done with kit supplied timber, is time consuming, as each plank is individually spiled, and then there’s the application of copper ‘bolts’. My approach has been fairly simplistic but at this scale I think it works even tho’ I would have wished for better execution of the work in places. Above the wale I used Boxwood planking rather than the supplied Pear wood. Scratch made Side counter timbers and extensions to the boom crutches. I really didn’t like the two piece add ons in the kit arrangement which to my eye looked unconvincing. 1 I have also tweaked the internal counter to better reflect the counter timber arrangement. Enhancements to the hatch openings by the addition of carlings. Creating a lower deck view thro’ the openings. Pre-formed Capping rails replaced with Boxwood strip with thinned down width. Sheer and Counter rails replaced with Boxwood strip scribed with a pattern. I am now starting to feel a little happier about the build, altho’ I still wish I had replaced the stem piece with Boxwood. Moving on to the Rudder. B.E. 11/10/2019

Post 20 Finishing the hull This involves scraping the boards to clean and fair them into the bow and sternpost, and then drilling the estimated 2500 holes for the securing bolts. I have taken the measurements for spacing from the Alert book, which work out to a 7mm spacing at scale. I am using 24swg 0.56mm ø copper wires to represent the bolts. 2814 A week of fairly concerted effort sees the hull bolted. With this done the tricky waterline question remains. Not one of my favourite jobs and the clinker is an added problem. How do I get an effective waterline marked? In marking the waterline, it seems best to me, having set the level at the bow low point, to start at the centre high point of the line and work fore and aft. That way the line runs with the lap and the pencil is not thrown off by the ridges. 2815 Once the line is marked, Tamiya tape for curves is run along the lines to check by eye that both sides look even. 2819 I’ve never found that this Tamiya tape works particularly well, doesn’t seem to have as much grab as the yellow version. 2824 Altho’ I’m satisfied with the line of the waterline, inevitably I’m not going to get a sealed line to paint along, and my main concern is that the waterline line looks good with the clinker effect at model scale. The top line will have to be painted free hand using the tape as a guide. The rub is that once committed it would prove difficult to go back to an unmarked hull. I would hate it to look like a wobbly line, but doing it is the only way to see one way or the other, so time to bite the bullet. I have used a basic white Humbrol acrylic paint to lay down a base coat and assess the effect, but I intend to use a less stark paint for the finish, perhaps Admiralty paints Light Ivory or Coral white. 2832 2838 I am relieved that the top line is far better than I had envisaged just a tiny amount of fussing and tweaking will be required. 2839 2840 2844(2) 2849(2) I will now try to get the lower hull finish looking as good as I can before the upper hull is sealed with poly. B.E. 08/10/2019

Thank you Dirk and Dave. The copper wire has arrived and I'm good to go.🙂 2406 Following a trial I am going with 500gm 0.56mm diameter copper wire. So the tiresome business begins, there are some 50 bolt holes per strake and 17 strakes per side. I just hope I come out the other side with some degree of sanity remaining.🙄 B.E. 23/09/2019

Post 19 The end of a long and spiling road After what seems to have been an interminable time at last all the lap strakes are in place. 2394 2393 The square tuck planking has also been completed. 2388 2381 With the last strakes in place the final shaping of the wale can take place. 2385 The wale at the bow is also fined down a little in thickness. This is not the end of the process, the planks have to be cleaned up and faired at the bows and stern, and approximately 2500 copper bolts have to be inserted to ‘secure’ the laps. I gave some thought about representing the roves as shown on the Alert book drawings but they would be incredibly small at 1:64 scale, and in any case the photo’s of the contemporary model of Hawke don’t appear to show such a feature, simply the bolts. The bolts will be represented by copper wire ca’d into pre-drilled holes cut close and tapped with a hammer to flatten the heads slightly. I now await a supply of copper wire to complete the task, but there is plenty of cleaning up work to do to keep me busy. B.E. 21/09/2019

Thank you Nils and Mustafa. @Nils - still working out a strategy for the copper bolts and roves, but first I will need to clean up the planking strakes.🙂 @ Mustafa - The pins are very fine and easy to remove. I use a fine blade beneath the heads to ease the pins out a little and then remove with mini pliers. Cheers, B.E.

Granado was a little too early for coppering as she was sold out of service in 1763. In the British Navy coppering of the fleet was underway in the 1770's and included not only larger ships but also cutters and sloops. The cutter Alert for instance was coppered in July 1777. B.E.

Post 18 Clinkering on. Time for an update, and review of progress. 2033 A fairly slow process this clinkering business, I am doing two strakes per day. 2035 Thus far each plank has been individually spiled, cut from boxwood sheet. I think this will be the case for all of them. 2038 Each plank end at the bow is thinned slightly and an individual rabbet cut in the stem to hold it. Very fine pins are used with the glue to hold the planks in place. I use Amati (Very fine brass pins (A4136/10)) These have a flat head just shy of 1mm ø with a 0.5mm shaft, perfect for the job. 2046 These are then removed. The pin holes aren’t a problem as the lower hull will be painted but will be re-drilled for representations of the bolts to be fitted. Before fitting, each plank is trimmed to the tick marks and is used as a template for the opposite side. 2045 At this stage I have completed 11 strakes and have started to fine down the lap of the strakes as they approach the stem and stern post. All still very much wip at this point but I’m now feeling more confident that it’s starting to look like a clinkered hull. B.E. 02/09/2019.

Well the contemporary NMM model of the cutter Hawke had it's name on the stern. I would be happy to put a name on the stern of Sherbourne, but not those supplied letters. They supplied the same with the Pickle kit which I didn't use. I prefer dry transfer lettering which looks far more authentic. B.E.

Hi Nils, I’m curious about how I’ll master it too😀I note that on the NMM model of the Hawke 1777 flat nail heads are visible along the lap lines. @ Steve, the first strakes above the Garboard have to follow a tight curve around to the stem. Hopefully it will look better when a few more strakes are added, and I’ve smoothed out the clinker towards the bow. B.E.

Thank you Nils, If you're referring to the copper fastenings, I'm not really sure at this stage. At 1:64 scale they will be pretty small, particularly to represent the roves. I was thinking that maybe fine copper wire with a flattened end may suffice. Watch this space! Regards, B.E.

Post 17 More clinkering For the next few planks up from the Garboard it looks like I will need to spile each one individually. 1912 I have used tick strips to mark down the hull at the bulkheads and used those to gauge the taper required towards the bow. The tick strip spacing is of the net 4mm width of the lapped plank. 1910 I can then measure down from the lap edge to where the taper marks will come, and shape what is the upper edge of the plank. Once satisfied with the shape and fit the 2mm lap line can then be drawn in for the following plank. 1913 The tapering at the bow begins at the third plank from the Garboard, but before fitting it is used as a template for the corresponding plank on the opposite side. 1917 The clinker at the stern. Where the strakes approach the stern post the clinker will eventually be pared down. 1914 I will be adding a thin veneer Boxwood to the stern post which will act as a rabbet for the strake ends. 1918 In the midships area the clinker will remain more pronounced before being fayed down towards the bow. 1916(2) This is a much more involved business than straightforward carvel planking; four strakes fitted but I still don’t really know how it will turn out. Still it is an interesting exercise to have a go at. B.E. 24/08/2019

Beautiful detailing Nils, what a fine job you are doing. B.E.

Thanks Dave, Glad you have had success with Speedwell’s fashion pieces, I modified those on Alert based on the Cheerful experience. Maurice

Thank you Nils, I wish I had your confidence, I'm very much a novice in the world of clinkering, but I hope visually at least it will look ok to the average eye once completed. 🙂 Regards, B.E.

Post 16 Planking below the wale. So time to get to it. For the clinker planking the hull will need to be inverted during the whole process. 1860 First a new support base is cobbled together to hold the hull in position. Referring to the Alert book there is a mid ship section drawing showing the clinker boards, conveniently at 1:64 scale. 1886(2) I am using 0.7mm thick Boxwood strip and I start with an 8mm wide (midpoint) Garboard plank. Marked on this is a 2mm overlap for the next strake up. The first task is to re-mark the bulkhead positions on the hull and fix the Garboard plank. 1885 I don't use ca for second layer planking preferring to continue with a good quality pva. 1887(2) In the case of the Garboard plank the upper edge is held down using the heads of the provided steel pins. 1890 1888 Moving onto the adjacent plank to the Garboard the first thing I discover is that the 0.7mm strip at 6mm width is not conducive to an edge bend at the degree required at the bow. It is too thin and buckles rather than bends. 1892 The answer is to take a pattern and cut it out of some thin Boxwood sheet. Hopefully this is an issue where only severe bends are required. 1899 These second planks are attached using fine brass pins along the bottom edge, and the heads of the steel pins to secure the top edge. (The hull is inverted remember) 1905 1903 I have not cut a rebate or a chamfer on the plank edges to accommodate the lap, they are too thin for that. The laps will be fined down to suit later. So that's the start of the clinkering business. With the first two planks in place I can now try to work out the run of the following strakes. Between the wale and the overlap on the Garboard plank, there is 72mm at mid point. Using 6mm planking with a net 2mm overlap results in 18 strakes of net 4mm planks. B.E. 22/08/2019

Post 15 Laying the deck. Before fitting the false deck I had marked the deck beams and planking layout in pencil. It is far easier to do this before the deck is glued into place. Because I like the option to leave covers off I install carlings below the deck to give the impression of depth if the gratings are left off. The waterway has already been installed so the decking can begin. I am using Boxwood, not the provided stuff, but 0.7mm thick strips which I can get in varying widths. I will be using nominally 4.5mm wide planks which equate to 11.3" 1821 The first two strips either side of the centre line are run full length down the deck, marking the cut out positions for the hatches etc; The planking then continues using the butt joint plan. 1856(2) I don't sand decks , I prefer to scrape them. For this I use an old plane blade. 1852(2) 1851(2) Once I am happy with the deck smoothness I will seal with a water based varnish, using Caldercraft Flat Matt Varnish. I now turn my attention to the lower hull planking. B.E. 20/08/2019

Thanks for looking in Alan, Chris's new crop of models do look really good, I loved his Pegasus designed kit marketed by Amati, one of my favourite models. I'm pleased if anyone takes an interest in my build Alan, and as Kurt also has this kit I guess he's interested in my approach. One of the great aspects of MSW is the sharing of information, and the way members give of their experience, I've learned such a lot from others on here, and I hope you find it as beneficial as I have. Cheers, B.E.

I certainly will have to devise a jig of sorts to hold her during planking. The stern is always a worry, particularly those boom crutch extensions, which is why I have left them oversize for the present. I have started the deck planking so that should keep me busy for a while. Regards, B.E.