Blue Ensign

Well, this was already described at this thread, just have a look:
 
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/854-royal-caroline-by-doris-card-1749-140/?p=162240
 
 
And what´s new on the model.....
I have just started with masts and rigging, I try to make all these things according to plans from Anatomy of RC and also follow books and other credible information to achieve more realistic result.
 
The bowsprit:
 




 
The ropes are handmade using the ropewalk. I use ropes by Corel or Amati...

Oh yes, I can imagine it, Missouri is a majestic battleship. I wanted to try assemble some plastic ships from Tamiya, it was a good relaxation and something new and interesting for me. But I have to say, that sailing ships are at the first place for me.
 
And swimming with dolphins...? That was a wonderful experience, I love these beautiful and clever animals. But I would have one wish - swimming with the dolphins in the wild nature. I prefer freedom for animals.
 
Today I have finished other small handmade parts - cleats, pins and some details for rigging. Soon I am going to start with shrouds.



 




 
Have a great time and enjoy the pics.
Kind regards,
Doris

Hi Nils, re your question on the Violin block or Fiddle Block.
 
More properly called a Long Tackle Block, which had two sheaves set on the same plane but contained within the same cheeks.
 
My understanding is that it was used where there was a risk of line fouling were the traditional double block with side by side sheaves be used. They were commonly used for the Yard Tackle pendants on the Lower Yards, and also Stay Tackles.
 
B.E.

Hi Nils, re your lift/yard question.
 
All the yards were raised to set sail, and lowered to the caps when bare stick. The lower yards were not normally  moved once in position, but they could be using the jeers.
 
Commercial sailing ships of the mid 19th century such as clippers often had split topsails with one fixed lower topsail yard and a moveable upper topsail yard. I understand this was to make for easier handling with the fewer crew available on such ships.
 
B.E.

Impressive work Bob, and those catheads look wonderful
 
B.E.

Great modification to the carronades Thomas, they really look the business.
 
A fine job
 
B.E.

Hi Nils, those tops look a much better proportion
 
You will find the dimensions of my Topmasts on pages 11 and 12 of my log, I essentially went with Steel but the topmast lengths were less than on the kit plans.
 
 Cheers,
 
B.E.

Glad you found my work on the mast tops of use Nils, I think the kit Mizen top in particular must have been a mistake, it was far too small for purpose.
 
Nice bit of hand squaring on those mastheads.
 
Regards,
 
B.E.

OK, now the hooking should be right. 
 

Thank you B.E. Getting a compliment from somebody who is capable of carving a beautiful and completely detailed longboat in 1/64 out of a toothpick really is something.
 
Cheers
Peter

I optimized the carronade gun barrel. Image 1 shows the comparison between the prototype (upper barrel) and the final version (lower barrel). The major difference is the beefed up breech ring and an improved blackening process. To build it I use the 18 pounder carronade from Caldercraft, reduce the size of the elevation screw holder, add the 3 pieces shown in image 2, and shape them to the final form. Image 3 shows the mounted barrel with the new elevation screw. The spikes of the screw will be a little longer in the following versions. Also the position of the carronade barrel needs to be better adjusted on the gun carriage. Image 4 shows the carronade in relation to the gun port. It ends up in its upper third, which is not ideal but still acceptable imo.
Well, all that remains to be done now is to build another 15 of these carronades . . .  .
 
Thomas
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 

Build log part 52
 
 
 
Starting with the masting, and the top platforms.
 
 
 

as I have no milling Equipment the mast dowels are being filed down to the required measurements
 

shaping, fore, main and mizzen
 
 

it worked dfine so far and the main top platform has a tight fit within the rated dimensions
 

the lower cheeks are fitted, the upper cheeks will be of ply
 

B.E once showed a wonderful tuteral for Platform Ratings, more orientated on Steel`s dimensions rather than the plans dimensions. Here the main top is 59,5 mm broad instead of 56 mm
Thanks to B.E. for this Research !
 

The fastening Points for the blocks are prefitted. The outer platform rim is of 3 mm ply and the Slots for the deadeye tacke are ready, as well as the 16 0,5 mm holes for the crows feet lines
 

the threstle timbers are quite sturdy
 
 
 
Nils

I'm just back from a week long golf trip with my wife and three other couples, and after playing 6 times in 7 days, I was ready for a rest from golf and eager to get back to modeling. This combination resulted in a burst of activity.
 
I returned to work on the forecastle. First I realized that I had left off the knees on the belfry/barricade, so made and added them. Then I made and added the splash guards at the bow. These were cut from boxwood and bent to shape. Next, I made and mounted the 8 required timber heads. Theses were done from boxwood strip in the usual fashion of shaping each of them fully before cutting it from the strip. They were then painted and pinned and glued in place.
 
The last and most intricate work was making up the catheads. These were made from boxwood. notches were cut with a chisel to fit over the rail and the remainder of the shaping done with files. I did simulated sheaves, as I have done throughout this build. Next, I made and mounted the cleats and thumb cleats. Lastly, I added the necessary eyebolts. The catheads were then mounted in place.
 
I'm now moving on to the rough tree rail, which  will be the last of the forecastle work.
 
Bob

The British were cheapskates when it came to fitting out their ships for creature comforts, painted canvas for the floor covering, rather than a nice bit of parquet flooring as in the Great Cabins of French ships. I couldn't believe that on French ships they had a separate Pastry Oven for the benefit of the Officers.
 
In the day I believe the British Navy were rather disparaging of anything 'Frenchified' but individual officers did take on the use of Epaulettes long before official regulation, Although Nelson initially condemned the adoption of a Frenchman's Uniform, referring to Officers who wore them as Coxcombs he also took to them once the they were  made 'official' in 1795.
 
Still I digress..... sorry Mark.
 
B.E.

Before I start rigging guns or anything, I built this line dispenser. When I rigged my first ship, I had several rats nests and birds nests of tangled line and that was only a two masted schooner.  

Rainy day in Auckland today so I happily finished rigging the lower part of the Bowsprit (bobstay and stays)
 

Very nice work Peter, and great photo's; she's going to look wonderful when she's finished. 
 
B.E.

After installing the sling and the lifts the next task were the buntlines.
 
I had only one end of them attached to the foot of the sail. The loose end was now thread through the block on the yard, the dedicated blocks under the top, through the upper of two single blocks stropped together head by head (similar to a shoe block) and back to the top and yard. This arrangement with the ‘shoe block’ is according Lees. A line leads to the lower part of the shoe block, hanging under the yard but close to the deck, with both ends belayed according the plans on the forecastle rails. I used a short end just fixed with a rolling hitch and a long end with a coil of line for working the whole arrangement.
 
The lose end of the buntline - after threading it through its block on the yard - was brought below the furled sail and then discreetly fixed around the yard as the correct fixing to the foot of the sail was impossible now. This should be overlooked.  
 
The last line was the clue line. It was installed according to the kits plans.
 
Sheets and braces of the lower yards will be among the last things to be fixed as they will hinder the access to the deck too much otherwise.
 
 

Sling and lifts installed, the loose end of the double buntline still hangs over the sail.
 
 

The black clip holds the free end of the buntline, while the red in the middle ground hangs on the lower of the two blocks stropped together.
 
 

The incorrectly fixed end of the buntline.
 
 

Clue lines belayed on the bitts
 
 

Some adjustment of the sling is done
 
 

Scary work without safety line
 
 

The fore top starts to look businesslike.
That pin above the cap waits for the next task: Fore topsail yard with sail.

Hi Nils, re your question on the Violin block or Fiddle Block.
 
More properly called a Long Tackle Block, which had two sheaves set on the same plane but contained within the same cheeks.
 
My understanding is that it was used where there was a risk of line fouling were the traditional double block with side by side sheaves be used. They were commonly used for the Yard Tackle pendants on the Lower Yards, and also Stay Tackles.
 
B.E.

Moving along a quite a pace Nils, good find with the stern lantern, it fits in very well with your scheme.
 
Can't really help with the capstan bar storage question, but I suspect that with an open railed ship like Pegasus, they were probably stored below, in my case out of sight, out of mind.  Not something I recall seeing on any contemporary models.
 
B.E.

Looking impressive mobbsie, old eyes or not
 
B.E.

Hi Guys
 
I cant believe my last post was on the 26th June, jeez time flies.
 
I have been working on rigging the Mizzen Gaff and Boom, making, fitting and rigging the Mizzen Mast. I have gone as far as I can at the moment so now am starting on the Main Mast Yards and rigging.
 
My one gripe is the quality of my 0.75mm Natural Rope supplied with the kit, it's not just hairy but it has bits sticking out of it's entire length, applying wax does the trick for a short time then when the rope is passed through a block it's back to normal. The only thing I can do now is replace it, I'll do that whilst making the Main Yards.
 
Before I go any further I will apologize for not posting progress pics earlier but I sort of got carried away, one moment it seems not enough to post and the next it's done.
 
OK enough yak, here are some progress pics.
 
The Mizzen Gaff and Boom.
 
 
 
 

 
The Mizzen Mast Yards and Rigging
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Braces are still to be rigged but that's for later.
 
So there we have it guys, your right up to date, apologies for the quality of the pictures but in my defence I will say that I'm working with old equipment and old eyes.
 
Be Good
 
mobbsie
 
 
 

Dave,
 
Thanks for your visit and kind words.
 
I do not use CA.  I have found it to be difficult to use when working with ropes. I instead use, with excellent results, GS Hypo Cement. I discovered this following Ferit's beautiful Berlin (AlphaUrsaeMinoris)
 
This glue dries clear and is, for-all-intense-and-purposes, invisible. The applicator has a tiny needle-point (perfect), and its cap also has a needle that inserts back into its shaft for closing.
 
This allows the glue to always come out when needed. AND this product dries quickly, but most importantly is super friendly to your fingers. CA, by comparison for this task is a mess.
 
For threading the pulleys I add a small drop to the end of a rope, twist my thumb and forefinger creating a straight rope tip. After the glue dries pulleys are easily threaded.
 
The pulley pic is just after application; it will dry totally clear and create a super firm bond. I can easily trim the ends right down to the buds without fear of knots coming apart. Highly recommended. Super find!!!!  Thanks Ferit.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Hi Mates,
 
A small update. Finally working on the carriage pulleys and ropes. What I thought would be monotonous has in fact been fun. I worked out, I think, a way of attaching the double pulleys to the weather deck in the same fashion as seen on the Vasa museum carriage reconstruction. I will work with bits of toothpick ends to fashion the  braces. 
 
Kudos to Syrene for Chucks excellent ropes and pulleys (:-)
 
Thanks so much for all of the "likes"as I slowly move forward......
 
 
Regards,
 
Michael
 
 

Thank you Popeye,
 
I`ll leave the decision for stowing the capstan bars to a later Point, due to finding the best place..
 
 
Michael,
 
the hammocks (47) are all in place now...
 

47 hammocks fit into the nettings
 
 
 
I am now studying masts and bowsprit rigging
to begin with an easy one, here are the foresail tack bumpkins with their blocks....
 
 

 
 

the ropes through the blocks are just to secure the dowels a bit untill they get permanently rigged
 
 
 
Build log part 52 to follow...
 
 
 
Nils