Blue Ensign

Cheers Mark, trouble is the whole log runs for 196 pages with 550 photos,  I think it would have become a life's work re-posting it.
 
B.E.

Detail shots of the completed model


Long boat with the sheep pens beneath.
 

Activity on the Qtr deck, the crew are converted ‘N’ scale rail figures.
 

Poop deck detail.
 

 

Crew ascending the Main shrouds.
 

Fore deck detail.
 

Crew at the Fore Topmast head.
 

 

Head details.
 


 

 

Stern Qtr details.
 
 
Full shots of the model
 


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Secure in her protective case.
 
I think this has been the most exacting build I have undertaken due to the small scale and my
less than good eyesight, I am very pleased with the result but I don’t think I
will attempt another at this scale.
 
I am much more comfortable with 1:64 scale, as with my current Pegasus build.

B.E.


 


 


 
 
 
 
 


 



 
 
 


 


 


 
 


 


 
 


 


 


 


 
 


 
 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Continuing:
 

Raising the Topsail yards.
 
A word about yards.
 

Working out the details.
 

Parrals at 1:150 scale are pretty small.
 

Topsail yard in place,
 

A member of the Royal Corps of Marine Infantry gives scale to the top.
The sails were attached, dampened and pulled into position using the Buntlines, Leechlines, and clues.
 

Rigging the anchors.
 
 
 

Continuing:

Details of the sails.




These were drawn from the plans of Boudriot and are made of Modelspan
tissue .
 



 



 
Attaching reef points nearly destroyed what little was left of my sanity.



As did the ratlines using 125g copper wire.
 

Almost done.


 


 


 

 







 

Continuing


Waist with Longboat and sheep pens.
 

Quarterdeck modifications with added cabin detail.

Modified berthing of the Main Ladderway and added Chicken Coops on the Poop deck.


Modified Head.
 

Copper wire and strip used to make the chains and preventer plates.


Upgrading the Long boat.


Modified ‘N’ scale figures fit just right.


The finished boat.
 
 

Rigging the ‘show’ guns was a bit of a challenge at this scale



 
 

 
Rigging can get a tad untidy at this scale, blocking yourself out is so easy.
 
 
 



 
 




 
 


 
 
 
 

From Le Superbe to Le Praetorian – A  Heller Seventy-four, after Boudriot

This is a summarised record of my attempt to modify a small scale plastic
kit by reference to the works of Jean Boudriot. Very few of the original kit
fittings were used in the build.
 
This was to be a first attempt at fully detailing a model of this scale,
adding sails and displaying in a waterline setting.

Early progress
 

 

Lower deck detail.
 

Upperdeck showing Galley and Pastry oven.
One unfortunate fellow is spending time in the bilboes, for swearing on a Sunday.


Restyling the Foc’sle rail.
 

 

Modified waist railings using brass strip.
 
 
 


 
 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Continuing:

Details of the sails.




These were drawn from the plans of Boudriot and are made of Modelspan
tissue .
 



 



 
Attaching reef points nearly destroyed what little was left of my sanity.



As did the ratlines using 125g copper wire.
 

Almost done.


 


 


 

 







 

A nice bit of scratching there hamilton, the decks are gaining interest as all the fitting are put into place.
 
It is worth repeating this is a small ship at only 1:100 scale, not easy making convincing fittings at that size.
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.

Feels like a long time since I've made a post.  With a bit of focused effort all 16 carronades are ready for final assembly (last cannon is getting close), I'm taking maybe a rather convoluted approach but hoping it will work OK.  The pedestals are all attached to the deck, but I'm leaving the slides unattached for now so I can rig the breaching ropes off the ship.  It also give me a chance to align the elevations individually using the small elevation screws before attaching the turning handles.  I'm not sure of the correct elevation for these, but think it would make most practical sense to have a small gap at the top of the gunport as I've tried to achieve.
 
I'll leave off the deck fittings until everything is rigged to hopefully make this task as easy as possible.  Think I'm finally homing in on the approach to the rigging which I suspect will be the next never-ending task, but hope not.
 

 
 
 
 

Looks a good result Jason, those pre- drilled bowsprit caps are a pain because as you say the cap should be in a vertical plane when viewed from the side and the hole for the jibboom needs to be angled to suit the stive of the bowsprit. To make it so the hole becomes too big.
 
An additional problem on Pegasus was that there was no provision on the starboard side to take the Jack staff; I got around the problem by scratching a new cap and fixing angled inserts in the vice to give the correct stive for the hole before drilling.
 
Enjoy your trip back home.
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.
 

Build Update:
 
Completion of the Exterior Planking:
 
My Syren hull really turned out to be a tale of two halves.  Being that this is the second model that I have ever planked, and that it was a lot bigger than my Longboat, it was a first rate learning experience.  I planked both sides down below the waterline pretty much the same, then I continued with the starboard side until it was complete.  Next I completed the port side, finally putting the wales and sheer strake on.  
 
I had a lot of fun with this step for a couple of reasons.  The first being that, I learned how not to do it on the first side.  The second, that during the planking process I went on vacation to a family camp, which had a wonderful craft space.  Our days were packed with hiking, sailing, and fishing, but the evening was dedicated to crafts.  So I took my Syren with me and worked on it over vacation.  Part of the fun in that, was that so many people came over to investigate what I was doing, that I got to talk about the hobby to quite a few people.  Thirdly, my son has taken an interest in what I am doing, so I have been able to start instilling a desire to make things in him.  I hope that I am also passing on some skills as well  .
 
Crafting on Vacation:

 
The Last Plank:

 
The Next Generation:

 

 

 

 

 

Great deck planking job Ray, I wish had gone the extra mile on Pegasus with the top and butt.
 
B.E.

Deck FittingsAt the same time as making up the main deck guns and rigging them I also started making some of the deck fittings, hatches, bits, ladders and the stove the photos below show the progress.
 
The first hatch

 
The first hatch finished

 
Hatches and ladders

 
Hatches test fitted


 
Stove added

 
The fittings and the guns


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

At last the ship's boats have been completed. Believe me, it was a real challenge.
 
First of all the boat's resin hulls should have been sanded. Otherwise you can have big problems when glueing the cartridge paper for the ribs into the hull. My big awareness...
 

 
But the rest was quite easy.
 

 

 

 
Well, the lauch is very tall and I'll don't fit it until the rigging has been completed.
 

 

 

 

I see you have a few kits stacking up under your workbench and I love that Mahogany flooring!
 The quarterbadge redo looks very good!
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

There are a pair of belaying pins in the small rail situated on the port and starboard quarters. Originally I provided these for the (lower) spread yard braces and the gaff vangs – before I discovered that vangs, at least on cutters, had not then been introduced. Thus the forward one is now a spare. There is also an eyebolt on each rail for a lead block, through which the braces will pass before being belayed.
 
Moving forward, on each side of the companion I provided shot garlands for the 3pdr guns, and these are also situated on each side of the other hatches. Garlands are also fixed to the bulwarks, between the guns. The aftermost, between the last pair of guns on each side, actually contain only three balls – and one belaying pin. This is to belay the falls of the running backstays, when they are rigged. The balls themselves are made from the round parts of a cheap necklace, which just happened to be the right size – and are definitely surplus to my wife’s requirements! Each ball was cut from the chain, tidied up, painted and then glued in place. (Btw, I usually use a thin stick with a small blob of blue tack on one end, to lightly pick up and glue small objects like this. I find it works quite well, and one can place items rather more accurately than with the fingers.)
 
We now come to the guns, which I have mentioned before as having caused a certain amount of trouble with relation to the ports! For each gun I provided a pair eyebolts in the bulwarks to take the breech ropes, another pair for the side tackles, and one in the deck behind each gun for the running-in tackle. The latter, of course, should really have a ring through it. I decided not to rig the side or running-in tackles, which perhaps was an ommission and, again with hindsite, I think the breech ropes are not really thick enough. However…
 

 
Each of the hatches was given a coaming, this being caulked into the surrounding planks and raised a little above deck level. I decided to fill in the hatches themselves with offcuts from the kit and paint them black, before fitting the red gratings, to give a sense of depth. This seemed to work reasonably well, the main hatch in any case being largely hidden by the boat.
 
We now come to that aforementioned very necessary item of equipment – without which, no vessel is really complete! I copied a suitable drawing, from ’The Boats of Men of War’ by WE May, which was about the right size that I needed. The boat was constructed on a small building board, with scale frames and planking, the latter being mostly card since it was much easier to work and shape. The gunwale, which is made from wood, has rowlocks cut in it. The interior was then fitted out with thwarts, resting on internal stringers, sternsheets, and a small foredeck. The inside was painted grey, and fitted with bottom-boards which were painted red. This I thought both made for a nice contrast with the main interior, and also matched the red of the cutter herself. I painted the outside the same ivory shade I had used below the cutter’s waterline, and the gunwale is black. To finish off, the oars were made from orange sticks, with thin card for the blades, and painted white. Thin black paper made suitable leathers. The rudder was made from thin ply, with a wood rudder stock, and there is a separate tiller. A coiled painter was provided on the foredeck. The boat was lashed down to four ring bolts in the deck.
 
On either side of the boat are the pumps. I modified the base of these, although I used the metal top and handle. Their bases were cut at an angle, so that the imaginary ’business end’ of the pump shaft would be adjacent to the keel, where the water would normally collect. The handle is connected by a brass rod mechanism , actually the stem of a cut-off ringbolt, and there is a short outfall pipe on the outboard side of each pump. The base of the pump and the handle are painted red, the former also having two ’iron’ bands, made from black paper, around them.
 

 
Forward of the boat and main hatch, and just aft of the mast, are the jeer bitts. This structure was not included in the kit, being an addition of my own, but it is certainly a feature of cutters of the period, as is evidenced by models and pictures. It consists of two uprights, with a geared roller at the top and a crossbar beneath and, as its name suggests, it is used for hoisting purposes. The gearing on either end of the top roller, is actually just pencilled lines drawn on the black-painted ends, but it looks effective enough. There is a winding handle on each end, made from pieces of bent wire.
 
I originally fitted six eyebolts to the deck, to take the various tackles connected to the running rigging that will be belayed to cleats fitted around the base of the mast. I am now not certain I will use all of them, and actually since then I have fitted another two outboard of the anchor cable, one on each side, as giving a better lead. However, one never knows.
 
Abreast the mast on either bulwark, are two pinrails, with six pins in each. These were supplied with the kit and at the time of fitting them, the number of pins seemed barely adequate. In fact, with rather more rigging seemingly to be belayed, I think they may be woefully inadequate. I should perhaps made have my own rail, with extra pins – but I tell myself, I can always resort to shroud cleats if necessary!
 
Forward of the mast is a rail. This again was supplied with the kit, but I added six belaying pins to the crossbar, as I intend to belay the the square sail sheets here. Ahead of that is the foredeck grating, down to the crews quarters, with the shot garlands on either side. Offset to the starboard side I fitted a chimney, painted black, and which I imagine connects to the stove below!
 
Next we come to the bowsprit support, from the kit. This was straightforward, but I felt that it needed pinning as well as gluing to the deck. The heel of the dowel-rod bowsprit was squared, to pass through the support, and I drilled two extra holes through it, to give the impression that the bowsprit can be moved in and out.
 
I wasn’t too happy with the anchor windlass as supplied, as I felt it didn’t look at all realistic, the completely straight windlass bar being rather strangely made up from short sections! I redesigned it to my own liking, giving it a proper shape, with hexagonal faces. The central section, was made to look as if it had toothed gearing, that engaged with the small bar-mounted rachet, but this again was merely pencilled on the black finish. The equidistant holes for the bars were also just painted black, on the red structure. I had thought about providing the bars themselves, but then the lack of a place to stow them arose – so I stored them below!
 
The anchors also needed some attention. The anchors themselves I thought were well cast and with the minimum of flash, but the wooden stocks – made as in actual practice from two halves - needed some considerable modification. To begin with they were too long, so I reduced the length at each end so that they were approximately the same length as the metal shank – which fitted with the proportions for an anchor of this type. They then needed sanding somewhat. The modified arms were then glued together around the shank, below the ring, at a ninety degree angle to the arms. Four ’iron’ bands, made from black paper, were then glued around the stocks at appropriate points. Finally, the anchor rings were ’puddened’, or wound round with black cord, which on the real vessel helps to prevent chafe. The anchors are held in their stowed position, by to two supports on the outside of the bulwarks – my own invention – although I think I may have made them a little overlarge. They are also made fast with a length of line, belayed to the two aftermost timber heads. The anchor cables are lengths of plaited cord, that I thought looked somewhat realistic. They are perhaps a little overscale, but I think they do the job. Running aft past the mast, their inboard ends disappear down the fore end of the main hatch, in which I made two squared holes. Their other ends are ’clinched’ to the anchor ring, their circumference making them too large, of course, to tie a knot!
 
The catheads needed little modification, and are basically as supplied. I didn’t give them any decoration, merely a couple of paper ’iron’ bands, before painting them black. Due to the lack of suitable belaying places I decided to fit a crossbar between the catheads, over the bowsprit, with some pins. Two of these are already taken up, by the inhaul and outhaul lines for the traveller ring, for the staysail. Finally, there is a band around the top of the stem piece, with a ringbolt on the fore side to take the preventer stay when rigged.
 
 
Next time: the outboard details, the bowsprit and the mast.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hello,
 
Matti, Ferit, and Zy thanks for your nice comments, always appreciated. Mark you are the lucky one, yes your kit included those complex looking braces. I really like the BB version of this ship. Good choice.
--------
An update; had the last of couple days off, and my sweetheart is out so I can very comfortably make noise with the dremel {and my music}(:-) I painted and installed the bow figures. I am very happy to be DONE with painting those tiny little creatures.
 
I wanted to also add the small pedestals, and small frames behind each figure as seen in the 1/10th, but there is no space, the pedestals would then hang down lower than that timber upon which those little feet are now perched. Looks better that way. Pics are self-explanatory.
 
A couple of thoughts;
They were lined up by height, with the tallest closest to the deck.
The blue figure at the tip has since been straightened out a bit. One might think that he was trying to dive off of the ship before it sank.
 
----------------------
 
Now onto those darned gratings. I did complete the most forward one. I'm comfortable with the results so far. I will post when completed.
 
Again I want to thank all of who have been so kind with your encouraging words, and thanks as well to those of you just looking in. Your time spent at my build is a personal kindness, thank you.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

You're a class builder Greg, she looks wonderful.
 
B.E.

Speedwell's framing has finally been completed. Note the various shifts and casts of the toptimbers as they frame the ports. There are many more of these on this vessel than on a Swan class ship and they can be challenging at times. My plan is to plank her from the ports up and rig her.

Nice work on the blocks Grant, I envy your dedication and skill; for me all I can say is thank God for Chuck
 
B.E.

I found a few hours to finish the bridle ports and one of the rear gun ports. I hope that with coming fall and winter I can shift more time to ship modeling again  . . .  
The gun port lids were done following Chuck’s instructions. The photo etched hinges for the bridle ports supplied in the kit were not quite as long as they were shown on Chuck’s plans, so I made my own.
 

Bridle port, port side
 

Bridle ports, front view
 

Bridle port, starboard
 

Bridle port, deck view
 

Closed rear gun port
 

Rear gun port, deck view

...

I’ve glued the masts and started to fit the shrouds.
 
For large and more detail photos see also:
http://www.flickr.co...han_gokcay/sets
http://www.flickr.co...57626433922489/

Dear friends, a little updating: placing of fore beams. Being the interior visible, I decided to make a realistic accomodation (...insofar where you can see beams and brackets ...).
 
Cheers
Alex

B.E. thanks for stopping by.
 
It interesting working on each aspect separately as the need to operate the rigging and sails dictates what I have to make next. each task seems to require more research into how things are done.
 
Last evening I was able to make the rail for the bottom of the mast the posts knees and rail are all from different colours of maple they are not glued yet. The posts are set through the deck and abut the beam in front of them.
 

 

 
The belaying pin is a placeholder to see what they would look like the final ones will be from Lignum Vitae.
 
Michael