Blue Ensign

Looking forward to it Robert, Happy New Year.
 
B.E.

The thing about the False Rails Peter is that as they just sit on top of the Main rail they can be added later, just need drawing out on a bit of thin stuff and shaping..
 
The Bumkins are just a length of tapered dowel that I soaked and curved using my fingers. I haven't fixed them yet, will leave that as late as possible.
 
B.E.

Hmm... not quite November of 2014 as I promised Sjors, but here's the latest. I finished the gunports (thank heavens it's not a 74), added the ebony wales (chain and main), and began working towards the top rails.  The red arrow points to where I need to fill in with either plum or swiss pear.  I'm undecided at this moment and waiting to see how some test wood looks with the Wipe on Poly.
 
I also cut out every other frame between the build board and where the cap rail will be in the midship area.  I need to rotate her around and do the other side now.
 
As for the ebony... if I ever mention on another ship, that I'm planning on using ebony, please do unto me which the Victory did unto Bucentaur at Trafalgar.   Just unload a broadside.   Aggrevating stuff.  The epoxy wasn't holding and required some gel type CA.   I think pear with ebony stain would look as good.
 

What a little beauty Ron, I envy you, I'm still dithering about trying to decide about the Pinnace for Pegasus.
 
Best wishes for 2014.
 
B.E.

Thanks, Russ, and Dan.
 
Planking finished.   Still some minor glue clean up to do on the exterior (and a lot on the interior, but that may wait until the frames are in), and some more sanding is needed, especially at the bow.  But maybe the hardest part of the cutter is done (hopefully)? 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
I'm pretty happy with the starboard side, which will be the more visible side in the finished model display.
 
 
Next will be cutting the frame slots into the hull plug.
 
Ron
 
 
 
 

Hi Guys
 
 Christian 
 Thanks, I have had a look at the lining boards and I think you are right, they are probably the wrong way round, so I have removed them reworked them and refitted.
 

 
  Bill
To get the cannons to move up and down, when assembling them I glued the trunnion in the barrel and drilled down into the carriage and ten pinned the cap-square onto the carriage dry which allows the barrel to still move up and down. when I fitted the cannons to the deck I used very thick cyno and also rubbed the finished cannons on sand paper to give a small flat on the bottom of the wheels, to give a better contact-glueing area, plus I glued where the cannons touch on the inner bulwarks the last thing you want is one coming loose when the fore or quarter deck is on.
 
 
Mobbsie
The brackets under the mizzen channel are made from the brass/ sprue no problem to make, you would think that the price these kits are right number of parts would be included.
 
A carriage with holes for the trunnion 

 
A cannon with trunninon and you can just see the sanded flats on the bottoms of the wheels

 

 
 

Just a small update not much progress as we before Xmas went on holiday, great cruise on the Queen Mary 2 what a superb ship, a 5 star floating hotel, so as it is a ship I have added a photo, and Xmas took over as well.
 

 
I have made a start on adding the dead eyes and links but first the alignment.
 
 
Dead-eye link alignment
 
 
When I was looking into positioning the channels, making sure they did not allow the links from the dead-eyes to the hull interfere with the gun ports, I also looked at the path from the mast the stays took through the dead-eye links to the hull fixing point. I wanted to get that path straight, so I made a jig using an old length of carbon rod  that fitted into all three mast holes and marked off the point where all the stays would come from on the rod with tape, and then ran a length of  rigging cord from the stays starting point, through the notch in the channel, to the termination point of the link on the hull (as shown in the photos)
 
so when the dead-eyes and when links are fitted they will flow in the right line from the mast.
 

 

The channels, gun port lids, plus the oar ports and ventilation ports and the eye bolts have all now been fitted, plus the channel support brackets and the anchor lining boards I found the best way to work on her, was keel up, it gives much better access to the under sides of the channels, this would not be such a good idea if the deck fittings have been added.
 
One problem I found was that parts no 258 the channel support brackets there are only 22 supplied, and the plans shows 26 and if there are ones behind the anchors you need 28 I will get around this by making the extras from the brass strip around the etched parts.
 
This might be the last update for a bit as we are off on the QM2 for a holiday and Xmas is coming.
 
Working upside down

 

 
support brackets

 

 

 
All the parts fitted to both sides
 

 

 

 

Cheers Rick - thanks for your continued interest... Do I see the Philadelphia from the American History Museum in your avatar?
 
A bit more of the build:
 
I took to heart Blue Ensign's advice and replaced the galley stack with something a bit more in scale:

I added a bit of "animation" by rotating the top half - the idea being that the lower portion is fixed and the upper can be turned with the handles to accommodate any prevailing breeze:

 
I've also added the drainage plugs to the chain pumps:

 
One bugaboo that I remember from my MK1 version, done all those decades ago, was that the spar deck came up a bit short to the transom.  I elected to add a small strip to the end to make up the potential gap.  I started with a strip underneath to form a ledge, then added a .60x.80 strip on top.  After a bit of filler and sanding I extended the deck planks with my scribe tool to blend it all together.

 
It would be possible to hide this gap by covering it with a waterway extended in front of the transom, but my understanding is that waterways were never added across the stern section.
 
Those who are very familiar with this kit will note that I've added the boom traveller to the spar deck (I'll remove the one molded to the transom rail).  The Hull model clearly shows the traveller where the Revell kit has it, but that positioning has always bugged me... It may also be why the kit has the spanker boom so high up on the trysail mast.  Olof Eriksen has a similar beef with this and his research suggests that the builders of the Hull model took a shortcut with their approach and it should've been put down on the deck to match standard practice.  I'm going with that version...
 
Finally, I've begun to slap together the berth deck section that will be exposed below the open hatch on the gun deck.  I've elected to suspend the section from under the gun deck rather than glue ledges against the inner hull and span the entire width.  

More details on this later...
 
Thanks again for tuning in!
Evan

Build Update:
 
Completed all masts, bowsprit, yards.  
 
Couple of things I deviated from plans:  Drawing shows boarding pikes going through both mast rings.  I brought the lower one down, so pike bases would rest on ring bottom.  
Some of the smaller yards said for center to be 16 parts instead of the usual 8 parts (with or without battens).  I just left these rounded.  This scale don't think would have shown.  I also left top gallant yards rounded for same reasons.
 
Next up all the blocks and such to be added to these pieces.
 
Everyone:  Wishing all the best upcoming year yet.  Happy New Year and hoping Santa brought everything you wanted.
 
Happy modeling,
Len

Nice progress Gary, the deck option looks good, and I love the pump photos, a great little diorama on their own.
 
If I may comment on the frapping of gun tackles, it is less likely that the  gun deck heavy guns would be run out and frapped, as the ports would be usually closed unless the guns were being prepared for action, where faking down of the side tackles would probably be the practical arrangement.
 
But whose to say that in a harbour situation with the ports open to allow airing, the guns wouldn't sometimes be secured by frapping.
 
The situation would be different with the lighter guns in open non lidded ports
 
John Harland in his book Seamanship in the age of Sail  includes a chapter on securing the guns. He makes the point that the Upper deck guns were ordinarily secured in the ‘run out’ position and shows the side tackles frapped.
 
This is the arrangement I adopted on my Pegasus build.
 
 
B.E.



 

Hi Alistair. Your very welcome sir. At the moment am still probably go with the frapping and some gun's in different placement like being tied up  but that is hopfully in the near future.
 
Have a small update guys. The planking of the gun deck is finish  and should not be adding any more at the moment. The Captain did come around and talked about overhauling the pumps and bearings and a few other things. The old bushing set was wooden,  and figure I would try to make some metal ones. Figure that if I don't work more with metal, won't ever get any better at it. Do believe I finally figure out and got myself some good drill bits, for drilling very tiny holes in metal. With the sensitive drilling attachment  it helps me big time, from breaking a ton of the small bits. Any way I milled out the shape of the roding's, believe thats what they are called and drilled the holes for the bolts to keep them in place.
 
  The pump housing tubes and main mast partner was taken out and given a new look and then reinstalled , the partner and pump tubes that is. Also added the aft scuttle hatches with the cover some what just sitting on the bottom half. Now I did come across a item and thought it would be nice to add. On Montagu and other 74 gun ships they had this half circle cover, which I believe was made of wood, had one small door in front, just big enough to hand out cartridges,  and covered the scuttle hatch that was used to hand up the cartridges from the orlop deck. This hatch was between the aft riding bitt's.  It probably was stored when they were working the anchors and cables. Another up date in the works folk's.
 
Just something to think about  folks,the next time you have to glue something in place. If you can just peg the item to the hull or deck with maybe a bit of glue on the peg, it just might save you from having a headack on your hands. Just to give you a ideal of this, all of Montagu gun deck planks are only held in place with a tiny bit of glue on the pegs. If I had to tear out or remove some planking all one has to do is pry up the plank sand down the peg's and your ready to go. When I first installed the main partner and pump's very little glue was used and things were more or less just pegged in place. Made removing them a whole lot easier and clean up was a snap. Just something to keep in mind folks. 
Gary 



 

Hope you recover quickly Grant, hell, you've got a rigging job to do.
 
For completeness this is a copy of the reply I have made re the brace pendants/yard tackles that you also did as a separate post.
 
 
 
Hi Grant,
 
When in doubt I always refer back to Steel, writing in 1794.
This is what he has to say:
 

YARD-TACKLE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard-arm, with an eye, as the former. In the lower end is spliced a double block, connected by its fall to a single one, strapped with a hook and thimble, to hoist in the boats, &c.
 

YARD-TACKLES are sometimes carried aft and hooked to eye-bolts in the side, and used to prevent too great a strain on the braces in bad weather.
 

Lees also covers yard tackle pendants in his book:
 

Comprising a pendant and long tackle block, the pendant being a quarter of the yards length.
The tackle fall comprised the pendant block and a single hooked block. When not in use the  tackle was hooked to the Futtock shrouds, and made up along the yard (by the use of a tricing line.)
 

This is how I have always chosen to display the yard tackles.
 

On Victory today recent photos show the Starboard yard tackles hooked to the Futtock Shrouds and the port tackles  are shown extended and  attached  to the lifting rings of  a boat.
 

Brace Pendants
This is what Steel has to say again writing in 1794.
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard-arms with an eye, as above; in the lower end is a single block, through which the brace reeves. Sometimes, in the navy, and oftener in the merchant service the block is lashed to the yard-arm without a pendent.
 

TOPSAIL-YARDS.
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard, as on the lower ones. The fore-topsail-braces reeve through the block in the pendent, and then through a block lashed on each side the collar on the main-stay, a little below the fore-braces; the standing-part makes fast to the stay below the block with a hitch, and seized. The leading-part leads from the block upon the collar of the stay through a block lashed on the stay abreast the fore hatchway, and through a block strapt with a thimble into an eye-bolt in the aft-part of the forecastle, and belays round an iron pin in the boat-skid.
 

MAIN-TOPSAIL-BRACES reeve through the block in the pendent, and the standing-part makes fast to the collar of the mizen-stay. The leading-part reeves through a block in the span round the mizen-mast-head below the hounds, and leads down through a sheave-hole in the mizen-topsail-sheet-bits, abaft the mizen-mast, and belays there.
 

THE CROSS-JACK-YARD
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are stopt to the yard about four feet within the cleats at the yard-arm; the brace then reeves through the block in the pendent. The standing-part of the starboard brace makes fast to one of the middle shrouds on the larboard side with a hitch, and the end stopt; and the leading-part reeves down through a single-block lashed to the same shroud a little below the catharpins; it then leads through a truck or double-block seized to the middle shroud, and belays round a pin in the fife-rail, and the larboard braces the contrary.
 

This is the link to the online work of Steel
 

http://hnsa.org/doc/...part7.htm#pg201
It is interesting to note that  Monamy Swaine in his painting of Victory at Sea in 1793 shows Brace pendants used.



Lees writing about Brace Pendants says on the lower yards they were fitted until 1815, and on the Topsail/T’gallants until 1805.*
*I have a slight niggle as to whether this is a typo error.
 

Marquardt (18th Century Rigs and Rigging) indicates that the attaching of the brace blocks directly to the yard using the dog and bitch connection became official in the Royal Navy in 1815.
 

Victory currently has brace pendants. Older photos of Victory show her without pendants, and Bugler writing in 1966 shows no brace pendants in his rigging plans etc.
 

It is the case that certain features on Victory extant in the days of Longridge and Bugler, were changed prior to the Bi-centenary in 2005, removal of the stern davits, changing the name detail on the stern etc; it may well have been thought that 1805 was too early to fit the dog and bitch connection.
 

Although unofficial changes were often made a fair time in advance of the official adoption, Steel's comment in 1794 that ‘sometimes’ in the Navy the block is lashed to the yard without a pendant, suggest to me that it was the exception rather than the norm at that time.
 
It does however give some leeway to choose not to fit brace pendants.
 

Personally  on balance I would fit pendants until the post Trafalgar era.

Hope this helps.
 
B.E.

Hope you recover quickly Grant, hell, you've got a rigging job to do.
 
For completeness this is a copy of the reply I have made re the brace pendants/yard tackles that you also did as a separate post.
 
 
 
Hi Grant,
 
When in doubt I always refer back to Steel, writing in 1794.
This is what he has to say:
 

YARD-TACKLE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard-arm, with an eye, as the former. In the lower end is spliced a double block, connected by its fall to a single one, strapped with a hook and thimble, to hoist in the boats, &c.
 

YARD-TACKLES are sometimes carried aft and hooked to eye-bolts in the side, and used to prevent too great a strain on the braces in bad weather.
 

Lees also covers yard tackle pendants in his book:
 

Comprising a pendant and long tackle block, the pendant being a quarter of the yards length.
The tackle fall comprised the pendant block and a single hooked block. When not in use the  tackle was hooked to the Futtock shrouds, and made up along the yard (by the use of a tricing line.)
 

This is how I have always chosen to display the yard tackles.
 

On Victory today recent photos show the Starboard yard tackles hooked to the Futtock Shrouds and the port tackles  are shown extended and  attached  to the lifting rings of  a boat.
 

Brace Pendants
This is what Steel has to say again writing in 1794.
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard-arms with an eye, as above; in the lower end is a single block, through which the brace reeves. Sometimes, in the navy, and oftener in the merchant service the block is lashed to the yard-arm without a pendent.
 

TOPSAIL-YARDS.
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard, as on the lower ones. The fore-topsail-braces reeve through the block in the pendent, and then through a block lashed on each side the collar on the main-stay, a little below the fore-braces; the standing-part makes fast to the stay below the block with a hitch, and seized. The leading-part leads from the block upon the collar of the stay through a block lashed on the stay abreast the fore hatchway, and through a block strapt with a thimble into an eye-bolt in the aft-part of the forecastle, and belays round an iron pin in the boat-skid.
 

MAIN-TOPSAIL-BRACES reeve through the block in the pendent, and the standing-part makes fast to the collar of the mizen-stay. The leading-part reeves through a block in the span round the mizen-mast-head below the hounds, and leads down through a sheave-hole in the mizen-topsail-sheet-bits, abaft the mizen-mast, and belays there.
 

THE CROSS-JACK-YARD
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are stopt to the yard about four feet within the cleats at the yard-arm; the brace then reeves through the block in the pendent. The standing-part of the starboard brace makes fast to one of the middle shrouds on the larboard side with a hitch, and the end stopt; and the leading-part reeves down through a single-block lashed to the same shroud a little below the catharpins; it then leads through a truck or double-block seized to the middle shroud, and belays round a pin in the fife-rail, and the larboard braces the contrary.
 

This is the link to the online work of Steel
 

http://hnsa.org/doc/...part7.htm#pg201
It is interesting to note that  Monamy Swaine in his painting of Victory at Sea in 1793 shows Brace pendants used.



Lees writing about Brace Pendants says on the lower yards they were fitted until 1815, and on the Topsail/T’gallants until 1805.*
*I have a slight niggle as to whether this is a typo error.
 

Marquardt (18th Century Rigs and Rigging) indicates that the attaching of the brace blocks directly to the yard using the dog and bitch connection became official in the Royal Navy in 1815.
 

Victory currently has brace pendants. Older photos of Victory show her without pendants, and Bugler writing in 1966 shows no brace pendants in his rigging plans etc.
 

It is the case that certain features on Victory extant in the days of Longridge and Bugler, were changed prior to the Bi-centenary in 2005, removal of the stern davits, changing the name detail on the stern etc; it may well have been thought that 1805 was too early to fit the dog and bitch connection.
 

Although unofficial changes were often made a fair time in advance of the official adoption, Steel's comment in 1794 that ‘sometimes’ in the Navy the block is lashed to the yard without a pendant, suggest to me that it was the exception rather than the norm at that time.
 
It does however give some leeway to choose not to fit brace pendants.
 

Personally  on balance I would fit pendants until the post Trafalgar era.

Hope this helps.
 
B.E.

Hope you recover quickly Grant, hell, you've got a rigging job to do.
 
For completeness this is a copy of the reply I have made re the brace pendants/yard tackles that you also did as a separate post.
 
 
 
Hi Grant,
 
When in doubt I always refer back to Steel, writing in 1794.
This is what he has to say:
 

YARD-TACKLE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard-arm, with an eye, as the former. In the lower end is spliced a double block, connected by its fall to a single one, strapped with a hook and thimble, to hoist in the boats, &c.
 

YARD-TACKLES are sometimes carried aft and hooked to eye-bolts in the side, and used to prevent too great a strain on the braces in bad weather.
 

Lees also covers yard tackle pendants in his book:
 

Comprising a pendant and long tackle block, the pendant being a quarter of the yards length.
The tackle fall comprised the pendant block and a single hooked block. When not in use the  tackle was hooked to the Futtock shrouds, and made up along the yard (by the use of a tricing line.)
 

This is how I have always chosen to display the yard tackles.
 

On Victory today recent photos show the Starboard yard tackles hooked to the Futtock Shrouds and the port tackles  are shown extended and  attached  to the lifting rings of  a boat.
 

Brace Pendants
This is what Steel has to say again writing in 1794.
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard-arms with an eye, as above; in the lower end is a single block, through which the brace reeves. Sometimes, in the navy, and oftener in the merchant service the block is lashed to the yard-arm without a pendent.
 

TOPSAIL-YARDS.
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are next put over the yard, as on the lower ones. The fore-topsail-braces reeve through the block in the pendent, and then through a block lashed on each side the collar on the main-stay, a little below the fore-braces; the standing-part makes fast to the stay below the block with a hitch, and seized. The leading-part leads from the block upon the collar of the stay through a block lashed on the stay abreast the fore hatchway, and through a block strapt with a thimble into an eye-bolt in the aft-part of the forecastle, and belays round an iron pin in the boat-skid.
 

MAIN-TOPSAIL-BRACES reeve through the block in the pendent, and the standing-part makes fast to the collar of the mizen-stay. The leading-part reeves through a block in the span round the mizen-mast-head below the hounds, and leads down through a sheave-hole in the mizen-topsail-sheet-bits, abaft the mizen-mast, and belays there.
 

THE CROSS-JACK-YARD
 

BRACE-PENDENTS are stopt to the yard about four feet within the cleats at the yard-arm; the brace then reeves through the block in the pendent. The standing-part of the starboard brace makes fast to one of the middle shrouds on the larboard side with a hitch, and the end stopt; and the leading-part reeves down through a single-block lashed to the same shroud a little below the catharpins; it then leads through a truck or double-block seized to the middle shroud, and belays round a pin in the fife-rail, and the larboard braces the contrary.
 

This is the link to the online work of Steel
 

http://hnsa.org/doc/...part7.htm#pg201
It is interesting to note that  Monamy Swaine in his painting of Victory at Sea in 1793 shows Brace pendants used.



Lees writing about Brace Pendants says on the lower yards they were fitted until 1815, and on the Topsail/T’gallants until 1805.*
*I have a slight niggle as to whether this is a typo error.
 

Marquardt (18th Century Rigs and Rigging) indicates that the attaching of the brace blocks directly to the yard using the dog and bitch connection became official in the Royal Navy in 1815.
 

Victory currently has brace pendants. Older photos of Victory show her without pendants, and Bugler writing in 1966 shows no brace pendants in his rigging plans etc.
 

It is the case that certain features on Victory extant in the days of Longridge and Bugler, were changed prior to the Bi-centenary in 2005, removal of the stern davits, changing the name detail on the stern etc; it may well have been thought that 1805 was too early to fit the dog and bitch connection.
 

Although unofficial changes were often made a fair time in advance of the official adoption, Steel's comment in 1794 that ‘sometimes’ in the Navy the block is lashed to the yard without a pendant, suggest to me that it was the exception rather than the norm at that time.
 
It does however give some leeway to choose not to fit brace pendants.
 

Personally  on balance I would fit pendants until the post Trafalgar era.

Hope this helps.
 
B.E.

I can only add my voice to the chorus of amazement, you are an artist of extraordinary talent Doris, and the photos of your work bring such pleasure to the members of MSW.
 
Wishing you health and happiness in 2014.
 
B.E.

Actual pics:

 
Please enjoy the pics, soon I am going to bring new ones.
Best regards,
Doris

Sculptures and details for main cabin - all handmade:

Main cabin:
 

Almost finished furniture in this cabin:

And other furniture and details:

Pics from the cabin:
 


 
 

Hello dear friends,
Thank you for your kind words, I am glad I can share my work with you all and find a lot of great inspiration here at MSW.
 
 
Well, I started to build models when I was six and my mother was surprised that i had a bit different hobbies as compared with other small girls. But I could not help myself and enjoy this hobby to these days.
 
 
Thank you dear Anja, I am pleased you like the changes on Royal Caroline. I also like the actual appearance more than previous+.
And my new avatar comes from the recent boat trip. 

Take care,

Doris
 
 
Hello dear Sjors,

I try to look for the new ways, how to improve my work and achieve better results. Sometimes I am satisfied, but there are a lot of things, I could make better. So this is a motivation for future projects.
 
 
 Thank you very much, Grant. Now I have about 30 ship models at home, some of the older ones have plenty of mistakes, but this way I can compare progression of my modeler skills and learn from own mistakes.
 
 
Today I took all my ships out to clean them. I use only a soft brush.
Here are some of the biggest ones:


 
 

Hello Sjors and thank you a lot! That is my favourite room in our house.
 
I have made only few new details on Royal Caroline, because I have no time for my hobbies now. In the end I have decided to change again the surface of belfry and other details, because I was not satisfied with previous modification and its cleanness. BTW, I looked again at the paintings of Royal Caroline and I did not find red colour on these parts. Only the chimney is red.





 
There were added anchor ropes, I made them on Rope Walk by Amati.