Blue Ensign

It's certainly not elitist to advance knowledge of our subject.
 I accept the limitations of kits, they have to appeal to a large range of potential buyers, don’t frighten the novices, or unduly lack credibility with the experienced, whilst maintaining a reasonable cost/benefit ratio of producing the kits.
 
Chris does wonderfully well to authentically represent the majority of the subject detail, but it was the tweakability of Sphinx that  appealed to me.
 
I record the modifications  and changes I make in my builds partly on the basis that not everyone has access to the very large reference library I have built up over the years, and giving such detail gives options.
 
Of course many people just want to complete a nice looking kit, and that’s just fine.
 
Unlike myself not everyone has or wants a head stuffed full of 18th c trivia such as:
Worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way.
 
Mrs W definitely thinks I’m weird, but she indulges me in what in the overall scheme of things is a minority interest passion.
 
Movin’ on
 
B.E.
 

Post One Hundred and fifty-seven
 
A place on the skids?
 Well my curiosity  got the better of me and I just had to try the Pinnace onboard Sphinx.
 This coincidentally is the twelve month stage from starting the build.
 I’m warming to the look of the Pinnace on the skids and it doesn’t obscure the upper deck detail.

8090

8092

8086

8085

8081

8075

8083(2)

8074(2)

8078(3)

8071(2)

8070(2)

8063(2)
Nothing set in stone at this point, but I have decided that having all three boats on the skids would detract rather than enhance the look.
 
For me, Georgian elegance is why so many contemporary 18thc models only show the Pinnace onboard, it is the most graceful  and aesthetically pleasing(along with barges) of the boat complement.
 
B.E.
20/08/2022
 
 
 

It's certainly not elitist to advance knowledge of our subject.
 I accept the limitations of kits, they have to appeal to a large range of potential buyers, don’t frighten the novices, or unduly lack credibility with the experienced, whilst maintaining a reasonable cost/benefit ratio of producing the kits.
 
Chris does wonderfully well to authentically represent the majority of the subject detail, but it was the tweakability of Sphinx that  appealed to me.
 
I record the modifications  and changes I make in my builds partly on the basis that not everyone has access to the very large reference library I have built up over the years, and giving such detail gives options.
 
Of course many people just want to complete a nice looking kit, and that’s just fine.
 
Unlike myself not everyone has or wants a head stuffed full of 18th c trivia such as:
Worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way.
 
Mrs W definitely thinks I’m weird, but she indulges me in what in the overall scheme of things is a minority interest passion.
 
Movin’ on
 
B.E.
 

Post One Hundred and fifty-seven
 
A place on the skids?
 Well my curiosity  got the better of me and I just had to try the Pinnace onboard Sphinx.
 This coincidentally is the twelve month stage from starting the build.
 I’m warming to the look of the Pinnace on the skids and it doesn’t obscure the upper deck detail.

8090

8092

8086

8085

8081

8075

8083(2)

8074(2)

8078(3)

8071(2)

8070(2)

8063(2)
Nothing set in stone at this point, but I have decided that having all three boats on the skids would detract rather than enhance the look.
 
For me, Georgian elegance is why so many contemporary 18thc models only show the Pinnace onboard, it is the most graceful  and aesthetically pleasing(along with barges) of the boat complement.
 
B.E.
20/08/2022
 
 
 

A small diversion to play with the boat equipment.
The Grapnel
The grapnel as provided by the kit seems to have been rigged without the benefit of a ring, the line secured directly thro' the eye in the shank where the ring should be.

A grapnel as illustrated by Steel shows a ring fitted thro' the eye.
Steel gives a grapnel rope circ for ships boats as 3" - 3½" which equates to around 1mm diameter line at scale.

0946
This alone would not be possible without a ring, particularly as the classic hitch for small anchors is a Fisherman's Bend where the line passes twice thro' the ring.
 He also gives 35 fathoms as the length of the grapnel rope. which scales to 2667mm. This is 8.75ft at scale, where would all that fit in the boat!

0967(2)
I satisfied myself with a rope length of around 30' - 300mm which I figured would be long enough for what is essentially a harbour boat.
Boat Hook
This is shown on the plan but the makings are not included with the kit.
 

0950
Not too difficult an item to reproduce, I use a soft white metal strip (the arm from one of Mrs W's hair clips, cut and shaped with files, and inserted into a length of thin Walnut dowel.

0948

0964

0956
The Thole pins and chocks are also shown on these shots. Nothing much to say about the tholes except they are fiddly little things to make, parts very small, fingers too big.
I changed the style slightly from the plans, and left them unpainted as a contrast to the predominantly red  scheme.

0961
Just the Splashguards left to do now.
 
B.E.

Thanks Dave, Caroline, and Martin, I will eventually get something that suits my eye, trouble is that what is fudgeable at 1:64 scale is not so easy at 1:48 scale on a fully open deck.
Now a break from guns.
Post 79
Thinking about the Bowsprit
At this point I am looking at the Bowsprit because it ultimately determines the position of the Bowsprit step and the Windlass.
I am using 5/16" Boxwood square stock and the process starts by drilling three mortices in the inboard end and the sheave hole at the Bowsprit outboard end.
The stick will be put in the lathe for tapering and I have followed the proportions given in Steel.
The length is quartered from the broadest point (8mm) and tapers in the proportions:'
1st Qtr         2nd Qtr       3rd Qtr     End
60/61           11/12          4/5          5/9
The results are pretty close to the dimensions drawn in the Syren plans.

7434
To check progress during the tapering process the quarters and diameters are marked on a card.

7427(2)
The lathe extension bed is required to take the length of the Bowsprit.

7441
The taper was produced using just sandpaper and constant checking of the quarter diameters.

7444
The next stage is getting the fit thro' the Bowsprit port and trialling the Bowsprit step set up.

7462
I have departed from the Syren instructions by having the retaining fid pass thro' the Bowsprit and standards.
Came into my mind whether these were originally wood or iron. To my mind iron would make more sense for this important job of retaining the Bowsprit.

7463
By the same token it crossed my mind whether there would have been an iron Bowsprit retaining ring attached to the stem.

7466
 The spare fid holes were punched with a square section needle file and finished off with a micro chisel.
 

7468
Seeing the Bowsprit in place  indicates what the overall size of the model will be, representing a 51'6" length overall.
I haven't decided yet whether I am going to rig Cheerful  or have her as a hull model with stub mast and sprit, so it is important to me to have a removeable Bowsprit, hence not following Chuck's example for fitting between the Bowsprit Step standards.

7503
With the sprit in place the standards are glued and pinned to the deck.

7505
7505
Once dry the fids can be withdrawn and the sprit can be removed.
The Starboard side long gun is secured in its port.
I can now reurn to fiddling with the side tackles whilst Chuck makes a supply of 3mm blocks to complete the job.
 
B.E.
30/03/2019

Post 44

Bits and pieces

Side steps

These are plain affairs that will stand a little enhancing with extra profiling. The kit items do however include the hand holds.

Two outboard steps are indicated although I note that four are shown on the Marshall painting.

Same problem here as with Cheerful; it looks like there ought to be additional steps.

Two steps may just pass muster with the open drift arrangement, effectively an extra step, but the distance between the upper of two steps and the closed in Drift rail is the same as the distance taken up by both two lower steps.


3862(2)
For this reason, I have decided to fit three outboard steps, the added third step being fixed just above the sheer rail.

Inboard steps: the kit doesn’t provide these, whereas the Alert book shows a three-step inboard entry ladder between deck and Drift rail.

With my current set up a ladder would cover the shot rack and interfere with gun side tackles for the second from aft gun.

Still, I think there should be steps, so it looks like re-visiting the Rough-tree rail and shot rack.


3630
I identified the problem as the hance coming too far forward on the Drift-rail, preventing the ladders clearing the side tackles.

Worth mentioning that use of pva allows for painless removal of the rail, quite a delicate fitting, which would not have been the case had I used ca.

I keep use of ca to the absolute minimum on my builds, there is often a need to do modifications and ca tends to make the wood brittle and using acetone to loosen ca can be a messy business.

 

3852
The hance has been modified, the shot rack moved aft, and the inboard ladders installed.


3864(2)

3860(2)
Layout looks more logical to my eye now.

Not yet ready to fix the deck fittings but it’s been a while since I reviewed the layout.


3839(2)

3840(2)

3845(2)

3843

3842

3838
Time to move on.

B.E.

12/12/2019
 
 
 

Post 4
Thinking about the deck
My preference is to make several outline templates drawn onto card sheet. These will be used to mark out the planking pattern and use as a template to form the margin plank.
The first thing to decide is the position of the deck beams.  For this I have used the Goodwin book, and my main concern is not to have a butt ending up at an incorrect point such as  mid way along the main hatchway where a main beam would in practice not be.
I will be using a three butt shift  with scale planks around 20' with shifts of around 5'+. Each plank within these constraints will of necessity have minor adjustments to take account of the closest appropriate beam.
Using standard repeated one length planks would result in the butts appearing at unlikely places.
If you're not over fussed by such considerations you can't go far wrong using the Deck planking article by Ulises Victoria in the MSW database, which I used albeit in a modified form.
I start with planks each side of the centre line, and planks wholly within the spaces between the deck encumbrances will have no butts as the lengths are within the maximum.

484
After some trial and error I eventually got a pattern I was happy with and this was transferred to the false deck.

489
At this point I also rough cut the margin planks using Boxwood sheet.
Once the false deck is in place I don't think it will be easy to remove. It is fairly flimsy (of necessity) and  there are notches on the bulkheads which will lock it into place.

490
Having said that, handled carefully it fit quite easily, the hardest part is applying pva over the whole framing, and setting the deck before it started to dry.
Handy to have a good supply of weights available.

494
The deck edges may be a little vulnerable to breakage during the fairing process so I think I will beef the underside up a little with strip wood.
 
The final addition in this section is the Platform deck over the rudder housing at the counter.

525
This slotted easily into place and does provide some support for those delicate stern frames.

532
The facing panels fit neatly into the frame slots.

531(2)
Temporary support blocks are inserted between the stern frames.

529(2)
This completes the initial assembly stage, mostly painless, but watch out for those stern frames.
 
B.E.
29/06/2019
 

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
 

Post Forty-six
 
Flag staffs and Flags.
 
Two Flag staffs are required to be made from provided dowel.
The staffs have decorative features in the form of wooden balls, but there is scope to elaborate the decoration if desired.

2907
I added extra balls and enhanced the Truck slightly.
 
One small puzzlement I had was that with the staffs cut to the plan dimensions the Fore-staff was the same height as the Main-staff when fitted.
Completed Broadside photos seemed to indicate that the Fore-staff was slightly shorter.
 
Chuck has provided two flags to adorn the Barge, The Royal Standard and the Union Flag.
 
The Royal Standard is of the period 1704-1714, and the Union Flag 1606 – 1800.
Both are produced using the print on tissue paper method, in my opinion by far the best medium for model boat purposes, unless those models are very large indeed.
 
For hoisting the flags, I will use a series of Ribands to secure the Flag, with the topmost ring attached to the mast truck.
 
The Royal Standard
Before I started messing with the flags I took the precaution of taking copies just in case things went pear-shaped.

2847
The copies were printed on Modelspan tissue.

2891
One of the spares was attached to a jury staff to allow me to play with folding and draping technique.
I wanted to get the feel for how the flag would perform during this stage without risking the kit provided versions.

2892
The flag was wetted down using the spray fixative and teased into shape.
 
The proper Standard was then fixed to the Flagstaff.

2914
I had a slight issue with the top of the hoist tearing away from the staff but the fixative held it in place once set.
I was after a loose drape so as not to obscure too much of the colourful design of the standard.
 
The Union Flag

2920
The kit provided Union Flag.
These are always more problematical with the tissue method because when draped the transparency allows the red cross to show thro’ the white sections giving the impression that the ink has run.

2924
This is the effect I mean and this version will not stand.
 
I couldn’t seem to get the drape I was after and was not at all happy with this result.
Nothing for it but to print off some Union Flags onto Modelspan. I used 21gsm weight.

2926
I had thought that the Union Flag was a tad large for the Foremast and would likely to cover the foremost oarsman at the bow.
I reduced the size a tad for these Mk 2 versions and added a hem to the hoist side.

2928
The Mk 2 flag attached to the staff; it has been sprayed with fixative to seal the colours.
2945(2)

2943(2)

2942(2)

2940(2)

2936(2)
The Flag staffs are not glued in place and the flags may receive a little more dressing before the final display.

In the final stages now and back to completion of the oars.
 
B.E.
23/07/21
 
 



 

Post One Hundred and fifty-seven
 
A place on the skids?
 Well my curiosity  got the better of me and I just had to try the Pinnace onboard Sphinx.
 This coincidentally is the twelve month stage from starting the build.
 I’m warming to the look of the Pinnace on the skids and it doesn’t obscure the upper deck detail.

8090

8092

8086

8085

8081

8075

8083(2)

8074(2)

8078(3)

8071(2)

8070(2)

8063(2)
Nothing set in stone at this point, but I have decided that having all three boats on the skids would detract rather than enhance the look.
 
For me, Georgian elegance is why so many contemporary 18thc models only show the Pinnace onboard, it is the most graceful  and aesthetically pleasing(along with barges) of the boat complement.
 
B.E.
20/08/2022
 
 
 

Post One Hundred and fify-five
 
Fitting out the Pinnace – Part three
 As was the practise with Pinnaces I lined the sternsheet area and added a little extra detail. The bow deck area was also lined.

7935
Before the thwarts are added the inboard surfaces are treated with W-O-P

7936
Still not entirely happy with the decking colour against the thwarts, I dry brush using a mix of Ochre Brown and Burnt umber.
 
The thwarts can be quite fiddly to fit, getting the lengths just right, ensuring they are all parallel to each other, and that the spacing is even.

7929
I use a plan template to assist this and cut temporary thwarts to determine the lengths.

7941
Temporary fit of the thwarts.

7939
I think the tone of the deck boards now looks better against the pearwood.
 
With the thwarts fitted, the last major test is the Gunwales.
These are very fine pieces and warrant careful handling.
 
One small puzzlement for me is that Pinnaces were usually rowed single banked which means the oarlocks and thole pins were offset port and starboard relative to the thwarts.

7950
The kit version  has them positioned for double banking.
 Any modification would require re-making the gunwales which I doubt I could achieve with the fineness of scale of the laser cut kit parts.

7956
Fitting the Gunwales  is a tricky business, I dampened the bow ends to  slightly modify the curve to suit the model, and I used ca to progressively glue the strip along the hull.

7944(2)
As a pre-caution I did make a template of the gunwales lest  sod’s law came into play and I was forced into scratching replacements.
 
Despite my fears the gunwales went on without a sharp rise in my tension level.
 
The next post should see the completion of the Pinnace.
 
 B.E.
18/08/22

 
 

Thank you Thomas and Ron.
@ Ron - I use scale figures for all sort of things, thwart height as above, but  one of my most useful is  old Tom who checks my footrope drop and is also very adept at Ratline scrambling.

Not that he's needed on my current build.
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.

Post One Hundred and Forty-five
 
Twelve month review.
 
The final completion of Sphinx will now be put on hold whilst I attend to the ships boats.
 
A convenient point with the twelve month anniversary of the build start coming up.
 
I have worked on Sphinx  pretty much daily over this time, and it is a testament to Chris’s  design that a model of this detail and appearance can be produced in such a relatively short time.
 
I have tweaked the kit in quite a few areas to reflect my Navy Board Style version, but my Pegasus build which necessitated far more scratch adjustments, took over two years to reach this point.

01819(2)
Pegasus at two year stage.
 
As a change from my usual hand held cluttered work bench shots, a tidy up, and tri-pod photo shoot to mark the twelve month stage.

7646(2)

7631

7630(3)

7634(3)

7633

7639(2)

7635(2)

7629(2)

7644(2)

7652

7649(2)

7648
These last three shots  show the Hammock Cranes temporarily in place to help me decide if I want to fit them.
 
The contemporary Navy Board style model of the Amazon does show them, and the kit provided versions are very nicely detailed, but at this point I’m still undecided.
 
Sphinx will now be put into her case while I make the Ships boats.
 
Thank you to all who have shown interest in this build over the past year.
 
 
B.E.
26/07/2022
 
 

Post One Hundred and Thirty nine
 
Port lids
 Thankfully only three per side to prep plus the Bridle port lids.
 The Bridle port was originally moulded shut into the topsides pattern,  but I opened it up early in the build, so the cut-away piece will require some fettlin’
 
Care needs to be taken in fitting the three lids to the correct port. They are handed Port and Starboard, and the best way is to check that the scribed lines match up with the adjoining planks.
 
In retrospect I think it would have been better to fit the lids, if only temporarily, before the guns were put into place.
 
I assembled the two parts of the lids  before painting.

7473
The provided eyelets to represent the port lid ring bolts are 1.9mm outside ø but are rather too broad with a flat profile which is inevitable with photo etch.
These are tiny fittings but I find them unconvincing, looking like what they are, bent over eyelets.
The rings properly scale to 0.4mm ø wire, 0.7mm in the clear, pretty tiny stuff to scratch make.
 
My compromise is to drill out the provided rings using a 1mm drill and dispense with the stems.

7477(2)
The rings are secured to a fine bolt which allows the internal lid rings to hang naturally.
 The kit provided port lid hinges are finely made, these are chemically blackened before use. I used carefully applied ca to fix the hinges.
 The port lanyards are of 2” circ line (0.25mm ø line).
 
Seizing the lanyard to the lid ring bolt is tricky at this scale without  making it look oversize.

7487

7490
I use the ‘false’ splice method feeding the line thro’ and back the line before sealing with a spot of diluted pva and trimming.

7496
The forward port lid only opens to the horizontal level as it falls between the aft end of the Main Channel and stool.

7494
Rigging the aft port lid; the lanyard is threaded thro’ the ring before fixing. The lid is simply pushed into place in the pre- cut holes.

7509

7502
On the port side I left the forward port lid loosely closed.
The lanyard tubes can also be seen, a fitting the detail devil in me couldn’t resist adding.
Telephone wire sleeving is used to represent the leather port tubes.

7515(2)

7512
Just the Bridle Ports to sort now.
 
 
B.E.
13/07/2022

Post One Hundred and Thirty-six
 
Billboards, bolsters, and Linings.
 These do not feature on the Sphinx kit, but she presumably had them, and they are shown on the Marshall Painting.

The Billboard is clearly shown,  but the bolster can’t be identified, and there is no indication of the linings.
 
I added this feature to Pegasus and will do so for Sphinx
The dimensions of these fittings are given in the FFM Vol 11 for the Swan sloops which will be my guide for Sphinx.
 
I firstly made the Bolsters in two parts using Pearwood strip. They are rebated on the back side to fit over the Preventer plates.
 
With the bolsters  in place the Billboards can be made. For this I use some 1mm pearwood scrap inscribed with 3mm wide boards which reflect the topsides planking.
 
The topside decoration is carried across the Billboard.

7397
I haven’t yet decided whether to paint the bolsters to match the  strakes.

7386
The decoration comes courtesy of some old Pegasus etch.

7390
The bolsters are only pinned in place in case I wish to remove them, but so were the originals.

7392
I did initially have some reservations about  adding this feature in case it distracted in some way from lovely lines of Sphinx.
 
It does appear on the contemporary model of Amazon, and I note that Chuck has added it to his Winnie build.

7396
I have still the Linings to do yet, a pity to cover up part of that nice top and butt wale planking, but they are part of the set.
 
 
B.E.
02/07/2022
 
 
 

Post One Hundred and Thirty two
 
Looking at lanterns
I have found very little written about the subject of fitting and use of lanterns except that on larger ships and Flagships three seems to have been the norm during the 18th century.
1804 seems to have been a significant date regarding number of lanterns; when only 1st rates were to have three, except when lesser ships were used as Flagships.
This of course begs the question of whether a fair range of ships already had three but only lit two unless serving as a Flagship.
Contemporary models across  the same rates show a mix in the number of lanterns displayed, and many Navy board style models don’t include them.
Personally I think a nice central lantern looks good on models.

01812

01819
I’m obviously biased but I love the look of this Syren lantern on Pegasus.

This set of three on the contemporary Amazon model have a nicely balanced look.
 
The two lantern arrangement  as shown in the AotS book Pandora and used on Sphinx is not the most pleasing to my eye,  I think it looks as if something is missing. Aesthetically I prefer the look of either one or three.
 
However, if the use of lanterns was to help following ships of a squadron or convoy to keep on station at night then at least two lanterns would better allow ships to gauge the line based on the gap between the two lights, and the arrangement makes sense.
 
I could legitimately leave off the lanterns on my build, but it would be a shame not to use Chris’s  splendid little examples.
The kit lanterns are beautifully made 3d printed items that do require painting before assembly, don’t forget to clean before painting.
 
I decided to paint the lanterns Vallejo Ochre Brown overall.
A temporary wire was inserted into the base to handle during painting and assembly.

7277
I found the clear acetate inserts needed a shave off the top to allow the roof to sit down  properly on the body.
 
It is quite a feat that the tiny vents have been designed into the roof of the lanterns, and are visible to  even my less than good eyes.

7280

7289
In addition to the (supplied) central ‘iron’ support bracket, lanterns would also have supporting wires to help with stability.

7290
With the lanterns in place I can see  that additional straps from beneath the lantern body to the Tafferal capping rail would be appropriate.

7282

7285

7287
Now that I’ve fitted them I’m warming to the look, which surprised me somewhat.

I’ll now have a think about fitting supporting wires attached to tiny eyelets  in the Taffarel capping. My only reservation being that it may look too fussy on a Navy Board Style model.
 
B.E.
14/06/2022

 

Post One Hundred and Thirty
Ordnance complement completed.
With fresh supplies received I can complete the remaining six waist guns.

02739(2)
Amati fine copper pins and 2mm ø brass rings are used for the carriage iron works.

07242(2)

07243(2)
A sort of milestone when all the guns are completed.

07248

07250
No gun rigging on this model, I’m following the Navy Board style.

07252
These are awkward guns to secure to the deck as their   construction doesn’t lend itself to pinning.
I use  small dabs of  pva on the wheels.

07256
Getting there!

07251

07257
I will be returning to the channels in my next post.
 
B.E.
09/06/2022
 

It's certainly not elitist to advance knowledge of our subject.
 I accept the limitations of kits, they have to appeal to a large range of potential buyers, don’t frighten the novices, or unduly lack credibility with the experienced, whilst maintaining a reasonable cost/benefit ratio of producing the kits.
 
Chris does wonderfully well to authentically represent the majority of the subject detail, but it was the tweakability of Sphinx that  appealed to me.
 
I record the modifications  and changes I make in my builds partly on the basis that not everyone has access to the very large reference library I have built up over the years, and giving such detail gives options.
 
Of course many people just want to complete a nice looking kit, and that’s just fine.
 
Unlike myself not everyone has or wants a head stuffed full of 18th c trivia such as:
Worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way.
 
Mrs W definitely thinks I’m weird, but she indulges me in what in the overall scheme of things is a minority interest passion.
 
Movin’ on
 
B.E.
 

Post One Hundred and fifty-seven
 
A place on the skids?
 Well my curiosity  got the better of me and I just had to try the Pinnace onboard Sphinx.
 This coincidentally is the twelve month stage from starting the build.
 I’m warming to the look of the Pinnace on the skids and it doesn’t obscure the upper deck detail.

8090

8092

8086

8085

8081

8075

8083(2)

8074(2)

8078(3)

8071(2)

8070(2)

8063(2)
Nothing set in stone at this point, but I have decided that having all three boats on the skids would detract rather than enhance the look.
 
For me, Georgian elegance is why so many contemporary 18thc models only show the Pinnace onboard, it is the most graceful  and aesthetically pleasing(along with barges) of the boat complement.
 
B.E.
20/08/2022
 
 
 

Post One Hundred and fifty-seven
 
A place on the skids?
 Well my curiosity  got the better of me and I just had to try the Pinnace onboard Sphinx.
 This coincidentally is the twelve month stage from starting the build.
 I’m warming to the look of the Pinnace on the skids and it doesn’t obscure the upper deck detail.

8090

8092

8086

8085

8081

8075

8083(2)

8074(2)

8078(3)

8071(2)

8070(2)

8063(2)
Nothing set in stone at this point, but I have decided that having all three boats on the skids would detract rather than enhance the look.
 
For me, Georgian elegance is why so many contemporary 18thc models only show the Pinnace onboard, it is the most graceful  and aesthetically pleasing(along with barges) of the boat complement.
 
B.E.
20/08/2022
 
 
 

It's certainly not elitist to advance knowledge of our subject.
 I accept the limitations of kits, they have to appeal to a large range of potential buyers, don’t frighten the novices, or unduly lack credibility with the experienced, whilst maintaining a reasonable cost/benefit ratio of producing the kits.
 
Chris does wonderfully well to authentically represent the majority of the subject detail, but it was the tweakability of Sphinx that  appealed to me.
 
I record the modifications  and changes I make in my builds partly on the basis that not everyone has access to the very large reference library I have built up over the years, and giving such detail gives options.
 
Of course many people just want to complete a nice looking kit, and that’s just fine.
 
Unlike myself not everyone has or wants a head stuffed full of 18th c trivia such as:
Worm and parcel with the lay, turn and serve the other way.
 
Mrs W definitely thinks I’m weird, but she indulges me in what in the overall scheme of things is a minority interest passion.
 
Movin’ on
 
B.E.
 

Thank you Nils.
 
Post One Hundred and Twenty-five
Quarterdeck rails
A slight dilemma 
The kit shows six extended timberheads used to support the  fife main rails along the Quarterdeck; this accords with the Admiralty drawings dated 1775.
The Marshall painting however shows three of those supports (the 3rd,4th ,& 5th) looking suspiciously like  swivel gun mounts.

The rounded tops extending above the rails and the faint lines of the posts can be made out.
I was surprised by the absence of swivel posts when I first saw the kit, they were almost de rigueur on ships of this period.
After consideration I decided that discretion is the better part of kit bashing, and will follow the Adm plan.
 
Firstly the timberheads.
These are all position specific so not getting them mixed up during sanding and shaping is important.
Working from aft I removed each pair sequentially and cleaned and fitted them before moving onto the next.
 
The rail (Fife / Rough-tree/ Quarter.
All names given to the rather elegant rail that runs along the bulwarks from stern to the break of the Quarter deck.
One of the things I like about this kit is the fineness of the Quarter rails. No re-making as I had to do with the over-sized rails on Pegasus.
These ones are a three piece lamination, but are long and delicate items that require careful handling.
I gave them only a minimal sanding as they are to be painted.

7085
These shots show the Quarter rail just resting on the supports, a testament to the accuracy of the slot cutting on the underside.
 
 
One of the kit fittings along the gunwale is PE151 described as a boom ring, this sits just forward of the Main Brace sheave.
This features on the contemporary Amazon model and also on the Pandora drawings. However, in those vessels the Main Brace sheave is placed below the gunwale, with the ring atop.
I’m not entirely sure what these rings were for but I’ll take a punt that they were used to pass a horizontal boom through either side to attach emergency steering gear to.
They do not appear on the Sphinx Adm. plans or the Marshall painting, so I’ll omit them, but for those not overly concerned with such minutiae they do add a little more interest to the model, particularly if you wish to jury rig the rudder.
 
Another major milestone along the way, there is not much left to do on the Quarterdeck.

7094

7089

7091

7104

7105

7106(2)
Sphinx is such a pretty little Frigate, a good choice for Chris to have added to his line-up.

7095(2)

7101(2)
With the rails in place Sphinx is really starting to look to be nearing completion, but I reckon I have a few months work yet to enjoy.
 
I now have  eight nine-pounders to make-up to complete the ordnance, not one of my favourite jobs.
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.
28/05/2022
 
 
 
 

Post One Hundred and Twenty-one
 Quarterdeck fittings
 
I start with the ships wheel
I quite like the look of the wheel, even given its flat etched profile.

6928
 I was torn between a white or Red colour scheme, I liked both, but settled on Red in the end because that is the colour indicated on the Marshall painting, and there is no other white paint on the model.
 
To prepare the Brass etched wheel I chemically blackened it to provide some bite for the paint.

6926
After initial thinned coats were applied, undiluted paint was used  to beef up the spoke profile. The spokes outside of the rim were painted using Ochre Brown.
 
Standards

6916
I did note a slight misalignment of the engraved panel work on the standards, seemed to be off centre. I don’t know if this a poor example on my kit, but hopefully it won’t be too obvious with the Binnacle afore it and the Mizen behind.
 
Before securing the forward standard  I added a thin sleeve between the standard and the wheel, otherwise the wheel would bind against the standard.
 
At the point the Upper deck was fitted, way back, I had secured the tiller rope so that they may be rigged should I decide to do so.
Two separate lines were placed below the Upper deck, one fixed on the Port side, the other running on the Starboard side, and temporarily tied off.
 
With the Wheel assembly in place rigging the tiller lines can be done.

6919
Starting on the forward Port side an odd number of turns were taken around the  drum  I chose five as being appropriate, a nail being secured thro’ the centre turn into the top of the drum.
It is a fallacy that  the rope runs were fully expended along the length of the drum.
With the turns completed the Port line is spliced to the Starboard line and gently teased thro’ the  deck slots.

6915
The running end of the Starboard line  which emerges thro’ the aft ladderway of the Upper deck is then used to pull the now joined lines taut.
This is the tricky part hoping that the spliced line doesn’t part below decks.
A spot of glue is applied to the line where it passes thro’ the deck in the Coach.

6911
Before passing thro’ the Quarterdeck the lines pass thro’ a device called a Sliding foot which for model purposes was fitted on the lines before they passed around the drum. There is some work left do on these but they needed to be fitted at this point.

6924

6925
Adding the wheel makes a big difference to the look of the model, and I am pleased that this is a good match to the Marshall painting.

6931(2)

6935(2)

6936(2)
These photos mark the tenth month of this build, and there’s a fair way to go yet.
 
I will next look at the Binnacle.
 
B.E.
20/05/2022
 
 
 
 

Thank you Guys for your comments and 'likes'
 
Post One Hundred and Fifteen
 
Looking at the side steps.
These are very fragile requiring a two part assembly from 0.6mm laser cut Pear. Awkward little beggars to hold, glue, and char clean.
The scale width of the steps look good at 2’ 9”  ( 13mm) but the depth of the treads looks a little shallow to my eye at 1.88mm (4½”) and the support I thought lacked substance.
Having assembled and messed about with these annoying little pieces I decided  to make my own.

6675
Using a sufficient length of Pear 2x2mm Square stock and a Micro shaper from Artesania Latina, a nicer looking profile can be produced (quickly), which are chopped into 13mm lengths, and finished with files (Slowly)
 
Generally the scraper profiles are too large for work at 1:64 scale but there is  a scotia profile at 2x2mm that suits the purpose.
Whichever version you use, these things are tricky to fit.
 
If only for aesthetic reasons they need to be evenly spaced, and parallel to each other as they rise up the side.
There is not an overly defined tumblehome on the hull  but there are some that require a slight bevel on the  back of the step to throw the tread level.
 
The top step position is defined by the decorative frieze which has a cut-out for it.
The next step is positioned on the moulded rail, level with the top. This raises the question whether to apply atop the rail or cut the rail to facilitate the step.
 
Chuck has recently discussed this subject and a visit to his Winnie log always pays dividends.
Chuck decided to cut the rail to allow placement of the step on the hull.
 
The problem with Sphinx, if the rail is to be cut, is that there is only 1mm of rail left each side of the step between the fender and port.
 I decided to place the step on the rail to judge how it looks but it does rather stand out and catches the eye. There is also a greater space between top and second than between second and the remaining six.

6712
In practice this means there is a 5mm space tread to tread between the top and second step, and four mm for the rest to keep them evenly spaced.
If 5mm is used the bottom (8th) step would be placed a little too low down the wale.
 
I did a quick round robin of the current builds of Sphinx and there’s an eclectic mix of step positioning, some followed the plan but omitted the bottom step, others placed the second step above the rail. Only James followed the plan in his prototype build. (as he would)
For me the Adm plan shows eight steps so eight steps it will be.

6720
With the top step coloured and decorated the  distance difference between the top and second steps is not too obvious.
 
I begin the job by fixing the top two steps, then the bottom three ( on the Black Strake and wale)
I then mark the gap between the second and sixth tread top, this gives the remaining three steps a tread to tread distance of 4mm, pretty much in alignment with the position marks on the hull.

6716

6718
From this angle the difference  with the step atop the moulding is quite obvious. I suppose the step could have been thinned a little using the moulding as part of the step.

6715
I prefer the slightly beefier profile of the  scratched steps.
 
I decided to remove the moulding  and place the second step directly on the hull and infill a small piece of moulding to the sides.
This is the modified look.

6725

6726

6734
I much prefer the look with the moulding removed.
 
Whole hull shots to give the overall perspective.

6733

6738
 

6737
This has been a lot of words for a small but time consuming element of the build, but each part is important and contributes to the whole.
 
I think I will attend to the waist capping rails next.
 
B.E.
01/05/2022