BillLib

Hi Ken,
Hopefully the following images will be of help to you.  These are my interpretation of the bow area.  Most of my interpretation came from Pete's interpretation plus the wonderful builds on MSW.  I did not use some of the metal supplied in the kit when constructing the forecastle front bulkhead, rather opting for wood.
 
Regards,
Bill
 
 

Hi Ken,
This is my interpretation of the upper part of the poop deck.  Hope it helps.
Regards,
Bill

Hi Ken,
Hopefully the following images will be of help to you.  These are my interpretation of the bow area.  Most of my interpretation came from Pete's interpretation plus the wonderful builds on MSW.  I did not use some of the metal supplied in the kit when constructing the forecastle front bulkhead, rather opting for wood.
 
Regards,
Bill
 
 

Hi Ken,
Hopefully the following images will be of help to you.  These are my interpretation of the bow area.  Most of my interpretation came from Pete's interpretation plus the wonderful builds on MSW.  I did not use some of the metal supplied in the kit when constructing the forecastle front bulkhead, rather opting for wood.
 
Regards,
Bill
 
 

Hi Ken,
This is my interpretation of the upper part of the poop deck.  Hope it helps.
Regards,
Bill

Hi Ken,
This is my interpretation of the upper part of the poop deck.  Hope it helps.
Regards,
Bill

Hello Everyone.       Here's my progress update.
 
Some steps forward and quite a few back but I'm getting there.

I fitted the quarter deck, planked and tree nailed it. I made up the deck beam as I had earlier and fitted that. I fitted all the dummy gun carriages and continued up with the first hull planking. I made and fitted the quarter deck gratings. I have been finding difficulties filing out all the windows so for the panels screens on the quarter deck I just painted them, they can hardly be seen so I'll accept the compromise there. After I had planked high enough I roughly shaped the profile for the top edge but having done it I found that I had taken away too much so, annoyed with myself I had to re-do a fair bit of the upper planking. I fitted the upper quarter deck, planked and nailed it. I decided to mark the gun port positions next.
 
Up until about fifteen years ago I built and flew model aircraft and from that I learned how to transfer the image from plans onto the surface of wood so I tried that method and it worked well, see what you think. I am now ready to cut out those ports.
 
 
Ken
 
 
 
 

A small update - the necessary blocks & wooldings have been added to the masts. More blocks & eyebolts need to be added to various parts of the decks yet before stepping the masts.
 

 

 
Mark

The starboard side hull entry port with planking ladder installed. The metal parts supplied in the kit were fine and just needed some cleaning up and painting. The 2 columns supporting the roof were metal wire in the kit. I used 2 small cannon wheels and toothpicks to create columns that were tapered and looked more decorative.
 
Next up are the chain wales.
 
Vince P. 

Hello Everyone,     
 
It seems that there has been a problem for some with viewing my last post so I'll re-submit it. Some may see two versions of the same post so at least you know the reason.
 
You'll be pleased to know that after that hiccup I'm back on track.
 
The big question, was it worth the extra work involved?  The answer is an emphatic yes, worth every minute spent on doing it and I think that when you look at the pictures you'll agree with me.
 
I got some Tanganyika for the planking as this is what I normally get in kits and I'm familiar with it. I used an electric sander and took the planks back as much as I could with it rather than rip them off and leave a rough surface. I used a soft pencil on the edge instead of a marker pen which gave excellent results, I tree nailed in the same way using filler and finished the surface as I had done on my earlier attempt. I am so pleased, this is my best planking yet and one that I'm quite proud of, it looks even better in real life due to the matt varnish. The colour is truest on the first picture. The last picture is the before and after.
 
Don't you wish life itself was like this, you screw up but you can put it all behind you and start again!
 
 
Ken

 

Hi Ken,
Looking good so far.  A couple of things you may want to consider.
 
I used blocks for the false guns.  When I made the blocks, they were not 90 degrees to the deck.  The deck is canted, so I made sure that there was a bit of an angle so the guns were at 90 degrees to the vertical axis of the ship.  I'm not sure how you would account for the deck cant with a strip, but you could use the same approach.
 
I also ended up framing each gun port.  That way I knew precisely where each gun port was located prior to installing the hull planking.  I also did that for some of the gun ports where the port would have been blocked by a bulkhead, by cutting out a portion of the bulkhead and framing it for the false gun blocks. 
 
Again, just for your consideration.
 
Regards,
Bill
 

Hello Everyone.    The saga continues, but now I'm beginning to realize what I'm letting myself in for.
 
Next on the list was the cast facia under the quarter deck. I could play around with this as when it's in place it wouldn't be seen.  The castings were real meaty items with plenty of depth and a fair amount of detail, better in my opinion than the thin but crisp photo etch, there is more character in them. That is except for the window framing, I couldn't initially see a way of making these windows look good but I set out to see what I could do.  First I cleaned the casting up, primed then painted the frames white. I then dripped a black wash into the glazed area, this found its level in the castings leaving the white frames untouched which meant that I didn't have the almost impossible task of painting the frames neatly. I then painted the remaining facia. When the black wash dried it did so in a blotchy way and on the model looked like a normal window reflection, better I think than a solid colour.
 
BUT!!!!   
 
I couldn't stop thinking that with a bit of effort I could do better. I'd seen the results that others have achieved by opening the glazed areas up. I knew that if I didn't try I would find myself in a couple of years kicking myself knowing in my heart that I should have done it but by then it would be too late, every time I looked at the model I would feel regret.
 
I selected another casting and started. I drilled a pilot hole, fitted a large handle to my needle file so that I could hold it and began filling. It wasn't a very difficult task but it took a long time, the four pane panel shown took me one and a half hours and it was so mind numbing it felt much longer, but it could be done.
 
I've decided to set aside half an hour each day of my building time to the task, I shan't look forward to it but bit by bit they will get done. I feel like someone has given me a can of red paint and a brush and told me to paint the Golden Gate Bridge and I don't like painting.
 
This was defiantly not in my brief. I can see Pete smiling, he warned me that this would happen as I progressed but I doubted him. 
 
 
In the picture when the pile on the left is bigger than the pile in the right I'll be happier.
 
 
Ken
 
 

OK, I mentioned that the rudder pendants in the plans were not exactly authentic. I removed the ropes I had installed. Using actual photos of the HMS Victory in England, I determined how to rig them. The pendants are actually chains and ropes. The chains are attached to the rear edge of the rudder above the waterline with eyebolts and rings. Then up to the transom and fed through 2 more eyebolts and rings. Here the chains terminate. A heavy rope pendant is then spliced to the end of the chain with an open hook and ring and the hook is seized with rope to keep the pendant from slipping off the chain. The pendant then continues up through another eyebolt in the hull and through a hole in the hull just under and towards the rear of the mizzen channels. According to research, this arrangement would allow the rudder to be used if the tiller were damaged, and also helps to keep the rudder from being washed away should damage of the gudgeons and pintles occur. 
 
Vince P. 

Hello Again,       You didn't have to wait long for my staircase, it surprised me just how easy it turned out to be once I put my mind to it, so here's my version.
Instead of building it up in sections on the ship I made it on my bench, I cut two identical pieces out of ply, one was for the hand rail the other for the base. I cut several 10mm lengths from 2mm dowel for the stanchions. Using cyno I glued the dowels to the lower piece of ply then I glued the handrail on top, as they were identical the top just dropped into place. I then just cut away the gap in the handrail, sanded and stained, as easy as that, the pics show it better. For the stairs I cut steps from 4mm strip, bevelled the rear edge then glued them onto a strip of ply. Again I stained them and placed them in position, because of the closeness of the steps you can't see the ply. I glued the rails in place then put a hand rail for the stairs and varnished everything. I am very pleased with my simple not too fiddly construction.
 
I have painted the area of the gunports black and am now ready for the first planking.
I'm surprised that I have got to this point in just two weeks, everything has gone smoothly so far, may it continue so.
 
Ken

Hello Everyone.    I'm still making progress.
 
I did a final shaping of the bow and stern then faired the hull. Again this took quite a bit of  time and effort to get it close to satisfactory, I think that any slight imperfections will be be addressed with the first planking.
 
With regards to the dummy gun carriages I decided not to use small single blocks but to use strips in between the ribs with plenty of height so that the barrels would find a home no matter how I messed up my port measurements, it probably wasn't necessary but this is what I am used to and I feel happier this way. I had an old chair that was ready for the tip, I realized that the lathes at the back were of a good quality ply and had a curve that matched that of the hull almost perfectly. I cut these into suitable sized strips, angled the base to allow for the curve of the deck and cut them to length . I used Pete's measurements for fitting them, I made a small gauge to keep them consistent then using plenty of glue fixed them into place.
 


 

Hello Everyone,     The building continues.
 
I've taken Marks advice and dry fitted the upper decks to get the correct placement for the mizzen mast support  which fixes onto the lower deck. The middle deck supplied needed the front cut off to fit as it was shaped to go right through to the bow but it should terminate at the first bulkhead, having seen this on other logs it didn't worry me thinking that perhaps I had done something wrong. Other than that both decks which were in halves fitted very well with only some slots needing to be opened a little, the depth of all slots on both decks needed to be about 2mm deeper so that the deck halves didn't overlap in the middle.
I've seen this kit get criticised for not being accurate and being difficult to get right, I'll add my bit. I feel that I am competent but not a very experienced builder, I am probably in the honeymoon period of building it and may later change my opinion but so far the basic structure for the hull has gone very smoothly without any issues, everything lines up and fits well and the quality of the materials has been excellent, it gives me confidence for the rest of the build.
I am showing quite a few pictures so that you can see for yourselves the fit of the parts, the lower deck is glued, the middle and upper are just dry fitted.

Hello All.  Continuing, I cut out the two blocks that are to form the bow and started to shape them according to the plan templates. I used my small Davids plane, a chisel and sanding blocks, I hadn't realised just how much effort this would take and how much dust and wood shavings it would create. I ended up after being strongly advised by my wife finishing the job outside in the garden, but she did make me a cup of tea. When they were near enough to shape I glued them in place. I then glued the four quarters of gun deck into place. I've already mentioned how well this deck fitted but it came as a pleasant surprise, this is the best fit that I've yet had in a kit. After liberally gluing I nailed along the middle and held the outer edge with clips. I made up and attached the fore and main mast steps in the keel then went for a game of bowls.
 
When I returned the glue for the bow blocks had cured so I sanded it further into shape, I'll finish it off when I sand and fair the hull ready for planking.
 
I'm very pleased with the way the build is coming together so far.

Hi Ken,
Looking good so far.  A couple of things you may want to consider.
 
I used blocks for the false guns.  When I made the blocks, they were not 90 degrees to the deck.  The deck is canted, so I made sure that there was a bit of an angle so the guns were at 90 degrees to the vertical axis of the ship.  I'm not sure how you would account for the deck cant with a strip, but you could use the same approach.
 
I also ended up framing each gun port.  That way I knew precisely where each gun port was located prior to installing the hull planking.  I also did that for some of the gun ports where the port would have been blocked by a bulkhead, by cutting out a portion of the bulkhead and framing it for the false gun blocks. 
 
Again, just for your consideration.
 
Regards,
Bill
 

Hi Ken,
Looking good so far.  A couple of things you may want to consider.
 
I used blocks for the false guns.  When I made the blocks, they were not 90 degrees to the deck.  The deck is canted, so I made sure that there was a bit of an angle so the guns were at 90 degrees to the vertical axis of the ship.  I'm not sure how you would account for the deck cant with a strip, but you could use the same approach.
 
I also ended up framing each gun port.  That way I knew precisely where each gun port was located prior to installing the hull planking.  I also did that for some of the gun ports where the port would have been blocked by a bulkhead, by cutting out a portion of the bulkhead and framing it for the false gun blocks. 
 
Again, just for your consideration.
 
Regards,
Bill
 

Hi Ken,
Looking good so far.  A couple of things you may want to consider.
 
I used blocks for the false guns.  When I made the blocks, they were not 90 degrees to the deck.  The deck is canted, so I made sure that there was a bit of an angle so the guns were at 90 degrees to the vertical axis of the ship.  I'm not sure how you would account for the deck cant with a strip, but you could use the same approach.
 
I also ended up framing each gun port.  That way I knew precisely where each gun port was located prior to installing the hull planking.  I also did that for some of the gun ports where the port would have been blocked by a bulkhead, by cutting out a portion of the bulkhead and framing it for the false gun blocks. 
 
Again, just for your consideration.
 
Regards,
Bill
 

Hi Ken,
Looking good so far.  A couple of things you may want to consider.
 
I used blocks for the false guns.  When I made the blocks, they were not 90 degrees to the deck.  The deck is canted, so I made sure that there was a bit of an angle so the guns were at 90 degrees to the vertical axis of the ship.  I'm not sure how you would account for the deck cant with a strip, but you could use the same approach.
 
I also ended up framing each gun port.  That way I knew precisely where each gun port was located prior to installing the hull planking.  I also did that for some of the gun ports where the port would have been blocked by a bulkhead, by cutting out a portion of the bulkhead and framing it for the false gun blocks. 
 
Again, just for your consideration.
 
Regards,
Bill
 

Hello Everyone,  First I would like to thank those members that gave me the thumbs up, it's encouraging to feel that someone is out there and following my build.
The build continues. After yesterdays successful start today I put the six stringers in and the blocks on the rear bulkhead. The stringers are 4mm x 6mm, they needed to be bent on the 6mm width and the bend at the bow was such that I didn't think that it would be easy. I soaked the front 6" in boiling water for a few hours but the first one that I tried split, fortunately there was plenty left in the length. I had read somewhere that ammonia  softens the resins in wood, we had some in the house so I soaked the ends in it for about an hour after which the were quite pliable and bent easily.
The next problem was how to hold them firmly in place whilst the glue dried, I thought that the way the deck supports had been made lent the use of small cable ties to be used. I attached the first at the bow and when I attached and tightened the others they pulled the stringers into there respective slots and formed the necessary curve. The stringers went readily into there slots with only the slightest of adjustments, looking along the line of them they appear to run nicely with only one about 1mm out, I think that I've been lucky so far. The filler blocks at the rear at first caused a bit of confusion as to the correct placement, I took note of what Vince did and copied that.
 
I got my first "Yellow Card" from my wife!  She objected to the house smelling like the toilets of a pub on a Saturday night, so in future no ammonia in the house.
 
A question. I will be fixing the lower gun deck soon, is there any good reason why I shouldn't fix the middle gun deck at the same time. A previous build used long strips instead of individual ones for the dummy gun carriages and they worked well for me, I was thinking of fitting these at the same time as the decks, your thoughts on this.

Hello Everyone,    Have you ever felt keen to start a new build but apprehensive of actually making that first cut, it's the moment of no turning back, you are committed. Well I find myself in that position now so here goes, wish me luck.
I started by cleaning up the bulkheads and the very substantial keel, 10mm thick ply, which was quite true. The ply parts on my kits to date have already been numbered so here is the first difference, I had to identify the parts from the excellent plans, I quite liked that simple difference as I now even at this early stage feel more engaged with the build.
I dry fitted the bulkheads and found that as has been said by others they were a very loose fit, the keel slots were about 1.5mm too large and needed packing, the bulkhead slots were a good fit, just a little tight needing a light sand to allow for glue in the joint but I could find no issues at this stage. I tapered the rear of the keel by about 5mm but there is still plenty of wood left.
I decided to go about gluing and aligning the bulkheads in a sequence that was slightly different from what others seem to do, it worked out extremely well and is the method that I will use in the future, I'll add pictures but what I did was to take Peters advice from his "Interpretive Build" and carefully mark the centre of each bulkhead at the top, I then glued bulkhead 1 which is the central one into place, I made particular effort to get this first one perfectly square and true then let it cure overnight. This morning I did the same with the front and the rear bulkheads using the centre marks to line them up and making sure that the lower gun deck fitted. After the glue had grabbed but not cured I then did the in-between bulkheads, other than quickly checking that they were square it proved very easy just looking down the centre line to align them perfectly, the eye quickly picked up even a 1mm difference. When the glue had grabbed I slotted the lower gun deck into place and found that it went in perfectly with  only a little encouragement, much easier that I had been expecting.
 
I took the pictures quite soon after and on looking at them I noticed that one of the bulkheads was slightly out of true and needed adjusting and that the second one from the front was sitting too high, this seemed strange as it was fully home in the keel, I have adjusted this lower now and hope that there wasn't a reason that I haven't spotted for it being higher. Well the first cut has well and truly been made, no going back now. 
 
 
 

Hi Ken,
I'll follow this one as well.  Looking forward to your build.  It's challenging.  Pete's interpretive info on the Euromodel web site are excellent guides as well as Mark's build.  Check out the other Royal William builds as well on this web site for tips on building.   All that information sure helped me with my own build.  You may also want to deviate a little from the kit contents and scratch build some of the parts.  Above all, enjoy the build! You'll amaze yourself at what you can do.
 
Bill