Chuck Seiler

There is such a thing a 'fire brick' (or refractory brick), and they can be anything from a light ocher (tan) to a light orange-red ... but that is what I've seen in 'recent' times.  What was used in olden days could have been (I'm not an expert) hot-fired brick, or those nearer to the inside of the pile of bricks built up for firing.  The color varied with the clay. The bricks on the outside (per the traditional brick makers in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia) did not get as hot - so were softer.  These were used inside brick structures (having thick walls), with the more resilient bricks on the outside facing the weather.  The bricks with somewhat 'charred' (darker) ends were utilized in a 'Flemish bond', that gave a decorative look to an exterior wall.  Since hot fired bricks were used to make 'beehive' ovens - that could have an access opening on one side of a 'walk in' or 'open' hearth, or they could be an outside structure near the kitchen, but not attached, and advantage in hot weather.

I am curious to see how you manage the lee-boards.  It seems to me that there is nothing holding them in place except for that chain running over the gunn'l to the support. 
 
    I am also perplexed by how it is rigged.  The lines, blocks and sheaves appear to be used to retract the lee-boards, but there is nothing to deploy them or keep them from being forced up by the water flow.  Perhaps I am missing something(s).

"Unbleached titanium" is simply a marketing name. It was first produced accidentally. A batch of titanium white was slightly contaminated with yellow ochre. Rather than throw it all out, the colorist simply labelled it 'unbeached' and it sold well! So it is now regularly available.

I didn't name it, I just reported what was on the tube.

How about just unbleached titanium?

I didn't name it, I just reported what was on the tube.

I didn't name it, I just reported what was on the tube.

I didn't name it, I just reported what was on the tube.

Thanks for all the views, likes and comments.
 
The basic hull is now finished. And I should have mentioned before that I'm using Tung oil on the model. Splashboards (I think that’s what they are), thole pins, belaying pins around the mast position and the supports and sheaves for the leeboards are all in place.
 
The supports (no idea what they're actually called) for the leeboards, one clean, one not, and two of the four sheaves that are yet to be assembled. Simply a matter of sliding the "wheel" into the housing.

There are more belaying pins that go through the knees on the thwarts, but they're not really visible - they are only tiny. They all needed cleaning to get rid of left over bits from the laser cutting. The larger pin on the left goes into the thwart next to the mast.

One thing I forgot to do was clean out the lasercut holes in the knees before gluing them in place, so they were now cleaned very carefully with a partly disassembled pin-vise.

The supports for the leeboards were a bit of a problem, my fault for not examining the plans closely enough. I initially glued them so their tops were in line with the top of the sheave that is next to them on top of the rail.  This can be seen in the above photo. Wrong. Their tops have to be slightly higher as the chain that passes through the support to the leeboard has to clear the top of the sheave (this will be clear once the leeboards are in place). They were therefore de-glued and repositioned. The supports are glued to the frame and notched to go over the stringer that the thwarts rest on. Or, as I did,  notch the stringer rather than the support as this was easier.
 
There are also metal wear plates, I'd guess you'd call them, on the rail next to the thole pins, presumably to protect the rail from the oars. These were copper PE and went into position easily except for the two that are next to the leeboard support/sheave. Not enough space, short by a few mm. Can't move the thole pin and can't move the sheave/support, so had to trim the plate.



The next stage will be the masting, leeboards, rudder etc etc.
 
Cheers 

I have done the thought experiment of how to place a strake - that looks like a strake - made up of two different species of wood and have them butt at the waterline and have all of the other strakes that cross the waterline - when seen together - have that waterline appear to be a straight line.  There are at least two variables in play with this.   I think juggling one ball at a time is enough for me.   Just running the bottom planking as is normal starting below the wale as a single species - seems to be the best way to keep sane.
 
The early ANCRE volumes came with a sheet of color chips.
I have a vague recollection that EAR Jr.  had early 19th century color chips in the journal - As long as they were based on mineral paints, they should be valid as likely shades possible  - for thousands, if not millions of years.

Allan,
 
I have spent quite a bit of time trying to find reliable period references for the colors on ships - with little luck. There are some general guidelines for British and French vessels, mainly derived from period paintings. But the exact colors probably will never be known. Artists mixed their own paints and they were, therefore, their renditions of the colors, not what was actually on the vessel. And colors change with time (fading, oxidizing, etc.). In many cases the actual colors would have been up to the Captain's whim and what paints/pigments could be had on a particular day. In other words, the colors could have been anything.
 
And the anti-fouling mixtures probably varied with each vessel. It would depend upon the type and age of the tallow, what solvents were used and how it was all mixed and applied. Again, just about anything.
 
In my opinion, you could use any off-white, slightly yellowish mixture and be just as accurate as anyone else could come up with.
 
So don't sweat the small stuff. Make it appear pleasing to your own eye, and let the beholders form their own opinions. Opinions are like noses - everyone has one. And none will be better than yours (except mine, of course).

Tim, it really is close to what I am shooting for and Vallejo gets much better reviews than the cheap bottled craft acrylics.  I still hesitate to use any bottled paints after spending so much time on the model.  I have never had problems with high qual artist tubed acrylics so may stay with that and mix my own.  I am wide open to trying new things but this one scares me a little.  Any feedback on using this particular paint brand would be welcome.
 
Chuck, very good point.  I have not used unbleached t.w. for a while and totally forgot about it.  Worth buying a tube and comparing colors.  
 
Thanks guys, much appreciated!!!

How about just unbleached titanium?

How about just unbleached titanium?

How about just unbleached titanium?

Vallejo Model Color Ivory 70918 maybe.
 
 

Sounds right.  The below is pretty much what I am aiming for (although maybe a little less yellow) when I get to that point and mix a batch.  The trick will be to know what colors to add to a titanium white base.  Yellow is obvious but maybe a little something else will be needed.  
Allan

The description specifically references a figurehead.  The ship in the print has no figurehead.

Most white stuff I see is too stark white in my opinion.  I think holly would do nicely.

I look at your build with great envy.  I had a number of problems, mostly due to my own foibles.  I started the model while working at our club's shipmodeling booth at the county fair.  Somewhere along the line some things got separated and misplaced.  I never did find the upper strakes.  I couldn't even find them on the part sheet.  😞
 
I was able to put the caprails on fine. but later realized I had them backwards (DOH!)
 
At any rate, I will start rigging after Christmas and will post finish pic when done.  I did not do a build log because I realized awhile ago that I can build the model or I can document it, but not both.  I hope mine compares well with yours.

Welcome. Just remember the essential fact of anything worth doing.
 
The first step in building a great ship model is to... build a less great ship model.
 
Even the most amazing builders you will see did less amazing work while they learned, and that less amazing work is what allowed them to make the amazing work. Plus, only they will realize it is less amazing work - to everyone else it's awesome.
 
Regards,
George

Thanks for all the comments and the likes.  In particular the discussion about whether or not Smith’s shallop was clinker (lapstrake) or carvel built was interesting. However, the kit is clinker so that's what this shallop shall be. 🙂🥴
 
The caprail has been added. This is in three pieces and the instructions suggest that it be glued together before fitting to the hull. I didn't like this idea so decided that I would fit it piece-by-piece on the hull. I did a dry fit and found, not unexpectedly, that the rail needed a little bending to conform to my hull. Otherwise the fit was near perfect. So the central piece was soaked then bent against a template formed by tracing the outline of the hull, with nails (in a board) to hold the rail in place until it dried. The forward piece of the rail was first glued in place, then the centre piece and finally the aft piece.

Cheers

I have read similar info about the Mayflower shallop.  It seems to me that the only way they could do this is have a pointy end and a flat end for each half.  When bolted together there would be a double bulkhead athwartship (athwartboat?)
 
At any rate, Richard's model looks top notch.

I have read similar info about the Mayflower shallop.  It seems to me that the only way they could do this is have a pointy end and a flat end for each half.  When bolted together there would be a double bulkhead athwartship (athwartboat?)
 
At any rate, Richard's model looks top notch.

I have read similar info about the Mayflower shallop.  It seems to me that the only way they could do this is have a pointy end and a flat end for each half.  When bolted together there would be a double bulkhead athwartship (athwartboat?)
 
At any rate, Richard's model looks top notch.