jack.aubrey
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Everything posted by jack.aubrey
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Saturday February 12th, 2012 - Rudder, pintles and gudgeons . . The first image presented here shows the rudder, made up with a piece of pre-cut plywood supplied with the kit and completely covered with strips of veneer, like the keel, the stern and so on. The work resulted well done and I am fully satisfied. In the same image there is also an attempt of product placement (I hope this is the right term): the book I used as background for this photo. This book describes with great detail of information the Trafalgar Campaign and Battle and, after having read it, I recommend this book to all the italian readers interested in marine history. 01 P1080010.jpg Then I worked around the pintles and gudgeons. The elements supplied in the kit are commercial pieces, ready to be used and already bored. They can be seen in the image here below. But I reached the conclusion they were not good enough for me because they were built for being wedged on a 4mm stern, while in my case the need was for 6mm. In addition the gap between the rudder and the stern seemed me too much . . so I decided to build them from scratch. 02 P1080018.jpg The next image shows the raw materials I used to build the pintles & gudgeons. A strip of brass cropped in the right measure from a sheet of the same material and a brass small tube. I found these raw materials in my "Used Shop Warehouse", so no additional expenses. As tools I used a electric soldering iron, some tin and a piece of wood of the same thickness of the stern and the rubber. 03 P1080015.jpg First of all I "cooked" the brass on the gas cooker. This made the brass pliable. I placed the strips on the wood to give them a "U" shape. All the pieces were then clamped together and I welded the tube above the short side. After welding, I cut with the minidrill the tube obtaining the finished pieces. A final refinement with a file, followed by blackening and the job was done . . 04 P1080016.jpg Now I have to bore these pieces, but I will do this as last step, when these pieces will be fixed on the hull. Into the bore I will insert the head of a nail, of the proper size. 05 P1080017.jpg- 299 replies
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. . . continuation . . . 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070593.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070594.jpg 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070595.jpg See all of you next time. Jack.
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Sunday May 22nd, 2011 Yesterday I prepared the twelve gunport lids for the first three decks. The fourth deck doesn't need them because its gun ports are always open without the lids. I will explain better in a dedicated message the process of their building. I have also done new (and few) progresses in spite of the amount of time and work I dedicated. But let's see the new things presented in this message. The first image shows the guns of the quarterdeck finally 100% completed, including the recoil ropes. 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070589.jpg The next three images show the new details I prepared and installed for the hold and the area above the ballast: some great barrels, a couple of packages, boxes, reels of hawser and various kind of ropes. 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070590.jpg 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070591.jpg 04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070592.jpg I believe it may be of interest the preparation of the reels of hawser. I've used some round pieces of wood, of different sizes, covered with adhesive tape. I have then twisted the rope around them and I kept them in place with diluted vinyl glue. The day after I extracted the rope from their support of wood and, handling them at will, I obtained the wanted shape. Finally I fixed them in their final place using, again, the vinyl glue, but not diluted. Other shapes of reels, not rounded, were obtained by wrapping up the rope around four nails hammered on a woodden tablet and by using the same technique for glueing. That's all for today, cheers. Jack.Aubrey
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Saturday February 12th, 2012 - The bow I have finished the bow platform/deck. I started to build this detail some days ago and I show its evolving in the previous message. When finished I installed immediately in its final place because it represents a reinforcement of the entire prow/stem. Infact this detail keeps together a significant part of the stem and the hull. In this point of time the stem is particularly weak if left totally free. 01 P1080019.jpg 02 P1080020.jpg 03 P1080021.jpg 04 P1080022.jpg When the installation of this platform was completed I was so eager to see the wood colours of the whole prow complex that I applied immediately a coat of oil on some details, to see and appreciate its real appearance. I think the difference is so evident that it doesn't need any comment . . See you next time. Jack.Aubrey
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Three new images of the cross-section as it was last monday. Three overall viewpoints where it is possible to note that the decks are becoming crowded . . And it is not yet finished: there are several details still missing that I will add as soon as possible. They are, for example: stepladders between the upper deck and the quarterdeck, shrouds, chain plates, casks, ropes and, more important, the gunport lids. They are small details in term of dimensions but they need some time and efforts to be built. In "background" I am also thinking to define a display case for this model. At this point I have 100% decided to finish it with the complete main mast. So the model will be +/- 90 cm high. I have in mind a dislay case conceived in a way that it can be hanged at a wall as a picture. The model has a relative small depth and I believe this makes possible this kind of presentation. The ideal display case should also be planned making possible to open it in order to change the orientation of the model and show it oriented towards the prow or the poop with minimal efforts. Kind regards, Jack.Aubrey 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070582.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070583.jpg 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070588.jpg
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Also today, February 10th, 2012, I spent the afternoon working for my Soleil Royal. I worked mainly around the prow platform/deck. I had to prepare the gratings in the proper shape and I had to refine the whole. I started in this way an activity that took me a lot of time because I was looking for a perfect result. Image 03 shows this platform with some refinements to be done. Later in the afternoon I completed it. The first two images show the prow and the stem, now 99% covered with the veneer strips. At this point I am very interested to see the colour of this detail after a coat of oil . . Last, image 04 shows the pedestal I modified sometime ago. Now it is more useful than the first version. The horizontal plank has the objective to simplify handling by supplying a secure grasp to the pedestal. I have also installed four rubber feet below the pedestal. Kind regards, Jack.Aubrey 01 P1070999.jpg 02 P1080003.jpg 03 P1070998.jpg 04 P1080007.jpg
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Many thanks for your appreciation. Jack.
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Thursday February 9th, 2012 During these days I didn't rest, on the contrary I began a lot of small tasks for my Soleil Royal. The problem is that these works are disorganized and there is no need to show them with images. More in detail I worked a lot around the prow, the stem in particular, by continuing the application of the mahogany veneer. I have also prepared, in the same way, the rudder. Infact also this component was made with plywood and needed to be refined. Then I'm preparing the small deck at the prow above the stem. I don't know the english term. It is an important element also to provide strength the the stem itself. Regarding the rudder I rejected another time the rudder gudgeons and pintles supplied with the kit and I built them using brass plates and tubes. I'm not too much confident with welding but my poor abilities in this matter were enough to achieve my target. I will also have to burnish them before installation. Last, I definitely modified the pedestal to increase stability and handling. Cheers, Jack.Aubrey.
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Monday May 16th, 2011 During these last days I thought a bit on how to complete the model. I have two solutions in mind, the first is to install the complete main mast, the second, considering the height of the mast itself compared with the height of the hull, is to limit the mast to the main top. Anyway I continued the installation of the "obuseros" and now all the four guns are close to be finished. There is just an element still missing: the recoil rope. Next time also this element will be installed. Here below three images of the quarterdeck guns, from different viewpoints. 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070584.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070585.jpg 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070586.jpg Then, while I was waiting the glue used for fixing the ropes became dry, I started to install some other details I had available: casks, packages, etc. Last I started to install definitely the ballast. I have used some small stones. On the paper it may seem a simple task but I soon discovered that it was a long, time consuming work: I needed to individually fix each piece of stone with tweezers, using vinyl glue in the proper quantity and position. As I said, long but also relaxing and without problems at all. I had only to wait with patience the glue was dry to discover that all the stones are well fixed. Now I think to continue tomorrow with other smaller stones to obtain a more flat bed of ballast. What is showed here below is just an idea of this unfinished ballast. 04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070587.jpg Kind regards. Jack.Aubrey.
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Four additional images, more detailed and focused on the bow and the stern. The first two images show the current status of the bow, with the stem still to be completed with new pieces and finishing: here I have to cover the plywood with the mahogany veneer in the same way I made for the keel and the stern. 01 P1070989.jpg 02 P1070990.jpg The next two images, on the other hand, show the stern completed. Another task to do is that now I have also to modify the pedestal that is not performing as well as I expected: in practice the choice I made of adopting only two hull supports instead of four was unsuccessful. See you next time, Jack.Aubrey. 03 P1070991.jpg 04 P1070993.jpg
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Wednesday May 11th, 2011 - Quartedeck guns Yesterday I continued to work around the quarterdeck guns. I needed 5-6 hours, divided into two sessions, to reach the following result and to 95% finish the installation of the 9pdr long guns. Now I have to work around the obuseros. To properly install the guns I should have to use some two ways blocks, but they were too big for this scale and I wasn't able to find any of them in the right scale. So i used the one way blocks, making some changes to the way they were mounted. I made some test to scratch build them but I wasn't completely successful: similar for me to "Mission Impossible II" movie. I know only one person within my modellers circle, able to do this work but it is light years far from me . . A new set of elements implemented are the belaying pins. The pins supplied by the kit, again, were very poor so I found something in my "old pieces warehouse". Some adaptations were necessary to adjust the overall pins length: now they should simulate a real pin of 50/55 cm length. On a marine terms vocabulaty I found that in average a pin was about 30 cm. long but there were two kindsof them: the belaynig pins and the spike, with the second one probably smaller then the first. It is not clear if the definition is for the pins or for the spikes. Anyway I reproduce them, together with the guns, here below: 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070578.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070579.jpg 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070580.jpg 04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070581.jpg See you next time, Jack.
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HI Michael, It is past long time since I purchased the copper plates. I don't remember their measures, I can write that approximately they should be 5 x 12 o 5 x 13 but to be sure I have to take one of the remaining and take the real measure. But in this moment I am not at home and I will not be back until mid May. I'll bookmark your question and answer later. Anyway I had the impression there was only one size from Mantua . . Cheers, Jack.
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Sunday May 8th, 2011 Saturday and today I resumed this model after a long period of inactivity. I re-started by building the last four guns for the quarterdeck/waist/forecastle. This fourth deck (the Santisima Trinidad was at its time the only ship with four complete gun decks) received three different kinds of gun, and in the cross section there are two of them. I got these infos from the book "The ships of Trafalgar" from Peter Goodwin: each ship which fighted in that great battle is described in this book. You can see the barrels, blackened, positioned over their trucks. The trucks are now painted and positioned on the deck. Now I will start to prepare the other details for the guns. 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070574.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070575.jpg Here below a more detailed image of the truck for the "obuseros" showing also the pivot where the slide below the truck is fixed to the deck. 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/Obuseros.jpg These pieces are now only positioned, the complete installation will follow. I'm spending some time to prepare the remaining details, details that need a lot of time to be completed. 04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070576.jpg 05 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070577.jpg See you next time. Jack.Aubrey
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Saturday May 7th, 2011 - Shipyard reopened It is more than a year that all the activities about this model were stopped. The model was in a good point of finishing but, because of a change in my plans, I paused it to begin working again on the Soleil Royal. If you look at its log you will discover I spent this year working near 100% only on it. It is tipical of my way of working . . I normally have two or three model on the yards. So I decided to resume the Cross Section and to finish it . . sometimes it is necessary to close some projects. After some planning to define the tasks to perform I started yesterday afternoon to do something. The task on the top of the list was the installation of the last four guns, on the quarterdeck. This deck will be fully visible, and, for this reason, I decided to build these guns from scratch, at least partially, having in mind to use four barrels, which are right for my needs, that I found in my "spare parts wharehouse". Two barrels serve to simulate the 9pdr long guns and two for the 24pdr "obuseros". The gun trucks, instead, are totally built from scratch: in the traditional shape for the long guns and with a slide for the obuseros. Here the work done yesterday: - Blackening of the gun barrels with the "ad hoc" liquid; - building of the various components of the trucks; - assembly of the four trucks: - first coat of red paint for the trucks. This is only the beginning after a year of "seasoning" . . I'm keep you informed about future news. For now it is not the case to show photos. Cheers, Jack.Aubrey.
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I particularly like these two images. I'm now getting more used with my workshop and its light and I found the best way to shot photos . . It seems I am close to see the chequered flag but I discover also I have a lot of new pieces to build and install. I'm too much slow . . And at first, again, there are the guns. Some time ago I decided to build from scratch,for this last deck, the guns and their trucks. On the real model in this position of the deck there were two different kind of guns: two of them are the traditional long guns I believe of 9 or 12 pounders. The other two were called "obuseros", a kind of carronade made in Spain and derived by the French "obusiers". 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060070.jpg In addition I have also to build the gunport lids, I don't want to use the metal pieces supplied. I have to make some experiments to find the best solution to apply for all of them. 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060071.jpg And then there are the dead eyes and the chain plates. And again the ballast, casks and parcels. The finish line is still so far . . Cheers, Jack.Aubrey
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Thuesday February 4th and Friday 5th, 2010 Third and fourth consecutive days of work on the ST Cross Section in my new workshop !! I worked outside the hull to build the boarding steps. According to the instructions this was the right time to build these elements and the method to be followed was to use two strips of sapelli, of different size and shape, glued together. I made a variant by using walnut and ebony. Here below you can look at the boarding steps already installed, on both sides and with a coat of oil for wood applied outside. The colour of the wood is now darker, expecially over the walnut. It was only a matter of patience to build these steps. In the background the model of San Juan Nepomuceno, from Artesania Latina, which is resting idle for several time . . someday I will resume it and first I will correct a big error I made (always by following the instructions) to plank the decks with a so dark wood. I have now the right strips, in a lighter wood, that are wonderful. 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060066.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060067.jpg In the next images you can see a barricade over the deck. The small pillars were supplied with the kit and are made of boxwood. I painted the handrail in light blue. It is like a personal trademark for my models . . 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060068.jpg 04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060069.jpg 05 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060068A.jpg Continuation . . Jack.Aubrey
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Wednesday February 3rd, 2010 This was the second day of work spent in my new workshop. Today I worked around other elements: the main channels, or better the part of them that is contained in the cross section, and so on. In building these elements I did not used any kind of material supplied by the kit, its quality was too poor for me. 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060057.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060065.jpg 03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060061.jpg 04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060063.jpg Cheers, Jack.Aubrey
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Tuesday February 2nd, 2010 It is since half december 2009 that I've interrupted any activity about shipmodeling, fully dedicated to the fitting of my "long awaited workshop". Now, after having past an afternoon to plan the future activities for the cross section, I started to do something very easy and less demanding in term of diligence. So I started to prepare some pieces such as casks, boxes and packages. Just a couple of hours to restart the wheels. 01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060055.jpg 02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1060056.jpg That's all for today. See you tomorrow, Jack.Aubrey
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00 P1070976.jpg The object shown above is the "working" pedestal I built for Soleil Royal. My objective was to prepare a stable base where to insert the hull and work on it in the next months. I have used a very strong plywood (it was a table used to prepare pasta) and I cut with my table saw (Proxxon FET): another experience with this tool and the proper blade. The two longitudinal strips serve to contain the ship's keel: it enters perfectly inside the gap. At the two ends are some stoppers to keep the model horizontally avoiding any movement. Anyway, after a short period of usage, I have identified some changes because the stability is not exactly I expected and I find difficulties in handling the model due to lack of points of grasp. As soon as possible I will make the changes and I will show you. Now I take the opportunity to show two other images of Soleil Royal, with the hull capsized, where you can see how the planking resulted and where you can also see the keel. Just to show you how the colour of chestnut changes in relation to its exposition to light, there is the possibility to see, in these images, two areas where the colour is different: the upper area is lighter because a fine sandpapering I made a couple of weeks ago, and below, there is a rectangular trace left by a piece of masking tape I didn't remove for some days. These are two examples why the complete sanding of the hull is necessary, and hopefully immediately followed by a coat of oil for wood to stabilize the wood .. PS: I previously wrote about my initial intention to paint with dirty white the bottom of the hull, below the waterline. Now, after having seen the result I have to admit I'm beginning to change idea . . as usual in these situations, I will let the time to clarify my ideas before taking any final decision . . Cheers, Jack.Aubrey 01 P1070995.jpg 02 P1070996.jpg
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Sunday February 5th, 2012 Here I'm attaching some images of my Soleil with 2nd planking completed, although not 100% because there are still the upper sides to finish, but this is a very simple job. The main work is now over . . . I will have to refine and level the hull by sand-papering with care, but in the reality there is not too much to level: it's more a matter of making this just to unify the wood colour. Some wood tends to become darker with the light and this is what happened on my hull: I spent a lot of time planking and there are many areas of the hull that show a different wood colour. By sanding everytihg in one shot the colour will become the same everywhere. May be these differences are not so evident in the photos but they are there. See you soon, Jack. 01 P1070971.jpg 02 P1070972.jpg 03 P1070973.jpg 04 P1070974.jpg 05 P1070975.jpg
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Friday February 3rd, 2012 Quick update, without images. Yesterday I have finished the 2nd planking . . and I can complete the installation of the stern post. This element is made with plywood and I have to cover it with veneer in the same way I've done with the keel. In addition I started to work around the stem, previously installed, by applying also there the same mahogany veneer. Today it is a very cold day, outside it's snowing, and this helps to stay at my workshop working. And I want now build a stable basement, a new platform capable to support the next tasks to be done on the hull until I will not judge it's time for the display case. That's all for today, Jack.Aubrey
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January 28th, 2012 Since my last message I had only four days available for my Soleil . . as anticipaded I decided to stop planking downwards and to start from the keel. But before I had to install the "visible" pieces of the keel. While the material supplied was not the best, anyway they were perfect in term of shape and cut so I did not have any problem to install them correctly. To assure a perfect fixing of these pieces to the hull I used the vinyl glue supported by a steel nail hammered every 8 cm into the hull. Once the keel (in this case only the plywood) was definitely in place I started the application of the planks, in order to position them as near as possible to it. Here below two overall images . . 01 P1070960.jpg 02 P1070961.jpg After two o three planks I covered the plywood of the keel with mahogany veneer, having with this operation the possibility to close any kind of gap between the keel and the first plank. Only the stem is incomplete because I have before to finish the hull. New images with focus of the keel . . . 03 P1070969.jpg 04 P1070963.jpg 05 P1070964.jpg Then I continued regular planking upwards and now, as you can see, there are more or less seven planks per side to finish this huge task. I foresee two full working afternoons. And finally I have to build a basement, not the definitive one. It must have some properties that allow me to work on the model comfortably and on a stable platform. The keel clamper used until now (is was blue painted) cannot be used for the future. Kind regards, Jack.Aubrey.
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. . continuation from previous message. Additional zoomed images of some aspects of this second planking. 01 a.jpg 02 b.jpg 03 c.jpg 04 d.jpg See you soon, Jack.
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Wednesday January 18th, 2012 The images shown in this message allow you to look at how the second planking process is evolving downwards. Currently the two sides are not equal because on the right side there are four planks missing, more or less a couple of hours of work. I think to apply in the same manner two or three other planks downwards and after I believe it is arrived the moment to plank from the keel upwards. But, before starting this new process, I have to do something new: install the missing pieces of the keel, the stem and the stern. This installation follows a method I have already used in other models (Dolphyn and San Juan). For my Soleil Royal this method is also pushed by the quality of the wood supplied for these pieces; they are made with a plywood that is absolutely inadequate for this role. The keel must appear of solid wood and of good quality . . Starting from these considerations I decided to cover the plywoord with mahogany veneer, in line with the wood used for the remaining parts of the hull. Just to show an example I attach here an image of my model of Dolphyn, where I applied the same method and where it is possible to judge the result. P1060641.jpg For more details see also: http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt277/jack_aubrey/Varie/P1060641.jpg Here below the images of the Soleil Royal shot today: Kind regards, Jack.Aubrey. 01 P1070956.jpg 02 P1070957.jpg 03 P1070958.jpg 04 P1070959.jpg
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Thursday January 12th, 2012 Today I continued the work started yesterday, now the two sides are specular. And this evening I shot some images of the resulting evolution. In these new images you can observe the new wales and the planks below them. Now the great time of planking is the main task of the near future. I'm also thinking about the decision to paint in dirty white the quickwork or leave it as it is. Kind regards by Jack.Aubrey. 01 P1070942.jpg 02 P1070943.jpg 03 P1070946.jpg 04 P1070948.jpg 05 P1070955.jpg
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