cobra1951

So the end is in sight, but the list of jobs usually gets a bit bigger lol

Thanks Frank
Progress was faster than normal for two reasons, 1, i had more time to get on with it and 2, i used CA for all the planking which means the one you just laid is dry before you put the simulated caulking mark on the next one. I find with PVA i need to hold the plank down for a bit till it grabs

Thanks Mike normally I don't like planking with Lime/Basswood but after a test with the kit supplied stuff I thought it was good enough to go ahead with

So the end is in sight, but the list of jobs usually gets a bit bigger lol

ha.....i agree....mess is where you can find things

She's starting to look really good. Keep up the good work.
 
By the way, another advantage of copper is that it's softer and easier to work than brass. (I know from personal experience working small scale in both metals - I'd far rather work with copper than brass).
 
Steven

Hi Bob.
 
Not fitting sails for now, but might later for the Gaff.
 
Need to get this finished so I can finish Victory, then maybe an other wood ship.
 
The carronades arrived from Cornwall Model Boats so its mass production time,(well six of them).
 
With the anchors, one boat to the stern, flag and some more rigging, its near done.
 
Frank 

Thank you Frank for the kind words. They are always appreciated.
 
I am hoping to have some pictures of the launch up soon. Almost done building her just need to add a few details then lash her into place.
 
Bob, I know what you mean. I'm constsantly trying to find ways to stay organized and keep the work top in a semi clean state but no matter what I do it always ends up with piles of wood scraps and tools scattered everywhere. Racks, shelves and drawers are nice but right in front of me is apparently where I want everything!

Thanks Mike normally I don't like planking with Lime/Basswood but after a test with the kit supplied stuff I thought it was good enough to go ahead with

Mess is good. I can never find anything once I tidy up and this slows the building down. Long live mess :)

Colour blindness must be a great problem for you with parts of this hobby. However you seem to overcome it and do a really good job with your painting. Remember it's your build and as long as you are happy with it then that's the main thing. Keep up your good work

Colour blindness must be a great problem for you with parts of this hobby. However you seem to overcome it and do a really good job with your painting. Remember it's your build and as long as you are happy with it then that's the main thing. Keep up your good work

Mess is good. I can never find anything once I tidy up and this slows the building down. Long live mess :)

Colour blindness must be a great problem for you with parts of this hobby. However you seem to overcome it and do a really good job with your painting. Remember it's your build and as long as you are happy with it then that's the main thing. Keep up your good work

I thank you all for the painting tips. Unfortunately it's throwing pearls before swine in my case since I'm colorblind and everything with a hint of green or red in it is a muddy mess in my eyes. 
 
Don't forget that the knights face is only 3 mm. As for all the figures on the Vasa they are originally wood carved figures painted in the early 1600's and actually quite "primitive" in their coloring. I used gun metal for the armor, even that is over the top since it should be plain black. But I like the shine of gun metal.
 
I like building ships since the coloring was simple, mostly red ochre, black, yellow ochre and sometimes a little blue. More than that I'm lost. So this build will be only the simplest of coloring. My approach is like paint by numbers    if the instructions says brown, I pick the bottle that says brown

I wasn't sure what was best to do next, but I guess it's time to do the oar-holes for the lower oars now.
 
Like much...I do it slightly different 
 
The manual tells me to drill 2,5mm holes in the 3rd plank. This scared me...2,5mm holes in a 3mm wide plank
This will most likely result in cutting the plank into small sections with nasty edges were the holes meet plank 2 and 4.
I wasn't looking forward to that.
 
The solution was handed to me on a silver platter when I checked the position of the wale directly underneath the oar-holes.
On the edge of planks 3 and 4...according to the manual.
 
I didn't like that position...it looks better one plank down...edge of 4 and 5. Also a good point to start the pine tar for the hull bottom.
 
So I lowered the oar-holes to halfway plank 3 and halfway plank 4....no more fear of plank destruction!
 
And...instead of 2,5 mm....3,5 mm holes.
 
I didn't dare to drill 3,5 mm. Started with 1 mm and widened with a 2 mm drill bit. From there...a fine round file.

The larger holes are more realistic and they look better I think.
They're closer to the waterline now, so I'll make leather sleeves (like used on the Olympias) from thin lead foil.
 
Note: the 2 dark lines are CA glue stains...not gaps. The lower one will be hidden underneath the wale, but the one above the hole will remain. It bothers me, but nothing I can do to get rid of it. Hopefully less visible after staining.
 
3 done...21 to go! 
 
More soon,
 
Robin

EJ  your build is really nice .... the stern shot is a winner!! (as is the rest of the build)
 
Frank

Yeah I just noticed that those are probably the messiest table pictures I have taken in a while. I usually try to tidy things up for photos. That way the pictures look nice and it helps keep up with the mess but since these were spur of the moment ones you can now see how I truly work. Lol
 
The plus side to all that mess is that I must have been getting a lot of work done on something!

Your build is looking good,nice work on gunport lids. Eyebolt method is defiantly a keeper.

Just when I started to wonder about how to make nice eye bolts...I stumble upon the answer!
 
Now I see your workspace mess...I feel a lot better about mine 
 
Thanks for the explanation!
 
Robin

I was asked to show how I make my eye bolts out of jewelry wire so I took a few pictures and I hope this helps.
 
First off I bought different size diameter black coated wire. This eliminates having to blacken the brass eye bolts that typically come with a kit. As you can see from the label and price sticker I got it at Hobby Lobby for about $3.50. This is for a 30 foot roll so I will have plenty to work with for a few builds.
 
Next use a pair of pliers to bend the wire. If you have a pair with jaws that are completely round such as the ones in the picture those work best. If not any pair or needle nose pliers will work you will just have to round out the flat edge the gets created from the inside face of the jaws.
 
The first way I will show you creates an eye bolt that is more realistically shaped but does not hold up well to tension. To make this simply wrap the wire around the jaw till the looped end touches back to the shaft. Then snip off the shaft to the desired length.  
 
That is it for the first one. The next one I will show is equally simple but less realistic though far stronger. For this eye bolt, grip the wire at a mid point. I am over exaggerating how much wire you need to use for the purpose of these picture. These eye bolts can be made with about an inch or less of wire.
 
Next bend both ends of the wire around the jaw so the the ends cross over each other.
 
Twist the ends together to form a solid shaft. This can be made to whatever length you need.
 
Finally snip off the extra wire and there you have it.
 
Using this method the eye bolts can be made with any diameter eye needed or shaft length. With the wide variety of diameter wire also available you should be able to find something for whatever scale you are building in.
 
I apologize that the pictures are not with their descriptions. I was having trouble getting the pictures to go through.

Mike, and anyone else who may be interested, I uploaded some step by step photos on my La Couronne log of how to make eye bolts. Hope that helps you out. Quick link is in my signature.

Mike, I have not made any hooks yet but eye bolts are fairly simple. You might look on my log where I built one of the gun port lids it might show. I will be making some more soon to lash down the ships launch which I am wrapping up building. I will be sure to show some detail pictures on making them. In short, it is basically just wrapping the wire around the jaw of a set of small pliers to create whatever diameter eye you need. The depending upon how much tension you will be putting on it you can either cut the end so it simply tucks back to the shaft much like a real eye bolt would or you can twist the ends together to form a stronger eye. The twists are not real but as they are sunk down into the wood know one will know. Again, I will try to upload some pictures later tonight or tomorrow.

Just go rub them in the mud for a little while

Elijah,
 
In most builds, the deadeyes are left the colour the wood has, mostly a dark shade of brown. You could stain them, as that will penetrate the wood. painting will leave you with partly painted deadeyes, as mentioned above, the paint will be rubbed off when rigging