Cornish_K
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Cornish_K got a reaction from foxy in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Thanks for the compliment Eamonn,
I'm finding the planking quite an interesting process - it's almost like trying to crack a puzzle. The 4mm strips in the kit can only be tapered so much, and solutions need to be found to avoid clinkering on the underside of each plank.
I'm still not sure if my technique of letting the top few rise up to the gunport patten is strictly the correct way of doing it, but I'm happy enough with it so I'll just keep doing it that way!
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Thanks for the compliment Eamonn,
I'm finding the planking quite an interesting process - it's almost like trying to crack a puzzle. The 4mm strips in the kit can only be tapered so much, and solutions need to be found to avoid clinkering on the underside of each plank.
I'm still not sure if my technique of letting the top few rise up to the gunport patten is strictly the correct way of doing it, but I'm happy enough with it so I'll just keep doing it that way!
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Cornish_K reacted to egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Hi Keith .. Some seriously nice planking going on here.. and this is just the 1st Planking .. can't wait to see the amazing job you do with the 2nd !!
I love the wee Mast Holders .. this is very clever, especially where you made the mark to show later that they are seated properly !
Regards Equipment .. Files/Sanding Stuff were my biggest use bits of kit at the stage you are at too, if you choose to go further with the hobby you will naturally build up quiet a selection of tools
Keep the Updates Coming Mate !
All The best
Eamonn
PS have to say it again .. Seriously Nice Planking !
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Cornish_K reacted to egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by egkb - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64 Scale - First Proper Wood Build
Hi Keith .. I going to nip over to your Build Log shortly and follow you along the Ballahoo Journey .. there is vast room for improvement of the basic kit (and many folks on here have done so.. just look at Jim Smits and David M's versions ! ) That said even the 'Basic' version as built straight from the box will offer up a nice wee model ..
The Carronades do I feel need a bit more rigging than that suggested in the Plans though.. MSW here is a great resource for info re this and other additions you might swish to include..
I have to pop out to the shops now but will be over to your Build Log when I get home again (am looking forward to it )
All The Very Best Keith
Eamonn
Big Thanks to all the Likes and to those who drop by to catch up !
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
I've also taken this opportunity, before the hull is completely enclosed, to do a final check fitting of my improvised 'mast holders'. I've drawn a circle in pencil on the masts just above the false deck, so when the time comes I'll know when they've made a snug fit all the way down.
Also, the model is really starting to look better and better with the masts in.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Update time!
I have made good progress on the starboard side first planking, starting near the bulwarks. Note how I terminate the planks on the underside of the gunport pattens towards the bow, not at the actual front of the bow itself. From this point onwards, all the planks will be tapered from bow to stern.
It's a slight departure from the instructions, but the instructions also tell you to let the planks lie naturally (which they are currently doing). But if I were to attempt to run the first plank all the way along the underside of the pattens, the clinkering would be extreme to the point of being impractical.
It's possible with *massive* amounts of lateral bending I could do that, but this does seem a more straightforward method to me. It's such a sharp upwards curve on this model compared to some, I think it needs a slightly different planking solutions. Anyway, some photos:
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
I've spent more time fairing the starboard bulkheads than I did with the port side. Bulkhead 2 is in my opinion too narrow in this kit, so I widened it a bit. I also think BH6 is a smidgen too wide (regardless of the fairing), so I took a millimetre off it, so the batten can run smoothly with no flat spots.
Fingers crossed the planking will be fine once it's on, the batten is looking smooth all the way up and down. The natural run of the planks at the bow is a bit unusual on this schooner due to the sharp rise, compared to some bigger ships, so some thought has to go into the best way to lay them.
Dare I say, a bigger ship may in fact turn out to be more straightforward in terms of plank positioning. We shall see.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Just some close ups of the tricky stern section.
I had to use a few stealers (or dropper planks?) to keep a nice smooth run on the planking. I basically terminated the original plank around bulkhead 8 with an inverted triangle - and shaped 2 new planks to carry on to the stern.
The second photo shows some of the sanding I've done by the keel to allow for the second planking to lay properly. I should have prepared it more before I began the planking, but it'll work out in the end.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Thanks for the compliment Mike. I've actually been looking through your Pegasus build before today - it's a potential next model for me after I've finished this one (assuming it's a commitment I want to make!). I'll check out your Badger build later on.
I've looked around and found a similar tungsten carbide set to yours from a UK site. I'll certainly need them before I start the next model, which will have much thicker bulkheads. I guess the heavy filing is mostly already finished on this one now, although my little cheap steel files are almost ruined as a result.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Well, I've completed my first ever attempt at planking (on the port side..).
Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out; there's one or two minor flat spots which will need to be filled and sanded again to get a perfectly smooth curve, plus a few of the planks dipped slightly between a couple of bulkheads (one of them in particular I probably should have ripped out and thrown away) and will need to be sorted. But that's relatively minor. The main shape is there and it's very pleasing to see the model starting to look like a ship.
I got almost all the bulkheads faired at the right angles. Some very minor clinkering near the bow, which can be easily sanded down. The bow on the Ballahoo does require a tiny amount of lateral bending in some of the planks I think. I'll take a bit more time doing the starboard side and see if I can get every plank down perfectly next time.
There really is no substitute for simply getting on with it and seeing how it turns out on a cheap model, and adapting your methods as you go.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
And that was basically where I'd got to 3 or 4 years ago.
This last week I've been finishing the planking on the port side. I know the recommendation is to do a few planks each side as you go, but I just wanted to get one side done. And then approach the other side as a brand new attempt. Besides, my bulkhead supports will prevent the model from warping anyway.
I'll post a photo in a few days hopefully of the completed planking.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Planking on the top half of the hull was easier than the bottom half, due to the more straightforward curve (towards the keel the hull does all sorts of funny things!). The planks were going on nicely, with a little tapering at the bow. I superglued the very ends to keep a strong hold, but it was mostly all PVA.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
The gunport pattens were fiddly. Very fiddly. I soaked them in hot water for a while before shaping them.
I've seen them mentioned elsewhere as being a difficult part of this build, due to the slightly odd bow on the Ballahoo. I managed it in the end, but it was a bit of a struggle at first. I'm not totally convinced bulkhead number 2 is correct on this model, but we'll discuss that more later.
Started to lay some planks along the hull to get an idea on the shape.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
On to the deck, which fitted nicely, with very little sanding required. I added some more balsa filler underneath the deck for the gunport pattens.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Next up, I added some balsa wood filler blocks fore and aft. I later discovered I faired my stern bulkheads a bit too much and had to fill it back out again, which also messed up the balsa blocks. But it was a useful learning process (at least that's what I told myself).
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Cornish_K got a reaction from hexnut in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Here's some photos of the bulkhead fairing and gluing of the keel. I also carved out a rabbet of sorts, although I later found it wasn't deep enough and had to do some more.
I also made some mast supports inside the model, plus some strengthening supports for the bulkheads - having seen others do the same.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
A word on the instructions. They are my only real reservation with the kit to be honest, so might as well quickly get it out of the way.
If you go to the Jotika website, there's a download link for the HMS Granado PDF instructions for comparison. Quite simply, they are a 100 times better than the very basic Ballahoo instructions - and for a kit aimed explicitly at beginners, it did feel like it was a missed opportunity to introduce new wooden ship builders in the best possible way.
In particular, the bulkhead preparation and first planking instructions are basically one paragraph and are very vague - whereas the Granado instructions go into much detail. Fortunately I took advantage of this website to help me to learn how to do it.
It's possible I'm just a bit of a slow starter - and others who tried it for a first build were perfectly happy with the instructions - but I can only say how I see it personally.
Anyway, that criticism to one side, the plans themselves were generally good, if perhaps lacking a little in the bulkhead measurements. But they showed everything clearly and were nice and big.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
First up, a few photos of the packaging and contents. There were a few defective/missing parts, but Jotika (I forget the chap's name) was very kind in sending out replacements.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Hi,
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NOTE: I actually started this years ago on the old forum, but had a long hiatus (3 or 4 years) from the hobby for various reasons, and it coincided with the great forum implosion. Luckily I still had some of the photos, so I'll simply re-submit those photos again in the opening posts.
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To sum up, I chose the Ballahoo since I just wanted a relatively gentle introduction to plank on bulkhead wooden ship building. I didn't know at the time whether it was something I would take to or not. In fact, I'm still not 100% sure if I'm really a mad ship-builder yet, but that's something which will show itself by the end of this build.
I feel I made the right decision in choosing this model first, instead of something like HMS Pegasus by Victory Models (which I'm very drawn towards). The hiatus itself shows it was a wise move not to throw too much money at a ship for a first attempt. But something drew me back, and here I am continuing my first planking!
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by egkb - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64 Scale - First Proper Wood Build
Nice to see the progress, Eamonn. The model's looking great. I'm also a first time wood builder tackling the Ballahoo!
It's interesting to see how you go about things. I've already noticed the rather sparse instructions don't make any mention of rigging the carronades at all. Quite a few photos of finished Ballahoos show them 'clean'.
But looking at yours I think I'll decide to fully rig them. It looks far better that way.
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Cornish_K reacted to egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by egkb - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64 Scale - First Proper Wood Build
Ok am back from the Holliers and decided to get going again on the Ballier ... Yup you read that right, it's Update Time Again Woo Hoo
Today's exciting Post is ..... Wait For It ... The Carronade Breech Rope !
I took some time to decide what position to put the guns in (In or Run Out I Mean) and chose a sort of 'mostly' run in .. am not too sure how far the Carronade would slide inwards on it's sledge, so I experimented and saw that the 'mostly' Run In position cleared the Muzzle of the Bulwark sufficiently and it looked less awkward than Fully Run In (Or where Fully Run In Looked Like, if you follow) but it will be easy to alter at a later stage ! I also left enough slack in the breech rope so it would be tight in the Fully Run In Position.
I Blackened some Eyelets and Rings I had previously made (by winding wire around a drill bitt) assembled them and looped the Breech rope through the Ring and seized the end in place, threaded the other end through the Sledge fittings on both sides and the Carronade itself .. then finally seized it around it's Eyelet & Ring.. The Seizing was fun to do .. and by fun I of course mean flippin' awkward the knots were held firm by diluted white glue ... See Photo ... That's Right, There are actual Photos Too !!!
Have a great Weekend Folks And Thanks For Stopping By ..
All The Very Best
Eamonn
Photo Time Now ...
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
I've also taken this opportunity, before the hull is completely enclosed, to do a final check fitting of my improvised 'mast holders'. I've drawn a circle in pencil on the masts just above the false deck, so when the time comes I'll know when they've made a snug fit all the way down.
Also, the model is really starting to look better and better with the masts in.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Update time!
I have made good progress on the starboard side first planking, starting near the bulwarks. Note how I terminate the planks on the underside of the gunport pattens towards the bow, not at the actual front of the bow itself. From this point onwards, all the planks will be tapered from bow to stern.
It's a slight departure from the instructions, but the instructions also tell you to let the planks lie naturally (which they are currently doing). But if I were to attempt to run the first plank all the way along the underside of the pattens, the clinkering would be extreme to the point of being impractical.
It's possible with *massive* amounts of lateral bending I could do that, but this does seem a more straightforward method to me. It's such a sharp upwards curve on this model compared to some, I think it needs a slightly different planking solutions. Anyway, some photos:
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Just some close ups of the tricky stern section.
I had to use a few stealers (or dropper planks?) to keep a nice smooth run on the planking. I basically terminated the original plank around bulkhead 8 with an inverted triangle - and shaped 2 new planks to carry on to the stern.
The second photo shows some of the sanding I've done by the keel to allow for the second planking to lay properly. I should have prepared it more before I began the planking, but it'll work out in the end.
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Cornish_K got a reaction from egkb in HM Schooner Ballahoo by Cornish_K - Caldercraft - scale 1:64 - First wooden ship build
Well, I've completed my first ever attempt at planking (on the port side..).
Overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out; there's one or two minor flat spots which will need to be filled and sanded again to get a perfectly smooth curve, plus a few of the planks dipped slightly between a couple of bulkheads (one of them in particular I probably should have ripped out and thrown away) and will need to be sorted. But that's relatively minor. The main shape is there and it's very pleasing to see the model starting to look like a ship.
I got almost all the bulkheads faired at the right angles. Some very minor clinkering near the bow, which can be easily sanded down. The bow on the Ballahoo does require a tiny amount of lateral bending in some of the planks I think. I'll take a bit more time doing the starboard side and see if I can get every plank down perfectly next time.
There really is no substitute for simply getting on with it and seeing how it turns out on a cheap model, and adapting your methods as you go.
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