Jack12477

Mark,
Thanks for the advice.  I will most likely build the most of the masts on the bench and then as you said put the lower ratlines in last.  I will probably do a lot of just staring at it too    .  It is pretty obvious to me now that there really is no "right" way to do most of the build.  There are definitely easier ways but if it all comes out looking like you want it in the end then that is the "right" way.      This being my first build, it is exciting to be working on something other than the hull.  She is starting to take on a third dimension.   Patience is more important than ever now that I have so much time invested.  Its look is changing quickly and I want to see it progress but there is much to learn before the light at the end of the tunnel becomes bright.
Tom

Tom,
Do it the way you are most comfortable with.  Many of us build the mast up as much as possible (all sections, some do yards at this point, some don't, tops) and then install.  Others do that and add as much rigging (carefully labeled, of course) then install the mast.  Others build it one piece at a time, on the ship.
 
I find it's easier to build the mast up as much as possible on the bench first.  Including the upper shrouds and ratlines.  I save the lower ones for after installation but I hold off on the ratlines and they are the last thing done.

After the catheads, I decided to make a timberhead, which came out pretty decent for my first try.  Only made the one for now, need to make 5 more.  I made this using a barret file for shaping.

 
Next up was the stairs.  I made an angle in my little planking jig to make the ends parallel based on the bottom angle on the ladders, and then used the mill to cut groves for the treads.  I'm not very happy with how they came out, but they do look much better just staring at the boat than they look in the pictures.  I'll ponder whether to make some new ones to replace these.

 
I then made and placed the boom crutches, which can be seen in the above photo, and then assembled the binnacle.  Fairly happy with how it came out, but I mis-placed it just slightly, but since it's pinned, I think it will stay here!
 
Shots of the overall ship as it sits now, and close-ups of the binnacle.

 
Still to go - 5 more timberheads, the pedestals for the swivel guns, and the channels and chain-plates.  After that we start looking at masts and rigging!

Thanks Dan for the wishes.
 
Status at this point:
While sanding down the tuck and bending wood, I got to thinking... Dangerous, I know.  And what with Druxey getting me thinking outside the box a bit.. a lot actually and re-shape things, I re-looked overall the plans in detail even the obscure things... Hahn's build article and pictures... Druxey's input.. other builds.. and it dawned on me that one thing I missed was Hahn's severe beveling of the last cant frame.  See attached.  Once it soaked in what I needed to do, I realized it's only possible way to get that outside edge and the rest of the tuck to work right. 
 
 While digging around in the hard copy files... I found part of the problem in a post-it note I stuck to the frame drawings .  I hadn't pre-beveled it as radical as needed as the frame was flimsy and taking off halt the material on the trailing edge didn't seem like a good idea at the time.   Well, actually, I did try it during construction and broke both sides twice and told myself "not now". Thus, the post-it note.   I should have hung a big sign on the wall:  "Bevel last aft frame, dummy!!"  I'm beveling even more than what's been suggested and things are coming more into line.  I sometimes really need a slap upside the head.
 
I'm currently cleaning things up such that the fashion piece, existing planking (well.. the bits I haven't ripped off anyway) and framing and transoms. I'm also cleaning up the aft end of the existing wide planking.  As soon as I can get one side put together, I'll post a photo 
 
Giampiero, Dan and Druxey, I owe you your favorite adult beverages for your help in spotting problems and your input.  And I owe everyone for their support.   
 
Frame 53.pdf

Hold fast, Popeye.  You'll get it solved and fixed before we know it.

I also want to express my thanks and sympathies to all you folks who have furry friends that react to noise.   Gibbs doesn't have a problem with thunder...I'm surprised....I've felt the noise percussion from some of the louder ones.   let one firecracker go off though,  and he's diving for the nearest hiding place.  we hate it....there's nothing we can do.  tried to play the TV a bit louder that usual,  but someone just up the street,  decided to touch off one of those mortar displays....and off he went.........under our bed.   man.........was it loud too!    I took a nap today......Gibbs got me up at 3AM to go out.......he won't go out after dusk.   once the noise starts,  all bets are off that he will go out.   there was a little earlier this evening,  but it's been quiet since......he is still unsure.  it will get better when things quiet down 
 
Anyway........there were two other lines to add on {port and starboard},  and one to add to the lower fore stay {very slight tension on it}.   these were tied on,  weighted and cemented.
 

 

 
hee.......hee.........thought I'd put that one in there       there's nothing wrong with your computers.......do not adjust the horizontal...........do not adjust the vertical........I am in complete control of your screens.......I will do it.
 

 
that's better. 
 

 
there is one more back stay that originates from the foremost boat deck roof,  that will terminate at the upper mast.  the decks sit pretty good.........but there is a problem.   I had this all set up,  but with the may-lay in gluing the mid section together,  it fell short a tiny bit..you might see it here.   there is a better view here.
 

 
the locator pins do not sit in their holes correctly......too late to try and fix it now.  I will have to deal with it.....but I'm seeing some form of a silver lining here.   it lies in that part I showed earlier.......don't know what the thinking was with it.  as for the alignment problem here......my first thought was to cut off the locator pins.......not a good idea.   if there is a warpage issue, as with the aft section of the hull,  this would make it worse.  the correct thing here is to drill the holes a bit larger,  which I did.
 

 
this area of the bow section would be considered a well deck....this part would be the fascia for the bridge deck.  here it is in place.........you can see how 'out of sorts' it looks.
 

 
an over view shows how much aft,  the bridge deck is.
 

 
along the bulwarks there are gaps..........perhaps I can add a little material to fill them in.
 

 
what I plan to do here,  is trim down the part,  even with the deck line.   as I had mentioned,  there are the two 'D' sprues, meaning that I will have quite a few extra railing parts.  I will eliminate the over bite and replace it with railing.  there is a stairway that is to go here as well......it should mate quite well.  the instruction diagram shows the stairway cemented in a cut out in this fascia part........non existent on the part I see here.   you can see it......it looks like a sort of grating in the wall.  this needs to be cut out.......but since I'm trimming it,  I 'll do it a bit differently.   I still needed to cement the boat deck fascia to the upper deck sides {bulwarks}.  I did it at this time.
 

 
as mentioned,  I may not be so lucky with the stern section.......I may have to cement these two sections together.  I will have to see 
 
 
 

that would be funny Greg......the interior of the hull would look like a telephone switchboard       I did the Star trek Enterprise when I was younger,  with the lighting.......wasn't impressed either.
*just heard a few booms.........Gibbs is under my desk now*
wood is so much better with lighting.......light doesn't filter through the walls,  as well as the windows.  it's sad that a lot of the upper parts is done in white plastic........and painted flat white to boot......   I'm beginning to hear that discouraging word,  I've heard tell about.   I'll try and do a night time picture - dry fit.
 
thanks for the good words my friends.......I'm still enjoying the holiday {and my vacation},  in spite of the small inconveniences.  I'm convinced that they really goofed legalizing fireworks........there are so many folks out there that don't know how to properly use explosives
 
case in point........the Darwin award goes to the young man in Maine.........whose drunk'in stupidity,  made him believe it was a good idea to light a mortar shell on the top of his head.   as Daffy duck said............"I can only do it once!"
 
I can't take full credit for the section assembly.....I'm just doing it differently,  than the kit says to.   the main reason is the rigging.........if I did it the way the kit say to,  there would be huge thread balls on the masts,  where I've tied them all       the bow was easy,  once I figured that more than one group of lines could be added by tying a single knot.  the best way to describe this.......2 for the port,  2 for the starboard.......run them {of equal proportions} through a fore mast thread loop,  knot and cement in place,  capturing the two sets of lines with one thread.  if your using Ca though........get the tension on them before gluing them.   lines that don't run true from an attachment point,  just doesn't look good     these masts are so thin........I wish I could have drilled holes to run the thread through.....wood has made this so much easier.
    the stern isn't going to be as easy........the mizzen mast is located at the aft section of the A deck........the mast runs through an aft roof and cements in the A deck floor.   there are lines that initiate from the stern section,  terminating at the mast.  I fear that the stern section will need to be cemented to the mid section,  prior to rigging.  this could possibly set the stage for an alignment nightmare,  since in the turmoil of cementing the mid section together,  it ended up being about 1 mm off,  aftwards....{could be just a 64ths.......I might be melodramatic here}      I have another point of concern,  that I will show you....I have to import the pictures to my computer.........a few moments and I will return 
 
I use Testor's ,  Model Master,  and Billing's,  Mr. Coleman .........gloss....but primarily flat enamels

Yes, our neighborhood sounded like a re-creation of the bombardment of Fort Sumter all last night - our dog hid in her bunker  till 6AM today.  Boat's looking good, Dennis.

fantastic work and build log, and beautiful model, new member and i've just read your whole log from the beginning-awesome
could someone please tell me what TFFM stands for?? maybe silly question but hey!!!

All the sweep ports have been installed.  I also installed the main rail and the planking above it on the port side.  It's starting to look like a ship!

Frolick: "My darling, is it possible for my precious wife to be too beautiful?"
 
Mrs Frolick, applying lipstick : "Yes. You still have to clean out the garage."

Having been a model railroader for a long time informs my perspective on detail. 
 
For example, there are people who build super-detailed model railroads where every square inch is filled with some kind of "thing". Clutter, figures, mini-scenes. These layouts are like Where's Waldo pages. You can never stop looking at them, there is always more to see. Here is an example:
 

 
There are other people who build layouts which are realistic but sparing with detail. They use empty space and careful focus to draw the eye to specific things while allowing the brain to fill in the rest. Like this:
 

 
I am of the opinion that too much detail can be counterproductive. I feel that the eye has a natural tendency to fill in missing information, and that part of the art of modelling is to fool the eye into seeing what it wants to see. I much prefer the latter form of model railroad, because it tends to look more realistic to me.
 
The former may actually be more realistic in terms of the amount of visual clutter in the real world, but my eye at least sees the modeled version as "too much", whereas a spare but careful use of accurate, quality detail looks much more realistic to me overall. The eye is very, very good at picking out things that don't belong, whether it's details out of scale, plasticky-looking figures, etc., but also very good at filling in empty space. 
 
I agree with those who list priorities, and skill, as important factors. If you like making super details, and can use them in a consistent way, go for it. A good example of excellent super-detailing is the Bounty Launch by matt.s.s. which I recently followed to completion. It has superb detail without overwhelming the visual impression. But you can also eliminate many details and allow the viewer to fill them in naturally (or not notice their absence), through the judicious use of proper detail.
 
In literature, one might call this the difference between Dumas, Dickens, or Hugo (extremely detailed but sometimes ponderous) and Hemingway (precise but spare). I actually enjoy all those authors, but tend to be a Hemingway when modelling. Yet to each their own, as long as you and your intended audience are pleased with the process and results.

It's all doable and it's all good...     And to be very blunt, if it weren't for MSW, I would never, ever tried scratchbuilding.  The help and encouragement is priceless. So a big thank you to everyone.

They look great Ken!  Very nice work.  As a side note, I've got your book on it's way. Can't wait to check it out. 

I came back to the deadeyes and chainplates on my latest. I fashioned a better anchor for the boat out of the brass strip I purchased and it works quite well. The brass plating is a little bit thicker than what came in the kit, and I can alter the width of the anchor easily. I'm making the anchors 3mm, the kit supplied brass strips were only 2mm across. Looked a little small with the wire I'm using for the chain links.
 
I've been going back and forth on whether I create a "manufacturing line" of the chain links, because they vary in length ever so slightly and may require individual sizing. One way around this is to change the angle of the anchor attachment to adjust for the differing lengths. I am, however, going to try to manufacture all the anchors as those will look better if they are about the same size and it's harder to duplicate when all the others are already on the ship (I found that out when I put on #2).
 
Process is pretty easy once the chain and anchors are created. I drill two holes into the ancho that just fit the pins that come with the kit, then measure where the holes need to be drilled into the ship by placing the deadeye into the slot and pulling the anchor down with my needle punch tool in one of the drilled holes. I poke the boat with another needle in the second drilled hole, and drill away. It has worked pretty good.
 
I may have to fix the second chain (the one to the left) the anchor hole on the anchor was not centered and now that the chain is on the boat, it's pretty evident. I will see how it looks when the third one is on....
 

With several hundred sailors and marines aboard, sleeping arrangements were important and always crowded on the berth deck.
The hammocks were strung and attached to hooks along the gun deck beams with 18 to 24 inches between sleeping bodies.
 
Before going too far, I decided to add the 'hooks and eyes' to the gun deck beams.
But I cheated. Instead of attaching the hooks (hard to make) to the beams, I reversed it and attached the eyes to the sides of the beams instead. The eye bolts are made by the technique discussed earlier and epoxied in place every 24 inches apart. The hammocks will have the hooks (four of them shown below)      
   
 
You are looking up at the gun deck beams from below. Hence, it is important to install all of the eye bolts before this part goes onto the frame.
BTW the hammocks would go between every other beam; but now, how to make the hammocks?

Being the conservative builder that I am especially when it comes to major changes, I've done some serious reshaping of the transoms.  I think I'm close but I'd like some other opinions.  I've blue taped down some thin battens.  If it looks good, I'll start bending the real wood and planking.  The ends of the existing planking are not a problem.  I have some fashtion pieces that cover the counter timber ends and the hull planking timber ends.
 



 

Thanks Druxey.   Will do some more.  Getting a bit thin but I pack from the other side if need be.   And it's looking a whole lot better in the testing.

Huh
 
I just realized that 10 days I just had no time to enter to workshop.
 
Unbelievable things in Serbia justice system: Until this year, Court season lasts from September 01 until June 30th. Starting with July 01, court pleadings and trials (different Cases) are scheduled every working day, sometimes 2 per day ... Command from Ministry (?!?!?) to work during summer court holiday. So - a lot of work in office, and a lot of work in garden (see if you want in Shore Leave section), and when I finish day tasks, it is usually over 21,30 - 22,30, to late to go down. But it all means - just - nothing. In almost every Court case I have, next trial session is scheduled to November ?!?!?!?
 
Come on ... real Potemkin villages appointed to EU Commission, as they are dummies ?!?!? 
 
(rus. Potemkinskie villages) is a metaphor, refers to something that does not exist, or there is only imaginary. The phrase is named after a Russian soldier and Prince Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin, who during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1792. became vicar of the newly conquered regions. Then Potemkin on empty steppes of South Russia ordered the roadside improvised scenery nonexistent villages, with peasants, shepherds and flocks, only to the Russian Empress Catherine II, he walked along in 1787, I saw that Russia, under his period as Minister, blossom and prosper. This would show a false value won regions. Today this metaphor often used in attempts to create a false impression.
 
Real picture is almost catastrophic. Trials lasts min 3, often 5-10, sometimes more years, with only 2-4 sessions per year . Government reduces already low salary in all public sector for 10-25%, prices continue to grow up min 15-30% per year, and justice become almost completely unattainable to the average man, who has no money to pay only court taxes, and sure has no money to pay attorney, even 50-100€ per day every 3-5 months, which is really minimal price. So, here, we, attorneys, mainly are "flogging a dead horse" ...
 
But, enough whining Nenad, think of your CS    

Yes, our neighborhood sounded like a re-creation of the bombardment of Fort Sumter all last night - our dog hid in her bunker  till 6AM today.  Boat's looking good, Dennis.

Good question.. maybe one for the research sub-forum.   My first answer was:  they pulled the gun out and used it as a hot tub!... but.. that's not the right answer is it.

Grant,
 
Very nice details. Different woods different problems, but you seem at ease ...
 
It seems Mobbsie'll need to switch from slippers to his running shoes
 
A question considering the mortar pit: "What happens with the water which get into it ... I see no drain, and a pump isn't really practical ... just curious ..."

Looks super, Grant.  Like Mobbsie, I'm not a fan of redheart but you done well with it.

Hi Grant,
 
I cant quite believe it but my build partner has given me the hurry-up. I think that's a bit ironic as I've been playing the waiting game for weeks now.    
It all looks really good mate, the waterway shape looks right and they fit nice and snug.  
 
Your hatch coaming and boards look great although I still don't like Redheart.  
 
I will catch up soon enough but at the moment were experiencing a mini heat wave and its sapping what little energy I have, and jees that aint much to start with. Temperatures are up around the high 20s with the highest in London of 37 degrees C. Not very hot I hear some of you say, hot enough for me, time to sit in a ice tub.
 
Chat soon mate and well done on taking the lead   :P  
 
Be Good
 
mobbsie

Beautifully done anchor Danny!  Some nice iron-work!  A skill I need to learn (beyond just sweating copper pipe)