Jack12477

It's been a bit, but I've been working!!
 
Got the first layer of planking done, second layer of planking done, bulwarks on and planked...and the portholes cut and keep put on.
 
Pros: First layer of planking was pretty easy, kind of nice not having to worry about what it looks like.
Cons: The bulwarks weren't pre-measured or cut and I hda to cut all the portholes by hand. Thank goodness for dremel. 
 
Second layer of planking as a pain in the butt. That mahogony does not like to cooperate no matter what thickness it is. The super thin strip used to do the second layer of planking was finiky on gluing, tended to splinter, and when sanding in several spots I sanded right through and had to execute some repairs.
 
Keel also didn't fit quite perfectly and had to do a lot of sanding to ofset a few little gaps.
 
Overall I think it's coming along though. Worried about getting the rudder on. That part was a little tricky on my last build as well. 
 
 

Side Project: Mantua Naval Cannon
 
In my adventures with the USS Constellation model build I hit a 'road bump.' I happened to be browsing the isles of my local hobby shop and happened upon this little gem. This kit was marked down from $90 to $40 bucks. At a $50 discount I couldn't pass it up. The guy at the shop said a fella had come in and traded in a bunch of old kits, hence the markdown. I left feeling like a winner. I think it's technically a 'French Naval Cannon' but I liked the red, yellow, and black scheme of a Victory style ship so I painted it up that way. I ran out of room on the board so the one rear line isn't exactly accurate, but it works.
 
For giggles I made a few extra little accessory pieces like the power canisters and the cannon bore scraper. I think it came out pretty good. It was just the distraction I needed to get my mind off of tying all those tiny damn knots.
 
Now back to work on the Constellation!!
 
 

Thanks for the suggestion Jack.
I'm not into un-armed ships, if it ain't got cannons I'm not interested.
HOWEVER-That ship you suggest has a pretty sweet looking swivel cannon I've not seen before.
I may have to give that one a shot.

My finished Longboat, a very rewarding and humbling experience.
 
A big thank you to everyone for all your support over the past eight months. You have kept me going when I was seriously in doubt. I know that this wonderful group of people here on MSW will help me to move forward and I look forward to sharing thoughts and ideas with other members in the future.
 
Now, if I could only decide on what to build next?
 

 

 

 
 
 

Having completed the rigging it's on to the oars, anchor and stand to complete the model.
 

 

 

 

Those Ibex are great.   Nice shape too....   heres a source.
 
For anyone reading this since Bettina has already made a choice, the Veritas line of planes offered at Lee Valley are very good, heirloom quality tools as well.  They have a very nice mini-plane and spoke shave set that is a little less expensive than the Lie-Nielsen. 

Slowly trucking right along.... fore cant frames are in and need fairing.  A lot of fairing but that's what I planned.  I'm working on cutting out and fitting the hawse timbers as this is being written.
 
Much research still going in in the background.  Probably more research than work right now...     I fully believe that Mr. Delacroix is spot on about using the Belle Poule monograph for details and rigging which is not what Hahn used.  Hahn used Le Venus which is too late in the period and things were done differently in the planking, rigging, and details area.  Le Renommee is too early with the wales, quarter galleries and stern areas as well some minor details.
 
I fully suspect that Licorne was built originally along the lines of Le Renommee per the bow, stern, wales and gallery drawings I've seen but that there was a major rebuild somewhere before she was captured as she has much of the Belle Poule features.  I'm still sorting out the odd yard dimensions which match Le Venus but not Belle Poule.  Again, this may have been part the transition period so the rigging will probably be the spar and yard dimensions per the NMM (as captured) but use the Belle Poule rigging plan as that seems more appropriate for the time frame.  I still have a long way to go before I even think about rigging, but its something that needs to be sorted out for the hull sheave placement.
 
My plan, subject to change,  is to carry on and once the hull is framed and faired, plank the exterior per the NMM/Hahn drawings with mods from Belle Poule. 
 
By all means, feel free to click the pic for a larger view.  Critiques (negative, corrective, etc.) are always welcome as I'm still trying to get a handle on this beast.
 

Running the risk of filling up this forum with topics about the Shipyard HMS Alert kits, I had to share this. This guys build is just incredible. Shows what you can do with the Shipyard "Laser Cardboard Kit". I just ran across this yesterday and I initially posted it my own own topic about the smaller scale Shipyard kit. I was afraid it would just get buried in there, so moved it to this new post.
 
These are links to the 1:72-scale kit that Janet B is building and I know others are building or interested in building – Ages of Sail just sold another one of these kits just a few days ago, so it got my attention. I see a reference in the build logs to the builder living, or had lived, very close to my location. I'm temped to seek him out, though this stuff was done about 6 or 7 years ago:
 
On a German Site: 1/72 Alert Awesome build log
 
On Flickr: 1/72 Alert Awesome build pics
 
I'm tempted to toss out what I've done so far and to just buy this kit. Nice 5-hole deadeye on that mainstay. Anyone know if that's in the kit or if the builder made it? Nice touch with the served lines and mouse's (mice?) too. I only wish he hadn't put it under full sail on the launch ways... Still, a beautiful job on the model.
 
Clare

Hi Buck
 
Just discovered your build log. This model was my 1st also albeit some 20 years ago. Didn't come out as nice as yours tho. Been enjoying your build. Good luck with the new house. I have a sister who lives in Colorado also ; they live in Lakewood, used to live in Arvada until a "prairie fire" started by some kids burned them out of their house. I was out there in 1977 with the family - toured the whole area - rode the Denver Rio Grande & Western out of Durango to Silverton. Great times.
 
Your workmanship is inspiring. I especially like the effect of the French polishing.
 
Jack

Lol! I can't get anything past you guys. I can't remember where I got that 13" penny, but you have to admit, it's still a challenge to make a knife when your hands are nearly 11 feet long! 
 

Thanks David and Carl!
 
The weather has been pretty nice lately and I've been out riding my motorcycle.  But I have made a little progress with the boat. The steering oar brace was fitted with chafe mats  and a 'leather' wrapped strop. The mats were made by wrapping sewing thread around the wood and the strop was made from cloth insulated wire that was stained and shellacked to give a leather look. The strop was terminated with a figure 8 stopper knot. The super macro shots are kind of cruel! (so don't click to enlarge the pics, OK?!! ) guess I need to try to get some of the fuzz off.



 
Some leather was scraped really thin and used to line the clumsy cleat in the thigh board.

 
Best wishes,

10) Harpoons:
 
Augie and Matti - Thanks for answering my S.O.S. -sorry my plea for help was not more clearly written. I was in a panic and wrote that after dinner last night and had already spent 1-1/2 hours just to get the rope work shown in that picture. I went after it again after dinner and finished it late last night. It was a little over 6 hours to make the 6 wrapped connections. This isn't normal is it? I'm thinking that I won't live long enough to rig something like the Wasa! Most of the time though was to allow glue to set with 3 steps of gluing on the ends with loops and 2 steps in the middle wraps. I have a little clean up work and touch-up on the metal coloring still to do. I have to go to work in a bit and wanted to make this post to say thanks and explain better what I was trying to do.
 
Here's a piictorial sequence of the harpoon construction. The metal was filed and shaped quite a bit before attaching it to the wood with medium CA glue. The wood is finished with shellac.
 

 
Metal blackened with Perma Blue.

 
Here's yesterday's post after fumbling around for 1-1/2 hours with the rope.

 
Nearly done -just some minor touch-up left.

 
One last question: Is it ok to use Johnston's paste wax on threads or do I need to find some beeswax? I'm trying to 'convince' the rope to coil nicely in the line tubs. 

Hi Keith. In the pic that was shot from above (bottom pic), the greenish background is my Formica workbench countertop. It is a green marbled color. In the top pic, the boat is sitting on a Blue Pearl granite tile which looks like water too. I posted another pic of that in the General forum in the 'rock base' thread. Here's another one:
 

9) A little more progress:
 
Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last update. I had been out of town for 1 week and it seemed to take 2 weeks to get caught back up with work and chores. I did get a little French polishing in and am about done with it, but I keep noticing little areas that need further touch-up. It has a pretty even coverage of finish now and a decent depth to the shine. I would not recommend French polishing on a hull with multiple whales and rubbing strakes because it is hard to get into the grooves. Something like a smooth hulled racing yacht would be a good candidate as long as it's not RC and will see water (water can cloud up the finish if left in contact too long).
 

 
I also made a roller for between the chocks. This was a result of hexnut's link to the 1:1 build back on pg 2 -thanks hexnut! The roller was made from the ball end of a guitar string with a thinned down toothpick for an axle. The harpoons are coming along now too and just need to have the lines and wrappings attached.
 

 

 
Best wishes til next time!
 
 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 29 – Aft Square Frames
 
Framing aft of frame 0 has been proceeding well over the past few days.  I have adopted a new alignment method that I will describe in this part.
 
The first picture shows frame 1 installed.  Instead of using temporary wood chocks to hold frame alignment and spacing, I decided to try and use the temporary ribbands. These are at the height of the planksheer.  I left them long, anticipating this.
 

 
The next picture shows more frames installed.
 

 
The heights of the cross-spalls in this picture are irregular because they are set down on the aft top timbers and these have been left slightly long for cutting down later.  Each spall sets the breadth of the frame accurately, however, and is center marked.
 
The next picture shows another view of the overall hull, and displays the normal cluttered state of the shipyard.
 

 
Another view from aft.
 

 
In the next picture, an assembled frame – frame 9 – with its patterns still on, is being test fit after beveling.
 

 
All of these frames are being pre-beveled to the lines on the patterns.  The next step is to remove the patterns and downsize the sidings of the upper timbers.  This cannot be done until the frames are beveled and the patterns removed.
 
In the next picture the frame has been clamped to the ribbands at the top and positioned accurately with its floor centered down on the keel.  The maximum breadth of the frame is then checked by squaring up from the base drawing.   A hole for the model bolt is being drilled.
 

 
Because of interference with the spall, the hole will be angled aft slightly.  A short pin is then inserted to hold the position.  The clamps are then removed and the frame lifted slightly to spread glue on the keel.  The pin is then driven home to secure the joint.
 
Before the glue has set the toptimbers are aligned using the spacer block in the next picture.  The caliper is set from the drawing to the height of the bottom of the planksheer rail so that will be at the correct height at each frame..
 

 
The next picture shows a closeup of the spacer block.  Its width has been sized to 23” – the spacing between frame lines in the area (32”) minus the siding of the toptimber (9”)
 

 
A pinhole has been drilled through the toptimber and the temporary pin bent over to hold the frame tight to the ribband.  The half breadth of the frame is then rechecked using a square from the the line on the base drawing.
 
This method is not only much faster and less messy than using the spacers, but pulls the frames into a fair line at the top.  If made to the pattern and beveled accurately to the profile lines, the frames should be pretty well faired when erected.  So far, that is the case.  We will see how this holds up as the bevels increase with each new frame going aft.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 81 –Aft Decks Framing
 
To break the monotony of making more knees, I deferred the work to finish the middle deck lodging knees and went on to some other things that will be coming up on the agenda shortly.  The first was cutting and finishing the view openings in the lower port side hull.  he first picture shows the three openings cut out.
 

 
The forward and center openings extend from the first futtock heads up the middle deck clamp – the aft opening only up from the lower deck.  After these were cleaned up by filing, sanding, etc. – and while the model was inverted on the bench – all of the remaining simulated bolts were installed up to the level of the middle deck.  The next picture shows hole locations being marked for the middle deck lodging knee bolts.
 

 
The blue masking tape, set at the top of the deck clamp, is used as a guide for the lodging knee bolts.  There is only space for three bolts through the frames for each knee bolt – one through the frames where there is a beam and two through each intermediate frame.  The resulting 4-2-4-2 pattern can be seen in the next picture.  The regular pattern is often disturbed by bolts for the iron strapping lattice.  There is nothing regular about these bolt patterns.
 

 
In this picture the next row of bolts – the middle deck waterway bolts – have been installed just above the lodging knee bolts described above.  The remains of the CA glue on that upper row is being filed off in the picture.  This picture also shows the vertical rows of hanging knee bolts through the even numbered frame pairs.  All this work was done on both sides, but on the starboard side up to the waterline only.  The starboard topsides will be planked so there is no need for simulated bolts.
 
Work also started on the framing of the after decks.  The main or upper deck extends only back to frame 36.  From there aft it was a few steps down to a cabin deck located as a sort of mezzanine between the middle and main decks.  At this point also, there were a few steps up to the poop deck.  A template cut to the shape of the poop deck inside the frames is shown in the next picture.
 

 
This template is for final checks on frame alignment.  Also in this picture the toptimbers of the odd numbered frames have been removed in this area.  These were helpful in aligning the frames but only extended to full height on the even numbered frames.  The others will be cut down later.
 
The template was also used to shape a curved deck transom for the poop deck as shown in the next picture.
 
 
 

 
To avoid grain weakness issues, this was made in two pieces joined by a hook scarph.  It is being glued together in the next picture.
 

 
In the next picture the poop deck clamps have been installed and the transom is being fitted at the stern.
 

 
The top of the poop decking will be flush with the tops of the frames.  The frames will then be capped with the “fancy rail.”  This rail runs in a line from stem to stern.  In the next picture the tops of the stern timbers and frames have been precisely trimmed to their correct height and a gauge strip is being used to set the height of the transom from the tops of these timbers.   
 

 
There is some tolerance for error on the heights of the lower decks, but there is none here.  Any variation will disturb the line of the upper rail and will be very apparent.  The deck clamps also need to be precisely set.  The one in this picture had to be shimmed up about 1” so the deck planks will be flush with the tops of the frames.
 
My adventures with these very visible final alignments will continue in the next part.
 
 Ed

Crossjack Yard, Mizzen topmast yard and three topgallant yards.
 


 
The end of the Main topgallant yard with line stoppers or chalks, and "iron ring" around end of yard.
 
Sling cleats.  Crossjack yard (completed) and Mizzen topmast yard (not yet shaped)
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Finally, getting back to actually doing something on the model. A bit of progress on the topgallant yards and mizzen yards.
 
These yards were too thin to use power tools such as a lathe. At least in my experience, the thin part just twisted and deformed. At 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm, hand sanding seemed the best way.
 

 
A couple of our members asked for help on using styrene to make simulated "iron bands" on yards, masts, etc. The problem seemed to be that the styrene would not hold when glued. The following is simply my experience on what has worked well for me.
 
Pick a size of styrene strip that seems in scale and wrap it around a smaller diameter than needed. I seems to soften the strip and prevent breaking when it's been glued.
 

 
Glue one end to the yard using gap-filling (5 to 15 sec.) C/A. Fast C/A absorbs into the wood and doesn't hold. If the glue has been around for a time(like my 5 month hiatus), it tends to get thicker and slower. If it takes more than 10 to 15 seconds to set, start with fresh glue.
 

 
The end is glued. Let it set for several minutes. Note: the battens are styrene strip forming the octagon.
 

 
Add glue to the strip and hold until the glue sets.
 


 
Cut off excess to complete the ring.
 

 
Ad glue to the end of the band and hold in place with the tip of a blade.
 

OK I know this is a ship model forum but surely most of us can appreciate other models as well
 
I thought I would post a link to this site: http://www.armortek.co.uk/index.html
 
Armortek makes 1/6 scale model tanks, fabricated from metal. Unfortunately, their production goes in runs, so once a kit is out of production, it is out of production. They are currently selling a British Mk. IV WW1 tank. Very impressive, but not as impressive as this:
 

 
... a 1/6 scale King Tiger, measuring 1.2m long and weighing 60kg. Here is a video of it in action. Note the realistic engine sound (which is computer controlled and responds to revs):
 

Hi everyone,
 
Here are old, not very good photos of early construction, Hahn style. Cutting it off the base and flipping it over after years upside down was a thrill and also very scary.
 
Mark

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 24 – Forward Cant Frames
 
 
American Clipper Note: American Clippers not only sailed fast, they were built fast.  Impatient customers demanded it.  A yard would normally launch two from the same slip in a year.  Many were built in close to three months time and one 200-footer, John Bertram, in 61 days.  There were a number of reasons for this productivity.  First there was increased division of labor and the creation of trades.  Gone was the all-around shipwright in favor of gangs for specific tasks.  Steam driven machinery was widely deployed.  McKay, and perhaps other large yards, used steam driven bevel-saws that could be adjusted to the angle of the frame bevel while running.  This alone cut frame fabrication time by a factor of six, using but three men.  Steam derricks were used to raise frames and other heavy timbers, vs. a common practice of everyone dropping what they were doing to lend a hand.  Making treenails was no longer a rainy day make-work job done manually with axes and spoke shaves.  Instead treenails were rapidly turned out in by steam driven lathes.
 
 Back in the model shop, the all-around shipwright plods along.
 
The first picture shows the most forward cant frames being assembled.  Exactly the same pin-indexed alignment method is being used.
 

 
After assembling these roughed out pieces, the frames are beveled and the patterns removed.  The sidings of the upper futtocks are then reduced and the bolts installed.
 
In the next picture this has been done and the starboard frame is being fitted up into the mortise cut for it earlier.
 

 
Some paring of the mortise sides and bottom was done to neatly fit the frame.  In the next picture, the clamping has been set up in preparation for gluing the frame in.
 

 
The clamps were then removed, glue was applied and the clamps replaced.  After drying, the clamps were removed, the frames faired and the six iron bolts into the deadwood installed, as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Stem supports had to be removed for much of this work – usually one side at a time.  In the next picture the port frame has been installed and is being faired with a flat riffler, followed by sanding.
 

 
No project is without rework.  I have normally been making toptimbers from smaller 9-inch stock so these very visible members will be consistently sized - unlike lower timber sidings that have been filed or machined back after pattern removal.  In the case of these first cant frames, this reduced siding at the top left a small gap at the adjoining hawse timbers that can be seen in the last two pictures.  This was an oversight when I lofted the frames.  Rather than delay the erection, I decided to install the frames, then replace the toptimbers - before the glue had set overnight.  The next picture shows the starboard toptimber being removed with the aid of a razor blade in the glue joint.
 

 
No glue was applied on the forward side of this piece, so it was easy to separate with light taps along the joint.  The next picture shows the piece being removed, essentially intact.
 

 
In this picture the port side toptimber has been removed and not yet replaced. 
In the last picture the new larger top timbers have been installed and the joints with the hawse timbers closed up. 
 

 
Installation of the forward half frames has been suspended until all of the cants are in place – to leave room for that work.
 
 
Ed