Jack12477

Thank you, thank you, thank you - - - he says with a deep bow and a big smile   Very much appreciated!
 
Well, we have arrived at the end of this build.  There is actually one more detail left to do, Amateur Jan's lobster    But he'll have to wait till I catch a few 
 
I haven't made the final pictures yet for the Gallery, I'll do that tomorrow and post a few here.
 
I finally decided on a name for this special build.  It came to me Thursday night as was in bed waiting for the sandman to come.  I didn't want a "sissy" name or something mundane and how can I tie the name in with the purpose of this endeavor, Wounded Warrior?  There it was, Warrior!  Not Wounded anything, just Warrior.  
 
I cheated - - - I typed it up in green and 14 point and printed it out.  So, Friday morning I cut the name tags out and glued them to the hull using Liquitex medium.  
 
Just for fun, I made a coke bottle and two glasses to toast the successful completion of the build    In the second picture I put that bottle and glasses on the sliding hatch.  Any one for more will have to go into the cabin and raid the wet bar.  Sjors on the dock with the popcorn machine 
 
Then I thought, hey, we need an anchor.  I Googled anchors and found a nice simple one that was used on landing craft during WW II.  So, I cut some metal and made an anchor.  The blades are 0.1 mm brass shim, the post is 1 mm square brass stock that I soldered to a small piece of 1 mm brass tubing.  Put a piece of 0.5 mm brass rod through is and then soldered the blades to the rod, one on each side of the tube.  The blades can actually rotate to grab the sea floor.  Then a brass eyelet on the end of the post for the anchor rope.  Who would have thunk it, an honest to goodness workable anchor 
 
I hope I can post the final pics to the Gallery, have to read up on it.
 
Alright folks, here are a few pics of the last details.
 

This bottle was used for the "christening" of the boat. 
 

We are ready for a toast, cheers to all.
 

 

 

 

This shows the completed anchor on my work bench. 
 

This shows the anchor ready to be dropped and lashed to the samson post.
 
Cheers, 

Hi Guys,
 
Thanks very much for your very kind comments and for hitting the like button.
 
Time for an update.
 
The " fix " on the Gunports and sweep ports is complete with all ports relined, I did notice that my sweep ports appeared larger than they should be, so it was out with the dividers again and measurements were taken yet again, yep all sweep ports were larger by upto 3/64 and so further work was required. This work has been done so further progress can now be made.
 
I have started working on the Floor Riders, Futtock Riders and Keelson, another problem !!!!!!!!!!. When fitting the Floor Riders over the Keelson the bottom of the Riders did not come into contact with the frames, Oh bugger what to do now ??????
 
There are so many things to consider when trying to come up with a solution, my main concern was the height of the Floor Riders and the Height of the Shell Room when fitting the Mortar Pit Beams, I'm now working 5 steps ahead and it's making my head hurt.
 
I had several solutions to consider,
 
1, Recut the Floor Riders and leave a bigger foot on the rider, question, Would this make the rider to high and effect the height of the Shell Room ?
 
2, Make a deeper cut in the part of the Floor Rider that fits over the Keelson, for me that's fraught with the danger of making the cut too deep.
 
3, Notch out the Keelson, if the Keelson needs to be replaced it's a fairly simple job and so this is the way I decided to go.
 
The feet now sit on the frames and they should be the right height for the Shell Room and Mortar Pit Beams.
 
But for now the pictures are just concentrating on the on the frame fix.
 
Notching for a Gunport Lintel, this is a smashing little saw.

 
Finishing off with the file

 
All the Sweep Ports and Gunports have been cut back and are ready for lining.

 
Port side linings

 
Starboard side linings

 
Also the rubber bands have been removed, the spacing blocks, lintels and filling pieces have made the frames really strong.
 
So there we are, hopefully I will be able to make a further update when the Floor Riders are in place.
 
Be Good
 
mobbsie

little progress
немного продвинулся вперёд

продолжение

Hi Rich:
 
   It might be a good idea to tie all those blocks on the masts and spars before you attach them together. Notice that sling and parrel on the upper yard in the 3rd pic. Hooking those up when you do get ready to attach the yards, might be a good idea. Trying to do it later after some of the rigging is in place will be harder. You'll be fine, just take your time. 
 
Cheers 

Here's what I'm working with to date. One small photo from the Constructo manual. Sail names from another pub. Constructo's prints which describe everything with numbers that have to be cross referenced to figure out what it is and where it goes. I've made my own sketches to assist me in installing all the blocks, etc in their proper place. I've even practiced threading line through installed blocks with my beading needles. They work just fine. After all the Super Bowl stuff dies done I'll start rigging one yard at a time.

I think I will pull up a chair and watch also.

I echo what others said above. Very nice model. I love the color scheme you chose.

Slightly indulgent digression from my build log but thought you lads might like to see my new house name plate (moved in end of Oct 14):

Fig 9: Hull planking
 
Ok, so finally got to the point where I could no longer put it off. Never built a wooden ship model before so this was going to be my first attempt at hull planking. Faced with just long, and fairly thick, strips of planking materials, even just holding one of them up against the hull and seeing the level of both curve and twist required, I wondered how on earth I was going to get this to look at all acceptable!
 
This, so far, is the biggest bit that the instructions were unhelpful for. Clearly, having now had one attempt at doing this, hull planking is an art form that is difficult to do and there is certainly a knack to it. I have included the Fig 9 page that you get by way of "instruction"! 
 
I'd read that you can take some of the pain out of the job by essentially cutting the strips in half and just planking from amidships to the bow, then amidships to the stern. This generally then means that you only have to deal with one curve at a time. This will be a painted model and so as my filling, sanding and painting is good enough, then this join shouldn't be too obvious come the finish.
 
I stood the half-cut (had they been on the rum?!) planks into a tall vase of boiling water and let them soak for half an hour, I then simply used my thumb and forefinger to start to bend them into shape and then back into some fresh hot water to bend the bow sections and stern sections round to the required level of curve. This seemed to work fine and I didn't need to invest in plank nippers etc.
 
I'd sanded down the bulkheads where needed by dry fitting each hull plank and seeing where they barely touched due to the curvature, so once each plank was curved as required, I started laying them. I started at the waterline, effectively where the earlier, wider, hull planking strips finished and worked my way downwards and forwards. During dry-fitting, I realised that that approach wouldn't really work for the stern, due to the curving upwards, so started at the keel and went the opposite way, using stealers to fill in any remaining gaps.

I echo what others said above. Very nice model. I love the color scheme you chose.

Fig 3: Planking the false upper gun deck
 
So the fun and games then began and my first decision to deviate from the plans. Fig 3 just showed the gundeck being vaguely planked in some way and some sort of material being used as caulking.
 
I did some research online (though somehow still didn't manage to find this site) and decided I would purchase some bonded black nylon thread for my caulking and that I would cut the deck planking strips provided into 9cm lengths (seemed to replicate a reasonable plank length), such that they could be staggered at 3cm intervals and look like some sort of butt shift system.
 
I started down the centre-line and worked out to one side, finally cutting and shaping round the bulkheads. Then switched around and did the same the other side. The final touches were to paint the whole thing in red ochre (as I'd read about the decks being painted red to prevent the spilled blood distressing the crew) and to add some deck "nails", 2 at each end and 1 at each 3cm point along the lengths. This was done using a 0.5mm black pilot pen.
 
In hindsight (and having done lots more research and reading now) I realise I should have done a proper 3 or 4 butt system, as on the ship herself, but what's done is done.
 
It took a long time to do but I was very pleased with the effect created, even though a lot of this deck won't be seen once the quarterdeck is added later.

Pulled out Chuck's instruction book, which I must admit, I have not been using up to this point.... my mistake.
If I had been reading Chuck's instructions, rather than just creating and building to the Plan Sheets, I would have read the last paragraph on page 38 under the heading Mizzen Stay....
"You might have thought it logical to rig the shrouds on the main mast next. But doing so would make it harder to tackle the mizzen stay"
 
Guess what!!!!
 
That's not all....
So I go to work on, SOMEHOW working out a way to rig the tackles to the main and mizzen masts, and discover that I don't have a single belaying pin in my bone yard that is the right scale for the smaller ship.
 
Not the first time I've created belaying pins from tooth picks....
 

 
Still trying to do everything the hard way.

Not much action in my shipyard while I practice a few things. First, I shaped a sail to see how  it will look. I think it's pretty good. The sail is supple to the touch yet holds its shape as if the wind is filling it. I wet the sail, installed it on my workholding jig, blew it with my Admiral's hair dryer, then I spray water soluble hairspray on it. 
 
Next, I practiced threading those tiny blocks I have to use. My beading needles work perfectly.
 
I also made a sketch of my own sail plan. It's still a work in progress. 

● Great Cabin Bulkhead: I managed to get this one done today.
 

Today was rather productive.  As mentioned yesterday I needed to tidy up the loose hanging sheets.  So, that's what I did.  This sounds like a simple job but I had to muster up some patience wrestling these springy "ropes."
 
I made double sticky tape from masking tape so the cords could be stuck to it as I tried to bend them to my will and not theirs.  I have some clear all purpose glue and dabbed some on the coils to keep them in shape.
After the glue had cured I peeled the coils off the tape and with a small dap of the same glue I tacked them to the deck.  For a static model that's not meant to be a toy I figured it would be best to secure them.  
 
The jib sheets are just wrapped around the cleats in the cockpit with one loop hanging loose to make it look ready for action.  Everything is secured with a dab of glue.
 
Well, that was it for today and now it's time for a few more details to finish her.  One of the main things is the name board that'll be placed on the display board.  I don't know yet how I'll do that.  The other detail thingy's will be announced and shown in due time.
 
It doesn't look like a lot I did but I took this afternoon off.  Actually, it was rather cold in the garage and I was not very comfortable, even with a jacket on.  It was my lower legs that felt like icicles.
 
Okay, here are a few more pics.
 

This shows how I coiled the sheets.
 

Here are the jib and gaff halyards neatly coiled after being secured to the cleats on the mast.
 

Here is the main sheet cleated and then coiled on the aft deck.
 

This shows the jib sheets cleated and just looped over the cleat.  I also stuck the oar thingies in.  The oars are fastened under the deck overhang and out of sight 
 

One more profile pic with all the rope work neated up and the flag tied to the sail, can't go without the flag.
 
Cheers, 

Thanks everybody for kind words and to all who clicked the like button.
 
Wait a minute folks, she's not finished yet!!!  There are still a few details to be added yet.  I hope to complete this little fun build in a few days.
 
@ George, Jesse, Carl and Bob, thank you.
 
@ Joel:  That's a beautiful build and nice colors too.  It looks like that people are using all kinds of materials to "tan" the sails.  On my Friendship sloop model I used tea.  It doesn't matter what we use as long as we are happy with the results.
She is indeed a lovely little boat, si graceful lines.  No wonder that that design evolved into the Friendship sloop.  Not only graceful but also quite seaworthy.
 
@ Sjors:  Thanks for your kind words but you rate my abilities much too high.  No, Gwen didn't make the sails, I did.  I'd like for you to know that I used to sew my own shirts, did needle point and cross stitch end knitted my own socks.  I even made the covering of an aircraft seat in real leather, hand stitched, pleated and rolled.  Hey, when one is hungry and need an extra buck to feed the family you do what you have to do.  Yeah, 52 years is indeed a long time and that with the same lovely girl too    
She said, I never imagined being married to an old man - - - par am pam - ching - - - auch 
 
Chee

I think Michael's solution would be the optimum without buying any pipe clamps. However, be sure you follow his instructions to clean off the old glue before you try to glue it. You also might plan on using more than two of the clamp/wedge assemblies. Three might be the ticket. Also do not squeeze them so hard you squeeze out all the glue in the joints.

Lextin, another way to clamp the pieces once you have cleaned the old glue off is to use a couple of pieces of wood like this
 

 
simple wood clamps made from scrap. once the glue is set knock out the wedges and the clamps can be taken apart for some other use.
 
Michael

For about $10 apiece, you can get pipe-clamps that will clamp the boards together again. You'll need 3. Then, go get some steel pipe to fit the clamps, threaded or not, it won't matter, and have them cut the pipe to the length you need, 30 inches I'd guess. Considering the cost of buying a new butcher-block top, pretty cheap.
 
Cheers 

That is the problem learning then understanding what is going on.  Unfortunately most of the time it is way over my head.
David B

Not always.  But isn't that the fun part of scratch building? 

Thanks everyone for dropping in and clicking the like button, I truly appreciate it very much!
 
Let's see, Sunday midmorning I started to prep for a special dinner for Gwen and spend the rest of the day in the kitchen.  I wanted to treat her to something she's been talking about, on and off.  So I made Tournedos a la Bearnaise with Dutch style potato croquettes, glazed carrots and asparagus.   I made my own bearnaise sauce, a lot of work but delish!  She was impressed and liked everything.  I would have done this on Monday, our 52 wedding anniversary, but figuring she wanted to go out for dinner to celebrate.  But, no, she'd rather stay home and enjoy my cooking left-overs   So we enjoyed our company home instead.
 
So then, yesterday I started with the sails.  I cut tem out per the sail plan drawings and stained the white cloth supplied with the kit in coffee.  They look slightly tanned and weathered.  First i wanted to fold the edges over and glue a thin thread in the crease, glue corner reinforcing patches on but ran into a gluing problem.  So instead I pencil lined all the seams in.  Then I sprayed the sails with flat poly spray to stiffen the fabric instead of using the diluted wood glue.   Worked out okay.  
Put the reefing ropes in the mainsail.
 
Next I made the mainsail mast hoops from brass rod.  Yeah, nothing like doing this after the mast is installed with all the hardware on it.  To get them onto the mast I bend them apart enough to slip over the mast and then bent them back again.  Worked fine.  i also soldered the ends shut and painted them flat black.  I wrapped some masking tape around the mast for the painting.
 
I also made a bunch of small brass rings to attach the jib to the forestay and installed the sail.  
 
Today I installed the mainsail.  I found that I could have made both sails slightly larger but at the stage in the build I'll have to leave it as is.  
Tomorrow I'll fiddle with the jib and main sheets, coil the ends and lay them nicely on the deck.  
 
Then I'll check things over and fiddle some more with details before calling it done.
 
Here is a picture as she is as of this moment.
 

 
Cheers,

Thanks for looking in, everyone.
 
Port side, first three strakes.  Not too bad to my eye and I'm happy.  The pics, though tell me that I'll have to do some sanding and shaping still around the joints and also to fair and smooth things out a bit.  The big challenge here is the where the plank thickness changed and also where the hull shape changed due to the tumblehome.  I'll fix things with some sanding and then finally scraping to get the ebony dust out of the Swiss pear grain.
 
Onto the starboard side....

 

Well, finally making progress.  Mast, boom & gaff installed and rigged. Took apart a scrap piece of rail molding and used the posts as supports, used an old wood plague for the base, put a coat of MinWax English Chestnut stain on everything.  Mounted the boat temporarily for picture purposes. 
 
Now on to the deadeyes and shrouds.