Louie da fly

Hard to believe this is your first wooden model. You're doing very well, mate - slow and steady, with attention to detail. Keep up the good work. Steven

Thanks for the likes and kind comments. Mark, I find those magnifiers to be invaluable. They have three levels of magnification, but I almost always use the lowest level. You can get them from auto appliance stores or on-line. Yes, I carved all the figures - at 1:200 it was really pushing the outside of the envelope. I mostly use pear wood (because I've got a lot of it, thanks to neighbours' trees), but I've also tried apricot which is even better. I've never tried it, but the general consensus seems to be that box wood is the best for carving - extremely fine grain - almost like carving plastic. You can see the sequence in carving a figure at I hope that helps. Other people go about it differently - there are plenty of alternative methods - but I find this works for me. Regards, Steven

Thanks for the likes and comments, everyone. Here's me with the deadeyes and tackle for the bonaventure mizzen's lower stay. (OK, you can't see them, but they are there, trust me). Now for the shrouds. Fun and games all the way. First I made all the shroud/deadeye assemblies (8 of them) and glued the lower deadeyes into place - except for one assembly which somehow vanished into another dimension - I must have brushed it off with my sleeve - serves me right for leaving them on the tabletop instead of in a container. So I had to make another one. Surprisingly, the lost one didn't turn up as soon as I'd done this. Note that the bonaventure mizzen doesn't have channels, so I had to figure out a way of fixing the lower deadeyes to the hull itself. Fortunately, I'd run a rail along the inside of the bulwark, and the "chains" (really linen thread) fitted through the gaps between that and the upper ends of the frames. But trying to fix the shrouds at the top was a bit of an issue - they should have gone up through the lubber's hole and around the mast, but there just wasn't enough room to do it well, so when I got them through the lubber's hole I just glued them to the floor of the fighting top. Which opened up another can of worms - the top was just fixed to the mast with PVA (white) glue via a circular hole through the floor, so it it tipped over in various directions as I added the shrouds. I had to get fairly imaginative to get it straight, but it ended up ok. Then I was tensioning the shrouds when one of them had the lower deadeye pull out of its belaying point in the hull, so I had to push the thread back in place, which turned out to be very difficult indeed - it wouldn't go through, kept pulling out of place and just when I thought I had it fixed the tweezers turned out to be both sides of the mast so I couldn't close them . . . (I threw my magnifying headset on the floor - first time I've ever done it - and the language wasn't the kind of thing I'd have liked my grandmother to hear) - but I finally got it into place. THEN I discover that two of the shrouds are twisted around the adjoining ones, so I have to dissolve the glue holding the lower end in place, pull the shroud out, take it around the other shroud to fix the twist, thread the lower end back through the gap between the rail and the frame and then glue it back place. Like I said, fun and games. But now it all seems to be pretty good, and I'm ready to add the ratlines (sigh). Steven

Hi Peter, I can't believe it's been a year since your last post. I hope everything's going well for you and yours. Any progress on the carrack front? Best wishes, Steven

A very beautiful vessel. Steven

Bonjour et bienvenu, Drut. (Hello and welcome, Drut). Have you decided on a particular ship you want to build? Steven

Good to hear from you, Mark, and to know you're still on-track, if slightly diverted for the time being . . . Steven

Steven, I've missed your updates recently, and just stumbled upon your build again. She's looking amazing! I have nothing but respect for someone who can do what you can with sheet steel. In a similar tradition, in Sydney Harbour they have the mast of the first HMAS Sydney, which sank the Emden in 1914. It was put in place in 1934. The H.M.A.S. Sydney I Memorial Mast commemorates those who served in the Royal Australian Navy and those ships which were lost in service. On 26 June 2007 the Royal Australian Navy announced that a new naval tradition would commence that day requiring all Australian and foreign naval vessels proceeding into Sydney Harbour to render ceremonial honours to the HMAS Sydney I Memorial Mast. The ceremony consists of bringing the ship's company on the upper decks to attention, and then 'piping' the Mast. Steven

The bonaventure mizzen is now glued in place and the lower stay is being put in position. I have yet to pull the lanyards tight on the pair of blocks that tensions the stay. And I've added deadeyes to the lower bonaventure shrouds; when the glue dries I'll be able to join the pairs of deadeyes and put the shrouds in place. I've begun to attach the main halyard tackle (pendant?) to the capstan - just glued the nearest bit in place, and I'll gradually wrap it around so it looks like it's actually doing its job. And - FINALLY - I'm able to start work on attaching the yards and my beautiful hand-painted "cloth of gold" sails - starting with the forecourse - I've attached the halyards to the yard - still loosely for the time being; I yet have to get them positioned correctly to attach the yard to the (fake) parrel truck. It's interesting - ships of this period don't seem to have hauled their courses up very high - they are usually shown quite a long way below the tops. Steven

Clamps! Get lots of clamps! Steven

It's been awhile since I posted - I've been doing a lot of fiddly stuff. First, the mizzen shrouds: Threading the lanyards between the upper and lower deadeyes and fixing the assemblies to the channels - Threading the shrouds through the bottom of the fighting top. (Yes, I know I should be threading through first and then adding the deadeyes at each end of the doubled shroud, but at this scale it wasn't realistic. However, it's more accurate than the way I did it on the fore and main. Pulling tight, with tiny pegs as weights to maintain tension, and a dab of glue at the back to keep them in place., I seem to have forgotten to take photos of putting on the lower ratlines. But what the hey, you saw me doing it on the other masts. So here instead are the topmast and topgallant shrouds and ratlines going on - I hadn't been happy with how the fore topmast and topgallant shrouds came out - I cut the ends off the ratlines while they were in place, and it didn't work too well (looked untidy). So I've since been using a different technique - I add the ratlines in place, remove the shroud/ratline assembly and trim off the ratlines with a scalpel blade on the cutting board, then glue the shroud/ratline assembly back on. So here are the new shrouds and ratlines for the fore topmast and topgallant. At this point the shrouds are removed and the ratlines trimmed. And put back in place. The tiny pegs used again to tension the shrouds while the glue dries. Then the shrouds are trimmed to length. All done! Now for the bonaventure mizzen! Steven

Interesting name for a ship - in Old English, that's Eg-beorht (from which comes the name Egbert. Probably. Though it may come from Ecg-beorht - bright EDGE - like on a sword). Steven

Another beautiful job, Greg. Superb work, mate. So . . . what's next? Steven

I think your streaking looks very good - at least in the photos. Keep up the good work. Steven

Oh, yes. But he's by no means the only one. We have some really stellar modellers on this forum. I won't mention their names for fear of embarrassing them, but they're the kind of ship modellers I want to be when I grow up . . . Steven

That's great, Mateusz! Looks like you're well on the way to another really good model. By the way, I love those crewmen figures. Very nice. Steven

Here's an opportunity! Anyone live in Suffolk? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM8npYuqt2s And https://saxonship.org/getting-involved/visit/ Steven

[Blush]. Still learning, mate. But at least I'm now making more interesting mistakes nowadays. On the other hand, I'm totally awestruck by some of the other guys on this forum , who are really good at this stuff . . . (you know who you are). Steven

More videos: Installing the sternpost - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTkjpaRhRkI Stern underloute delivery and beginning shaping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTkjpaRhRkI Delivery of keel log: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VbuEzcAtJ4 Placing finished keel on strongback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1DvxSOo4Ps Using a spoon auger (as shown in the Bayeux Tapestry excerpt above - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9SGZBdKbK4 Steven

Hi Iron Hands, and welcome to MSW from the Far Side of the World. I started ship modelling when I was maybe 10, starting off with the tiny Airfix models and graduating to Revell and the big Airfix Victory at about 17, before I moved over to wood. I'm sure you'll enjoy your build, and I'm equally sure there'll be times you want to throw the rotten thing at the wall- don't worry about it. We all do. You'll make mistakes along the way - don't worry about that, either. The more experienced of us just make more interesting and complicated mistakes. And yes, ask LOTS of questions. The membership here is almost embarrassingly willing to help. And if you don't understand an answer - ask another question! God luck with your build, and have fun with it - that's the whole purpose of doing this stuff. Steven

To do that you'll have to find out the "period" of the light - what sequence of "lit" and "occluded", so seafarers know that its Flamborough, not some other lighthouse . . . Steven

Sorry to hear that, mate, but you're doing the right thing by your mate and his wife. I'll be interested to find out how those irons turn out. Steven

Inside the long shed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cRspPEw3sY Cleaving a log - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3LvvoSzsjw Making the Garboard strake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB62jxhazqo Fixing the garboard strake -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkNDsE4DlE0 Using a finishing axe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYV-sZFUnE By the way, you can see two of these finishing axes (and one "woodaxe" - far left), plus another, short-handled axe, an awl and a bow-drill in this panel from the Bayeux Tapestry - Steven

Pat, I've just been reading a book called The Last Confederate Ship at Sea by Paul Williams (McFarland and Company, Inc, Jefferson, North Carolina 2015, though the author seems to be Australian) about the exploits of the C.S.S. Shenandoah, a commerce raider in the American Civil War which in 1865 captured several northern ships (including whalers) burnt some and "ransomed" others, and was the last active Confederate warship in the war - in fact she kept on with her activities for several months unaware that the war had ended (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Shenandoah ) There was a scandal attached to her - it appears that the Shenandoah's captain carried on an affair with the wife of the captain of the last ship she captured before she docked in Melbourne, in what was then the British colony of Victoria (Australia) for repairs (her propeller mounting was badly damaged, and she was drawn up out of the water onto a "patent slip" to allow the propeller to be got at). (There's a local connection for me - the good citizens of Ballarat threw a "Buccaneer's Ball" in Craig's hotel (the top hotel in town, which later had Mark Twain as a guest) for the Shenandoah's officers.) There was also controversy over her status as a Confederate naval vessel (the U.S. consul claimed she was a pirate) and attempts to recruit crew in Melbourne, in violation of Britain's neutrality, and the captain refused to allow the police to search the ship for recruits reported to be hidden on board. Anyhow, after all that preamble, the police inspectors at Melbourne and Williamstown (where she was on the slip) were instructed to "proceed with the whole of the police force at your disposal to the patent slip and prevent, at all costs, the launch of said ship." And the book goes on - "The Elder gun raft, with her 68-pounder was moved into position near the slip entrance. Her Majesty's Colonial Sloop Victoria a twin-screw vessel of 580 tons, with three guns, was instructed to raise steam and stand off shore. This vessel was not naval, but was classified as an armed dispatch vessel, manned by the water police. She had already been in one hostile situation with an American ship, the General Nowell, which had departed with writs for debts nailed to her mast. The Victoria steamed in pursuit, fired a shot across her bows, and escorted her back to Hobson's Bay. I'm assuming this must be the same HMCSS Victoria as you are building, though it seems the description differs from the model - particularly the number of guns (and the whole bit about the water police seems a little strange). Anyway, I thought you might like this extra bit of information (assuming it is the same Victoria). Steven

Hi Robert, and welcome to MSW from sunny Ballarat, Australia. Your HO rail model layout - what period does it portray? (from an ex-rail modeller from way back). HO (1:87) is a good scale to work in for ship modelling as well, and of course if you're into human figures there are plenty available. And of course sailing ships are certainly contemporary with a lot of the rail period. Steven