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Louie da fly

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Everything posted by Louie da fly

  1. Louie da fly
    The course and the bonnet in the original were made from a single piece of fabric. The transition between them was done by pulling a number of threads out at the join. It did seem to work, but this time I've made them separately and laced them together. The "robands" were done the same way both times. The thread joining them is at the back of the yard. Steven
  2. Louie da fly
    Ok, I've fixed up the mainyard. I was just pushing a needle through one of the blocks to make sure the mainsheet would pass through, and the thread that held it to the yard broke. Though most of the existing blocks are made of wood, this block is one of the few I made by wadding up cotton thread with glue to make a sort of ball, and pushing a needle through to make a hole in the centre. I had the choice of making a new one - either of wood or more balled up cotton (which I'd rather not do, as I'd like to keep as much of the original build as possible) or somehow replace the supporting thread. After a bit of thought inspiration struck. Thread through the body of the block (it's just cotton after all) and sew it on, through the thread that's already wound round the yard. Note also I've added the blocks for the topsail sheets and the mainyard lifts. The picture below gives you some idea of how I've been making my wooden blocks - drill a hole in a bit of wood the right thickness, then carve around the hole and sand smooth, finally cutting the block off the end of the bit of wood. And here is the main course being sewn onto the yard. As I mentioned earlier, I'm following my original procedure of using a continuous thread, rather than separate robands (just too difficult at this scale). And complete - very long and laborious - I had to undo my stitches time after time, and the loop in the thread kept catching on things over and over again . Now the old, brown, moth-eaten forecourse being separated from its yard. I had to remove quite a bit of fabric and thread that had inadvertently been glued to the yard. Once I'd done that I discovered a break in the yard, so I had to repair it - just a matter of gluing up the break and holding it still until the glue dried. And now, ready to begin sewing the sail to the yard. Note, the blocks for the topsail sheet are already there, but I do still need to add the blocks for the foreyard lifts. This rigging stuff hurts my brain. I'm really not very good with getting a gestalt view of how it all works and inter-relates, and I have to plod through the procedure little bit by little bit - often going over and over the text to make sure I'd really got it. Slow, small steps. Steven
  3. Louie da fly
    Very nice work, Tim. I'm very impressed, and tempted to try this method. But as I've already started in wood (see below) I guess I'd better continue that way. Steven
  4. Louie da fly
    Coming together nicely, Kyle. Steven
  5. Louie da fly
    My model's at 1:200 scale and I'm in the same boat as you (oops! Sorry!). I've given up on making blocks this size with sheaves or even a pair of holes to make a fake "sheave". Just too difficult, and considerable danger of splitting. I've compromised with accuracy and used hearts instead of blocks. I make them individually. I drill a hole in a piece of wood the correct thickness, then carve around it to make the block. I don't know if there are ready-made blocks out there for sale that are small enough for you. I'd be very interested in seeing what other people have to say. Steven
  6. Louie da fly
    That's very interesting indeed, Dick. Apart from knowing in a general sense that the Gokstad ship used a withy for the rudder, I hadn't really thought about the mechanics of the apparatus in detail. What you've done certainly looks workable. The withy would probably season in place, but retain a reasonable amount of flexibility (I think the reason willow is used for wattling is the fact that it does retain a fair bit of flexibility - IIRC in wattling it's usually allowed to season, then soaked before being used). [Edit - correction - I'm pretty sure wattling uses green willow - it's basket weaving, that uses soaked seasoned willow] Steven
  7. Louie da fly
    Hi Dick, I've done a bit of wattling, though not with willow. I know green timber is far more flexible than seasoned, and splitting a withy down the centre makes it easier to bend. However, I wouldn't recommend that for the job you have in mind. IIRC the Gokstad rudder was held in place by a fairly hefty withy (just a single piece) passing through both the rudder and the ship's side and right angles, and its flexibility (even though seasoned after all that time in use) allowed quite a bit of vertical pivot in the rudder, though looking at pictures of it I do wonder if my memory is correct. The sectional diagrams seem to show a rope Do you have some kind of idea of how you plan to construct your rudder-fixing? A diagram of what you have in mind would be very helpful. Steven
  8. Louie da fly
    Smile-n-Nod, thanks very much for this. I've downloaded it and now I'll have to spend time going through it with a fine-tooth comb. Wonderful stuff. Steven
  9. Louie da fly
    I seem to recall the Gokstad ship's side rudder was attached by a withy (I was going to write "with a withy", but that just sounded silly . . .) Beautiful work as usual, Dick. I love the way you've solved the problems that go with such an adventurous speculative design. If the hulc was really built with reverse clinker as theorised, I imagine it would be very like this model ( but bigger, of course ) Steven
  10. Louie da fly
    Thanks for all the likes. Druxey, currently the main problem is getting my head around how everything fits together, and that's just for the courses. SO many lines and blocks, and I'm just hoping I don't paint myself into a corner, forgetting to put something in at the right time and having to somehow squeeze it on later. Oh, well, back to Anderson again. I think the lifts are the next thing to look at. Pretty sure I've worked the halyards/tyes out. Steven
  11. Louie da fly
    Cathead, I think what you've worked out is perhaps the very best possible arrangement, given the constraints you're working with. The stacking of the shields and the idea of "roping them in place" works very well. You can see the shields (otherwise all that work painting them would have gone to waste) but they get in the way as little as possible; it's definitely a practical way of arranging them without obstructing the working of the ship. I think you've got it! The bundles of spears look quite a bit better, as well. What particularly impresses me about this build is the added details - chests, barrels, shields, spears etc - that add so much realism to the look of the thing. One feels one could step on board and sail off across the Atlantic. I agree about "Vikings". I watched the first episode and was so disgusted by it that I never looked at it again. Haven't seen the other show so I can't comment on it. Ian, yes we do know that Viking shields had bosses. Just about every Viking shield find (and the Gokstad ship had shields all along both sides) has a boss - the only ones I know of that don't have a hole where the boss should be. And there have been many bosses found without the shield board, which has presumably rotted away. Also contemporary art shows round shields with bosses, both in a Viking context (rare), but also their contemporaries, the Franks and English had very similar shields - always with bosses. The boss was a hollow iron bowl, nailed or rivetted to the shield board over a hole on the centre into which the hand fitted. There was a handle across the hole for the hand to grip. Contemporary art shows the shields being held this way, not with arm straps. You can see diagrams of the way this worked at http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/shield/shield.html This is probably the best exposition for the layman of the state of knowledge regarding Viking shields. Peter and Christobel are friends of mine and have been re-enactors since about 1986. They are very hot on authenticity and they have put a tremendous amount of research into all kinds of aspects of Viking life - their re-enactment gear is amazing. Steven
  12. Louie da fly
    That's beautiful work, Druxey (as usual). I've arrived late and only just seen this. Just amazing. Very impressed. Steven
  13. Louie da fly
    I'm slowly getting into the rigging, mostly using as my guide Anderson's The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, which, though it mainly deals with ships of 50-100 years later than mine, still has a lot of info that is relevant, and is often the only source apart from Mondfeld and contemporary illustrations. Sheesh! So much to learn. My brain hurts. But if I take it slowly, item by item I expect by the end of it I may have advanced from a state of utter confusion to one of relative ignorance. Here's Anderson's diagram of the rigging of the clew of the courses. And here is what I've done. From the top, clewline block, tack and sheet block. Note at 1:200 making actual blocks is basically impossible, so I've compromised with hearts which are simpler but carry out a similar function. This was really difficult to put together and for the next three course clews I'm thinking of working out a streamlined method which ends up with the same result. Steven
  14. Louie da fly
    Don't load up on tools too soon. Many modellers get excellent results with a pretty basic set - I like to use a No. 11 blade scalpel or craft knife, LOTS of clamps of various sizes and types, you'll need tweezers, glue (I use white glue mostly but CA (super glue) to glue wood to metal). A drill (maybe a dremel). Probably I've missed quite a bit but others will be able to advise. Steven
  15. Louie da fly
    Bonnets "stitched on". Actually I cheated - I glued the bonnets to the bottoms of the courses with a bit of overlap before I started stitching - I couldn't see any way otherwise that I could hold everything together as I stitched - I'm not all that good at sewing. And that's really not the way it was done back in the day, though it looks enough like it for the job at hand. Here is the main course with the bonnet attached and the sewing partly done, seen from behind. (The funny thing is the stitching seen from in front pretty much vanishes into the pattern painted on the sail. Almost feels like "All that work, and nothing to show for it"). Here are the two sails with bonnets seen from the front And from behind. You can see the join between the two lots of stitching on the main course, where I ran out of thread and had to start again with a new thread. I took the opportunity to start from the other end (so the end of the glued join between the course and the bonnet didn't come adrift just as I was getting to the end of the stitching). And here's a closer view of the stitching on the main course, seen from the front. I'm pretty happy with the consistency of the stitching - not perfect, but I think this is as good as I'm likely to be capable of. As a first attempt the forecourse was not too bad, but as I got better with the main course I'm considering re-doing it. The question is whether there's any point doing so. Are the inequalities in the stitching bad enough to warrant re-doing it, considering the back of the sail really won't be visible when the model is on display? Fortunately, those are the only two bonnets. Steven
  16. Louie da fly
    Welcome to MSW, Laggard. I'd agree with the advice above, but I'd also highly recommend you start a build log for your model. The instructions are here - I think most people starting out get rather intimidated by the quality of work they see on other build logs and are a bit nervous about starting one of their own. Don't be. This forum covers the whole range of skill levels, from total newbie to the demi-gods of ship modelling. And a build log enables others to see how you're going and what you're doing, and give help and advice in getting the right result - and sometimes help you avoid going off on the wrong track. And you can ask questions of more experienced modellers about problems you encounter on your build (having a log gives you somewhere to post pictures of what your question is about). And don't worry about making mistakes. We all do it. The more experienced modellers just make more interesting and complicated ones (!). Don't expect your first model to be perfect - it won't be. But with a bit of patience and application you'll be able to make a model to be proud of. And the next one you make will be better. And have fun with it. That's what it's all about. Best wishes, Steven
  17. Louie da fly
    It is harder than doing it the way the kit manufacturers recommend. I stuffed up royally the first time I tried it on my Great Harry - but with time and persistence (and removing planks and re-doing it a couple of times) I got there in the end. Not a perfect job, but it set me up to do a better job on my next model. Steven
  18. Louie da fly
    Just found The Good Shepherd in a second-hand book shop and snapped it up. A very good read - really gets inside the head of the captain (who seems a bit like Hornblower with his self-doubts and pessimism - maybe Forester was like that himself?). I haven't seen the movie, and probably won't - it might spoil it for me. Regarding the A-M series, the atmosphere is brilliant and O'Brian's sailing scenes are very convincing. My own lack of maritime knowledge means I can't really criticise the accuracy of descriptions - but there is one thing that niggles. In several of the books he has Jack setting not only the spritsail (which, ok, was still just in use in Aubrey's time), but also a sprit topsail, which went out of use way before 1800. Like I said - it niggles, as everything else is so perfect. Steven
  19. Louie da fly
    I wouldn't be putting the shields under the floorboards (apart from the fact that they'd be invisible) - water in the bilges would waterlog the shields, making them too heavy to wield, make the handles slippery, and cause the iron shield bosses to rust. That doesn't solve what to do with them, though. My own opinion is that they should be stored amidships, on the floorboards, but under the benches. That would leave space available for the oarsmen to row, and crew could stand on the benches to deal with the sails. Yes, there are tripping hazards if you do that, but sailors have dealt with much worse conditions at sea. Just my two cents worth (even if we no longer have two-cent pieces in Oz). Steven
  20. Louie da fly
    Thanks, Mark. Still a lot to do - I've just been thinking about what I should do next. Probably attach the bonnets to the courses - fortunately the painting of the Santa Caterina do Monto Sinia shows the way they were laced. Though this pic is a bit lacking in detail, I have a better resolution picture in a book and it's pretty clear. Then I guess I'll attach the sails to the yards. I've made the sails a little wider than the yard to allow for some "bellying". Though using individual robands is the correct way to do it, back in the day I didn't know that, and I'm going to attach them the way I did in the original incarnation, with a single continuous thread lacing the sail to the yard. Then glue the mainmast in place (finally!) and add some deck furniture to the weather deck - the hatch cover and the longboat. I can't do that until the main mast is in place, because I have to be able to see through the hatch to make sure the mast fits into the mast step properly. Then main shrouds and upper shrouds to main and foremasts, stays and backstays, and do the same thing for the mizzen and bonaventure; and only then will I start putting the yards in place and add the running rigging. Oh, and lots of flags and banners. Once that's done, I suppose it'll be nearing completion. A bit hard to believe after all this time. Steven
  21. Louie da fly
    I've added boltropes to all the sails And cut them out Foremast sails, including bonnet for the forecourse: And all the sails - from left to right; foremast and spritsail, main mast, mizzen (including lateen topsails!), bonaventure mizzen Unfortunately I stuffed up the bonnet for the main course - first I made it too shallow, then I cut it on the wrong line, so the join between the course and the bonnet was not square to the sail. Fortunately I was able to trim the course to size, but the bonnet had to be re-made: And here are all the sails with the new main bonnet. And I've done the wooldings for the main mast: And the foremast: Just need to trim free end from the the top woolding, and clean up the glue, which is a bit intrusive. Steven
  22. Louie da fly
    Making good progress, ON. It takes a special kind of insanity to build a galley (don't ask me how I know). Steven
  23. Louie da fly
    You've done a magnificent job, Bolin. She really looks beautiful.Truly a model to be proud of, and it has been a very enjoyable build to follow. Steven
  24. Louie da fly
    Amazing that you have so closely duplicated the look of this ship Detail of the painting Expedition to the Third Islands 1583. Royal Monastery of El Escorial. Work of Granello, Tavarón, Castello and Cambiasso. without (apparently) having seen the picture. You've really captured this look which I've never seen in any other model. Steven
  25. Louie da fly
    Hi Bob. I was hoping I wasn't coming across as nitpicking. I think what you've done so far is very good and if I could just nudge a little in the direction of better accuracy - in time to give you the option, rather than after it was too late - that's really all I was trying to do. Regarding messages, if you're using the system correctly (the pair of "speech balloons at the top of the page), the person addressed needs to notice that there's a message addressed to him/her (it comes up as a notification on their page) before they reply. They may not have been on MSW for quite some time, or just not look at the top of the page, or whatever . . . But most people do reply when they see the message. Steven

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