Rudolf

I've been a member of the site for a few years but this will be my first nautical build and the first build in about 35 years. I modelled a lot in my youth but then it was mainly aircraft and AFVs from kits. I always remember seeing a beautifully detailed 1/700 waterline ship at a competition way back in the early 1980's and thinking that one day i'd like to tackle something along the same lines. As i said in my post in the "introduction" section for various reasons i never really had the space or time to remain active in the hobby but closer to retirement I've been able to return. For reasons that I'm still not sure about I decided to ignore the myriad unmade kits sitting in my attic and instead try my hand at a scratch built ship. My eyesight precluded me working in 1/700 and i looked for something larger which was when I stumbled across the Underhill plans for Servia, i knew almost immediately that this was the subject i wanted to try.
 

 
This project started a couple of years ago and was intended, initially at least, as an experiment and a way to get used to the tools and materials again after such a long break. Unfortunately because of this I didn't take a lot of photographs along the way but now that the project is nearing completion I thought i would start a "mini" build log with what i do have. With hind sight i wish i had just taken the plunge at the beginning as i think that advice from some of the more seasoned veterans on the site would have helped me avoid many of the pitfalls that i encountered along the way (i think that probably 20% of the time spent on the project has been undoing mistakes and rebuilding components using a different approach).
 
Since the hull is painted I decided to work in plastic as this was the medium i was most familiar with. I started with a baseboard carefully marked out from the plans and cut the various cross sections out from 2mm plastic sheet.
 

 
The hull was then skinned in 0.5mm plastic card strips apart from around the stern where balsa blocks where carved to shape. Internally the hull was then braced with more plastic and filler to provide rigidity that would allow me to smooth the hull.
 
There were now many cycles of filling/sanding and priming...
 

 
Basic superstructures were made from more plastic sheet and various detailing added to the hull
 

 

 
Deck planking was done using maple floor veneer cut into 1mm strips which were then glued into place.
 

 
Filler tinted with acrylic paint was then used caulk the planks and then sanded back.
 

 
I hunted unsuccessfully for tubing that could be used for the funnels and in the end had to fall back on plastic sheet again. I used a balsa rod and rolled paper around this until it was the correct diameter. Plastic sheet was then wrapped around this, glued and sanded back before cutting the lengths off required for the funnels. The joints between the funnel sections were again added with more plastic.
 

 
The wheelhouse, skylights etc were then fashioned from plastic sheet, primed and given an oil paint finish to simulate the wooden finish indicated by the plans.
 

 

 
Vents for the deck proved difficult. I eventually used a dapping set bought off eBay to shape heated plastic sheet into hemi-spheres, fitted these to plastic rod shafts and then filler to blend the 2 together.
 

 
For lifeboats i made a vac forming box to produce multiple copies of the various boats from masters carved from balsa
 

 
The end result was not good so the whole process was repeated and eventually i got something i could live with although i think with hind sight 3d printing might be the way to go here.
 

 
The jury is still out on these and i might look at a 4th attempt.
 

 
Masts were made from dowel and bamboo knitting needles sanded back. The long grain of bamboo makes them strong along the central axis and quite easy to sand back to the thin diameter required for the upper sections of the mast.
 

 
Ever since the whole thing started i've been dreading the point where rigging and in particular rat-lines would need to be tackled so at this point i chickened out and built a case to protect the whole thing from dust etc.
 

 
Unfortunately once this was done i had to start some rigging. I started with the upper ratlines using fishing line for the verticals. Dead eyes at this scale are too large to ignore but still very small so i devised an approach to mass produce these by pegging a loop of line between two tacks on a wooden board. Blu tac was then used to adjust the gap between the 2 lines before small plastic discs (cut using a leather punch) were glued in pairs to the 2 lines. Once dry the lines were then cut into sections, each containing 2 discs, that could be attached to the main ratline. Additional discs were then used to cap the dead eyes to produce a reasonable representation of 2 circular block with the 3 lines passing between them. Paint is then used to fill the gaps and finish them.
 

 
I used infini line for the horizontals on the ratlines and found PVA glue the best to secure them.
 

 
Shapeways produce a 1/200 set of blocks that then used on the anchors
 

 
So this is the story so far. I'll be adding more over the coming few weeks as i continue with the final fittings, railings etc.
 

Continuation:  War pennant (flamme de guerre)
I continued with the making of the flags and the long pennant for the La Créole. 
  
  
The following picture thus shows the finished flags and the flamme de guerre with indication of the original sizes.

   
In the next two pictures, the war pennant can be seen again on the model, especially the detail on the flag button with the flag line sheared through and the pennant wood. 

 

 
I provisionally sheared the flag line of the large flag at the gaff through the iron single block at the nock.For the detail to attach the flag line to the eye of the boltrope, I used a toggle as in the original. 

Source: Wictionary
 

 
However, the final assembly of the flags and the long pennant will be done just before the model is completed, as this fine silk fabric is not very durable.
So until then, off it goes into the "evidence room" with the other "suspects" until the final installation.
 
 
To be continued ...

PS: Macro shots are merciless ...
 

Commissioning or war pennant (flamme de guerre)
After I was able to clarify (details here LINK) how big the commissioning pennant of the French corvette was, the thought came about which material it should be made of. In order to transfer the lightness of the original pennants to scale, only fine silk fabric came into question for me, which I had to dye accordingly.


As in the original, I put the pennant together from three parts (tricolor). The pennant edges were carefully coated with white glue according to the template. After the glue had dried, the pennant parts could be cut out with a scalpel and glued together.


The silk used is a very filigree fabric and slightly shimmering through, which was also intended. Therefore a mishap happened when cutting the pennant. So the end of the pennant has become a little crooked. Nevertheless, I wanted to see how the long pennant looked on the model and then temporarily hoisted it for a picture on the main mast and am so far satisfied with the result.


Ultimately, I now know how to make the pennant and can get to the final and exact production. I'll use the same method to make the flags.
Up soon …

Thank you, Eric!  Yes, that does seem to work whenever that server error pops up.
 
This is just an alive’n kickin’ post to say that work has continued, albeit at a meager pace.  I am starting, though, to regain some of my former momentum.
 
I made the starboard channels, and I have all of the ground colors painted for the starboard, aft bulwark.  I won’t bother posting pictures of those items until they are installed on the model, as it is nothing new to see.
 
Last night, I made and installed the lam-beams for the forecastle deck:
 

 

 
Tonight, I can sand them fair and then make a cardboard pattern for the forecastle deck.
 
More to follow.  Try not to let COVID overwhelm your thoughts and emotions - despite the grind we are living through now, life won’t always be like this.
 
All the best,
 
Marc

We’re literally coming down the home-stretch with Dad.  We moved his furniture and belongings, this past weekend, and we will move him this coming weekend - HUZZAH!
 
Naturally, work on the ship is fairly meager, but I did get the deck sheathing and stove painted, and I did manage to make-up and fit the forecastle beam that will be visible at the break of the forecastle deck.  A montage that shows my paint processes, particularly for my natural “oak” finish:
 

 
For some reason, I can’t load the other two pics of the sheathing because of an “unknown server error”.  Anyway, the process is pretty straightforward; flat black spray primer, followed by Citadel silver (allowing some black to peak through), finished with grey enamel wash.  The enamel wash picks up all the nail heads and sheet seams nicely, while giving an oxidized metal finish.  The white stripes are masks for where the stove glues down.
 
The stove begins with Modelmaster Random Tan as my base coat over white enamel primer:
 

 
Although it will never be seen, I chose to represent the brick work that is sandwiched between iron and wood.
 
Next, I slather the whole thing in Windsor and Newton medium grey oil, and allow it to sit for five minutes, or so, before wiping most of it away.  This paint gives the wood a pleasing silver-ish cast, like newly oxidizing oak, and it gets into all the plank seams and grain structure:
 


 
Next, after allowing it to cure for a few days, I do the same thing again with W&N Van Dyke Brown.  This is what restores a sense of woody warmth to the surface, while enhancing texture and depth:
 

 
The plate mounted to the deck:
 

 
The iron blacked-in:
 

 
I decided to rub some powdered graphite over the black, so that the lattice would pop a little.  Again, this will never be seen, but I wanted to play around with powder effects. It is subtle, but effective:
 

 

 
Lastly, the stove on-board:
 

 

 
The stove gives me a central glue connection for that beam, which will lend some rigidity to the whole deck structure.
 
In other news, I have 2 of 3, aft bulwark gussets fitted and installed.  All the prep work on the last bulwark is done, so I will resume painting soon.
 
I hope all are well, as the holiday approaches.  Thank you all for stopping by.  More to follow!

Yes, John, it is often noted of Laurent Hubac that he was among the most intransigent of the First-Marine shipwrights.  And while the review between SR and the Royal Charles seems to favor the RC, SR was regarded as a maneuverable ship under sail, and a stable gun platform.  Despite the additional width - that the building councils were trying to move away from, in favor of length - Msr. Hubac must have known a thing or two about building warships.
 
As it pertains to deck access to the poop and poop-royal decks, that is definitely a problem that neither Tanneron nor Heller addresses with SR.  However, Tanneron does address it on Le Brillant, albeit in an un-satisfactory way:
 

 
Here, the foot of the poop deck ladder falls directly in front of a gunport.  My answer to this problem will be to extend a short gangway from the poop and poop-royal decks, so that I can drop a ladder (oriented East/West) between the guns.  I will likey craft a vestigial, inboard rail for these short gangways, that is ornamentally consistent with whatever I make up for the deck railings at those levels.
 
As for the waist gangways, you raise an interesting question that I don’t really know the answer to.  On the one hand, there is the outboard timberhead railing that would have been about waist high, in reality.  I don’t think it would necessarily be wrong to craft a light stanchion railing, on the inboard side.  I can’t say for sure, though, but I will look through my image files.
 
What is lovely to look at is Marsalv’s amazing build of Le Gros Ventre.  I am particularly intriqued by his treatment of the waist gangway.  Just scroll to the more recent posts:
 
 
What does seem sensible to add, for sure, are support stanchions, between the guns.  I also like his lightly ornamental stool steps to the f’ocsle and quarter decks.
 
By the way, you might recognize the stove, here.  Although it is from a later time period, I chose Marsalv’s stove as the model for my own, as it was not wildly divergent from what is suggested in the SP monograph, and it seemed simple enough in its construction to be plausible for this earlier time.
 
Regarding the discussion of exotic mouth meats, I suppose I’d be game. It isn’t as though the animals have a mean tobacco habit, or any other nasty things happening in their mouths.  I’ve not yet tried it, though.

Very Cool, Kortes ! Thank you very much for the explanation. Obviously you have an extremely steady hand.
Greeetings Rudolf

Thanks !!!
 
*********
 

Door-Knobs
 
I felt like doing some lathe-work, so I tackled the knobs for the various doors in the deckhouse and the back of the fore-castle. That is, I assume there were knobs and not handles. However, it is likely that they used knobs, as handles pose a higher risk of getting caught with some clothing or lines getting caught.
 
I turned these from brass nails. I like to use these as the process of stamping seems to work-harden the brass a bit. Otherwise, it seems to be difficult to get hard brass wires.
 
The target-diameter of the knobs was 0.4 mm, equivalent to 64 mm in real life. It took a number of tries before I had developed a tool-setting and protocol for turning them that allowed me to produce a reasonably uniform set of eight plus a few spares – they do like to jump off the tweezers when you try to insert them into the pre-drilled holes.
 

Turning door-knobs: Step 1 – roughing-out the shape with a square tool
 
The turning proceeded in three steps, namely 1) roughing-out the shape with a square tool, 2) shaping the knob with the ball-turning tool, and 3) thinning out the shaft until it breaks off the stock by itself.
 

Turning door-knobs: Step 2 – shaping the knob with the ball-turning tool
 

Turning door-knobs: Step 2 – shaping the knob with the ball-turning tool (close-up)
 
The tool-bit in the micro-ball turning tool is a broken 0.4 mm drill, the end of which was ground to a cutting angle. It produces nice curling swarf.
 
While turning the knobs was easy, once the right settings had been found, inserting the knobs into the pre-drilled holes precipitated a lot of (mental) bad language …
 
 
Example of door-knob in place (Grrr … this close-up show every speck of dust and all imperfections)
 
 
To be continued ....

Thank you very much, gentlemen, for your kind wishes and the praise !
 
************************************************************
 
Completing the skylights 2
 
Work on the skylights continued with the one over the pantry. The basic structure had been completed quite a while ago, including the protective grilles. Now, the upper part was painted in Vallejo ‘wood’ and then with a couple of coats of Vallejo ‘transparent mahogany’. Several thin coats of Vallejo ‘satin varnish’ gave the ‘wood’ some depth. The lower part was just painted white.
A chimney was turned from a piece of 2 mm brass rod and slotted at the top to simulate the vents. It was chemically blackened to simulate the appearance of heated metal painted black.
 

The completed skylight – rear view
 
I only had side and plan views of the belfry and there is no photograph in which it is really visible. The bell of S.M.S. NATTER survived and is now in a museum-collection, so that we know what is looked like. I invented the shape of the belfry and drew it to be laser-cut. The parts were assembled in the usual manner using zapon-varnish. The bell was rough-turned on the watchmakers lathe and the actual ‘bell-shape’ finished with a hand-graver. I don’t really know, whether this is correct, but the belfry was painted white.
Finally some ‘hinges’ to the raising panels of the skylight were added in form of pieces of 0.1 mm wire. 
 

The completed skylight – front view
 
 
To be continued ....

Very Cool, Kortes ! Thank you very much for the explanation. Obviously you have an extremely steady hand.
Greeetings Rudolf

Very Cool, Kortes ! Thank you very much for the explanation. Obviously you have an extremely steady hand.
Greeetings Rudolf

Greetings dear Rudolf I have learned this from an excellent Maitre Dmitriy Shevelev. In order to highlight the joints, I used, just like Dimitriy, a dull needle, and afterwards, on advise of my friend with much experience in this field, i worked on            the joints using a small triangular broach file. But there's one nuance. Before putting the covering I took away a small bevel from the edges of the upper part of each plank. The most important is not to let the glue get on the end face of the plank during the plating .
 
My best regards  

Thank you Keith, and thank you everyone for the likes.
 
A little update on the aft steering platform, and then onto the foredeck.
 
First, I added some small supports to the uprights to make them look a bit more like they belonged. These were made out of 2x4mm walnut, and you can see them in the third and fourth photos below. They're glued in place on the platform, which made assembling everything else considerably easier.
 
Then, having added pins to position the steering platform at the rear, and having painted the steering components, I threaded the chains through the grating, and I've wrapped it round the drum. 
 

 

 

 

 
I'm not sure about the black ship's wheel yet... I'll see if it grows on me. 
 
Next I focussed on the fore deck. 
 
This is section 49 of the instructions. It composes a ply false foredeck in two halves with cutouts to allow it to flex, and a 4mm walnut beam that supports the aft end of the foredeck. The instructions say that the foredeck will need to be soaked for hours in order to shape it, however the shaping is, in fact quite slight. I stuck the ply foredeck together with superglue, put water on it, and used my violin rib bender at 230 Centigrade to give it some shape. Once the curve was in, it needs to bend upwards. It will glue neatly in place, but needs supports round the edges, otherwise, it won't make a secure base for the planking. I've begun adding those supports using balsa, and so far it's looking okay.
 
I got confused here, initially. The instructions say that the foredeck should meet the bottom edge of the bulwark rail. It wasn't entirely clear what that meant... Here's a picture that hopefully will explain it better than words... 
 

 
Before I worked that out, I thought the ply false deck needed to go under the rail - and spent quite a while getting rid of the balsa support I had in the bow area down to that level. Then I realised how silly that would look, and spent a while putting it back!  🙄
 
The supports currently look like this.
 

 
The foredeck, once bent looks like this...
 

 
It's not a major bend, but getting the bend even across the gap took a bit more patience. Even pressure across the join whilst it was steam bent was important.
 
The 4mm walnut part has a 1.5mm strip glued to it. This was done by gently bending the 1.5mm strip then clamping until the glue set.
 

 
It was left overlength, then trimmed once the glue was dry.
 

 
The support is too long to fit - or at least it was on my model - but rather than trim it separate to the ply false deck, I glued them together first. Before I could do that, I had to trim the aft edge of the false deck as it had curved edge. I still haven't worked out why, but there we go. It was carefully trimmed with a steel straight edge and a sharp xacto knife, then glued to the support.
 

 
Now the task of fitting the support to the model could begin. In honesty, I trimmed it a little short, but nothing major. It just isn't quite as neat a push fit as I like to aim for.
 
I've cut the king plank, but I won't fit that until I've got the false deck firmly in place. Before I do that I need to return to the plans and carefully make sure I'm not losing access to something I need to get to. It would be frustrating and invasive to have to remove this platform to regain access down the line! The instructions do say to fix the platform in place, but I have an irksome memory that I may have neglected to put some eyelets on the deck earlier on in the instructions.
 
Anyway - here is how it looks dry-fitted at present. (nb: the false deck is sitting a bit proud at the bow, but it does sit lower when I push it down. Also, the king plank hasn't been finally shaped yet, and will be sanded thinner to merge with the deck support beam and to be thinner at the bow end.)
 

 
Happy building to you all. Hope this helps someone following on.
 
Rob

I nearly finished the main mast 
 
Rob

Thank you Per and a Happy New to you as well!
 
I was hoping to have all sails set today but then some friends showed up incognito. Coffee, biscuits and some relaxed time.
Well, then one of the wounds started bleeding again so I called it a day several hours prior to what I'd liked. Don't feel to well either today so it was just as well to call it quits.
 
Anyway. When sailing you always (almost always at least) start with the aft most sail. In this case a mizzen spritsail.
It took a while to figure out how the little boom and the sprit poles were attached to the mast. In the book it is described as a "hank", might be the same in English. It's an endless loop, wrapped around the mast and the boom/pole end rests in the loop. Thanks to friction (in the real case, CA-glue in model case) the hank stays where it is put on the mast. I did not fabricate an endless loop, instead tied it neatly away.
Also the lashing that holds both sails to the mast is held in place thanks to friction and a timber hitch (and CA of course).
 
Also managed to set the main sail. Both mizzen and main halyard are belayed on a pin under nearest thwart. These are bamboo trunnels I just drilled in from above. Can be seen as a dark spots. Four around the main and two around mizzen.
 
Mizzen.
 
 
And main.
 
 
Main sheet is belayed on a cleat on the lower block.
Mizzen is belayed on a cleat on the boom. That little cleat is secured with a bamboo nail as well.
 
Stay sail and jib left to set, but that will be another day.
Til next time, ta!
 
 

Greetings from a gloomy Sweden! Thanks for likes and comments 🙂 
Started off 2022 with some minor tasks. A stand for example. The constructions stand did not allow the bowsprit to be extended and that I need for setting the jib. After some thinking I concluded that a regular cradle will do. It is a working boat, so a "working" stand will be just perfect.
Wood dimensions translates to 4 by 4", 2 by 4" and 1 by 4-5". The stand is not "perfect" since these cradles were just hammered together with what was at hand. Also it is marked with owner (that's me 😉 ) and phone number (fake of course on the model).
And most important "För" is Swedish for Stem or Forward.
 
First a messy progress picture. I try to have the pictures free from debris, but it is just show and not how my shop really looks like.

 
Without boat.

 
And with boat.

 
Tomorrow I can do the rigging. Probably not really accurate to have sails set while on the hard. But the owner might just check everything out on a calm, cold, sunny day in March prior to launch.
 
Til next time, ta!

Hi there!
Today is all about sails.
I have no progress shot and thus only describe in words how I fabricated them.
 
Sail cloth is some thin fabric that I have used for my previous Regina build as well.
First, templates were cut out from regular 80 gm paper. Like in the below picture.

 
These were taped to the cutting mat and then the fabric taped on top.
All lines where drawn with a regular pencil (H). 
Along the edge, diluted white glue was applied with a narrow brush. Let dry.
After they were cut out the finicky business set off - gluing the bolt rope. I used a glue for fabics which worked really well.
A first try with needle and thread was abandoned due to scale issues. Alas, even the first sail was scrapped due various issues (mizzen that was).
After bolt rope, reefing cringles were added. Theese took a couple of tries to get descent... The are sewn with a regular cotton sewing thread and then secured with white glue. 
Now, some pictures.

 

 

 

 
The complete set (bar the topsail which I have omitted)

 
And to round it off an image to get into the right mode for finishing this build off...

 
Til next time, ta!
 

So, here I am 5 months later...
Have I managed with any progress on the little build? In fact, yes. But only in the last weeks. 
Apart from the usual sailing around the Swedish archipelago, a spell with the dreaded c-illnes stirred up my fall. Treatment to commence soon. Whish me luck. The forecast looks good though. It was diagnosed at an early stage and all that, and I'm not too worried to be honest. It does have an impact nevertheless and I'm not looking forward to the cyto treatment. Yuck.
 
Anyway, when I left you for summer activities I had just started with the rudder. Gudgeons and pintles, hum, I don't know if that's what they are called on small craft as well. The gudgeon is doubled to prevent the rudder from unshipping. The reason must be that the mizzen tackle is fastened at the aft end of the rudder. And that is because the mizzen sail needs a boom that extends beyond the aft end.
Parts are painted and then the wood is oiled with paraffine oil. It gives a nice tan to the wood I think.

 

 
With the rudder in place I'm in for all the "bits and pieces", like oars (or sweeps if you prefer). The book mentions that a single pair was delivered with the boat. But it can obviously take four pairs, so I settled for an in between decision of two pairs.
IRL measurement is 12 feet long. In scale that is 122 mm. The handle diameter is about 45mm IRL (1.5mm scale). The blade width is 5 1/4 " (about 4,5mm).
First picture depicts three stages of construction.
Second pic, lazily stowed in the boat. The chafe protection is just painted 😉 

 

 
Next up will be mast and spars. 
well, the masts are already made but they need some tackles and stuff. 
And sails.
And sprit poles.
Enough to keep me occupied and out of the deep dark pool of thoughts.
 
Til next time - ta!
 
 

Well, what do you know... thanks to Reverend above I realized it was  exactly 4 years since I started this little thing.
Just had to finish it today!
Here are some final shots of how the rigging turned out. More in the Gallery soon.
 
A big thank you to all that have supported and liked my trials and tribulations along the way!
 
First the stay sail. In reality it is a hank-on sail. But I could not be bothered to try to mimic that so I just sewed it on. A small knot on either side of the cloth, a dab of CA and snip the ends off. It is hoisted with a tackle though.
 

 

 
The jib is set flying. The conclusion from the book is that since the jib boom is so delicate and un-stayed the jib was only flown in light to moderate winds. Hence no need for a tackle to hoist it. 
Both sails are belayed on pins under the main thwart. 
To keep the coils coiled I cheated and tied them with a little lashing.
 

 

 
This is the third boat I finish in 12 years. A boat every 4th year, hm, with plans for future builds that might be a tad to stressed 😄 
 
Now I need to tidy up the yard, take some nice pictures and then get on with next project.
 
Again, thanks to all that joined for the ride!

Hi all
i now have the plank rails and stanchions and knight heads installed as I work on the bulwarks. The main rails are made but I still need to fabricate the log and top gallant rails. Once those are made I think I will assemble those off the model and install them onto the stanchions as a subassembly.

 
Tom

Finished the rabbet along the center keel and attached the keel, stem and stern post. 
 
Made a little build slip to hold the keel square while I glued up the bulkheads. I ran a very thin planking strip at various heights along the outside edges of the bulkheads to see if the edges were rough fared correctly. They seemed to be okay. I can fine tune them during the planking process. 
 
Probably not necessary but I also glued in 3/8” square “keys” along the center keel and bulkhead faces to help keep things square and give more surface area for the glue to hold. The pieces are only 1/8 thick which is a bit smaller than I am used to working with in terms of bulkheads.  The masts will be drilled into the heavier filler pieces later on. 
 

 

 
Next I will start on the fore and aft filler blocks. 
 
Tom
 

Absolutely stunning planking, Kortes!
IFf I may ask, how did you manage to make the planking seams just visible ? Really beautiful!
Happy New Year!
Rudolf

Absolutely stunning planking, Kortes!
IFf I may ask, how did you manage to make the planking seams just visible ? Really beautiful!
Happy New Year!
Rudolf

Absolutely stunning planking, Kortes!
IFf I may ask, how did you manage to make the planking seams just visible ? Really beautiful!
Happy New Year!
Rudolf

Worked about an hour on the fore mast.   Painted doubling and stained the mast. 
 
 
Rob