Elijah

Very nice work Bob.

Thanks so much Albert and the "likes".
 
Bob

The lower standing rigging is now complete (with the exception of the ratlines). This involved doing the deadeyes on the the lower tops, the futtock shrouds, the catharpins and the upper jeer blocks on the main.
 
The dead eyes are from the kit. I stropped them using wire, rather than the kit PE parts, The futtock staves are 1/32" square boxwood strip. The futtock shrouds are  seized to Syren plastic hooks. The catharpins are simplified, by simply tying them to the futtock staves.
 
The jeer blocks and their lashings are not entirely accurate either, but give a reasonable impression of their appearance at this scale. They are fitted only on the main, since the crojack on the mizzen has only a sling and no jeers.
 
In my usual spirit of procrastination, I will complete and mount the topmasts, and at least begin their rigging, before tackling the ratlines.
 
Bob
 
 

Thanks so much Martin. I don't have a drill press either. I just keep doing it until I get lucky and do it pretty good. 
 
Bob

Nice, Bob, really nice.  I think one reason your crowsfeet look so good is that you lined up the holes in the euphroe as evenly as could be.  That was the step that continually tripped me up on my one crowsfoot effort (I didn't use a drill press). 
 
Cheers,
 
Martin

Thanks so much B.E. Lees does,in fact, show 1 1/2" for all crowsfeet.
 
Bob

Nice job on the Crowsfeet Bob, they're not on my favourite job list either, in fact I've still not tied them off just in case I disturb them  during the later rigging process.
 
Interesting that Peter Goodwin indicates 1½" circ line (0.20mm diameter at scale) for the Crowsfeet;
 
Steel shows ¾" circ line (0.1mm diameter at scale) in his tables for sloops of 300 tons so I went with 0.1mm line.
 
A quick check between Goodwin and Steel's tables shows that Goodwin indicates slightly heavier rigging  lines overall, and he quotes Lees in his sources list.
 
I wonder if I could have got away with  0.20mm line, I think slightly heavier line for the Crowsfeet  would make life easier.
 
B.E.

Hello again,
 
as I mentioned before I am in vacation - so I can really spend a lot of time in my shipyard. We have heavy snowfalls - and no one wants to get out, even the dogs want to watch the snowflakes sitting on the couch. Well - so I can do my Berlin more and more. From Monday on I will be back in work...
 
I started to carve the knee of the head - I never did carving this way before. One side is almost done - still some sanding. It works out quite good. The second big event on the hull is the painting. I found a green that is wonderful in my opinion and comes close to all I read about painting period ships. This weekend I want to varnish the hull. But I am not sure yet. Perhaps I will finish the galion first... not sure.
 
As always - some pics to show the progress.
 
Cheerio
Max
 
 
 

Hello again
 
some pics to show you the progress. Everything works fine, and the build takes the next steps. After I have done the forecastle now and the rest of the hull I will cover the timber soon with some semi-matte varnish. Before that I will paint the ship as several sources say: green in the upper parts. I hope I will finish that step this week as I have to go back to work from Monday on. Building the Berlin still is a fun.
 
As always - don't hesitate to comment whenever you think you would like to.
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hi my friends
 
just another day in paradise :D
 
No - just another update, mainly pics. As I am in vacation I am very busy with my Berlin. This will change when I am back on my desk... But meanwhile I go on step by step. Whoever will build the Berlin - take care of the steps to be done. You have to form the bowsprit before you plank or fix or prepare the forecastle. The masts are square-cut, you have to make a rod (whether with a lathe or by hand with a plane or a knife and abrasive paper - as I do). This works quite god and at the end you have the really satisfying feeling to have made such a cute mast with your own hand... But you have to take care of the steps in the future when you take your way in the present...
 
Its fun to build the Berlin. Corel offers a challenge - and its great to manage this. It is - as said before - very satisfying.
 
As usual some pics of the present state of the Berlin.
 
Cheerio
 
Max
 
 

Hello my friends
 
just some pics as an update. Nothing special happens - just little things like gunwhales, rudder, preparing the chain whales etc
 
I am still satisfied with the Corel kit. I love that not everything is precut but that there are a lot of items to create. I will finish the hull step by step before I will varnish the vessel. After this I will continue the decks furniture etc. I would not hesitate to recommend this kit to everyone who wants to have real fun. It's not a kit for beginners - expierence is important, patience is essential and improvement is fun. I will paint the model and will buy some sails. Up to now I have done about 200 hours. I think I have the first third done now.
 
The pics show the progress. I have burnished all metal parts - it's better than painting.
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hello again - and merry X-mas
 
I had some time during the holidays and started to prepare the guns. I decided to use the guns and carriges provided with the kit. First - I don't want to buy always new parts; second - they are somehow old-fashioned and attract me just therefore. I burnished the barrels and will not do any other modifications to them. The carriages are quite ok. I stained them in middle-tone walnut and will not paint them. After all I read in different sources the ships or the deck furniture of the Brandenburg navy were not painted inside. But I found paintings were you can see the hull beeing partial painted in some green (like russian green, close to copper rust). This would correspond with other sources about the use of colors on period ships. So I will paint the stern, the capitain's cabin, the upper hull up to the gunwale and the upper parts of the forecastle (all above the gunwale). This painting should be close to the original.
 
The second part I started to  work on is the stern and all the timberwork there. The decorations will be done later. All in all everything works fine.
 
Important note
 
Always think about the steps to be done in future... You have to build up all items below the forecastle deck - like the anchor bitt, the servants, the ropes for the strand, the cannons. You should not build the forecastle before you finished this work. Too bad that the instructions don't tell you all... But I learned how to handle Corel's kits :D
 
Finally some pics (I apologize for the bad qualitiy of some pics...)
 
Cheerio
 
Max
 

Hi Max,
 
IMO,
painted ships are more attractive, vivacious and beautiful,
the shade choosen for the green color is very pleasant on the Berlin.
 
I haven't painted my Berlin because I have not confidence in my skill about painting

Hello my friends
 
time for another little update. According to some stress in the job I made only a small progress. But nevertheless the Berlin becomes more and more a ship
I finished the inner planking with the featured 4/2mm strips, what gave a wonderful result. The strips are not all in the same color tone what really pleases me. I added some cover strips in the edges so the planking look fine and free from any gaps.
 
At the moment I work on the gunports, first is to build the gunport sills. After that I will fix the rings for the gun's rigging. I am not sure if I will use thew guns by Corel. I will see later. A serious question is if I should paint the ship in green as Corel and some other sources say. Has anyone an idea? Please tell me your opinion.
 
As usual some pics show the progress. There is to see that a lot of work has to be done - sanding, filling the little gaps, sanding
 
Cheerio
 
Max
 

Hi Max,

It's very fine your work about deck planking...

I think that the cause of the instructions about Corel's Berlin are uncertain is probably there are not any confirmed/original plans of the original ship.

The only inconvenience for the builder having to act through his imagination can be to be regretful in the future when he realizes that his thoughts/decisions hadn't be so good/well judged. For me, because of my obsessive personality that was in this way especially after finding this forum MSW. I learned a lot of things.

Hello my friends
 
only two days gone - but time for another update. Well, as mentioned before its November, and the past few days it was a very grey very cold and very depressive weather around here. Owing to favourable circumstances I am in vacation :) So I can spend a lot (Admiral: "Too much") time in my shipyard with the Berlin. Due to this the built grows faster as I thought before.
 
Nothing is boring, nothing is impossible, everything goes good and satisfying. The decks are done so far - still have to plank the forecastle and the rest of the poop deck - but this I cant do before the inner planking is done.
 
I cannot understand why the instructions say you have to carve the planks into the decks plywood...this would NEVER give anything similar to a deck. I use 7/1mm maple - and its just marvellous. The wood is excellent quality and gives a perfect impression. I also planked the bulkhead underneath the forecastle what is not told in the instructions too. Its tricky to build this kit - but as said before in a very good way its satisfying.
 
I follow the instruction more or less strictly but  I will modify or improve the built whenever I think its time to do so. I am convinced that other manufacturers offer excellent kits - but the more is pre-built the less you have the chance to modify. Corel's kits sure are no longer state-of-the-art - no lasercut parts etc. But this gives you the freedom to realize more of your personal perception.
 
Well enough for today... Next week I work in the night shift - some kind of vacation for me too. So I will make good progress the next few weeks.
 
As usual - some pics will show the progress so far.
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hi Max,
Very fine work and extras...

Max, your planking and decking look excellent. Nicely done.

Hello Max,Trying to catch up ,your progress and quailty of planking,decking is superb,very neat .Edwin

Hello again
 
just a little  update.
 
The plan is: First I will prepare and plank the main deck. It's made of two parts. So I plank the greater part now, then will fix it and plank the second part. It's important to make all the borderings now, also the protection of the masts. Next will be the planking of the bulkhead of the forecastle, then the planking of the bulkhead on the back. After this I will fix the upper deck and plank the bulkheads. Last will be to plank the inner bulwarks. After this the final sanding will be done.
 
That's it for the monet - a lot of fun lays ahead.
 
As always - some pics to show the progress
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hello all together
 
time for a littele update. Of course am stil working on the hull. After a first sanding and planíng I have got a quite clean surface. Before I will sand another time with fine grained paper I will plank the bulwarks. It will give more stability to the entire construction.
 
Today I shaped the ship - that was quite funny but challenging. There is no pattern - you hae to measure from the plans and transfer the data to the model. I used a steel ruler and a calliper. It was exciting to get the same shape on starbord and portside But I think I got a good result. Next will be to prepare the decks and to plank them.
 
As always some pics to show the progress I have made so far.
 
Cheerio to all
Max

Hello my friends
 
just another update. I finished the main first planking. Well... difficult and tricky but you can manage this. First of all - be patient. Second - patience. Third - don't hurry
Perhaps it would have been easier to use the 4/2 mm strips provided with the kit. But I did not like the size, so I used 7/1mm strips. Well, this was a good decision as I think. The inner planking will be done with the 4/2mm strips. It is bad that there is NO pattern how to cut off the planks to create the shape. But I love the challenge to get all done. You have to read the plans very very careful and - as said before - like a chess player think about the steps done in five or six days
 
Some pics show the progress - you all will know how it goes on. Planking the decks, planking the inner side, inbetween this shape the hull.
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hi Ferit,
 
I use strips for planking with the sikze of 7/1 mm - very good Quality
 
I will plank the inside with 2mm-strips (probably the provided ones in the kit. The wood seems to be excellent quality too). So at least I will have a thickness of about 3mm. I have not yet thought about the ports so far. All I can say is that all the sizes and relations  are difficult to manage. I think it is not so good that the model should be single planked. It would be more effective to have a stable basement for the planking. But all in all it is  real a challenge and fun to  work on the Berlin. I will also plank the decks with some maple-strips.
 
And yes... it is some kind of chess... :)
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hi Max,
The strips for planking, are they thin from ones that Corel supplies (2mm)?
If so, do you think to make additional working to ensure the right thickness of the gunports and the part of the board over the deck?
 
2 mm outside + 2 mm inside planking - 1mm sandpapering. Approx. 3 mm.
3mm x 40/1 (ratio)
12 cm on original. I don't know the right thickness, I had and have no idea but I had struggled on my own Berlin.
 
On Corel it's playing chess, thinking 5 moves ahead...

Hi Max
 
Just wonderful work you are doing as always my friend.
 
Denis.