David Lester

I have always struggled making rope hanks. I've tried every method I can find on this forum and on YouTube, but it always boils down to the same problem. Every method seems to work for me until that point at the end when it calls for "a small dab of glue." Well, for me diluted PVA glue never seems to hold and a small dab of CA glue never seems to hold the whole thing together either. So I end up using enough glue to hold everything together, but the result is usually the glue wicking into the line, darkening and hardening it and it generally looking terrible. The best I have ever been able to do is to try to minimize this effect, which means that at least half of the hanks I make for every model end up in the garbage and I'm only somewhat happy with the ones I do use.
 
So here is the result of my experimenting yesterday and I think it just might be a good solution to my problem. I was trying (for the umpteenth time) the method outlined by Tom Lauria in his YouTube video. I was having the best luck with this method of any of the others I've tried, but still having the glue problem at the end, so here's how I adapted his method to try to avoid the glue problem.
 
I wrapped the line five times around three nails - two at the top, with a narrow space between them and one at the bottom. The distance apart is the length I need excluding the loop that goes over the belaying pin; in this case 3/8".
 
Tom outlines a perfect oval with a series of closely spaced nails, but I found it's not necessary to do that. The hank comes out more or less the same with the three nails as it does with several. Many methods only use two nails anyway, one top and bottom. However I found it necessary to have a space at the top, hence two nails at the top.
 

Then I wrapped a length of matching sewing thread around the coils at the top and tied a knot. I'm not worrying about the loop for the belaying pin at this point. This knot around the coils ensures that they will not come apart and it's actually easy to get a small dab of CA glue on this knot without touching the main line. The glue only has to hold the knot; the thread is holding the coils.

When the CA glue was set in a couple of moments, I trimmed the threads off, leaving just the knot.
 
Then I pulled one of the long ends of the line underneath the coil at the top and up through the centre -
 

Made a loop out of it and pulled the end back through underneath the coil at the top -

And then, just like Tom Lauria did, I secured the loop with a drill bit in a previously drilled hole and pulled the loop snug against the drill bit -

Here I took a length of matching sewing thread in a needle and stuck in down through the middle of the line on one side of the loop and through, at least part of, the coil below -
 

Then I transferred the needle to the other end of the sewing thread and did the same thing on the other side of the loop -
 

This ensures that when I tie the two ends together, the knot will be on the back of the hank -

Then I just tied the sewing thread into a knot on the back side of the hank. Just like before it's easy to put a small dab of CA glue on this knot without touching the main line.
 

When the CA glue sets, it's just a matter of trimming off all the lines -
 

This hank cannot come apart because the coils are tied together in a bundle and the loop for the belaying pin is sewn directly to the hank. There's no glue visible on the surface and the sewing thread is completely invisible. I think this is the best hank I've ever made and the process didn't end up with the garbage men wondering  "what's with all the gluey coiled thread coming out of this house?"
 
So that's my good news for this weekend.
 
Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians out there! ( or should I say "Happy Hanksgiving?")
David

Hello Again,
Well, I certainly didn't expect to be building a J Class yacht until yesterday when a friend called and asked if I'd build his Shamrock V for him. He has had the kit collecting dust on a shelf for many years and doesn't anticipate ever getting to it, so asked me if I'd build it for him.
 
I have learned that Amati makes a range of America's Cup yacht kits, but the Shamrock V is one that has been discontinued.
 
Since yesterday I have been poring over the kit. It will prove to be a relatively simple build, but appears to be a high quality kit. The fittings are excellent and the instructions and plans are very clear and easy to understand. (I do have a question about the rigging, but I'll ask that in a separate post under the right topic.)
 
This kit has a pre-cast hull ( a type of resin, I guess) which will cut down on the amount of work needed considerably.
 
I have never added sails to a model before, but I think this is one model that definitely needs them, so I'll be reading through everything I can find on making sails. The fabric provided in the kit is very fine and I don't think it will need to be replaced.
 
Here are a couple of shots of the kit:


So, an unexpected change of pace.
 
David

Hello Again,
Well, I certainly didn't expect to be building a J Class yacht until yesterday when a friend called and asked if I'd build his Shamrock V for him. He has had the kit collecting dust on a shelf for many years and doesn't anticipate ever getting to it, so asked me if I'd build it for him.
 
I have learned that Amati makes a range of America's Cup yacht kits, but the Shamrock V is one that has been discontinued.
 
Since yesterday I have been poring over the kit. It will prove to be a relatively simple build, but appears to be a high quality kit. The fittings are excellent and the instructions and plans are very clear and easy to understand. (I do have a question about the rigging, but I'll ask that in a separate post under the right topic.)
 
This kit has a pre-cast hull ( a type of resin, I guess) which will cut down on the amount of work needed considerably.
 
I have never added sails to a model before, but I think this is one model that definitely needs them, so I'll be reading through everything I can find on making sails. The fabric provided in the kit is very fine and I don't think it will need to be replaced.
 
Here are a couple of shots of the kit:


So, an unexpected change of pace.
 
David

It's been slow going the last several weeks.  Travel for work and great fall weather has left little time for working on the Bluenose.  I was able to get the first two rows of planking installed.   I installed the top row of 1/32 thick planking first.  I cut the planks into 5 sections, most spanning 4 bulkheads.  Next, I cut the cove into the top row of 1/16 thick planking with my table saw, ripped the aft section to the proper width and then cut in the scuppers.  I used roughly the same rule of thumb of 4 bulkheads to cut the plank into sections, making sure that the butts did not align with those on the plank above.  After install, I painted the stanchions and inside of the hull between stanchions white.  I had painted the waterways grey earlier per the clout on the plans.  I will need to go back and cut in the hawse holes through the planks and cut the planks at the bow to fit flush around the bowsprit.

Tim
 

Hello Again,
Well, I certainly didn't expect to be building a J Class yacht until yesterday when a friend called and asked if I'd build his Shamrock V for him. He has had the kit collecting dust on a shelf for many years and doesn't anticipate ever getting to it, so asked me if I'd build it for him.
 
I have learned that Amati makes a range of America's Cup yacht kits, but the Shamrock V is one that has been discontinued.
 
Since yesterday I have been poring over the kit. It will prove to be a relatively simple build, but appears to be a high quality kit. The fittings are excellent and the instructions and plans are very clear and easy to understand. (I do have a question about the rigging, but I'll ask that in a separate post under the right topic.)
 
This kit has a pre-cast hull ( a type of resin, I guess) which will cut down on the amount of work needed considerably.
 
I have never added sails to a model before, but I think this is one model that definitely needs them, so I'll be reading through everything I can find on making sails. The fabric provided in the kit is very fine and I don't think it will need to be replaced.
 
Here are a couple of shots of the kit:


So, an unexpected change of pace.
 
David

Hello Again,
Well, I certainly didn't expect to be building a J Class yacht until yesterday when a friend called and asked if I'd build his Shamrock V for him. He has had the kit collecting dust on a shelf for many years and doesn't anticipate ever getting to it, so asked me if I'd build it for him.
 
I have learned that Amati makes a range of America's Cup yacht kits, but the Shamrock V is one that has been discontinued.
 
Since yesterday I have been poring over the kit. It will prove to be a relatively simple build, but appears to be a high quality kit. The fittings are excellent and the instructions and plans are very clear and easy to understand. (I do have a question about the rigging, but I'll ask that in a separate post under the right topic.)
 
This kit has a pre-cast hull ( a type of resin, I guess) which will cut down on the amount of work needed considerably.
 
I have never added sails to a model before, but I think this is one model that definitely needs them, so I'll be reading through everything I can find on making sails. The fabric provided in the kit is very fine and I don't think it will need to be replaced.
 
Here are a couple of shots of the kit:


So, an unexpected change of pace.
 
David

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I really appreciate them. This was really just a diversion for me; I built it for a friend as a gift for her dad, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable project.
James - good luck with your Mayflower; that's very interesting that your wife is a descendant. I think there were only about 100 or so passengers on the ship. It's wonderful to be able to trace the family line that far back, but even more so with such a rich history. You definitely need to be displaying this model!
 
Ian - Glad to hear you and your mom and dad are liking Cobourg. You're more ambitious than I am; I have never biked to Rice Lake. I've lived in Cobourg all my life and it really is a great place. We live right downtown within easy walking distance of the beach and waterfront etc. I really wish I had been around at the turn of the last century when it was known as "Newport North." It was filled with mansions just like Newport RI which were the summer homes of wealthy American families. Sadly, unlike Newport, almost all of them have been demolished over the years. Essentially there are only three left, and not surprisingly they're smaller ones. Two of them are vacant and all but derelict, but one of them is still owner occupied and sits on four acres on Lake Ontario. It has been used in many movies and TV shows. In fact if you want to see it, it's featured in the new Netflix movie "The Luckiest Girl in the World." Not really a great movie, but great scenes of both the interior and exterior of this mansion.
When I was a kid, my best friend's family lived in this house and I spent almost as much time there as at home. Since I grew up in an 1100 sq. ft. 1950's clapboard bungalow, this mansion was mesmerizing to me; filled with antique furniture, Persian rugs, toy soldiers, solar topees, an actual tiger skin rug, military mementos, scale models of the Tower of London and the London Zoo and a seemingly endless variety of exotic things. It was equal parts Addams Family and Viceroy of India. But most importantly it was also filled with ship models which my friend's dad built. He could see how fascinated I was with them, and he patiently went over them with me in great detail. I credit this experience with why I am still so interested in them. Anyway, sorry for this little digression.
 
Thanks again everyone for the comments and likes.
David

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I really appreciate them. This was really just a diversion for me; I built it for a friend as a gift for her dad, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable project.
James - good luck with your Mayflower; that's very interesting that your wife is a descendant. I think there were only about 100 or so passengers on the ship. It's wonderful to be able to trace the family line that far back, but even more so with such a rich history. You definitely need to be displaying this model!
 
Ian - Glad to hear you and your mom and dad are liking Cobourg. You're more ambitious than I am; I have never biked to Rice Lake. I've lived in Cobourg all my life and it really is a great place. We live right downtown within easy walking distance of the beach and waterfront etc. I really wish I had been around at the turn of the last century when it was known as "Newport North." It was filled with mansions just like Newport RI which were the summer homes of wealthy American families. Sadly, unlike Newport, almost all of them have been demolished over the years. Essentially there are only three left, and not surprisingly they're smaller ones. Two of them are vacant and all but derelict, but one of them is still owner occupied and sits on four acres on Lake Ontario. It has been used in many movies and TV shows. In fact if you want to see it, it's featured in the new Netflix movie "The Luckiest Girl in the World." Not really a great movie, but great scenes of both the interior and exterior of this mansion.
When I was a kid, my best friend's family lived in this house and I spent almost as much time there as at home. Since I grew up in an 1100 sq. ft. 1950's clapboard bungalow, this mansion was mesmerizing to me; filled with antique furniture, Persian rugs, toy soldiers, solar topees, an actual tiger skin rug, military mementos, scale models of the Tower of London and the London Zoo and a seemingly endless variety of exotic things. It was equal parts Addams Family and Viceroy of India. But most importantly it was also filled with ship models which my friend's dad built. He could see how fascinated I was with them, and he patiently went over them with me in great detail. I credit this experience with why I am still so interested in them. Anyway, sorry for this little digression.
 
Thanks again everyone for the comments and likes.
David

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. I really appreciate them. This was really just a diversion for me; I built it for a friend as a gift for her dad, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable project.
James - good luck with your Mayflower; that's very interesting that your wife is a descendant. I think there were only about 100 or so passengers on the ship. It's wonderful to be able to trace the family line that far back, but even more so with such a rich history. You definitely need to be displaying this model!
 
Ian - Glad to hear you and your mom and dad are liking Cobourg. You're more ambitious than I am; I have never biked to Rice Lake. I've lived in Cobourg all my life and it really is a great place. We live right downtown within easy walking distance of the beach and waterfront etc. I really wish I had been around at the turn of the last century when it was known as "Newport North." It was filled with mansions just like Newport RI which were the summer homes of wealthy American families. Sadly, unlike Newport, almost all of them have been demolished over the years. Essentially there are only three left, and not surprisingly they're smaller ones. Two of them are vacant and all but derelict, but one of them is still owner occupied and sits on four acres on Lake Ontario. It has been used in many movies and TV shows. In fact if you want to see it, it's featured in the new Netflix movie "The Luckiest Girl in the World." Not really a great movie, but great scenes of both the interior and exterior of this mansion.
When I was a kid, my best friend's family lived in this house and I spent almost as much time there as at home. Since I grew up in an 1100 sq. ft. 1950's clapboard bungalow, this mansion was mesmerizing to me; filled with antique furniture, Persian rugs, toy soldiers, solar topees, an actual tiger skin rug, military mementos, scale models of the Tower of London and the London Zoo and a seemingly endless variety of exotic things. It was equal parts Addams Family and Viceroy of India. But most importantly it was also filled with ship models which my friend's dad built. He could see how fascinated I was with them, and he patiently went over them with me in great detail. I credit this experience with why I am still so interested in them. Anyway, sorry for this little digression.
 
Thanks again everyone for the comments and likes.
David

Dave, your model is very very nice! Sorry to be so late to your log.
 
By the way, my mom and dad retired to Cobourg, away from Bramalea thank God, and what a pretty little town to be in! We all loved the beach and the ice cream place beside it. I used to cycle a loop up to Rice Lake and back when visiting; the descent back to Cobourg was always exhilarating!

Hi David. What a beautiful build! I’ll be saving this log as I have this model sitting in my stash. My wife is a Mayflower descendant (William Brewster) and I’ve promised to complete this for her office. Thank you for sharing. A result that is truly inspirational!

Hi David,
By all means keep working on your Mayflower. I just checked your build log again and it's in great shape. I think you'll find it comes together quite quickly. Looking forward to following your progress.
Thanks,
David
 
 

Thanks for comments, Dave; much appreciated.
 
Half an hour ago, I would have said for sure my Agamemnon, but I have just been called by an old high school/university friend asking if I would build his Amati Shamrock V for him. It has been sitting on his shelf untouched for many years. I'm going to have a good look at the kit this afternoon, so we shall see.

Hello All,
Well, it appears that I have finished the Mayflower more quickly than I had anticipated. I'm afraid I haven't given many updates on the rigging, but really, there would be very little to be gained by anyone. This is a small model and the rigging couldn't be more straightforward. It was just a matter of working through it until suddenly it seemed to be done!
 






 
So, I have a few thoughts on this model. I think I mentioned at the beginning of this build log that I was building this model on commission for someone who wants the Mayflower specifically. I don't believe I would have chosen this kit otherwise, because it's not the era or type of ship that particularly interests me, but nevertheless, it was a really enjoyable kit to build and it makes up into a very attractive and eye-catching model.
 
I think this is a kit that deserves much more interest than it seems to attract on the forum. It has a lot going for it - it doesn't break the bank to buy it, it's not so big that it's difficult to display, it isn't too difficult and the instructions are foolproof. This would be an ideal kit for someone fairly new to the hobby; perhaps a second build for example.
 
It was designed by Chuck Passaro and his instructions are excellent; among the best I've come across. With most Model Shipways kits, you can essentially throw the instruction book away and spend all your time deciphering the plans - especially for the rigging. In this case, it was not nearly as necessary to refer to the plans because the instructions were that complete and clear.
 
I found this to be a fun change of pace and now with it behind me, I will return to my much bigger challenge, which has been on hold for a few months - the Agamemnon
 

 
 
 

Good Morning,
I've been working on the rigging and here is the halyard for the main yard tie.
 
On rare occasions, I've been known to demonstrate forethought and I'm happy to report that this was one of those occasions. I threaded the lanyard through the ram's head block and the knight before I glued the knight in place! It would have been much more difficult to do after the knight was in place. Then with the line loosely in place, I glued the knight to the deck and snugged up the lanyard.


I notice that as I get older, it's taking less and less to delight me!
 
David

I brief update.
 
I've added the bowsprit and the deadeye/chainplate assemblies.


I've also added the boat. I don't actually take any pictures of its progress. It's built using the standard MS approach and building it proved to be as unpleasant as all of the others I have done over the years. So I have done nothing to immortalize the experience. At least there was only one of them. The Charles Morgan had seven! I don't know why I dislike building these little boats so much, but I just do.
 
The shrouds are attached to the masts and are ready to be finished. For such a small vessel there seem to be a lot of them - five on the foremast, seven on the main mast and three on the mizzen.
 



Thanks again for checking in, likes etc.
Much appreciated.
 
David

Hi All,
I'm working away on the Mayflower. I've pretty much finished up the hull. I've added the moldings and completed the bow section.


The bow section is a bit tricky to get started. It would have helped if I had three hands. It's one of those situations where you can't glue one piece on until another is in place and you can't glue that one in place until the other one is in place. Nevertheless once the positions of the side pieces are established and they're tentatively glued in place, it becomes easier and easier and in the end (as the manual suggests) the whole structure is surprisingly robust.



I've also finished up the deadeye/chainplate assemblies and attached them to the channels. They aren't actually glued to the hull yet, just positioned there for the picture. I've used wire to help secure them to the hull.
 
I have left the chainplates all about one or two links long and will adjust and attache them later when I establish their correct location by the angles of the shrouds.
 



So, I now have a number of details to add to the deck, as well as some paint touch ups and then I will be ready to add the masts.
 
Thanks for looking in.
 
David

Hello All,
Well, it appears that I have finished the Mayflower more quickly than I had anticipated. I'm afraid I haven't given many updates on the rigging, but really, there would be very little to be gained by anyone. This is a small model and the rigging couldn't be more straightforward. It was just a matter of working through it until suddenly it seemed to be done!
 






 
So, I have a few thoughts on this model. I think I mentioned at the beginning of this build log that I was building this model on commission for someone who wants the Mayflower specifically. I don't believe I would have chosen this kit otherwise, because it's not the era or type of ship that particularly interests me, but nevertheless, it was a really enjoyable kit to build and it makes up into a very attractive and eye-catching model.
 
I think this is a kit that deserves much more interest than it seems to attract on the forum. It has a lot going for it - it doesn't break the bank to buy it, it's not so big that it's difficult to display, it isn't too difficult and the instructions are foolproof. This would be an ideal kit for someone fairly new to the hobby; perhaps a second build for example.
 
It was designed by Chuck Passaro and his instructions are excellent; among the best I've come across. With most Model Shipways kits, you can essentially throw the instruction book away and spend all your time deciphering the plans - especially for the rigging. In this case, it was not nearly as necessary to refer to the plans because the instructions were that complete and clear.
 
I found this to be a fun change of pace and now with it behind me, I will return to my much bigger challenge, which has been on hold for a few months - the Agamemnon
 

 
 
 

I expected to be now concentrating on my Agamemnon, but it seems the ship modelling gods had something else in store for me. I have been asked by someone to build a Mayflower for them.
 
This is not a model that I would have chosen for myself, as I'm not particularly interested in 17th century vessels. My favourites are late 18th century. Nevertheless I'm happy enough to build it for someone else. Keeps me off the streets.
 
There are several Mayflowers available, but I settled on the Model Shipways version, as I tend to like their kits generally and Chuck Passaro designed this one, so it seemed to me to be the best option.
 
I don't tend to complain too much about cast metal parts. Usually I find they can be made to be acceptable with a little filing, paint etc. But I don't think I've ever seen anything as bad as these cast metal crow's nests that came with the kit. In the instructions, it shows wooden components which appear to be quite acceptable and which I assume is how the kit originally shipped. However, I was surprised by what I found which look like something my grandmother would have baked tarts in. These just won't do.
 

Not only do they look horrendous, but I don't know how I would be able to use them. It's difficult to see in the picture, but there is almost no lip or overhang on the upper rim, yet it's necessary to mount deadeyes and futtock shrouds. I just don't see how I could do that. Also, much of this ship has a natural finish, so painting these things to blend in would be almost impossible.
 
So rather than starting at the beginning, I decided to get this problem behind me first and I set out to design and build something that I could live with.
Here is what I have come up with:
 





I simplified them slightly. The plans show 16 brackets of about 1/32" wide. I was having quite a bit of trouble with that, so I reduced the number to 12 and made them 1/16" and I found that worked better for me and still looks ok.
 
The crow's nests on the replica Mayflower II have closed sides, and I believe it was the idea for this model too. However, I'm going to leave them open. I experimented with closing them in and wasn't happy with the look. Also, all of the other kit versions of the Mayflower have open sides, as do many other ships of this period.
 
There isn't a lot of glue surface on the upper ring and there's going to be a bit of tension on it, so I added four pieces of brass rod that run through to the bottom, which should give it a bit more structural integrity. You can see one of them in the picture above, but I don't think they will show up when all the bits and pieces are in place.
 
So, now I can relax, knowing that I have that little problem solved and go back to the beginning.
 
David
 
 

I brief update.
 
I've added the bowsprit and the deadeye/chainplate assemblies.


I've also added the boat. I don't actually take any pictures of its progress. It's built using the standard MS approach and building it proved to be as unpleasant as all of the others I have done over the years. So I have done nothing to immortalize the experience. At least there was only one of them. The Charles Morgan had seven! I don't know why I dislike building these little boats so much, but I just do.
 
The shrouds are attached to the masts and are ready to be finished. For such a small vessel there seem to be a lot of them - five on the foremast, seven on the main mast and three on the mizzen.
 



Thanks again for checking in, likes etc.
Much appreciated.
 
David

Hi All,
I'm working away on the Mayflower. I've pretty much finished up the hull. I've added the moldings and completed the bow section.


The bow section is a bit tricky to get started. It would have helped if I had three hands. It's one of those situations where you can't glue one piece on until another is in place and you can't glue that one in place until the other one is in place. Nevertheless once the positions of the side pieces are established and they're tentatively glued in place, it becomes easier and easier and in the end (as the manual suggests) the whole structure is surprisingly robust.



I've also finished up the deadeye/chainplate assemblies and attached them to the channels. They aren't actually glued to the hull yet, just positioned there for the picture. I've used wire to help secure them to the hull.
 
I have left the chainplates all about one or two links long and will adjust and attache them later when I establish their correct location by the angles of the shrouds.
 



So, I now have a number of details to add to the deck, as well as some paint touch ups and then I will be ready to add the masts.
 
Thanks for looking in.
 
David

Greetings David !!
                       Excellent work. Only just restarted mine yesterday after seeing your finished model. I will finish a few rails on the deck and then return to the hull which should give me more incentive and reference from your build ..Yes, very impressive build, well done .Regards DAVID

Congrats,  a very nice model  👍

OUTSTANDING Dave! Really nice ship! 😀 What's next?

Hello All,
Well, it appears that I have finished the Mayflower more quickly than I had anticipated. I'm afraid I haven't given many updates on the rigging, but really, there would be very little to be gained by anyone. This is a small model and the rigging couldn't be more straightforward. It was just a matter of working through it until suddenly it seemed to be done!
 






 
So, I have a few thoughts on this model. I think I mentioned at the beginning of this build log that I was building this model on commission for someone who wants the Mayflower specifically. I don't believe I would have chosen this kit otherwise, because it's not the era or type of ship that particularly interests me, but nevertheless, it was a really enjoyable kit to build and it makes up into a very attractive and eye-catching model.
 
I think this is a kit that deserves much more interest than it seems to attract on the forum. It has a lot going for it - it doesn't break the bank to buy it, it's not so big that it's difficult to display, it isn't too difficult and the instructions are foolproof. This would be an ideal kit for someone fairly new to the hobby; perhaps a second build for example.
 
It was designed by Chuck Passaro and his instructions are excellent; among the best I've come across. With most Model Shipways kits, you can essentially throw the instruction book away and spend all your time deciphering the plans - especially for the rigging. In this case, it was not nearly as necessary to refer to the plans because the instructions were that complete and clear.
 
I found this to be a fun change of pace and now with it behind me, I will return to my much bigger challenge, which has been on hold for a few months - the Agamemnon