GuntherMT

It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted a build update. The weather went from very cold to quite warm almost overnight prompting work on tiding the garden ready for spring. In consequence the shipbuilding suffered.
 
I did manage to drill all the stanchions with either 2 or 3 x .025" holes depending on their purpose. A piece of a kitchen cutting board was used as a soft jaw to prevent damage.
 

 
A couple of hundred holes later:-
 

 
The stanchions fit into circular brass bosses on the rail. These bosses were made as brass washers from 1/8" rod.
 

 
The rail needed to be drilled with .062" diameter holes to take the stanchions. The depth of drilling needed to be controlled to prevent the drill breaking through and damaging the hull. I made a stop for pressing over a 1/16" drill bit.
 

 
The stanchion positions were marked out on masking tape attached to rails and then the positions were hand drilled using my home made drill press.
 

 

 

 
The stanchions were a press fit in the rail so they were tapped home with a pin hammer. Once installed a .025" length of rod was passed through the stanchion top hole and the stanchion was rotated until the hole aligned with the rail.
 

 

 
With the stanchions in place and correctly orientated a drop of CA glue was placed at the base and a washer was passed over to simulate the rail boss.
 

Glad you got his models safely to your new home.  What part of Arizona do you live in?

Glad you got his models safely to your new home.  What part of Arizona do you live in?

To all that responded to my original post I'd like to extend a sincere thank you!
 
As an update, my name is Chris and I made a post on this forum back in 2018 about trying to transport my deceased father's ship models across country so that my family and I could preserve and enjoy them. 
 
Well, it has taken me this long but we just accomplished this task - successfully!
 
I really wanted to thank you all for your advise.  A friend of my fathers back in MA was kind enough to packed them as recommended (special thanks to Dziadeczek for the instructions).  We were very happy and somewhat surprised that they arrived in exactly the shape that they left.  The made the trip from RI to AZ unscathed!
 
Long story short, after much agony trying to figure out how to transport them my mother decided to relocate to AZ with us.  After my son was born , my father traded in his Honda prelude for a Honda Odyssey minivan and as I was thinking about arrangements to transport this minivan out west for my mother we realized that both ship models would likely fit in the back.
 
They were packed in RI by my fathers friend who then loaded them into the minivan and padded and secured them.  Each model was braced at the base with styrofoam block, then the case filled to capacity with packing peanuts.  He covered each case with cardboard, then padded them in the minivan and secured with tie downs.  I did not end up driving them, but we hired a transporter to transport the minivan in an enclosed trailer, and they arrived just a couple of weeks ago - in perfect condition!
 
I just wanted to express my thanks to everyone that responded to that post, it was great encouragement and led me on the path to actually figuring out something that would work for us.  As the vehicle was to be transported anyway the additional costs were well worth the result!
 
Sincerely,
Chris Costa
 

http://hmsvictory.getyourstoreonline.com/

I did the last multi-part frame today, No. 3. It is actually tapered on almost all heads, so I checked the plan multiple times to get it into the correct shape. As all the other frames it is just dry-fitted into the jig. Next thing will be to disassemble the jig and correct all vertical plywood parts so all frames that interfere with the jig can be aligned properly on the keel. As the cant frames are to be attached after installing the keelson I will do them later. Stepstone reached .. jippie.


 

 
Stay tuned .. and save.
 
Andreas 
 

Okay, I just finished applying epoxy coat #3. Yes, I know that this picture of the third coat of epoxy looks exactly like the picture of the second coat of epoxy (Is it indeed a new picture? Or is he just saying it's a new picture? You can never be certain, can you? 😋 ). The difference is that this coat should be substantially smoother once it dries. Hopefully.
 

 
After this coat dries, I will need to touch up a few low spots in the seams and some wire holes that didn't quite magically fill in as the instructions suggested they would. Then it's on to finishing the interior.

Your wife is a smart woman, it's going to look great with full rigging!

Well, Mr. Pitt and I are the same age, both of us being in our silver-back years, so to speak. He, of course, has movie-star good looks because, well, he's a movie star, obviously. As for me, no mothers have shrieked upon seeing my visage and hurried away in the opposite direction while covering their child's eyes, so I'll content myself with that. 😎

@Alexey Domanoff was kind enough to offer to replace the unit or give me a partial refund. He also made a quick video of how to adjust the gears the drive to the largest gear in the rig, which was so jostled it no longer even made con tact. So hats off to Alexey!  Once dry and I had recovered my wits (such as they are), I was able to fix the the machine and give it a try. The PL4 came with thread already loaded and with rope on the spool. This is a nice extra, since you can literally turn on the power and it makes rope and also you can examine how the machine should be threaded and see how much nicer Alexey’s rope looks then yours! Which he made on the same machine you are using!?!  Speaking of power, the power supply arrived separately and well before the PL4. It wasn’t marked in any way that it was for the PL4.  So it sat with the mail for a few days as I tried to figure out why it was here! 
Now, I can make ‘ok’ rope with the unit by the bucket but I’m still trying to learn how to get it closer to excellent rope. The intuitions I have regarding rope making the Syren rig don’t apply to the PL4 directly since tension doesn’t seem to be used the same way.
 
On the Syren front, @Chuck, was so kind to take time from his day (I.e. i interrupted his earning his keep) to walk me through his process. Hats off the Chuck! It was great! It is hard to describe things like tension or pull, so to experience that first hand was fantastic! Among other things, I left his shop with some rope samples, a Medway kit (woo-woo! And yes, I have exceeded my hobby budget for quite a long while) and a bit of insight. I also, at Chuck’s suggestion, experimented with metal gears for the Syren Rocket. I found the metal gears could run a bit quicker and smoother than the original setup but the ability to make quality rope was the same as far as I can tell. Attached is yet another picture of rope. At this point in my adventure, the Syren Rocket is quick and easy to work with. As for the PL4, I’m still learning so I’m not in a position to compare yet. 
 
I did work on cleaning the inside of the bulwarks and thinning them. I did damage the front end, so there that to fix already. I’m thinking about just removing the bulwark and building it up as described by Chuck in his practicum for the Model Expo Sultana (as found here: https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-SULTANA-SOLID-HULL-164-SCALE_p_1021.html#tab-6 under instructions or here: http://modelshipworldforum.com/ship-model-build-and-practicums.php at the bottom of the page.) since, if the bulwarks will be planked I have to get very thin indeed.

You are too kind! The Dremel is my next stop!
 
I went down the rabbit hole of rope making and haven’t come up yet! So I have a ton of rope trying to master this skill set (or at least become capable). I have tried both the Syren Rocket rope walk, with another image here. I also got one of Domanoff’s PL4 rigs. I’m still a little uncomfortable with my mis-use of the communal funds. The PL4 took a while to walk/swim from Minsk to New Jersey and arrived in a crushed wet box. Not good!  It was in fact damaged.

No, the hull planking starts at the lower edges of the main wale position. Here it is double planked using 1x5mm limewood and 0.8x4mm pearwood. This is the only planking you need to do.

I have started to clean up my wood stash that I know I will never use. If you are beginning as a modeler, this would be nice to have extra around.  Mostly Sapele which I don't use anymore, some western hemisphere Mahogany and some Basswood. A lot of thin wood and a few planks. Even some Eucalyptus.  I will box and mail or UPS to you and you can pay me back for the shipping by check or Paypal. Send me a private message and the first will be the winner. There is a good bit of wood and I don't even notice it is gone! 

I've removed the stub masts and replaced them with full sized main and mizzen masts that now have to be tapered and stained.

Hi Tim,
 
No, I buy enough materials for a certain amount of complete kits. If I started messing around with different options, it would get messy. I still have a full time day job, so I would rather use what time I have developing complete kits.
 
I can sell certain items individually like cannon or boats, but not the actual kit laser cut parts. The only extra for Sphinx will be the pearwood blocks and deadeyes. Other than that, it will be a 'full fat' package with everything to make the model and three ships boats included. 
Thank you! I think for the even larger kits, I will revert back to 'standard' designs, due to costs. But I don't mean other manufacturers 'standard', I mean something like my Victory designs 'standard'. This means I will probably have planking strips for deck planking and most of the hull will be conventionally planked, rather than pre-cut/engraved. The designs for Sphinx have been an evolution from the fishing boats to Duchess to Sphinx.
 
I fear the costs for a 64th scale heavy frigate and larger models still would be too prohibitive, and Sphinx is the absolute limit I dare push to. Even then, I will probably lose some sales due to the cost, as people will still ask why the high price, but I believe the right people will buy, those who enjoy making the models and like adding even more, stamping their own mark on the kit.
Cheers
 
I will be developing an 18 gun brig after Sphinx, before starting on a much larger development (that I cannot wait to get my teeth into)
 
And yes, James will build the prototype, once I have cut all of the parts...

Don't know about cornering the market, I just want to develop stuff I like, and see how far I can go without the restraints of developing for other manufactures.
 
I do know that having a kit like this so pre-cut (for the hull, only the lime and pearwood planking is used, and only at below main wale level, everything above this is fully pre-cut parts), is time consuming to develop, and material heavy. This will have around 35 individual laser cut sheets, and 5 large PE sheets in 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6mm. However, having so many parts doesn't necessarily mean complex, it just means there's a lot less for the modeller to make themselves. I hope...

Hi, Ronginger. Thank you for your assessment. In fact, it seems to me that no matter what the model or component is, it's important to locate it accurately and repeatedly pretend to assemble it. That's why I spent a lot of time developing production tools to help. Many people see the results, but many people do not think of a perfect interface, I even repeated dozens of times! I don't want to see any obvious holes, or I'll have to tear it down and rebuild it. More than 20 years of experience have enabled me to master the basic skills of machining, but in the actual production process, I usually have many different methods, the ultimate goal is to achieve efficiency and accuracy. I'm not used to doing things the same way, always looking for new ways, even the same parts. Unfortunately, many of these steps are not fully documented in practice and are only filmed at the end of a phase to avoid errors. The grooving of Bridge Deck Crossbeam is finished by milling cutter and engraving cutter. It's not hard, but positioning is important, and that's the unique advantage of my slipway.

As I progressed with the mizzen mast ratlines I noticed the central shroud line was not properly centred. As I had only done half the ratlines and it was taking me around 10 minutes to add each ratline I decided to remove them and start again.
 
I modified by ratline template and added the vertical lines, thanks to DelF for this excellent tip.
 
Picture of the template

 
This time I decided to add the bottom rat line, then the middle ratline and then the top ratline to ensure the shrouds were true and straight. This worked much better. I started each ratline with a half hitch which I positioned at the back of the shroud and added a touch of diluted pva, (50/50 mix, another DelF tip) when I was happy with its position. I then used clove hitch knots for the next two shroud lines and added a touch of diluted pva when I was happy with each position. Finally I stained the ratlines black.
 
This is by far the best set of ratlines I have added to a model. Still room for some improvement

 
 

OK, I have now finished with the 'pre-prototype' model, and have all the info I need. A lot of small changes have been made, so this model shows (many) mistakes that the prototype model will not have. What is shown is around 95% of the hull laser cut parts and the castings.
 
For the boat beams, the U shaped brackets presented a problem. I was going to do them in PE, but wasn't happy with them, as they protrude above the gangway by around 1.5mm. So, these are now perfectly scaled 3-d printed parts, using a very tough resin, and are the kit versions. A very small detail, but happy with the result. The gangway has changed since these pics, with the widest part nearest the quarterdeck moved back a few mm, so the ladders are in between the cannon.
 
The slots in the quarterdeck were moved back a lot further, in order to show the chequered deck pattern in the aft cabin. Ladders are cut in 0.6mm pear, and look much better, scale-wise. The catheads are made from 5 laser cut and engraved parts each, otherwise they would have looked pretty basic..
 
Al PE is done and sent off to Italy to be produced for the prototype model, and I now have the task of part numbering everything and doing a full parts list, followed by starting on the CAD drawings for plans... 

I am not in a position to purchase a Proxxon lathe so I made my own using a hand drill
 

 
The boards are drilled to accept a roller blade bearing.  The far board is clamped according to the length of the mast.  The central board is movable and acts as the "steady" to which you refer.  If the mast is not the same diameter as the bearing I have a series of wooden "washers" which I insert into the bearing.  In fact now I have several bearings with different sized inserts.

Today frame no. 4 has been assembled. It is the smallest full frame and required a lot of tapering. It looks like a baby-frame compared to a midship frame. 
 

 
So there is only one multi-part frame left. But I have to repair a frame after that because I did slightly too much tapering 🤔. And some jig-parts have to be modified so all frames fit nicely into the keel. Anyway only 3 frames until I reach the bow. 
 

 
Stay tuned .. and save. 
 
Andreas 

Clearly a man who doesn't own a thickness sander!
 
My personal preference for shaping masts/spars in the lathe is to use a support that follows the tool head while turning square stock that is firmly affixed at both ends, but I don't think that really works with the Proxxon lathe as I don't believe it even has a tool head type thing, but rather a tool 'rest' I believe?

Clearly a man who doesn't own a thickness sander!
 
My personal preference for shaping masts/spars in the lathe is to use a support that follows the tool head while turning square stock that is firmly affixed at both ends, but I don't think that really works with the Proxxon lathe as I don't believe it even has a tool head type thing, but rather a tool 'rest' I believe?

Clearly a man who doesn't own a thickness sander!
 
My personal preference for shaping masts/spars in the lathe is to use a support that follows the tool head while turning square stock that is firmly affixed at both ends, but I don't think that really works with the Proxxon lathe as I don't believe it even has a tool head type thing, but rather a tool 'rest' I believe?

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.
 
Installation of the wales
 
Inspired by the method used by Blue Ensign, I decide to leave in place the batten strip that determines the position of the wales.
To prevent it from sticking to the bulkheads, I stick a strip of self-adhesive transparent paper on its inside and apply two good coats of acrylic varnish on its edge.

 
When I am satisfied with the positioning of the 2 reference batten (they follow the reference marks quite precisely with a few adjustments), I can rely on them to set up the first planking strip. I use 5/32" wide cherry strips with a thickness of 3/64" (luckily I was able to get them mill to the right size).
 

 
I start gluing from the bow and move forward slowly gluing the strip on 4 to 5 bulkheads at a time.
 

 
The first strake is glued. I had to shorten the reference batten strip to facilitate the gluing at the stern and to be able to position precisely the first strake at the break of the counter and square tuck.
 

 
I also had to do an additional sanding of the outer frame at the stern (about 1/32") because I noticed that I had a dip appearing.
 

 
The second strake is then glued in the same way: gluing on 4 to 5 bulkheads at a time. It should be noted that at the bow, the strip has been preformed by folding it after having moistened it and using a heat source to keep its shape.
 

 
I then remove the reference batten strip and don't encounter any problems. The plasticized sheet and the varnish fulfill their role perfectly.
 

 
 I just had a little varnish that remained stuck on some bulkheads by the excess of glue. But this can be removed without any problem. The batten strip could be removed without any problem.
 

 

 

 
I will now glue the first layer of the molding strip.
 
 
 
 

Thanks for your input Guys.
 
Thanks for the advice Chuck.
 
@ Glenn – you’ve got to be working on the kit to appreciate the problem, but I doubt you will have any issues once you get around to it.
 
@ Bradley – useful insight, and yours turned out beautifully.
 
@ Derek -  It’s always worth having one of Chuck’s kits on hand, in fact I’ve also got the Longboat kit  beneath the bench.
There are so many exiting new projects coming along now from Syren and Vanguard, - too many models not enough time – surely does resonate.
 
Post Four
 
 Completion of Keel/frames assembly
 
I did a little more work on the slots and tabs to give the lateral movement necessary to align the frames. I concentrated on the underside and didn’t touch the upper edge.
 
I also took Chuck’s advice and made a pass of the sanding stick across the tabs.

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The keel then fitted much better and I felt confident enough to apply the glue.

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The forward section went somewhat easier, but I still managed to break the tab on the single frame H, temporarily secured with Tamiya tape.

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Moving on to fairing.
 
 
B.E.
06/03/21