GuntherMT

I have continued on with the 1st planking today and I now have fitted 6 planks to each side. I did a time and motion study on fitting the planks, and concluded it takes around 20 to 30 mins per plank to fit. It did start out at around 30 mins but I have been able to streamline the process to around 20 mins per plank now I'm confident with my methodology. I would expect this task will take between 12 to 16 man hours to complete.
 
I am  brushing in a  diluted wood glue along the joint line after each plank is fitted, and I have noted a couple of planks are sitting a bit proud of the bulkheads in a couple of places. I was able to sort one out with dripping in some super glue and then holding in place whilst the ca cured.
 
So far this is the best first planking I have achieved in my modelling career, applying the lessons learned in previous builds and have patience (I'm normally have little or no patience) and simply taking my time.
 

 

 

 
I have reglued the raised plank that can be seen on the right hand side at the bow pattern.

 
 
 
 

Stage: Hull Construction
Build instructions: 70-74
Task: Fitting 1st Planking
Parts: n/a
Time Spent: 30 mins
Status: In progress
Build Notes: Looking at the build manual photo’s I have counted 17 planks per side, therefore 34 planks required in total. The kit is supplied with 34 off lime planks. Hopefully, I will not make any mistakes with the planking. I am not rushing this task so I think it will take a few days to complete.
 
I did not apply any plank bending when I fitted the first plank as it bent quite easily. In retrospect I think this was a mistake and for the subsequent planks I have been using my trusty plank bender to add the bend from approx. bulkhead 4 to the bow pattern. Although this is adding more time and effort to the build process, I am getting a much better result.
 
 
I have now fitted 4 planks to the starboard side and I found it necessary to trim each plank around the bow area, (bulkheads 1-3). I also found it necessary to trim a small slither between bulkheads 12 and 13 for the fourth plank. I also used my plank bender on the end of the fourth plank for the stern area.

 

 

A real milestone this time, FINISHED!
After I had placed the launch and pinnace at the waist I realised that the detail below could not be seen so I decided to show the launch in the process of being hoisted. Getting the tackle lengths and angles was pretty fiddly but I think the final solution looks good.
I did make up 2 stern lanterns fitted to the sides.
Cheers, David.
 

I have achieved a significant milestone in the fitout, I have installed the quarter davits so finally all the ship's boats can be put in place.
Also, the gangway railings and gun port lids are complete.
Again, there were plenty of alternatives for these details but they were clearly shown on the Admiralty drawings in Lavery and Hunt's great book so confusion was avoided. The only odd thing about this drawing is the two piece gun port lids. This is the only place I have seen this detail and I have installed single piece lids. 
To complete the ships boats the oars need to be made. The rudders will be removed and stored inside the boats and the boats will be lashed into position as one of the last things to do.
Next the anchors and the parts of the running rig that I have left to last and some small items. I'm not too sure what to do about the stern lanterns, they seem to be fitted and removed as needed, sometimes a single central lantern, some time two or even three across the stern. I can't find any in premade kit form and they look very fiddly to make.
Cheers, David.

Stage: Hull Construction
Build instructions: 70-74
Task: Fitting 1st Planking
Parts: n/a
Time Spent: 30 mins
Status: In progress
Build Notes: I have now made a start on the 1st planking. As advised in the build instructions it is necessary to add a taper to the 1st plank. I found the taper needed to start at bulkhead 2 and I tapered from 4mm to a width of 2mm at the bow pattern.
 
With the plank held in position I was able to mark the position of all the bulkheads and then pre-drilled the plank using a 0.4mm drill in readiness for adding the planking pins.
 
With the plank in place I also felt it would be advantageous to add a filler piece in the stern area. This was an easy task using some scrap 1.5mm planks from a previous build to fill area around stern pattern 20. I have shown this in the photo below.
 
 
I also noted that it was necessary to add a lateral chamber along the top (bulwark) edge of the plank between bulkheads 9 to 13 to ensure the plank formed a nice clean joint with the bulwark.
 
I think it is important to get the first plank looking good, especially along the top (bulwark edge) so I did take some time to make sure the plank looked good. Once I was happy with the fit I brushed some wood glue to the bulkheads and inserted the pins in the pre drilled holes. I started at bulkhead 4 and worked toward the bow using my pin pusher to secure the plank in place. As can be seen in the photo(s) below I clamped a scrap piece of wood at the bow pattern area. I then worked backwards from bulkhead 5 to bulkhead 13 and I was really glad I added the stern filler. Once the plank had been pinned I brushed a diluted wood glue solution along the joint between the plank and bulwark

 

 

 

Stage: Hull Construction
Build instructions: 70
Task: Fitting Bulwark Patterns
Parts: 45 (x2)
Time Spent: 120 mins
Status: Complete
Build Notes: After soaking the two strips in hot water for 30 mins and clamping the bow ends around a circular container for 22 hours and then being very happy with the dry fit I thought the actual fitting of the bulwark patterns was going to be pretty straightforward.
 
As mention in my previous post I had to remove the starboard strip and start again as I was not happy with how it was looking. 2nd time around by fitting the strip in stages using a mixture of pins and clamps to ensure I was getting a good join with the bulkheads and deck edge as I went along. This method worked well for me and I was happy with how the strip fitted
 
I used the same method for the port side bulwark and that went on nicely without two much effort.
 
After I removed all the pins and clamps and did a final visual check and noted a small area where the port side bulwark was sitting a tad proud along the deck edge between bulks 5 & 7. I brushed in some wood glue and applied a bit of light pressure with using two spreader clamps, as can be seen in the photo below.
 
 
A couple of hours later I removed the two spreader clamps and I was happy with the bulwarks fitting as shown in the next photos.

 

 

 
I am now in a position to start the 1st hull planking as per build instructions 71 to 74.

Dear fellow modelers,
 
firstly thank you for all the likes. Yes the finish line is near and the finishing is happy and sad at once. Happy because everything is comming together and sad because part of something is ending. Also this is last modeling project for some time I think as I would like to start building my own house next year and in January we are expecting our first child. I would like to come back as soon as possible, but few years will pass definitely. 
 
Back to build. I manage to rig cannons. For the rope coils of cannons I used double sided tape. It has worked quite well.
 

 
I also rigged LOWER MAST BACKSTAYS, you can see it here.
 

 

 
Also the SPREADER YARD HORSE is rigged.
 

 

 
This is the top look of lover mast.
 
 

 
And last but not least the overal look of ship so far.
 


 
I know I made a mistake when building the BOWSPRIT & JIBBOOM. I should glue Jiboom at slight angle. I did not. I do not want to change it as everything is secured with glue and 4 glued nails. When I was doing it I did not read plans well and I was wondering why on building logs it was angled :D. It did not look well...but..:D
 
I am coming to 400 hours with this build.
 
Till next time.
 
 
 

A number of micro-angle ruler to facilitate the construction of the internal structure behind the various beams, to avoid the accumulation of large deviation. The market does not sell such a small corner ruler can only be processed. After the whole milling of these small square feet, a great deal of time is spent in manual grinding on the reference platform. With near-zero grade.The Inner Right Angle Platform and locating hole are designed. The combined clamp can also be used as fixture locating and drawing lines.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

During the last month, I stopped working and redesigned the table saw and all kinds of accessories. The table saw and upside-down milling into one; to meet the late precision of small parts sawing and wood processing.Rest for a few days while i  continue with the hull construction.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

I've been on a break for the last month. But not idle, three weeks to the slipway for the eighth improvement, integrated a variety of functional accessories, to avoid the trouble of frequent replacement, but also the biggest improvement. Because the hull was laid out long after completion, some of the ribs were deformed and had to be recalibrated before the entire hull was sanded. This can have a huge impact on the rest of the production, so it will still take some time to iterate and correct this step before moving on to the next step to ensure that there are no large deviations.

Because, my friends, it will take me a few days to make the sixth structural improvement on the slipway. The update speed may be temporarily affected, thank you for your attention. I'll keep going until I finish it!  
 

First of all, thank you for your appreciation and attention. I'm 52 years old, From Beijing, China;  a former professional gymnast, and now a teacher. Because I have a lot of time, amateur likes to do various models for 23 years, in order to be able to do better, self taught a variety of basic processing skills and at least 10 years of practical experience. Most of the works are made of plastic and metal materials and have been transformed, covering a wide range of subjects (all are static models) . This also laid the foundation for my later sailboat building, although I had less than five years of sailboat building experience. My personality is a very demanding type of work, which is difficult for many people to understand. I set myself the goal of completing at least five of my favorite sailboats in the eight years leading up to my retirement, as well as designing and building special tools as needed in the production process, most of these tools are not available or even unique on the market, but they have greatly improved my productivity and accuracy. Perhaps a little more personal inspiration, coupled with years of hard work, has allowed me to show a certain ability. I don't like working with other people. After all, everyone has different perspectives and skill levels. Can't agree on a lot of things. As a hobby, I also get a lot of fun from it. I hope to show more of my work in the future.
 
cheers     

The last production of Gemma 1863 is nearing completion, but due to the limited space at home, which is occupied by a large number of tools, it will be difficult to store when finished; So stop the rigging for a moment and start work on a new theme, Young America 1853. This is also one of the five all in house sailboats I plan to build in the future; I only bought the first two copies of this book, and appreciate that the author's good subject matter can be shared with you, hopefully through my craft, to recreate the brilliance of the original work.Thank you for your attention，Also wish to give positive advice。
 

 




































 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Easily Made Realistic Bolts for Fittings
 
Tom M
 
Winchester MA
 
Hi:  Am a new participant, and EdT ‘s Young America is the first topic I read. It is beautiful!!
In the July 1, 2018 timeframe, the discussion related to the topmast fids being fitted with shackles.  Below is an idea that might have been an alternative solution to making the shackles in situ, as so nicely shown by EdT
Demonstrated below is a nice method to create bolts for various model ship fittings.  I came up with the idea while working on the 1/8 inch scale Smuggler, the 1877 Gloucester schooner:
1.     Snip some black plastic fibers from a car snow brush, or similar implement.
 
 
2.     Bring one end of a fiber near to, but not touching, a hot soldering iron tip.

3.     With just the right nearness for just a second or less, the end flares out. One end of the bolt is done.
 
 
4.     After insertion into position on the fitting, trim the other end of the bolt to a just a couple of millimeters protruding , and again bring the soldering iron close. With only a bit of practice, the result is realistic bolt, as in the examples below.  If it doesn’t look right in place, it is easily snipped off and redone.
 
 
5.     EdT’s fid could have been installed, and shackles bolted in place with this technique.
 

TJM 21 Jan 2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fresh from Vanguard Models. A 'sign' of things coming...
🤫😆
 

Forgot to add, I had the production sets of carronade barrels arrive today, so they will be going on the website sometime next week. I have:
 
32 Pounder carronade barrel, slide carriage and PE  (Standard armament of most British brigs/brig-sloops of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic era - an 18 gun brig like Cruiser would have had 16x32 pounder carronades and 2x6 pounder chase guns)
24 Pounder carronade barrel, slide carriage and PE
18 Pounder carronade barrel, slide carriage and PE
 
12 Pounder carronade barrel (early type with trunnions), with option of slide carriage or side carriage (like standard cannon) and PE
 
Also available now is an 18 pounder short (42.75mm overall length), which were issued to most (but not all) 38 gun frigates

Just received pictures of the Sphinx 3-d printed master carvings for stern and figurehead which will be cast in resin as per the Duchess..

At the moment, I'm developing three new kits for BlueJacket:  USS OREGON (BB3), NS SAVANNAH, and the schooner WYOMING.  Each has its own Facebook Group:  OREGON  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2345449125727256 ; SAVANNAH https://www.facebook.com/groups/415003942865004 ; WYOMING  WYOMING 6-MASTED SCHOONER | Facebook  .  Please visit and see how our kits are created from beginning to end.  For those not on Facebook, I will be doing a development and build log here.

Making some great progress.. Soon you get to play with rigging!

Today's plan was to fit both outer bulwark and to then start the 1st hull planking. Gluing the outer bulwark, however, has proven to be a bit more of a challenge than I expected.
 
I pre drilled the bulwark with 0.5mm holes (as per the instructions) at the joint areas with the bulkheads. I then applied a liberal coating of wood glue to the bulwarks and to the edge of the deck. After I had pinned the first bulwark in place I noted that in a few areas it was not making contact with the bulkheads. I added some elastic bands  to assist which did help in some places. As I was not very happy with how it was looking, especially around the bow area, and before the glue had fully cured I decided to remove the bulwark and to start again with a more targeted and patient approach.
 
I started by getting the bulwark looking right at the bow and the first bulkhead. I also used a small plank to aid the positioning at the bow, as can be seen in the picture. Once I was happy with the positioning I then added glue to bulkheads 2 & 3. As the strip, even when pinned, was not seated properly at bottom edge I added some clamps to provide additional pressure whilst the glue cured.
 

 
I then glued and pinned the bulwarks to bulkheads 4 - 6 using clamps for additional support and left the glue to cure.

 
Next I added glue to bulkheads 7 - 9 and once again using a mixture of pins and clamps to hold the strip in place. And that is the current state of play. I will move on to the stern area in a couple of hours time and should be able to glue from 10 - 13 in one go. Then tomorrow I will repeat for the other bulwark.

Just a quick update now the two bulwark patterns (45) have fully dried out after been clamped for 22 hours.
 
Port Bulwark Pattern
The port side bulwark pattern fitted like a dream, as can be seen in the following pictures. It has not been glued and pinned in to place just yet, as it needs it starboard buddy to be ready for action!

 

 

 

 
Starboard Bulwark Pattern
I had a minor mishap with the starboard bulwark pattern.  I do not know how much longer I can use the " having a senior moment" excuse.🤔
I think the following picture will show why I should be nominated for the MSW "Numpty of the Week" award. 😂.
Needless to say the pattern is once again in hot water for 30 mins in readiness for another overnight session with the clamps.

 

Stage: Hull Construction
Build instructions: 67-70
Task: Bow and Bulwark Patterns
Parts: 45 (x2) & 49
Time Spent: 10 mins
Status: Complete
Build Notes: I did a test fit of the bow pattern (49) As it was a very good fit I removed it and brushed on some wood glue to the contact areas and slotted the pattern back in place. Although I didn’t think the bow pattern needed clamping, I did use a couple of clamps to ensure the part remained properly aligned whilst the glue cured.

 
The two bulwark patterns (45) were then soaked in hot water. After 30 mins I removed then and clamped then around a round jar to get the required bow shaping. They will now stay clamped for approx. 22 hours which will give the patterns plenty of time to fully dry.

 

 

 
I jumped ahead to have a look at the next task, after the completion of the 1st hull planking. I decided to remove the fore and aft keel parts and test fit them to the hull along with the stern post assembly. (build instructions 75 – 78). I was pleased with how these parts looked when dry fitted and they will now be stored away for safe keeping. I was tempted to assemble some the desk items, such as the cannons, gallows and main mast bits, bilge pumps, hatchings, etc. but I have resisted the temptation as I need to spend a bit of time with my Robert E Lee build project.