Ryland Craze

The next fuselage section is ready to attach. You may notice that it is not actually attached in this photo. That's because the two sections have an incredibly tight fit. I'm not even 100% certain that I can get them to go together. But I decided to wait until the next session before working further on this conundrum. (BTW, I have been sanding down all of the bulkheads in anticipation of just such fit issues as this. It hasn't gone quite to plan. Also BTW, that's not a tear in the aft section -- it's a cut where part of the piece folds down to create part of the cockpit canopy slide rail.)
 

7-2 and 8-2 glued in placed.
Changed to sheets to Q2 and Q.
9-2 placed. 10-2 hanging out wondering when it might get glued, it’s waiting until it might hold that curve good. 
 
I guess everyone hopes the inside looks ok when it’s gets flipped.
 
The 9-10 strake is less than 1mm away from the tick marks, at least on the 2 side. 
 

 

Thank you Bug, glad to see work has restarted on your Pegasus.👍
 
Post One Hundred and Fifty- five
 
I continued to fit the Port side billboards and linings.

3939

3936

3937
I think I have made a better job of the Port side, so off came the starboard side for a re-fit.

3941
Starboard side re-done, happier now.

3942
I have also taken the opportunity to replace the bow port lid and add double lifting lanyards.

3852
Small sections of telephone wire sleeving are used to represent  the port lanyard tubes, but they did need drilling through to take the 0.30mm line which was stiffened with ca for the purpose.

3932
Another small job is to add the rudder chains. I used some Caldercraft Brass chain, 18 links /per inch.
I will get around to trimming them at some point.
 
B.E.
08/03/2024
 
 

Hull planking
Fairing the outer hull was fairly straight forward. There is plenty of extra meat on the frames which gave me lots of wiggle room. The fairing cap edge should remain untouched, if at all possible. Easier said than done! Final sanding was done with 400 grit. Btw; I totally forgot to take some photos of the outer hull after the fairing was completed. Sorry!
 
Once everything looked good I added the first strake (the upper wale). This was done with three planks. I did my best to eyeball the run as I added each plank and not to strictly rely on the drawn line which I made from Chuck's hull template.

From there on it was just a matter of adding the two remaining wale strakes and a few more strakes above the upper wale. I also added the small filler piece which goes between the lower wale and the square tuck.

With the added support given by these strakes, I decided to fair the inner hull. This ended up being more time consuming than I thought it would be. It took me several days to complete the work. Working the bow timbers, even with a Dremel or 80 grit, was slow. Once I was close I switched to a miniature curved scraper to smooth out the work.
 
You can see just how thick the wood was in places.

When fairing the area around the lower gun port sills, I found that a simple depth gauge came in handy. Including the 3/64" outer hull planking, the width of the sill should be 3/16” or maybe a hair less. I made this simple “T” shaped jig that I could place against the frames and then mark the width of the sill from inside the hull.

Ready for the keelson

Mike

Mast done then painted. Next job is finishing attaching the various blocks and racks.

Hi, Eric and other shipbuilders
The ship has progressed quite a lot, but the build log not at all
My lovely Admiral, who bought me the ship as a Christmas present, died in my arms in November.
 
i have not felt able to post since then, indeed my brain has turned to mush.
 Recall has become elusive, concentration brief and typing has become difficult as I am dyslexic and rely on a photographic memory for the images of words.  
To me all words are images and I just type letters till it looks like the image.
 
Added to this is a huge workload of paperwork as Executor and the obvious loneliness without Bette
 
I WILL return to the blog and bring it up to date with the build.
just not now

I cant believe I forgot to add the last piece.  I completely forgot about it and then just saw it sitting inside the hull.  I originally tried to make this from boxwood but it was way too fragile.  It broke every time.   So I cut one out of the tan plastic stuff I used for the windows and just forgot to add it.
 
You can see a spare sitting in the hull.  You can see how fragile it looks.  A beaded molding trim that goes all around the inside of the doorway.  I have now added this last piece and that completes chapter 5.  I think it finishes the bulkhead and I am glad I spotted it.  Its all about the small details.
 
I also finally cleaned up the hull and added some wipe on poly.  So all the wood should be less white and toned down now.  This is the final color with the
finish added.  I dont know If there is much difference but in real life
there certainly is.
 
 
Next I will start building the storage closets inside the great cabin.
 

Channels, Knees, and Bow Trim
The channels are all attached with multiple brass pins. The laser markings show exactly where to put those pins. There are 26 knees to cut, sand, and paint, so it all took awhile.

Fore channels. The stove is temporary for now.

Main channels

Mizzen channels

I put some blue on the bow and added the bow grating and some trim. I have a little more work to do up front, then on to the stern.
 

Minor Problem with the Rudder
After assembling the rudder I realized that the top with the tiller would not fit into the hole in the hull. The manual shows the top of the rudder post ending a bit lower, at the juncture between the planking and stern piece, so I cut about 1/4" off of the rudder post and everything fits now. I don't know why the rudder post was too high - everything else fit together perfectly.
 
I ran out of copper foil and had to order more from China, so it will be 3 weeks before I can complete the rudder.

 

Keith,
Yes, spars off the model. My camera is a canon "powershot" (pretty rudimentary). I'm not sure what you want to see but, here are a few "close-ups":



The smaller 1/4" dowels made work much easier. I decided not to obsess over the color of the masts. I've gotten it pretty close. I did learn that when Chris says 3mm, he means it. Even a coat of paint can be too much!
You can see that I've replaces the PE bees with my own. I'll do the same with the various chocks.

Thank you for the likes and the follows. Hope everyone enjoys the visit. Thank you for stopping in. I don’t like wordy build logs so I made my own lol. Focus. 
 
Planks 7-1 and 8-1 went well. I did not use much for clamps, I tried to glue part of 7-1 and then the other section later. I worked to get it laid down without spring up on its own. It went in very well and held the frame curve nicely. I was able to bend a spot with just heat and it held, that was neat. And I burned my fingers, or at least got them hot lol, it takes commitment to hold it, can’t use clamps or tools because it will mar the wood. Good news a drop of water makes it look brand new again if dinged. The cedar responds to water very well. But does smell like wet dog fur when damp haha. 
 
I can see some spots I need to pull down when I get it flipped over. I should make notes but it wont be hard to find them. Some spots are springy, not much but some. I see the keel spot I need to wedge back into the rabbit. I can’t get to it well with the frames in place, it will have to wait, but it will clean up. 
 
The tick marks front (bow) and back (stern) are working out well. The tick marks in the middle are getting slightly wider, but not bad, it is consistent. We won’t tell anyone if we don’t make the sheer line correctly, will we….
I figure the marks in the middle are marked wrong by me or I’m sucking the middle line of the boat in slowly plank by plank. It’s not growing, it’s just short. As long as the sides match what can I do. 
EDIT, the tick marks are the transfers, the lines are below the 1/64 tape line. I marked it below so when I placed the planks the lines could still be seen. I did not extend the small tick marks once marked, so I knew what they were. The older solid lines under the planks are the glue line, don't go below. I'm used to marking on the planks to line up stuff. As it will be WOP finished I'm avoiding marking on the inside or outside face of the plank, I'm flying blind from my normal planking method but its going ok. So far the keel planks have kept me on track. 4 floating ends on the next planks might trip me up but its not enough to matter sliding a plank fore and aft in placement. 
 
8-1 is laid up tight against the transom with no gap. Last I looked. Happy about that. 
 
The build board had a small twist in it when I got done with planks 5 and 6 on both sides. I’ve held it down with clamps on both ends so I can push against it and it not go flying around on the table. When I pulled it up to flip it for 8-2 and 7-2 planks it was flat again. As I come up the sides the twist will lock and or not flex anymore. Hopefully it’s not a banana when I’m done lol. Highly recommended to hold the build board down flat. 
 
I’d like to not people and keep doing the boat but my business doesn’t run well without me. I might be done with planking by April, slow and steady. About 1.5 hours per plank. I figure I’m out 35-38 hours in right now. That’s around $5291 in labor cost for my business. I’ll be gone for a week this month so I might not make it unless I get a good day or 2 on the weekend. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Door handles are now in stock as well

Chuck: Sign me up! I would buy some door handles for my Winny.. All it took is one look at your pics. 
 
Mike Draper

Thanks...The hinges are now in stock..
 
I will have a lot of bulkhead doors to make.  Another feature I absolutely hate is making the door knobs.  No matter how hard I try they never look good to me.  So my preference is to make handles.  These are not easy to make from scratch.  But the laser cutter makes it pretty easy.
 
My Speedwell bulkhead door mock up is pictured.
 
So I will be using old fashioned 18th century door handles instead of knobs.  I think they look much more interesting.  I have made 3 sizes again for my own personal use.  They are made from the black plastic I have been using.   If there is any interest in these I can also make them available.  Just let me know.   Once they are glued onto the doors, I like to use a sharp #11 blade and thin down the bottom of the handle itself to make it curved.  This is more in keeping with the 18th century style I have seen used.  They take forever to laser cut and are so crazy tiny.  But its just a matter of popping them out of the sheet and gluing them on.  That is if I dont drop them on the floor and they are lost forever.
 
Let me know if you guys would like these made available.
 
 


And some real ones I used but I cant get them this delicate looking...but it will do.
 

 
 

Those look nice!

Coming Soon!!!
 
I really dont know why I havent offered these already...Oh well
 
I will be making a ton of bulkheads with doors for Speedwell really soon.  They will require many hinges.  The usual "H" and "L" type hinges we use on models.   So I have designed three sizes which should fit most scales.  They are 9/32" and 7/32" and 3/16" tall hinges.   
 
You get 21 hinges "L type" 
You get 45 hinges "H" type"
 
These should be available in a few days.  They are all black laser board and will come in very handy.
 
I dont have a picture with these in use yet but soon.  The closest I have is the Bulkhead door but it uses a unique version for the top curved hinge.  But you get the idea.  The bottom hinge is one of the "L type hinges".  It is the larger size in height for this scale but its all relative.  
 

Some used on Mike's Winnie...although these are adjusted slightly but you get the idea.
 

 
 
 
 

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing. 

I have no words.....🙂.....

No gaps to worry about Mike...you will see when you get to this point.   Here is the step by step to finish the bulkhead.  These are my notes so I dont forget how I did it.  
 
Once the bulkhead is glued into position we need to add another layer on the aft side.  This will make the aft side nice and smooth and even and neaten it all up.  I am referring to the two strakes below the windows and the uprights between the windows.  All are laser cut.
 

Now we can finally cut away the beam within the doorway and the other straps as well.  Do this carefully with a fine toothed saw.  I use a fine toothed scroll saw blade in an Xacto blade handle.  The bulkhead layers make it all sturdy but you still need a light touch.  No hurry with this.  Below you can see the open space for the doorway after I cut them away and then sanded the sides of the opening flush with a sanding stick.  You can also see the door laying there.  I finished the other side which gets another layer of .025 cedar with another panel...unpainted.  The small strip you see there becomes the saddle in the doorway that the door will rest on top of.  It is a 5/32" x 3/64" strip.  The same thickness as the planking wee will use on the gun deck.
 

Testing the door in position...which is wider than you will need.  Sand it to fit the opening...and tweak the opening as well.  A little sanding with a sanding stick on both will insure a nice fit.  Note how the door is sitting on top of that saddle strip.   The door is not glued in position yet.   It is just a test for the next step...the rounded top frame.  The first .025 layer can be seen in the same photo ready to go.  See it laying on the deck?
 

This first layer (of four) is .025 thick.  It is a little taller than you will need.  So while the door is resting in the opening,  set it in position.  You will see a gap along the top of the door.  Sand the bottom of this arch a little at a time until that gap closes up.     Then glue it to the front side of the two tabs sticking up. Sand the seams flat and paint the front face red.  Then one by one there are three more layers of this arch.   Next the 3/64" thick piece.  Then another .025 and lastly another 3/64" thick arch.  This will make the top arch above the door nice and sturdy.  Now you are ready to finish it up...
 
Note…dont bother cleaning the char from the edges of these pieces.  You will distort the curves and it wont match the top of the door.  This wont be seen at all.  You can lightly sand the top of the arch once all the layers are glued in position.  But just a little.  That will be covered up also.
 

 
You can now place the margin plank along the front of the whole bulkhead.  It will hang over the front slightly.   It will also leave a nice rabbet on the aft side for the qdeck planking.  It is a 1/4" x 3/64 strip.  Just round off the forward edge and cut it to length on both sides of the arched door frame. The last piece will now cover up all those layers of the arched top.  It is laser cut for you.   There is a handle on the part so you can sand the char from the outside of this piece without breaking it.  It is a bit fragile  ( I will provide a few extra).   Once the char is removed then cut it free from the handle.  Dont bother sanding the underside of this piece.   Once again it wont be seen.  The forward edge is rounded off.  The aft side remains flat.  You can see it glued on top of the arch in the photo below.   It is 7/32" wide and all the pieces are flush on the aft side of the platform.  It is basically an extension of the margin plank around the top of the arch to clean it all up.   
 

We havent glued the door in yet so we can remove it and add the laser cut hinges.  You can also add the door knobs.  That is your choice...a simple knob or maybe a pull handle.   I prefer bending some brass strip and making a pull handle.   Then you can glue the door in position and the bulkhead is complete.

Forward fuselage ready to go -- ran out of time to mate the two sections.
 

That's actually quite common in kits these days. The big problem, though, for this particular aircraft is the feathered edges between the brown and green areas of camouflage. Such edges are difficult to replicate neatly. But for this particular seam (and whatever others may result from my misalignment mishap), I'm determined to put it out of mind until I'm ready to attach the forward fuselage. No sense fretting about it before I get there.

Some progress on the forward fuselage, starting with the skins, joiner strips, and joiner tabs cut out and edge colored, then glued together to make the four fuselage sections.
 

 
Then the skins are shaped and glued into tubes, here shown with their bulkheads.
 

 
After some sanding to assure that the fits weren't too tight, the bulkheads were then glued in and allowed to dry. Here's the first two sections glued together and test-fitted to the cockpit section. You can see where one of the "hideous seams" I described earlier will occur, though it is not as bad as I feared it might be.
 

 
And that's it for today.

A semi-disastrous day today. After test-fitting the wrap-around outer cockpit skin TWICE, during which tests it seemed to fit loosely, I glued one side on, only to discover that the other side was too short! I managed to get the glued side off before it had completely set, but not without some minor damage to the paper, resulting in some faint crinkling. Then, onward with Try #2. First side went on fine, but the other side wound up slightly crooked -- which I noticed only AFTER it was too late to do anything about it. As a result, I will eventually have at least one, probably two, somewhat hideous seams to repair. Fun. 🙄
 

 
Construction now moves on to the forward fuselage. Unlike later Halinski designs, the nose section of this kit has no longitudinal frame, only transverse bulkheads -- I suspect this will yield a somewhat delicate structure.

Rudder yoke and instrument panel installed. The kit doesn't supply extra parts for adding depth to the panel. It could be done by photocopying the panel to create an extra layer, but I was too lazy. Hey, at least I'm honest!
 

 
I should add that I do have the Hurricane Mk. IIc kit from Kartonowa Kolekcja, and that kit does have parts for doubling the instrument panel.

Chriss order ín for VM 15 and 16 plus the last two to complete a full set of all 16 of your wonderful kíts.
 
Hope the new ones fly off the shelves
 
Kind Regards
 
Guy