Ryland Craze

Topsail yard lift blocks
I decided to install the lift blocks on the mast for the topsail yard as shown in the instruction booklet. 

Topsail yard lifts
The topsail yard lifts were installed similarly to the lower yard lifts by running the lines through the pulleys on the yard and mast and then brought down to a halliard near the bulwarks.


 
 Topsail yard parral
For the topsail yard parral I used some small jewelry beads for the parral beads and pieces of cardstock for the trucks.

Topsail yard tye
For the topsail yard tye I seized a hook to one end to attach to the eyebolt glued to the top of the topsail yard.  The line was threaded through a hole I drilled (very carefully) through the mast just below the lower stop.  The line was then brought down and belayed to the bitts at the deck.

Topmast yard braces
The topmast yard braces were installed per the instructions taking the line aft, through the inner sheave of the double block on the main mast cap and down to belay at the bitts below.

Topgallant yard parral
For the topgallant yard parral I used some thinner back line.

Topgallant yard tye
The topgallant yard tye was done similar to the topsail yard tye.  A hole was drilled again very carefully through the mast just below the upper stop.  The line was belayed to the bitts on the deck.

Topgallant yard lift blocks and lifts
The topgallant yard lift blocks were installed per the instructions.  The lifts were run from the yard through the blocks on the mast and tied off to cleats installed on the shroud. 


Topgallant yard braces
The braces were installed as per the instruction the line running aft to the outer sheaves in the double block at the main mast cap then down to belay at the bitts.

 

I believe the 15C was the successor to the 11C. The accounting version was and still is the 12C -- it's popular with real estate agents because of its amortization capabilities. My dad taught electronics at a junior college and had put himself through college working at HP. He kept in touch with them over the years, and every year the top student in his program was awarded an example of the latest and greatest HP calculator.

The jibboom, gaff, boom and striker were all sanded down according to the plans as were all the yards.  Eyebolts and card stock were added where called for.  All the pieces were stained and the mast heads were painted white. 

I also made up two mast coats for the masts by cutting out little wooden donuts and then covering them with cloth from an old handkerchief, painted black to simulate tar.

Blocks were added to the main mast.

The traveler with its block was also added.

The instructions mention that the looks of the blocks can be improved by filing the corners off making them more oval shaped.  Sounds kind of hard for big fingers especially for those 3/32" blocks so I thought I would share how I do it.  I have a small can that is lined with 180 grit sand paper.

Into the can goes a wooden spool that I have attached four pieces of 220 grit sandpaper and a threaded rod.

  The blocks are placed inside the can, the top is put on and I spin it with an electric drill.  You need to play around with it to know how long to go for but don't spin them too long or you'll end up with a pile of sawdust.

 
 
 
 

She has her teeth!
After installing the gun ports lids the cannons were added.  I had the same problem as rcmdrvr had in his build that the cannons were too high for the port openings.  I used a suggestion made by Snug Harbor Johnny in rcmdrvr's build to file down the carriage bottoms and the carriage wheels in order to gain some room.  This worked out well and you can hardly notice the flattened wheels with the guns on deck.

I had some 2mm blocks left over from another build so I decided that I would add the out haul rigging.  

Rope coils were made to be added later.

I also decided on this build that I would show the in haul rigging as well.
Aft cannons

 
Forward cannons

All her teeth

 
 

Bowsprit & bowsprit cap:
I shaped and fitted the bowsprit as called for in the instructions along with the bowsprit cap.  The card bands and gammoning strap were added. I chose to paint the bands black instead of white as shown in the instructions.  I like the contrast and how they show up better.

Bobstays:
The two bobstay chains were added.

Bow fairlead:
Things were going along well until I got to this step.  As you can see in the picture below my two attempts at bending this piece ended up in failure.  The two pieces were both soaked AND steamed but they still broke as I tried to bend them around the 1/8" dowel.  I do believe however that the way the pieces are positioned on the wood sheet makes them almost impossible the bend without breaking. The piece is layout so you are bending it along the grain instead of across the grain (if that make sense).  I made my own piece so the bend was across the grain and I had no problem bending it.

Fairlead painted and installed.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My next task was to install the eyebolts for the gun tackle into the bulwarks.  I wanted to make sure that I positioned them correctly so I decided to assemble the gun carriages first.  After assembling the carriages I decided that I might as well complete the assembly by adding the cannons.  I was a little dishearten by the size of the cannons, as I think most of the people working on this kit are, because they just look to big for the ship.  I did a little research, and I do mean little, and I found that the overall length of the 9" Dahlgren gun is 131" (10'-11") and the 4" Naval Parrott rifle is 102" (8'-6").  Tables below.


Using my trusty engineer's scale (please excuse it's rough shape) I scaled the cannons and found that at 1/8" to the foot, they are in fact very close to the actual dimensions.  This made me feel better using these cannons and not having to purchase new ones.
 
Dahlgren gun

Parrott rifle

Cannons cleaned up, and the cannons I received the barrels were not bored out so I drilled the ends of each one.

Completed gun carriages.  It's hard to see but I did add the elevating screw at the rear of each Dahlgren gun.

I also found a nice picture of the Marsilly carriage that I used for reference.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I have completed my Harriet Lane model.  I have to apologize, however, that my photo taking and postings to this build have been somewhat ignored in the process.  I want to thank Cathead for his rigging suggestions.  I spent some time on this site reading other postings and builds that focused on rigging.  I learned quite abit.  As I read, the plans and rigging views provided with the kit began to make more sense.  Where possible I did some re-rigging and I think I managed to get most of the standing rigging where it belongs.  Looking at the completed model, it is not a museum piece but it will be a nice addition to my shop.  I will continue to follow SalD's build because he is taking a more meticulous approach to the model that I admire and will use in the future.  Finally, I want to thank the designer of this kit.  It is a fairly complex build; but, for the most part, the plans and instructions lead the builder thru the process without too much difficulty.  I very much like the photographic approach in the instructions; I would recommend even more.  If any of the readers have wanted a model of an early steamer; this would be a nice addition.
 
I have to decide on my next project.  I have a few kits of various sailing vessels sitting around; but I think I would like to try a model of a more modern ship.  Looking at some of Bluejacket's offerings of WWII ships.  Any suggestions.
 
Thanks to all that read and commented on this build.  Here are photos of the completed model:
 

Well again, a few weeks have passed since my last post.  During that time I have worked on the masts and rigging.  In my last post I mentioned that the material for the masts are cut from the basswood sheets and then sanded round.  I kind of cheated.  I fashioned the lower portion of each mast from dowelling purchased from the local hardware store and then, using a drill motor and sandpaper, I tapered the dowels so they pretty much matched the dimensions on the plans.  The other sections of the masts were fashioned from the provided material.   Turning tapered square pieces into tapered round pieces actually was easier than I thought.  First, I built a jig to hold the square pieces on edge.  The edge was then flattened by sanding and then the piece was rotated 90 degrees.  Four rotations and you have a tapered octagon stick.  Next I sanded lightly while rolling the octagon stick on my work table.  Soon you have a tapered round stick you can use for a mast section.  You do have to be careful when rolling and sanding because it is easy to end up with an elliptical stick (I know).  Since all the mast pieces were made from light woods; I opted for painting.  A coat of primer; light sanding and then a few color coats completed the masts.  I then epoxied the lower sections of each mast into their appropriate locations on the deck.
 
Next comes rigging.  The first step is constructing the chains and dead eyes.  The chains are photo ech brass.  I purchased some blackening agent and soaked the pieces for about 15 minutes.  I then epoxied the deadeyes into the "slot" on the chains.   I followed the instructions to affix the chains to the hull.  I did, however, have to touchup the chains with black paint as much of the blacken surface rubbed off.  Next came the shrouds.  Again I followed the instructions.  I did build a jig from music wire which I used to maintain the same spacing between each dead eye in the chain and the dead eye in the shroud.  Look at the side view of the model provided in the plans when working on this task.  Most of the shrouds are secured around the top of the lower section of the mast; but a few are secured around higher sections.  I didn't discover this until I had mislocated a few and had to undue my handywork.
 
With the shrouds in place I am now working the the rigging.  The best way to describe my efforts is  I AM LOST.  I find the written directions difficult to follow so I am using the side view on the plans and the photos on the box to get thru this task.  I am sure I have rigging running to places that rigging is not supposed to go and I am sure that I am not using the correct attachments; but, it looks pretty authentic to some who knows little about sailing ships.  I have a lot to learn about how to rig a model.
 
Here are a few more images of the build.

I have not posted for a few days but work has continued.  I spent quite several nights filling holes and cracks and sanding the hull.  After the first round of filling and sanding; I applied a clear, acrylic sealer and let it dry.  This seemed to "stiffen" the hull planks and make it easier to fill the smaller cracks and holes.  Next I primed the hull, gave it a final sanding with 320 grit and marked the waterline.  While I admire the copper bottom that SalD applied; I decided to go with a hull red paint that was included with the kit combo package from Model Expo.  I carefully masked off the water line using Tamiya flexible masking tape and brushed on the Model Expo paint.  It is quite "creamy" but I decided not to thin.  It went on smoothly and flowed well.  I was happy with the finish.  I also primed and gave a single coat of white to the inner bulwarks and then stopped.   I decided that I would wait until the decking was installed before completing painting the bulwarks.
     Next came construction of the exterior hull pieces that will make up the lower and upper paddlewheels.  For the first time I ran into some difficulty with understanding the instruction booklet.  I came up with a few questions regarding positioning of various parts that the photos just did not do justice.  I looked at the build logs of a couple of Harriet Lanes in this forum and they were quite helpful.  Being able to look at other builds of your current build is a HUGE help.   I also deviated from the recommended paint scheme of the lower paddlewheels.  The booklet and kit photos call for the entire structure to be painted black.  I decided to paint the wheels red and the paddles brown to simulate a natural wood finish.  Not scale; but I like the way the paddlewheels stand out from the hull.
     With the lower paddlewheels installed; I began work on the deck.  This task was both easier and more difficult that I expected.  A lot of very careful fitting and shaving is required.  This was the first time I ran into a kit piece that did not fit well.  I wish Model Shipways had made the decking pieces a bit oversized and let me do the fitting.  Once the decking was installed I ran a strip at the bottom of the bulwarks to "hide" the gaps that had appeared.  Not perfect; but I am satisfied.  The last step was to give the bulwarks a final sanding and then several coats of white paint.  Quite a bit of masking is required.
     I have kind of hit a milestone.  The hull and main decking is complete.  From here forward most everything else I build will be built above the deck.
 

Work continues.  Thought I would post a few photos of the planking process.  The planking in this kit is laser cut on 1/32" sheet.  This really cuts down on the cutting, fitting and shaping.  Each strake (there are 10) consists of 3 pieces (fore, aft and center).  Generally the fore and aft pieces require soaking in water before fitting on the hull.  I used a 1" diameter PVC pipe, plugged at one end, tipped on end (vertical) and filled with water.   Just drop each planking piece into the tube to soak.  Worked well.  I soaked the fore and aft pieces for about 10 minutes before fitting and gluing to the hull.  I used CA for the adhesive.  I did have a bit of trouble with the some of the planking bowing between the frames.  I tried steaming or adding a reinforcing piece behind the bows.  This worked most of the time but there are still areas that are slightly bowed.  Hopefully this will not be too conspicuous.
 
The next step was to cover the planked hull with spackling paste and sand, sand, sand.  I used spackling paste because it is inexpensive and sands easily.  Next step, plank the inner bulwark.  This went very easily until I reached the stern where the curve is quite severe.  The provided pieces (again, 1/32" sheet) were soaked about 20 minutes and then carefully bent around the curve.  I did not use heat, just slow bending by pressing the pieces against the bulwark.  Some triming at each end was required.  I cemented these pieces by brushing alphic resin (wood glue) on the piece.
 
  The following photos are of the hull during the planking process, the first round of spacking and sanding and fitting of the inner bulwark planking:
 
 

I have completed my Moncongus Bay Lobster Smack and my Harriet Lane kit has arrived.  I guess it is time to get started on a new build.  The Harriet Lane has been a model I have eyed for quite awhile.  Model Shipways had a small solid hull model of the Harriet years ago but it somehow disappeared before I could acquire it.  The period when ships were evolving from wood and sail to metal and steam power has always intrigued me; so this should be an interesting build.  I do not plan to provide tons of photos and detailed descriptions of my build.  I will leave that for the more expert modellers and photographers.  I will try to provide photos of my progress and comments regarding the build as it relates to a modeller of my skill level.  This is advertised as an "advanced" kit and I am not an "advanced" builder; so I expect I will make a few (if not a lot) of screw-ups along the way.  Hopefully, I will learn a few things and maybe alert other modellers of pitfalls.
 
The kit came in a the familiar blue box and contained what looks to be a comprehensive instruction booklet and several plan sheets.  All the wood was in good condition and there were no obvious warps, cracks or other defects.  The laser cutting looks excellent.  Of course the model begins with building the hull skeleton by gluing bulkheads to a center spine.  The instructions do an excellent job of guiding the builder through this process.  I dry fitted everything as I progressed.  Only a little sanding was required to get tight fits.  When positioning a bulkhead for gluing; I used lego blocks.  They work great to help you align your parts.  I tacked parts in place with CA and then went back over the structure with wood glue.  All-in-all a couple of very enjoyable evenings with this model.
 
A few more parts and I will begin the process of fairing the bulkheads.....a task I find intimidating.
 
 

I rolled divots with a modified (hand filed) pattern wheel to represent steel hull plates on a project (over existing paint), and they looked OK after a re-painting.

 
  Someone on MSW recently used wheels from a dermal roller to make tiny divots in a copper bottomed model.  I suspect that a combination of light ruled horizontal scribe lines (with vertical divisions), followed by the dermal roller done over the base coat, would 'telegraph' through the final coat enough to resemble laboriously applied copper plates ... with random tacks in the the plates themselves.

 

Oh this is going to be fun, thanks @Literalman for  this, we are having  fun. So this will be my version of  the USCG Harriet  Lane,  thank moderators for changing the name. 


Stev had started  the ship and has drawn  the water line, and drilled the port holes.

The plan just says make up the wheel box and wheel house and put them on the ship. Little else in the way of help, but thats the beauty of modeling,  and this will be another  beautiful ship. I feel it. Lol.

I was going to buy copper  plates for the hull , but due to economic reasons,  paint it is. 


I  going to modify the working stand from my La Nina build to the stand for the HL.

Taking advantage of Steve's water line I brushed the copper  and the black free hand, I will straighten them out on the final coat. 

I  well have to let this dry up over night , before I start cutting holes in her. Lol.
About the research,  I was having  to much  fun to do any , tomorrow  for sure , research  lol
 Knocklouder 😁 
 

If it hasn't been said already, make sure your child is actually interested in models. I had a keen interest in all things military at a very young age, and modeling was a natural outlet back in the days before video games and the internet. Many years later, I tried to get my son interested in model building and even bought him some pretty nice kits - beginner stuff, but nice. He never built them. He was far more interested in Call of Duty and such. Just make sure you're not on a fool's errand.

Lucky No Pirates and but  No sight of land and adventure end. Maybe tomorrow if all goes well. Today we did rig the lanyards. Hopefully we will spot land tomorrow or whenever. 
Best to all adventure followers Rick

A few more planks added...

I recently acquired this kit. If you attend a swap meet and see one for sale, grab it. Truly outstanding kit. The model is based on a wrecker that operates from my hometown in Tampa, Fl. 

An update on progress. Lots left to do. I need a larger garage. 😀

Steve, Francios, John, Craig, Rick, ERS, Roel and Gak - thank you for your supportive comments and also thanks to everyone for the likes.
 
I am trying to get ahead before Christmas impinges on workshop time. This year will be the first Christmas without our daughter at home - not bad going seeing as she is now unbelievably 41. She pointed out recently that it was about time that I stopped holding her hand when she was crossing the road, I felt a bit stupid because I never noticed that I hadn't stopped doing it. We are not at home for Christmas - the grandchildren are now 6 and 2 and their parents have decided it is time to break with their practice of alternating Christmas's between grandparents, they are staying at home. It is our turn for Christmas day with them and we are on child care duties as of the 21st Dec. 
 
Anyway - recent progress:-
 
I need to finish off a few bits of internal detail in the owners cabin. The portholes were the major outstanding parts.
 
The bolted flange of the porthole is the most obvious feature. It is painted white to match the internal finish of the room. I made all the flanges that I needed in one go - 20 in all. I made the flanges from 1/32" plasti-card cut from sheet.

I then drilled each piece to form the bores of the flanges. These were all mounted on turned spigot of dowel with double sided tape holding them together. A hollow section of dowel was then used to compress and retain the pieces, the compression being provided via the tailstock.

The flanges were then cut to size on the lathe.

The assembly was then taken off the lathe and the flange holes were drilled on the mill using a rotary table.

The finished flanges were then separated using white spirit.

I then fitted the rivets (brass pin heads) to one flange and made a simulated hinge from a pin and bits of brass tube.

Simplified lugs for the closures were made from plasti-card followed by assembly.

Having made one I proceeded with another 9. The other 10 will be left for later.


At this stage I also made the bedside wall mounted light - among the portholes in the next photo.

The portholes are actually mounted in recesses in the walls but this was a a detail that I thought I could do without.

I haven't made the chairs yet - something to worry about later. 
 
I am planning to move on to the aft guest cabin. Like the owners cabin it has a glazed deck hatch above it. It is a much tighter space and given its position closer to the stern is quite a complex shape. It could prove to be an interesting test.
 
Hopefully one more update before Christmas.
 
 
 
 

Made some more progress

Quick update that got me through painting of the hull. 
 
First I completed touch up of the stain and Grey on the inside. Highly recommend folks write down what color paint they used before they out it away and have to find it later. 

 
Then we primed the hull then filled the low spots and sanded down the high spots. Primed again and repeated the process. 

 

 
I haven't done much other work for the moment but I have done some of the pot metal items seam clean up.