Ryland Craze

Here is a ‘go-to’ book I’ve used for years: Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson. Go to Amazon; Kindle edition:$12.; Hardcover: $35. & Softcover= $80!!
This book’s strength is in the myriad of detailed visuals and extensive treatment for typical era square-rigged ships, including sail plans. The Lees book is also helpful, and I do refer to it; however, it is not essential for most modelers.
Good Luck. You can do it!
 
https://www.amazon.com/Rigging-Period-Models-Step-Step/dp/1848321023/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32OZM53EG8N00&keywords=lennarth+petersson&qid=1678820704&sprefix=Lennarth%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1
 
 

Wonderful model and I think you will enjoy Cheerful.  In many respects it is an easier build.  But just more stuff to do. I cant wait to followalong with your cheerful project.
 
 

Thank you guys for all of the compliments! They really mean a lot to me!
 
Here’s some thoughts about my experiences. First off, as someone who has built many r/c planes over 4 decades and having an aerospace background, I can say without hesitation that Chuck’s designs and methodology are superior. While I consider myself an accomplished builder, building Medway was a new challenge that I really enjoyed. Building ship models has a desire I’ve had for many years, and through Chuck and the many awesome builds here on MSW, I’m starting to realize that dream. 
 
As you guys know, Medway was my first attempt at this wonderful and sometimes frustrating hobby. After researching what to build first, Medway won out for many reasons. I found the build to be well thought out and in a logical sequence (not that I know what logical ship building is). One of the big lessons learned was patience! As Chuck and others preach, slow and steady is the path to success. The materials (AYC) supplied were great and produced beautiful results. The build pushed my skill base to learn more and develop skills that I didn’t know I had. This build was one of many firsts, and as expected, I made many mistakes, but that’s how we learn. Learning how to fair the hull, lining off the hull, shaping and bending planks with no more than heat was a real eye opening experience. Shaping square wood stock into parts that looked the part was very satisfying and rewarding. A new way of painting to produce brush stroke free results, making hooks and eyes and then blackening them was again, very satisfying. Making the mast, boom and other round parts was a process that I didn’t know about. While I made the mast too small in diameter and had to take a few steps backwards, in the end it worked out well. Making scrapers to shape moldings was fun and easy. But the most difficult part is the details needed for rigging. One of the reasons for choosing Medway was the limited rigging. There was just enough to learn some more skills and show me that I have a long way to go in this area. I’m glad that I choose the Medway for my first build and I’m impressed that I finished it. 
 
I’d like to thank Chuck for his efforts to help guys like me and for his input when needed. Rusty, Bobg, Ryland and a few others (whose names escape me), also provided help when needed, your build logs are very helpful (as all build logs are), amazing and inspiring!
 
If you couldn’t tell, I’m hooked on this aspect of modeling and in particular, Chuck’s offerings. To that end, Cheerful is now in the shipyard
and will be a slow build as I tend not to spend much time in the workshop during warm weather. I’ve started a build log for those interested, and as always, all comments and suggestions are very welcomed. Now to study those spectacular Cheerful logs!
 
Best Regards …. Rick

Hello Chris, 
First thought: what blade are you using?

I'll mention further that if you have a small clothes iron or electric plank bender, or even a hair drier, you can apply heat to the outside of the plank (taking care not to scorch it) while holding it in place. The heat will substantially accelerate the drying time of the PVA.

Yes I am bending the planks. I rarely use CA. I was trying to do to many planks at once

Slower glue or faster fingers? 
 
Seriously, thouigh, a bit of either or both would probably lessen the problem. The only other thing to do is work one bulkhead at a time, rather than trying to put glue on them all at once.

A problem I am having is gluing. By the time I get to one end of placing glue on the bulkheads the end I started on has dried more than I would like. I have been using Gorilla Wood Glue and a little bit of CA. Does anyone have any suggestions? Perhaps I need a glue that doesn't dry as fast

By only applying glue to a few bulkheads at a time, you almost eliminate the need for clamps.  Hold it in place with your fingers for a few minutes and you are good to go.  Apply the glue to the bulkhead with either a toothpick or a #11 Exacto blade.

Congratulations Rick on completing your Medway Longboat.  I have enjoyed following your build log.  You have a beautiful model that you will be proud to display.  I look forward to following your Cheerful build.

Front deck and risers installed. I don't know how you guys do the deck, but the only way I seem to be able to do them is to do the templet at the gunnel and sand down until it fits. If I try to do the templet where I want the deck, I just screw it up. 

I have inventoried all parts and, I am anxious to get started.  I have separated the three sections of the false keel and am working on the reference lines, bearding lines and rabbits.  I have noticed that the bottom of the stern section is 1/32 of an inch lower than the mid-section.  I am not sure whether it should be planed or sanded even with the mid-section or left alone.
 
I am nervous about carving the bearing lines and rabbit.  I will make sure all my reference lines are correct and begin tomorrow.
 
Joe

Thanks B.E.
I always wanted to make the Revell kit of Snowberry. It is just the right scale and somehow a ship you might of imagined when you were a kid and reading The Adventures of Tintin - I don't know how to otherwise describe that feeling but I love being in rough seas, the sound of the propellers and the groans of a ship at sea. Bluebell feels like a ship...I might track down the Revell model.
 
The anchor rig for Fly still baffles me but otherwise I think I have the next steps sorted out. I did a major clean out of my work space in the weekend - Fly plus everything else is in those overhead cupboards and I'm ready to get back into it.
 
Cheers,
A

Continued...
I wrapped the stern rail with a styrene strip and fixed the quarter badges. Started to fiddle with the brass friezes but i hate these parts and may delete them altogether - we'll see. If kept I'll rework the painting of them but they'll always look like planted on brass bits which annoy me...


Added the closed rear gun port. Not quite a match to the hull planking.

Next was the head works. I mixed kit parts with scratch - mostly scratch. Probably the most challenging element so far. I'll live with the outcome but vow to do better the next time I grapple with these geometries.

At this point I have already got the rails on but that's another story.



Not by best modelling work but I'll live with it.

Added the last piece of scroll work.

The rails were installed - this another defining build element. I used the kit parts with only minor alterations - they fit really well.


I think the kit calls for grated hatches for the scuttles - I think this is wrong. Here scuttles as solid hatches with eyebolts.

Sailor on the fore deck shouting. "Where are the masts?"

Lastly back then I played with the swivel cannons. I think the barrels are from Syren - I'll check that but pretty sure. The rest is scratched.
 

Compared to the kit offer...

Finally before I move along with the model some overall pictures:
 

Aft, fore rails  and various other parts not fitted in this one.

 
That'll do. That sort of shows where I got to and now I'll carry on. First up will be removing the build-up of dust. I was seriously lazy and just left the hull on a side table in my studio - it is very dirty. Very, very dirty.
 
Cheers,
Alistair 

Continued...
 
Stern transom decorations with quarter badges. I intend to improve these to make them look more like carved wood.

Installed. I'm jumping around as I can't remember the build sequence...I wasn't happy at this point with my 'F' for Fly placement and replaced it. The letters are gold Letraset.

Placed with the quarter badge.

Then closing out the forecastle.

The bitts and the crosstrees are a combo of scratch parts and modified kits parts. At the time I was asked about the rounded head rivets that i used on the gun carriages and the bitts. They are from www.scalehardware.com and are 0.7 mm rounded head rivets.

Lots of things here never to be seen again when the deck goes on. And on it goes with planking complete.

Added hatches and the stove flue. I ganged the hatches and flue together as I found keeping them as three separate elements was difficult and looked wrong to me. The flue is a very easy scratch with styrene tube, styrene baffle, brass rod and eyelets. The bitts need their rivets but are otherwise a hybrid of kit parts plus scratch.

Returning aft. I continued with other bits...

Scratched the rudder head housing - I will probably paint this red. It looks enormous but is just 7 mm high.

The gallows were an issue - the kit supplied version is slightly strange and I went with a scratch of the FFM version. Kit first followed by scratch. the camera is doing weird stuff with quarter deck planking...


Another break... 

Beautiful result, Rick!

Superb model. You can be proud of the result. It is really a very nice longboat !

You've built a beautiful longboat, Rick. Congratulations!

Thank you Ryland. I look forward to applying what I learned to the Norwegian Sailing Pram.
I'll get that started in the next day or so. 

Great progress so far!

Yes indeed,  that looks great Eric.
 
 

Looking very good Eric.
 
Tom

After a few other wanderings and adventures, I back at the bench. I have finally started to add some of the deck furniture to the deck! 

Along with new toys, work continues which includes the radar array, the aft masting and planes, planes, planes.    I tried adding PE to the given plastic mast, screwed things up, tried to use a lighter to clean up the glue.   Yes, this was a bad idea, before I knew it, the part was a cloud of plastic floating particles.  Somehow I knew I was going to building this part from brass because of the rigging I plan to do, so it just became a self-fulfilling prophecy.   To accomplish, I took the angles from the drawing, made a jig by sawing guide slots in the wood and soldered the part together.   Second attempt was better than the first which in below, it's the left most part that needs to be trimmed.    Otherwise, the Mogami has 13 planes, which I'm deciding on the final presentation which all had PE detail parts along with their related carriages.  Finished a good portion of the aft bridge and crane, however I did notice I had the hooks on backward.  In order to get these PE parts to sit right while the glue sets often requires, for me at least, to orient the part to allow gravity to assist, so to fix, the whole model had to be mounted upside down to fix the hooks.   Other wise, blue tack and patience is the order of the day!

 
 

Hello all,
 
All I can say is what I've heard in many places, photoetch is a love/hate relationship!   But!  To put more into the love bucket out of the hate bucket, I bought a new tool that I found in the circuit hobbyist section of Amazon, a digital microscope.   I wasn't sure how useful this tool was going to be but I had some Christmas money.  I'd say it's great for things like getting in close to line up your knife to the PE tabs when cutting out a part, bending certain individual pieces and lining up the seams with the bender tool, or to determine which side has the textured side.   General assembly seems to still prefer the headgear magnifiers hunched over two pairs of tweezers.     Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone who has trouble seeing this stuff!