Ryland Craze

G'day Roman, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'.
 
John

Welcome to the board and to the hobby. Myself started a couple of years back. Experienced with figurines and styrene models. Wood models was new to me, start small. Vanguard has interesting fishing boats.

Just an hour and half drive down the I-5 a warm welcome to MSW!

and welcome to MSW 

This is great information, Kurt! Thanks for sharing!  I'm a new shipbuilder, currently working on my 4th ship, the Bluenose, and have considered learning how to do airbrushing for this model rather than the ol' paint brush method in the past.  The Badger website also has a link to a YouTube video with Ken Scholtfeldt explaining all about airbrushing parts and what to look for with various applications.  It's long but pretty interesting! Introduction to Airbrushing with Ken Schlotfeldt - YouTube. 
 

Hi All,
 
I was eying the Essex of Model Shipways and like the look of the subject and finished model.  However, noticing the paucity of build logs I searched a little deeper and keep seeing the mention of "issues" that may or may not have been resolved around 2015, but I have not found much in the way of specifics.  Does anyone have any idea the nature and severity of these issues?   I think I am reasonably capable of adapting to minor fit issues and the like but if it's something fundamental that will throw the whole thing off, I don't want to waste months of my time.
 
Edit:  I should have mentioned that I'm aware of the mismatch of some of the hull lines with some of the plans and perhaps exact historical accuracy.  I know that's important to many here, but at this stage it's not really my concern, as long as the thing can be built.  I'm more concerned about something so badly designed that it causes major fit issues weeks down the road with other parts.
 
Thanks!

Bulwark Stanchions and Dressings and More:
 
This part of the build seemed to go much better with no major problems but plenty of screw ups.  After measuring and marking where the stanchions would go, I cut and shaped the walnut pieces and glued them stern to stem. 
 

 

 

 

 
After cutting the die-cut pieces out, which would have been much easier on a scroll saw but I don’t have one so I used a saw blade on my exacto to hack through the plywood.  The transom support would give me trouble because the part I cut out was way too long to fit my ship. I had to cut it and take out about 3mm from the middle and glue it back together to make it fit.  It was tricky but after a couple of days, I finally got them to fit.  Belaying pin rack would go in next after some shaping.  Next the seats went in and a couple of cleat boards up front, still not sure what these are for but sure I will find out soon I hope. 
 

 

 

 
These two stern transom supports had to shortened to fit which meant cutting some out of the middle of them and gluing the two pieces back together. It was very challenging to make them look right.
 

 

 

 

 
The instructions then had me start poking holes in my ship that was nerve wracking. After drilling holes where the scuppers would be, I used needle files to shape the openings.  Turns out later I would be putting guns in where the stern most scupper was located and would have to fill back in the material removed for the scupper to complete the gunport covers. Oh well, another lesson learned to lack of planning.
The instructions then led me astray again, and this one still bugs me.  They had me drill through the stern and glue in the brass rudder ring which upon researching, actually should be attached to the top of the rudder,  not glued to the ship.  That will give me a rough time later when I get to the rudder.
 

 

 

 

 
The bowsprit hole was drilled next but would have to be further filed and drilled later when fitting the bowsprit for its exact location and angle.  That railing on the bow will have to be customized later after realizing it was too thin with the cut-water reinforcements installed.
 

 
Using the same jig and ammonia I bent the deck stringers on, I bent and installed the top rails.  I ended up adding slivers to widen the rails where needed to clear the width of the bow and across the stern.  That was tedious but I felt necessary.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next I shaped and bent the Cut-water reinforcements to the bow.  The fenders had to butt up nicely to these so I had shape and bend them to fit the curve. 
 

 

 

 

 
I had to splice two pieces to make the starboard fender, not sure how I ended up without a full hull-length fender but I did.  Too bad the color was so different but all I had since I couldn't find my plank-stretcher. lol

 
The hull is basically complete now.  This gets us up to Jan, 11th, 2023.  Next comes mooring bits, my anchor disaster and the battle with the rudder.  Thanks for reading! Until next time, cheers!

Ben,
 
Thank you for the information.  I'm not doing any rigging presently, but I will try these techniques.  
 
Tom

With this particular polyester, you will find glues of all types will soak into the fibers as long as they are thinned enough. This includes PVA, Clear nail polish, CA, and even Shellac. As long as the glue is thin or has some type of solvent or alcohol it should work. 
 
I've done tests with PVA and found 60/40 Water/PVA will hold really well. Using PVA for holding a shape in the line will take a few coats and some fiddling.
 
I've tried my wife's clear nail polish and found it will hold a knot really well. The only problem is it will leave a shiny spot.
 
The best glue for this rope is thin CA. It doesn't make it brittle and if you are light enough with the application it won't discolor the rope either. It goes right into the core of the rope and makes impossibly strong knots and seizings. I've managed to use thin CA for shaping curves in rope, it's tricky but can be done with the right applicator. Bob Smith Industries line of CA is what I would recommend for this job. It's high-quality CA that doesn't leave that awful white residue. 
 
I bought some shellac from Home Depot to test it out of knots. It soaked right into the Poly rope and held about as well as PVA. It left a bit of yellowing. I have not tried buying shellac flakes and dissolving them, so I don't know how well that would work or how much discoloring there would be.
 
That covers everything I've tried so far.

Polyester lays up beautifully.  However, several of the rigging techniques involve white glue (such as making fake splices and securing knots, seizings and strops).  I also use white glue for getting the catenary droop in foot ropes and loose running rigging.  Is there a way for me to get that with polyester line as white glue doesn't soak into it like cotton or cotton covered polyester?
 
Tom 

Well very slow process,  I have all the yardarms done and put away. Been having  a hard time deciding how I wanted the ship to look. I decided  to leave the plates brass because of the dark stain  of the wood.
 Plus trying to make a plan for rigging.  So between  the plan and my Neanderthal writing this is what I came up with. Started the deadeyes,  first of 20 on this side done . I used a line to  install the plates, messered  and lined  it up,drill little  pilot holes for the nails. Hope they line up lol. 
 So I will be working on shrouds for awhile ,but I have the ratlines to look forward to can't wait lol 99 ratlines on the wall  Sea you      

Warm welcome from along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Michael. Beautiful model!.

Hello Michael, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'.
 
John

Welcome to MSW, Michael.  Do consider a build log in the scratch area.  Sounds like a great project.

Welcome to MSW Michael from North Yorkshire  
That is a great model, especially at that scale! 

Michael, welcome to MSW. Fantastic model. Glad to have you aboard. 

Greetings Michael! Welcome to the forum! Nice work! 👍😀

Welcome aboard, Michael! That's a fine model there.

Michael, welcome to MSW 

As a teenager, I used to make model ships. One even won 3rd prize in a Model Engineer exhibition in London, though it looks very crude these days. Then a few years into retirement (now aged 80), I thought I’d try again, and so far have made models of HMS Sphinx, Winsby (later renamed Happy Return), RMS Britannia, and a late Elizabethan galleon based on the well-known Mathew Baker drawing. The present project is HMS Agamemnon. Not a kit (I've never made a kit model), and quite small at a scale of 1:150, as there's no room in the house for anything big. And the scale adds to the challenges. I'm attaching a photo of Winsby, which has a keel length of about 12 inches.