davyboy

A little bit of progress this week.  I'm new at metal working, so it took some trial and error to figure out how I am going to make the backstay plates and chain plates.  One of the main issues to getting the ball rolling was figuring out how I was going to make these without the availability of 1/64" x 3/32" brass strip.  It would appear that K & S has discontinued nearly its entire line of brass strip, and I couldn't locate any of the size I needed in my internet search.  Many years ago I had bought a package of various sizes of 6" x 12" brass shim stock (used to shim the plates when molding parts in plastic injection molding machines so that they align correctly) just in case I ever needed sheet brass.  These sheets came in thickness of .001", .0015", .002", .003", .004", .005", .006", .007", .008", .010", .012", and .015".  The .015" thickness is the decimal measurement of 1/64".  So I have my material.  I used a pair of ancient tin snips I have in my toolbox to cut 3/32" wide strips off the sheet.  I then had to flatten the strips since they curled both along the face and the edge.  Next I filed the sharp edges flat.  Then used flat pliers to eliminate the lengthwise cupping caused in cutting the strips off the sheet.  Now that I had my self-made strips ready, I then shaped the backstay plates following Chuck's instructions in his monograph.  Since the strips I created were rough and with blemishes, I polished the finished backstay plates with a fine file after shaping was complete, just because I'm a perfectionist, and that's how I roll!  Yes, I know they'll be painted black.  Haha.
 
Erik

Limber strakes
I guess these strakes are for the most part hidden. Still, having never made them before I decided to give these a try. I used the plan drawings as usual for the templates. Rather than shape them exactly to the template, I left some wiggle room in case adjustments where needed. The rabbet on the inside edge was cut with a simple scraper made from a hacksaw blade.
 
After adding the center section, I proceeded to add the fore and aft sections while trying to maintain as smooth a run along the outer edge of the strakes as possible. Both the aft and fore sections have a twist which needs to be taken into account one way or another. I was able to twist the aft section with wet heat and hold it in position while the slow drying CA set. I couldn't get enough twist in the fore section. If these were made from AYC rather than boxwood, it wouldn't have been a problem. Rather than torture myself, I went with some very expensive and exotic tools in order to give me a helping hand.

Mike

Hello Everybody,
 
just a small update on the construction of the Quarter-Gallery.
I started with the horizontal frames of the construction and added the lower front-panel.

 

 

 

 

 

Having glued everything to the model, always checking the plans, I added the vertical parts and the seat of ease.
The corner, where the Quarter-Gallery touches the stern gallery is not correct yet. I think now it must be round and not flat. I will overwork that next. It is hard to see this on the plans or on the contemporary model, because it is almost completely covered with the sculpture of the two-tailed merman.
 


 

 

 
Matthias

Hello everyone,
The planking work on the hull segment is now almost complete. All the visible planks have also been nailed and the black surfaces such as the whales and bulwarks have been painted.
 

 

 

 

 
The template shows the position of the quartergallery and will later be used to precisely position the horizontal sections of the QG. The sets of drawings from the Danish National Archives are very accurately drawn. There are hardly any contradictions between the actual construction plans and the ornamental drawings. This is very helpful.
 

 
Here are the prepared parts for the next construction stages
 

 
The prospectus for the lower gallery windows follows next. It is moulded in advance with moisture and heat.



The first structural elements of the quartergalleries now follow. The curved frame elements form the horizontal structure. On top there will be the fancy moldings. These are curved and also jump back and forth in several positions. That will be fun. The surfaces up to the windows are closed in line with the shape and are later subdivided into individual fields, which are filled with ornamental carvings. The overall composition is very much the French Baroque style and differs a lot from englisch ships of comparable size and age.
 



Matthias

Main Topsail Mast Shrouds
Despite suffering with a bad case of manflu I have bravely continued with working on the Indy build. Over the last couple of days I added the main topsail mast shrouds and ratlines. I used the same method as detailed in my fore mast topsail post(s) and I am reasonably happy with the end result.
 

Next up will be adding the shrouds and ratlines to the mizzen topsail mast. I will have very limited time in the shipyard over the next few days due to grandparenting duties.

The axle goes through from side to side and should be flush with them.
 
I am not sure when this was instroduced, but sometime during the 19th century the bearing area was reinforced by diamond-shaped brass plaques that were recessed into the side (cheeks) of the blocks.
 
If the blocks were externally strapped with iron bands, these bands became the bearing surfaces.
 
Around the middle of the 19th century internally strapped blocks were introduced, where the wood just became a shell to prevent the metal from chafing rigging and sails. Internally strapped blocks have a higher load-bearing capacity than externally strapped ones, because the axles are supported right next to the sheaves.
 
In the course of the 19th century it also became less common for blocks to be made from single chunks of wood, but were built up from layers that were rivetted together using metal rivets. This made their mass production simpler, because no specialised machinery was needed. In 1802 the RN had adopted the complex block-making machinery invented by Brunel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Block_Mills). Some of the machines are preserved in the NMM and the Science Museum in London. They are the first examples of curve-controlled production machinery. 

Post One Hundred and Fifty- nine.
 
Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part Two)
Freed from its building frame and the centres removed the process of fitting out can begin.
 
I have always been amazed that twisting away the mdf centres leaves the hull intact with little trace of their removal….
But not this time; - the planking partly disassembled, requiring careful re-fitting and use of diluted pva on the inside to stabilise the hull.
How this will impact on the build remains to be seen, but it may be necessary to paint the inner bulwarks.

4008
I made a Styrene foam cradle to support the hull whilst attempting to clean up the inside.
I used a combination of micro chisels, pen sander, and sheets to remove the glue adhesions and rough surfaces.
This is quite a fraught operation and needed careful handling.
 
I take notice of where areas will be covered by the footwaling, fore deck, benches and thwarts, and make pragmatic decisions how far to take the cleaning up in these areas, against risk of further damage.

4007
I wasn’t too keen on the set-up at the stern, so I installed a stern post.
I dislike the brass etched rudder facings, supplied with these kits, convenient as they may be. The wooden rudder core was faced with 0.6mm pear and then sanded down to shape.
 
The hanging arrangement will be modified to reflect the true set-up.

4020
Unlike my previous experience of Vanguard boats the Pinnace has Pearwood gratings and footwaling which I like. More convenient and natural looking than the brass etched versions which require painting and sticking with ca.
 
At this stage there are a few additions one can make to the boats to add realism.
Lifting ringbolts to the footwaling, and mast steps as shown in the above photo.

4016
I divert from the kit when it comes to fitting the thwart supports, I leave them extended to the stern to support the sternsheet benches.

4017
The benches are provided as a unit including the aftermost thwart.
 

4025
I prefer to cut this away, modify the benches and add the thwart as a separate item.
I have added a panel below the aft seat which will double up as a compartment.
 
When it comes to the cox’n seat there is a slight issue; a grating is provided, but it sits far too high to be a practical  platform for the Cox’n ‘s feet.

4032
It is prevented going lower by a ledge forming part of the keel set-up. Careful paring away of this incumbrance allows the grating to sit at a more realistic level.
A minor point maybe but the detail devil in me wouldn’t let it go.

4037
The bow platform comes as a pre-cut item which wasn’t a good fit on my build no doubt because of my failings. Fortunately, there is plenty of fret to re-make these items.

4028
Still very much w-i-p and a lot yet to do.
 
 
B.E.
21/03/2024

 

Last week I purchased the Ultimation Slicer and Sander with the Repeater attachment.   I got a little carried away and posted a mini review on the “What Did You Receive Today” forum. I thought I would post a more complete review of the tools here.  These items can be purchased individually, but I purchased them as a package deal. 
 

 
The Slicer is a well built tool.  The base is built from 1/8 inch thick steel.  The base has a black powder coated finish that should wear well over time.  It is designed in a way that it can be easily clamped to a workbench and is equipped with holes to allow it to be permanently mounted to a work bench.   
 
 
The foot print of the Slicer is about 7 inches wide 12 inches deep without the extension for the stop installed.  It weighs about 2.5 pounds.  If the extension for the stop is installed, it adds about 7 inches to the width. The extension for the stop can be installed on the right or left side of the Slicer.  


 

 

 
The cutting blade is a single bevel blade that is used for carpet trimming. Ultimation provided 10 replacement blades with the slicer and they sell replacements at a very reasonable price, but shipping can be expensive.  I really appreciate that they also provide the manufacturer and part number of the blade so you can source them yourself if you choose.
 

 

 
There is also a small round cutting mat that appears to be cut from a self healing cutting mat.  These can be flipped over if one side has excessive wear and two are provided.   They sell replacement mats if you need them.   
 

 

 
The angle of the fence can be adjusted by loosening two knobs and then manually twisting the fence.   The base has the angles marked off in 1 degree increments.   
 

 
The extension with the stop can be added fairly easily.   You need to remove the fence from the base by removing the bolts that the two knobs are threaded on to.  The stop can then be attached to the fence with two screws through the bottom of the fence. The screws are short and the hardest part is getting them started.
 

 
 
When the fence is removed the cutter handle is lifted all the way back exposing the blade.   The instructions say to put a piece of tape over the cutting edge while this is being done for safety.  You definitely want to do this.  These blades are very sharp. Sharper than a standard utility knife blade.  


 
When you make a cut with the Slicer you want to initially make a cut that leaves the piece slightly longer than your final length, then your Final Cut should just shave off 1 mm or so and you will get a great result.  I believe you will get a better result if you position your part so your waste is on the side of the blade with the bevel. Keep that in mind when installing the stop.  The cuts I am showing are in 2mm x 5mm Lime Wood that was left over from a previous build.   


 

 

 

 
In the short time I have used the slicer, I have not felt the need to clamp it to my work bench.  I think the weight of the slicer helps keep it in place while using it.   I have seen YouTube videos of people using it on wood that appears to be about 1/4 inch thick.  I have not tried cutting anything that thick yet.   Before I purchased the Slicer, I reached out to Ultimation about whether it could be used on thin copper for plating a hull and they sent me a link to Olha Batchvarov’s YouTube channel were you can find a video of her using it for exactly that.  
 
I am very happy with the Slicer and am looking forward to years of use from this tool.  
 
The Sander is also very well built.   The base is made out of the same 1/8 inch steel.  In the Sander’s case it has a red powder coat finish.  The base is designed to be easily be clamped to a work bench or permanently mounted.
 
  
 
The Sander’s foot print is about 7 inches wide and 6 inches deep.  The repeater will add up to 8 inches to the depth when installed.   My small kitchen scale only goes to 5 pounds and the Sander exceeded that, so I don’t know the exact weight, but it is more than 5 pounds.  
 

 

 
The spindle that the holds the sanding disk turns very smooth.   The sealed bearings appear to be a very high quality.  I do not own a runout gauge, but there appears to be no visible runout on the disk.   There is no  unwanted play in the spindle at all.  
 
The Sander is shipped without the handle installed to save space, but it is ready to go from the box other than that. 
 
The top table is made of aluminum along with the guide.  The markings on the guide are in one degree increments.  There are no positive stops on the sander, but given the compact size that may have been difficult to successfully engineer into the product.   In my use so far I haven’t had any trouble getting the guide set to the desired angle.  There is a small ledge at the opposite end of the disk from the guide that can be used as a fixed 90 degree guide for small pieces. 
 

 

 

 
The table is mounted to a hinged plate that can be opened reveals an adjusting knob. This allows the top table to be slid left or right about 3/4 of an inch for the purpose of allowing more even wear on the sand paper.   It also allows for easily cleaning out the sawdust created during use.  
 

 

 
There is also a small set screw on the back that allows the distance between the disk and the table to be adjusted. I have not played with this feature, so I don’t know how easy it is to adjust. 
 

 
The guide is adjusted by simply loosening the knob on top.   
 

 
Ultimation recommends 120 grit automotive grade adhesive disks, and the unit ships with one already installed.  They prefer the automotive grade because they say the adhesive works better and doesn’t leave residue when they are removed.  Because the sanding disks are readily available, Ultimation does not resell them.  They provide two manufacturers and part numbers that they say work well, so you can source them yourself.  They say the disks should have a long life due to the fact that heat is one of the enemies of sandpaper and due to the low RPM’s of the hand operated disk very little heat is generated. 
 
The repeater is a device that utilizes a spring loaded pusher that can allow the Sander to consistently reproduce parts to the same length.  To install the Repeater, you need to remove the locking nut under the table, then the adjusting knob and the retaining screw from the guide, then the Repeater fits into the same spot as the guide.  
 



 
The sander will leave a burr on the bottom of the material being sanded. I have watched YouTube videos of others using the Sander and if you briefly reverse the direction of the disk this burr is mostly removed.  I found It easier the use a sharp hobby knife to remove the material.  The amount of material left seems less with harder woods.
 

 

 
 
Here is a small example of three pieces made with the repeater. They came out uniform in size and with consistent angles.  
 

 

 
On my current build I have started the rigging, so not a lot of work left that requires these tools.  I did have the mizzen top left to build and I used Ultimation tools for the braces on the top surface of the top.  I apologize, if braces is not the correct term for these features. I used the Sander to add the bevel to a 2mm x 2mm piece of Sapelli.   I set the guide to 7 degrees.  The end of the piece eventually was thin enough to fit between the disk and the table so I went very slowly. 


 

 
I then used the Slicer and Sander to get the angles right at each end of the piece.   I freehand this step after marking the ends from the plans. These tools, especially the sander made this task far easier than the tools I used for the first two tops on my model.  I am thrilled with the results. 
 

 

 

 
These tools are expensive.  I purchased a bundle to get a better price on the three items.  They can be purchased separately if you choose to. I know a lot of modelers won’t have the money to invest in these tools, and another member said the shipping to Europe is cost prohibitive. If you can afford it I would definitely suggest considering a purchase of these tools. Right now if I had to choose one of them, I would choose the Sander. Especially with the repeater, I find this tool more versatile. I can’t wait to use them more on future projects.  

Not sure if you were joking, but there are hundreds at RMG.   One example.....  https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-257672
Allan

Sherbourne actually only carried 6 x 3-pounders, with the last three ports per side the likely homes for these cannon. But people always think every single port opening must be populated with cannon - this was very rarely the case. (I have seen many models burdened with so many cannon where they shouldn't really be, that if the ship pitched in heavy weather, it would just keep heading down to the bottom of the sea)
 
I really wanted to give the official numbers for armament, but I know I would receive countless emails telling me I didn't add enough for all the gun ports....

The bow ports were not armed: no space for working a gun! The were used as bridle ports for anchor handling. The vertical half-port lids illustrated were 'for example' and not drawn for all the other ports. You could not have a conventional lid as there was nothing but the rail above the port opening. There was no place to fit a hinge to! The advantage of these lids was that in a heavy sea you would not ship as much water over the decks as would happen with open ports.

OK, the first attempt wasn't too bad, but it didn't want to 'behave' ...  that is, the coil of line needs to bend over the pin rail and hang down.  But at 1:100, the scale rope I made doesn't do that readily on its own, and I had to manually bend it repeatedly to try and force it.  The hank needs to be tied better.  So I started to develop a better process (since I have to make a whole bunch of these).
 
  First, a word on my limited camera skills.  I found that I could improve the look and eliminate unwanted parts of the field by using s few basic editing options in the Admiral's Photoshop.  Now THAT program is a 'monster', and I'm not claiming any facility with it ... and there are most likely easier photo editing tools.  Yet ... I plug the hand-me-down camera into the computer, then drag the photos onto the desktop (then unplug the camera).  In Photoshop, it is FILE - open (desktop), then select an item.  The 'crop' tool takes away anything unwanted.  Then its IMAGE - adjustments - brightness/contrast, and the bars are moved around until it looks better.  The file is saved as a jpeg, then closed.  That's all there is to it.
 
  (Speaking of the Admiral, my first week off in months had me trying to knock things off the 'honey-do' list, plus yard cleaning ...)
 
  Since the challenge is to have the hank 'bend' naturally on the pin rail,  I decided to make the hank over the edge of a piece of balsa.  Now I used kid's glue stick to fasten a piece of wax paper over the edge of a balsa block, so the hank won't stick to the block when a little CA is applied to 'set' the bend i want into the hank.  Remember, this is 1:100 and its small work for me.
 
  In the photo below, the scale rope is wrapped thrice around a fat pencil (.300 dia.) and tied with a square knot. the point of the pencil is placed near the edge of the prepared block.  BTW, I just love the look of the scale rope.
 

 
   Next (so the coils don't unwind), a pin is used to drag the tied end over the edge of the block.  (Note that this is the top end of the coil - the part to go over the pin - that is over the edge of the block ... I suppose I could just as easily do it the other way round to keep it straight in my mind.)  The chalk pencil tip still retains the other end.
 

 
  Then another pin is put in to secure the other end of the hank so the pencil can be removed.  The hank is now bent as desired.
 

 
   A dental tool is used to apply just a bit of thin CA, which will wick into the rope to 'set' the bend.  If too much is used, it will also wick down the hank in both directions ... making the hank too stiff (as I learned).  Touching with accelerator hastens curing.)
 
  Still working on a method, I flipped the cured hank around to figure out how to tie it.
 

 
  Hank tied experimentally.  Not really that good, yet.
 

 
  The first line was loosely coiled and secured from tangling with a short piece of 'keep tie' ...  as these are made for rigging lines that will be routed UP to wherever they are going on the mast.   I intend to simply let then hang over the gunwale for the time being.  Like what the mate yelled to the seasick landlubber ,  "Over the gunn'l man,  OVER THE GUNN'L !"  
  My second hank (with a 'set' bend) was easier to seat on the pin that pinches the next line securely.  I tugged it to test, and it didn't budge.  OK, now to improve the process further.
 

 
  The 3 loop hank look s little trimmer than the 4 loop hank on the left (above), but there is another consideration - different lines will have different amounts on the hank (excess coiled rope hung over the pin) depending on how the ship is portrayed.  E.g., under sail the bunt lines will be fully extended, so their remaining coils will have only a little line left.  But If the sails are furled, the bunt lines will be hauled-in - so the respective coils will be larger when hung on the proper pin.  The coils for sheets, clew lines, halyards, etc. will all vary depending on how the sails (or lack of sails) and yards appear on the model.
 
  Likely, most observers won't notice this, and since I'm trying to 'simplify' things on this restoration in the spirit of 'K.I.S.S.' (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I might just make them all the same ... or not.  It's just a matter of how far one wants to go into the 'rabbit hole'.  I just knew that rigging would end-up being the most involved (as well as time consuming).  Take contemporary kits with laser cut parts.  It's relatively straightforward to assemble the bulkheads, fair, then start first planking.  Even getting through second planking and decking, there are many builds that go that far.  NOW comes the task of fitting out (o-m-gosh, cannon and gunports), railings, equipment, mast & yards, then a myriad of 'fiddly bits'.  This is a good reason to LIMIT what kind of 'stash' one has in unbuilt kits.
 
  To make the coil have a more rounded look on the ends, the pins used in forming will be replaced by toothpick ends, and CA will only be applied to the 'bend'.  The gathering tie needs work.  Below shows the next coil on the block with toothpicks, which were easily pushed into the balsa.   You can see how small these coils are, as the toothpicks look like telephone poles in comparison.  This time I'll try a cow hitch around the middle, with a touch of CA to secure it.
 

 
  The free end was just put through the lower loop (below), but may be better off passed through the cow hitch before tightening.  
 
 

  
 With the third line mounted, the coil is looking better.  Now there are multiple posts showing ways to make coils to hang over belaying pins, but I've included this method to give another option, as I have not seen it used elsewhere.
  
 
  Smooth sailing to all !          Johnny
 
  
 
 

Ahoy !  What I thought would be a dull winter month turned out to be far busier than anticipated - a long story I'll just skip.  Presently my project has been going at a snail's pace ... actually the snail would be faster.  So with the complexities of even my 'simplified' rigging plans, the realization that 1:100 is a smaller scale for blocks, jackstays, etc. than I'd be better off with (God bless those nimble enough with tiny things) - and the coming growing season, I'll give myself the 'rest of the year' for the restoration of GF.  Its nice just to look at in the shipyard and think about at other times anyway.  Once done, it will deserve a case - then its hands off, then won't have to be fiddled with for a very long time.
 
  I found some Gutermann thread and made a sample ... sure enough, there was FAR less 'fuzz' - and the little that was there was needed magnification to see.  So I'll use that from now on with the Rope Rocket, and remember to oven temper as noted in a prior post.  There should be no need for the 'flame treatment' for rope made with the other brand of thread (with fuzz).  The rope made from Mettler poly thread did not unravel when cut after tempering, and I expect the same from Gutermann poly.  I'm not going to trash any line made thus far, even if it has some fuzz left.
 
  'Tried belaying some rope on a brass pin in one of the pin rails - and this proved to be more difficult than I thought:  a.) the pin rail is thicker than it would be in-scale,  b.) the pin has to be a far enough in from the edge not to risk splitting the wooden rail - so that relationship is a bit out of scale,  c.) the space is a little tight at 1:100 .   The stuff that has to go on the deck will only make space tighter still in many areas, and that was the reason to pre-mount the turnbuckles - as well as pre-belaying many lines, then threading UP through the masting to their destinations.  It will require that enough line is provided, since splicing thin scale rope would be a feat indeed.  A properly done long splice of running lines will still run through full-size blocks, but I can forget splicing line that is only .012" in dimeter.
 
  So the fallback is to pass the end of the line through the hole for a belaying pin, then insert the pin to 'pinch' the line in place.  This has turned up recently on a clipper post, but has been done before on other builds.  FIRST, the pin needs to fit the hole on the snug side to begin with - so it won't slide out ... ergo the right miniature drill bit must be used.  Some of my pins were just a tad loose, so some shellac was applied (which 'wicked' into the gap).  Once dry, the brass pin was twisted - metal does not bond to the shellac that has soaked into the wood (although metal surfaces can be coated with shellac).  Then the pin will come straight out, and it can be slid back in with a perfect fit.
 
  Rope made from polyester thread has a little 'give' to it (also a little 'stretch' - not that we're tensioning anything on the model, since that would just bend other thin elements).  So when the pin is inserted, the poly line is compressed ... tugging on the line showed me that it won't come loose.  The picture below show my test line, but the loose turnbuckles need to be wired together to keep then mostly out of the way - since the shrouds won't be added until much later.
 
 

 
  The next pic shows a group of turnbuckles wired with beaders' wire, which is quite pliable. 
 

 
  Once a line is pinned - and this is reversible, should the line need to have any slack taken up - a test coil was made by:  a.) wrapping line around a round pencil and tying,  b.)  stretching between 2 pins to make an oval,  c.) applying a small amount of thin CA to stiffen the oblong coil.  The test coil has 4 loops, and I think 3 might work out a little better - the middle could be bound tighter.  (picture below)
 

It's remarkable work.
I have never seen swivel guns with so much detail and so well done, congratulations.

Hello Keith,
thank you, and that are brass pins. That where the smallest and most uniform I could get from Amazon

Hello,
today the carpenters finished the screen bulkhead  

Painted and ready for shading.

And I found places for my previous zombie helmsmen . . . pushing it a bit, but it would be a shame to waste them.


 
Steven

Thanks, people! I'm pretty happy with these, and I feel I'm getting better with carving hands, which have always been my biggest problem.
 
Knocklouder, Gobsmacked is the way you say it. It's a verb - so you'd say "I'm gobsmacked". I think it comes from the slang term "gob" (which means mouth, at least in the UK and Oz) - so it means you feel like you've been smacked in the mouth. More of a British term than an Aussie one, but I use it myself because it's so descriptive. (By the way, in Oz a gobbie is a slimy expectoration - though perhaps that's a bit too much information).
 
Steven

Two possibilities: they fitted the boiler backwards, or they changed the prop prior to a passage to the southern hemisphere. The water goes down the plughole anti-clockwise there, I hear.😉

I finished the swivel cannons on the railing.💥
 
I created new smaller chambers..


After blackening..

The last visible detail, the chamber pins..

The last parts of the hull, chamber guns, placed..
 






And now I can rush to the rigging!!🔥

Thank you very much friends. thank you for the like.
 
I'm continuing with the rotating chamber cannons on the railing, luckily there will only be four.
I found the current cannon in a book by Ab Hoving: Het Schip Van Wilem Barents and painted it.

Then the turning began. It is very small against already created cannons.

Created pockets for exchange chambers.

Of course, you need to start making a larger number, they slowly decrease during the work..


Added chambers..


Result OK..


 

And they're done (except for thinning the legs a bit, and a bit of sanding and painting). I think the stance is wide enough. If not, too bad. I've spent so much time and effort getting them the way I want them, particularly the grip on the tiller, that this will have to do.
 
Roughed out:
   
And finished.
   

Separated, and hair carved:



And trimmed. I pride myself that my figures should be able to stand upright all by themselves, and usually I manage it. And two other crewmen I'd also carved (not sure if I posted them at the time) working on the rigging.
 



I need to cut a little bit away at the base of the helmsmen's feet. At the moment they look like they're from the 70's with platform shoes.
 
And then that's all the carving done.
 
Steven
 
 
 

A fishing trip prevents progress currently - and Spring chores call. However thought this might be of interest until I can get back in to the workshop.
 
A Treenail detective tale.
Whilst looking over the boat as it was being disassembled, Peter Brown of the ‘Friends of Vigilance’ noticed some treenail holes in some frames that seemed oversize. On probing them he found that they did not go into the original timber below, and some were on the edge of the beam as shown below.

 
 
Treenail diameter increases with the length of a ship, and consequently the plank thickness.
Vigilant at 76 ft would not be expected to have a treenail of no more than 1”, and more probably ¾” inch or thereabouts. The treenail holes Peter found were 1 ¼”. Also, the wood looks older than even the 1926 original oak in the boat.

His explanation is worthy of inclusion here because it’s a clever piece of deduction and starts with the ice trading industry.
In the late 1800's Brixham relied on ice brought in ice-carriers from Norway. Peter’s Grandmother was Swedish and married to a Devonshire man. The family owned two ice carriers which plied the passage to and from Norway to Brixham supplying the fishing fleet at the end of the 19th Century. The largest company in Britain, Leftwich always kept a thousand tons of ice in store, and by 1900 a million tons had been exported from Norway – it was big business, and its history is a fascinating example of the use of man and horsepower to get the blocks of hand-sawn ice from frozen lakes down wooden slides to the boats.
7
 
This all changed in 1900 when Hayman’s of Brixham built an icemaking plant at Dewdney’s Cove – run by the National Provincial Ice and Cold Storage Co. It was installed by Listers of Dursley Gloucester – a place I know well, as I once visited them to get an antique Lister water pump restored.
This made the ice carriers redundant. Peter’s Grandparents resettled to England, and their ships were adapted to carry cargo along the South coast for a few more years before being retired. They ended up at Uphams Yard and were broken up. The useful timber from the boats was stacked in the yard in 1926 when Vigilance was built.
So, here’s the thing - Peter thinks some of the timber was reused in Vigilance, hence the large treenail holes. I’ve no doubt Uphams would have used the old timber to save both them and George Foster a few quid. It’s a splendid link for his family to the boat; explains what he found, and a clever piece of deduction on his part.
 

 
 

Hi, and thanks to all   ❤️
 
Rings:
 
 

Your model is a masterpiece in every respect. 
Allan