ccoyle

I think it's safe to say we do!

I had several work meetings this morning which required little participation on my behalf. As a result, I mostly just mulled over the Mainstay collar until I gave up on work and trotted into the shipyard.  This largest of the bowsprit collars requires a thicker rope than the others (8" of served cable according to Steel) so I used a 1mm rope and served it with Gutermann mara 70.  I had several feet of 1mm rope that I made that hadn't turned out quite as tight as I wanted and looked a bit funky, so I kept it around to use as the base for served lines.
 
    The main stay collar is a bit more complicated than the others as well. It has a spliced eye on one side, then it's lashed to a closed heart, then it pass through the knee of the head, then another spliced eye is looped through the first one. Pretty easy to turn the whole thing into a big lumpy mess if one isn't careful.   
 
     Starting with the heart - 15" according to Steel which translates to 5.95mm at 1/64; we'll call it 6mm. I actually made this heart (and it's compliment from the main stay) from some hardwood I had lying around that was part of a pen case. It's not quite as hard as boxwood but hard enough and has a little bit more color to it. I shaped two ends of a 6mm wide strip then drilled and shaped the holes before cutting them off and rounding off the hard edges and adding a groove for the line.
 
   
 
The rest of the process isn't really documented per se, but I do have to point out an oversight. I didn't look far enough ahead (or at least missed this need) so I ended up having to drill the hole in the knee of the head now, as opposed to before I constructed the bits and finishings of the bow.  Little bit of a pain the rear, and yes I did go back and touch up the spot where I scuffed the yellow paint.
 
 
 
The last photo shows the finished collar with everything attached, lashed, and seized.
 

 

Hi,
 
I am coming into this from a long career of fiddling with all sorts of things including models of all types.  I am now approaching retirement and am in what my brother terms a STABLE condition (Stuff Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy).  I think its fair to say that many modellers have a stash that they do not really own....they are merely its custodian until the whole lot is released into the market again, and acquired by the next generation of optimistic custodians.
 
The local auctioneer is familiar with this syndrome and claims that he rarely sells stuff, he merely rents it out for a few years and then back it comes again.  It was at this auction house that the item that is the subject of this posting appeared.  This is the large scale (1:50-1:64) Sergal model of the Great Harry/Henry Grace a Dieu.  As it dates to 1975 or thereabouts I may well be its third or fourth custodian.  The photo shows the state that it is in.  The kits itself is complete and undamaged, bar the castings which are entirely missing.  I paid about 45USD for it.
 


 
However, the photo shows that it is in critical condition as the box is compromised with bits falling out of it.   Parts of the model were scattered around the auction house floor, behind the cupboard where it was displayed and in the store area and a search recovered all of them, bar those elusive castings and the presumed contents of three mysterious empty tubes (These are pictured - any ideas?).
 

 
This is both an impressive and rare model (production <100).  The photo below of the full scale plans with the one foot ruler show the scale of it.   As this is a waterline drawing the hull goes down perhaps another four inches.  
 

 
But it has no future in its current state, and I currently have no time to build it immediately.   Such models can be 'reboxed' in cardboard banana boxes and the like, but my experience is that their prospects of survival remain grim.  This is a pity, as it's an impressive model of a rare subject.  I would think that if the production run of fifty years ago was under a hundred we may be looking at a global population of viable examples of maybe ten or less.   Its size is its downfall, the thing is simply too big, heavy (10Kg+) and 'stuffed' for the structural strength of the box that it is in.
 
Thus, wearing my custodian's hat, I intend not to build this model and make a log of it, but to restore it to its as manufactured condition (with a box that is visually identical but much stronger) and log that process here.  In this case that means replacing all the boxes, interior packaging and castings with reproductions.  As a package design specialist I have the graphic and prototyping facilities to do this and I have already done it many times.  The photos below  shows a restored Mantua 'Astrolabe' that was literally a pile of cardboard rags and a scatter of parts in several separate locations when acquired for USD10.  It has now been restored to 'as sold' condition, and added to the custodial stash.  If I do one a year when I retire, I'll be 147 when I'm finished - Do your own math!
 

Rob 
 
 
 
     

Hi, Thomas. I hope life has allowed you some time to get back to this beautiful project?

HMS Hood 1941 - FlyHawk - 1:700 
 
After two paper models and since the weather was more suitable for painting, I started the HMS Hood.
I also added a wooden Deck and masking Sheet kit at a very good price for more realism. The kit has a lot of small parts and seems to be very well detailed.
 
First I tried the application of the wooden deck and it seems to be excellent.
 

 

 

I've no personal experience with them, but I'd be super hesitant to order anything from AliExpress -- they're a known platform for pirated merchandise, and some Chinese sellers have no qualms about using photos that don't depict the actual merchandise being sold.

Wefalck!

Yes! To all of your considerations. The three strakes, three on each side rather, creates a shape that appears from many angles to be round. It also makes for a light, strong boat that is relatively inexpensive and easy to build. It should also be a great sailer. 
 
The “stringers” are called chine logs. 

Stringers (for deck beams to rest on), two deck beams, the watertight bulkhead and the breasthook installed and painted. The mast step is also installed. Note beams on either side of the center board trunk. 

Sole planks being dry fit. The hole in center plank that allows it lay over the mast step was marked and made by drilling out most of the wood and using small chisels to make it square. 

Center planks (fore and aft) and the straight planks installed. 

Dry fitting outboard sole plank. 


Sole planks installed. I painted the beech wood planks with two washes of mahogany color paint by Vallejo. 
 
Remaining deck beams, elbows for the side decks, aft deck beams, chain plates up next. 
 
Have a nice day!

Close-up photos of the stancions.  They're not as good as the real ones, but they work.

That looks magnificent!

Wow! Hot off the presses and already well into the build! Based on your previous efforts, I have no doubt you will make a fine model out of this. Enjoy!

I think it's safe to say we do!

I don't know yet! I need to think - recommendations are very much appreciated! 
 
Thank you!
 
The USS Perry is now in my office across the room from the Revenue Cutter!

Felt it was right to post a final update for this build log, confirming completion in August 2018. I was busy moving apartment around this time so was really distracted and lost track of this build log.
 
The running rigging was added:
 

 
Then the sails:
 

 

 
A little clean-up and added the flag to finish this off:
 

 
As with any beginner, I look back with a little bit of frustration at all the silly mistakes that have cost me time and negatively affected the final result. But at the same time it's been a great learning experience and I'm motivated for my next build.

Display pic

And done! (Well I still have some rope coils to make):
 

 
 

 

 

 

 
I added a little summary of my build experience to the first post in this topic as I feel that will be more helpful to people who might be browsing the finished build logs and thinking about building this kit.

Le Renard today has been commisioned into fleet and on her mast has been raised naval jack. Vive L'Empereur!
 
During finishing of work due to my lack of attention I made stain of CA on Spanker Sail. As it was visible mainly from sarboard I improvised and mounted Pirate Flag on this place. Maybe this sail now it looks funny, maybe a little infantylish but definitely makes own charm  Personally I dubt that XIX century privateers could use this flag although I can be wrong.
 
Finnaly I rigged rest of 4 Pounder guns, I didn't mount all belaying pins as wooden elements were very fragile and started to brake during drilling and now they are kept in one piece mainly due to my trust and even more of CA. French Flag has been cut from paper and painted using Vallejo and Tamiya paints.










 
Overall building Le Renard was great fun and this kit definitely teached me a lot. I made a lot of things different than instruction says and I hope it's not bad.
 
Postman bring to me little parcel. Maybe not a little but definitely interesting. 
Let's say honest as big fan of Dan Simmons book about Franklin Expedition I just can't didn't buy her even if her complexity scares me.
 

No, I did not reinforce bolt rope with wire and in hindsight I should have. Right now, after a year since completion sails and bolt ropes soaked a bit of moisture from air and deformed a bit. I've used cotton thread, around 0,5mm in diameter, straight from the spool and did not wax it with bees wax to let pva glue grab easier to it, but it made it more prone to moisture unfortunately. I'm definitely going to try to use some wire in my current Saettia build but I haven't figured out yet if should embed it into sail or make my own bolt rope with wire core. Check out how Bruma made his sails in this log https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25323-cutty-sark-by-bruma-revell-196/page/7/#comments , you might find it inspiring to experiment a bit.
 
Sails on my Allege currently look like this:
 

With this update, I can report that PdN is now finished. I completed the masting and rigging by making,  mounting and rigging the fore topsail and fore lower yards.  I added all of the remaining braces and, lastly, added the anchors.
 
If I seem to be abbreviating my description of this work, it is because I am just glad to be done with this model for a couple of reasons. The first, and less important reason is that this is a poor kit with bad plans and instructions. The more significant reason is that this was a very difficult year for me health wise and this impacted both my ability to perform the work and my enjoyment of it. I cut too many corners and failed to do too many things that I should have, leaving me unsatisfied with the result. It is my least favorite build of the last number of years.
 
The attached photos are of the most recent work. I will post some final photos of the completed model shortly.
 
Bob
 
 

Went back to my New Bedford Whaleboat and decided to raise the sail. No log steps but I have some parting shots. 


 

 



 

 

 


 

 

Finally finished 8 and a half years after I started.
 
Pretty happy overall, glad to be finally finished, somehow it survived 3 moves during that time.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

I have somehow misplaced almost all of the remaining progress photos of this build.  These are a few images showing close up views of certain details.  The kit comes with brass fittings, many of which I replaced with styrene and painted black.
 
This shows details of bowsprit.

 
Closeup of Mast and gaff details.

 
I did not use the flag provided in the kit and printed a replacement mirror image 15 star and 15 stripe flag on my inkjet printer with plain paper.  Once printed, both sides were carefully aligned and glued with a very thin even coat of white glue.  Before glue sets up, the flag was rolled with a large diameter dowel to give it a permanent curl.  Next, the edges were carefully coloured with dry water colour pencils to eliminate the white paper showing.  Finally, I sprayed a clear flat coat to protect the ink and seal everything and mounted the flag.

 
More details of the boom.

 
Kit chain plates are bright brass wire with a flattened end.  I drilled a hole in the flattened end and darkened the brass a bit before bending them around the deadeyes.  Flattened end of the chain plates were pass through holes drilled in the channels and then secured to hull with a small nail.  Apologies for the poor image.

 
Details of the gaffs.  I replaced kit brass fittings with boom jaws made from spare wood.  Parrels were made from small black beads and wire.

 
More details . . .

 
closeup showing various details.  Boom jaws made from spare wood.  Sail hoops made from darkened brass wire.   I did not use the kit provided brass hinges for the deck house.  

 
Anchor details.  Kit comes with metal anchors which I painted black and simulated wood grain for the stock.  Gammon is painted brass secured with small nails.

 
Decided on the name "FLOWER" . . . . .

Managed to get flag painted white and left to dry, so lined up the two pieces of decal and drew a cross through the centre of sun on two planes, this let me get a better idea how to try marking up the rising sun, was about cross eyed by the time I finished. Followed on by some delicate hand painting, red then white then red white till I got it as good as able, it’s drying now, next stage is to form it up again with ripples in flag, don’t want to muck this up cause don’t want to do another one 👀

Sorry for delays in updates here, had my laptop die. Just got my replacement one today.  Fortunately I had the data backed up elsewhere so losses were minimal. 
 
Back to the subject at hand, over the past few weeks I've completed the rigging process for the Mermaid.  Overall I was quite happy with how she came out and learnt a lot on the way.  I found the rigging to be quite enjoyable overall with only a few little frustrations.
 
First Rigging Works

 
Some more works on the rigging

 
Rigging Completed



 
In summary, I found this to be a nice kit although I did run short on a few bits (quite likely due to my error or not reading instructions clearly enough)
It was a fairly easy build (they rated it at a Skill Level 2, with 6 being the hardest) and the instructional DvD was a great help during the process.  I greatly built up my tool collection during the build too.
 
Now off to build my next model, the Colonial Schooner Port Jackson.