PMG

Dear friends,

It's a long time ago, but thank you to wake me up.

Actually, I was involved in a lot of relatively big projects. I retired in 2006 and all my children are away. My house was a little bit too big for my wife and myself and so we decided to build a new one just near the old one. It took us two years. And then we had to move and to empty the old house (a lot of work as the new one is definitively smaller than the old one). I needed also a certain time to arrange the roof the way I wanted to have a nice place for shipbuilding.

All of this is now on a good way, and some weeks ago I considered to work again on my Serapis (I bought her also more than 30 years ago...).

First, some repairs. One of our cats bite a cathead (it's true). Imade a new one. Then, I have to continue the quarter deck. I decided to move the wheel in front of the mizzen mast. If you look to drawings of the HMS Roebuck by exemple, you see that the wheel is always in front of the mast. The wheel is on a strange place on the drawings of Aeropiccola.

You gave me now a good incentive to continue, and in the coming days I shall send you some photos.

Best regards,

Pierre

Hello John,

Sorry for answering so late, but I was also on vacation.

Serapis is a fine ship, even if not 100 per cent accurate. I have all the blueprints but they are very large.

About the rigging, no big problem. They just copied all details from "the anatomy of Nelson's ships" by Nepean Longridge.

If you can get the book, you have all what you need...

Very happy to see your photos when they are available.

Pierre

Hello Martin,

I discover your log today. Congratulations!

Your Aggie is very very good and looks great! And your comments are well documented.

I store all your pictures for further use.

Pierre

Hello Martin,

Thank you for the comment. That's exactly what I do too (water and the "soldering iron". But, I do it only for the front planks. For the others I try to maintain the natural curvature of the wood if possible.

Best regards,

Pierre

Hello All friends,

After a (very) long absence, I am back on this log (thanks to Martin who waked me up).

I realise I didn't post the last pictures of the second planking of my Aggie as it was at the end of June 2014.

Actually, I didn't any work on since June 2014, but I am well decided to restart next week.

See you soon,

Pierre

Happy Birthday, Sjors,

and many shipbuilding years,

Pierre

Superb, your rigging. Congratulations,

Pierre

Hello Sjors,

I don't know if it can help you, but I am joigning another picture of the quarter galleries.

Notice that all is temporarly pinned.

Pierre

Second planking is going ahead, slowly but safely.

The upper side of the starboaed side is now roughly made.

It still needs a lot of work...

First, filling some hollow zones,

Second filling the small gaps,

Third, cutting acurately the gun ports ( and here I realised that painting the sills was a waste of time, as you damage anyway the painting)

Fourth, sanding, sanding and sanding.

Here are some pictures.

May be that it can give some inspiration to Sjors about the quarter galleries.

Pierre

Hello Sjors,

Nice progress! Very nice your gunports. Go ahead!

Pierre

Hello Sjors,

Nice to have your comments (and valuable advises).

About the frames in the gunports, in fact, I simply followed the instructions of the manual provided with the kit...

Page 4 under the title "gun ports" they say that the gun ports without lids can be framed after first planking.

And, on page 5 at the end of title "second planking" they do the remaining gun port sills.

I don't know if it's a good idea or not. Surely not if you consider to not paint the hull between the wales.

In themeantime, I secured small balsa pieces on each side of the gunports to have enough surface to glue the sills when I need to do it.

I was first intended to make them as the second planking progress, but finally I shall wait to do it after the sanding of the second planking to be sure to have at any place the 1mm insert.

Pierre

Hello Sjors,

I take a lot of pleasure following your interesting and well documented log.

What is your experience using the Caldercraft template?

I was very disappointed using it. And, I decided to redraw all the gunports using the device for drawing the water lines and of course a calliper square.

It took me a lot of time but I am happy with the result.  I think that the problems is due to the fact that the paper template cannot follow properly the curvature of the hull.

Your Aggie will be great!

Pierre

Happy birthday to you, Christian, and many more shipbuilding years!

Pierre

Hello WBlakeny,

I discover your log. Very interesting and well documented.

I feel myself dreaming to build a scratch model once in my life...

You have also very nice and good tools.

Congratulations,

Pierre

Hello WBlakeny,

Thanks for your comments. Welcome on board.

There is a lot of fun in building a big ship. But it takes more time...

My shipyard is presently idle for another couple of weeks.

Pierre

Mobbsie, I assume that with these nice toys you will build even faster than before.....

Congratulayions and enjoy!

Pierre

Hello Klaas,

Thank tou for your appraisal. Very valuable coming from you.

Your Aggie is full of good ideas, and if I can, I shall follow someof them.

Cyano is in short "cyanoacrylate", you know, these horrible small tubes of instant glue. You have more on your fingers than on the piece to be glued.

In general I am using PVA (the white carpenter glue) I pefer from far.

But the instructions manual of Caldercraft recommends "cyano" at certain points (like the upper part of the second planking).

If you can, never use liquid cyano. They exists as "gel" or even thicker.

Jotika provides a very good one in 20 ml bottles. I bought one, but I did'nt use it for a while and it dried completely...

Pierre

Here is a picture of the stern.

The two lowest planks are turning and finish under the stern. The small 3mm wide planks for the wales will not turn.

Best regards,

Pierre

Here is a picture of the beginning of my second planking.

I fixed the planks 125 mm long using cyano. Not always easy, even if you forget the fingerd.

At the extremities I decided to soak and form the planks before gluing them. But, even so, some sanding will be necessary.

To morrow, I shall make a picture of the stern.

Pierre

Congratulations, Mobbsie! We are all proud of you.

Pierre

Thank you Christian, Jason and Nils for your kind words for my bithday.

I hope to stay another longtime on the shipyard and continue to share experiments, difficulties and satisfaction with friends all over the World.

About my Aggie, I just finished the second planking that will be covered by the main wale on the port side.

I begin the other side tomorrow and hope to be able to send some pictures.

Pierre

Very nice first planking, Sjors.

Still a little effort and it's done!

Pierre

Thank you Mobbsie. I noted your advise in tne manual.

But, I don't expect to use it before a couple of years...

Pierre

I started my second planking using planks 125mm long.

It handles pretty well and takes easily the curvature. Longer would be more hazardous.

But I HATE CYANO!

I prefer from far PVA, but everybody recommends cyano for the second planking.

So it did it too. I started with the planks that will be covered by the wales. If it's not well done, I don't care because, anyway, it will be covered.

Actually, it works. It's fast and all, except for my fingers because I cannot use cyano without putting some on my fingers.

And so, I am obliged to stop after laying 5 or 6 planks...

Pictures are following soon,

Pierre

I finally finished with the quarter galleries and am ready to begin the second planking.

My quarter galleries are not so nice as expected, but it's not their final appearance and some adjustments will be possible later.

For the second planking, I shall also make planks of 12,5 cm. I think it's a good idea and also much easier to put in place.

Thank you  to all friendly "like's" and messages.

To Nils, Mobbsie and Christian,

thank you for your kind words, I try (slowly) to do my best...

To Glawen,

I hope to see you soon with an Aggie or another build.

Trappist is always helpful, but much better outsine when the weather is nice. And that's OK when you make too much dust!

To Jason,

cutting and aligning the gunports was really a long and fastidious work, but I tried to do my best using more than often the calliper square. I tried to have them right with an accuracy of 0,1 to 0,2mm, I think it will pay back in the future.

About the weather, we had here a couple of fine days. But I think it's over now. About snow, I have the impression you kept all in North America this yearand left nothing for us. I already permuted the winter tyres to the summer one's.

To Klaas,

I follow also with very much interest your buildlog full of good ideas (such as your galley floor).

Your Aggie is coming out very nicely. I started mine more than 3 years ago, and I think that you will soon pass me over...

Who is the fastest? Mobbsie or you, or , may be, Sjors? I am surely not!

Pierre