NMBROOK

Looking good mate For me,I would consider another run each side of maple,then the beech plank.The origins of the 'go faster stripe' on model decks is related to the two king planks used either side of the hatchways (there is another name for them but it evades me as I write this)which were made of oak,whereas the deck planking quite possibly would be fir.The difference in colour on the model is indicative of the two different timbers on the real vessel.In reality these planks would run either side of the hatches and would not be split at an opening.If you wanted to add another feature,you can incorporate hooked scarph joints in them.
Oh and unless the deck planks need to be much longer than a full plank,no butt joints are normally used
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

After having a thoroughly enjoyable read through your log,I have to say wonderful work Jack!! I have two model requests for my wife to fulfill one day,Mary Rose and a Viking ship,this kit looks like a very nice way to meet the later.Having also looked at your website,I have to say some of the pictures are positively awe inspiring,outstanding!
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Jason.. there seems to be a 'hole' in my Internet Search Engine where I can find little about the Swedish Navy  (might explain my total inability to find the boat!    ) With your new info I did manage to find Altair and a list of others in the class which included an Argo !!
Brilliant 'Name the Ship question mate.. Just wait till it's my turn again...
 
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Absolutely stunning Michael!!!!!!!!They are a model in there own right!Excellent work.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel
 
P.S.you can just put the small parts in a bowl of water and stir to rinse them off

Worry not Jason we are still on the case (was even discussing it over on Ballahoo !)
 
E
 
Is that Tumbleweed I see blowing past ...

Sorry Jason,don't get much time online Monday to Friday I do believe Eamonn has checked for an Irish connection already   .I may well commence my search tomorrow night,that is of course unless someone finds the answer
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I checked out a bunch of Customs Vessels earlier and Inshore/Harbour Patrol Vessels,  some similar looking things but nothing identical.. I even tried Irish Customs Vessels in case he was pulling a fast one on me  the nearest vessel I could find was South African ! was surprised that I didn't find identical looking boats as I imagined they would be virtually off a Production Line.. Oh Well
 
Catch You Later Bud
 
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TBH,I wouldn't know where to start,he has picked a good un   Could possibly be a customs vessel,but as to what nation      .I don't get much chance to scour the net at the moment other than weekends,so haven't 'attacked it with all guns blazing'  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Looking good mate   Yes the hooked scarphs can be a bit of a challenge.Like you say,have another go on the next vessel of the Arklow fleet
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi All..
 
Another Photo Update..   all go in the Ballahoo camp eh?
 
I gave the Hook Scarf a few go's with limited success (I'm afraid my measurements aren't up to scratch Nigel, I'll try harder next build !  ) some of them can be seen on the deck, in fact all of them are on the deck (being used as scrap timber to keep the deck planking tight  ) have to say they looked rather well right up to the point where I put them together...  so I just used a regular Scarf instead, never thought I'd be relieved to be doing a plain scarf join!!   
I've noticed about 1mm of asymmetry creeping into the deck planking which I'll address tomorrow by running a slightly narrower plank on one side.. this is rather annoying but I have come to expect it and will deal with it easily enough (Hopefully that is)
 
Ok tis Photo Time..
 
All The best Folks
 
Eamonn

Mmmm I was kinda in the vicinity,first googled Arklow buoy tenders       and discovered the Irish lights bit,but then had to go out     .Eamonn you are going to have to stray from your native land with your choice of posting,I think we may have sussed your stratergy        
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Mmmm I was kinda in the vicinity,first googled Arklow buoy tenders       and discovered the Irish lights bit,but then had to go out     .Eamonn you are going to have to stray from your native land with your choice of posting,I think we may have sussed your stratergy        
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thanks BE as always, and all the 'likers' - means a lot to have so many excellent modelers looking in.
 
Mizzen topmast stays have had me thinking for a while - it just doesn't seem to make sense to have standing rigging attached at both ends with no method of adjustment.  I followed a general principle seen elsewhere and made the stay up with a loop to go around the hounds (not served around the hoop as its only 0.5mm line - need to draw a line somewhere, and seems tricky at this thickness).  At the other end, I inserted a bullseye (sourced from Bluejacket) and attempted to simulate a splice.  This was lashed to a ringbolt on the maintop as per plans - this would allow adjustment.  I went with thin black line for the lashing to avoid looking too busy, don't think its too much of a stretch.
 
Stay before installation

 
The bullseye lashed to maintop

 
The completed mizzen standing rigging at the hounds.

Jesse - thanks for the kind words, just sharing the learning experience I'm going through.
 
And thanks for the 'likes'....
 
Finishing up the mizzen topmast ratlines, these are proving to be quite challeging as the shrouds don't have anywhere near as much tension as the others due to the fact they transfer all tension to the lower shrouds/futtock stave and would pull that all askew.  With all the other ratlines, they tend to want to pull the shrouds together, here, the shrouds are thinner line and close together and its the opposite effect where the ratlines want to push them apart.  Anyway, its coming together.
 
Bit of a diversion, as next step will be to rig the mizzen backstays and there were a couple of items I wanted to get done before the backstays make access a bit more difficult.  Installed a copper 'sheet' where the driver gaff will go (yes, its a spare copper plate from the hull rolled as flat as I can to get rid of the bumps - it looks better in person and should tone down with age.)  Its an approximation and not mentioned in instructions, but adds a bit more interest.  The tops are shaped to the angle the gaff will sit at once installed.
 

 
Next up was installing a saddle which again is not mentioned in the instructions.  This was a square strip of styrene bent to shape.
 

 
I've stared at the driver boom and gaff jaws ever since I opened the box and wondered how they would look.  Well, I got my answer, pretty awful - they just look a bit big and flat, and didn't look that great to my eye.  Anyway, I dutifully assembled these and then decided to try to improve them by building up with some spare walnut and then sanding to shape.  I much prefer the end result.
 
Built up with spare strip wood and roughly shaped

 
Finished driver boom, iron bands simulated with paper, ring bolts and holes not added yet, more work to do on the boom itself first.  The 'out of box' solution is next to it.

 
Driver boom in place sitting on its saddle.  Still maybe a little big (?) but I'm happy.  Now to do the driver gaff which will be a little more tricky because of the angle that needs to be built into the jaws.

Thanks gents, it was a vain hope to expect for a chorus of voices saying "thats exactly how its supposed to be" 
 
Well, 5hrs back, and 3 forward!  Luckily the futtock staves came off without any damage, although I was sweating bullets fearing I would cut through a shroud, that would be a lot of rework.  Futtock staves re-positioned and topmast shrouds reinstalled (bit of final tie off still to do on port side).  Even after moving these there is still not too much of an overhang but it looks a lot better, they really couldn't go any higher.  I cheated a little and took the shroud on the inside of the futtock stave rather than the outside as it technically should be because it looked a little better to my eye.  The main and fore-topmasts situation will be the same.
 
This may have been a blessing in disguise.  The catharpins would have interfered with the driver gaff and associated rigging so I will leave these off following the AOTS Pandora illustration where catharpins are not shown on the mizzen.
 

Joachim, Capt. Steve, Matti, Mark, Dave, Nigel, Frank, Lawrence, B.E. Thanks for all of your very nice remarks.
 
And a big thanks to all of you who clicked Like This, so nice of you to also let me know of your appreciation. I have been away for a few days and plan on getting back to the shipyard this week. Again thanks.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Well done Jason that is indeed the Bunny.. Granuaile was also know  as Grainne or Grace O'Malley.
 
The Boat was owned by the Commissioners of Irish Lights.
 
Over to you Mate
 
Eamonn
 
BTW Just realised your last one was the Argo as in JASON and the Argonauts !! am kinda slow over here eh?

Cheers Nigel.. Looks like I'll be giving it a blast, could be fun!
If I encounter any issues I'll give you a shout.
 
E

Ok buddy here is a diagram(actually a photo of a pretty rough sketch by me of how I set them out.The two measurements along the plank want to be the same and the nib and recess both want to be 1/3 of the plank width(this is not following the rulebook,but rather something achievable and looks convincing.Join the points up as on the sketch.This gives the outline of one half.The longitudinal measurements you can play around with until you are happy with the angle,as long as they are the same that is the important thing.To give you an idea I have just done some on 6mm wide pear and they worked out at 2 x 10mm.The clever bit is you clamp the marked out end with the piece you are joining it to ideally in a vice.Ensure the edges of the planks are inline and cut both ends at once.I do the cuts across with a razor saw down to the line and then shave away the material with a scalpel.Carefully file down to the line ensuring the faces are level.Providing the two 1/3 width sections are cut and marked accurately,the two ends should join together in a perfectly straight line.A couple of goes on some scrap will help but once you get in the swing it is relatively straight forward
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Ok buddy here is a diagram(actually a photo of a pretty rough sketch by me of how I set them out.The two measurements along the plank want to be the same and the nib and recess both want to be 1/3 of the plank width(this is not following the rulebook,but rather something achievable and looks convincing.Join the points up as on the sketch.This gives the outline of one half.The longitudinal measurements you can play around with until you are happy with the angle,as long as they are the same that is the important thing.To give you an idea I have just done some on 6mm wide pear and they worked out at 2 x 10mm.The clever bit is you clamp the marked out end with the piece you are joining it to ideally in a vice.Ensure the edges of the planks are inline and cut both ends at once.I do the cuts across with a razor saw down to the line and then shave away the material with a scalpel.Carefully file down to the line ensuring the faces are level.Providing the two 1/3 width sections are cut and marked accurately,the two ends should join together in a perfectly straight line.A couple of goes on some scrap will help but once you get in the swing it is relatively straight forward
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Oops should have mentioned the other piece is reversed when you clamp it together,i.e. both on top of one another and the ends inline.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I'd be game to give it a lash Nigel so Pointers away Guvnor an' Ill see ya daann da Vic.. That's my EastEnders Speak..
 
E

All scarph and no play                 I like that Eamonn.They are purely optional and quite easy when working with straight lengths.If you do fancy having a bash,give me a nod and I will give you some pointers Sorry if that sounds like something from the 'EastEnders script,not that I watch it mind
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Dang Jason I've just spotted Nigels post.  A friend of mine was an Apprentice with that company a couple of years later on the next vessel of that name !
 
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Atlantic Conveyor?