NMBROOK

Great to see an update Nick It may feel like three steps forward and two back,but it will be worth it in the long run
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Excellent planking work Nick!!!!     .Your hard work has paid off in spades.
 
I fully understand where you are coming from,there is a definite contrast between the prow and the hull and finish will only exaggerate it.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Nick
 
Two sales fallen through,so house is going to auction 1st October.We desperately need to move so we just want an end to it all
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Good to see you back at your build Nick I can't believe it has been twelve months since the garboard discussion Scary how time flies
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Allowing for the fact that the lines are actually on the inside of the planking,I think they will look pretty much spot on Nick
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Nick
I have been pondering on this one.I feel that if you carry on as you are then the planking will look correct when the ship is the correct way up.The wider ends that meet the stem,will not appear wider due to the angle the stem slopes away.This is hard to explain,but from memory,a similar thing happened on Caroline,the plank ends did fan out so they appear a more uniform depth when viewed from ahead ( with the model the right way up).I suggest you draw the remaining planks in,in pencil,then you should see what I mean.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Great job with the garboard Nick You have got a nice even band left to fill in which should make life a little easier(as easy as it can be cutting all the planks out of sheet).
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

That looks pretty good to me Nick,you have the little curl at the end just right If you were to run it to a point,then you induce plank creep up the stem,which is to be avoided with this style of planking.I would fit the garboard and then work upwards to complete the hull.The planks will look a little like a hockey stick as you work away from the garboard then start to straighten out a little as you meet up with your last plank.You are best to adopt the tape approach for the next couple,just so you can give it a good 'eyeball' before cutting the planks.They want to adopt the slight upward sweep you have on your last plank laid at the bow.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Nick
She is looking good It is awfully hard to explain in words how to go about the garboard.I would divide the remaining section at the sternpost to give you the garboard width there.Then divide up the section up where the bearding line starts(about just over a third of the hull overall length in the last pic,working from the sternpost.This would give you a straight sided taper for that section.Run the garboard parallel along the keel rabbet until where you last plank starts to swing upward when viewed from the side as it goes to the bow(looks about 5 or 6 inches back from the front scarph joint)The garboard's outboard edge then wants to mimmick the upward sweep of the above planks.This is less about hard and fast rules and more about asthetics when planking in a contemporary style.Your best bet is to start with masking tape or a card template and keep playing with the shape until it follows this line.It is just this bow section that will be hard,the stern area is straight forward to draw out on tape placed in position.You will find the developed shape of this plank to look weird quite frankly,but that is how it should be.The true developed shape shouldn't look anything like a straight plank.The garboard is usually wider amidships than other planks to allow for the material fitted into the keel rabbet,when fitted it should look the same.I hope this helps rather than adds to the confusion,as I said it is hard to explain.If in doubt,you can always place a length of tape in position and draw the edge of the garboard on it,then post a pic so we can see if you are heading in the right direction
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Nick,don't worry the garboard shape will reveal itself when you get close to the keel.The one piece of advise I would offer is don't make it the last one to fit.It will be a pain to shape and fit keeping the gaps minimal.If you leave the adjoining plank as the last one,then you can simply trace the shape with a piece of paper and rubbing against the edges with the side of a pencil.
 
Kind Regards 
 
Nigel

I agree with Sjors,that is one beautiful planking job       Excellent work Nick,well worth all the time.Planking in this style is not a quick job for anyone,don't worry how long it is taking.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I think even if you did have a scroll saw Nick,the walnut might be prone to breakage with those curves.Even with pearwood on caroline I had the odd few planks relegated to recycling due to breakage.Yes a set of French/ships curves is on my list.I have one of those flexy curves but could I find it It will turn up when I have no immediate need for it
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Excellent planking work Nick   It is no mean feat getting the planking to conform to contemporary style.Are you cutting the planks from sheet or edge bending normal strip?
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

In answer to the scarph joints in the keel you are both correct .On French vessels they were horizontal,on English vessels they run vertically
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Some great work and some fabulous planking Nick Spiling the planks and laying in a contemporary model style will always look the nicest.Yes it is a lot of work cutting the planks out but the results are well worth it.I found the hardest bit to get to look right was the bow end of the garboard plank.You have to stand the model right way up and looking from the horizontal,try to get the end so it looks like it flows in a sweeping curve from the side.This dictates the radius you cut on the end.It took a couple of goes on Caroline to get this to look right.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thank you very much indeed Rob  I had a suspicion you avatar was based on the Snowberry kit,but sometimes size is hard to judge on the water from a small pic .
I would recommend to anyone who wanted to build a model of Caroline that accurately followed the book,they would have to scratchbuild.It is worth mentioning though that the book itself is a best 'guess' by the authors.Many details are not proven historical fact.Whichever route the builder takes,she builds into a very attractive model and I do feel the kit is one of Panart's better offerings.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Fabulous to see the work in progress pictures I was aware that you produce carvings to order for various master modelers,but it was not my place to say anything I can see a lot of sense in that specialist tasks are given to certain individuals.With following the shipmodels forum I realise that several modelers have certain specialties and offer their services to other modelers.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Fabulous Alexander    A truly beautiful piece of carving!You must have taken extreme care to avoid anything breaking off,particularly the claws that run against the grain.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Wonderful to see the stages involved Alexander.Very clever recovery with the shield,no one would know if you hadn't said anything.
 
Kind Regards Nigel

Your Lion is wonderful Alexander    I am sure I speak for many when I say yes,pictures of the work in progress please.Thank you for sharing your marvelous talent with us.
 
Kind Regards Nigel

Stunning work Bob!!!I agree with Patrick,your log will become a point of reference for future builders of this kit who want to take their build a stage further       .
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Mates,
Well I am partially “confused”. Returning to the bowsprit area, for my first attempts at securing the deadeye ropes, and then actually starting the ratlines.
THEN - JanV was right – way back – when he posted, “how will you remember where all of those pre- attached bowsprit mast ropes are supposed to go”?
Now working from the Vasa museum rigging sheet, the Billings sheet, and the Corel -no sails - sheet just don’t know what I’m doing right or wrong ha ha ..
AND Fred Hocker recently posted that the Vasa Museum rigging plan sheet is wrong and is no longer being sold. The Vasa II book will have the correct rigging plans within – a book that is already two years beyond its promised publication date L
 
Updated pics. Need to add a fid for the flagpole? Probably.

 
As a novice, I thought that pre-attaching the blocks and lines would be easier before securing the mast to the bow.
That said I am actually moving forward – now that part is satisfying.
I did finish the upper main platform and added the rat lines (crosstree blocks are missing – I just realized as well) well at least those will be easy.
 

Finished the mainmast upper platform, and discovered that several blocks are also missing at the already installed crosstree for the lower main platform– grrr
These learning experiences are actually valuable as often as I include -grrrr - in my remarks, The next build will benefit from these learning experiences.
 
Cheers mates,
 

 

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for the likes much appreciated.
 
Tigersteve thanks for your kind words.
 
Dave We shall see – thanks – I am enjoying the learning of how these ships were made to function – sort of “state of the art” technology of their days. Which as ours does today changes as more is learned.
 
Parenthetically, we are certainly, today, spoiled by comparison. When I was working and having to cross the Atlantic from LAX to LHR in a 747 at 36,000 feet. Champagne in hand CD player [yes CD player J] and Sony headphones around my ears, looking down at the ocean –it struck me that C Columbus in his wildest magic mushroom dreams could NEVER imagine  - ever – this reality of a crossing.
 
The joke is now, of course – that in a 100 years from now travellers will look at antique digital flashes of history and laugh about people having to spend 16 hours, packed with 450 others in an Airbus A380 just to get to Australia ha ha ……
 
My father was in the airline business for most of his life – I followed and worked as a pilot for quite a few years. (Champagne was when I was just sitting doing nothing)
 
==============================
 
 
Back to business: I’m sure that I’m “preaching to the choir” here, but wanted to share some techniques that you prob. are already using – but here goes.
 
1) For threading deadeyes (or any rope for that matter) I first use Gorilla Gel, and run a bead at one of the ends of a rope. Then as I clean off the excess glue (thumb and forefinger with a cloth), I twist the rope ends tighter into their turns - as I’m pulling the rope through the cloth. 
 
This results in a hard “needle like” - tip after the glue dries. Then nip the ends to create a thinner entry point making threading deadeyes much easier. It also allows using ropes that are larger and possibly more to scale.
 
The big eye needle (I have not tried) it would seem would require a thinner scale rope because as you pull the needle out the inserted line then doubles over as it is pulled through the deadeye –??
 

 
To secure the deadeye ropes
 
First I insert (in this case) a thread between the doubled tied shroud, looping it twice. Then, twice wrap the deadeye rope around its shroud; hold it in place, and securing it with a bit of G-S Hypo Cement. Let it set then. The last bit is then very simple just run the left over rope through the two thread spools, tighten and nip.
 

 
OOPS mistake – should have done this work for the mizenmast before securing it to the ship. Hmmm grrr - Still learning protocols.
 

 
Learned that not all deadeyes are created equally. In the future need to look through more carefully making sure that eyelets are more equally spaced before attaching to shrouds. Yes I did finally realize that rotating them does help.
 
Also the upper mast rigging work is easily done at the bench – I have not yet tried working with the other shrouds already on the ship Hmmm?
 
OH !!! Ferit, as I have mentioned before you are the one that introduced me to G-S Hypo Cement SO perfect. Thanks again.
 
Apologize about the long opening personal notes in this post J
 
 
Cheers,

Hola Michael:
I find this picture of the Wasa Museum, and regarding the upper yard hailing rope you are right. If you make a zoom on the picture you can see (unfortunately not very clearly) a sheave for the hailing rope.
 

 
Saludos, Karl
 
 
 

Hi Mates,
 
First thanks for dropping by and the likes. AND
 
Lawrence, I just don’t know how to respond. Your post is well so touching indeed. I am so pleased that you have found this build a pleasure to follow – however slowly it has evolved.
 
Your words are so encouraging; we have all seen builds that make our jaws drop here at MSW. For you to place some of my work on that level, well it’s touching indeed. BIG thanks.
 
PS: I think, by-the-way that you finished your entirely awesome HMS Victory in the time that it took me just to make the crows nests (;-)
 
===============================
 
Minor update on upper foremast;
 
Mistake;
Deadeyes were way too large for the upper platform. I learned through a posting that deadeyes should be about half the width of a corresponding mast. That (in scale) is almost impossible to do – that said my use of the same size deadeyes as with the lower shrouds was all wrong; lack of foresight.
 
So pulled them out, had to make up some smaller chainplates. Used wire that was then joined together with CA Gel glue, and painted flat black. Not correct – but such a minor area that will become lost in the aggregate.  So fixed that.
 

 
Then Karl was helpful and led me in the right direction regarding the upper yard hailing rope bit. I took it a step further and decided (right or wrong) to add a sheave within the upper mast. I assumed (there’s that word again) that a sheave was probably how it was done. Though Anderson does not make that specific detail clear (I might have missed that text?)
 
  
 
Foremast all done now onto putting the upper main bits together THEN attaching the two other uppers at once.
 

Getting a bit nervous regarding that swing-arm light. In a nightmare to be I was thinking of hanging a large double fluorescent fixture with chains from the ceiling of my son’s room.
 
 He’s no longer on my payroll !!J , and I use a corner of that room as my shipyard. Notice the nightmare idea. The admiral would force me to walk the plank for sure.
 
PS: Not complaining lucky to have the space, I know that some builders need to move their work after each session, but lighting needs to be re-visited. Bowsprit and upper fore just for this photo - not installed.