NMBROOK

Great work Michael and glad the pencil worked out for you
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

MIGHTY fine planking work Jason!!!!!!!
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

After looking at pics of your kit,i would say possibly 3 sheets for the second planking plus the kit strips.There is a possible pitfall to this,I personally think you will struggle to match the supplied walnut.The Amati walnut is a European variety and I can't find sheet stock to match it and I live in Europe.
My advice would be to use the supplied kit first planking and maybe buy some sheet stock for the bow if you are determined to spill the first layer.I would then give serious thought to replacing the second planking completely.The timber will then match,but also you have the opportunity to change to pear or box.They are both more resilient to breaking than walnut,a problem that can occur when cutting curved shapes(i.e. your planks)out and then bending.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thank you Bill,B.E and Kevin.
 
We hired a van yesterday and emptied our storage unit.I know I like to have a few projects on the go at once but was struck by the reality of exactly what I have infront of me .I have always been of the mindset that it would be best to have plenty stashed for my retirement whilst still earning before the harsh reality of todays underperforming pension schemes kick in  Taking into account I have twenty years until retirement,I am going to have to live to 100
To cut to the chase,I am going to focus on Nuestra 100% until completion and then revisit this and other builds
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

B.E. Thanks for still dropping by - always a pleasure hearing from you & thanks for your kind words.
 
Frank, Yes Nigel is very astute indeed. Glad that this idea may also be useful for you as well. Appreciate you comments about the mast.
 
This morning it occurred to me that almost all of this extra detailing will be hidden below the crowsnest large platform, and the sail yard ha ha ....
still enjoying the process.
 
We all need to balance our builds. I have not read one positive comment on any build log regarding installing ratlines and their many hundreds of knots (:-)
 
MIchael

Hello Nigel and Michael,
 
Thanks for sharing the pencil process.
I am taking notes and hope to apply the process in my next build if possible.
 
Michael, fantastic mast work!
 
 
Frank

Great work Michael and glad the pencil worked out for you
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Continuing with the mainmast;
 
Needed to approximate the length for the laterally mounted sidepieces that will include the two pulleys.
 
That done, penciled in where mast cutout areas should be.
 
Photos are self-explanatory so  keeping this update brief.  So far so good - Glad that I did not have to start all over again
 
Nice to get back to wood (as I keep repeating J)
 
Now onto the side pieces. This will most likely be a bit more complicated..
 

 
 
 
 

Great work Michael and glad the pencil worked out for you
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thanks to those who visited the build.
 
The fifth sculpture is now complete and mounted on the bulkhead. It is starting to fill in nicely.
 

 
More to follow.................

Spring has sprung and so has my garden. It has taken several days to get it under control so not too much time for The Sovereign.  Here is a photo with sculpture number four completed and mounted on the model. Number Five is under way. Then I will look at the gunports and provision for the main stay.
 

 
More to follow..........

Great work Michael and glad the pencil worked out for you
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

HI Mates,
 
Quick back-to-back update; used the “Nigel Method” to simulate the tarring of the main mast pieces.
 
Very happy with how it is coming out. Big thanks Nigel. I was going to use black paper or something. The pencil and glue idea is perfect.
 
Still a work in progress, mast is dusty from sanding. I also plan to use a light stain to darken it a bit. That dowel is too white. OK now for the top part bits. And cap.
 
Regards,
 
Michael
 

 
I think that the Museum used filler pieces that were probably missing after recovery. 
 

 
 

Hi all - moving forward on the transom. After studying the plans & Pete`s info I started with the upper transom support,which is the base for the entire stern assembly - it needs to be close to correct or everything will be off. First thing I did was attach some short planks in the position of the lower wale - that way I could slide the transom support in to the same place every time while fitting it to the sides of the hull.
 

 
Then after fitting to the sides of the hull I installed a couple of dowels in the front edge so I could install it in the same place after removing the 2 short planks. The distance from the top of the upper support was 98mm - just what it should be to the upper quarter deck.
 

 
Then I proceeded to shape the upper transom support. I used the metal bands that fit between the 2 support pieces as a guide to shaping the bottom.The profile of the top of this piece was not altered.
 

 
Then I shaped the lower support both from the sides of the hull & the bottom of the upper support. Then the fun part - cutting the groove for the metal bands to sit in. Took most of a day with my little exacto chisel & files.Meanwhile, I installed 2 dowels to keep the 2 pieces in alignment. A dry fit of the 2 support pieces & metal bands came out pretty good.
 

 

 
My hand held Proxxon belt sander was a BIG help in shaping these pieces.
 
Mark

Update - started working on the transom & ran into a problem. After a lot of measuring & head scratching it seems the 2 main pieces that make up the transom support were made wrong. After contacting piratepete007 - the writer of the interpretive manuals - he contacted Euromodel & found out that a few years back the people doing the laser cutting cut a batch of these timbers the wrong thickness. I was going to contact them for some replacement parts but decided to just make new ones - not too difficult. In the first picture you can see the 2 parts sitting on top of each other,the thicker one on the bottom as it shows in the plans & Pete`s info. The problem is the thinner top piece should be wider than the bottom one. The second picture is of the new pieces I made. Finally,in the last picture I used one of the bulkhead knock-outs as a template to form the correct deck camber on them. Euromodel knew about the bad parts,but someone unknowingly put them into some kits. I guess I am a perfect example of Murphy`s law.
 

 

 

 
Mark

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for the Likes, comments, and/or just dropping by.
 
==================
 
Starting preliminary work on building the mainmast. Using Landström as primary reference. According to Fred Hocker these line drawings are correct. Page 251 of Vasa I also have line drawings of main that look just about the same.
 

 
SO here goes. I was not sure about cutting lower portion to approximately the correct size. So instead decided to focus on the upper proportions. I can truncate the assembled extra length later.
 

 
After sourcing proper extra wood bits. (Lucky to have a Blick’s Art Supply store just a few blocks from the condo) First step was to thin both sides of the primary dowel.
 

 
Then cut the needed side filler bits
 

 
Next step will be to glue these two side fillers to the newly thinned out main dowel. I will use Nigel’s Brilliant idea of powdering a watercolor pencil and mixing it to the glue. After sanding  (possibly lathing) to round the mast, the dark glue should simulate any tar caulking that would have been added during original assembly of these parts.
 
PS: The actual mast is actually made up of a center core and has FOUR filler side bits. Overkill – I happy with just two side fillers.
 

 
I will then need to reduce the combined parts to the diameter that original dowel. Not sure yet how to get this right. TBD
 

 
Last pic – planning ahead for the upper top section of the lower mainmast.
 

 
To be continued,
 
Michael
 

 
 
 

Another of the tedious tasks out of the way. The ply gunport strips have been installed. They actually turned out to be less troublesome than I had expected. I first did the fairing of the bulkheads to achieve a smooth run.Then, following the lead of prior builders of this kit, I glued (using medium CA) and clamped only the lower portions of the strips to the bulkheads. This seemed to avoid kinking. Since the upper extensions of the bulkheads will be removed later, this will also ease that process.
 
It is time now to turn to doing the first planking on the hull.
 
Bob

Life has been extremely busy since my last update but, I have still managed to find time to work on la Couronne. The planking on the port side has been moving along smoothly as I have stuck to the same plan that I used on the starboard. This is also why I have fewer progress pictures as it is the same as the last ones just opposite side. I'm hoping another week and I will be looking to finish sanding and prepare it for finishing. I'm planning on just a satin polyurethane but I am open to suggestions if someone has something they like better. I don't want any kind of shine so no semi-gloss or glossy finishes just something to protect and bring out the color in the wood. 
 
Also with the exterior hull planking wrapping up I have begun to think about the interior planking that I will need to do as well as building all the canons. There is a lot of detail work I'm wanting to put in on the interior decks and not as much information on these spaces so a lot of it will be guess work based on what I have and similar ships of the era. This will also begin the tying of a thousand knots as my wife calls it with the installation of the canons. Granted, those are still weeks out but I find it best to start planning the process early so I don't forget anything that needs to be there. 
 
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the small update. There should be a bigger one coming soon!  

Continually amazed by your attention to detail Michael You do know the museum model is 1/10 and you are working at 1/75
 
Have you tried annealing the brass eyelets first?they will be work hardened from the stamping process.This should stop the tearing
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Mates,
 
Thanks for your thoughts. It does appear as if many of us have had table-top shipwrecks. Ouch !.
 
J - brilliant idea, thanks. I will follow through with this idea. There is a foam store nearby, I will fashion fit a large piece that will fit this project. Thanks for the post- I would have never thought of this type of cradle concept.
 
Cheers
 
Michael

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for your thoughts and "clicks".
So it is "repaired" - Not B. Hills plastic surgery results (;-(. There are scars), but much cheaper ha ha.What did I learn?
 
Not to install parts prematurely. Big learning lesson for me. Platform (crowsnest) will stay in the tray for a while. Now, happily, on to the mainmast.
 
Again thanks so much Mates for your support, and encouraging posts.
 
 
Michael

Mates,
 
Thanks for all of your kind "clicks". It's been a bit of a learning experience for me to move forward - at a "slow boat to china" progress. As I mentioned - now for mainmast construction. This bit will be new, but looking forward to the challenge. I will post my interpretations.
 
PS: igorsr you are also so kind (:-)
 
Cheers,
 
Michael

Thanks Don, if I understand you correctly that seems like the way to go.
 
I am wondering about a slight variation to your idea that might take less skill and precision. Would it be better to plank the transom first to just proud of the underside of the hull planks, file off excess to be exactly flush with the bottom of the hull planks, then edge bend a strip around the whole deal? Same thing I guess just the other way around. I like the treenails idea too.
 
Best, Ian

Ok transom installed. Thanks again for the vision Don. With the dimensions the wrap around piece ended up paper thin from the transom view, so no treenails for this baby. In any case I'm happy with the result.
 





 
Ian

So sorry to hear of your drama Michael,but glad to see you are already on the way with the repairs,as they say 'what doesn't break us,only makes us stronger'
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel