NMBROOK

Thanks for the "likes" and the comments.   
 
 
 
That makes two of us waiting for other results, Sjor.  
 
 
 
The glazing is growing on me.  I like the imperfection of it and the longer it sits, the stronger it seems to have become.  
 
 
 
It actually back lite by shop light, Pat.  I opened the blinds since it was "somewhat" sunny today and killed the flash.   It almost makes want to put in LED's...  A little late for that, I think.
 
 
Thanks Chris. The windows fit nicely on the transom frames.  I think is right.. the window spacing is the "big deal".  
 
 
And I think I found the problem...  the area highlighted in red.  I'm thinking that the framing underneath is off a bit.  Since the planks edges are flush with that framing..  so it goes.  Sanding sticks at the ready.
 

It's good to see you back, Sam, even if just for a bit.  Work is hell.. 
 
Ken, I think the Microscale needs a topic of it's own out there.  I did some Googling and this might be perfect for many of us.
 
 
These pictures are some of "test" shots to sort things out.
 
The stern now has it's upper molding and the rest planked in ebony.  It still needs more sanding  
 
The main stern carving is a "bad" carving blank which is hitting the scrap box as it's served it's purpose.  I stuck it on with some double sided tape for position and appearance.  I noted that it's too low and needs to be higher to look right.  The real carving is on the workbench and slowly being attacked with various implements of construction and destruction.    I think it's a perspective issue when I stuck it on.  The transom being angled, it looks low when viewed head on.  
 
The taffrail... this one's a headache.  I've changed the drawing to reflect where this one doesn't quite fit and also to lengthen the "legs".  I originally designed it as a one piece but the legs are entirely cross-grain which weakens things (I think I've broken about 5 at this point while cleaning off the char). The other is an appearance  that I'm not happy with.  The cross-grain on the legs just looks dirty no matter how much it's sanded/scraped.  I even cut one in half and the cut area looks "dirty".   Anyway, I've reworked it so it's made of three pieces.. a crosspiece and two legs with the grain going in the proper direction.  I hope to cut another later today or tomorrow.
 
I'm noticing that things are quite perfect still in the dimension area but not much I can do at point, but I'll sort it out and tweak as best I can.  I'm about 1/32" (2") off on the level, left-to-right where the transom meets the counter.  And it's off about the same on witdth.  One side is just a bit wider at the top.   I'm thinking that the beams shifted slightly when I was reconstructing this area.  Nothing serious but I thought I'd point it out.
 
I do need to flip this beast over and plank the inside of the transom area above the deck beam so I can sand it down and shape before fitting the taffrail.  
 
I'm thinking, right now, the taffrail will be un-adorned.  I tried carving some acanthus leaves for this area, but... I need a lot more practice for some thing that tiny. I keep at it as there's no rush on the carvings.
 

 
Comments and critiques are always welcomed and yes, this is to be continued.

Mates,
 
George, Nigel, Edwin, Frank thanks for your so nice comments.
 
Paul S, thanks so much for following along. Very nice of you, I have been re-miss in not thanking and acknowledging members whom are interested in this build, and have chosen to get updates J
 
Mark. Thanks, but your beautiful completed rigging along with FrankM, and Karl, will be my guides in this very new area for me.
 
------------------------
 
Frank M. YES indeed – Your post is well so perfect. Foresight was missing here for me as well. The starboard railing will survive with a couple of wood putty “fill-ins” and re drills.
 
The Port side is a mess. I knew that as I was drilling the holes too close to existing ones. I was also hoping to fix it the same as the other railing. Then noticed that the holes are not even mid-rail (rushing never works, does it?)
 
So I looked in my junk wood box and happened upon a left over railing piece that is, unbelievably,exactly the same length, to the mm, as the one that came out terribly.
 
I was out of those planks and also out of the upper top very thin cover piece. What luck!!
 
So, This should be easy. I’ll drill for the verticals first, then space the pin holes correctly Hmmmm
 
Again mates, thank so much for your interest, likes, and comments.
 
Michael

 
 
 
 
 

Thanks Dirk
 
Nigel, don't worry, it will take a lot of time to prepare the kit. I suppose at least two years
 
Hi Anaga, thanks for the link, I will look at it. To your questions: 
1) Yes I plan to do also copper plating.
2) I use Turbocad
3) I combine more sources, the basic shape is after Mr. Crespo, but some details are for example after the period plan made in USA
I also plan to use Archangel figurehead instead of standard lion.
I would be very grateful if you would give me the information about the artilery, masting, rigginng and etc.. At this moment I plan to use for artilery information from this book:
http://www.libreriasespecializadas.com/libros/nautica/los-navios-espanoles-de-la-batalla-de-trafalgar-del-astillero-a-la-mar/9788480558341/
there are for example  drawings and dimensions of spanish guns from about 1796, but I know that the last rebuild was made shortly before Trafalgar so I am very interested in data from your sources
 
Best regards
Daniel

Wow,that looks absolutely fantastic Daniel!!!!!!!! I did wonder if you would adopt the red and black colour scheme
 
Slow down though,I need time to save my pennies,this is a definite must have for my stash  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Wow,that looks absolutely fantastic Daniel!!!!!!!! I did wonder if you would adopt the red and black colour scheme
 
Slow down though,I need time to save my pennies,this is a definite must have for my stash  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Wow,that looks absolutely fantastic Daniel!!!!!!!! I did wonder if you would adopt the red and black colour scheme
 
Slow down though,I need time to save my pennies,this is a definite must have for my stash  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Wow,that looks absolutely fantastic Daniel!!!!!!!! I did wonder if you would adopt the red and black colour scheme
 
Slow down though,I need time to save my pennies,this is a definite must have for my stash  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Wow,that looks absolutely fantastic Daniel!!!!!!!! I did wonder if you would adopt the red and black colour scheme
 
Slow down though,I need time to save my pennies,this is a definite must have for my stash  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Wow,that looks absolutely fantastic Daniel!!!!!!!! I did wonder if you would adopt the red and black colour scheme
 
Slow down though,I need time to save my pennies,this is a definite must have for my stash  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hello everyone,
Here are some new photos of Santisima Trinidad after painting the hull.
Best regards
Daniel

Your attention to detail knows no bounds Michael,splendid work my friend  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I've now completed the next segment of interior detailing. This included eyebolts at the foot of the mast, deck ringbolts, a couple of bulwark cleats, bulwark pin rails and belaying pins, the last two carronades, the galley stack and the mast bitts and winch.
 
The guns, cleats, ringbolts and eyebolts all followed the procedures previously described for them.
 
The pin rails were cut from boxwood strip, shaped and drilled for the pins, painted red and then pinned and glued to the bulwarks. The belaying pins are commercial brass items, which I blackened.
 
The galley stack was cut in four pieces from 1/32" boxwood sheet, assembled, painted black and installed on it's previously installed base.
 
The mast bitts and winch were a fun piece to do. The bitts were cut from boxwood strip and shaped with files. The cross piece was cut from strip, notched with saw and chisel cuts and mounted on the bitts. The knees were were cut from boxwood sheet and added to the bitts. The winch barrel was made from two sizes of dowel. The gears were an interesting exercise. I first tried, unsuccessfully, to do them from wood with a file. I finally ended up using styrene tube, which I filed lengthwise, and then cut slices to size and painted black. They are hardly perfect, but they are very small and their appearance is satisfactory to me. The handles or cranks are bent brass rod, blackened and passed through pieces of blackened brass tube to represent bearings.I tried to follow the drawings and the photos of the contemporary model, but I have no idea whether this mechanical arrangement is correct. 
 
I'm now moving on to the last, forward segment.
 
Bob

I guess this is a milestone post. The hull is now essentially complete (a few exterior eyebolts to be done during rigging, the anchors and entry rope stanchions, to be done when they won't get in the way).
 
As I indicated in my last update, to finish the deck items, I had to do the bowsprit. My lack of a lathe caused me to make this in a somewhat different way. The bowsprit consists of a tapered round portion and a square section inboard. I chose to dowel and glue a square piece of boxwood to a round dowel and fair it in by sanding. I then tapered  the round portion by sanding, filed in the shoulder and shape of the forward end and drilled and cut in the sheave. The bowsprit was finished by staining the dowel portion golden oak and painting the inboard and most forward portions black.
 
The bowsprit bitts were made from boxwood strip filed to shape with knees cut from boxwood sheet. After temporarily positioning the bowsprit and marking locations, holes were drilled through the bitts and the square portion of the bowsprit for a brass rod to hold the bowsprit in position in the bitts. The bitts were then pinned and glued to the deck, the bowsprit was permanently mounted by inserting the brass rod and boxwood pieces were glued on to cover the holes in the bitts and above the bowsprit.
 
The last deck piece was the windlass. This was made using Chuck's mini kit. I actually had made this up earlier and it took a couple of days to do. It is a marvel of design and engineering. While I believe that I could have done this from scratch, it would have taken me weeks, rather than days, and would not not have looked nearly as good as this. After the windlass was glued in place, I added pawls, made from black painted strip, from the bitts to the windlass gears.
 
For whatever reason, the photos won't attach in the order that I chose, and appear below in random order. They include three that reflect the current state of the model.
 
Bob
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My plan to finish off the interior hull detailing with a final forward segment has been changed a bit. I realized while thinking it through, that I needed to break it into two parts. The first, which I have now completed, was to do the catheads, bow pin rail and the two long guns. The bowsprit bitts could not be made and set until the bowsprit itself was made, and I hadn't planned on that. The windlass could be made, but was better left unmounted until after the bowsprit bitts were set.
 
I began with the catheads. I chose to make them from boxwood strip, rather than cutting them in one piece from sheet. Fitting just seemed easier. The outboard sheaves are simulated, using drilled holes and scribing, rather than slots and actual sheaves. The completed assemblies were painted red and black and mounted on the hull. Cleats, made from boxwood strip were added inboard and eyebolts outboard.
 
The bow pinrail was next. It is shown on the drawings as being between the catheads, but the vertical positioning is unclear. Because the bowsprit has to pass below it, I concluded that I had to make it level with the cap rail. Hopefully, this is correct. Using a card template, I cut the piece from boxwood sheet, drilled holes for the pins, and painted it black to match the cap rail. It was mounted using pins and glue. Blackened brass belaying pins were added.
 
Lastly, I made and added the two 6 pdr long guns. These were made and rigged just like the previous carronades. I followed the positioning shown on the drawings and the photos of the contemporary model, although it seems awkward and hardly workable in light of the position of the bowsprit and bitts.
 
I'll now move on to complete the remaining items. They will probably get done sooner than I would expect, because south Florida is going through an unusual period of rain that will decrease golf time and increase modeling time.
 
Bob

With work on the hull complete, it was time to work to begin work on the mast (the bowsprit was already done in connection with the interior detailing). I began with the lower mast. The process was straightforward: I started with a dowel cut to a length that included the below deck portion, the head and the tenon for the cap; the below deck portion was filed to a shape to fit the four sided slot that I had long ago created on the bulkhead former; the head was cut and sanded to it's square shape and the tenon was further cut and sanded to it's smaller square shape; flat areas were sanded below the head for the cheeks. The mast below the cheeks was stained golden oak and given a coat of Wipe-on Poly.
 
The mast was now ready for the addition of it's various fittings: this began with the cheeks which were cut from boxwood sheet and glued in place; next was the boom rest, which was cut from boxwood sheet, glued in place and it's supports added, made from boxwood strip; lastly, I made cleats from boxwood strip and pinned and glued them in place.
 
Next, I made up the trestletrees and crosstrees from boxwood strip. Slots were sawed and chiseled to fit the pieces to the head. The crosstrees were bent to shape and the parts were assembled and glued in place on the head. I then painted the head and the trestletree-crosstree assembly black and lastly added black painted paper bands on the head and eyebolts through the after side of the bands. I also added a pin to the mast to hold the main yard in place.
 
The last work was to make the mast cap and mast coat. Both were cut from boxwood sheet with appropriate holes drilled and filed before they were cut out. Eyebolts were added to the cap and both parts were painted black.
 
Finally I installed the mast in the hull slot. I prefer to glue it in place permanently for stability, although I know that there are differences of opinion about this.
 
Bob

Before doing the rigging of the bowsprit, I decided to make up the topmast, the yards and the boom and gaff.
 
Lacking a lathe, I proceeded in my usual fashion of beginning with round dowels and building up, where necessary on the topmast and yards, to create eight sided sections. I start by filing the appropriate section to a square, then adding boxwood strip to build up the square, filing to an eight sided shape, and then blending the sections by sanding.
 
In each instance, the dowels were tapered by hand sanding and shoulders were filed in where required (topmast head, boom and gaff ends). Sheaves  were drilled and cut in on the topmast and lower yard. Jaws were cut from boxwood sheet and added to the boom and gaff. Lastly, cleats were cut from boxwood strip and added to the yards and boom. A fid was added to the topmast.
 
The topmast was stained golden oak and the head and doubling were painted black. The yards, boom and gaff were painted black.
 
Bob

Rigging has begun. The first step (while I was making up the spars) was to assemble, and learn how to use, Chuck's Servomatic serving machine. Assembly was straightforward, but my learning was not. I had never served line before and through no fault of the machine, my own stupidity and clumsiness provided an obstacle. Once I overcame those, the machine works great and I'm now serving away with ease.
 
Of course, the first line done, the bobstay, is served for it's full length. The bobstay and the the bowsprit guys, the other lines I've done, also employed Chuck's 4mm hooks. These were another first for me and a product that I highly recommend. I've always enjoyed rigging, and I'm happy to be at it again. 
 
Next up will be the burton pendants and then the shrouds.
 
Bob
 
 
 
 

Your attention to detail knows no bounds Michael,splendid work my friend  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Your attention to detail knows no bounds Michael,splendid work my friend  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Your attention to detail knows no bounds Michael,splendid work my friend  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Your attention to detail knows no bounds Michael,splendid work my friend  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Excellent work Jason!!!!
 
Kind Regards 
 
Nigel

Cheers all and the likes...
 
Carl - Yup, US suppliers call it Castello Boxwood which is similar but not the same, and I suspect it does have a bit more grain
Joe - yes, very enjoyable compared to working with walnut
Nigel - Great suggestion, although I still have plenty of sanding ahead of me so a little raised grain at this point shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Mobbsie - couple of thousand miles help with that
 
Knew I'd forgotten something, the sheaves for the sheets and tacks - wanted to do more than the kit suggest holes.   I had originally thought about trying to build the actual blocks but quickly realized very little would be seen even if I did.  So took the approach taken by others to simply drill a couple of holes and then shaped a pseudo sheave into some strip.  Photos are not great, the super magnification does no favours... 
Drilled the holes (the pencil is simply to provide a little contrast while working) Used X-acto knife to shape a 'slot' between them A rounded file then provided the profile of the sheave X-acto knife to square the outer edge of the slot  

 
Main tack sheave in position.  I put on some paint just to get confirm it would look OK once in position (the area of the hull here will be blue).  With a temporary simulated tack, demonstrates that even less will be seen...
 

 
The fore and spritsail sheet block required me to cutout a section from a previously attached plank, wasn't too problematic.
 

Excellent work Bob The treenailing looks great,to be honest,I have used every material for doing these bar fishing line,but I don't think the filler route looses anything to the others unless you are after a structural fixing
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel