KeithAug

Nicely done. How do you avoid the artists wrath when you create your dust?

Roger, Tom, Andy, Keith, Brian, Druxey, Veszett and Gary thank you all for sticking with my lamentably slow progress. Also thanks to everyone else for their visits and likes. The workshop is rather cold at the moment as I am trying to do my bit for the energy crisis (as well as monetary prudence). The lack of heating is persuading me to sit in the lounge while drinking tea and researching my next build - quite pleasant but not conducive to completing Germania. Anyway here is a bit more progress:- Having glued the keel slot insert in place I moved on to covering the edges with mahogany strips circa 1/2" x 3/4" section. For years I have been thinking that I need to buy some sash clamps - but I never do - so improvising with rubber bands is my default option. The masking tape is to stop the PVA glue spreading on to the prepared board surface. With the edges attached four holes were drilled to take the pedestals of the cradle. As with my previous builds the door handles from a previous household kitchen were pressed into service. I had just enough left for Germania so this is the last time that they will feature. The next model will need a different solution. The bearing service for supporting the hull was made from nylon rod. This was machined to the correct cone angle to bear against the hull. The support ends were drilled and tapped to take the base mounting bolts at the lower end and clamping cams at the upper end. More next time - if the temperature improves.

Hakan I use my Byrnes circular saw all the time. The scroll saw is used almost entirely for cutting frames - once every 3 to 4 years - not a very worthwhile investment.

I keep wondering if I need a bandsaw. I have so many different types of power and hand saws that I can’t bring myself to invest in yet another - but sometimes I just wonder!!!!!!!!!! nice work on the deck beams Hakan.

Good to see you back but 20 hours must have been shattering.

My mental picture to explain why the sails are not full is as follows - After a good days sailing the wind is failing. The force 5 of the early afternoon has progressively moderated and has it has done so more and more canvas has been hoisted. The lengthening shadows and calming seas has encouraged a degree laxity and the crew broke out the gin a couple of hours ago. Germania is only a couple of miles from the anchorage and the Captain is reluctant to hoist the brass sail and so ruin a perfect days sailing. The wind has now all but failed and progress towards port is pitifully slow. Cats paws of wind occasionally disturb the mirror like surface of the ocean and ghost Germania on the odd few yards at a time. Part of the crew are are starting to agitate for a more rapid, engine assisted, transit to the delights of the local bars but the majority, in their gin induced stupor, are reluctant to expend the energy necessary to stow the sails. In this state of limbo the crew sit and watch the setting sun slowly sink into a golden sea only challenged by the piles of beer cans inhibiting their frequent transit to the heads. In consequence all the sails are hoisted but flapping gently and the boat has no heel. P.S. the scenario described isn’t entirely fictional.

Roger - The authorities were more in favour of cutting an inch off the mast.😱

Great joinery work Hakan - it looks pretty flawless to me.

Thank you for the new year messages. Although I have a few boat bits to finish off I have decided to move on to the display cradle. The move of the boat into the family room prompted my wife to critically comment on the building cradle so this was moved up the priority list. I started by going back to the hull frame line drawings produced at the start of the build. It took a bit of time sorting out the most appropriate frames position for the supports. I have an unreasonable aversion to drilling holes in the hull and for consistency I decided to reproduce the sort of cradle design I had used previously. I had a significant challenge in that we already had a mahogany serving table on which the model was to be displayed. The height of the model plus the height of the table meant that the cradle height had to be constrained to avoid the need for raising the ceiling height. I did suggest cutting an inch off the table legs but this didn't go down well with the authorities. The dimensional constraints turned out to be so severe that the only way of making the cradle work was to include a recess for the keel. The next photo show the sketch designs for the base. I am using a mahogany veneer on chipboard table for the base board. The table dates from the second year of my first marriage (I am now in the 47th year of my first marriage)😬. It took a lot of scraping to get rid of 45 years of polish. The base was somewhat too big for my mill but with a bit of ingenuity I managed to cut a slot for the keel insert. Note the dodgy clamping arrangement. This necessary by the bed "T" slots being unavailable. The plan was to insert a mahogany strip into the slot so this was cut and shaped to size. This strip was then glued in position and then a further slot was milled to take the keel.

Thank you Druxey, Mark, Keith, Richard, Andy and Tom. Also thank you to all who have visited my build over the last 12 months. May I wish all of you a happy healthy and prosperous new year (even though for some of you it hasn’t happened yet).

I am thinking in particular about a free standing floor mounted model in a neighbours house in the late 1950's. I can remember the jolt to this day.

Nicely done Roger, an excellent piece of miniature fabrication.

looking very clean, all that filling and sanding seems to have done the trick.

Im sorry to hear about your friend Hakan. life is a bit of a lottery and often it seems to be the better ones who draw the short straws.

Valeriy, it has been a great privilege and pleasure to follow your magnificent build. Your skills are an inspiration to us all. I hope the new year brings with it peace and prosperity for you all.

Druxey, no its naked as the day it was made, just fitted with a bit of tension. The most pleasing bit is how nicely the edge closest to the hull sits. I was a bit worried that I would need to reinforce this with wire but in the event it naturally took up the required shape.

I know, I should resign before I am sacked. No - that is the domain of my lady wife and I don't need the competition. I think at present he has a full time job with Eberhard. Keith, Druxey, Hakan, Pat, Noel, Phil, Gary - thank you all for your very kind words. I finally tackled attaching the netting. I gingerly started to remove the pins and as my wife said the lace didn't disintegrate. The netting attaches at two points on the cranse iron, at multiple points on the jib stays and then to the brace for the stays. Once the pins were removed the lace was very flimsy and this added to the difficulty of getting it taught. I started by attaching the fore and aft lines working alternatively on each side. I then started working fore to aft with the port and starboard stay attachments. I removed all the stray ends as i progressed. It took me the best part of 2 afternoons to get the net looking suitably taught but I was very pleased with the result and in particular the contribution of my better half. Not much more to do now but I do need to make a start on the display cradle.

We have all gone soft. Don’t you remember the electric fires with coiled wire behind a grid wide enough for kids to push their fingers through. In my day an electric shock a week was considered a good way of toughening kids up. All the electrical equipment in our house had mandatory rat chewed flexes repaired expertly with scotch tape or bandaids.😐

Good luck with the model. You are going to need a bigger supply of Maltesers.

Hakan, the framing and planking are looking pretty special. Excellent job so far. Sorry you didn’t all get together and I hope they are all well soon. There is always next Christmas.

Amazing job

Best wishes to you and your family Keith. My brother in law in Arizona says it might be as cold as 60f and that the barbecue Turkey may have to be eaten with jumpers on. Keep warm.

Thank you all - unfortunately I failed - it's not finished - Christmas got in the way. But here is how she stands. I had made the telegraph, wheel, binnacle and instruments some time ago but not fitted them in case of damage. So I glued them in place. I then stared thinking about attaching the netting to the already crowded cranse iron. You can see the attachment eye at the 7 o'clock position. I am nervously approaching the task of removing all the pins from the netting. I think it will all collapse in a tangled heap but the Admiral assures me otherwise. Merry Christmas.

Simply magnificent Valeriy. I hope that you and your family are safe and well over the festive season and through the coming year.

Eberhard, beautiful paint job.