zoly99sask

the skylight was added when it was dry enough.   this is the best I can do about the scale issue.   I also took care of the corner issues with the main deck cabin........it  can be seen in the last picture in the upper left.   the corners were filled in with thin strip mahogany and sanded square........then touched up with gold paint.   the holds are the next to do........perhaps I can save what I have done so far on them....if not,  then I'll have to make new boxes.
 

 

 
as with the main deck cabin,  mahogany dust got into the planking and defined the calking a little.

thanks E.J.  and Scott......and to all who hit the like button.  strange things are going on around here.........it seems my desk has become the work bench.   it seems to react almost like the tide.   the clutter builds and recedes with every thing I've done so far........the brass........the structures......and now with what I've turned my attention to.......the hull.   I grew tired of play'in with the small stuff.
    all the while I planked the hull,  I didn't like the bulwarks.....they weren't even or in line with the decks.   to plank the inner bulwarks will change all that.   using 0.5 x 2 mm strip,  I rose from the deck line 2 rows.......add the pin rail strip,  and then one more row for the top of the bulwark.   the belaying pin racks will be added later.   I wasn't keen on cutting out the bulwark posts either......I've never done it before.  I always felt that they added strength to the cap rails.......but on some models,  they need to be removed,  and this one is no exception.   it made the bulwarks weaker.....and through handling,  the port side bulwark had developed a crack along the deck line,  making matters worse.  the starboard side was done first.......and confirming my suspicions.......had a deficit where the aft deck and main decks meet......visibly showing that there is a serious taper here.   it must be built up and sanded down to create the natural curve that these clippers have.   the starboard side went well,  and the line was achieved.

I ran the pin rail strip all the way to the #2 bulkhead,  later cutting out the excess,  to allow the fore deck to sit flush to it.

the port side was done in the same manner........two rows of thin strip,  and then the pin rail strip.......followed by the strip that will separate the cap rail from the pin rail.

when the last strip was cemented in place,  the taper on this side was quite evident.

at the aft end....almost the entire 2 mm strip was exposed.......not good at all.   I could tell though,  that the weak bulwark has been repaired.   both sides have become quite stiff......they do not flex anymore.   working on the bow first,  the same thing was done to the pin rail.......mark and cut out the excess for the fore deck.


now to move on down to the aft end and fix the problem there.

thanks Mark.   I'm slowly getting used to the small parts  >note to self.......must get back to a larger model<  >going nutso here<    
 
thanks J     I'm so used to the larger kits........this one is a test on the nerves.  top it off with the problems I've come across so far,  and it's........well,  a thinker's model.  I've seen a couple of finished models already,  and to be quite frank.....I'm wondering how they managed to do it.   I suppose it was "one piece at a time."    the cabin assemblies are a bit different than what you had to do...I had wooden and metal plates to overlay on the structure 'plugs'.   all this amounted to was an easier solution,  in adding the external detail.
   I took a slightly different road.......having to remake the hold boxes,  I decided to combine it with fleshing out the main deck.  I'm still compiling pictures,  so the next update will be larger.   glad to have you following along  
 
thanks to all who hit the like button.....not sure what the problem is with the like button,  but I appreciate all who chooses to use it  

Thank you to all for very very nice comments. It is great pleasure for me to present my work on this forum.
Next part - the swivel gun mounts.

awesome job Sjors....such a maze of rigging!  congratz on your near finish  

Very neat work. I'm jealous.

Fantastic rigging, Sjors.    Well done and congratulations.

Looks great Sjors!
spaghetti sure - but well coordinated spaghetti!

So, after more then 3 years I can tell you that the rigging is done....
Not the total build because there are a few things that has to be done like.....hammock netting ( yep, still to do ) anchors and lanterns.
But as it goes in the whole build now and then an update.
Don't ask me where all those ropes are going.....I don't know it anymore.
I have done the best I can do with it.
At the end it looks like spaghetti and all the time the hands are in the way.
I had the feeling that tying blocks will never come to an end.
Even at the last drawing I have to make blocks.
I think it is to difficult to show it in the first drawings.....
I try to put all the ropes on there own position but even that was not possible.
The belaying pins are that small that I can not put an hair around it !
I try because you don't see the difference with my grey hair or the grey rope 
But i'm satisfied with it.
Then rest me only one thing and that are pictures.
 
Sjors

Nice Bel-Air!
 

I will also have to come up with sime sort of unobtrusive catch or latch to hold it closed.Perhaps magnets are the answer.

Since I intend to add lighting in the stern it occured to me that I will have to be able to gain access in case of a battery or bulb change.I found these tiny hinges in the doll house section of Hobby Lobby.Should work out well.

I got the diecast pieces painted and epoxied on and have the bow pretty symmetrical. 

I still have to fill some cracks ,but I decided to use flat white as a guide coat.Just for fun I decided to test paint it.Might not be accurate but sure is good looking!

Ok I am still in the process of filling and sanding the hull prior to priming and painting.I got sick of it so I decided to cut out the cannon ports.The kit comes with metal cannon inserts but they look kinda funky so I might do something else. 

The wife went to a bridal show so I had some extra build time.Planked up the hull but ran out of the basswood I bought on Friday (15 planks were not enough)So I had to use some left over mahogany.It is ok because I intend to either paint the bottom white or copper it.I have to fill some of the large cracks with wood strips and use filler on the rest.

Putting the fins on with some automotive inspiration.Lol!

Working on the bulwarks.

Looks like the experiment was a success.Thinner planks will be usec from now on.

Hi Mates,


 
Well this update, for me is actually mostly satisfying.


 
Built two more platforms, and caps

Installed all of the topmasts

Started some ratlines

Made another mouse for the mainmast stay.

Served the mainmast stay, and the block rope on the foremast

Re-worked a Corel triple, and double block

Many new blocks tweaked and attached.

Attached the double pulley at the base of the foremast for the mainmast stay, and attached the triple block.


 
===================


 
A few Grrrrrrs, of course, main topmast sheave cutout should have been angled inward, lack of foresight.


 
Main cap doesn’t quite “sit” right

Mizenmast cap is too close to its platform

Mouse should be, as you know, a woven affair.


 
What I made is obviously incorrect. I saw how to do it correctly on another’s build log. Hmm my skill set not there.


 
Always nice of you to drop by, and thanks for the encouraging notes – much appreciated.

Cheers,


 

 

 

 

 

Hi Mates,
 
Continuing work on the upper main mast, putting all of the bits together, time consuming work that seems as if nothing is really moving forward. But enjoying this part of the build.
 
I found a photo (can’t seen to locate it now) but on this model the fid had a rope attached to it and was then attached to a shroud at the platform. Hmm made sense.
 
So, decided to follow that idea and did the same for the main upper mast.
 

 
 
The sheaves that I added near the tops of each mast were very out of scale. It looks as if I took too much “meat” out of each mast when adding the sheaves. So decided (incorrectly) to add side reinforcement bits on the sides.
 

 
 
Same problem with upper foremast – but too late for a “fix”

 
 
Thought that I would also do minor reshaping of the blocks, I have seen models that actually have blocks that appear narrower on the upper and lower sides.
 

 
FYI’s bought a new lamp. Excellent. It has three levels of brightness. LED, of course, and 6000k daylight. Very light repeated taps on that circle at the outer top adjusts the light; from Amazon.

 
As always thanks for dropping by, the likes and your kind posts.
 
PS: Really enjoying the last season of Black Sails……
 
Cheers,

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,
 

 

Hey Robin,
 
Didn't have a look at your Bireme build until now. Looking good.  I made a Bireme as well for my son (ho studied archeology) and than started a scratch trireme in the same scale. This turned out to be a huge thing of about 1 meter length.
Picture of how far I am now:
 
 

Main top mast is built and in place! With that I have also completed the last top for this ship. As neat as those round tops are in appearance, they are a pain to make. Next build session will start the shroud rigging which means that nothing exciting will be seen for a few days but with the weekend coming up I may get lucky and get in some longer build hours and get it done.
 
Afterwards the stays will go up and surprisingly the stays for the main top mast are quite simple when compared to the ones on the fore top mast. In looking ahead the rigging is fairly straight forward for a while until I get to the top gallants and the lifts for some of the yards. Then the crows feet come back. The more I read about them and experience trying to rig them, the more I understand why they vanished relatively fast in favor of much simpler rigging. I would not have wanted to be the sailors tasked with trying to repair one of them while at sea.
 
Ok, enough chat for now, enjoy the pictures! 

Thanks for the kind words. For those following, a little update, I did some preliminary panelling on both sides at the stern and bulkhead 11. Next I started fairing the blocks at the bow, this is a slow going process. 


 
Not much to look at I know but this step takes time. You know what they say! "The foundation to a good planking job starts with proper fairing of the hull. "