Dubz

Some work on the anchors. The kit-supplied ones are very small, so I decided to use some bigger ones. Served the ring with .008 rope. Attached the anchor cable with a knot I found in Mondfelds „Ship models“ book. Surrounded two 3/16 double blocks with black card to simulate an iron band and attached two hooks made of eyelets. Made two new templates for anchor buoys that looks more to scale. Although the anchor buoys are made of cork AFAIK I think about leaving them unpainted.

Other last pics...

Moving along with the completion of the propulsion block. Lots of parts, but the fitting is exceptional. This kit is very well engineered.

 

This is the anchor which will be used to hold the model from the rear and to feed the negative side of 12 VDC. It is a 3 mm special nut. I will try to show a picture of the part, later on.

Yves

I've now completed the upper planking of the second (starboard) side. It has been sanded and a coat of Wipe-on Poly applied. As could be expected, it went on easier and better than the first side. I still had to make small adjustments to get the plank widths right, particularly in the area of the hances.
 
 Following Chuck's sequence, the next work will be the drop plank and the first two strakes below the wales.
 
Bob

After two long years, it's the final clap of my USS Confederacy
 
Thanks to all who supported me during this difficult built !  😉

Installation of samson´s posts and fore bulkheads.

The shipyard has reopened after the Christmas and New Year break. Happy New Year to you all.
 
Bedford, John, Michael, Gary, Caf - thank you for taking the time to comment and thanks to everyone else who has visited and liked my work.
Pat - I have made a start on the cap rails. I decided to try and construct the rails on top of the bulwarks. The bulwark thickness is a little less than 0.1". Sizing the rail from photographs gave me a scale rail of the dimensions in the next sketch.

Because of the considerable fore to aft curvature of the bulwarks I decided that I needed to laminate the rail in 3 pieces. Piece 1 of .125" x .075" cross section will be the first to go on. I cut this piece on the circular saw but unfortunately didn't have a long enough plank to get the full length of the rail, so it will have to go on as 2 pieces.
I sanded off the edge of the bulwark to give a good surface for glueing.
I pondered the problem of needing 4 hands to put port and starboard rails on at the same time. Having discounted the opportunity to get my wife into the workshop I built a wife replacement device as follows:-

Basically it is a slotted piece of wood with adjustable circular clamping pegs which can move in the slots. The wing nuts are from an old lawnmower. The clamp will allow me to hold the 1st cap plank agains the bulwark as I work from stem to stern.

To ensure the glue doesn't  damage the hull paintwork I taped the hull with masking tape.

With the pre-work completed I made a start on attaching the middle section of the cap rail. I started by attaching about 1.5" of the cap rail plank at the bow. CA glue was used to form the bond.

I left the glue for 15 minutes to ensure the bond strength was good.
While glueing the bow section the remainder of the rail planks splayed out in a wide V and had to be supported as can be seen in the next photo (item 2 = rail plank, item 1 = support)

It was then time to start using my "wife replacer" gradually tacking on the next piece of rail with CA as I worked away from the bow. Weights were used to press the rail down on to the top of the bulwark.


I have currently got about half way, slow work when taking into account that only about 2" of rail is glued at one time and that with gluing and drying times each step takes about 25 minutes.

I should get the first capping planks completed on each side by late tomorrow.
 
 
 

Thank you very much, guys, that’s a great idea. They really could be lifts for the ship’s boats. I would like to place them on my model as well. I assumed that these ropes should be easily detachable in order to use the capstan. 
 
I have just finished other 14 pieces of demi-culverin for upper deck. The last 18 pices (10x demi-culverin for upper deck and 8x saker for quarterdeck will be made with all details).
 

The thrusters are almost complete. Inside each one of them, there is a flickering yellow LED. After trying these LEDs on my bench, I realize that the current drawn by each one of them, varies constantly because of the flickering. Therefore, they cannot be serialized or daisy chained. They operate at around 3 volts, under 10 mA each. Since the whole enchilada will be powered with a source of 12 Volts DC, it is necessary to drop about 10 Volts in a resistor. 1 KOhms is perfect for that purpose.
 
First, the lower shell of the rockets are glued on the rear bulkhead: 

The main rod is being opened in three places: Ground wire, Plus wire and the two tiny wires leading to the central LED. The holes are done with a round file, then semi-round and finally a bit of 2 mm, to provide a less sharp opening for the wires.
 
The rear bulkhead has been reworked: pins on each side, have been shortened and drilled to allow wires to go through. The inside of the thrusters is painted black, to simulate the intense heat and combustion taking place in them.

Wiring is neatly arranged, as much as possible. None of the plastic parts are glued yet....the wires are holding everything together.

The lug on the top of the picture (right side of the engine block) will be the negative side of the holder. The green wire brings the - to the front module, through the rod. The yellow wire feeds the rear engine block with the + side, coming from the holder that will be located near the front sphere or living quarters of Discovery. Verification of the diodes: 

It flickers well and provides a sense of these atomic reactors being ignited by HAL 9000, to complete his precious mission....with or without anybody alive....

Yves
 
 

Thanks Joe,
 
No matter what is going on I try to steal whatever time I can. Even if it's 20 minutes and one piece.
 
I've completed the port side upper planking. Unfortunately there was a "HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM" moment.
 
As I was working from the bow to stern doing two rows at a time by the 4th row at bulkhead "K" I started to see a problem cropping up.
I placed the 5th 3/16 strake where should be and you can see the other rows starting to take a dive.
 

 
Scratched my head for a few minutes, made some measurements and looked at the model from a few different angles.
Looking at the next picture you can see what looks like a dip in the bottom of the wales.
 

 
So I measured some more and determined the wales at bulkhead "A" was 1/16" between bulkheads "K" and "7". The Starboard side was correct.
 

 
So I pulled the planks off back to bulkhead "K" and the custom fit the pieces between "K" and "7". fit to the proper height of the 5th strake.
Thankfully the frieze will cover this and when running the molding the seam adjustment will never be seen.
I wanted to mention this so that others will be aware of the consequences of being off a little bit.
 
Anyways here is the completed port side planking. Needs some more sanding and a coat of wipe on poly.
On to the starboard side now.
 

 

 

 

Hi all,
Thanks Emmet and Edward for the best wishes and also thanks Edward for the kind encouragement, it is appreciated. 
A little bit of Bowsprit construction today, which went quite well l think. I have made the correct decision in using the AOTS plans, l feel this will give me a better chance of completing the model with regards to Masts and rigging. The scale of the kit plans, l think, are over sized. The kit plans are 1:200, the AOTS plans are 1:198 and, therefore, should be very slightly larger (or have l got it wrong, please let me know) however, the kit plans are larger........ 
Anyway, my plan is to use the kit plans to steer me through the process and the AOTS book for the finer details.
 
I reduced the length of the Jibboom and added the flying Jibboom 

I then added the Jack Staff and Dolphin Striker. 

Here is where l am now.

l have cut to length the Fore Mast Assembly. During my next session l shall continue  with the shaping. 
Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint. 
 
Session.          Time.           Total.     
40.                    3 hrs.           132.  
 

Happy new year!!! I have finished all the running rigging but still have to readjust the tension and to fix loose ends to the belay points. Unfortunately I‘m running out of tan rope and have to wait for another syren order to arrive to resupply my stock until I start to make some rope coils. Will use the time to finish the anchor and buoys and the base.


 

On to proof of concept for the interior of the cabin, first I needed to understand the parameters of how to make the interior be able to be removed through the narrow opening sort of the reverse of the ship in a bottle.  The expanse of the cabin has to collapse toward the centre so that the components are able to be pulled up through the main opening once the top deck is lifted off.
Using some old green file divider cards I cut the panels to give the interior some maximal limits of what can fit through the opening, the bottom the panels represent the floor level.
 

 

Next I had to tape the panels together so that they would sit inside the opening without the clamps. so that I could place the top deck into position. in order to locate the companionway ladder to the interior.
 


Next the cabin hatchway was placed in position to check the realistic feasibility of a person using the ladder (clearance wise)
 

Then a shaky view from inside looking toward the ladder holding the iPhone inside and hoping that it would produce an acceptable impression.
looking aft
 


and forward I can see the shadows of the bars across the skylight windows
 

apologies for the out of focus pics but like all of this project it will improve with practice and methodology.
 
Michael

Small progress..... Second pair of topmast shrouds ready. Topmast backstays next. 

Post 50
 
Draught markings
This is an opportune time to add the draught markings down the stem.
I found these quite tricky things to apply, getting the spacing and orientation looking right.
 

4153(2)
They were chemically blackened and once fixed a weathering powder mix was sparingly applied.
 
Galley chimney.

4136
I remodelled this from a piece of Boxwood sheathed in lead foil.
 
The Guard rope stanchions are not immediately required, but a convenient time to blacken and trial fit them.
 

4155
To my eye the provided kit stanchions looked a little heavy for the scale. Fortunately, I had some stanchions left over from my Pegasus build which are finer in profile and I used them in preference.
They will be put aside until the rigging is completed; they present as perfect snag magnets.
 
Carrick Bitt pin racks (parts 57,58)
These fit thro’ slots in the Carrick Bitts and in the Pawl Bitt strongback.
 

4128(3)
Came across a little problem here; when I came to fit these, instead of running level between the two bitts they angled upwards because the slot on the Pawl bitts was higher than on the Carrick bitts.
I have no idea how this has come about; I had checked the fit during the assembly stage, and it seemed ok, or at least I thought it did.
The windlass assembly is firmly fixed to the deck, so removal and re-working was not an option.
 

4143
A bit of very careful scalpel work on the Pawl bitts was required, followed by some filler and re-painting.
Inclusion of these pin racks stems from the Alert book and is duplicated in the kit.
Still not sure about them on cutters of this period but there is a need for them when it comes to rigging so I follow suit.
 
The kit provides brass etched belaying pins which didn’t suit my eye.

4177
The Alert book drawings show what are termed belaying posts, more rectangular in shape than a traditional pin, and I opted for these instead using some 1mm Boxwood section.

4166(2)
I need to shape the posts a little more and test them for strength.

4174(2)
 
Time to look at the masts and yards.
 
 
B.E.
03/01/20
 
 
 
 
 

Hello dear friends,

in the meantime I was able to find out in a publication " Takelung und Ankerkunde - Freiherr von Sterneck -1873 " that pushing the rungs through the rope ladder ropes represents the correct execution.
Quelle: Takelung und Ankerkunde - Freiherr von Sterneck -1873 - Bildband

However, there must be a clear passage at the shrouds.
This is not the case with the Paris model.

Now that the details have been clarified, I can start with the implementation for the model.

Thanks Mark. The work has been finished. I just need to sort out the easiest way to get the enormous data files to those wishing to purchase them.  It will include some kick-*** videos as well! The complete works should be available in January. In the meantime here are a couple of photos of the model on the open seas.
 

Greetings in the new year friends! 
 
I did not touch AVOS over the Xmas eve. My 3 childern kept me busy enough but had a great time with family!
 
So the only update would be....... New replacement sail has arrived from MK (thanks a lot), I have managed to remove the Bolt rope so sail is ready to be rigged. 

 
Happy New Year to ALL of you and let's finish AVOS!!! 

Neat, I say, needless to say ...
 
BTW, slotting screw-heads, this is one of the tasks for which collet-chucks were invented for:
 

 

Pictures from http://www.lathes.co.uk/levin/page4.html
 
I have a nearly identical set from Hardinge for my B6 collets. It was missing the draw-bar, but since I was able to obtain the right tap for the thread and make a new draw-bar, it gets used quite often. The knurled screw at the end is a depth-stop that is adjustable on a very fine thread. Modern versions for use in a vice on the milling machine do not have this sophistication.

Druxey, Paul, Mark, and Pat thanks for your comments, and that you to all who have added a like, it is greatly appreciated.
 
Today I finished the second hinge and made a couple of adjustments to the sequence which made the fabrication a little easier in some aspects. After folding the brass as in the first hinge I ran some CA glue along the edge to glue the sides together forming a stronger lamination of .006" before filing the tabs.
 

 
The following along the same as before fitted the two halves together. This time I did take the pictures of the rest of the sequence. 
 

 


First drilling the holes and placing the pins
 

Then removing them to make a small countersink into the wood, this helped with the countersinking of the brass which was also slightly deformed by the countersink as it formed the depression, the brass was soft anyway and there is not much to actually cut away when countersinking, so it is a bit of a fake countersink.


The tiny copper rivets that I have used before are flat head 1/32 Sig Rivets that I purchased eons ago I snipped the end to an angle so that the rivet formed a tight fit for the last bit of the hole which was drilled just a little shy of the full length of the rivet. The head was slotted with the jewelers saw with a # 08 blade I think it is the finest one I have. I use a small bit if Boxwood with a notch filed into it as a guide this works very well once you get the notch depth set and it is easy to reset as the saw wears away the side.

I thought I had lined up the heads, but I see in the brutal close ups that I didn't. Oh well, there was a knot in the wood that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

After getting the lid fitted I decided I wanted to ad a way of hanging some rope from the bottom side of the lid (would have been better if I had decided this before gluing it into the cockpit Which made it a bit more difficult to accomplish. At first I tried making some hooks (hats off to yo u Johann your hooks are professional looking compared to the ones I rejected. I rethought the hooks and decided on a leather strap forming some loops things could then be lashed to the loops. Because the lid is only 1inch thick I had to use the smallest real wood screw I have #1 x 1/4 inch the shank of these is .058" + or - they are certainly not precision screws but nice enough. I wanted to use the flat eads so needed to make some fake flat head washers I use some 3/16 brass rod and reduces the diameter about .040" and then bored the .058" hole and countersunk the hole beveled off the outside them parted them off.

I used the Small leather awl I made for the leather stitching test I did earlier for the cushions to punch the holes in a strip of brown leather from the leather scrap bin.

After drilling the pilot holes very carefully not to poke through to the top, the strap got fitted. I hung a coil of 7/8 rope with a bit of 3/8 rope to the strap for testing the concept.

 
 
Walter seems to like the method.
 
So I closed the lid on this part of the cockpit, ready to move on, to the next task.

 
Michael     

Life around here has done everything possible to keep me from this build. All I have left is the two flags. I really wanted to make a lifeboat to hang from the back davits but it doesn't look like that will happen anytime in the near future. I made a small cleat by flattening the end of a metal pin. I then filed it down to a very tiny size filing a very sharp point to stick in the staff. Forgot to take pics of this process. Made a very tiny hole with a micro twist drill and pinned it into the bottom of the staff on the bowsprit cap. Dipped the sharp point of the cleat in CA glue before pinning it in. I'm trying to rig up a block and cleat rig for this instead of just tying the (Jack?) flag to the staff. Folded and glued the flags sides together. Getting some folds set in them, I know the shaping will need changing a bit before they are done.
 
Jesse

Finished
 
 

Post 18
 
I have now completed the planking. Not in Chuck's league by any means - there are a few places where the planks could be tighter but on the whole it looks OK. Its all a learning exercise for me.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Time to move on to the treenails now
 

Not very obvious at all! But those diminishing futtocks, along with the shifted and cast toptimbers make this sort of modelling both fun and challenging (midships photo of my Swan class  Pegasus attached). I wouldn't include them in any scale smaller that 1:48 though as I don't think the human eye could pick out the 1" differences in width.
 
Happy New Year, CAF (don't know your name). I very much enjoy your innovative work in ship model kits
 

Hi all,
I hope you all had a great Christmas and enjoyed your New Year celebrations. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful 2020.
I have spent a bit of time today looking at the masts and rigging and, as l expected, the main challenge is ahead of me. The instructions are very sketchy but l have my AOTS book to hand which l hope will help no end. I am working on the Bowsprit Assembly at the moment and have met my first problem, there's no mention of the Flying Jibboom in  the instructions but clearly l need one. I will use the kit instructions as a guide and scale measurements, but will use the AOTS book for the finer details.
 
These are the kit instructions.

l have cut each part as shown to the correct dimensions, but not shaped.
Bowsprit, Jibboom, Bees and Beeblock.
The Jack Staff and Dolphin Striker.
Spiritsail Yard, Spiritsail Topsail Yard and Boomkins. (I have named the parts for my own future reference as they are not shown in the instructions)

Quite clearly shown in the AOTS book, the Flying Jibboom. Why they should have missed this from the instructions is a mystery to me. I shall add this Jibboom but, of course, this will have a knock on effect with the rest of the rigging. 

Here is a picture of my most important item of equipment, 
During my next session l shall cut the Flying Jibboom and shape, by sanding, all the component parts of the Bowsprit Assembly. 
Best wishes as always and, once again, Happy New year to you all.
The Lazy Saint. 
 
Session.         Time.         Total. 
39.                   1 hrs.          129 hrs