Phill Elston

What... Not stuffing them for the authentic amount of bounce?? Call yourself a model maker??? :-p

What... Not stuffing them for the authentic amount of bounce?? Call yourself a model maker??? :-p

As Forest said... It happens.

So having had several days doing the secondary planking on one side of the build, I kind of find myself "planked out"... Needing some sort of break.
 
As it happens, a packet arrived this morning from Cornwall model boats. One of the things in there was the 23' Launch I ordered. There's my diversion. Nice, easy & relatively quick. So I pull the bits out of the bag and have a good look at them. Not a lot for what you pay, but scratch building such a hull would, I believe, be beyond my current level of expertise... Thankfully, there wasn't any moulding "flash" and little or no unwanted marks on the resin.
 
But, when I take my time to inspect the parts, I am disappointed to realise that the hull of the launch is bloody awful! The transom is SO Far out of whack, it's going to take fairly substantial surgery to put it right. (Picture 1)
 
Luckily, the work required to rectify the fault is fairly straightforward... Mark, cut, trim, cement, fill & fair. The resin hull glued fairly easily with CA and, realising that I didn't have any filler, I used walnut wood sanding dust sprinkled into a film of CA. It seems to have worked quite well and I'm quite chuffed with myself!

So having had several days doing the secondary planking on one side of the build, I kind of find myself "planked out"... Needing some sort of break.
 
As it happens, a packet arrived this morning from Cornwall model boats. One of the things in there was the 23' Launch I ordered. There's my diversion. Nice, easy & relatively quick. So I pull the bits out of the bag and have a good look at them. Not a lot for what you pay, but scratch building such a hull would, I believe, be beyond my current level of expertise... Thankfully, there wasn't any moulding "flash" and little or no unwanted marks on the resin.
 
But, when I take my time to inspect the parts, I am disappointed to realise that the hull of the launch is bloody awful! The transom is SO Far out of whack, it's going to take fairly substantial surgery to put it right. (Picture 1)
 
Luckily, the work required to rectify the fault is fairly straightforward... Mark, cut, trim, cement, fill & fair. The resin hull glued fairly easily with CA and, realising that I didn't have any filler, I used walnut wood sanding dust sprinkled into a film of CA. It seems to have worked quite well and I'm quite chuffed with myself!

Well today was working on the bulwarks, gunports and construction of various upper deck fittings (gratings, bell gallery, ladder etc.) and, of course, more filling.
 
The keel was set yesterday, along with the stern post and the cutwater. At least it will now sit in the keel clamp (for what that's worth - another LONG story)
 
The frame points are pencilled in ready for second planking, though I haven't had time to think about marking the waterline yet.  Knowing I have more filling and sanding to do, I have held off doing that.  I'm planning on "copper plating" the hull (using tape) so I want the get the hull - especially the lower hull - as smooth as possible with no dips or bumps in relief as these will show up glaringly.
 
The gun ports I have cut are higher than the pre-cut ones on the plywood bulwarks as they were not authentic.  For some reason, no "eyebolts" were supplied with the kit (just bent wire as far as I can ascertain) so I have ordered some better looking etched brass ones.  They haven't arrived yet, so I can't do too much more to the gun-sites until they do.  The supplied (cast metal) gun carriages look - in my opinion - pretty crap, so next week will involve some of my first proper scratch building in wood...  Watch this space.

May Jerry recover fully and quickly.  I'm sure he will as he looks to have a good nurse 

All these tools will get you off to a great start but the most important tool we can use, And it takes a bit to master and that is Patience! Take your time. It's not a hobby if things are rushed. I'm sure you will do just fine All the best with your first new build.

So you're not going to bother putting much detail in then ;-) ??
 
I just sit and gawp as this build progresses. Awesome!

Hi Vossy,
 
I looked at Romans website link and although I was a Comms Tech in the RN, my reading of Cyrilic is not up to communicating with him or reading his pages... I can't even work out how to scroll to the next page! You are right though, his version of the gallery windows would look better at the very least.
 
I too an not sure about the second planking being in the same wood as the deck. I was going to buy some Tanganika strip until I realised that it was £0.32 a strip and I would need about thirty or forty strips!
My more simple answer will be to varnish the deck with a very Matt varnish (http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/admiralty_varnishes.html) while staining the hull planking down some. (http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/admiralty_stains.html)
 
I'm just getting toward the end of the first planking of the hull and yes, you are right... The supplied 1.5x 6 is a bugger to work around 3D curvature (especially when it is the very first time you've planked a ship!) I'm getting there, but I'm running out of filler! LOL
 
I'm going to copper the lower hull using copper tape and a ponce wheel A) because it will look WAY better than paint and, more importantly, it means that I won't have to do "fine planking" around the tight curve of the bow! I think I'm going to plank down below where the copper starts and fair that in.
 
I too am missing some parts from my Amati box... As far as I know though, it is only the eye bolts. Rather than go through the hassle of contacting Amati, I am buying some etched brass ones as I think that they will look better.
 
Are you running a build log on your Bounty?
 
If you look at my build log (http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/12953-hmav-bounty-by-phill-elston-amati-160-ostensibly-from-the-kit-plans-but-potentially-modified-to-more-authentic/) you will see how I blocked in the bow sections on mine. It's far from perfect and in retrospect, I shaved a bit too much balsa away, so I've had to build a lot back up again with filler. As I say, I progressing well with the first planking, and all being well, I should finish that stage by early next week. Then it's sanding dust time!
 
Please feel free to swap thoughts and ideas on the builds you see it.
 
Best regards
 
Phill
 
PS... Did you serve in River class frigates? I served in several Leanders. Great ships!

Evening Hof
 
I too am building in 1:60 at the moment. In my case, Bounty. I am far from being an expert, though I was in the RN, I have served in ships with wooden decks (both warships and sailing vessels) and I have spent FAR too much time scrubbing them! My build is the first that I have undertaken, but I have received compliments on some of my work thus far.
I cannot remember whereabouts on the net I found the lengths to cut my deck planking but I do remember it scaled (give or take) at 8cm. I used a three butt shift pattern because it was a pattern that I had learned about during my time in the mob.
In my case, for symmetry, I drew a centre line on the supplied plywood deck base and worked either side of that. I've attached a couple of photos of my deck piece once I had cut around the edge of the deck and cut out the various hatches etc. in the ply template.
 
I hope this is of some use to you.
 
Regards
 
Phill
 
PS, I tried to simulate the caulking by running a 4B pencil along one edge/end of each plank, but it didn't really show as well as I would have preferred, so I stepped the lines in with a 4Hpencil after laying the planks. I used the same pencil to step in the treenails.

Evening Hof
 
I too am building in 1:60 at the moment. In my case, Bounty. I am far from being an expert, though I was in the RN, I have served in ships with wooden decks (both warships and sailing vessels) and I have spent FAR too much time scrubbing them! My build is the first that I have undertaken, but I have received compliments on some of my work thus far.
I cannot remember whereabouts on the net I found the lengths to cut my deck planking but I do remember it scaled (give or take) at 8cm. I used a three butt shift pattern because it was a pattern that I had learned about during my time in the mob.
In my case, for symmetry, I drew a centre line on the supplied plywood deck base and worked either side of that. I've attached a couple of photos of my deck piece once I had cut around the edge of the deck and cut out the various hatches etc. in the ply template.
 
I hope this is of some use to you.
 
Regards
 
Phill
 
PS, I tried to simulate the caulking by running a 4B pencil along one edge/end of each plank, but it didn't really show as well as I would have preferred, so I stepped the lines in with a 4Hpencil after laying the planks. I used the same pencil to step in the treenails.

So you're not going to bother putting much detail in then ;-) ??
 
I just sit and gawp as this build progresses. Awesome!

So you're not going to bother putting much detail in then ;-) ??
 
I just sit and gawp as this build progresses. Awesome!

So you're not going to bother putting much detail in then ;-) ??
 
I just sit and gawp as this build progresses. Awesome!

Does anyone have drawings (preferably 1/60 scale - but I guess beggars can't be choosers) for 4 pounder guns as carried on the bounty? I am building the Amati model and I'm not overly impressed with the supplied cast metal carriages so I want to build some "more correct" ones. Searching the net brings up loads of 18, 24 & 32 pounders but none of the little ones!
 
Looking forward to your help...

Evening Hof
 
I too am building in 1:60 at the moment. In my case, Bounty. I am far from being an expert, though I was in the RN, I have served in ships with wooden decks (both warships and sailing vessels) and I have spent FAR too much time scrubbing them! My build is the first that I have undertaken, but I have received compliments on some of my work thus far.
I cannot remember whereabouts on the net I found the lengths to cut my deck planking but I do remember it scaled (give or take) at 8cm. I used a three butt shift pattern because it was a pattern that I had learned about during my time in the mob.
In my case, for symmetry, I drew a centre line on the supplied plywood deck base and worked either side of that. I've attached a couple of photos of my deck piece once I had cut around the edge of the deck and cut out the various hatches etc. in the ply template.
 
I hope this is of some use to you.
 
Regards
 
Phill
 
PS, I tried to simulate the caulking by running a 4B pencil along one edge/end of each plank, but it didn't really show as well as I would have preferred, so I stepped the lines in with a 4Hpencil after laying the planks. I used the same pencil to step in the treenails.

So you're not going to bother putting much detail in then ;-) ??
 
I just sit and gawp as this build progresses. Awesome!

While sorting out some more cargo for the forward hold i placed a few of the rats i bought around the holds and chewed up one of the metal sacks like it had been chewed by a rat. I will add more once i have finished with the cargo and also place some around the middle deck
 

Ok, if you have rats in the hold then you need to do something about it 
 
 
 

Hi Nils, thank you
          I have searched the net for rats in the correct scale but up to now i have had no luck finding any. I might have go at making some myself though

Well today was working on the bulwarks, gunports and construction of various upper deck fittings (gratings, bell gallery, ladder etc.) and, of course, more filling.
 
The keel was set yesterday, along with the stern post and the cutwater. At least it will now sit in the keel clamp (for what that's worth - another LONG story)
 
The frame points are pencilled in ready for second planking, though I haven't had time to think about marking the waterline yet.  Knowing I have more filling and sanding to do, I have held off doing that.  I'm planning on "copper plating" the hull (using tape) so I want the get the hull - especially the lower hull - as smooth as possible with no dips or bumps in relief as these will show up glaringly.
 
The gun ports I have cut are higher than the pre-cut ones on the plywood bulwarks as they were not authentic.  For some reason, no "eyebolts" were supplied with the kit (just bent wire as far as I can ascertain) so I have ordered some better looking etched brass ones.  They haven't arrived yet, so I can't do too much more to the gun-sites until they do.  The supplied (cast metal) gun carriages look - in my opinion - pretty crap, so next week will involve some of my first proper scratch building in wood...  Watch this space.

http://www.shipmatesreunited.com/german-wwi-warships-rediscovered-in-portsmouth-harbour-after-lying-forgotten-for-decades/

http://www.shipmatesreunited.com/german-wwi-warships-rediscovered-in-portsmouth-harbour-after-lying-forgotten-for-decades/

Lovely!
 
Yes, the blue sticks out a bit too much. But I wouldn't go with regular black. Instead blend green with black or go with some blue-black. The main thing is to keep in the color range of the green and red. I cant express in words what I mean, but the blue and green as of now doesn't play together in my eyes.
There is probably some university degree in color matching (which I don't have) but think cars. "Wow, that is a black car." and then you go up to it and discover it is actually very dark green och very dark blue. Something like that.