ejgray52
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Many thanks for the replies. My M in L is no longer with us, so it would be my mantelpiece, though I will alter a few things. I did plank a couple of the false decks in the correct 4 butt style, instead of the ‘house-brick’ pattern they suggest. I will add the yards to the masts in the proper manner; as they tell you to nail them! Bad enough that the masts are depicted as straight forward lengths of dowel... I feel an order for wood will be happening soon. First job though is interpreting the instructions, which are a bit more informative than the average. Billings version and much funnier! (Embrasures over the portholes and being careful cutting the strakes around them, plus the stern being at the bow, for example...)
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With the current lockdown here in the UK, I have had the opportunity to sort out the workshop and came across a cardboard box, long forgotten. It turned out to contain a part-work kit from the early 2000's of HMS Victory. I remember at the time it boasted of being researched and created by a team of expert naval historians and model makers. My mother-in-law had bought a subscription for me as a Christmas present and I built it up to the 'carcass' stage before a house move and a general feeling of disappointment overtook me! I predominately built in plastic and occasionally metal, so I am still honing my wooden boat building skills. The kit is made from reasonable wood considering it's a magazine style part-work, but the fittings and instructions are interesting... (in the English ironic use of the word!). A lot of the fittings are cast from an antique style metal, which is described as 'highly detailed, authentic and require no painting or varnishing' and the colour scheme shows the 'experts' must have glanced at a lurid coloured postcard of the real thing! Check out the photos below, which show just a few of the details. I am pondering whether to continue with the build or not, as it will require a lot of work and extra expense; maybe just be grateful for all the extra wood to put in my spares box. It has a nice stand though. To be fair, I think they were working with English as a second language...
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Forgot to say, I’m on the Isle of Wight, UK...
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Hello, I’ve made a lot of plastic models in my time and in the last few years have also returned to to model railways. During my time working in the Middle East I tried my hand at wooden boats. For all the reasons that newbies fail, I acheived a couple of results, both from Billings kits - a completed hull and one with a little beyond bulkheads on the keel and some bad planking. From the store where I found these, came several other Billings kits; although a little more expensive than back in the UK, the fittings were included free. They sit in my workshop to this day like Sirens tempting me onto the rocks... After rekindling my interest by exploring this site, I chose the 50 ft Steam Pinnace from my stash and started with some research. My attempt at planking was experimental and ok - nothing that some filler, sanding and some coats of primer has addressed; it looks pretty good! You never know, I may be brave enough to put a build log on here with the next one!
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Having read through this build so far, I feel inspired to dig out my own part built B E. I started it many, many years ago when working in the Middle East; up to then I had been building plastic kits and approached it in the same vein... How wrong I was! Now older and wiser, (maybe...), I will have another attempt. I hear IPA is good for unsticking PVA joints, so it will be unglueing and doing it a little more carefully this time. There is still the Billings Steam Pinnace to finish - the hull is done, just figuring out how to plank the deck; on the real thing the planks were curved following the line of the bulwarks.... Thanks for providing some inspiration and solutions to short decks etc. looking forward to to seeing the finished boat.
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I have made models most of my life, but rarely wooden boats and I am currently building Billings 50ft Steam Pinnace, ( sold as as HMS Renown). After doing some research I have found that the deck is planked in a different manner to the kit's plans. I realise that the kit's way of doing things is not an accurate one, so I want to follow real practice. As seen in the photo, the planks curve away from a king plank following the line of the bulwarks. My question is, what is the best way of doing it? I am guessing, lay the king plank, then starting at the outside, steam and pin the other planks. Any advice would be gratefully received by this 'newbie'!
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