flying_dutchman2

My method of making flags is by Gus Agustin, an expert model ship builder. Below are the steps for people who are interested. I've altered his method somewhat. 

Flag making by Gus Agustin. 

1. I copy my flags from the plans of the ship. 

2. I trace the flag on clean white paper on both sides in pencil. 

3. Trimmed it on 2 sides using the third and fourth side as a handle to work with. 

4. I then crinkle the paper into the waves and folds that I want.  This kills the memory in the paper. The waves and folds will depend on how you want to display the model with flags. This and step 5 will take some practice, but remember that paper is cheap, so have fun with it. 

5. This is the most important part of making flags. Once you've crinkled your flag, dip it into a bowl of lukewarm water, lay it out on piece of glass (or I use a tile) while still wet, and play with it using toothpicks to reshape it again with the waves and folds you desire, than set aside to dry. I give it 24 hours to be completely dry before I handle it 

You've now given your flag a NEW memory. You can open it and with a little pressure with your fingers it will go back to the shape you created. 

6. Now you can start painting, starting with the lightest color than going to the darkest. I use acrylics and even if the paper is white, I still paint it white. 

7. Once you've completed one side with the 1st color, set aside to dry (I do 2 coats); then do the other side. (again I do 2 coats). 

8. Proceed with the next color and repeat step 7. When finished painting, trim the handle (3rd and 4th side) but don't forget the tabs (top & bottom) so you can attach to the mast or ensign staff. 

This is where I do it differently. I trim all sides and don't use tabes, instead,  I fold one side (about 2 mm) of the flag over, add a long piece of string and glue the fold with the string in it. Weigh it down until dry. Once dry attach it to mast or other area. 

At this point you can still play and refold the flag to the desire wave you want. 

If the colors are too bright, I use Dulcote to flatten the color. 

You have now made your flag. Don't be disappointed if it is not perfect, remember it's your first flag. With enough practice, you will get what you want. I use acrylic paint which is water base. You can fold and twist your flag and the paint won't chip or flake off. Water color paint will flake off and oil base paint takes too long to dry. 

Marcus 

22 hours ago, amateur said:

That is the  rope that is belayed on the block.

 

Jan

I didn't do this. I'll do it on my next built, which will be a Boyer. This is going to be my next built. 

Marcus 

I am pulling up a chair as well and after you talked about herring, I wanted some. 

Marcus 

Jan: that is a nice looking model. 

I should have been more specific. I meant the rope that you haul in and out, the one the guys are pulling in the picture. 

Thanks for the pictures and diagram. 

Marcus 

Two questions:

1. The rope that hangs loose from the sheet main sail and foresail, how is it belayed? 

2. How are the leeboards positioned when it is in the display case? One up and one down? Both down? 

Flags are painted on one side. The other side is tomorrow. Then a layer of Dulcote, and install on boat. 

Marcus  

Hartmut, Thanks for the compliment. 

Jan, thanks for the suggestion, thought about changing to that but I used the plans. 

Piet, thanks for the flag information. In the SeaWatchbook the flag of Utrecht is too difficult to create in the scale of the boat. It will be Dutch flags on the jib, the pennant and on the pavilion. Orange, white and blue (oranje - blanje - bleu). 

The plans show a red, white and blue flag with the shield of Utrecht in the white area and a lion on each side of the shield. Too detailed to make it look good. 

Marcus 

Thanks for the compliment, Piet, and all the likes. 

Finished installing the Gaff Vangs, two for each side and the new bit. 

Except for belaying all the rigging, flags, and another deck item, she is finished. 

The flag on the jib in the plan is from the province of Utrecht, but in the book it is a Dutch flag. So it is a decision I have to make.

Then on to making a display case. There are several people in my woodworkers club that make these. I might have them make the frame and I will add the Lexan. 

My wife wants the Utrecht on display in the office, which will replace the Mary (Royal Yacht). I have to find a home for her somewhere else.  

Marcus 

Well done. She is looking good. 

Marcus 

Thanks for all the likes. 

Installed all sails with the rigging still loose. I am very pleased with it so far. I have to redo the bit. I pulled it out when I put the rigging in the hole and then put the belaying pins in. 

Next boat I plan to install the bit before the deck goes in. I can glue and nail it to a frame or make the posts very long and use CA to glue it to the hull. Something will come up. 

Marcus 

Thank you for all the likes. 

Something very interesting in the plans. Especially for the people who have the Utrecht from SeaWatchbooks. 

Look on Sheet #7. Look at the Sheetblocks Foresail, note the diagram. Then go to Sheet Foresail diagram. Look at it closely, what do you see?

In the diagram on the left side, the side view shows a double block and on the right side, the front view shows a single block. OOPS

OR you are supposed to shove 2 turns of roping in a single block. 

Anyway, finished installing the foresail and the jib. The rigging is still loose so towards the end I can still adjust it. 

Marcus 

Installed all the ratlines and instead of a drop of glue I use "Hard as Nails - Extreme Wear". It is clear dries quickly and you can cut the ends off very close to the shrouds. For people who don't know what this is. Women use Hard as Nails on there brittle nails or to cover nail polish. 

Also installed the topsail and working on the foresail and jib. 

Marcus 

On the Utrecht replica there are no ratlines but they are shown in the plans. Decided to follow the plans and install them. Maybe the yacht is a too small of a boat for needing this. My other models I built in the 80's didn't have them either. 

I wonder when you install ratlines and when you don't?  What is the formula for this? Any books out there that will give me an answer? 

I am going to ask my club members for this one, or maybe anyone of you know the answer. 

Marcus 

Finished making about 30 belaying pins and not all are the same. But I do have enough. All standing rigging is installed and permanently fixed (no going back). Next is the running rigging which will be the vangs, these are two sets of roping attached to the end of the gaff tied down close to the pavilion. Then attach the sails.

Marcus 

Thanks for the comments Piet and Cog and all the likes. Finished all the sails and the standing rigging. 

Didn't have any belaying pins so I am making them myself. 

Stick a 2mm in diameter and 5cm in length in the dremel. This is fastened to the dremel drill press set up at a 90 degree angle. So the dowel is facing me. Dremel at lowest speed and use micro files to shape the pin. Average about 5 minutes per pin. Works great. 

Marcus 

Question and I think Jan can answer this as he knows the Utrecht by heart. 

How are the back stays connected? On the railing or the deck? 

Thanks. 

Marcus 

Mast and bow sprit are in. Still need to do the shrouds. None of the rigging is permanent yet. All roping is loose. I learned that lesson a few ships back. Keep everything loose so you can adjust it here and there. Once it is permanent it is difficult to adjust. 

Started on the sails stitching and adding bolt rope. The topsail is a dark brown sail I scavenged from a tjelk that broke from my last move. Both foresail and jib are stitched but no bolt rope yet. The main sail will be stitched next. 

I also made a pdf of how I make sails. Towards the end of the built I will show how I do it. 

Yesterday at my woodworkers meeting the treasurer gave me a Dremel Moto Lathe 700. It is a small one. Next week I am going to attempt making belaying pins with it. Should be fun to try. Also going to try canon barrels from wood. 

Marcus 

The barrel and the carriage look great. Couple of those on the deck is going to look good.  Initially I thought of adding canons to the Utrecht but in the end omitted this as the boat is a pleasure yacht eventhough the plans call for it. Now that I see what Chuck's material looks like, once I do a fluit, I will order them from him. 

Marcus 

Installed the mast, but not glued, the mast ring is glued to the deck. I never glue the mast. The shrouds will hold that. Served the shrouds. The clamps on the mast hold levels to make sure that the mast stays straight. The hemostats hold all the roping taught.

Marcus  

Nice diagrams. I think that one could use these plans to built a ship or two. One needs to be well versed in that area of ship building. 

marelibre.com looks like an interesting site, bookmarked it.

Thanks

Marcus 

Popeye 's tip is good. I do something similar. Collect the saw dust from the wood you are sanding. Add just enough white glue to make a paste. Mix well and then apply to the area. I use toothpicks. I also use it in areas to strengthen parts. Once dry it sands well and it is strong. I keep it handy in syringes and in different colors. 

Marcus 

22 hours ago, amateur said:

I can do a couple of pics if you like.

 

Jan, pictures would be great. 

Thanks 

Marcus 

Jan, Thanks for the pictures. I followed the example and it turned out great. 

Now working on the many blocks that need an eye or a hock. Will dye the sails Monday with black tea. Then cut them out,  do some stitching, and add bolt rope. 

Marcus 

12 hours ago, amateur said:

That boeier (as well as some other of their kits) were modellen based on drawings from this book:

VERSTEEG,W.K. - Scheepsmodellen 1700 - 1900.

 

I did this Boeier, the Tjalk, the Veerschip and the Botter. Still catching dust in my cupboard, but I still like the looks and size of these models. Rather sturdy  and compact models: they survived all my moves.

 

Jan

I need to get that boek from Versteeg. Is it still in print?

I built all four of them and Friese tjalk anno 1900. Wanted to get that King Size 32 pounder Cannon at the scale of 1:12 length was 40 cm but it was beyond my price range. My ships moved from Holland to Africa to the US back to Holland and in storage. Salvage the sails and using the tjalk's main sail for my Utrecht's topsail. 

Marcus 

I am always antsi when putting in the main mast. Measured many times to see if it rests on the floor of the hull and at the same time that it is at the height of the deck according to plans. This time the mast was too short by 6mm. So I added a piece of dowel of that length and glued it into place. Now it is good.

Also the piece of wood that goes across the deck that holds the sheet block for the main sail wasn't curved enough, so I redid this. Just need to cut to length and sand down.

The mast cleats are too big. Have to redo them as well. 

Measured the sails by using card board templates. Once I do the sails I will show how I do this in a step-by-step manner with lots of pictures. 

Marcus 

Very few boeier kits were made, but there was one from the Authentic Shipmodels Amsterdam. I built it in the 80's. Still have the catalog. This company made a series of four flat bottom boats. 

Their description of a boeier is as follows. 

"With an authentic boeier there are no straight lines. Everything is round. Nowhere on the boat is a flat surface. Boeiers were luxury yachts of the 19th century and you still see them on the lakes in the Netherlands. 

The picture below is from the catalog, it is the one on the left. On the right is a botter (built that too) .  Marcus