Ondras71

First yard created for spritsail .. fitted and the sail stitched to it..


Spritsail placed on Bowsprit ..

Above it, the fore staysails ..



 
Created and placed the jibboom footrope ...
 

I have tried the colored sails on the boat.

I decided to sew the sails first and to create yards according to their dimensions... Created ropes wrap and cringle..   
 




rope edging sewn on the sails ..
 

Standing rigging is complete ..


 



I bought the sails from Sergal, but their quality is bad ..

I had new sails made by Radekshipmodels ...

Before installing I dyed the sails in tea ..


www.radekshipmodels.cz/en/list-of-kits-and-accessories/accessories---sails
 

With topgallant furted ..

Installed topgalland shrouds..

Stays clamped ..

Jib traveller ..

Installed blocks on the topgallant lifts ..

Topsail yards..

Topgallant yards..

Modified anchors from the kit, added two sheet anchors and new stocks created.

 

Topsail yards..

Topgallant yards..

Modified anchors from the kit, added two sheet anchors and new stocks created.

 

Hi all,
 
First of all, thx for all the kind words!
 
After six years my Aggy finally found her way home....
I want to thank you all for all the commends and advices and of course all the likes! I am still waiting for my next project, the Sovereign of the Seas (Sergal). When all goes well, it should arrive this week, but I am afraid it will take some more time. Looks if they send my order to the planet Saturnus.....
 
As promised some pictures. As you can see, I did some repairs. I fixed that nasty angle in the top stay.
 

Two years ago I purchased my second kit from AL. The first kit  (HMS Endeavour) was made in Spain and the quality was OK. The second kit (San Juan Nepomuceno) is made in China. The quality is horrendous!!
Starting from the packaging right through the whole kit. Warped wood, warped false keel, plywood chipping off and  full of holes, chain and nails are not made of  brass, bent anchors, keel assembly made in plywood, cannons bores off center, sails not made according to the drawing measurements.   More over I discovered that the top and bottom capstans parts were glued off center.
As I am on the 22 second months of building I am not sure what else I will encounter. My advice to all modellers is to stay away from the AL Elite Series as it is definitely not elite! I live in Cape Town South Africa and I purchased the kit in Spain. AL replaced some wood but it took 4 to 8 weeks to arrive, the keel assembly was sent twice as first one arrived broken.    Sourcing parts for ship modellers in this country is like looking for water in the desert!    The local distributor is very good but parts are limited he does not stock wood.    The wooden parts of the SJN are supplied in various shades of walnut therefore one needs to keep the same consistency.   To repair the plywood I had to use glue mixed with saw dust.   The main mast is 10mm thick in dark walnut, I tried everything, steam, boiling water, then placed it  in a vise with an aluminum  angle and left it for a week, to no avail it would NOT come straight, it just bounced back.   Eventually I received the mast from AL after 3 months.
In February this year I "abandoned ship" as my loving supervisor and companion Smokey (my cat) passed on and I am still suffering her loss.
It is a shame that the quality of AL has deteriorated so much.   For a modeller to put so much effort on a mediocre supplied kit is a waste of time and money.
Anyway i didn't give up.  I am attaching photos and my current progress so far.
Regards,
Renato
     

Anyone else had to build up the rear gunwales to match the drawing re fitment  of the etched decoration and the 1mm strip or perhaps it an error I've built in.

First yard created for spritsail .. fitted and the sail stitched to it..


Spritsail placed on Bowsprit ..

Above it, the fore staysails ..



 
Created and placed the jibboom footrope ...
 

Hi,  last few pics, hope you like em.
 
 
 
 

Hello again
 
I have finished the hull so far. The decorations are fixed - and hopefully will keep fixed... - all parts are on their place. Only the steps and gunport lids are still missing and I will do this after the rigging. Otherwise it would be too difficult to care for this parts. Next is to build the masts, but as mentioned before I am not sure to start this now. Probably I will wait until autumn when the summer fades away. However, the masts are to been shapen (is this correct grammar??) from square-shapened timber. A challenge But an intersting one. If all goes wrong I can buy some rods and taper them to the right shape.
 
Some pics show the status in which the Fregatte Berlin is at this moment. Enjoy them
 
Cheerio my fellow mates and friends
 
 
 
 
 

I have tried the colored sails on the boat.

I decided to sew the sails first and to create yards according to their dimensions... Created ropes wrap and cringle..   
 




rope edging sewn on the sails ..
 

After a bunch of shaping and cutting away, I am able to temporarily get the rudder in.  Next up is making the gudgeon and pintles.  Which include soldering and blackening.... Yikes, will be my first time doing both. 
 


 

I’ve added the main topmast and main topsail yard with its sail.  The area of this sail is really large, even larger than the main course on my model.  I’m starting to wonder if I should be making the sails to be full size.  I thought that the sails on my last model, which were half size, were too small; now I’m thinking these may be too big.  No turning back now, however.  My sail plan is a cross between David Anscherl’s and the kit’s plan drawn up by George Campbell based on Harold Hahn’s plans.  My decisions are based on what I feel looks and/or seems right.  Most of the lines are still not tied off.  I’m waiting until the top gallant lines are all in place.  Now I’m off on a 12 day vacation, so the shipyard will be quiet for a while.

Standing rigging is complete ..


 



I bought the sails from Sergal, but their quality is bad ..

I had new sails made by Radekshipmodels ...

Before installing I dyed the sails in tea ..


www.radekshipmodels.cz/en/list-of-kits-and-accessories/accessories---sails
 

Heh that looks great
Thec Copper Plates do not appear to curve as much at the Water line as the model instructions suggest but I feel it looks BETTER like you have done it

Also you appear to have put some planking between the Hawse Rails -

Tuesday, April 11, 2017
 
The work is progressing well, not at high speed, but it goes well and I'm having fun. 
Today I finished the two decks at bow and stern and then I better refined the gunwale. I'm glad I guessed the suitable wood for decks. When I was back to Cinisello I did a little research in my personal timber store and found these light walnut strips that make a good contrast with the color of the other boat elements. Those supplied by the kit seemed me too dark for these task.
 
01 - 20170412_090753.jpg
 
02 - 20170412_090744.jpg

03 - 20170412_090736.jpg

04 - 20170412_090715.jpg

05 - 20170412_090724.jpg

06 - 20170412_090729.jpg

 
Now I must understand what are the next steps, so I have to study the plans/instructions to decide the correct sequence for installing the other details. However, the date of my return to Cinisello approaches and I definitely will not be able to finish this model in time. I must then decide whether to let him in Pisa waiting to complete it on my return next fall or bring it with me in Cinisello and finish it there, similarly as I did with the Viking ship model. 
 
Should I decide for the latter, of course the other model (Brick de 24) I have in the shipyard at home would still remain idle.
 
Sincerely yours, Jack.
 

Small update.  Finished the bits so next up is the rudder.
 

I've installed the last upper planks. I've made a slight mod to the plans which I will explain later.  I also noticed that one side is 1/32 higher than the other? Go figure. It's an east fix with some sanding, but with all the careful measuring I did for the first plank, something must have slipped in the first gluing.

OK--cover board added after fairing tops of frames (not much work needed here). Deck framing added as temporary braces were removed. Looking pretty good at this point. Lots of fussing up to this point should hopefully pay off!
 
Steve

Gluing decks continued.  I installed some blackened cardboard under where the deck gratings will be to hide the structure and add to the dark hold affect.

 

 

 

 
first planking started.

 

 

As I planked upwards into the bulwarks, this is where I decided I really disliked the design of this kit. They want you to plank the whole way up to the top of the bulkheads sticking up above the deck.  However, you can't glue to the bulkheads.  You have to cut them all off flush to the deck.  The only thing holding the planks in place after you do this is the edge to edge glue.  I really did not like this concept.  Figured they'd be very weak, and difficult to do.  Plus, the tops of some of the bulkheads do not stick up far enough above deck level to accomplish this.
 
I combined this with the other things I dislike about this kit, and seriously thought about setting it aside and starting the one I really want to work on.   However, I thought some more, and decided to take a new tack.  I gently cut out all the planks I had installed above the lowest deck level.  Using a wide strip of veneer walnut, I cut out a one piece bulwark that can be glued solidly to the bulkheads.  I used the clear tape tracing technique as if I were spiling a normal plank, then soak bent the bow curve before gluing down. Doubling this veneer will equal the thickness of the other planks, and laminating two layers together with glue would make a very stiff/strong piece I think.
 

 

 

Adding the second layer of wood, laminated with pva.

Now I am back 'into' this kit again.  Next challenge will be how I plank and handle the beard line, since I plan to laminate the keel piece with walnut which will serve double duty as a rabbet.  Also will need to figure out what to do with the stern and quarter galleries, as I really dislike the brass pieces supplied for this.  Since I worked around the bulwark issue, I'm liking the need to figure out alternate ways to build this kit.  It was to be an intermediate learning experience for me, and it's filling in that niche better now.
 
 
 

might as well show an update.....i don't keep records of my build....only here.............working on the cannon carriages now....and then will have to cast the cannons........then...then....then........THE DRAT LINES........my poor arms.......
   oh....looking for some small   1/72 scale figure that i can make coppies of to place on the beak...large to small....or maybe the same size head or bust with a body getting smaller twards the bow......can't seem to find a female at this scale.....may have to make them....we'll see...............

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 209 Forestay
 
The forestay was a fairly simple job to install, but before getting into it, I should say a few words about my sequence.  I am sure there are many approaches to this, but my general plan is to work fore to aft, bottom up, so I will do the standing rigging on the lower masts, working aft, then either go on to the lower yards or topmasts – not decided yet.  Details on the lower shrouds like fairleads, staves and ratlines will be added later when convenient.
 
The first picture shows the installed forestay.
 

 
It is 10½" rope (like the lower shrouds), doubled around the masthead with a seized collar, secured with four seizings on each leg to bullseyes with iron straps shackled to eyebolts in the knightheads.  These were installed earlier.  The lower legs are seized together above the lower seizings.  The rope is served around the collar and at the lower ends and the upper part around the masthead is leathered.
 
The next picture shows the leathered collar bedded on the shrouds.
 

 
The next picture shows the extent of the upper serving and leathering and the upper seizing.
 

 
In the next picture the lower ends of the stay have been hauled up and clipped so the seizings can be put on.
 
 
 
The starboard seizing has been started in the picture.  The next picture shows the lower legs completed and the lower seizing installed to pull them together.
 

 
Finally, the completed stay from above.
 

 
There is quite a bit of work to do on the bowsprit, but because the forestay is secured at the knightheads, I can defer this until the fore topmast is being fitted.
 
Next, the main and mizzen lower mast rigging, but first I want to replace all those topmast backstay chains and channel deadeyes discussed in an earlier post.
 
Ed

With topgallant furted ..

Installed topgalland shrouds..

Stays clamped ..

Jib traveller ..

Installed blocks on the topgallant lifts ..