GemmaJF

All glued up and oiled. Also painted figurehead. Its not the tradional colour but i wanted something more colourful and in the same theme as the boat.

I bought their monographie Le Cerf, which is a nice cutter of the French Navy from the end of 17. century. The package included a small book of the ship and a set of very well drawn and accurate plans with 12 sheets, everything in English. There are some discrebances in the plans, but careful studying helps understanding them and avoiding mistakes. I am very pleased with the package, and the model of Le Cerf is progressing well:
 

As I mentioned above regarding the bulwarks and waterway and the consequences to making changes without enough foresight, I have a new consequences to add.  
 
The current step is to cutout the scuppers.
 
They were pretty easy to do on the foredeck (still some cleanup to do) because the bulwark piece at the foredeck is such that the scuppers are cut in the middle of the strake so there is lots of supporting wood around each hole.
 

 
On the other hand, on the quarterdeck, because of the limited overlap in that strake, the scupper holes tended to splinter the wood and I lost the wood that was behind the stanchion.  Lots of fixing to do here!   
 

 
on a happier note she's looking more like a Bluenose II hull now!

Someone let me know if there are restrictions about linking to YouTube, but here is a little video I made
about my plank bender..
 
 
Gregory's Plank Bender

I thought I would share my little idea for plank bending.
 
 
I'm not sure how original it is, but I have never seen one just like it..
 
 
Basically, it is half the bottom of a large tin can, attached to a base board.
 

 
I place the end of my wet plank into the slot  and use a clamp to adjust the amount
of bend ..  ( I soak in plain water for a few of minutes, depending on the type of wood )
 
 

 
 
I direct a hot blow dryer onto the jig for about two minutes.  This is usually enough to dry the wood.
This picture does not show the wood, but it is there when the dryer is on.
 

 
I wait at least 5 minutes before taking the wood out of the jig.  It needs to cool before the bend is fully set.
 

Thanks for the suggestion Gemma. No planking on top of the balsa. I originally assumed it was just a filler block to be planked over but a closer look at plans convinced me otherwise.
 
It is not a single block. I actually used 1/2" square rods layer perpendicular on each layer. I thought about using a balsa sheet for the layers but it was quicker to use the rod. The advantage of the layers is that you can do some of the shaping when preparing the layers. I did a preliminary shaping on each layer after it was glued before adding the next layer. Worked for me.

Planking done, tidied up the stern bulwarks that I'd goofed on, and shaped the stern blocks.  Here is what she looks like now.
 

 
I thought the planking started out pretty well.   However I must have been a little aggressive on narrowing the upper strakes at the bow as when I got to the lower hull I had to add a stealer at the bow.  
 
I also think I should have figured out some way to form a rabbet at the bow.  The problem came in when I got below the bulkhead closest to the bow.  My strakes didn't continue the nice line of the upper ones.  Another job for wood filler!
 
Definitely slipped up by installing the propeller before finishing the lower hull planking.  It made that process much more awkward!
 
I used balsa wood to make the stern blocks.  I really wanted the wood to be easy to shape and balsa fit that bill.  I hope it will be robust enough when painted to withstand any little bumps I may inflict on it.  I've heard other comments that suggest painting with a coat of CA to provide a tougher surface.  Any other/better suggestions???
 
My plan for fixing the missing stern bulwarks didn't work out.  I'd cut a wide piece out of the scrap wood from the parts sheet.  It was easy enough to bend round the stern but due to the shape of the stern it wouldn't lie flat.  My solution was to use some narrow basswood strips since each was cut appropriately to the length needed to accommodate the curve.  I think that worked quite well.  The only problem with it was due to poor fairing of the starboard stern bulkhead extension - the resulting curve in the stern is a bit flatter than I needed.  Not a fatal flaw I think.
 
I'll move on to sanding and smoothing the hull.  I'm still trying to figure out how to install the rudder (see post #19).
 

Hi Steve,
 
I was expecting an even number as well.  A small section of the rigging plan is shown in this post.  The 3rd image in that post shows how the odd number of shrouds are rigged on the mast.
 
Looking at my plans for the larger Bluenose II - it shows 4 shrouds at the foremast and 5 for the main mast.
 
Lennarth Petersson 2nd book Rigging Period Fore-and-aft Craft  has this diagram for the French Lugger

 
 
And finally - leafing through Harold Hahn's The Colonial Schooner 1763-1775 I came across this photo

 
I love this sport - I keep learning things!

As I suspected, Copper Leaf is an available product. I was at local art supply stores in NYC yesterday and next to the E-Z gold leaf kits I found theses. If you're unfamiliar Gold Leaf is real gold pounded so flat that the 5"square sheets,which come in a deck interleaved with paper, can blow away on a puff of breath and have no internal resiliency. It's the piece of paper it rests on that you can hold in your hand and when it comes time to apply it to a prepared surface the user has to float the leaf off the paper and onto the surface on a puff of air or on the bristles of a paint brush. It's an ancient art form and most gold on antique frames and furniture is gold leaf. The E-Z kits are a dumbed down "do it yourself" product intended for the hobbyist, the REAL gold leaf is kept behind the counter.
But reading the package I see that the Copper Leaf IS real copper ( in fact the E-Z"gold"leaf is copper too!) and the two products I found each had twenty paper backed sheets and were priced under $20US.
I'm CERTAIN anyone who tried applying this stuff would be facing a steep learning curve. There would be a LOT of surface prep involved. But on the other hand, for the literalist that HAS to have real copper, I think THIS is the thinnest copper you can get.

I'm working on my Providence model and would like to know.
 
Thanks 
 
S.O.S

Back in the 18th century the heavy anchors were secured by an 'anchor clinch' as illustrated below.
 
John
 

For small vessel anchors and lighter anchors a Fishermans Bend was also used.

Hi.
From my own expearances the only knot I have seen used for the anchor is a knot called the Anchor bend.
Same as the fishermans knot but it goes twice around the ring then finishes with a half turn. And the tail is always lashed.
 
Regards Antony.

Thanks folks. I had a feeling the anchor or fisherman's bend would do the job. The bend illustrated above probably has some advantages but it is easy to see that the end would have to be sized or else come loose.
 
BTW I have always wondered why a fouled anchor is so popular as nautical emblem by knowing mariners. A disaster waiting to happen for any ship so fouled.
 
S.O.S.

Would the anchor bend be used in a french cutter built approx in earlier 1800's?

In Jean Boudriot's book "The Seventy-Four Gun Ship", he draws a distinction between the bends used on the main anchor cables for a large ship, and those on 'cablets' - lighter cables used for stream anchors.  He says "These small cables are differentiated only by their size, and indeed the cablet of a ship-of-the-line may serve as the cable of a sloop-of war".  
 
He shows the following anchor bend for a cablet
 

 
For the larger cables, he shows a simpler "clinch", more suited to the greater diameter and stiffness of the cable.

To the Naysayers 
 
These two  photos belong to the New Bedford Whaling museum.   If you have never been I can tell you that it is an excellent museum and it is world class.  You all should go, you will thank me later. 
 
These two pictures are of the Ship James Arnold being hove down to receive its copper plating.   I found these photo's in the NRG's Shop Notes II, Chapter 13, Coppering.   I went to the Museum web site and transferred them to here.   The following are the excerpts are from shop notes II.
 
"Ship James Arnold.  Here the starboard bottom has been completely sheathed with felt and wood, and the coppering gang has begun to metal the keel.  Like the courses of copper whose widths are uniform, the run of the sheathing boards is suited to economy, rather than looks. They are fitted with a minimum of tapering and there is an un-nibbed stealer six planks up the the stem."
 

 
 
 
"Ship James Arnold.  This view is a sequel to the preceding photograph.  The upper belt is complete, save for the plates which will finish the cutwater. The lower edge of the bottom course of the upper belt has not been nailed down; the gore ends of the lower belt must be fitted underneath prior to fastening. The rudder, lying on the work float at the keel, is finished and new load marks of sheet lead have been nailed to its trailing edge. The new copper plates, with varying amounts of surface oxidation  show a patchwork of tones which must have been striking."
 

 
The author of the article is  Erik A. R. Ronneberg Jr.
 
It would seem that the variegated color scheme produced by the heat treatment I posted above is within the realm of possibilities.

Time to start soldering. Once again my ability to take good pictures failed but the results in real life turned out pretty good. I have gotten quite far on the first aileron and it looks good! What needs to be done when it is finished is to get a nice finish on it. Clean up "spills" of solder, magic marker pen markings and such. Tomorrow I´ll upload a much better picture with the progress so far.
 
(Secretly I want the replacement parts from Model Expo so I can finish the wings... )
 

 
 

I got the two piece sub deck on and will apply the mahogany deck strips.

Oops!I made a bad mistake!I mislabeled bulkheads 6 and 9!I had to cut down 9 and cut 2 new bulkheads to the correct profile for #9!I had to cut the #9 bulkheads out if plastic because the only thick wood I had was 1/8th plywood that shattered when I tried to cut them out with my coping saw.I will plate them with thin wood after they dry.Not a mistake I wish to repeat!

A little mockup.

Now building the tree for the next level and using the mast to ensure correct spacing.

This thread reminded me. I wanted to check my display case. When it was built, there was a very strong vinegar smell most of this was from the silicon glue in the case. However, when I built the case I allowed the small amount of heat that the LED's built in the lid to create an air movement from the base. I was hoping this would allow any acetic acid to vent out the top. Yeah, it does not smell of vinegar now! However it has been two years. At least I know it is working and my Connie is safe and sound.
 
I highly recommend reading the linked article. It is very informative.
 
While very little, if any lead is used in today's models, the acetic environment is probably not good for rigging. I know there are several threads where modelers will not use beeswax because of it's slightly acidic properties.
 
The article is available on line - http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Carderock/Resources/Curator-of-Navy-Ship-Models/Lead-Corrosion-in-Exhibition-Ship-Models/
 
The Navy focuses on the lead deterioration problem. Old ships have fittings made exclusively from lead. New ships, can have lead in smaller amounts in solder. It is the creation of acetic acid that ultimately causes the deterioration. Many woods, paints, caulks, glues etc can contribute to the creation of acetic acid.
 
As a side note JerseyCity Frankie, the lead deterioration is a bit more complicated than keeping it free of O2. I am not a chemist either but find things like this fascinating:
 
Excerpt from article:
 
The chemical process is: Acetic and some other acids, in the presence of carbon dioxide, catalyze with lead to produce lead acetate and lead hydroxide. Lead acetate and lead hydroxide together react with carbon dioxide and form lead carbonate. Lead carbonate then releases acetic acid and the process becomes self-sustaining.(6) It is important to recognize that the formed lead carbonate is not just a substance clinging to the surface of a casting, it is the surface of the casting transformed to powder. For practical purposes, a portion of the lead is gone and lead carbonate is left in its place. The lead carbonate releases acetic acid which can continue the process until the lead part is progressively consumed from the outside, inward.

A bit of a shaky photo. I´m a bit annoyed for the moment. I have run out of 1/64 x1/16 strips to use on the ribs. It says in the instructions to have one on top and one on the bottom on each spar. I´ve followed the instructions but have no more strips...
 
So after completing 4,5 out of 6 wings so to speak ( 3 left side wings and 3 right side wings) I´m out of strips. I always appreciate when there is enough material in the kit to finish the kit. I have not been wasteful with the strips either. In the middle you can see a small pile of leftovers, that is basically all the leftovers. So I have not wasted a lot of material which could be a reason for not having enough. There just was not enough 1/64x1/16 strip in the kit.
 
I have mailed model shipways twice about a replacement part for the middle wing but have not received any part or reply yet. First mail was 3 jan, second mailed about 10 days ago. I´ll try a third time before I give up and scratch build a new part.
 

Thank you one and all for your suggestions and input. It is greatly appreciated.