hamilton

Incredible craftsmanship here! Great modifications to the MS kit! 
hamilton

Maybe it's just me but I can't see any of the Vanguard kits when I visit your website and the links above give me a 404 error......are you still carrying Vanguard products?
hamilton

Maybe it's just me but I can't see any of the Vanguard kits when I visit your website and the links above give me a 404 error......are you still carrying Vanguard products?
hamilton

Thanks Tony! This one's pretty different from Bluenose that's for sure! But just as fun so far....
 
Harlequin! It's good to hear from you! I get it - I probably have more kits than I need, but I still have hope that I can complete all of them in my lifetime!! I took a long break from modelling - putting in sporadic and minor work from Summer 2017 until Summer 2021 when I built a small (undocumented here) rowing skiff at 1:12 scale. This was meant to get me back into modelling again and it worked! But like with everything, it's often good and refreshing to take a rest - I hope you return to it at some point - but either way, you're always welcome here!!
hamilton

Similar stage to me, albeit a very different build obviously. Looking forward to watching your progress and I’ll hopefully learn many things along the way. ⛵🤓

good progress Hamilton....i have not done any building for a while....sold a couple of kits that i will never get round too......keep going with Bellona.....looking good

Given the need to consider an approach to the elements noted above, I decided to spend a bit of time today planking the f'csl. I installed two waterway planks to port and starboard these were from 1mm x 2mm strips of Tanganyika. The central king plank is .6mm x 4mm while the deck planking is .6mm x 3mm. A very straightforward process.
 
I also installed central sections of the garboard planking while considering how to proceed on the lower hull. I'll probably complete the lower hull planking forward as this is less mysterious than the planking aft, and then complete planking on the poop deck. Hopefully by that time I'll have a strategy for addressing the issues noted in my last post....until then - enjoy the photos and bye for now
hamilton

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

Looks really good to me! This is one of the easier hull forms to plank I found - much less tapering and spiling involved and since the hull is finished this provides an opportunity to bury any defects of the planking itself. 
hamilton

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

Very nice and exacting work on the copper plating!
hamilton

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

I haven't been around for a while but now I'm back in action. I completed the hull planking and started copper plating below the waterline. Even though the copper nailing pattern is not very accurate historically, I prepare copper plates using my own methods because I like the way they look.
 
I use self-adhesive foil tape on copper plating.

After going through the deck plans again to make sure all of the various eyebolts, belaying pins, etc were in place, I realized that I had not made the jumbo jib boom stay.  Another opportunity for soldering practice! 

While the masts were still separate from the hull, I took the opportunity to add the spreader lifts/ratlines to the foremast and the topmast shrouds/ratlines to the main mast.  I seized the shrouds at the mid point then wrapped around the topmast and tied off.  I used tan thread run through the eyes on the spreader bars to create the lanyards and then fed the shroud lines through and tied off.  I used pieces of carbon fiber rod, lashed to the shrouds for the sheer poles. The ratlines were tied with a regular knot on the left side and then a clove hitch on the right.  Once all were tied and lined up, I added a bit of glue to each knot to hold everything in place.



All that remains to add is the chain plates.  The additional brass strips came in from Model Expo, so I have started to make those and should have them finish and installed today.
 
Tim
 

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

OK - it's been very busy at work the last couple of weeks, but we're in a lull now until end of next week, so I'll have a bit of time at the bench til then to make some progress on Bellona. I'm still soldiering on with the first layer of hull planking and in a milestone have now completed the port side, filled and sanded. The starboard side is still in progress with roughly 8 strakes remaining. 
 
The planking is pretty rough I haver to say, but it should provide a decent foundation for the second layer, which I'll pursue with more care and sensitivity to the results! My goal is to finish the first planking tomorrow and then move on to the beakhead, stern area and quartergallery framing, which I'm both very excited about and pretty intimidated by....but we'll see how it goes! Not much in the way of interest in the photos, really, but here they are
hamilton
 
PS - to the right in the background in the first photo, you'll see the filler product I use - Liquitex acrylic modelling paste. It is really a wonderful product (I have no association with the company at all) - it is a medium thickness almost like light cake icing, but it dries incredibly hard and sands down to a very fine eggshell finish. It also takes both paint and adhesive really well, which is a nice bonus.
 
h.

Thanks very much Hamilton have made most things from scratch, use box wood for all the deck furniture, masts were made from cherry supplied wood is way to soft, scratch worked many things with brass, drawings are great to work with and the Bluenose is such a lovely fishing schooner, its been to fun to build.
 
Regards
Richard
 

Incredible craftsmanship here! Great modifications to the MS kit! 
hamilton

The desire is there too, to build a Vic in a standard scale, like 1/64th. Model companies do come up with some oddball scales ...

Thanks for your response Chris!
 
Yes I understand - but it's not about a version of the vessel - it's about specific kits that are desirable to build and that create real excitement among the modelling community - yours and Chuck's fall squarely into that category. No offence to Panart, but the Victory you designed just seems better in every respect. I don't necessarily want to build "a" Victory, but I definitely want to build your Victory, if that makes sense.
 
The economics of kit manufacture are unfamiliar to me, so I would never presume the circumstances you face in developing and maintaining your business. That's not what the issue is. It's more that perhaps some business innovation - like Chuck's with the Winnie & Cheerful broken into chapters, or CAF's with their line - will be helpful at sustaining this craft for a broader cross-section of the ship model market. $500.00 is about my limit for a kit - about the price of Chapter 1 of CAF's Granado. I imagine others set their sights similarly or lower. If the Victory or other high end kits were presented in modules, I imagine way more people would buy them and manufacturers could tap into markets for their products that otherwise represent unrealised demand. It requires some innovation and re-thinking on the manufacturer's side, but once that's done.....
 
It's kind of like when the Bell phone company originated, they though that their business model would involve selling expensive devices and connection services to the wealthy - niche product, small market, high price point. Bell (well....Alfred Vail) figured out that the value of their network was based on volume of connectivity - so there was good business sense in expanding the network and lowering the cost of service to facilitate this - a move that led to massive profits for Bell and put them in the catbird seat for network development for a sustained period of time. I believe you, Chuck, CAF are in that position now, representing younger and more innovative entries into the manufacturer's market with an opportunity to refresh things overall - think of the number of kits you have developed in the last 2 years relative to what Caldercraft/Jotika has introduced in the last 2 decades....that says a lot, I think, about market position and market potential. People are excited about your kits and Chuck's too, and this community provides an active following that serves direct promotional functions. It's a great situation! But it could be even better!
 
The idea of the high-value product for the niche modelling market is fine, but there is still money to be made outside of that market with the same product through a different organisation of the manufacture and presentation of the kits. Admittedly I have no idea how offering kits in sections/chapters might affect the cost of manufacture - obviously a big concern - or even if it is a realistic approach to design....but it seems something worth exploring more generally as a means of sustaining the craft and the businesses on which it depends. The modular nature of ship modelling itself also supports this approach.
 
Full disclosure - I'm a philosopher by trade and not an entrepreneur, so my comments here come from a pretty idealised conception of how to run a ship model business - or any business! But at the level of accessibility and market development, it seems to make sense to offer avenues of access that can realise the value of the ship modelling market more fully than the complete high-end product can or does.
 
I hope these remarks are not taken in any way as a slight against any kit manufacturer's practices! More the observations of an envious modeller dreaming of a different world.....
hamilton

Feel like it's more of an educated guess, based on the price of the Vanguard Indy, which at today's exchange rate would set me back $2300 CDN....a desirabe kit, beautifully constructed and well out of my grasp.
hamilton

I really hope Amati considers releasing this in chapters like CAF's models.....this would make it more accessible to those of us who model on a limited budget! I'm guessing the retail price on this kit will be around $2000....not a realistic prospect for many, myself included.....with many desirable kits priced so highly (and understandably given rising costs of materials, particularly wood), it makes good business sense to widen the market by providing a more modular approach to building....but that may just be my view from the cheap seats.....
hamilton

Hello Helmar:
 
Are you talking about the blocks on the gaff for the main peak halliard (photo below)? If so, you need to attach 3 slings to the gaff, which are held in place by small wooden chocks attached slightly to port and starboard on the bottom of the gaff (as shown on the plans). The peak halliard blocks are then seized onto these.
 
My approach was to first seize a length of tan rigging thread to the gaff by the pair of chocks at the end of the gaff (the seizing should be on the outward side of the chocks so when the halliard is tied on the sling gets pulled snugly against the chock and held in place) - I used lengths that are much longer than required as this makes the process easier. Once that was on, I ran a small blackened brass ring onto the sling (this was used to seize the halliard block onto), and then looped the other end around the gaff at the next set of chocks towards the mast (again, on the outward side for pressure), seized this loop and then pulled the loose end of the sling through the seizing until it was a reasonable size, then sealed the seizing with a bit of diluted wood glue. This process was repeated two more times for the other slings on the main gaff.
 
To rig the blocks, I seized them to the brass rings on the gaff slings. The halliard runs from deck-level on one side through the blocks on the mast and the gaff and ends in a tackle on the other side as per the plans.
 
It is very difficult to describe in words alone how to do this....There may be a topic thread in the rigging section of MSW that shows how to do some basic operations - like stropping blocks and seizing lines. I know I was deeply confused about these terms when I started modelling. Hopefully this descriptive account can help a bit....
hamilton