hamilton

Welcome home Augie - now back to work!!
hamilton

Just a big difference in the scale, at 1/64 the guns are much bigger and easier to work on.
 
The amount of detail you are adding takes real skill which you seem to have in abundance, be very proud of what you are achieving.
 
I look forward to further updates my friend even though I tend to look from a distance.
 
mobbsie

Looking good in the summer sunshine! Bon voyage
hamilton

Thanks Mark - very helpful - I'll seek out info on the head rails in the other forum.
 
In the mean time, here's a brief update on the cannon rigging. I managed to get the breaching lines done on the 6 cannons aft. The aftmost cannon is only attached to the hull on the forward side, both because the aft side cannot be seen and because it would simply have been too tough to get back there.  
 
Here are the photos.
hamilton
 

 

 

 

 

So I'm still waiting for my ship to come in.... litterally.... Well... last update had her arriving in the canal early-ish tomorrow morning...
 
In the mean time, I've not been idle. Trying to get as much done as possible before I go. Installed the main preventer stay and started working on the foremast shrouds. I think the foremost shroud counts as the longest served piece made yet. The cut splice wasn't nearly as hard as I first imagined, it just took a little figuring out. The overlap opening is 30mm in case anyone is wondering.
 
Anyway, some photos out in the sun again, seems you folks like this sort of thing...
 
Andy

Hey guys,
 
First, responses to your posts.
 
Adam, ever since I first opened the kit to see the contents, that grating has bothered me so I am glad I was able to make something I can live with as a replacement.  Too bad I don't have a Byrnes saw yet, as it would have come out much nicer I am sure.
 
Hamilton, as always, thanks for the kind words and encouragement!  That totally makes sense to just focus on building some skills with your first kit, I built a few Midwest kits before starting this one which really gave me some confidence to go ahead with this build.  I am sure this build would go MUCH faster if I wasn't trying to improvise so much, hopefully it all pays off in the end!
 
 
It has been a while since my last update so here is a quick one.
 
I have been working on a variety of little items for the ship:  I cut the caprail, I am working on the rails for the sliding tops of the companionways, I have been cutting a TON of copper plates, and started experimenting with Patina-It.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention why the updates haven't really been coming.  I have been experimenting and practicing with my new airbrush and I finally built up the confidence to paint the hull and inside bulwarks with it.  I have found out first hand that spraying acrylics definitely has its fair share of difficulties like tip dry and whatnot.  Fun to practice though!
 
Here are a couple pics of the caprail.  I started with a 1/32" thick sheet of boxwood, pressed it against the bulwarks and traced the outside.  I then cut out about 1/16"-1/8" wide of that line and sanded to shape.  Once it roughly overhung the exterior of the bulwarks by 1/16"-1/32", I cut out the interior and went to work with my needle files until it was about right.  I am a little concerned that I didn't leave enough overhang on the interior to fully cover and hang over the stanchions but that can probably be fixed by sanding them a little thinner.
 

 

 
A picture of the hull exterior with two coats of Golden fluid acrylic bone black with matte medium and airbrush medium mixed in.  The waterline is also drawn on.
 

 
 
250 copper plates in the box and some oversized plates for the keel, stem, and stern post.
 

 
A few spare copper plates on a scrap piece of wood, burnished and ready for patina experimentation.
 

 
First try using Patina-It.  I used some 0000 steel wool to remove the finish and then applied two coats of Patina-It with this result.  I will be trying many different methods of application and see if anything seems like it will look good on the model.  Maybe a more sporadic application so it isn't as solid.  Let me know if you guys have any experience or ideas about using this stuff.
 

 
Now it is on to coppering the hull and I expect this project to really start moving along.

So....next up on the stove are the tops of the boilers.
 
The tops of the boilers were made from two rectangles of 1mm thick N/S. One was 7.5 x 13.5mm the other was 9.5 x 13.5mm. The two rectangles were carefully positioned to give equal gaps around the sides but none at the back. A piece of 0.5mm scrap brass was used as a temporary spacer between them to maintain the correct gap as I soldered them up.
 
The lids were made from 0.5mm N/S cut and filed to shape with 0.4mm holes drilled for the handles. The lids were soldered in place and the 0.4mm holes redrilled through the lids and then through the main part of the top. It started well but the tip of one bit snapped off in one of the holes. I think the bit snatched as it was passing from one layer to the next. There was no way I could get the broken tip out. Fortunately there was sufficient hole for the 0.3mm handle to be soldered in place. This meant I had to solder the handles in from the front rather than behind - which means more cleaning up of excess solder after the job was done.
 
There are two items which I thick are the caps over the holes where the boilers were filled with water. These were simple turning jobs from 2mm diameter brass rod. A hole was drilled in each corner at the front of the boilers and these were soldered in.
 
The last item is a short length of 2mm brass tube which is where I will attach a still.
 
Photo 1 shows the top of the stove detailed as above before permanent attachment to the rest of the stove.
 

 
Photo 2 shows the underside of the top showing the thick plate that fits inside the sides of the stove.
 

 
Photo 3 shows the detailed stove top in place - though not permanently fixed in place just yet.
 

 
 
    

Hamilton,
 
Thanks for dropping in. I am doing battle with the boilers at the moment. I hope to have some progress on that in the next few days. I am starting to look at the   chain pumps - can I model them with the top off and the chains exposed?......that would be interesting. I am probably just putting off the opening up of the  waist area as long as possible.  
 
I was interested in your experiments with etched brass vegetation for ship's decoration. It got me thinking - Maplin's sell ferric chloride and resist paint for etching circuit boards. I might experiment with some for parts for the ship. Hum.......

Thus far, the only real problem I've encountered is with the Mahogany parts I've already mentioned.  The dowels in this particular kit have a very good grain structure and are, for the most part, very straight.  Two of the 5mm dowels had a slight curvature toward one end.  I found that I was able to use them by keeping the curve toward the upper end of the piece I was making.  In this way I eliminated the curve when I tapered the piece.
 
Building from this point on is probably going to be slow.  School is back in session here and we will be babysitting our two year old grandson while his mother (a teacher), father (a school administrator), and sister (starting Kindergarten) are all engaged.  Trying to keep a two year old out of your build is a chore.

Time for bowsprit and mast assembly. I‘ve just finished the bowsprit. For tapering all the masts, yards and booms I‘ll use my Proxxon lathe.
 


Here are the tapered parts. The two holes in the bowsprit cap have to be drilled in.
 


And here is the assembled bowsprit with all the fittings. The bowsprit and jib-boom should be stained walnut, but I like this colouring more. Well, it's just a matter of taste.
 

 

 

Thanks Mark - very helpful - I'll seek out info on the head rails in the other forum.
 
In the mean time, here's a brief update on the cannon rigging. I managed to get the breaching lines done on the 6 cannons aft. The aftmost cannon is only attached to the hull on the forward side, both because the aft side cannot be seen and because it would simply have been too tough to get back there.  
 
Here are the photos.
hamilton
 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Mark - very helpful - I'll seek out info on the head rails in the other forum.
 
In the mean time, here's a brief update on the cannon rigging. I managed to get the breaching lines done on the 6 cannons aft. The aftmost cannon is only attached to the hull on the forward side, both because the aft side cannot be seen and because it would simply have been too tough to get back there.  
 
Here are the photos.
hamilton
 

 

 

 

 

Hi Hamilton,
 
Boy you know how to make life hard for yourself, you've given yourself quite a task there.
 
Just of the top of my head would it be possible to use 5 amp fuse wire, it's very fine and you could tie the loop which would stay open then pass it through the hole onto your pin cleat, just a thought.
 
mobbsie

Thanks Mark - very helpful - I'll seek out info on the head rails in the other forum.
 
In the mean time, here's a brief update on the cannon rigging. I managed to get the breaching lines done on the 6 cannons aft. The aftmost cannon is only attached to the hull on the forward side, both because the aft side cannot be seen and because it would simply have been too tough to get back there.  
 
Here are the photos.
hamilton
 

 

 

 

 

Hi Ferit - yes they will be small indeed if I keep to scale - however, I may have to deviate....depending on what is possible for my fingers to do. I'll look through your log to see if I can't gain some inspiration and ideas
hamilton

You are right about fixing some cleats, after the scale even a block of 2mm means 20 cm... Too big for the rope of a lid, I think...
And I thought to fix the cleat (in my build it is a rounded pin (?)) aside the port opening, not at top middle to avoid the drooping rope obstruct the opening... That was my decision... It may be wrong...

And I hope that it may be helpful for what Mark had mentioned if I have understood correctly...

She's really starting to come to life - excellent work!
hamilton

Thanks Mark - very helpful - I'll seek out info on the head rails in the other forum.
 
In the mean time, here's a brief update on the cannon rigging. I managed to get the breaching lines done on the 6 cannons aft. The aftmost cannon is only attached to the hull on the forward side, both because the aft side cannot be seen and because it would simply have been too tough to get back there.  
 
Here are the photos.
hamilton
 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton,
 
1)  Generally speaking...yes.
 
2)  The line feeds inboard through a hole lined with either lead or leather (depending...) and then (depending on the size and weight of the lid) may go to a set of blocks or just to a cleat.
 
3)  It's my impression that the timbers rest or are attached to the stem.  You might ask this in the Building, Framing, Planking and plating a ships hull and deck area. 

Sanding, touch-up filling, and re-opening the gunports is just starting move along.  I've hit it with 220 grit and I'll follow up with 320 and possibly 600 once the gunports are proper.  I'm pretty happy with the planking so far.  Photo is without flasha and colors look pretty close to what I see. 
 

I really love this.. looks very symmetrical
cheers!

And here is the starboard side...

Hi Ian:
 
Many different kinds of accidents happen to models as and after we build them....but I can only imagine that "eaten by a snake" is rarely among the reasons for lost, damaged or decimated parts! Amazing work on the stove - thankfully it did not end up as reptile food!
hamilton