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hollowneck

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Everything posted by hollowneck

  1. hollowneck
    Congratulations,Chuck. Your unwavering focus on quality (and fidelity) is an inspiration to many, many members of this forum. You have truly given so much of yourself, to so many. I know I am not alone when I personally say ”Thank You” for all that you have done to elevate our hobby.
  2. hollowneck
    I think your model will look great with ropes on all the cranes/stanchions, even on the breast rail. Context and all that, a "finishing touch." Without ropes, I think they'd look odd: black prickly bits randomly popping-out of her hull. That would guarantee you'd get puzzled queries from onlookers... Thank you kindly B.E. for your commentary on my build photos as I complete my sails and rigging. I agree they do show the complexity - and frankly, the "beauty" of fighting sail. Macro shots are now required for most of my rigging photos since there is so much in each photo to see. I've tried to make viewing easier in some by adding pointers and circles to illustrate my descriptions. I agree: my Foretack is going to remain as-is. However, my hauled Mainsail has "hit the bullseye" (courtesy definition from @druxey for what I've called "rigging trucks"). Thanks for allowing me to "invade" your Build Log by responding to your post on mine.👍
  3. hollowneck
    Thank you, druxey. Can I claim I've "hit the bullseye(s)?"
  4. hollowneck
    Thank You, Kevin, much appreciated.
  5. hollowneck
    Nearing the finish line on sails and their rigging. Some small changes, diversions (improvements?)... I've removed the hawse cables and mounted a bower anchor. The hawse bucklers (plugs for the thick anchor rope openings) are yet to be scratched and inserted. The Fore course tack rope is very close to the cathead, yet it does lead fair to the boomkin block. This is because the foresail is hauled up against the wind which draws the clue and tack inward. The boomkins should extend further and thus be a little longer. Oh well...next model. The sail rigging necessary to present a hauled Main course is completed. The two bunt lines (center of sail) are rigged to blocks added to the top (like the additional foretop rigging for the Fore course) )and then led down to the deck through shroud "rigging trucks." I'll carefully paint these in a brown acrylic as I think these were made of wood, not iron. These were not supplied with the kit, but filched from my vast stash of rigging gubbins....I know, another 17th-century technical term... The sail's tack rope hasn't been rigged yet in this photo. When rigged, the tack line, (leading fore), will help gather the dangling clue corner of the sail more upward and closer to the yard. The Main Course is hauled and both tacks lead to the mid-deck bulwark cleats. Now that sail rigging is complete, I'll adjust and secure all the lines at the midship's jeer blocks and various shroud cleats. The fore topsail's yard bracing will be done last in this area of the model owing to the limited access after the sail rigging is cinched-up and done. In the log, I've somehow overlooked mentioning that my Maincourse shown here was made from silkspan in roughly half the actual length of the sail to allow a better and more natural depiction. I did mention however, that unlike all my other sails, this Maincourse was created from a single layer of colored silkspan with reinforcement linings and partial bolt ropes at the clues. As a result, the single layer is more translucent, but to my eye this isn't a deal-breaker by being highly noticeable or incongruous. A view of the hauled Main course from the starboard stern. Clue, sheet and tacks have brailed the gathered sail close to the yard, but the sail won't be "gasketed" (tied tightly to the yard with additional ropes) since Camilla is in "fighting sail" configuration. The outline of the added bunt line tackle block that permits the bunt ropes to gather the large sail at the center can be seen at the very corner of the top. Like the Fore top buntline blocks, these two blocks are 3.0 mm stropped, single-sheave ones.
  6. hollowneck
    The berthing rails and deletion of the boomkins are very nice "additions," B.E. Will the brass rod alignments of her cranes be replaced with rope? A few posts ago you asked about my sail rigging on the main fore of my Camilla; your query makes perfectly clear sense to me now! Here's a couple photos of how CLOSE Camilla's foretack comes to getting tangled-up with the cathead. Admittedly, this is the worst-case as the sail is tightly-hauled. Foretack-to-boomkin; close, but no cigar. The tack line clears, but not by much. I agree with your making the boomkins a longer extension, however I'm NOT re-doing mine since the rig runs fair. Next model...
  7. hollowneck
    Here, here. I second that (e)motion! Really good improvements to the model engineering of this challenging part of any period ship build. Investment in Indy...we're getting very close to pounds for dollars. Us lucky Yanks!
  8. hollowneck
    "Wakey, wakey, pussycat"... Model ship builders in the house! Model by Howard Williams, CMMS (Connecticut Marine Model Society), 2019. Tug smoke courtesy of his "mature"feline. Another model by Howard Williams, CMMS 2008. Ironclad smoke courtesy of Howard's younger kitty. Photos: courtesy of me. Apologies Mike. Is this hijacking your thread?...
  9. hollowneck
    Indeed...Holy Smokes!...you got your boiler tenders doing their jobs! Aha. Interesting. I haven't tried any medium with TP, just diluted white glue & water. I used toilet paper (single-ply, important!) on my HMS Swan diorama to get the effect of wind moving across a water's surface. Attached is a close-up where you can easily see the effect of the minute "crinkles" produced by the toilet paper after it had thoroughly dried but before any color/painting. If you'd like, the pic has enough resolution so you can zoom in closer for details. The water surface effect is especially visible near the towed boat. You've gotten plenty of well-deserved "High Fives" on your model. Congrats (again). Great job.
  10. hollowneck
    Congratulations, Glenn. As we all know, it's BOTH the journey AND the destination! You've persevered and arrived with an admirable model.
  11. hollowneck
    Mike, I've discovered that regular, bog-standard cotton balls are hard to work with in fashioning smoke, and in my particular experience, making "sea spray." The solution, ironically, is to use synthetic cotton balls, specifically created and sold as "medicinal cotton balls." Sheep have never come near them. A synthetic, possibly nylon, rayon - or even Biktarvy or Ozempic. The medicinal cotton is easier to work with, can be painted easily and various glues (and hair spray) work well once you've "teased" it into a convincing-looking shape. Hope this helps with the next one. I've got a diorama coming-up soon and I'll likely use this exact same material for some sea spray at strategic spots where my ship's bow is smashing into some big rollers! BTW: I had to buy a large bag of 1,000 to get two medicinal balls for my last diorama. If there's a supply chain problem at your end, just give me a shout-out; I can spare one or two for an MSW buddy.
  12. hollowneck
    Thank you for looking-in, your compliment about my sails, Shipman. Much appreciated. I'd like to note that my Chris Watton designed, early 21st- century Caldercraft kit model of HMS Agamemnon came complete with copper-plated golf balls fastening her copper plating. I didn't even pay extra for this detail. You may be unaware that this HMS Camilla build will be presented in an English Channel action diorama. I also agree that it strikes me as incongruous seeing a ship with sails set yet sitting on a plinth. This information dense forum is a formidable one, indeed: chock full of important details that can be easily overlooked, or just missed.
  13. hollowneck
    B.E., ...and here I thought you'd never ask. 🤣 I love it when you talk to me like this...simple answer: "No." It's a close call though. I'll take a pic and post it. The more difficult rope positioning is going to be the tack on the hauled Main course once I get the sail's bunt folds properly fiddled.
  14. hollowneck
    Thanks, Mark. The first battle is happening in my workshop! To the Victor Go the Spoils! - or, is it the other way round?
  15. hollowneck
    Small update: yet another diversion from my sail mounting... I've removed the anchor lines (hawse ropes) from Camilla due to her inclusion in a diorama on an "action chase." I'll fit her with a variation of what I did several years ago for my model of HMS Ardent (64) shown below. The "stoppers" in her bow's hawse rope openings were called "Hawse Bucklers." I haven't yet discovered a detailed explanation of how these were constructed but I imagine they had to have a suitable mechanism that allowed them to be released from inside the ship and that they had to be quite water-tight to be effective: sort of like a big cork that could be easily pushed out to clear the way for a big, fat rope. My photo also shows a lead sheath that protected the stem's cutwater. Ships that were anticipated to be in action had to protect this area as there was often lots of floating bits encountered that could damage the hull if not protected. Aside: Ardent's coppering has taken on a nice brown patina after 8 years of oxidation. I could touch-up some of the shiny bits with a weathering chemical to even out the look but I've got a few other items on my modeling punch list at the moment...
  16. hollowneck
    Thanks, Thomas. Making realistic-looking sails and then figuring-out how and to mount them is a lot of fiddly and arduous work I must admit: there is nearly as much work involved to add working sails as the entirety of all the other basic rigging. Of course, I could have chosen to not make a diorama as these certainly demand realism IMHO. There's an appropriate English saying: "Horse For Courses..." There are several definitions of this but the one I like is "what is suitable for one person may not suit another."
  17. hollowneck
    Wow. Nice diorama, Mike! I'm also a "figures-on-model" guy, so Congrats on this nicely-executed detail too. The most convincing funnel smoke I've seen on any ship model - particularly ones of the WWI & II eras is made from... wait for it....cat hair. An excellent scratch modeler from my former club models ships that have propulsion from things other than the wind and has a large, furry breed of a cat (Himilayan?) that sheds. He told our members he just snatches a hank when he needs it without describing exactly how the acquisition method happens...from the couch? While she/he sleeps? Very nice model, Looks like you had fun building this one that also didn't take two years to complete!!
  18. hollowneck
    Rusty, either would be an epic build and the "next step" for a superb kit. Keep a keen weather eye on the £-to-$ exchange rate, currently about 1£ = $1.09. This is almost parity and is a nominal 20% "discount" on the previous and long-standing rate between the two countries. I believe that by the time Indy is actually available (late Winter, early Spring 23), the rate will be close to "dollars-for-pounds" - as the English say. Chris has already indicated a price range that's going to hover around £1,100-1,200. If this is true, it could be the most expensive kit ever introduced to the hobby (am I wrong?). Life is a lot about timing- and luck. The former is something we can control.
  19. hollowneck
    The epic film, “Master & Commander” is still a touchstone for a realistic depiction of fighting sail at the end of the 17th-early 18th-century. Personally, I return to watch it every so often for an immersion in history related to our hobby (and the era) I love. The current Vic’s captain’s quarters in Portsmouth looks very “sanitary” by comparison. This First Rate’s spacious quarters looks like a high school cafeteria space compared with the stingy and head-banging spaces of most other fighting ships in the Age of Sail.
  20. hollowneck
    The Metaverse rules! The evolving DIY anchors- MDF and 3D resin. I’ll make an assumption that Indy will offer a set of 3D anchors, Si’? Will you be offering 3D versions a la carte? Different sizes & scales?
  21. hollowneck
    Many thanks, B.E., your info and the pics are very helpful. I don’t have the Harland book but I believe there is someone in my club from whom I can borrow a copy. I have fitted hawse stoppers on a previous model so I’m familiar with how to bash a set of them. Removing the anchor cables on Camilla will be the easier part!
  22. hollowneck
    Thank you gentlemen. If I can get this sail to look the way I'd like, I believe showing a sail in this working configuration will add some "zing" to Camilla's chase in the Channel... Here is today's progress update on rigging the clues and shaping the sail's foot. Also, a quick reconnoiter on the crucial bunt lines that will cinch-up the middle section of the sail. A look at the Mainsail from starboard. All the sail's robands have been laced and tied-off to the main yard. The clue, sheet and tacks are rigged with the sail's corner leech brailed in. The port side of the Mainsail in a trial position for the clue, sheet and tack lines. The loose foot of the sail will be finessed upward once the bunt lines start to cinch up the middle of the sail. A view from the bow on the partially-shaped and positioned Mainsail. Clues and sheets, port and starboard, are rigged. Tacks will be added after the bunt lines are rigged. I'm pleased the translucency of this sail is visually quite similar to the much thicker topsail above it. I was a little concerned that using only a single layer of silkspan on this sail would make it too translucent. The folds and "bunching" effect diminishes the difference between this sail and the layered, fully billowing ones, particularly the topsail above it. The arrow points to a port bunt line that is hauling up the center portion of the sail. A closer look of the effect of the center bunt lines on the sail. The foot has "turned turtle here;" I'll use some adroit finger manipulation to reshape this portion of the sail into a more convincing presentation. The two bunt lines will require additional single blocks on the main top, similar to the ones I added to the foretop. I'm not sure where the bunt line falls will belay but this isn't a big issue...however, squeezing another set of 3mm blocks into a very tight rigging space is a little disconcerting at this late stage...but as the saying goes: "Don't Give Up The Ship!"
  23. hollowneck
    The last sail and its rigging... There will be a couple installments to this post as this last sail gets pre-made and then mounted to its yard. Hopefully, I'll be able to carefully fashion it into an acceptable shape resembling a "dangling sail." After studying many 17th & early 18th century ship paintings (the photographs of the era), I decided to bend a hauled mainsail to Camilla's main course yard. I then tossed a full working sail into the waste basket that I'd made previously. I had also considered creating a fully-furled one, gasketed tightly to the largest yard on the ship before deciding to try something different. Since my model shows her with a majority of her sails deployed and "at sea and in action" I decided to mount the partially brailed large sail across her midships. So many of the paintings I studied for reference showed this particular sail in this state (in many cases, also the foresail), especially in sea actions. I concluded that rarely would a patrolling ship have furled sails unless they were headed into very foul weather, anchored or in safe harbor. Starting from scratch, I've created a main course sail with a single layer of silkspan, unlike her 10 other layered sails. This overall piece is roughly half the size (vertically) of a full sail. and is the full width of it's corresponding yard. The single thickness of silkspan will allow me to more easily shape it and then apply a fixative to the resulting folds to show a loosened sail, ready to be quickly hauled when needed. I liked the whole idea of this working sail ready-to-go, rather than one constrained. I've made furled sails but I've never attempted to create a partially hauled and brailed one. We'll see how this turns out! To a single layer of previously colored silkspan (a leftover from Camilla's previous sailmaking), I carefully drew cloth panel lines in pencil to only one side (bow facing) and then added reinforcing tablings to the head and to a central portion of the foot. The roband ropes were added to the head and two holes for the bunt line cringles were added to the foot. To a portion of the foot and fully along the leeches I added a boltrope and the clue cringles as these will be prominently seen once the sail is in position. I anticipated the tabling reinforcements would be important as a single layer of silkspan would be subject to tearing and ripping easily with extensive finger manipulations to come at a subsequent mounting stage. The sail's corners are folded over to show the approximate position of these clue corners once the sail is bent. The walnut dowel (from the kit) is shown simply for scale reference and is about the actual diameter of the main yard. Camilla's Mainsail will be mounted here, rigged to its control lines and shaped to show a partially hauled sail.
  24. hollowneck
    Very nice job on the anchors, B.E. The MDF does finish acceptably if one is careful. Once you daub on some weathering powder, one will be hard-pressed to believe the "iron" is made from pressed wood scraps.I like your tapering of the pear stocks, what a good idea. I didn't catch this detail when I crafted my anchors. Placing anchors in your display case adjacent to your excellent model is a good, logical decision. I have a large bower anchor for my 64-gun model placed on it's display base near the bow and I routinely get questions about it usually regarding how large it is. Another option: you could put an anchor in one of the off-hull boats (just kidding). I'm still wondering how to achieve some realistic mounting details for HMS Camilla's bower anchors. There seems hardly any convenient spot to place these monsters anywhere near the catheads and/or fore channels. I haven't found much info about how this was accomplished in real life. Like much of the sail rigging I'm now doing, I'll come up with some "creative engineering" to solve my anchor placement issue.
  25. hollowneck
    Erdict, this advice from James H is quite important for a successful build of the Sphinx; it comes from the prototype engineer who works closely with Vanguard and writes the manuals. The stern counter is one of the most difficult areas to get properly aligned. You'll want to look into the Sphinx Build Logs of a couple members here to see the situation and how it's been handled.

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