hollowneck

Chris…the man, the legend. 
 
is this the NRG magazine all us members should receive?

Us, as in us members

Yep. The print edition has shipped late to subscribers; I had my digital edition 2 weeks ago.

Thank you!
 
Next month, a YouTuber will start a build of Sherbourne, so this may also be of help for you:
 
Tagliamare - YouTube
 
 

Hey Roel!  My mast hinges are a "hidden hinge" method I learned from one of @John Fox III's build logs (his are a work of art while just mine manage to get the job done!). 
 
The masts are 2 piece.  I cut a narrow slot in the top end of the bottom half of the mast.  For the top half of the mast, I carve out a narrow tab the fits snugly in the slot.  I angle the base of the slot and the end of the tab to form a "stop" to keep the top half from folding the wrong way.
 
Then I'll put the 2 halves together and use a 78 drill bit to put a hole thru both.  Finally, I insert a piece of .015" music wire for the actual hinge and put a dot of CA glue on each end of the wire to secure it.  I believe Mr. Fox uses wood for the hinge rather than wire.
 
Here's a couple of pics from my Treasure Fleet build that should give you a better look.  If memory serves, Mr. Fox had a sequence of detailed pictures of his hidden hinge construction in his build log but I cannot remember which log I saw it in.
 
     
 

A small diversion from the build...
I am fortunate enough to live right in the path of totality for yesterday's solar eclipse.  Unfortunately, we had a thick layer of clouds streaming in from the gulf of Mexico during the middle of the day which obscured much of the view.  However, there were fleeting moments with small breaks in the clouds.  At my house I was scheduled for almost 3 full minutes of totality.  In reality, I got several 5 to 10 second windows. 
 
The really spectacular part was when the sun began to reappear.  It looked like small flames dancing on the edge of the darkened sphere while it caught fire.  Seconds later the thick clouds came roaring back and shut down the view again.  Here's a couple of pics taken with my phone camera.  They do not do justice to what it actually looked like, but are still pretty cool.
 
 

....... or not as the case may be, we will see.

Brilliant BE. Reminds me that I have to get back into my models after a long summer break. Your standards are well beyond me but it doesn't mean I can't have fun trying to emulate them! Thank you for another fabulous log.
 
Alistair

Sehr Ausgezeichnet, B.E. Eine Kutter kommt..
 
 

Thank you Mark, and Ron,
 
It still rankles Ron,  moving onto the 24' Cutter, we'll see how well I can mangle that one.🫤
 
B.E.

I am hoping to have most of my boats in 3-d print resin form at some point, I have a talented guy working on these, one at a time, for me - starting with another cutter, as clinker planked boats are much more difficult to make from wood.
 
And very well done, BE, Indy looks gorgeous, a real credit to your skills! 

I Hate It When That Happens.
No biggie. Only you will miss the "extra" boat, B.E.
If you insist, I'd recommend getting one of Chris' superb 3D ones; a mix n' match selection...save the pear wood pieces for Christmas Holiday kindling.

I Hate It When That Happens.
No biggie. Only you will miss the "extra" boat, B.E.
If you insist, I'd recommend getting one of Chris' superb 3D ones; a mix n' match selection...save the pear wood pieces for Christmas Holiday kindling.

Congratulations, B.E. A stunningly beautiful model. Your plinth is an excellent platform for her display.

Post One Hundred and Sixty-seven
 
The 26 ft Launch - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Altho’ the main work on Indy has been completed, the overall display requires further work.
Building the Launch continues my work on the boats. I like the Launch because it offers opportunity to add detail such as the windlass.
I have been here before as I made up the 24’ Launch for Sphinx. This didn’t however guard me against breaking the stern post (twice) during the fitting of the transom.

4227
Again, I thought it prudent to add little support pieces to the build board to reduce any flexing during the fairing business. These small boats are delicate and require gentle handling particularly in the early stages.

4232
The fairing went ok.

4235
Regrettably, the stem broke in two places along the planking slot during the testing of the first planking strip, hardly touched it Gov’ner, and the repairs didn’t hold.

4236
I suspect it was a combination of the inherent weakness related to the planking slot, plus possible grain run of the stem.

4239
I did think about replacing the stem element, but removing the frames from the base resulted in what our American friends may describe as FUBAR.
 
Sadly, Indy will be without her Launch, but stuff happens – right.
 
B.E.
07/04/2024
 

Congratulations, B.E. A stunningly beautiful model. Your plinth is an excellent platform for her display.

Congratulations, B.E. A stunningly beautiful model. Your plinth is an excellent platform for her display.

Cheers Guys, I will do a set of completion photos before I encase her, but the wooden framed glass case is  very heavy compared to my previous  acrylic covers, not very convenient for multiple  off and ons, and all the associated risks involved.
 
@ Bug - A lot of the deck fittings are removeable including the rope coils, so these are taken off when cleaning.
I simply start at the top;  firstly cleaning the rigging lines, then the masts and yards, using a soft paintbrush.
For the dust on the decks I pick it up with a soft brush and suck the dust with a hand held vacuum (Dyson) I finish off the outside of the hull.
 
Considering she has been uncased for many years she comes up pretty well, takes around 3hours + to do it.

2007a
Here she is stripped down for cleaning, built at a time before the availability and quality of fittings we have today she still remains one of my favourites.
 
Regards,
 
B.E.
 

Post One Hundred and Sixty-six
My version of Indy is effectively completed now and with some serious moving about of models within my workroom/office, I have found room to house Indy in the prominent position she deserves, and without encroaching on other areas of the house.
4223
She has displaced Norske Love which now has a new position vacated by Alert which also has a new location.

e2008a
Had I completed the masting on Indy it would be in the order of that of Norske Love which is of a slightly smaller scale of 1:70.

e2012a
Norske Love has received a well overdue clean, having endured all the dust created during the construction of ‘Indy’.

4022
Not quite ready for the glass cover to be on yet, but at least the issue of ‘where are you going to put that’ is now resolved.
As a bonus the lower profile of Indy compared to Norske love will allow me to re-arrange the wall Pictures and perhaps get one of Indy.
 
I have decided to have a further dabble with the boats, and have started assembly of the 26’ Launch, pity not to make them up as they are provided with the kit.
 
B.E.
06/04/2024
 

Post One Hundred and Sixty-five
Thank you, Allan, the kit didn’t include any standards to support the transom, but I note that Alex M has included five in his drawings of the Anson following conversion to a Razee. He also includes an extended central standard to support an Ensign staff tabernacle.
 
I did think about following his example but decided that the double arrangement looked more aesthetically pleasing to my eye.
I think the inclusion of such an item is a reasonable assumption to make, and the set up on the Indy kit almost begged the inclusion of the arrangement as I have modelled it.

4206

4207
4217

4211

4212
4205
 
Onwards,
 
B.E.
04/04/2024
 

My understanding is that In the days before the driver boom the Ensign was routinely worn on the staff when at sea, as the Mizen lateen yard was not inhibited by its presence.
With the introduction of the driver boom the Ensign was worn at the Gaff  when at sea, but an Ensign staff was used when in port or at anchor.
 
Many Navy Board style models do not show the fixings but were I intending to fully mast and rig 'Indy' as a bare stick model, I would have fitted the Ensign to the staff.
 
Regards,
 
B.E.

Post One Hundred and Sixty-four.
 
Countdown to completion – still counting
I am still fretting about the inclusion of fittings for an Ensign staff.
 
The kit doesn’t include the fittings and few contemporary models show them.
I don’t have any specific evidence for the type used on ‘Indy’, but she would certainly have had them.
I lean towards a more substantial set-up than a simple block and cap-square fixed to the tafferal, given her origin as a Sixty-four.

2154

2155
This is the set-up on Victory and the double knee fixing between the flag lockers would transfer well to the Indy.
A block sits atop the standards, recessed for the staff and is fitted with a cap-square.
A corresponding fitting (the step) to take the heel of the staff sits between the standards on the deck.
 
Nothing to be lost by having a play around and using bits of Boxwood, I cobbled together an Ensign support for ‘Indy’.

4183
Fairly straightforward, two standards and a top cut out on the scroll saw, the trickiest part cutting the mortises to fit over the standard tops.

4184
A simple jig aids the assembly.

4204
The completed item, the Cap-square made from a piece of brass fret will be blackened before fitting.

4190

4197

4199
Steel conveniently gives the sizes of Ensign staffs by rate.
For a Sixty-four = 38’ x 6¼” ø @ scale 181mm x 2.5mm ø
         50 gun     = 36’ x 6” ø    @ scale 171.5mm x 2.4mm ø
         44 gun     = 35’ x 5⅝” ø  @ scale 166.7mm x 2.2mm ø

4195

4196
There is very little difference at scale, I used 3mm dowel for the staff and will adjust the length to suit my eye.
The staff will require a degree of taper and the fitting of a truck.
 
A satisfying days’ work - I’m inclined to keep it. ☺️
 
B.E.
02/04/2024

Next up are the main and preventer stays as they're obviously much easier to add at this stage prior to the foremast shrouds.  As the largest line on the ship, the mainstay runs at 10" circular translating to 1.26mm at 1/64, or in my case 1.25 - which I had to take the time to spin since I didn't have that size immediately available.  For those of you using the magical Syren rope rocket, I achieved 1.25 mm by spinning four lines of Gutermann Mara 15 thread. 
    After doing a little search and noodling, I found some evidence of the preventer stay being below the main, while most had it above. I went slightly above for a selfish reason - I was able to lash the preventer stay collar right up against the bottom of the cheeks rather than adding a couple of cleats to keep it in place. The closed heart on the preventer stay collar is a 5.5 mm heart from Syren - a smidge larger than it should be, but they're so easy to assemble, sand, file, and deal with it's well worth it. 
 
 
 
The mouse is put together the same as the Mizzen both for the main and preventer. Both should be three times the diameter of the stay and both of mine came out larger than they should be, but about as small as I could get them and still be able to work with them. The heart on the mainstay is a twin to the one I made in an earlier post on the bowsprit collar - 5.95mm (6 really) boxwood and the whole thing is lashed with .45mm diameter (3.5" circular per Steel) tan rope at the lanyard.
 
 
 
The preventer stay mirrors the main with smaller dimensions - the stay itself is 7" (.88mm diameter) mirroring the main shrouds. I measured the mouse as best I could but ended up just 'eyeballing' it to get it a bit smaller than the main mouse and still look right. The twin closed 5.5 mm heart is lashed with .30 mm rope. After some measuring, remeasuring, and adjusting the heart placement a couple of times, I still ended up with a bit longer lanyard than I'd like, but acceptable to me. 
 
 
 
An overall look at the rigging thus far before moving on to the foremast shrouds.
 
 

Next up is the Mizzen stay as getting this rigged prior to the mainmast shrouds ensures that I have proper access - particularly to the collars which I find to be a little fiddly anyway. Starting with said collar - the Mizzen stay is 5.5" circular, so I'm .60mm served with Mara 120 for the collar and .75mm for the Mizzen stay itself. The collar is pretty straightforward and is seized the same as the bowsprit collars on previous posts. The hearts are closed and for these I'm going with Chuck's Syren product - easy to put together and work with - including filing an indentation around the edge within which the strop will fit. The lashing is .15mm for mostly aesthetic reasons - it's the smallest rope that I have that still retains some "visual to the naked eye" detail.
 
  
 
  The stay itself has a mouse near the masthead so creates a bit of a challenge in terms of planning and execution. The top portion is served to just below the mouse with an eye into which the rest of the stay are inserted.  To get the serving correct, I started by looping the end of the stay then feeding my serving line (mara 120) into the stay via sewing needled.  The eye was 'hand served' then I was able to load the entire thing into my serving machine to do the rest of the portion that needed it.
 
 
 

 
The mouse is a sanded dowel that is drilled out with a hole just big enough to accommodate the served line. I don't have an exact diameter of the bit that I used because I started with "very small" and then gradually increased bits until the serving line barely snugged its way through.  
 
 
 
I've seen quite a few different ways to simulate the 'woven' texture of the mouse. My option was this bandage.  My Admiral happens to be allergic to latex and cannot use just any type of bandage, so we have a few different versions of fabric bandages. This particular one had the look and feel of weaving at the correct scale. The added bonus is that it has adhesive - though I did had a dab of CA to ensure it does not come loose.
 
 
 

 
  The mouse is listed as three times the diameter of the stay, but the bandage added a little bulk - so I did have to scale the mouse down a tad as the original effort was a little big for my taste. Ultimately I just 'eye-balled' it until it looked right to me. The mouse is then painted first black, then brown to try and match the color of the stay. Finally, the lower end of the stay is seized to a twin closed heart to the collar and lashed.  One note in the second picture below - although the lashing behind the mast looks much lighter - that's a trick of the camera where my overhead light was shining - all the lashings are the same color.