Jump to content
MSW Spring Donation Drive

KurtH

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    361

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by KurtH

  1. KurtH
    Gripes installed. The straps are made from black construction paper. I did not use the rings from Model Expo because they were too small and the next size up was too big. These are the same rings I used as breeching rings on the 24 pounder guns on the gun deck. I have lost track of where I got them. Now to rig the main braces. I will also attempt to hang the flag which will add a dash of color. Whether or not I use it will depend on being able to make it hang in a realistic fashion.
  2. KurtH
    Port anchor in place. I used the anchors from the Revell model because they look more like the ones illustrated in the Marquardt AOS. Yeah I know that it should be made fast to the channel, but as the cathead and channel are so far apart, and there are no exposed timber heads to which to tie it, I decided to hang it instead. On the other hand, I have seen some very fine models on MSW in which that option was used. I'll do the starboard anchor tomorrow.
  3. KurtH
    While waiting for the split rings that I ordered from Model Expo to arrive, I finalized the bowhead. Seats of ease and "canvas" (card stock) covering were permanently glued in. Fore tack boomkins were installed and rigged. Once the quarter boats have been finalized, all that will remain will be the anchors, the main braces, and, if I an pull it off, a new mahogany cradle to match the base board.
  4. KurtH
    Quarter boats in place. They are not glued in yet, because I may want to adjust their height, or perhaps remove them altogether when I attempt to attach the gripes to the channel. Being inexperienced at the sort of thing, I am grappling with issues such as the material to use for the gripes, and the size of rings to employ at their ends. If I am successful at making these, I will want to keep the boats as is, which is how they are currently on the real ship. The main brace will then pass outboard of the boats contacting them as in this photo: If I am not successful at making the gripes to scale and making them look good, I will omit them. When I checked the BJ builds of the model in their catalog and on their website (each different from the other), and the photo of Larry Arnot's build on the cover of the instruction manual, I saw that the gripes are absent. Therefore, I see this omission as a viable option. The boats are suspended lower in these examples, and the main brace passes over them. In another build, I saw the main brace passing inboard of the boats, but I do not see that as an option on my model. I have ordered brass split rings (2mm) and some black construction paper with which to make the gripes. In the meantime, I will see about installing the foretack boomkins. I have made them up, but I am not sure whether or not they will integrate well with the bowsprit rigging, or whether I can make the angles at which they stick out match. The port and starboard bowheads are close to being a match but not exact. If the boomkins look ridiculous, I will omit them as well. This is also a viable option, as they are not mentioned in the instructions, and do not appear in the BJ builds.
  5. KurtH
    Quarter boats ready to be hung on their davits: White areas on the stem and sternpost of the green boat are blown out highlights, not places I missed.
  6. KurtH
    Just a suggestion - If you follow the coppering pattern illustrated in the Marquardt AOS, the job becomes a lot simper. There is no goring at the bow. Just lay the plates in rows then trim them when you reach the stem and then the water line. You will still need a few stealers aft, but I do not remember these being very difficult. The same pattern is followed in the Revell model. I used one dressing strake at the water line, but you could have two.
  7. KurtH
    Permanent installation of the starboard quarter davits: 1. Gluing the gripe spar to the davits. 2. Davits with gripe spar in place. Topping lift to be finalized when the boats are hung and the angle of the davits is set. Davits installed perpendicular to the water line. Gripe spar installed parallel to the water line. This was an accident, but now that I think about it, it makes sense. In any case it is too late to change it now. Quarter boats' current state of play: Boats to be hung parallel to the water line. I notice in photos of the ship from 1991, 1997, and since the last refit that the starboard boat is white and the port boat is green. I will do the same.
  8. KurtH
    Working on the installation of the quarter boats and their davits. The gripe straps attach to the channel. The manner in which this is done is not given in the instructions, nor was I able to find a photo of the ship that shows that detail. Once again, I went to Xken's Connie build and found exactly what I was looking for. My first step was to make up and install a ring on the channel: Next will be the installation of the davits.
  9. KurtH
    Remaining coils installed on the spider ring. Quarter davit topping lift tackles rigged.
  10. KurtH
    Thank you so much!
  11. KurtH
    I have made up and installed the afore mentioned itsy-bitsy rope coils on the bulwark pinrails.
  12. KurtH
    I used Weldbond which was recommended in the instructions. I do not recommend it. I found that it oozed out around the edges. At first it looked fine. The excess glue was invisible until I applied poly, which was also recommended in the instructions. This turned the excess glue black, making a heck of a mess! I ultimately solved the situation by applying copper liquid leaf over the entire coppered area. This has made a very durable unchanging finish which I like. I know this is only a negative recommendation, but since it is in the instructions, I thought I had better alert you to the pitfalls therein just in case you were considering it. Incidentally, copper liquid leaf is no longer available. I'll say this for the Weldbond though - it has held up well to a lot of handling as I have worked on my model. No plates have come loose. Your planking looks right to me. It look like a little neatening up of the gun ports with a file and a bit of filler here and there will do the trick. Do you plan to install linings? I did not, but perhaps I should have. According to the booklet, there was a time when the gun port lids were fastened in place with sliding bolts when the guns were stowed, then taken in and stored when the guns were run out. I would say you have a choice as to whether to have them on hinges with lanyards, or just omit them. Nice work on a very challenging kit!!
  13. KurtH
    Current state of play as of now. Time to put it aside while I work on video post, and pursue Xmas activities. Running rigging is finalized except for the main braces, and the vangs, which will be finalized when the quarter boats are installed and their topping lifts rigged. Also more rope hanks to do yet. I expect to resume work early in January. Heading into the home stretch!
  14. KurtH
    More rope hanks: Now to do the itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny coils on the bulwark pin rails.
  15. KurtH
    My first attempts at rope hanks. It will not set MSW on fire, but since I have never done this before, I could not resist posting it. Many more to do, but now at least I have some idea how I can do it. Hanks on the bulwark pin rails will need to be about half this size for reasons shown in my last post.
  16. KurtH
    Thank you RossR for your kind words. They are much appreciated.
  17. KurtH
    A word to neophytes like me who are working on the BJ Constitution: When installing the cap rail you might consider making the inboard edge flush with the inner bulwark planking rather than overhanging it as I did. This will enable you to install the pin rails so that the tops of the pins are at or very near the level of the upper surface of the cap rail. As a result, there can be more space between the bottom ends of the pins and the slide tackles of the carronades. There can also be more space between the upper part of the pins and the bulwark, making the looping of line over the top a lot easier when belaying. I repost the photo of the pin rail installation to illustrate this: I have found that any restriction to access to the pins is a good way to end up in a padded cell. I am very glad to have snagged all the lines on the pins except the falls of the quarter boat topping lifts. I do not mind admitting that doing these nullified any chance of my getting the "Spock Award" for emotional control.
  18. KurtH
    Thank you so very much Guy!
  19. KurtH
    Work is proceeding on the braces. Progress is slow on account of my lack of experience. As the photo in my last post shows, the upper fore and aft stays were sagging. When I loosened the braces and reattached the backstays, that sag went away. I re-tensioned the braces aloft using glue because I could not control the tension precisely enough at the belaying point. In order not to loosen the upper stays, I had to bring the tension on the braces up just enough to get a straight line. If they sag later, no problem. On the real ship, they sag a lot anyway. Using Syren rope was a good idea, because they will sag very nicely. So far, I have belayed only the foremast braces. I photographed my progress against a dark background this time in order to make the running rigging stand out more. The appear white, but they are actually the same color as in the previous posts. Unfortunately, the posting process has introduced some pixelization. The lines look a lot better on my computer. A view of the main and mizzen braces. The main brace will be installed after the quarter boats are in place. I just sent these two photos to a friend. I wish the image quality was as good here at it is in my email. Oh well...
  20. KurtH
    Sprits'l yard braces and foremast yard braces in place. Obviously, a lot of tensioning and retensioning has yet to be done. I thought I had that done on the upper stays, but nope. Oh well, good thing I have debonder on hand. Braces can droop, but I will wait until they are all in place, and the backstays are finalized before I try to get it all right. Topmast and t'gallant mast backstays reconnected. My missing the mark on the upper fore and aft stays made me delay finalizing them. I can't believe how hard it is to belay lines. I do not remember its being anywhere near this hard when doing my plastic ship models as a kid.
  21. KurtH
    All the spars installed, and lifts and halyards rigged. The side view shows the halyard tackles a bit better. Now to work on finalizing the backstays and rigging the braces (not necessarily in that order). First, I will need to install any blocks that I have not already attached.
  22. KurtH
    Spanker gaff and boom installed and rigged. Flag line to be rigged later.
  23. KurtH
    I started my BJ Connie build in 2007, and I am still working on it. I may have it done by this time next year.
  24. KurtH
    T'gallant yards crossed. Lifts, jeers, and halyards rigged. Coiled rope on the mizzen t'gallant yard will be braces. Slack in the upper stays is, I hope, temporary.
  25. KurtH
    Thanks Thomas. I have looked in the stores you mentioned, and have a collection of different beads. I am sure, however, that there are beads somewhere that have escaped my notice. It is not just the trucks that are a problem. I do not have the tools or skills to make ribs that small. Anyway, I have already done the leather clad truss parrels described in the Marquardt. As a teenager,I did some Revell plastic kits of ships (Cutty Sark, Thermopylae, Santa Maria). This is my first wood ship kit build.

About us

Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research

SSL Secured

Your security is important for us so this Website is SSL-Secured

NRG Mailing Address

Nautical Research Guild
237 South Lincoln Street
Westmont IL, 60559-1917

Model Ship World ® and the MSW logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,929,264 & No. 6,929,274, registered Dec. 20, 2022)

Helpful Links

About the NRG

If you enjoy building ship models that are historically accurate as well as beautiful, then The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is just right for you.

The Guild is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to “Advance Ship Modeling Through Research”. We provide support to our members in their efforts to raise the quality of their model ships.

The Nautical Research Guild has published our world-renowned quarterly magazine, The Nautical Research Journal, since 1955. The pages of the Journal are full of articles by accomplished ship modelers who show you how they create those exquisite details on their models, and by maritime historians who show you the correct details to build. The Journal is available in both print and digital editions. Go to the NRG web site (www.thenrg.org) to download a complimentary digital copy of the Journal. The NRG also publishes plan sets, books and compilations of back issues of the Journal and the former Ships in Scale and Model Ship Builder magazines.

Our Emblem ®

Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research

Nautical Research Guild ® and the NRG logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,999,236 & No. 6,999,237, registered March 14, 2023)

×
×
  • Create New...