dunnock

Completing the Hull Structure The four bow filler pieces are bevelled to the laser etched marks on each piece and glue in place. The final two pieces atop the bow section are also added. At the stern there are two pieces to add which slot either side of the keel section to support transom and counter and to provide a firmer base for the final bulkhead which is glued in place. The last pieces to build are the two cabin structures at the stern on either side of the gun deck. These are also cut so that they can’t be assembled wrongly. I learnt from past stupidity and got it right this time. I felt that they need some fettling and bevelling at the joints to allow for the angles of front and rear walls. I hope that this hasn’t thrown them out when it comes to adding the outer etched pear pieces. Everything looks lined up and good to me so I can brush glue into all the joints and leave it to dry. I'm now waiting for some hinges and handles (among other things) from Syren. They were despatched promptly but are somewhere in the US or UK postal system. In the meantime I'll begin assembling the gundeck centreline fittings. David

Thanks Maurice that's very kind of you. Yes the wood for the planking is from Original Marquetry (two different orders). The scuttle covers are 1mm sheet from Hobbymill. David

In awe... So impressed by your care and attention to detail David

Lower Deck The scuttles are cut from 1mm boxwood using a copy of the deck plan as templates. The centre line is scored and highlighted with pencil. Ring bolts using 2mm Amati and 3mm rings are yet to be added. I added the hatches before planking so some 0.8mm fret was used to maintain their height above the deck. I pondered about the stove hearth: should I place it on top of the planking or plank up to it? I was concerned to maintain the distance between the top of the stove and the gun deck. In the end I decided I would glue the hearth to the sub-deck and plank to it. I found a suitable brick pattern courtesy of Mr Google and printed it off. The hearth is finally edged with 1mm square boxwood. I have marked the position of the stove using a copy of the centre section from the plan. Planking is mostly 3.5 x 0.7mm boxwood. I was surprised by the variation in colour since all the planking comes from the same supplier. The centre section is planked using my latest order but the wider 4.5 and 5mm planks used along the edges of the hatches and scuttles are from a previous batch. Probably not an authentic look but I quite like the added interest and it will not be so obvious in the completed model. Planking the after deck section was straightforward and the block for the capstan is glued in place. The decks easily locate with the frames and the pegs hold them in place. The sail room is complete but awaits hinges and latches from Syren. There are inner wals of mdf and an outer covering of etched pear. The instructions say that the mdf parts are cut so that they can’t be assembled incorrectly – but I know someone who can. 🙄 Once reassembled, I checked it’s position and that the gun deck beams, cabin walls and stove locate properly. Thanks for looking in David

Wish I'd thought of that it would have saved a lot of trial and error.

A nice tweak Richard. Always tricky to get the shape right but yours looks very good David

Basic Hull Structure After a three week break Inter-railing through Europe, I can finally start building Harpy. Much has already been said about the contents of the box and the initial build of the basic framework and by far better builders than I. There is nothing for me to add so I will limit my remarks to once more praising the simplicity of this stage of the build thanks to Chris’s innovations, accurate plans and laser cutting. Everything goes together easily without the need to put excess pressure on parts and apart from making the cradle, there is no gluing required until later on in the construction of the basic framework. The first three frames bevelled back nearly to the laser-etched marks, leaving a bit still to play with. I’ve completed the first stages and am now working on the lower deck. I’m following Maurice’s @Blue Ensign lead here and as with my Speedy, will be planking both fore and aft sections as well as later the gun deck with boxwood. Supplies are on order and expected Monday. Until then there is work to be done on the scuttles and the deck structures. The laser etched decks as supplied The scuttles cut out of 1mm boxwood sheet and temporarily pinned to the deck

Back in Post#91 I said that I couldn't find information on the size of anchor bouys. Yesterday @En-Dan sent me a message with the following drawing, which I thought would be interesting and useful to others so with his permission, I have copied it below. The drawing is presumably from a Dutch publication but unattributed and from a later period than Speedy but hopefully still relevant. The bouys that I made are 16.4 long by 9mm diameter so pretty good for length against Chris's 60mm anchors but a little wide in the girth. Next time I would use 6mm diameter dowel as the starting point for the same anchors. David

Thanks Ron. Yes it is good to see it completed - there were times when I wondered... Thanks Dan, Glad the log will be of some help. Just take the rigging a step at a time and I'm sure you'll be pleased with the result. David

Thank you Bob

Thanks Chris and Thuky David

Thanks everyone and thanks Uwe for your very kind words. It will all be worth it in the end. Would love to see some photos of your finished model. David

A few shots of Speedy sans ensign but otherwise complete. I did find a mistake in the topmast yard braces which needed correction. There maybe more that I haven't seen but hopefully not. Thanks again to everyone whose followed, liked or commented. David

Anchors – The first job is to attached the anchor bouys. I used 0.35mm rope. A knot is tied in the rope and a seizing put on either side around the shank. A third seizing is added at the end of the shank nearest the crown. The rope is wound round the crown and the anchor bouy seized on the other end. The excess rope is coiled and two siezings added to hold the coils in place. The bowers are attached to the cable by a clinch. The cable is taken through the ring from the front, wrapped around itself and secured with three seizings. I decided to show one bower catted and with the stopper in place and the other fully tied in the chains. The other two anchors, spare anchor and sheet anchor, I think they are called, are tied up in the chains. Finally I’ve added the ensign halliard using a 3mm double block at the peak and a single in the stern. This will now have to wait for a slot in my flag painter’s schedule to add the ensign. Other than that everything is there. It only remains to tidy up the horses and lines by wetting them out with very dilute matt varnish and small weights. The build has taken almost a year, a little longer than I expected – but I wasn’t in any hurry. I planked the upper bulwarks and stern in boxwood rather than using the patterns provided and I also planked the deck in boxwood and modified a few bits and pieces along the way. I'll post a few more photos when it's all 'ship-shape' In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has been following and for all the comments, help and encouragement - it has really been appreciated. David

Thanks everyone for the likes and kind comments - much appreciated. Bowlines – This is the first model to which I’ve added bowlines and with all the other lines present it is quite a challenge. On reflection, I wish that I had added them to Diana I used 0.2mm line. Each bowline begins by being tied to the yard with a timberhitch. The foremast bowlines lead down through the blocks on the jib or bowsprit, through the saddle and to the bowsprit step. The main mast bowlines again start from a timberhitch on the yard. The topgallant lines feed through holes in the fore topmast trestle trees, the topmast through the outer blocks on the foremast top and the main course through the blocks at the base of the foremast. All lines are tied off at the forward bitts. To be honest I struggled to get them into their proper place so some lines just run to where I could reach. Maybe, I should have checked how all the ropes ran down to the bitts before starting the rigging, I would also have just trimmed the lines and left off all the hanks and coils until the end. Well that completes the rigging which was by turns challenging and frustrating and the most complicated that I have tackled so far. There’s a lot of rope in a such a confined space. I’m glad that I'm not adding sails and their associated ropes. It's hard to see all the smaller ropes but I'll take some better shots when she's finished. David