Jan Sadlo

Dave
Your Bluenose detail looks so clean and well done.  I have just started viewing you building log today. 
The metal work is inspiring.  I'm building the We're Here by Bluejacket. It is kind of a 1/8 scale version
of the Bluenose.  As of today I am starting to do the metal work on the spars. 
Please keep up your fine work
Jan

Hello my friends,

Le Mirage has docked 

"... Il n'y rien qui trappe tante les yeux, ni marque tant la magnificence du Roi que bien orner les vaisseux comme les plus beaux qui aient encore paru à la mer ... "

Freely translated it means: "... There is nothing so pleasing to the eye, nor to the glory of the King, then the ships to beautify the finest that ever appeared at sea ..."
With these words, Jean Baptist Colbert, minister of Louis XIV, gave a new impetus to the growth of the French navy and the manner how to conceive the warships of the 16th century.
In fact, the period between the 16th century and the midth of the following one, may be considered the golden period of the sailing ships; a period which even some essentially sea-going characteristics of the men of war were sacrified to the exigencies of aesthetics.

This resulted in a tight rivalry between architects, artists and woodworking masters to apply decorations and trimmings. The masters of the ship, once arrived in the open sea, hurried to remove these 'obstacles' to make their ship easier to handle.
The reproduction to scale of ships of this type is obviously not very easy. Remember that in this period the shipwrightstransmitted their secrets from father to son without leaving written notes.

I want to thank you all in advance for your help and
assistance with this build.
 

 
 

Enjoy watching!
 
Sjors

As I previously indicated, when I joined the original MSW, framing of the hull and planking of the outer upper hull had been completed. The most difficult problems with the framing were caused by the building jig, particularly in the bow. In the end, I basically discarded the jig, using only the bolts through the keel and the through the jig base, and the stem and stern supports. Unfortunately, I have no photos at all of any of this work. My first photo is of the hull at this stage of completion. At this point, I had also made and installed the various breasthooks and mast steps and had also done the deck clamps as a means of strengthening the hull for fairing and planking.   Among the many " I wish I hads" on this build is my failure to treenail the planking.
 
From that point, I proceeded to do the lower well and shot locker and then the upper well.  Another of my "I wish I hads" was not doing more of the lower interior detailng. Next for me was the gun deck framing. The kit simplified the deck framing construction by providing layered beams and carlings that created mortises without the need for cutting. A clever, if unprototypical, method. I also added the waterway and a limited amount of deck planking at the edges and center.
 
I made and added the fixed blocks and sheaves. I  added the bulwark planking. I had decided to paint portions of the ship, including the bulwarks, which were painted red. 
 
The last additional work shown in this installment are hardware and fittings such as eyebolts, ringbolts and cleats that were installed on the bulwarks and decking and the gundeck hatches and gratings, mast partners and lower capstan base.
 
Bob

One other tip I received was about using paper to repair broken wood parts.  Several of the "experts" told me about this possibility.
 
While trying to fit one of the cast stanchions onto the main fiferail, I snapped the rail right at the pre-drilled hole for the stanchion.

I glued the two pieces back together, then glued a piece of paper onto the top and another to the bottom of the assembly.

Then reattached the stanchion

and here is the assembly being trial fitted on deck.

 
After painting the whole thing white, the paper became invisible and it is impossible to see in the finished product.  There is a photo in my previous post that shows how it finished up.
 
Bob

Thanks for the compliment, Augie. At first I thought that serving these little parts would be a pain, but it ended up being a pretty quick job and immediately improved the look of the eyebolts. The photo doesn't show this, but I touched up the eyes with a very thin coat of black paint to get rid of the flecks of brass showing through here and there...

 

Anyway, I'm taking the night off modelling to read up through the forum...also I'm facing a bit of a re-do of one of the trickier features on the Pinky - the mast coats. Dan B, in his excellent build log on the old forum, posted his technique for making these in response to a request of mine, but alas it's now gone, and he doesn't seem to have rejoined the forum (or maybe he has under a different handle...). Anyway, I have to try to figure out some way of doing it, but tonight is not the night.....Dan B if you're out there, please enlighten me once again on the mast hoops! Even a rough approximation would be great...

 

And if anyone else has ideas, let me describe what they're supposed to be like - a short (roughly 1/4") conical shape, attached at the mast and deck with an iron hoop. The mast coats flare out from the mast by about 1/8" all around. Can you picture it? Sorry I don't have a photo from the plans - I'll try to post one tomorrow if anyone has any ideas....Thanks in advance!

hamilton