PhillH

This will be my first wooden ship, so I plan to follow the excellent instruction book provided by Vanguard Models and draw heavily on the build logs from Blue Ensign and VTHokiEE. To start things off I felt a picture of what is in the box was appropriate. As this is my first kit I cannot comment on the quality of wood and parts as I have nothing to reference them against, but everything is well packed in sealed plastic bags marked up with numbers for easy reference. For a detailed review of the parts I would refer you to the excellent kit review by James H The instructions indicate that you should mark up the parts with their reference numbers before removal from the host sheet, so I did that for the bulkheads and keel then did a quick dry run to gauge the fit. The Bulkheads fit very snugly onto the false keel so combined with the lower deck should ensure a nice square build. I dug out my French curves and drew the bearding line onto the false keel. It is recommended to sand this area down to 1.5mm thick to allow for the thickness of the planking. In this version of the kit the sternpost is added after the planking allowing it to sit flush against the planking once it has been sanded down. I took a tip from Blue Ensigns log and used some paper strip on the false keel to gauge the depth to which the keel should be sanded back to. Then realising I was going to need a way of supporting the model I put together a temporary building board to support things during the early stages of the build. Next, I chamfered bulkhead 10 to the correct angle to match the top of the false keel. The bulkheads were then slid into place and the lower deck slotted over them before adding glue to secure everything. Next the bow patterns were chamfered and glued in place followed by the securing patterns 12 and 14. I have deliberately left bulkhead 10 and the transom frames off for now as others have had breakages with these. As the structure is now very sturdy, I am considering starting the fairing of the bulkheads and then adding the deck and transom frames before completing the fairing at the stern.

Thanks for the link Maurice, I will store that away for when I need a case for mine. 👍 Phill

Alert is set of well by that case Maurice where did you get if from? Phill

She is really taking shape now and looking great. I am watching with interest as I have the same kit here ready to start. Phill

Congratulations on building a fantastic model I have thoroughly enjoyed watching your Alert take shape and will be refering back to your build when mine hits the blocks.

Has anyone coppered just one side? It would give you the opportunity to see your planking and the coppering. Regards Phill

Really enjoying your build log Vane, as you spearhead the speedy builds. Can you clarify for me your technique for bending the planks with hot air and clamps. Do you just heat them up bend then clamp or do you soak them first? Phill

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. @bruce d I have a home office that I am planning to repurpose so I should only be in the garage for major cutting and sanding. @Blue Ensign Having seen your log and the great work you have done on the cannon I have been holding off on my purchase of the kit until the resin guns are an option. @mikeaidanh Good to see that there is another member only 10 miles away as I am in Buckingham.

Hi All, Just a quick intro as I am new to the site. I have been a modeller all my life and was first introduced to ships through the book HMS Victory Classic ships and how to model them. Using this I built the Airfix Victory adding all the details explained in the book and then went on to build the Mayflower from the second book in the series. After this I bought the anatomy of Nelsons ships by Longridge and it planted a seed of desire to build model ships to the same standards that he had achieved. Sadly, despite several other book purchases by Underhill etc I never really got started and then was led astray by women and life in general. I have kept modelling in the form of RC aircraft but have always wanted to get back to wooden ships. So, to cut a long story short I have realised that work has been taking up too much of my time and have therefore decided to retire next year and get back into modelling. I am planning to start on the Alert from Vanguard Models as it seems to offer a bit of everything for the beginner and is the latest generation of kits from Chris Watton whose kits and posts I have been following for some years. I have read through all the Sherbourne logs as it is a similar ship with logs from other beginners and have been following the Alert build log by Blue Ensign who is inspiring me to add extra detail. I will no doubt be looking for assistance from all of the expert builders on the site and hope to put together a build log as I progress for the assistance of others Christmas is approaching and I know what I will be buying myself. Phill