whitejamest

I've just recently started the kit, and am really looking forward to seeing your modifications. I (very) briefly toyed with the idea in my head of cutting a little of the hull away and trying to detail the interior, but I rejected the idea as far beyond my abilities. So I will live vicariously through you.

Thanks very much Derek. I've done a little work on wooden model ship kits before, but never got very far. The longboat was the first one I've attempted in years, and the first I've finished. I do have a fair amount of experience with model making in general though, for what that is worth. Most of the ship models I've worked on have been very small gaming pieces, like this one, a white metal kit from GHQ: It's pretty crude compared to wooden display models, but it is 1:1200 and just intended for use in games. (I know my rigging is not as accurate as it could be on this piece...) I did not make the case, but ordered it custom built from Chameleon Woodcrafting, a one man outfit in Washington state. Michael Jekubik was the creator, and he does excellent work. I'd highly recommend him to anyone looking to have a custom case made. https://chameleonwoodcrafting.com/ Ryland, thank you for the encouragement. Yes, the longboat was a very good learning opportunity for me. It was small enough that I could concentrate on trying to do each step as best as I could without it feeling overwhelming. I'm trying to carry the lessons of that build forward with me into the Speedy.

Thanks very much for the welcome Derek. I've had your Speedy build log open very often for instruction and inspiration, and will be relying on it heavily as I (very slowly) move forward. Your Speedy is looking absolutely beautiful. I've not updated this log in a couple weeks, partly because my work load suddenly increased, and partly because I am taking my time fairing the frames as throughly as I can. I think you will enjoy the longboat a lot. It is small but still very nicely challenging (for a rookie like me at least), since there is not much to hide a bad planking job. I look forward to seeing your build. Regards, James

Hello all. This is my first attempt at a ship model of this complexity, and coincidentally my first build log. I recently completed Model Shipways' 18th Century Longboat in 1:48 (I still need to take some proper photos and get those posted), had a really great time with it, and started looking around for my next project. I had read lots of reviews and some other build logs about Vanguard Models' HMS Speedy kit in 1:64, and everyone seemed to agree that it was a very well designed kit. That sounded ideal for a relative beginner like me, and then there was the matter of the actual size of the model. I live in an apartment in Union City, NJ with under 1000 square feet (and a wife and a cat), and doing something even the size of a little brig or ship sloop in 1:48 seemed impractical. It was a question of Speedy or HMS Pegasus, and in the end Speedy won because she seemed a little bit simpler. Well, Vanguard shipped the model extremely quickly, and it was with me in only about 4 days I think. Speedy indeed. I've been very impressed with the look of the fittings, and it seems that the kit has undergone a few waves of improvement, which is nice to see. For example, I had seen pictures of an older version of the photo engraved deck sheet that had some inconsistent burn marks. This version is dated only to May I think, and looks like a significant improvement. Some delicate parts that were originally supplied in MDF are now supplied in stronger plywood. That sort of thing. The instruction book looks very detailed, and has a great many pictures to illustrate the process. The mdf frames fit together so well that the first steps of the model have gone much faster than I had anticipated, so I am starting this build log slightly ahead of where I had intended to. I've gotten as far as attaching the stern pieces, and am going to start fairing the bulkheads tomorrow. As I say, this is the first time I've done a kit of this complexity, so if you see me doing something wrong, or are just spontaneously moved to offer advice, please don't keep it to yourself! -James

That's an interesting method Wefalck. What sort of varnish do you use? Do you not find it discolors the lines?

Thank you for the recommendations Vince. I decided to go ahead with the pinning, and I am happy to report that it seems to have done the trick. I used a thin steel rod, so the joint is quite strong. It would have been easier to do if I had anticipated the problem, rather than having to try it out after building the gaff, but fortunately the operation went well. I tied a tight collar of nylon thread as close to the end of the gaff as the already-installed jaws would allow to discourage splitting, attached it to a wooden block to keep it vertical, and drilled out the hole with a drill press. The hole on the mast I drilled by hand with a pin vice, since the mast was already installed on the boat. I'll post some pictures once I clean the model up a bit.

Thanks for the welcome Allan, and Bob thank you very much for the advice. I think I will indeed go ahead with the pinning. Lashing would be very convenient, and certainly a lot easier, but I like the look of the gaff being partially raised, as in Mr. Passaro's example. I think it shows off the details of the gaff a little better. I'll update this thread with details about how it goes, one way or the other...

Hello all, this is my first post on the forum, though I have been finding it to be an amazing resource for a few months now. I've been working in that time on Model Shipways' 1/48 scale 18th Century Longboat, Mr. Passaro's design, and have recently begun the rigging. I am not especially experienced with this sort of thing, and would be grateful for some advice. My question is about keeping tension on the lines supporting the gaff. Unlike the boom, which is connected by its sheet to the horse at the stern, there is nothing pulling down on the gaff. It is pulled upward by the peak halyard and the throat halyard, and the gaff itself is a very lightweight piece. The consequence of this is that those halyards are visibly lacking in tension. I tried using a little bit of glue to secure the gaff directly to the mast, but that is not going to be strong enough. (I know I shouldn't be trying to put TOO much tension in the lines). I am tempted to drill corresponding holes in the mast and gaff and anchor the joint with a steel pin. But I thought I would seek advice before attempting it. Thanks for any help you can offer. - James