Kusawa2000

Chuck: Great news! Im hoping to get at that project soon. Just getting to rig sails on the Agamemnon so the completion of my existing project is in sight.. Cant wait.. 🙂

Chris: I have been quiet for the last while on my lobbying for having the Bellona on your list of next kits but now that its out in the open I would still love to see her released as a kit! I still remember your prototype you had worked on years ago.. It would be great to see her released sometime down the road MIKE

Have a good trip.. make sure you have all your paperwork in order for the border.. they are still limiting traffic to Canadians, americans going to Alaska and essential traffic. I dont think you will have a problem but things are still not as it was.. I will be posting more pics in a couple of days. MIKE

Hey Trent: If you have any questions regarding let me know.. She is a beautiful ship and you have a fun time ahead of ya! MIKE

Trent: Thanks for the cudos.. This has been a long, long, long project.. I have done quite a few modifications that just seem to delay the completion date but it has been worth it. Now, Im just making a push to get her finished. It will be good to get her finally finished... MIKE

Everyone: Got the paper foretop Sail on the Agamemnon. Keen on getting these paper templates done so I can then get the real ones rigged on her. Enjoy MIKE

Thanks Gary... finally getting some progress under my feet. Im stoked on getting sails on her MIKE

Everyone: Just a quick update.. I have finally finished building the yards on the Agamemnon.. I dont know if everyone knows but Im planning to rig her with sails. So... in preparation for that small exercise (yah.. right.... ) I am making paper templates to use to get the shape and dimension. The Caldercraft plans dont contain any sail plans so using a few sources and lots of measuring I think I have done a pretty good approx of the sail. Dry fitting them onto the yard and mast helps me ensure they the measurements match how they look on the ship. She is finally starting to come together.. Mike

nope.. we got 2 inches last night.. winter hasnt left us yet... going snowmobiling this weekend! 🙂 MIKE

Chuck: I have the standing rigging all done. Once I get the yards made, I can then start on the running rigging.. there is light at the end of the tunnel! As per usual, the Winchelsea is calling 🙂

Everyone: While Im busy building yards for the Agamemnon I realized I havent posted pics of my stern gallery so here are a few. I noticed I need to go over the gallery with a few touch ups but you get the idea! The yards have been a slower process than I originally thought. oh well.. progress is being made.. slowly! Enjoy Mike Draper

RIchard: Plan to as soon as it stops snowing! 🙂 Mike Draper

Chuck: you have no idea how many times I have been tempted to lay the keep down on the Winchelsea and just work on it "for just one evening" but I got to keep the focus and get the Agamemnon on the "done" pile... Mike Draper

Everyone: I finally did it.. after the last couple of years (yes.. years...) I have finally got the standing rigging done on the Agamemnon. This project has gone way tooo long but now that I have the Winchelsea on the horizon Im putting the pedal to the medal on the Agamemnon.. I never thought I would get to this point after seeing the masts unrigged for so many years. And last night I cut the length on my first spar (lower foresail). A new chapter has started. I still have launches, anchors, stern lights and i suspect lots of other things still to do but i finally feel I see progress... Hope you enjoy the pics!!!!! Mike Draper

Richard: I did buy the guns (I cant remember from who but you could make them or kick around on this forum to find out who sells them). I used the full carriages as a template and added a extra length on the bottom to allow for adjustable height.. so take a existing side of the gun carriage that was supplied with the kit and add about 5 mm on the bottom to allow for adjustment of how the gunport will sit attached to the floor on the lower deck and sit nicely in the gunport.. i had one piece of wood with the tiered edges of the top of the gun carriage and just cut pieces off like slices of cheese.... MIKE

Richard: here is a quick and dirty on how I made the lower gun carriages. this is only the lower gun carriages.. the gun deck carriages below the spar deck are full gun carriages 1) First they arent full carriages. if you look at the photo below I have constructed the upper part of the carriage but left the lower half flat without wheels.. there will be a reason I will explain in a minute 2) I used the lower deck Caldercraft had you install with the bulkheads -i figured if I installed one that was flush with the run of the hull and that I could use with wheeled gun carriages it would be a big headache.. what I did instead by leaving the bottom flat it allows me to adjust the height of the gun carriage by removing the wood on the bottom flat edge 3) When the carriages are constructed (i took a long piece of maple cut the upper tiered look of the gun carriage on a saw and then cut them off the long piece of wood like slicing cheese. 4) hung the paper template that I had copied and firmed up with masking tape.. clamped it to the hull and begun arranging the gun carriages according the where the hole was for the gunport. Once then were all done I would dry fit them in the gunports and then had the guns to the carriage to see if they had a proper run along the hull (you will need to buy full guns as the dummy guns are junk with you doing the full carriages) 5) then I removed the gun carriages and guns and then begun planking the hull.(dont forget to number them so you know which gunport they belong to 6) once hte hull is complete I then laid the same taped template over the planked hull and penciled the gunports.. 7) when all of the gunports were drawn I would then drill a hole in the centre of the gunport lid and start carving them out with a dremel and a sand bit and finish off with the file.. 8 ) insert the carriage with tweezers through the cut gunports -glue them into place and dry fit the guns to make sure the run of the guns along the hull is still good.. you may need to fine tune one of the carriages by adding or taking away wood on the bottom of the carriages. 9) once the carriages are glued in.. keep the guns out of the carriage until you have painted the hull and gunports.. it just makes the job easier The hardest part of this process was after planking the hull and then cutting the gunports.. make sure you use the same gunport template and have it lined up in hte same place you did when you were using it to build the carriages. Also... before you plank the hull paint all of the interior of the lower gundeck black.... with the carriages and full guns you can now see bulkheads and floors.. paint them black hides that.... Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.. MIKE

Richard: I dont have a CD of how I did the gun carriages but I can write a longer post later today when I get home. I warn you though... its a real time sucker.. 🙂 But it is worth the effort. As far as Richard Traut, I heard he has moved to the island and is enjoying life down there.. I didnt have any real problems with the measurements. You have to be really careful on where the channels and chainplates go on the hull. You have to make sure you arent blocking a gunport as well they line up with the mast and fighting top. I had to fiddle with that for a while before I got the right fit. The template for the gunports is a life saver. As far as making gun carriages, I would first recommend you make a copy of the template at a printing shop and cut it out and then back it with masking tape to make it firm.. you will be relying on that quite a bit -cut the gunports out as well. I will send you a longer email tonite.. I hope I can explain it to you clearly enough MIKE

Everyone: I never thought I would see the day where the ratlines were finally done.. and they are.. I have started on the stays and hope to have them done soon. We have had a bout of very cold weather here in the Yukon... we are on our second week of -40c and it has been a great motivator in making some progress. Once i get the stays done I will start constructing the spars and maybe even make a launch or 2 as a side project. I may get this beast done after all! 🙂 Mike Draper (alive at -42c)

Richard: I think it was SMF forum that was where we hanging out talking ship modelling. I should be getting a new pic update soon.. Made some good progress the last couple of days... I hope you have a good new years as well! MIKE

Chuck: Thanks for the reply! Will be looking forward to the release of chapter 3! MIKE

Chuck: FIrst.. I hope Santa was good to everyone and their tool drawer is nice and full.. 🙂 With the presents open and breakfast in my belly I had a chance to catch up on Chucks posts and I have one question. I assume the laser cut pieces for the galleries will be become available for purchase or do I need to turn on my carving (or lack of) carving skills? I assume if there will be a laser cut set it will become available with the release of chapter 3? As mentioned before.. amazing work.. its continuing to give me lots of incentive to get the Agamemnon done ASAP! Everyone.. have a merry Kris Kringle!!! MIKE

hey long time no hear! When did you move down to the island? I envy you... I could handle that weather over the Yukon! I will be posting some more pics of the Agamemnon soon

Jack: That is great news! Im looking forward to getting a PM from you sometime soon. Excellent work. Mike Draper

Richard: Its great that you got a chance to get up to my neck of the woods.. Too bad we didn't meet up as I could have showed you some pretty amazing areas in the back country. I had some friends up last summer and I took them for a 3 day boat trip down the 90 mile long Tagish Lake and did some wilderness camping. Maybe you can get back here some day soon. Yes.. I did manage to finish my Constitution. Here are some pics that I took when she was finally finished. I was actually got a chance to see her last fall in Boston. It was a really surreal experience for me actually standing on her decks. I just finished working on the Aggy tonite.. ripped out some of the ratlines and redid them as I didnt like how they looked. I will be loading some new pics soon. Good to hear from you! MIKE

Henrik: Actually this winter has been pretty warm and as a result not a lot of snow.. but for us we are now down to 4 hours of daylight so its giving us lots of time to work on indoor projects. The push is on to get the Aggy finished.. lots of work ahead of me still.