Kusawa2000

Session #2 is coming to a closure soon. The decks have been installed and a couple of oak stain coats, applied. A gun deck reeks of powder, blood, urine and fear.... It just cannot be clean and of a light color.
 

 

 

 
I still have to build the capstans, pumps and the various grates to really call Session #2, completed.
 

 
In the meantime, a second coat of Future Floor on the copper tiles to prevent them the urge to run away, during the manipulations of this massive hull.
 

 

 

 
Et voila...
 

 
Yves

Still working on the gun decks: 
 

 
Some people may notice that the sections are not connecting. This is intentional, since this whole part of the vessel will be invisible once the main deck is built. In addition, it would be very impractical to plank in that deep hull and the risks of breaking the knees are not worth the trouble.
 

 
Through a closed gun port or by poking a gun in your eye, you will not be able to see much of the gun deck. That is the nature of the beast.
 
Yves
 

Thats interesting but I am following a few other contemporary models.  They have them all set out.  Amazon in particular is the model I am using for swivel gun replication.  She had twelve according to records so why not just show them all.  I have them all made anyway.

More progress today. I managed to get the wheel finished and on the ship. I could have used the laser cut spokes, but I decided to scratch them instead. Either way would have worked just fine.

Mike

Four or five coats later (I lost track of them), I think I have the colors pretty much laid out nicely: 
 

 
Of course, the red delicate touch-ups on the gun ports, remain to be brushed. 
 

 
I will now move to the rails ("D" and "E") to match the other side of the hull.
 
Thank you for the Likes and encouragements.
 
Yves

The chesstrees are made just like the fenders.  No need to show it being glue together.  The middle layer is slightly wider to accommodate a sheave. The one thing I did do was round off the sheave before gluing up the three layers.  It is difficult to see the sheave in the photo but I will try and get a better picture.
 

The boarding ladder is pretty straight forward.  No laser cut parts here.  I made a scraper for the profile....then scraped a strip of boxwood.  Then I used some files and chisels to shape the sides.  There is no silver bullet here.  The best way to make these is to do it by hand like this.  I used a 3/32" x 5/64 strip of boxwood.
 
Here is how I made them on Cheerful and I made these the exact same way.  The profile is a little more fancier however.
 

 
Here is what they look like on the Winnie.  I opted to folow my reconstruction for placement.  It wasnt fun cutting away the molding neatly.  But I managed it.  You can do the same or opt for the way it was done on the contemporary model.  Its up to you.
 

I printed the frieze for the top step on tissue paper.  I used a glue stick to adhere it.  Then I carefully used a toothpick to push the frieze into the recesses etc.  It did require some paint touch up on the sides but I am very happy with the results.
 
Make sure you bevel the back side of each step so the top is flat.  Otherwise the top face of the steps would tilt one way or the other.  I still have the starboard side to do.
 
Here are some photos of the model with the exterior almost completed.  We only have the swivel mounts left after the ladders are done.  I added all the eyebolts shown on the plans which were made from 24 gauge wire.  Swivels will be next once I complete the ladder on the other side.  She's getting there!!!
 



 
 

Robert: Wow.. Couldn't asked for a better pot of information. I will definitely start looking for the material in clothing and drapery stores. Having your pictures in my pocket will definitely help. And I really appreciate your sketch work on how you applied it. I totally agree with you on having a good material for the hammock netting is crucial. I havent found any yet that works for me and as a result I have gone without with my models. Now I have something to look for.. Thanks again! 
 
Mike Draper
Whitehorse, Yukon

Robert: Wow.. Couldn't asked for a better pot of information. I will definitely start looking for the material in clothing and drapery stores. Having your pictures in my pocket will definitely help. And I really appreciate your sketch work on how you applied it. I totally agree with you on having a good material for the hammock netting is crucial. I havent found any yet that works for me and as a result I have gone without with my models. Now I have something to look for.. Thanks again! 
 
Mike Draper
Whitehorse, Yukon

Hi Every one, Its been awhile since my last update and most probably figure I fell off the ends of the world. Well the misses sent me a life line and  finally went back to doing some thing on her. I sort of been stuck  on the cables and how the messenger was routed. Ben from Ropes of Scale help me on the cable and Druxey gave me the ideal about the snatch block.  So  I went to work on making a snatch block for the messenger using Lee's measurement, from his  book The Masting and Rigging of English ships. It didn't come out to bad But I leave that up to you. 

Stuntflyer: Most definitely I will be providing a build log! Looking forward to getting into this new experience!
 
I have been keen on getting started on Winnie since the project has been started by Chuck but I decided to finish the Agamemnon project I have been working on by fully rigging her with sails (silly me...). Its been a long process but the end of its getting close and it will be good to her on the "done" pile. Stay tuned.. 
 
Mike Draper

Chuck: Good news that the launch/pinnace is still in the picture.. While I know that will be a slow, detailed project it will be a neat addition to the Winnie.. I see some neat work ahead of me with the Winnie!
 
Mike Draper

Chuck: Wasnt there talk about you putting together a separate kit/project for a pinnace/launch for the Winnie? Just trying to keep this all organized in my brain. 
 
Mike Draper
 
PS. just finished the rigging on the Agamemnon.. have some rope coils, flags and stern lanterns and she is done.. Winnie is next! 
 

It is bitter sweet as always.   But I am eager to start something new.   We are in the home stretch now!!!
Will be making the fenders next and entry ladders.  Then its on to the swivel guns.   That will complete the exterior except for the lantern.   Then we will move inboard again to complete the waist area with gangboards.
 
That will finish chapter 11.
 
Chapter twelve is the headrails and lantern....Finished.

Part 2: Building the hull interior:
Available for $327.00 from same link as previously posted:

 
Now you've built the jig, the many frames and decided how you will finally display your model (split or whole), it's time to fit out the interior. Like Chuck's Winchelsea, doing things this was does split up the cost for the modeller, so when you're happy with the work you've thus done, you can then think about getting this package. 


 
You're certainly not done with ply yet though. As your hull still languishes in the jig, this pack will give you the parts you need to ensure that it all stays where it should so the internals can be fitted. These are done with a series of adjustable parts which are fastened with screws, and hold those frames securely up against the inside jig slots. I've included some images from the manual so you can understand what I'm actually talking about.
 




 
 
The interior of Granado is to be fully appointed with all the cabins, stowage, ammunition store etc....exactly as you would wish to see with an open framed and potentially exploded-display model. More laser cut timber is included, as are a few more parts of CNC-routed parts.














 
A good quantity of strip wood is also included, all nicely selected and sharply cut:

 
Stove

CAF have supplied Granado's stove as a 3D print assembly with some photo etch parts to accompany. You will need to remove the supports from the interior hot water tanks and taps, but the brick faces themselves need just some minimal cleanup. 







 
Photo Etch
Just one sheet is included in this release, but there are plenty of parts to use. Again, the PE is cleanly produced with excellent definition and minimal gates to cut through to release the parts. Remember to use a good etching primer before you apply any paint to brass parts. Trust me, you'll be thankful for that tip!

 
 
Fittings

Just a few fittings here. We have screws for the internal jigs, some brass pins and also the shot for the mortar.
 
Plans and Manual

Another A4 manual is included in this release, and this one weighs in at 21 pages, inclusive of the part maps sheets. You will see here how much material is actually included in pre-cut form, such as the internal hull planking, which can be problematic for the average modeller....not that I suggest an average modeller attempts a project like this.







This last image shows what you will be left with when this package is complete.
 
 



 
 
And finally, some images which will show you what to expect when the hull starts to be kitted out in the next available package due fairly soon:












 
 
Conclusion
By no means a beginners model, and also not suitable for anyone who classes as intermediate. This really is aimed at those with a lot of nouse and the ability to forward think about 50 steps ahead, plus employ some critical thinking. When build up properly, this model should be an absolute show-stopper, and I reckon there's a good couple of years work involved if you want to get the very best from this kit. At around £500 so far, that actually represents some great value for money on a per hour basis too. Materials quality is excellent and the manuals look easy to understand. Tom is also easily contactable and always willing to help if you should find any problem. 
 
Watch out for the next instalment on this as soon as we can bring it to you.
 
Our sincere thanks to Tom at CAF Model for the sample shown in this article. To buy direct, click the link at the top of this article, and remember that you will need to add both packages (A &  to your cart if you wish to purchase at same time, so save some postage costs. 
 

 
 

With the straps comlpeted for the channels first it was time for deadeyes and chainplates. The deadeyes are made in the usual way.  These are the three layer deadeyes.   I started by making all of the 5mm deadeyes first.  There are instructions for assembly and tumbling on my website already.  I will add however that I tumbled them with 400 grit sandpaper.  Dont be afraid to tumble them for a while so they get good and rounded off while removing the laser char.   I do this on the highest speed on my hand drill.
 
Then I used the acrylic strops to strop them all after I dyed them brown.   See below.  The strops can be flexed with your fingers around the deadeyes.  You need to get a knack for it but once you do its easy.  Should you break any strops its no big deal, there are plenty of extras on the sheet.  Yes I did sand the sheet of strops as described earlier and weathered them before placing them on the deadeyes.  I show a natural deadeye so you can see both.  My wife says I need to try new things....so this is the first time I have ever dyed my deadeyes and gone brown.  I like it but yes it was a difficult choice to make.
 

 
Once stropped, I placed all the 5mm deadeyes along the channels.  Just slide them into the slots where they go.  There are 5mm deadeyes and 6mm deadeyes.  I am starting with the 5mm first.  You can see them all along the channel waiting for the chainplates.

The chainplates are all different sizes depending on which deadeyes they are used on.   I am methodically completing the chainplates based on size.  The acrylic chainplates are also cut on individual little sheets by size to make life easier as well.
 
All of the chainplates for the deadeyes on the stools will be done first.  They are the smallest links.  Take a look at the photo below which shows the two sheets with the smaller parts for the stool chainplates.  There is a sheet with the center links and one of the lower link that terminates with an eye on the bottom.  This is where you will nail it to the hull with little brass pins.  Pins Not included.  You can buy them easy enough by the hundred.
 

There are two lengths of the center link.  The shortest are for the mizzen stool.   But the bottom links are all the same size for all of the stools.
Start by sanding and weathering the sheets on both sides again.....this will be done for all of them.  Then take the center links and cut one side with a sharp blade as shown.  This is how you will get it onto the lower link and onto the deadeye strop.  I could have laser cut these but then the kerf of the cut would prevent it from closing entirely.  By cutting one side with a blade like this they will close up and you will never ever see the seam.
 
Then take the lower link and bend the bottom slightly.  NOT a huge amount.  Its about a 45 degree bend.  Use a needle nose plier like I showed earlier for the straps.   Heat the tip with a candle flame and use it to help bend the bottom eye as shown.  If you try and do this cold you may break the lower link.  If you use heat you wont break any.  And dont worry there are plenty of extras.
 
Then combine the center and lower links so we can add them to the deadeyes on the stools.  The seam of the center link is positioned so its the back side of the link when placed on the model.   
 

In the photo above you can see all of the chainplates completed for the stools.    But you can also see that I completed them for the mizzen channel as well.   The plates for the mizzen channel and the the other channels where 5mm deadeyes are being used are slightly longer than those used on the stools.   But the process is exactly the same.  Here is a photo of the laser cut chainplates for the deadeyes on the channels.  So you know what to look for.  You can see how the seam on the split center link is nearly invisible after slipping it onto the lower link.

If you look at the photo again showing the chainplates completed on the hull for these 5mm deadeyes you will notice that only the ones on the mizzen channel are completed and nailed with little brass pins.   The two on the main channel and the one on the fore channel are just dangling.  I have not nailed them in place permanently yet.  I am waiting until after I make the 6mm deadeyes and all of them are hanging on the main and fore channels.  I like to wait so I can better establish the correct angles for the chainplates.  You can take these directly from the plans.
 
One last note....many of you may feel that these links are too delicate.  You might think that they would never hold if you decided to rig the model.  That is the farthest thing from the truth.  You would not believe how strong they are.   If you are worried about the seam in the center link...you should be.  But alas, should you really want to "solder" the seam closed you absolutely could.  But you must use a special glue for acrylic.  Its the same stuff they use when gluing the display cases together with acrylic sheets.  Incredibly strong stuff and thin like water.   Just take a drop on a toothpick and simply touch the seam if you can see it on the center link.  And thats it.  It will wick into the seam and you are done.  Dont touch it.   It will take some time but it literally melts a small amount of the plastic and once it sets it is once again an unbroken link.  It will be extra strong now.   But not too much of the glue.   
 
Because we are not rigging the model anyway that is just not needed.   But go ahead and give the deadeyes a good tug on the channels and you will see how sturdy and solid they remain in the slots with little movement.  Its a beautiful thing.
 
Next up are the 6mm deadeyes....this went very quickly without having to bend the wire to make these....it took just a couple of hours to do the 5mm deadeyes once they were dyed.
 
So hopefully the next update will be soon and these will all be done.

Still following Session #2, it is kind of difficult to figure out how the Stern and bow will be built. Therefore, I am leaving them unfinished for now: 
 

 

 
Yves

A few progress on that big hull, with the completion of the starboard side: 
 

 
I am still following the CAF instructions with the installation of the D and E wood parts.
 
The "D" strip is made of 4 x 3 mm, and the "E" strip of 3 x 2 mm. These are put in shape thanks to these small devices (Micro Shapers) from AMATI: 
 

 

 

 

 

 
This looks like great progress, but I still have the entire PORT side to tackle....
 

 
This will take me some time and most likely there won't be any updates for a little while. In the meantime, here is a view of the overall beast.
 
I am not moving too fast and decided to not install the decals for the freezes (Session #5) as I am trying to see if the kit can be put together by following the instructions, at least when it makes sense to follow them.... By the way, I changed the blue and went with an Ultramarine Blue from Liquitex. It is a lot darker and richer than the Cerulean blue I was planning to use at the beginning.
 

 
Yves

Dontcha just love laser?  .015" laserboard, one piece.

Hi Everyone -
 
I have some exciting news: this week I acquired SeaWatch Books from @BobF! I've been a long-time customer of SeaWatch and was sorry to hear that Bob was retiring. I reached out and after a long discussion decided that I'd step in and acquire the company and inventory. I want to thank Bob and Cathy both for allowing me to carry the mantle and build on what they have started. I promise to continue the tradition of and commitment to quality books that are beautiful, informative, and important to the ship modeling community.
 
The first thing I will be doing is moving the store to a true e-commerce platform. This will make for a much better shopping experience and improve on the fulfillment and ordering issues that I know some have experienced in the past. I am currently in the process of finalizing the new store and will be integrating with the fulfillment center in the days ahead. Hopefully, we'll be up and running in the next week or two. In the meantime, please feel free to register at www.seawatchbooks.com to receive a 20% off coupon for when we launch.
 
A little bit about me:
 
Besides being Sonofasonofasailor here on MSW, my name in the real world is Mike Ellison. I have been building models since my youth starting with plastic kits (my first ship model was USS Enterprise, which I built at the age of 14). But, as is often the case with modeling, life intervened and college, professional, and family obligations took center stage for many years. I returned to modeling about 10 years ago and am a member of the Ship Model Society of New Jersey.
 
I graduated from Syracuse University in upstate New York in 1994 with degrees in Finance and Marketing. It was here where I met my wife Caroline and we got married a few years after graduating. After starting a career on Wall St., I had an opportunity to join my father in launching and building a marketing research firm, which has grown to nearly 100 people in New York City. My father is largely retired from the business and I continue to build and grow that company.
 
My wife and I reside in New Jersey and are soon to be empty-nesters. My oldest son is a sophomore at Skidmore College and my daughter will be going to Connecticut College in the fall. 
 
I am truly looking forward to building SeaWatch Books and continue to serve the ship modeling community. If you have any questions or ideas on how we can improve on our service, please email us at support@seawatchbooks.com.
 
Thanks,
Mike
 
 

Chuck: I assume the 1 9/16 cannon you have referenced are available in your  'Ship model Cannon" section of your webpage?
 
Mike Draper

A little history (edited from wiki!)
 
HMS Indefatigable was one of the Ardent-class 64-gun third-rate ships-of-the-line designed by Sir Thomas Slade in 1761 for the Royal Navy. She was built as a ship-of-the-line, but most of her active service took place after her conversion to a 44-gun razee frigate. She had a long career under several distinguished commanders, serving throughout the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. She took some 27 prizes, alone or in company, and the Admiralty authorised the issue of four clasps to the Naval General Service Medal in 1847 to any surviving members of her crews from the respective actions.
 
Indefatigable was ordered on 3 August 1780 (long after Slade's death), and her keel was laid down in May 1781 at the Bucklers Hard shipyard in Hampshire owned by Henry Adams. She was launched in early July 178,  and completed from 11 July to 13 September of that year at Portsmouth Dockyard as a 64-gun two-decked third rate for the Royal Navy. She had cost £25,210 4s 5d to build; her total initial cost including fitting out and coppering was £36,154 18s 7d (around £6.6m in today's money). By that time, she was already outmoded for the role of a ship of the line as the French only built the more powerful 74-gun ships, and she was never commissioned in that role.
 
She was broken up in 1816.
 
The kit
This is quite literally hot off the press with regards to what you see here. Indefatigable is being represented in this new kit as the razée, and quite rightly so. I do have a lot of affection for the stuff built at Bucklers Hard, having visited there a couple of times myself. It's a beautifully tranquil place in England's New Forest, which really does betray the hive of activity it used to be. It even has the original shipwrights houses and the pub there, as part of the tour. Just to think, Indefatigable was definitely built in one of these two slips, as was Agamemnon etc. I took these photos a couple of years ago.
 



 
This is very stuff for Indefatigable, as all I currently have are the cannon, carronades, and also the cutter. It will also become very obvious that when building these models, I never do anything in chronological order as seen in the manual. I work on whatever Chris has completed and sends over to me, with other work infilling between main tasks. I try to waste as little time as possible in order to keep to fairly tight release schedules. For the first time you'll see me work on stuff like this before the big hitters are sent to me. Even then, I will feed back with my findings and things will possibly be changed to reflect my own build. 
 
Not too much to see at the moment, and work won't start proper for a week or so, so keep checking in to see if things have progressed. Here's the two sheets of 2mm pear which contain the gun carts...




 
I also have three bags of guns. These are:
12-pound long 24-pound long 42-pound carronades  
I do need to wash these guns in some isopropyl, especially the carronades as the initial washing left then with tissue debris on them. Also, the carronade carriages will also have 3d-printed wheels! 





 
Indefatigable will have many of the design traits of Sphinx, but this time incorporate more traditional planking around the upper bulwarks and gun ports etc. Indy will also feature a traditionally planked deck too. 
 
Here are the parts for the cutter:
 


Chris might want to chime in here with other notes on the design too. 
 

This will be a more conventional kit. I cannot go as far as did with Sphinx for two reasons. The first being that the sheer size of this would make it way too expensive. The second reason is that this kit will be aimed at more experienced modellers, more used to planking. Decks will be planked with strip and most of the outer hull will also be planked from the quarterdeck bulwarks down. This will be more like my Amati Victory designs. There will still be a silly amount of laser cut and PE parts, though.

Still following (more or less) the CAF Model instructions, it is now time to dress and stiffen the upper section of the hull. I am approaching one side of the hull at a time. Because of the large size and weight of the hull, it is not practical to jump back and forth between the two sides.
 

 
So, after Step #8 (Coppering), we are now focusing onto Step #9. The main wales (B) have already been taken care of before the planking of the hull, as indicated before. I am now planking the space between (B - Wales) and (C - Channels). This is done in the following way, after careful measurements: 
 

 
(A) is coppering, (B) are the wales and (C) the channels. The distance between the wales and the Channels is of about 28-29 mm. As some of you may recall, I installed a lime wood strip of 6 mm wide x 2 mm thick (not provided in the kit) on top of the main wales. That strip plus three strips of 8 mm x 0.4 mm Maple (provided in the kit) will end up at around 29 mm, once sanded and glued. So it will fit perfectly and is easy to install and cut with scissors. 
 

 
You can see the progressive transition from the bulky 3 mm thick wales to the top wale (2 mm) and then the hull planking at 0.4 mm.
 
A view of the bow: 
 

 
You can see that I started building the Channels, using the 2 mm x 8 mm planks provided in the kit (Package "C").
 
The question came for the stern. Should I extend all the planking to the very end of the ship or should I stop it at a certain distance? Will the planking (and specifically the channels), affect the construction of the Galleries (coming in Session #5 .... and thus far away).
 
After a quick discussion with Tom, it was decided to extend all planking all the way to the end, and then sand very thin the channels at the exact size of the side galleries, so that no extra thickness exists to jeopardizes the alignment of the windows.
 

 
I hope you are enjoying the discovery of that complex and large kit.
 
Yves
 
 

Managed to sand all the chocks flush to the timbers this afternoon.
Started fairing!
(oh joy)

Chapter ten...
Chapterten.pdf
 
binnacle.pdf