AnobiumPunctatum

Thank you guys...we leave tomorrow.
 
Yes I am headed out to the north and south fork of Long Island.   Gonna check out some maritime stuff including some museums that have small boat collections.  Still researching that block island Cowhorn.  There is supposed to be a nice one in the museum there.  I will be online using my phone though....me always needs some MSW time....lol.
 
Planking has started...today.
 
The facstle is completed.  Nothing to really add except that I followed the planking scheme provided on the plans.   You can see that here.  You guys may of course change it.  I cut these from a 3/64" sheet following the plans rather than use strips.  There is quite a pronounced curve to these and they are small enough so it wasnt a chore.  I basically traced the plan sheet.  Tweaked and sanded to suit.  I used a #4H pencil to simulate the caulking between the planks.
 
Progress below.  One plank at a time.  The outermost planks are the hardest but not terrible.
 



 

Ahoy dear model building friends.
 
 
Thank you Jeff.
With my approach to the model, painting it actually takes a lot of time. I'll save myself this time if I filter out lots of tips and solutions in your construction report. 😉
 
I don't have much time to build models at the moment, but progress is still going slowly.
I have finished aging the hull for now and turned a new ship into an old veteran.
 

 
I particularly aged the anchor hawse and the area below the anchor berths, as a lot of dirt is likely to accumulate here.
 

 

 
And port side.
 

 
The chipping is also strongest here, as the anchors are likely to leave clear marks.
 

 

 
Amidships I aged more subtly.
 

 
And a little more at the rear.
 

 
The painting of the fuselage only continues when the missing parts are attached to the outside, i.e. pretty much at the end.
 
  The wooden deck was also glazed and applied.     Now I can start equipping the deck, which I’m looking forward to.  

Very, very nice Mike!
 
Best Regards .... Rick

Thank you Glenn and Chuck. Also, thanks for the likes!
 
Sorry for the delay getting back but like a lot of us as we age, we start falling apart and have to be put back together. On the mend and all is good, but work will be slow for the next few weeks. Before I went down for repairs, I completed the deadwood and wedges as well as added all the simulated bolts on the keel.
 
Over time I will have a lot of sanding and cleaning char in my future.

I have about 12 frames made, decided it was time to try and see how they looked on the keel.

With that frame Aa doesn't extend all the way to the line on the plans.  Actually none of them do.  They do all line up with each other.

Did I do something incorrect?  I don't believe this is expected.

Shawn

A final update - deadflat 1 has now also been raised, after notching it out on the aft face for the sweep port sills. Here are a couple of shots to round out the set....moving on to frame set 1 next....think I will continue to do these in pairs as long as that continues to make sense....
hamilton

So I may have been pre-emptive, but I decided to raise the deadflat frame on the keel today. Doing so took quite a bit of finessing and was definitely aided by the deadflat 1 frame when it came to final positioning.
 
The whole endeavour was slowed by the fact that I broke not one but both of the frames while adding the trunnels, and had to reset the futtocks and in one case re-make one of the chocks - which I did using the method suggested by Greg which worked way better for fit - still a bit of adjusting to do, but not as much as when I was just cutting them from the patterns on the frame drawings....
 
For mounting, the frame was merely glued to the keel assembly with PVA, which I will let cure for 24 hours before securing the seating with a length of brass rod - this will be invisible under the keelson, so I'm not going to treat it in any way, just use it for structural support.
 
I lined up the frame along the reference lines on the lateral framing squares and clamped these in place. I then clamped the forward square along the centre line (I etched a centre line on the acrylic base and vertical support for certainty)and then clamped the frame to the aft framing square.
 
Once this was done, I inserted some 2mm spacers (scrap basswood) between the two frames and used a length of 2mm basswood for a bracing piece at the top. This is only glued to the aft edge of the deadflat frame but clamped between the 2 frames to secure it. I was quite please not only with the seating of the frame, but with the alignment of the outside edges of these first two frames. I will be adding these horizontal braces to the tops of the frames as I go for structural support and to ensure symmetry and will saw the centre portions flush and sand down the remaining material flush with the frames when I fair the cross-section for planking. The bracing pieces you see further down the frame are not glued and will be removed once the glue is set and I'm ready to install deadflat 1, which I will do after completing frame 1 forward.
 
Any comments, tips or feedback on this process are always appreciated. Thanks and bye for now
hamilton 

Thank you Jim...
 
I have completed all of the hatches, gratings and partners to be placed on deck.  You have seen how the gratings were made.  The two hatches are pretty similar.  The only difference is they have cover boards rather than gratings within in the coamings.
 
 The photo below shows the laser cut coamings assembled.  There is no need to remove the laser char from the lap joints at the corners.  In fact it probably isnt a good idea at all.  They are precision cut so you end up with a perfectly squared up coaming the correct size.  You can and should sand both sides of the sheet before removing these laser cut parts to clean the char from those sides.  Just glue them up using the same right angle jig provided earlier.   Then sand the char off the top of the completed coaming being careful to keep the round-up consistent. 
 
You can see the smaller hatch completed.  The larger one shows the three cover boards also laser cut waiting to be glued into position.  But this you will also note the ledge created on the inside of the coaming that the cover boards will sit into.  These are laser cut for you and can be glued on the port and starboard insides of the coaming.
 

This photo shows the three coverboards in the coaming.  They are pretty thick, but only so they are flush with the center of the coaming to allow for the round-up.   The round-up along the sides of the coverboards should be sanded flush to the top edge of the coamings along the P & S sides.  I know some folks like to show one or two coverboards off the coaming.  You can do this if you want to.  But then you should sand that roundup into the bottom of the coverboards as well.   But I will show them all in place like the contemporary model.
 

To finish off the hatches...round off the corners using the right angle jig like you did for the gratings.   Trim them down to the top of the deck planking.   The bolts were added using black fishing line in the same way.   The iron ring for handles were made just like those on the lower platforms.  Exactly the same.
 

Also shown in the photo above are the mast and capstan partners.   These are completely laser cut for you.  They have etched lines to show the separate sections.   All you have to do is sand them clean and round off the corners as described earlier for the capstan partners only.  Soften the top edges as well.  Add the fishing line bolts and the eye bolts on the main mast partners.  Now some of these can be glued onto the model.  They are all ready to go so you can start planking the decks.
 
BUT there are a some like the main mast partners and capstan partners that need some extra work.   I will describe that next.   For example the elm pump tubes below the main mast partners and the capstan drum as well.
 
More to follow...but here is a photo with the all of the hatches, coamings and partners simply test positioned on the model.  They are not glued into position yet.   I did however glue the smaller grating and coaming on the forecastle deck in permanently....those are all finished up.  Its getting there!!!
 

Hartelijk bedankt voor de mooie presentatie van je model.
 
Thank you very much for the beautiful presentation of your model.

The rigging.
 
The rigging is less complicated than the rigging on more masted ships, but is basically the same.
A big difference is the absence of lanyards and deadeyes. During my research I came to the solution that this construction is an invention which dates from the first half of the fifteenth century. Original mediaeval pictures show everywhere an other construction which is surprisingly the same as used on ships with latin sails, which were used until the last part of the nineteenth century. This cog was build in 1320, so long before the invention of lanyards and deadeyes.
 
One of the reconstructed cogs was build in Kiel in Germany. While testing  its sail capabilities it appeared the ship could sail up to 70 degrees by wind abeam. In this position the sail would grate over the shrouds. The shrouds on that ship are equipped with lanyards and deadeyes, which I believe is not correct, so the shrouds could not be removed in case of grating.
Shrouds on ships with latin sails can be removed while sailing. A part of the shrouds on leeward can be removed while the ship is sailing abeam. This is possible with the help of the construction as drawn in the sketch nr 1. A stick (Dutch; knevel) can be pulled out in the connection of two parts of the shroud which both end in a noose. On both sides of the ship are mostly four shrouds as drawn in nr 2. The shrouds windward can of course not be removed, but with some of the shrouds leeward it is possible.
 
 
 
1                                                                                                                                                  
 
2
 

The model without the yard, but with the shrouds.
 
On port-side the four shrouds are all fastened, on starboard only two. The other two are hanging alongside the mast. In this case the wind will come abeam the portside.
This construction is on ships with latin sails always usual, but it is also possible on cogs. Old mediaval illustrations of ships show this solution.
Ships with latin sails have a different rigging because of the possibility of setting the sails and yards in other positions which move around the foreside the masts. But the shroud construction is the same as on cogs.
It is obvious that ratlines are impossible with this type of rigging. Ratlines in shrouds can not be found on ships before the first part of the fifteenth century.
 
The rest
 
On the model I made two anchors. Made of brass. I sawed them from brass plate, thick 2,5 mm. After filing and sanding in the correct proportions,  blades of thin brass,  were soldered on it. After that I painted them in colour Matt  46, from Revell. All iron pieces on the models I make are painted in this color. Never black.
 
The sailors on the model are from “Lehman HO pirates 90-2025”. Usually I do not place figures, but this model goes to a museum here in town. For visitors it is in this way easier to compare the human proportions.
 
I never paint my models, only the sails.
 
The finished model gives an impression of how those ships looked like. It is a reconstruction, so there always will be the possibility of other opinions.
 
The following pictures give an impression of teh finished model.
Cogs had an unsusual construction of the hull. The ends of the  beams inside the ship came out the side of the ships hull. This can be seen on the next illustrations.
 

 u

Coming soon.   Resin cast barrels.
 
I have three sizes of cast resin barrels that will soon be available on my site.  Currently I have the 11/16" tall and the 1" tall barrels.  I am waiting for my casting guy to make the third smaller size.  I may even make a fourth smaller size later as well.
 

 
I have the two smaller sizes and I am waiting for the last larger size not shown. They are cast in white resin or a light tan like my carvings for the ship models I make.   This makes it so much easier to prepare than building my laser cut versions.   Those will still be available but these resin versions will give you guys more options.   These can be prepared in minutes...
 
Just clean whatever flashing which is minimal.   And remove the small vent hole plugs with a sharp #11 blade.   
 
Then brush on some gel stain...in my case pictured,  I used General Finishes Fruitwood gel stain as usual.   I have one coat of stain on these.  You can add more to deepen the color as you see fit.  Then I just used a black sharpie to color the raised iron hoops.   You could use any color you want for those as well.  You could use a copper leaf pen for example.   It isnt difficult....and takes just a few minutes vs. a much longer time to build my laser cut versions.
 
Each size will be sold two per package.
 
Its unfortunately too late for me to add these in the hold of Speedwell....but when you need to make a dozen or more barrels for the hold its nice to not have assemble them one at a time.
 

 
And Buckets...crates...and other items will soon follow.   And whatever else I can possibly think of...please let me know if you guys fancy something in particular.

That's the way to do it without torturing either the plank or yourself.

Main hatch coaming completed. As I mentioned before, only the starboard side has been covered with gratings.

As co-founder of the Trireme Trust USA, leader of Olympias' repair and modification team for her sea trials, and a friend of John Coates (note the spelling) I can say your work is extraordinary. Thank you so much for this. Keep us posted!
 
Lots of info and photos here: https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/library/archives/trireme-trust
 
Respectfully,
--Paul Lipke

I agree that holly is indeed limited as to where it can be used effectively, but one of the things I love to make from holly are frames for ships boats and sometimes the planking as well.  If soaked for a few minutes in water, they bend like paper and hold their shape once dry.
Allan

 

If I look to your frame I am afraid that you do not have enough meet, if you grind the whole structure. If I cut the pieces out, I look that I see always a little white paper on the outside of a frame. With this you have always enough room to equal small but normal tolerancies

If I look to your frame I am afraid that you do not have enough meet, if you grind the whole structure. If I cut the pieces out, I look that I see always a little white paper on the outside of a frame. With this you have always enough room to equal small but normal tolerancies

Have a look at the wood grain for the chocks. In your pictures it has the wrong direction. You should turn the template by 90 degrees.

I've continued to work on the keel. I pulled the parts from the billets and prepped them. Chuck has mentioned that the wood is so thick it's pushing the laser cutting to the extreme. You can see the wedges and how the laser cut tapers. It doesn't cause any issues though. The wedges were assembled, cut to match the plans and added to the lower apron. Next I will be adding the rising wood and working on the deadwood and wedges that go on the deadwood.
 
 

If I look to your frame I am afraid that you do not have enough meet, if you grind the whole structure. If I cut the pieces out, I look that I see always a little white paper on the outside of a frame. With this you have always enough room to equal small but normal tolerancies

Michael : thanks
 
Cristian :
Most of the info i found came from the internet and is printed as a pdf. and i have some books.
Good and correct information about this period is sparse.

Things too look for with google about  shipbuilding in the late 16th century :
"Red bay shipwreck" : the San Juan, a Spanish Galleon.
"albaola.com" a modern shipyard that makes a replica of the San Juan.
 Gresham shipwreck" or "Princess channel shipwreck"
"English shipbuilding 16th century"
 
Some links on the internet :
http://um.gipuzkoakultura.net/pdf/loewe.pdf
http://www.albaola.com/en/site/building-process
http://www.maritimearchaeology.dk/downloads/Furring%20in%20light%20of%2016th%20century%20ship%20design_web.pdf
http://www.maritimearchaeology.dk/downloads/Full%20thesis%20bates.pdf
http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/files/PMA41.2Auer-Firth.pdf
http://nautarch.tamu.edu/pdf-files/Myers-MA%201987.pdf
http://www.patrimoniocultural.pt/media/uploads/trabalhosdearqueologia/18/22.pdf
http://www.bricksite.com/uf/40000_49999/48372/7e570040536647340b5566f37c70ca11.pdf
 
This is very interesting.
"The Gresham ship project".
I can not make a internetlink for this. But it can be found and saved on the pc or printed for free.

 
The new lay out for the wales.
There is a good chance this will be the final layout.

Index
 
 

If I look to your frame I am afraid that you do not have enough meet, if you grind the whole structure. If I cut the pieces out, I look that I see always a little white paper on the outside of a frame. With this you have always enough room to equal small but normal tolerancies

Thank you all for the likes.
 
Stern Post
 
While most of the keel parts were glued on a flat surface, this proved problematic for the stern post.  With the rising wood protruding and the stem taper, the assembly is no longer flat and it is difficult to proceed the same way. To keep the stern post perfectly vertical, centered and aligned to the stem, I rather used squares to keep the whole assembly vertical and aligned. See photo.
 

 
I applied a couple thin coats of WOP on the completed assembly.  I show  close-ups of the stern and stem below (note the knee of the head finally glued on).  
 

 
After application of WOP the wood got a bit darker than expected.  Does WOP have a limited shelf time when opened? In the past I have used nitrocellulose sealer.  This is great stuff. It does not change the wood color, gives a nice satin finish and dries almost instantly (70% of the content is VOC!). It is however a pretty nasty chemical and it is hard to find (banned in North-America?). I got mine from the UK many years ago but nowadays suppliers will not ship this abroad.  I find WOP a good alternative.
 
Building Board
 
This has been covered by others and I essentially followed their foot steps.  The MDF boards I could find in hardware stores were not flat. I resorted to a melamine board and glued my plan with repositionable spray glue.   It is now time to work on the frames. Stay tuned. 
 
 
 

CHAPTER 1
 
Here we go.  I started ship modeling about 15 years ago.  I completed all Chuck's projects plus a few others (including Model Shipways Syren). I recently completed the Winchelsea and posted a few pictures on the gallery. Except for Chucks Medway, all my projects had been POBs.  I was therefore quite excited when the Speedwell kit was released. This offers me a great opportunity to work for the first time on a POF kit without having to scratch my own frames. Except for ripping planks on my Byrnes saw (yes I am among the lucky ones), I essentially work with hand tools.  In this blog I will report on my progress. All the Speedwell builders are well experienced, and I am hoping you guys can provide advices when I have questions or encounter difficulties.  Thanks in advance. (This will also free Chuck from answering my numerous emails). On occasion, I hope I can contribute some ideas and tips to those who will undertake this project. 
 
Parts for Chapter 1 are shown below.  Contrary to others, my kit survived posting very well.  Only one small part (5F) in the top center board seems to be missing.  It is easy to scratch build, so no big deal.
Assembling the stem is straightforward. Tweaking the edges as suggested improves the fit.  I had to tweak a few more edges than those indicated to get the tightest fit. 

Positioning the stem (long curved part to which the rabbet is glued) on the rest of the stem assembly can be tricky. It is important to follow the plan closely to avoid problems when making the boxing joint at the keel and to ensure a tight fit between the apron and the rabbet.  I think I glued mine a hair too low and had to make adjustments (to be discussed below).  Note that I postponed the gluing of the thinner knee of the head for the time being. To prevent knocking it off, it will be glued on only when the whole stem/keel/stern assembly is completed.