jct

Thanks for the likes...last update of the week...prepped the booms an gaffs for paint 
scratched a block for the bow sprite and jib boom


tried my hand at making hearts...open and closed

may have to work up more these are a little rough
and finally reworked the masts...I was gonna build this with top sails but decided to go with gaff rigging 

Thanks for the comments and hitting the like button...another update
Spent more time on the little details, harnessed and rigged the anchor buoys 

and lashed them to the anchors

line still needs attached to the free ends, all the excess line will be coiled when the anchors are fixed.
 
Made a couple mast tables for the mast booms

and sail rings

the boom rests are basswood and the rings are paper stock shaped around the knife handle and glued with pva...these were dipped in poly to stiffen them once they dried.
 
Mounted the boom tables and fitted the cleats, made last week, to the masts

and that's it for today...think I'll start detailing the booms and yards next...I've got to decide how I want to rig this build...as a pure schooner or as a top sail schooner, seems either could be correct, leaning toward the former, we'll see...

Thanks Lou

Had to make more small cleats and some shroud cleats,
To make the regular style cleat I start by taking half circle cuts out of a piece of stock the correct height and width as the finished cleat.  In this pic I'm using a screw punch to remove the unwanted material but a Dremel will work just as well

these cuts establish the "wings" of the cleat
once this is complete, drill the base of the to be cleats to accept a pin

I'm working in basswood here, so it has been hardened with ca. but there is still some breakage as you can see
 
next the pins are set in ca

and trimmed when dry


the cleats can then be separated and sanded to shape, I use small diamond files for this step

I've used this technique successfully for different size deck/mast/boom cleats.
 
This is the first build I've done that required shroud cleats...so this technique wasn't proven, but it turned out pretty well
walnut from the spares box, the correct height, was marked up with the lengths and thirds of each cleat 
 
holes were drilled at the intersections and the cleats cut to length
 

next to remove the shaded sections, accomplished with new #11 scalpels 

at this point every one of these split in two right along the shroud line...so the centers were drilled and pinned using ca.  once the wedges were remove you should have something like this

all ready for sanding and finish shaping
 
 

thx for the many likes...last update of the week
started workings on the anchor buoys...
chucked some basswood in the drill and spun against sandpaper and files


once the desired shape was achieved they were parted off, drilled and had eye-hooks attached with ca

still have to rig the harnesses for them.
 
Turned my attention to the anchor rigging and getting the cat heads set up

still needs a little fine tuning to get the droop right
and started working on the stock that will yield the mast cleats
that's all for now...see you next week

Hi all, thanks for the likes...another installment
 
Spent the last couple days focusing on the chainplates and the anchors
 


also finished mounting the ship's boat

added some strips to the anchor stocks to simulate banding

then painted them out and added rings

the ring alone was too thin so some puddening was called for 

just wrapping in black cotton thread and reinstalled

still need to touch-up the paint
thanks for looking in that's all for today
 

Thanks for the likes...
This weeks update, still working on little odds and ends
 
First I reattached the billboards
 

the ships boat was cut down and a new stern fashioned...it was way too long, a rudder was constructed and a cradle fashioned for mounting on the deck

all painted out and test fit

lines will be added to secure it to the deck later
 
Started scratching out the anchors
for the arms I first cut small pieces from some curved stock I had in the spares box...not sure of the species

and added pins for the shank and shaped them a bit
the shanks were made by chucking square walnut in a dremel and turning against sandpaper, I left the top square to mount the stock

the stocks are shaped pieces of basswood 

and the flukes were cut from heavy watercolor paper

still have a bit of shaping and sanding to do...
 
also worked on the lower deadeyes for the shrouds

this "fixture" allows the deadeye to be held in place with a couple pins while blacked wire is wrapped around it and the pins
 
the pins leave spaces so they can be tacked to the hull when installed
 
Well that's all for now, thanks for looking in
 

I could not agree more 😁

Black it is, but they will be slightly abused😁

Thanks a bunch Doc

An update of sorts...I'll be away from the table for a week or so, home for fathers day an our anniversary.
 
   It wasn't till I posted the pic below in the last update that I noticed the sacrificial anchor rub boards (not sure of the exact nomenclature) were facing the wrong direction...the sweep should face fore not aft...so they have been removed and will be reinstalled going the right direction.  I may take the opportunity to weather them a bit prior to the reinstall too.
 
That's it for now...

today's update...
mounted the swivel guns

 

the bits of tape you see in the photos are holding the outside edge of each respective chain plate in position so they don]t get mixed up until I can get them mounted...probably next week
 
I decided to mount the main guns...I originally rigged them with blocks but the smallest I had was 2 mm which looked way out of scale, so I stripped then off and just went with the run out tackle and holding lines, may add a few dark spots to simulate blocks...not sure yet
 
rope coils for gun tackle

rigged guns. you can start to see some of the light weathering I'm applying as I go in the second shot


overall shot of all the deck furniture to this point
the for all the likes later
 
 

Thanks gentlemen 

THX for the likes...
worked on the swivel guns
started with some rolled paper...added some pva to hold the tube together and added bent wire to represent the stock

tied on some light line to represent the strengthening rings and added them to the prepared stanchions 

and added paint

stanchions need painted...not yet sure what color though

Finally got a connection...promised pics
Chain plates



 
mast cheeks

mast tops

and booms

Got all the mast and booms tapered, mast tops squared, chain plates are made and mounted... sorry can’t post pics... no internet at all this week.  Hopefully latter, and as always thx for the likes

THX Lou...gonna start on the masts and booms

THX Phil

Thanks for the likes
last post of the week...finished most of the major deck furniture and got it all placed and pined down
made pumps and the CN

and placed all but the guns...they are just set in place for now

 

Still working on the little things
the belfry
set of steps
wow fuzzy...
guns
new front placement
question...anyone know where the anchor lines would run coming off the windless...wondering if that's what the forward hatches are for??

THX for the likes...still fiddling with lil bits...made the ships bell, chucked a piece of styrene sprue in the drill and shaped with files
 
drill and attached to a pin, ready for the belfry, course it needs painted but that will have to wait...got none of my enamels with me, roughing it  

Hello again,
Another update...the final one as the Picket is complete. After I got he spar mounted and rigged I was looking at the boat and it looked to me like something was missing...so I decided to make some detail items that would have been aboard.
 
With the open coal bins the most natural would be a shovel, so I cut a small piece of card and soaked it in diluted white glue it was then pressed on the end of a round toothpick to get the shaping started, when it dried it was moistened and folded to the final shape.
 
I also thought it would be appropriate to add a few thing the howitzer would require...so I scratched a worm and sponge/rammer. These started as sections of round toothpick glued up to the correct length and then adding the details, the sponge is a small piece of natural sponge trimmed and glued on, the ram end is wraps of tape. The worm is a spiral of wire. All were then painted and weathered.
 
I also added an ensign staff and flag, the flag was found on line and printed it was shaped while the glue was still wet, so it looks like there is a breeze.
 
The rigging was done per the plans with the exception of the torpedo staff forward mounting ring, this I ran up through the block on the hoisting mast, I saw this configuration in an on-line article about spar torpedoes.
 
Well that's about it, I want to thank you all for following along and lending support and encouragement. Thanks as well for all the kind comments and likes, much appreciated. Pics follow:
A few tools for the crew



loaded aboard

Gun details

some rigging


bow shots

views amidships


 
 

Hello everyone...finally got back to the Picket after the holiday week end...got the foredeck sanded down and refinished...there is the slightest difference in the finished shade...is what it is!
 
From there the howitzer was remounted, fit much better this time around.
 
The torpedo was mounted to the spar with CA and then sanded down and painted again.
 
There were only two rigging blocks included with the kit and I figured I needed a minimum of 6, when I could find none the correct size in my spares box I thought I would try my hand at making some.
 
The blocks started as a length of walnut the correct width and thickness, the center was scribed to make filing the stropping grove easier, once that was complete the length was flipped 90 degrees and holes drilled. They were then cut apart for sanding and shaping. The result is passable and will allow me to rig the gun sled.
 
The hook eyes for the stack were installed and the stays rigged to the stack and the spar mounted to the holders...still needs to be rigged
 
That's it for now thx for looking in. Pics follow:

I was getting bored waiting for the wood (be here next week) so besides doing more drawings, I found some "old" 3 ply wood.  I don't think it's the "lite" though as I bought probably 10 years ago.  Minor warping but figured it would work as a test.    I'm glad I did....  Seems when I did the drawings I didn't account properly for the kerf(s). There's a a total of 8 and all together they added up to ... drum roll.....  about 1/8" (or 3mm if you prefer).  So it's back to the drawing board.  
 
Anyway, here's a picture where all the joints except the middle one are pressed tight and the extreme ends (not shown) are at the proper place on the drawing.  I have to rework 4 drawings to hopefully get the false keel right and then there's the bow part of the boxwood keel to re-work and check (again with scrap wood).  But it does keep me off the street and out of trouble... mostly.
 
She's going to be probably the biggest model I've made as all mine (including this one) are 1:64.  Looks to be about just less than 28" (71 cm) long from stem to the end of the stern.

 

Plans are finished for the most part though there's a couple of "gotchas" that came across which I'll work on addressing.   Lite Ply has been ordered for the false keel, the ribs structures and the deck underlayment though I may not end up using it.  I'l be picking up some basswood blocks for use in locking the structures in place.  Hopefully, I can start building later in the week once the wood arrives.