Gabek

Time to hitch up your cloves, Deadeye. 

I'll take "Things you won't hear in Texas" for $200, Alex.    

All the lowers shrouds are rigged, I just have to tighten them all up first. I tarred  the deadeyes to hide the super glue stains, tar aka black paint lol
 

The main mast cannon that I was worried about looks like it will be good to fire off the cannon.  I might just close all the cannon lids, it will be stuck in the Antarctic not ready for battle.  So the lids would be clised.

She is a big ship that's for sure. I am having a hard time turning it around.  I will have to come up with a plan to make it swivel . Some time tomorrow,  we have a double hitter tonight one curling game followed by a hockey game.  
 Thanks for stopping by , deadeye Bob mmm, it is better than Rigging Robbie at least lol. Oh oh oh Robbie the Rigger the first Mate says 🙄 🤣. 
 
Knocklouder.   
 
 
 
 
 

New nickname required me thinks.......... Deadeye Bob

Good morning, shroud work continues.  I first load the deadeyes  on the jig then clamp it on

Then hang it , seizing it place the lanyards on. 


These are on the Mizzen mast starboard side, I think those are my best that I have done so far. There are 10 lower shrouds left to tie on.  She is looking really good 😄

Thanks for looking in on the build.
Knocklouder.     

The five shrouds on the main portside went well.


Hanging the deadeyes from a clamp I was able to add the 3 seizing threads to each deadeyes. They look pretty good. 


It didn't take long at all. I can rig deadeyes in my sleep now lol. When I first started I had to follow the picture  , making sure I was in the right place.  Now zip zip zip.On to the starboard side  . Tomorrow because   , Canada’s second favorite game starts soon so done for the day. 14 left then some paint changes , stays then crowsfeet lines.  Might even throw a few ratlines  on lol. I am pacing back and forth with anticipation  lol.
  Word is  , Private First Class Gnomer Pile is on his way home , He called from Paris said he lost Goober  in Paris , but he will tell me all about it when he get back.

The horse barge has been turned 😳  the Bowsprit mast still intact  lol.
My rigging on this ship is going really well , I learnt alot from rigging the Duchess of Kingston, fantastic instructors and all the help in the world, thanks @chris watton and Vanguard Models.
 There is a whole lot of seizing and serving of lines to do, and lots more to figure out, but it is full speed ahead. See you soon. Thanks for looking in and for all the help and support I get here.           
Knocklouder. 

Slowly getting my deck clamps in after a few more health concerns (all better presently).
Working on the quarter deck/waist/forecastle clamps that support the deck beams.

My first photo is locating the deck height using my gun carriage assembly to get it to look correct.
The height of the deck is measured using the device I made to originally mark my heights (but I marked the top of the beam instead of the bottom!).
Then comes the math... using the contract to get the deck plank thickness and deck beam height and subtracting these from the height measured.
That locates the height of the top of my clamp.
This I double check to the plan measurements.... close enough!
Now I calculate the difference to the height of the top of the lower cill of the gun port.
This is the width (height) of the spacer needed.

Next I made my spacer, thin flexible maple, and clamped it to the hull (red nosed clamps), locating the top edge to the top of the gun port lower cill.
My deck clamp was glued and clamped (blue nosed clamps) while butted up against the spacer.
You can see the other deck clamps below.
I've got two more sections to install per side at this level, the last piece needs to be steamed to fit at the bow.
Then is the roundhouse or poop deck clamps and then I can start putting the decks back in.
 
Photo below... you can never have enough clamps.

The orlop deck beams have all been preinstalled.
No hump this time!
Tomorrow I'll mark the centerline and the carling locations, then remove the beams and begin notching them
 

Deck clamps installed... and so we begin installing the orlop deck beams again, this time with some experience under my belt.

I managed all but the last one piece, the roundhouse port side clamp. Not enough clamps to hold it with glue.
Tomorrow is another day.
 
Now for something different...
A fellow club member printed some scale 1:64 crew members for my build. Amongst them was a surprise!
Two fiddlers seated cross legged.

If you look closely the fellow on the right is wearing glasses and looks quite a bit like yours truly. Yup, it is me!
So I can put myself in my build.
 
He also printed a larger version at 1:25

...and at sometime while in my care the end of the bow to the left of the violin strings snapped off.
So I carefully removed the rest of it and gingerly removed the frog from between the fingers and thumb with a fine mini chisel while wearing my magnifier.
Then I made a new bow from Pau Marfim, stained and varnished.
Added hairs from my old drafting brush and slipped it into place. I cut one to simulate a broken hair.
It looks a bit too chunky so I'll thin out the stick tomorrow.

I had tried to personalise it with hair from ma tête, but it was a bit too unruly... wouldn't be tamed into place.
 

Awesome work on this model!  Could you give me the dimensions for your grating? I'd like to see if I can create one on my resin 3D printer.  
Clear skies and sharp tools!
- Gabe

Bob
I am always happy to find another build that relates and adds background to my attempts.  I had read about Astrolabe in passing while reading the book…The Explorations to the Antarctic Peninsula by Hugh Allan.  I was reading it in general interest but more to find who was there around the same time as HMS Terror and Erebus.  In reading other books it was understood that the British Ross expedition was expedited because of the your new fried Capt Dumont, the French, Americans and others all headed to and claiming land in the Orkney and other islands in the 1830 era.
 
The corvette Astrolabe nee Coquille, along with her consort Zelee was apparently stuck in the ice for a week and there are images I am sure you have seen. Anyway, as the story goes their purpose was more focused on the overall French interest in the South Pacific and they were apparently quite successful.   Also, just to sail into pack ice and escape is no little thing. Any wooden vessel going around the world, she went twice, says alot about her.

I look forward to dropping in from time to time.  I am also sorry there is no short cut around all those ratline hitches.  I decided to think about it as knitting a sweater. Something I could not do very well, I am sure.   My solution is I never did too many in a sitting. 
Cheers 
 

All flags will be lowered to half mast today.
 My friend Rodney has passed away  😢. 
 It is a blessing, he was suffering from bone cancer. So now he can look from above as I finish his model for him. 
Taking some time off building. Take care my friends  I will see you soon.
Bob M.
 

Progress on the platforms  today. I decided on the colors for the lower mast and platforms.  The yards will be refinished with a stain and finish coat.

First coat of paint on the platforms, the holes are drilled and ready for clear coat. I am making the crowsfeet lines the same way  as I did for the Duchess of Kingston. 

@Keith Black will point out what's missing in this pucture? Hint, under the table. Lol.

The mass look like thier ready to install. But Rodney says please put the nose guard on please . Lol.


 The niece is spending the weekend so it's all stop on the Astrolabe lol and full steam ahead on the Mississippi diorama. River making time . 
 I have to let things dry really good anyway.  Back at'er Monday.   
 

Thanks for looking in.
Bob   M.    .

Work on the platforms will start tomorrow, some last minute part changes are needed, and I am missing some parts for the crowsfeet lines  that I will have to make some how 🤔. 


At this point I looked at some of the yard work. This will take a bit of time to figure out, plus  I have to decide which colors are going to be used, or just stain and finish 🤔 another we will see moment. 
 

After figuring out what we need to go forward  I am at the point where I have to wait tillI have all the requested information before proceeding. 
 I can set the lower masts, run the shrouds, lower stays, crowsfeet line and the lower ratlines. Then I need more rigging information, but by the time I get all this done I will have my information. 
 I am not sure how Rodney wanted this to look like, tha masts are white and the yards have a natural finish on some  are bare  wood on others. So my decision is to make them look the same. Lots of time for that decision.
   One decision about this ship is make a stand or a diorama, I am leaning toward a diorama.  Because  fellow  member @François de Saint Nazaire
He has lead.me to these pictures of the Astrolabe surrounded by  Penguins  🐧. 
Thank you so much... merci beaucoup.


The wheels are rolling but it only seems right that it be stuck in  the snow.  Lol 😆 🤣 
  Serving lines and making blocks and seizing  the deadeyes will keep me busy for months, by that time I should have figured out the color scheme for the Astrolabe and all my research material will be here. Months of rigging and tunes a head , and RATLINES are  not far off,  I am in my glory. Thanks for looking .
  You have to be able to see what it looks like, right now I am the only one who can see it lol but it is beautiful, your going to love it lol.       
 
Knocklouder 
 
 

Work is progressing slow and steady on adding the second planking. I have now completed the planking on the right-hand side down to where the water line terminates at bow and stern. I have also added the garboard along the keel, comprising 2 x 4mm planks.
 

I have continued to use shorter plank lengths (max approx 140mm). In the photo below the red arrows shows the position of the different plank joints, noting the pattern does repeat with every third strake. When fitting a plank I do mark the position of the next plank, as indicated by the blue arrow.

The bow planking is looking reasonably Ok at the moment. I am colour matching the planks as I go along. The lateral bend is really helping and there is no real evidence of clinkering which is a first for me.

In the photo below the CA glue stain will be hidden by the wale, when fitted. The blue arrow indicates where the plank width is tapered to 3mm and will taper to 2mm at the stem post.

The final two photos shows the stern area. Once the plank ends have been sanded flush with the stern counter I am planning to add a square tuck finish.

There is still a few days work left to complete the right-hand side before moving on repeat for the left-hand side.

Got the port rub rail on, and started some fiddly bits...
There are five fairleads that pass through St. Roch's bulwarks... since the flanges are visible on both sides I ordered 10 from Cornwall Model Boats. They are not the correct size so I used my small hobby vise and Zona saw to cut them down and glue them back together with CA...


Here is one being test fit to the bow, again use Forstner or brad point bits for drilling clean holes!

And here are the pair installed at the bow...

How I proceeded to make the hawse... this should be the last of the hole drilling forward of the poop deck!
I measured not twice, but three times, off the plans to locate the ends of each hawse pipe, double checking against photos and the model to ensure they are symmetrical on my hull...
After drilling the holes straight into the hull I used my 4" round file to set the hole profile.

Then my 1/4" styrene tube was fitted...

And the pipe marked for cutting...

I roughed in the hawse rubber on the deck, and the flange on the hull, and glued the flange to the pipe...

Then I filed and sanded the flange to shape, detailed the rubber, and test fit to the hull... 
 

one more to make, then paint and they'll be ready for the anchors!
Stay tuned for more fiddly bits!
Regards,
Bruce
 
 
 

You only had to measure it three times to be confident it was correct before you started potentially butchering the whole thing.
I am impressed!

Can you belive this.
Scientific name: Pygoscelis adeliae
Adélie penguins were discovered in 1840 by scientists on the French Antarctic expedition led by explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. D’Urville named Adélie Land, in southern Antarctica, after his wife, Adéle. Scientists Jacques Hombron and Charles Jacquinot also attributed this name to the species. @Glen McGuire PENGUINS. 
 Adelie Penguins  🐧. 

  Below is the Captain of the Astrolabe , Jules Dumont d’Urville or  Captain  Jim, ship inspector, as I call him . Jim may not  be his real name lol. Made by my coffee loving freind @Gabek , who is not taking any orders until he is finished my Viking rowers in the late fall of next year lol. He does fantastic work and has done work for prestigious modeling companies all over the world.
Best part is , he likes me lol.

Ohhh the fun is never going to stop on this build.
The cannons went well ,  but it's never a good sign if you have left over parts. Lol.

 
I am leaving them loose  because not sure  of shroud placement ,  the masts need work but line up great. The platforms needs to be drilled for the crowfeet lines, but I have all of the info for that in Rodney's notes.  So I should be good to go , plus after making them for the Duchess of Kingston I will be good. Plus I keep  @Glenn-UK
   on speed dial lol.
 

With the cannons installed its time to start working on the lower masts . My buddy @Keith Black has given me a great log to follow, the rigging is incredible, I should be able to learn lots, thanks buddy.
 I am going to go paint up Captain Jim, and go get a couple of figures with shovels lol. I think we will need it with all the horses, longhorns and Penguins that will be boarding the ship soon. Clean up on aisle 3 lol.
 I can't believe how much fun this is turning out to be. Must be because of  all the shipmates that are helping me on this one. Thank you all for watching me have the time of my life.
Bob M.       
 
PS special thanks 
@Gabek
@Keith Black
 
 
 

@Keith Black I am sure there is more horse power under that hull than in my Astrolabe hull.
 Got the chanis done, on to the cannons and masts. I can smell ratlines. Oohh be still my beating heart..


Now just gave to nail them on. Thouch them up and done . On to the cannons and masts, Research is going great  thanks I am anxious to start rigging.  Lol I don't know  if it's insanity or my desire to learn how to rig this ship for Rodney  ether way I am greatful for all the help I get here. I am slowly getting better on my computer, but it still doesn't understand me.  After all this time , lol.  Ok, on to the cannons and masts.    

Knocklouder. 

Bob, I was digging around and found another French Corvette but I think the time frame is a little later than the Astrolabe. 
 
 

@archjofo, thank you.  I looked at the German link, 325 pages! Wow! I'll be busy. Then I looked at your logs again that my friend @Keith Black recommended me to look at.  All I can say is . Thanks so much Keith, I am indebted to you, as well as the MSW/NRG. I must warn you though, I build models for the joy the hobby brings to me. 65 years ago I was forced to stop modeling. About 4 years ago, I started again. I have a hard time spelling, and the love of my life, the First Mate, just hates when I say how do you spell this word. So following instructions is not my strong suit.  And I have a knack for getting in trouble,  lol. Your logs will go a long way to bringing me years of enjoyment.  Thanks for posting this.  And Keith my friend, write something for me so I can send it to you so we can always "stays" friends.
  So the pictures coming from Texas  and from France have been sent. And with  help from Scotland and other UK member the fun continues.   😀 
 The chain plates on the portside went ok.


The chains for the starboard side are hung. Following the plans is of no help as all the holes have been moved to avoid friendly fire from their own cannons.  As it is, I have one extra hole on one of the channels.  lol. I will just try to make them look good, then move on to the cannons. 
   Authenticity:  I lost half of you long ago , now that I  have painted the hull, 75% more have left. 😀  Another  15% left because I am just to insane for them, lol leaving 10% to enjoy the ride on this one. 😀  I will get bucked off a few times, but I will get back in the saddle. I would even ride this barge bare back if I had to. I am not sure how Rodney was trying to build this, but he seems to have done lots of work then changed everything 🤔.  I can't figure it out, but like I say I build for the fun the hobby brings and I am sure having fun.  Ok going to rig some cannons.  😆 
Knocklouder     

I have now completed the right-hand side second planking. There is a wet nature in the photos below as I did brush the hull with a dampened brush. This was done to remove any unwanted dust from the hull and to also highlight any areas which may require a little bit of attention.
 
Overall I am very satisfied with how this has turned out, it is not perfect but generally it looks good to the naked eye. I will now spend a few more days repeating the process for the left-hand side. Fingers crossed I can repeat what I have done already.
 
The wale (when fitted) will positioned between the lower laser etched line on the bulwark pattern and the third strake.
 
I am planning to add a square tuck to the stern.

Post 37
Back to the Construction
Three coats of W-o-P have been applied between Wale and Water-line, but I’m a tad disappointed.

0369
Despite my efforts to colour match the Pear strips, there is some striping evident.

0355
The mdf tabs have been removed in preparation for deck planking. The lower deck has been covered to prevent dust which may be tricky to completely clear.

0357

0359
A second support cradle, has been re- purposed, from Cheerful I think, for working with the hull upright.
The supplied working cradle is good for some things but holding the hull steady ain’t one of them.

0362

0368

0374

0378
The kit instructions now indicate use of the engraved deck section before adding the inner bulwarks. I am looking to plank the deck using Boxwood 3.4mm x 0.7mm strips, and I need to work out a plan before I begin.
 
B.E.
17/02/2025

Post 36
The copper saga continues.
I decided to add a batten along the copper top line.

0323

0326
For this I used 1.0.x 0.7mm Pearwood strip.

0327

0329

0332

0334

0337
A fairly easy process using cyano on dampened wood, working along the hull by degrees. Acetone was kept handy to clean as I went along.
Any tiny gaps were sealed with thick copper paint.
 
The next stage is clean-up, apply w-o-p to the woodwork between wale and copper.
Add the Outer Bulwark sheer rails, and remove the mdf bulkhead  ears to clear the deck for planking.
 
I will return to the copper sheathing in due course.
 
B.E.
15/02/2025