Snug Harbor Johnny

Take notice of the furled sails, and how compact and 'un-bunched' they appear in real life ... something to think about if one wants a model to have some (or all ) of the sails furled. Likely that only a narrow strip of the finest material would be used in modeling applications to avoid the 'bunched' look of furled sails on a model if too much (and too heavy) fabric is used. One can see small 'dog ears' on either side of the sails.

You have a great method to make Ochre ship's boats - the Endurance has 4, and the Beagle more than that. I'll at least so that far when I get to that point ... But since they will be displayed open (with covering canvass bunched to one side - like they were checking each boat's provisions and equipment), more attention will have to go to how the inside looks. Hmmmm, one might even try 'busting' these little 'Kits within a Kit' by duplicating the ribs out of thinner birch ply (like used on model airplanes), so they will look better as ribs. False ribs can be added in between. It would make for good practice in planking and whatnot - plus making miniature oars, rowlocks, etc. They could be done first before starting the mother ship so later they would not represent a 'diversion' from the outfitting of the ship.

That's cool copper work on the prow, and great detail how you mounted the prop astern. And what will show best of all on the ship is the 3-D stanchions with metal railing - what a great upgrade! I've already ordered and received similar stanchions from Cornwall, and will find suitable brass wire locally - and am pondering whether to solder the railings (then bend the sections prior to placement on the ship) or feed wire through the stanchion locations. The Endurance had white painted railings, but I'd be tempted to leave them brass and acquire a patina over time ... can't decide really. 'Saw on Hake's build where he omitted the wooden housing over the steering mechanism so he could model the actual works. (He did a good job of it.) 'Guess they enclosed it prior to the Polar expedition to avoid ice accumulation in that critical area. They did remove the housing once stranded in the ice to use, and salvaged a bunch of other stuff as well. Reading the book 'Endurance', I found it hard to put down since the story was so compelling. My thoughts are (when I ever get to my own build) is to do the actual mechanism like Hake did, then put the housing over it - but removable for show. For sure, anyone with this Ochre kit in their stash will benefit greatly from both fine build on the forum right now.

Another great use for set-adhesive copper strip. Can you recommend a likely source for this material? I haven't seen any - but suspect that it is the stuff used with some types of security systems to go around glass windows.

A friend of mine made a fairly large scale hull model of an 18th c. English warship (Centurion) entirely out of balsa. Most of the ship is painted, and it looks alright. I've forgotten my model airplane work as a youth, and those were balsa flying models. I 'hardened' the balsa by diluting model aircraft 'dope' 50/50 with Aerogloss dope thinner. Then it would penetrate deeply into the balsa. When all the solvent outgassed (dried), the structure was substantially strengthened and the surface was 'harder', could be sanded lightly and then accepted the silk or paper covering to be glued and ... doped. I don't know if they still sell those products, as they needed adequate ventilation to prevent one from feeling ... 'dopy' - which is where the name came from when a lot was used on WWI aircraft fabric coverings to make the fabric water proof, grease/fuel resistant and air tight. I suup[ose one could used Duco cement thinned (acetone?) and it would do the same thing. I used thinned Duco (a clear hard drying cement) to soak into Myocene Era shell fossils to keep them from crumbling. Those were obtained from the fabled Calvert Cliffs of Maryland when one could still access the fossil bearing zones. These days opportunities are highly limited.

'Just can't resist this thread title ... I wonder if a Viagra solution would harden the wood 😉 (Johnny, don't quit your day job.)

Great job on the deck planks and the way you planked inside the bulwarks ... lots of detail. And what a concept - a metal funnel (like the original). You can add the bands to it, and photos show guy wires bracing the funnel.

I'm considering two options, in that an adhesive with some flexibility would be better than a 'hard cure' type like epoxy (also messy). One experiment I'll try is with 'craft glue' (PVA) sold as "Tacky Glue". This I've used for bookbinding, and it allows the book to be opened widely without 'cracking' the spine - which has a leather covering in that area. The idea is to apply a thin coat on the bottom veneer - perhaps using a glue spreader (found at Woodworker's Supply) - and then running a fine notched trowel down the strip to be sure the coverage is uniformly thin. Lay on the second piece with the grain at, say, a 30 degree angle to the first, apply more glue and lay the third piece going 30 degrees 'the other way' from the first piece. (Waxed paper would be on the very bottom over a wide board that is a base.) Add a top piece of waxed paper and cover with another board, then weigh down with books of any other weight. When cured, the ply should be nice and flexible without splitting. Another option I thought of was spray-on construction adhesive - but that can be messy with overspray, and I don't know how the bond would hold up over the decades. PVA (NOT the Titebond or wood-glue variety, as they can set 'harder' than craft glue - but not as hard as epoxy) has the advantage of cleaning up (before curing) with water and is easy on the hands.

I'm not sure, but a certain amount of the 'standing rigging' at the time was done with wire rope. Some sources have indicated that a reference to '4 inch rope' was talking about the circumference. Circumference = diameter x Pi , so diameter = Circumference/3.1416 Ergo a 4" circumference yields about 1.27" diameter. In wire rope, this will be quite strong - whereas a 4" diameter wire rope would be overkill, and I can't imagine shrouds of that width. 1.27" = 32.25 mm (1" is 25.4mm), so divide that by 70 and you get .46mm - pretty close to the .5mm dark thread. For the finer rigging rope, if one takes .15mm x 70 (the scale of the model), the result is 10.5mm at 'full scale' ... about .41" and probably meant to represent about 1/2" diameter rope for ratlines. Of course, they seem to be metal bars on the original (looking at the photos). There is no sagging in the least and the ends project slightly beyond the two shrouds they are attached to. So my curiosity got me to open my unbuilt Endurance kit and measure the 0.15mm rope (thread) material in the sail bag, and got about 0.008 on my dial verniers ... which is about 0.2mm (25.4/1000) x 8 . 'Guess that's not too far from the nominal 0.15mm printed on the spools, and under slight tension it may be closer still. I didn't want to open up the plastic parts box, but my guess that the thread labeled 0.5mm is about right. This rigging business will take further study - and the forum opinions on most provided rigging material leaves something to be desired. That must explain the popularity of buying Chuck's rope or that from the guy he trained. Better yet, making one's own rope on the 'rope rocket' (also from Syren Ships) can (with a little practice) high quality miniature rope. I have a Colonial Craft demonstration where I use a hand-cranked tri-gear made of wood with metal hooks and fasteners to make full-size rope, and often give samples away. The rope I make is around 1/2" diameter from 9 strands of jute twine. Making scale model rope will be interesting for me, and I've obtained the rope rocket to try over the winter. BTW, there is a "cheaper" mini hand-cranked rope walk being sold elsewhere that (as provided) does not go together very well. I'm a tinkerer and can figure out a way to get it to work - but its not worth the trouble ... and the amount of hand cranking to get a decent length of model rope would also be a pain. The better Syren rope walk is powered by most electric drills, and will save time and effort.

O ... M ... Gosh (concerning the straddling of yards)! There must have been a lot of chafing doing that ... and no Talcum powder. I noticed the pictures showing two-piece yards lashed together in the middle. Seeing images of crewmen standing on yardarms called to mind a 19th c. engraving of most of the crew standing on all the yards of a Navy ship entering port. (There was a term for that - mostly for 'show' and ostensibly to indicate they were not manning the guns.) More recently, the roofers working atop our home walked and carried on unworried about the height and risk of their profession. I guess it is all what one is used to.

Hmmmm ... c. 1975

Steven ... I saw on a post not too long ago (yeah, try and find something like that once its been gone a while) that early ships did NOT have foot ropes on the yards (and certainly no jack stays). This was implied for 17th century vessels and earlier. So when did foot ropes begin, and how did crewmen get out and work on the yards without foot ropes? Now my surmise is that on single mast/single sail early ships - like Viking craft and those seen on the Bayeux Tapestry (1066) - the yard was lowered to put on or take off a sail. When ships got larger and a top sail was added (as well as a second mast), one might think that the yards were still lowered via halyards to bend/unbend sail. With the advent of ratlines (still in the 'no foot rope' era), crew could climb the mast to put rigging (bunt lines, clews and the like) through blocks and let the line down to the deck while the yards were down to bend sails. So when such a yard-lowering practice ceased, the question arises (before the advent of foot ropes) ... how did they get out on the yards without falling off? Straddling the yard?

Since its 'on topic' in this thread, I'm including a couple photos from my younger days as a Saxon re-enactor. The pic on the right shows my hand-made chain mail shirt, and you can see the fine mail coif I made (took a long time since the rings were small) and helmet. Not shown are axe, sword and shield ... we used to do the battle of Hastings annually (I got to portray Harold Godwinson on two occasions ... yup, arrow in the eye - faked, of course) and Stamford Bridge against the 'other' Harold ... Harold Hardrata. The other photo shows me with other chaps from other periods and lands. Some fine times were had back then - and much feasting went on the evening after battles ... sort of like all the dead and wounded brought back whole to carry on in Valhalla.

Well done, mate ! You've 'tailored' techniques to provide a great looking result ... don't let the notion of doing the 1,300-odd rivets dampen your enthusiasm, since the final result will inspire awe from anyone examining the finished model. Cutting the copper tape to the size desired, piercing with an ordinary pin in the center (by eye) then using the pin to locate over the predrilled hole could largely eliminate the need to do a lot of trimming of the square washer after the copper nail is pushed through and trimmer with the cutter. (Nice touch using a cuticle cutter!) The scale of the Billing Oseberg ship in my 'stash' is a bit different, but there may be a way of adapting the method when I get around to that project. And since a deck will be installed, most of the rivets won't need washers anyway. BTW, I know what you mean about exposed plywood in current laser-cut Viking ship kits, and reproducing the shapes in the builder's wood-of-choice is a good way to get around that. Splitting of walnut or mahogany can be a problem, but I'm considering making my own 'plywood' out of layered cabinetry veneers where the grain crosses less severely than 90 degrees - so it will be flexible but resist nuisance cracking. The Oseberg deck will hide most of the interior, so the lower planks provided might need only a thin veneer applied to the exterior - while the the top planks would be made solely of layered hardwood bonded veneers. Your project is one where most everything will be visible, so the care you are taking at every stage will produce a fine model. Johnny

Your points are well made. Following the Glory of the Seas builds, the series of photos show that the ship was continually modified throughout its life. One builder noted the specific time he was aiming for - that is, a configuration appropriate to the time frame source pictures indicate. There is no "one" Glory - as there is no "one" Providence or most other ships (the Wasa sank one its maiden voyage, so I suppose that the restored original in Stockholm is the 'version' most modelers should choose). You have made an excellent model (also noted by my friend), and I doubt I could do as well ... maybe close. Fair sailing and a following breeze! Johnny

I've been thinking further (yeah, lots of thinking and little building ... When I said 'I was thinking' the Admiral replied, "That's why I smelled wood burning."). Old ships were fairly complex machines where sailors were the 'motors' that pulled (hauled) on all the ropes, made fast or loosened, adjusted and repaired everything - and everything had a function. With so much to do, non value-added activities were to be avoided. So it is logical that most (if not all) of the running rigging would stay in place. The blocks for the bunt lines are on the small size ... what, a 4" block full size? That's about 100mm - so for a 1:96 model (I call it 1:100 for ease of calculations), I'd need a 1mm block to be in scale. Golly, I don't think I can work with one that small. So there is an advantage to working at around 1:50, since the same block is 2mm in scale. Then again , a clipper at 1:50 will be something like 6 feet long ... Thus for the 1:96 project one can consider 'compromising' by using 1mm brown beads tied to the yard as the buntline 'blocks'. The fairleads tied inside the shrouds could be 2mm deadeyes (with the three holes carefully enlarged a little, for ease of passing lines through). They would be a bit out of scale, but not obvious, being mounted on the inside of the shrouds. I suppose the bunt lines are something like 1/2" rope - let's round it to 15mm - so making one's own scale rope (0.15mm) using Chuck's ropewalk and experimenting with fine thread stock could yield something workable that would still resist breaking, and would be easier to thread through small holes than what is ordinarily supplied as rigging 'rope'. Looking at stock photos of the Sergal/Mantua Thermopylae in 1:124 scale shows that the blocks and deadeyes are all well out of scale (among other inaccuracies) and there are builds attesting to the difficulties of crafting a big ship at that scale. 'Guess you 'pick your poison'.

I bought Billing's Oseberg Viking ship (a future build - ergo a 'stash' kit) after seeing a fine build log and noting that the planks are laser cut. Not just the planks but a pretty good rendition of the fancy carving at the bow and stern - all done with laser ! They have an updated version of a ship (large boat?) from another that was unearthed - and I believe it has precut planks.

Someone I know believes there were 2 guns on the quarterdeck (probably smaller than those on the weather deck), giving the Providence 12 guns in all. I wouldn't know about that. He also mentioned there would have been a ship's boat carried. He references the Rhode Island repro. Providence in its present configuration for comparison, and said something I didn't quite understand about a slight projection of the quarterdeck. He does admire the detail and skill put into the model as a fine representation.

So much to consider ... and learn about. I've seen clipper photos 'on deck' where the number of belayed lines are vast ... appearing to be a 'jungle' yet each line is routed to where it goes without crossing or rubbing on something (ideally). 'Learning the ropes' will take time, and what to include on any model - well, that may depend on the limit of skill, dexterity ... and sanity. Inevitably, compromises will occur.

I've pondered sails on models in general, perhaps focusing on clippers. The sails on some models are somewhat limp, although I've seen a couple where thin wire concealed where the perimeter folds over can be manipulated to give the sails a little shape as if the wind isn't too strong. A clipper laid up for some time might have the sails taken off (the 'no sails' option - meaning no running rigging except perhaps clew lines and sheets). Many have taken that approach. One forum member proposes to have only a few sails set (as seen in many period prints and engravings), with the others furled (a compromise approach). A sail to be shown furled might be only a third (vertically) of a full-size sail so with won't look "too bunched up" when furled. I suppose Clippers in port to unload cargo and take on other cargo would have sails furled, and they could have the 'look' seen also in many contemporary illustrations, where the sail material is somewhat "festooned" ... like bunting. The bunt lines are pulled enough to gather the sail in arcs - hanging a lower towards the middle. The reason being the relatively short time the ship would be in port. I suppose the upper 'split' topsail and topgallant yards might have no sail mounted at all, and could be in the lowered position where the lifts are taut - ergo no bunt lines needed for them. A couple of jibs could be down, with the others omitted. No stay sails either, so there would be a moderate amount of running rigging to mess with - and there would be a good view of all the deck detail. Adding scale figures would be nice. Just wondering how this all sounds ....

One could make a steel die set (does not have to be hardened since the workpiece is soft copper), where the base has a hole drilled in deep enough so the copper nail slides in not all the way - the flat head would be 'floating' slightly above the surface of the steel plate. A 'punch' of steel (could be cut off from round stock, say 3 or 4" long) would have a round divot in the end made by using a ball burr and a Dremel. This 'dink' would conform to the size you would want the head of the rivet to appear from the outside of the model. The the punch is tapped over the copper nail head to form it into a small dome. The bottom of the punch would 'stop' itself against the steel plate, so the rivet head can't be over-formed. The distance the unformed nail head is above the lower plate - and the size of the divot in the punch will determine the exact look of the copper "rivets" ... a little trial and error to get it just so. Then a similar divot would be made in the face of the crimping pliers previously shown to maintain the shape of the external head, while crimping the projecting end on the inside as you have already shown. Since the planks are laid one-by-one up from the keel, most of the rivets can be done with the pliers - except a few in very tight spaces fore and aft. For those, a little application of PVA or even epoxy could be made over the uncrimped end of a rivet in a tight space. Once dry, a dab of paint the color you want it to be should look fine. In fact, since the crimping process can produce some variation of how things look on the inside, I might be tempted to apply a dollop of adhesive everywhere and just paint. Either way should work. Johnny

Budgie, 'Forgot to mention that we have three cockatoos ... and they are like budgies ON STEROIDS. Bigger beaks, bigger bites (on occasion if they get emotional over something), LOUDER screams and cries, more dander and mess ... but we just love them (they are generally manageable, and often affectionate) and they have long lives. One we've had 42 years, another 29, and our 'rescue bird' (this year his owner passed away) is merely 21. This year we used all our 'stimulus money' to get a hot tub installed next to our deck on a pre-existing concrete pad. Late afternoon or evening dips are great muscle relaxers, and not having any formal swimwear - I go in in my boxer briefs. However, the Admiral would like to see me in a 'budgie smuggler' - as they say in Australia. G'day mate! Johnny

I nearly have a plan to complete (to appear similar to the original ship now on display having just the first mast sections in place - as if still under construction) the 'old' (original late 1960s) Billings 1:100 Wasa - warts and all. The lines are wrong (with a lot of other things), and some major ripping/rebuilding has to be done to get a semblance of how it ought to be. Still, the hull size is 'not too big' and there ARE a lot of things I like about it. So it will be half compromise and half improvise (like many marriages) ... then I'll be able to go on to something else having learned a lot on the process. The idea is to please yourself and enjoy the projects you work on. Like old advice says, 'Do not compare yourself to others, for there will always be those greater or lesser than yourself.' Fair sailing ... Johnny

'Looks to me like you could just apply filler where needed (and a couple applications in the 'deepest' voids would be needed if the material shrinks). Then just 'sand away' until the desired shape is had.

'Found the finest chain I've ever seen by chance at a local craft store (already made into a multi-strand long necklace, but long enough that cut strands are useable for sheet chain in 1:96 scale), then bought what they had. They are silver finish, but can be airbrushed dark with care. I've also scrounged blocks and fittings from incomplete or partially built kits occasionally found at flea markets, train shows and the like ... if the price is right these kits can be a good source of planking wood, etc. The idea is to always be on the lookout, never knowing when or where you might come across something usable. Now there's an idea ... if an old beat-up (perhaps broken) model has OK chainplate, stropped blocks, etc. and can be had at a low enough price - instead of trying to do a 'restoration', it could be 'mined' for usable parts.