Stevinne

Finished my Pot Pie Skiff.
 

I'm not familiar with either kit, but another consideration is the quality of instructions provided, which can make or break the experience when working on your first few ships. 

I'm not familiar with either kit, but another consideration is the quality of instructions provided, which can make or break the experience when working on your first few ships. 

I'm not familiar with either kit, but another consideration is the quality of instructions provided, which can make or break the experience when working on your first few ships. 

Treenail update,
 
The weather forecast has been the same here for several weeks : rain and occasional showers...
So a lot of time to drill holes and add treenails...

 
After all the treenails have been applied it is time to scrape and sand. Pieces of old Stanley knives are used for scraping.

The original and the model (picture of the original is thanks to @firdajan)

After sanding, the hull was cleaned with a wet cloth.

The starboard side is ready. 
Wales still needs to be done, probably also with treenails, and bolts??.
I sent this question to the Mary Rose museum, but no response yet

Thanks for following

I never visited the shore leave section, but this is what the description was when it opened:
"If you haven't noticed, we've added a new topic area:  Shore Leave. 
 
From the pinned posts there about it: 
 
This is the area that many wanted, and perhaps didn't even know it. If your topic is nothing to do with the world of ships or ship modelling, then here is the place to post it. General chat, Birthday announces etc.

No politics. No religion. No inflammatory topics.
 
This area can be used for things like "visits to other members",  non-nautical type vacations, basically anything anyone wants to share but with the caveat that it will be heavily monitored for taboo subjects.
 
Want to discuss cars? Airplanes?  The great vacation?  The wedding?  No problem. 
 
Lastly, we will periodically clean it out of old posts and topics.
 
This forum was created in order to cut down on the off-topic posting in our other areas of the site.  Please post everything else here and in order to preserve the model resource for all of the build logs,  techniques forums etc and make them easier to navigate and read through.    Thanks   Don't hesitate to share your experiences with all of the friends you have met through the site!!!"
While cat memes (how do you pronounce that?) weren't specifically banned, it sounds like the problem wasn't folks were posting stuff that was offensive or not what members were told the forum section would or would not accept. I also don't recall seeing any posts decrying the state of the forum. It seems just a case that what was posted was what didn't fit with someone's idea of what the forum should be. Now get those kids off my lawn!

Chuck, Thanks for the quick and reasoned response. I hadn't realized they had been asked to stop and kept doing it nonetheless. Makes a lot more sense now.

Chuck, Thanks for the quick and reasoned response. I hadn't realized they had been asked to stop and kept doing it nonetheless. Makes a lot more sense now.

I never visited the shore leave section, but this is what the description was when it opened:
"If you haven't noticed, we've added a new topic area:  Shore Leave. 
 
From the pinned posts there about it: 
 
This is the area that many wanted, and perhaps didn't even know it. If your topic is nothing to do with the world of ships or ship modelling, then here is the place to post it. General chat, Birthday announces etc.

No politics. No religion. No inflammatory topics.
 
This area can be used for things like "visits to other members",  non-nautical type vacations, basically anything anyone wants to share but with the caveat that it will be heavily monitored for taboo subjects.
 
Want to discuss cars? Airplanes?  The great vacation?  The wedding?  No problem. 
 
Lastly, we will periodically clean it out of old posts and topics.
 
This forum was created in order to cut down on the off-topic posting in our other areas of the site.  Please post everything else here and in order to preserve the model resource for all of the build logs,  techniques forums etc and make them easier to navigate and read through.    Thanks   Don't hesitate to share your experiences with all of the friends you have met through the site!!!"
While cat memes (how do you pronounce that?) weren't specifically banned, it sounds like the problem wasn't folks were posting stuff that was offensive or not what members were told the forum section would or would not accept. I also don't recall seeing any posts decrying the state of the forum. It seems just a case that what was posted was what didn't fit with someone's idea of what the forum should be. Now get those kids off my lawn!

Chuck, Thanks for the quick and reasoned response. I hadn't realized they had been asked to stop and kept doing it nonetheless. Makes a lot more sense now.

Chuck, Thanks for the quick and reasoned response. I hadn't realized they had been asked to stop and kept doing it nonetheless. Makes a lot more sense now.

Rigging
I finished the rigging yesterday and am working on the handrails. It's all done with 0.2 mm black monofilament line, which has been a pleasure to work with. It's extremely strong, doesn't kink, and glues solid with a spot of CA.

There are 4 double antennas tied to tiny triangular PE pieces. I clamped the pieces to a stick to get the two lines the same length.

Here's the rigging in all its glory. I left this photo at full resolution so you can see the lines.

The handrails comprise about 150 PE stanchions on each side of the ship threaded with three layers of monofilament line. I was dreading this task, but it's only taking about one hour per line. You can literally pull one end of the line and tighten it the entire length of the ship.

I finally made a new base for the model using purpleheart wood. The color looks good with the anti-rust color of the lower hull, and it will turn a little browner with age.

I have been converting a picture of the guns recovered from the Mary Rose to printable files using Fusion 360. The scale is about 1:20. The second picture is the result after several rebuilds and restarts. I am pretty happy with the final result. If any members would like to make use of any of these cannons for a model then let me know. Otherwise if anyone has a particular cannon they would like modelled i am open to suggestions. All i need is some drawings. The scale can be adjusted to any size. The only limitation is the 3d printer build plate size. Only stipulation is that they are not to be sold. My present project is the culverin at the Basel museum with a dragon head on the barrel.

I have given this book as a gift whenever I have given someone a ship model to get them interested in the hobby. I think it is a great introduction and something I still refer to when working on projects.

I have given this book as a gift whenever I have given someone a ship model to get them interested in the hobby. I think it is a great introduction and something I still refer to when working on projects.

I have given this book as a gift whenever I have given someone a ship model to get them interested in the hobby. I think it is a great introduction and something I still refer to when working on projects.

I have given this book as a gift whenever I have given someone a ship model to get them interested in the hobby. I think it is a great introduction and something I still refer to when working on projects.

I have given this book as a gift whenever I have given someone a ship model to get them interested in the hobby. I think it is a great introduction and something I still refer to when working on projects.

I have given this book as a gift whenever I have given someone a ship model to get them interested in the hobby. I think it is a great introduction and something I still refer to when working on projects.

This is a great beginner book, and it's still actively published today.
 
Even for an experienced ship modeler, I find books like this handy to have around to give to aspiring new ship modelers, looking to tackle their first kit.

Step 32:  PAINT THE HULL
I just hit another milestone on my Rattlesnake.  I finished painting the hull.  I used a combination of airbrush and hand brush painting to apply 4 colors:  Tallow or Ivory below the waterline, Black & Yellow Ochre on the outer bulwarks, Red on the inside bulwarks and Aquamarine Blue for accent trim.  But the first step was to Airbrush Tamiya white primer over everything that was to be painted.  Primer really brings out the imperfections in the planking job!  I spent some time adding more filler and sanding to smooth things out.  But I didn’t go too crazy with the filler!  Here are pictures after a couple of rounds of priming and sanding.  Now I’m ready to paint some colors.

 
It’s best to start with the lighter color paint and end with the black.  Next, I taped off the upper hull in preparation to airbrush the Tallow below the waterline.  I actually taped just below the Wale, since I didn’t care about getting this whitish paint where I was planning to paint the black.  Here are a few pictures showing my operation in the middle of airbrushing the tallow.  I took a couple of shots of the area in the corner of my basement where I have my homemade paint spray booth set up.  Thought maybe a few of you might be interested?  The last shot includes my Paasche Talon airbrush.  I’ve had good success with this airbrush.  But you really need to use paint that is made for airbrushing.  Otherwise, it tends to plug up, even when you use thinner.

 
For the next step I reapplied with a hand brush the red on the inboard bulwarks.  I did 3 more coats.  Next, I taped right at the Wale using Tamiya yellow tape.  This stuff really forms a nice tight seal.  Then I used regular masking tape to cover the lower hull with a plastic grocery store bag to protect the tallow paint.  I also plugged the gunport and oar port holes.  I bought a set of various size widths of automotive detail tape for my last ship.  I found the width that fit perfectly in the strake that would be painting aquamarine blue.  Then I airbrushed the Yellow Ochre.  I applied at least 5 thin coats. 
 
I decided to hand paint the black.  I started at the top with the quarter deck and railings.  Then I taped off the area between the wale and the waterline before brush painting the black there.  Finally, I removed the automotive tape and painted the aquamarine blue stripe on this strake of planking.  After some touch-up work, I took the following pictures.

 
I’m working on the Quarter Badges right now.  Then the next big task is the decks.  I’m going to wait until the decks are done before installing the Focsl railings.  Just another item that is susceptible to breakage!
 
Thanks for looking in!
Ed

I would like to find a new home for this book , not the type of model I build at least not yet . Free shipping is on me as long as it's the lower 48 and a member that's been here awhile . 

Thanks Andrew. I do wonder too why the Americans built a privateer with 18 gunports and only put 4 guns on her. I can understand being a few guns short due to cost or availability of cannons, but 14 empty gunports? 
 
I note that Alert also has an empty gunport forward that would be difficult to work and is almost covered by the anchor. 

Fitting out Grecian’s hull is nearing completion. A few remaining bits and pieces such as rudder chains and companionway stanchions. Also anything that requires rigging such as the wheel and binnacle (not glued yet) and the cannons / carronades. This is one of my favourite stages in building a model and true to form Vanguard’s fittings are high quality and go together perfectly. 


I hate applying decals but these went on very cleanly. I sanded the stern with 1000 grade sandpaper and applied gloss varnish first to reduce the risk of silvering. Then Matt varnish over the top to seal them once dry. 

I need to decide what armament this Grecian will have. I prefer the look of full gunports but as an American privateer she had 4 guns and in RN service was a ‘ten gun schooner’. Both leave a lot of empty gunports. The kit plan of 16 guns looks good, but I’m tempted to fill all 18 gunports, using the little four pounders in the two forward ports. I don’t for a moment doubt Chris’s research and suggestion that these ports weren’t used and don’t leave room to work the guns - but aesthetically I prefer it and as any more than ten guns is departing from historical accuracy (or really four guns as I have her registered in Baltimore and she’ll fly the Stars and Stripes) - so why not? 

My current plan for each side is as follows:
 
4 pounder
carronade
6 pounder
6 pounder
6 pounder
carronade
carronade
carronade
carronade

As a pilot thinking in terms of weight and balance - is that just too heavy forward especially given the shape of her hull with most buoyancy aft.

I have painted the AK Matt varnish on the forward starboard 4 pounder but not the other guns (photo below). It does make that cannon a little shiny in bright light. On Alert I didn’t varnish the guns and they stayed properly matt. Not sure which is better? Looking at photos of HMS Victory’s cannon suggests that they should have a bit of a shine on them? 
The only warning I have for other builders of Grecian is that Vanguard supply ~200 PE-8 pieces which are the ubiquitous pin-loops (not sure what the right term is for these). Examining the plans and instructions I counted ~195 of these needed if 16 guns are included. They are used everywhere including the masts, decks, gunports, channels, rudder chains, binnacle, etc. The instructions do warn you not to make all the cannons and carronades as there won’t be enough PE-8. But by my reckoning even making 18 guns (4 loops per cannon or carronades carriage) makes you short and that’s before the carpet monster takes its share. I’m so used to Vanguard kits oversupplying small PE parts in particular that I’ve not searched the floor for every loop that escaped me - I will be crawling around the floor later this evening to see if I can recover any… I’ve plenty of spare quite similar pin-loops from the Vanguard fishing boats and Alert that I can use on Grecian. They’re not identical in size and shape but no one except I will ever know or notice. Vanguard do supply enough PE-8 to complete the kit - but on this build if one escapes, it’s certainly worth tracking it down. 
 
I won’t have any time to work on Grecian for the next fortnight. My next job will be attempting to add a breach rope to each of the guns and rigging the wheel. 

Big night tonight - after 21 years of owning this kit - the Whiskey Plank is in!!
 
Before installation:
 
After installation:

 
After reading about the old custom of celebrating the last plank with a drink of whiskey amongst the builders, I couldn't resist the tradition here.  So the last plank, or "Whiskey Plank" has been installed.
 
So the port profile:

 
and the starboard...

 
On to the stern.  (And we'll see how she fairs with filler and sanding.)