allanyed

If the foot of the mast is properly shaped to being square and rests in a square hole in the step it will not rotate and the rigging will hold it down.   If the mast is round at the foot and can twist while rigging is applied it would probably be better being glued in place.   
Allan

If the foot of the mast is properly shaped to being square and rests in a square hole in the step it will not rotate and the rigging will hold it down.   If the mast is round at the foot and can twist while rigging is applied it would probably be better being glued in place.   
Allan

This may be a little bit on the edge of the rope coiling topic which has been very informative.    Now I know where the beer logo came from or more likely the other way around and the rope coils are named for the beer logo.  If there is indeed really some connection with the Ballantine name for what looks similar to Borromean rings the connection with the rope coiling name may be related.   Ballantine opened their brewery in 1840 but the logo came about nearly 40 years later.  Legend has it that Peter Ballantine saw three wet rings from bottles on a table that overlapped and came up with the logo from that.
 
Allan

Love the Pave Hawk model!  WELCOME ABOARD!
Allan

You mention European built vessels so there would be differences with those built by Spain in Havana and the Philippines.    I have no idea how accurate the following article might be, but it may be a little help. 
https://www.worldhistory.org/Spanish_Galleon/
Allan

Love the Pave Hawk model!  WELCOME ABOARD!
Allan

Hi Harry,
Have you looked at the Young America 1853 build log here at MSW and/or Ed's book and plans on her?  Maybe it will be applicable to Flying Cloud.  If you have not already seen it go to post #131 in https://modelshipworld.com/topic/10678-young-america-1853-by-edt-finished-196-pob-extreme-clipper/#comment-322547    It continues for a number of posts on planking the various decks.
 
 
Allan

This may be a little bit on the edge of the rope coiling topic which has been very informative.    Now I know where the beer logo came from or more likely the other way around and the rope coils are named for the beer logo.  If there is indeed really some connection with the Ballantine name for what looks similar to Borromean rings the connection with the rope coiling name may be related.   Ballantine opened their brewery in 1840 but the logo came about nearly 40 years later.  Legend has it that Peter Ballantine saw three wet rings from bottles on a table that overlapped and came up with the logo from that.
 
Allan

Thanks to everyone for dropping by and also the likes.
The first thing I should mention , in my last post, the wale sits way too high both fore and aft. I think I got a little carried with thinking Ihad the correct shape until I realised later. I aplogise for this mishap.
I wanted to get the final positioning of the gunports right so I could measure down from them to get the position of the wale and then complete shaping the stern below the lower counter. I copied several photos and drawings and found none of them coincided with the hull I have. I went back to the plans of the kit and, despite the instructions having the wale 21mm wide, they are shown as being 18mm. Unfortunately, on the plans, the gunports are of no use as the they do not run with the deck. Looking at various pictures it appears that the distances between the gunports, the waterline and the bottom of the keel are 1/3 gunports to waterline and 2/3 waterline to keel. finding this out as a by the way didn't help me but could maybe help others. Anyway. As I couldn't measure down from the gunports I would have to work up from the waterline. Unfortunately I found that, having highlighted this with a pen (between 1and 2mm thick) I would have to guesstimate a little. I measured the gap between the lower edge of wale and the waterline on the plans and marked these onto the hull apart from the mid section which I wanted to be 2mm higher rather than the 1mm shown. Once I had marked these points on the hull I pinned a 4mm strip along the hull. This does not only have, I think a flowing curve, but also almost perfectly matches the shape I have at the stern. My first thought was that I may need to add a little filler or balsa between the lower counter and the deadwood area but then realised that there will be 1mm strips added beneath the wale, the second planking, so I think I just need to add a little filler and then smooth everything down. The next step will now be to add the dummy stern post and finalise the taper of the deadwood. I feel so relieved that the stern appears to be nearly done and delighted that I've finally figured out the run of the wales. Unless anyone can see something wrong (unless I beat you to it)!!!
Here's the latest photo's anyway.
Cheers for now.
David.      

Well....I'm simple man and I never gave it to much thought...as to many techniques.   For all my models....I use a simple method.  I just spread a thin layer of clear drying wood glue on a plastic surface.
 
Then I simply begin in the center and roll around the rope on itself edge to edge...till I have the desired amount laid out.  Then using a sharp tool or tweezer, I slowly pic it up from the glue and relocate it on the area needing a rope coil.  I make some mods...adjusting for proper lay and....Shazamm!   It stays exactly where placed and it dries clear.  I use this method for all rope coil needs.
 
Here is a pic to show the finished item.
Rob

Hello all!
new to the forum! Never built a ship; but will start a new build soon! I’m mostly an aircraft guy- here’s a 1/35 HH-60G I finished a year ago-



 
looking forward to advice and insights..plus a lot of inspiration!!
 
cheers
Pete

Great Lakes vessels in bulk cargo trades  are long, narrow, and shallow draft. Designers, therefore, are hard pressed to provide adequate structure to stiffen the hulls.  Even so some ships flex uncomfortably in rough water.
 
The model that John wants to build will exhibit the same problems without internal structure.  A light plastic shell without such reinforcement will behave like a wet noodle.
 
The simplest approach is a wooden hull.  Since these Seaway sized vessels are 90% parallel mid body this can be a hollow open topped box with deck beams and deck added to the carved hull later.  The bow and stern can be laminated and designed to fit the ends of the box.  The bilge radius is easily shaped with a router and the bow and stern shaped by conventional carving techniques.
 
These ships are built with all butt welded seams.  Plating is flush with perhaps 1/8” external reinforcement of welded seams (about .01” at 1:96 scale).  Lapped plates or heavy weld lines are therefore incorrect on a model.  Proper finishing to eliminate wood grain will produce a true to scale model.
 
Roger
 
 

From surfing the net it appear that styrene softens at 212F or a bit higher.   Styrofoam is about the same so does not sound like it would work based on this information.   A wooden plug made of poplar, pine or balsa that would be removed after the hull is formed may be best.   I look forward to seeing the final answer to this one.
Allan

Hi John,
For the plug, have you considered styrofoam as an alternative to wood then heat and form styrene around the plug?  For the area such as at the stern it may be easier to make that area of the plug out of wood to withstand heavier bending.  MAYBE this video will give you some ideas.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxP3vtQxVtw for the shaping of the styrene sheets.  There is at least one MSW member that has made beautiful hulls for "steel" ships using alternative materials.  Hope he sees your post and responds.
    
Allan
 
 

Beautiful work!   Can you share what material you used to make the piece in the photo below and how you made it?   
Thank you
Allan

Brief update. Followed the plan described above. I took two pieces of 1/4 by 1/8 bass, taped them together so that the two pieces would be identical, and marked off the 3/32" squares, about 0.7 inches apart, and then started cutting out the 3/32" slots.
 

 
Here are the two pieces ready to start installing.
 
 

 
I soaked them in boiling water to get them to soften for improved bending, and put them on the ship, held in the correct orientation with some clamps and nails to 'prebend' prior to installation.
 

 
Once dry, they were installed, I glued them into place. Other than some minor smoothing of some of the bulkheads. I can start planking once the lumber arrives.
 

 
Thanks for looking in!
 
Regards,
George

Hi John,
For the plug, have you considered styrofoam as an alternative to wood then heat and form styrene around the plug?  For the area such as at the stern it may be easier to make that area of the plug out of wood to withstand heavier bending.  MAYBE this video will give you some ideas.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxP3vtQxVtw for the shaping of the styrene sheets.  There is at least one MSW member that has made beautiful hulls for "steel" ships using alternative materials.  Hope he sees your post and responds.
    
Allan
 
 

There is actually an example of a British built warship from this same era, carefully restored:  HMS Warrior.  She is on display at the Portsmouth Royal Navy Museum.  Pictures of her should be easy to find on the internet.  Look her up.  What color are her blocks.
 
Roger

Assuming these materials came in the kit I had no idea Hobbico uses Amati rope in their Revell kits.  Live and learn.  Regarding the tan color for the running rigging, why would you want to stain it as it is already tan?  For the standing rigging I found a color sampling of pine tar that some may find interesting. https://solventfreepaint.com/pine-tar.htm
 
Allan

This was typical for lapstrake boats.   Even those that are not double enders have gain at the bow where the strakes stopped overlapping and butt against each other.  The sketch below was shown to me by MSW member Druxey many years ago.
Allan

Assuming these materials came in the kit I had no idea Hobbico uses Amati rope in their Revell kits.  Live and learn.  Regarding the tan color for the running rigging, why would you want to stain it as it is already tan?  For the standing rigging I found a color sampling of pine tar that some may find interesting. https://solventfreepaint.com/pine-tar.htm
 
Allan

Finished the second planking, then removed pins then re-drilled re added pins for adding third planks.
 

 

This again worked well, now have all with three planks each side and pins removed to start last set of planks.
 

 

Thanks guys for looking in and the likes.
 
Regards
Richard 

Looking at the drawing I bought from the Fishing museum in Lunenburg it shows how the planks overlapped at the middle station, then at each end they butt up so to hold plank in place I drilled holes in the jig so that it would overlap in middle and butt up at ends, started with three wood posts which was not enough so added two more, then I broke the wood posts so change them to brass tube..
 


Shape was good so have cut all sixteen planks now started the production.
Got two glued and they have come out pretty good.




Have been using this glue on all my wood gluing and it works great.
 

 

 
Thanks for all the comments and likes, until next time.
 
Regards
Richard
 

What color is your rigging line now?   Can you post a photo of all these things?   The reason I ask is that in looking on line at photos of contents of the Revell  Alabama kit, and photos of the actual ship the color of the blocks and deadeyes look good as they are.   The running rigging lines look good on photos of the rigged model, but the standing rigging looks almost black rather than dark brown.  
 
And to add to the fun, I found  photos of Alabama that show what appears to be both rope stropped blocks and internally stropped blocks.
 
Allan
 

The first generation acrylic paints had icky surface texture - like chalk- the paintings that I saw - I did not care for the look. But the molecules are hydrophilic. They play nice with water.  Alcohol and acrylic molecules may not play nice together - or - a shade that is a mixture of pigments may have some molecules having a different affinity and the color come out different.
 
 
The lack of precision in the use of terminology leads to confusion and misunderstanding.
A dye has a solvent.  It is a true solution. individual molecules evenly dispersed in the solvent.  No settling, no change in content over time.  Where the solvent goes, the dye molecules also go.
A stain has a vehicle.  The pigment particles - a clump of pigment molecules - are temporarily suspended in the liquid carrier.  They settle out if left alone.  They stay on the surface of wood.
 
The dyes that I am familiar with are hydrophilic - they dissolve in water or alcohol - I think alcohol is preferable for scale work.  Surface fibers of wood do not swell with alcohol, they do with wood.
Some old style stains are organic solvent based.  Think of them as semi transparent paints that are wood colored.  Some stains must also contain dyes if they are featured as being "penetrating".
I suspect that an acrylic stain - if such exist - will use water as a carrier - an awful prospect to imagine as far as ending with a smooth surface.
I wonder if the fanatics who ban VOC products use water in their engines? 
 
Dyes are for high quality wood.  As with a fabric dye, the internal substance of the wood becomes the new color.  The grain is unaffected.  Other than the color, the surface is unaffected.  PVA still bonds it.
Stains are for wood with unremarkable grain.  The pigment sits on the surface.   I think a stain will either need a clear overcoat (a varnish - in the original meaning of that word - before there was commercial anything doing that)  or will also contain a polymerizing clear component (varnish stain) or a plastic (polyurethane).