Doreltomin

Michiel,
 
There is no "safe rule" regarding guns as they come in very different sizes and makes and it was common practice to re-use guns, but insofar I know there is an "older' fashion of about 1600-1720 where they have cast handles and a "newer" fashion after 1720 when they don't have handles anymore. Actually these handles are somehow superfluous: if they are too thin they can broke if the piece is lifted from them. If they are too thick they add to the weight of the piece; anyway, the piece can be lifted with the rope twisted from under it. Also in the meantime they have gained experience and knew how to cast large iron pieces so it is more likely that the "new style" iron pieces don't have handles while the "older" pieces in bronze have them. As a rule of thumb it would be that smaller, older pieces like stone throwers were cast in bronze and had handles. Bigger pieces were cast in iron and hadn't.  It is actually very confusing as there were surely new ships of around, say, 1750 which may have carried older cast pieces, these generally being the guns of smaller caliber.
 
Hope this helps!

I know how it feels to hit the shop after a long absence.  Well done and try to sneak a few more sessions soon.  Its good for the soul!!!

I have broken free!!! 
 
At least for tonight, so will be trying to make the most of it
 
First order of business......  give some love to the Mayflower.  She has been patient over there on the workbench, although I could feel the judging, condemning glares from time to time.
 
So - gave 'er a littel bit of attention.
 
I went ahead and just added the white trim pieces along the railings and sides.  Not a great deal of progress, but considering the last update was from March -   it is something!!
 
The trim was painted using artists acrylics, which I am starting to get an affinity for.  It covers nicely and with a little bit of leveling agent added seems to go on nice and smooth!   They were glued into place, trimmed, sanded just a little to give them a bit of a worn look and then sit waiting for the next step. Which is the other pieces of molding as well as the green stripes and detail work. 
 

 

 

 
 
Ahhhh.  SO GOOD to work with the wood and paint and get something done!!!
 
Am now going to head on in and watch a little TV with the Admiral as she goes to bed much earlier than I do and then I will be back and catch up on the nearly 400 updates (according to that little notifier up there in the corner)
 
Thank you all for being patient!   I will be making the most of my new found time until it gets snatched away again!!!
 
 
Enjoy and happy modeling!!!

The plywood edges are just ugly.  I have intended all along to cover them.  I actually worked out pretty well.  Here are the before pictures:
 

 
I used 1/64 red oak veneer which was fairly flexible but would not come close to making the tight curve on the inside of the scrollwork without cracking.  I steamed it for about 15 minutes and wrapped it around a ¼ inch dowel and clamped it until it dried.  It held the bend well and it fit right into place.
 

 
The second piece was a little more difficult because it was a tight squeeze with two strips in the same spot.  It also required a little sanding to get clearance between the two at the inner most part.
 

 
All I got done today (all day) was the stern, the bow should go faster since I have it figured out now.  I still need to tie in the keel and touch up the sanding.  The pictures show all the flaws but it looks really nice in real life.

Another solution is to use a single plank for the strake, then score butt joints into the plank at the appropriate lengths and locations. 

All masts ready. Rigging commenced.

Slowly but steady whe're moving on.  The VOC retourships had an average speed of 6 up to 8 or 10 knots - which is roughly 12 up to 18 kilometers per hour.
 
A man (or woman) riding a bicycle has about the same speed.
 
Imagine: traveling on your bike to the far east!  
 
After our modeller-meeting last saturday I had to go on with the standing rigging of the lower parts of the masts.  Besides that I have put a layer of patinated varnish (clear varnish with some drops of black and brown paint in it) on the upper part of the hull. This gives a nice "mature" look to the ship.
 
It is although quitte difficult to get the rigging nicely on film.
 

 

 

As long as you bring some chicken with you - ok 

Aha, i found you on MSW
 
I promisse, i will make no jokes here

Thank you very much indeed Sjors If you press the blue button it also does the Mayan calender      
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

That looks sharp Nigel !!!!!!
I understand what you mean now.
Thanks for letting me know that I have to take a look at the earlier post...
You take the picture at 10.59 ??
 

I started a couple of months ago on the Sultana as my first wood ship model build and have been lurking about these forums for quite some time. I must admit, there is a HUGE wealth of knowledge here, and for that I am most thankful to you all. Thank you!  I probably would have hung up my tools for another year without this place. 
 
My background: I love to work with my hands, but I am not a woodworker historically. I have build lots of airplane models, starting from plastic kits decades ago, to balsa, to remote control and such. I got really good at that, and still have many hanging around the house.  I also got into HO and N scale railroad modeling with two large layouts in the basement. Thinking that now was the time to take on the dream of building some wooden ships, I researched a bit and decided to take the plunge. I must admit, there have been some stumbles along the way. 
 
Errors along the way: how does one really do a good job of curve-fitting a solid wood hull? I need to see this one in action to really "get it". I almost think that planking would be easier. 😉  I messed up the stern a bit and have found the joys of using wood filler as a patch solution. It has saved me at least twice. 
 
Current status: I am rigging. I really like this part.... so ... here are some images of along the way... the last are the most recent.  I promise to be better about logging my work as it is in progress. I should have joined the group earlier! 
 
~johnb
 
 

Thanks for the kind words all. I am happy to report that I am enjoying this a lot, although I am far from a woodworker ;-) 
 
Here is the Sultana as of March 27th. I have taken a little break to work on the booms and spars to complete the wooden pieces. The rigging is the major drama now. I am enjoying it a lot. It's like a meditation, really - so much focus. I am loving my magnifying headset. I am looking constantly for tools, and making some, that allow me to get into the mass of rigging lines without damage. I admit, I would be lost without the various available tutorials on the Sultana. It is an art to understand the model plans.... so with the combination of tutorials and the reading of old ship rigging books, I am making good headway. The devil is in the details, as they say. Every little thread counts. 
 
~john
 

 
 

I've been working on the yards now, starting with the topsail foremast yard. The mini lathe was a real help in getting the shape quickly and evenly. Once the cleats were glued on and the blocks seized onto the tips, rigging the yard was a real challenge! A couple of hours later, the results are in. I am pretty happy about it overall. Now.... three more to go!    
 
~john

I soldered brass nails to the hinges, filed them on the inside and then proceeded to blacken all the brass parts that I have made. My failure to properly clean them can be seen on the uppermost brass plate. I should have used a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean flux residues, rinse and then soak them in acetone before using the patina liquid.

 
I got a little bit of spare time and decided to make a bucket with leftovers from planking.

 
I also made a cradle for the model and cut a thin plywood board for deck planking.

Good work, keep on
 
It is interesting how old Tehnodidakta plans live their second life
 
Nenad

My new toy has finally arrived. To be able to cut the 0.6mm cherry veneer that I acquired, I changed the blade that came with the saw with a smaller toothed one. I had to keep my fingers very near the blade while cutting, otherwise the edge of the strips would chip off. It was really scary but I managed to make nice and strait strips and keep my fingers attached to the rest of my body.
 
I am uncertain how to glue the second layer to the hull without having problems with excess glue getting on top of the strips. I need them clean for staining. I was thinking of applying a thin layer of CA on the hull with a paintbrush, let it dry a bit, then wet the veneer strip, position it and use a flatiron to make it stick. I have no idea how the CA will react. Ideas are welcome!

A little bit more work done on my Bracera build. I sanded the hull of the vessel, shaped the bow and is now ready for the second planking. I had problems at the stern with clinkering so I hade to put filler (diluted PVA and sawdust) on both sides as the hull was getting paper thin. I am not happy with the second planking strips that I got with the kit so I am thinking of buying cherry veneer and making my own. In the meanwhile, I started working on the rudder and stained the cargo bay.

Hello, I'm polishing the inside of the hull.
 

 

 

 

Hi all. Recently, after finishing my miniature model of "Dorade" I started on my new model, a 1/192 scale model of the 54m long schooner "Ingomar". Built in 1903 and designed by Nathaniel Herreshoff, Ingomar was one of the fastest and most successful racing schooners of its day. Such is the beauty of this boat, that it has been recreated now by Graafships; the only problem being that the person funding the project, unfortunately ran out of money and only the hull has been built. The hull is currently for sale. Hopefully someone rich enough will buy the hull and complete the project; thereby creating a modern full size version of this beautiful ship. Any rich people out there?
 
Anyhow, back to my model! Given the small size of the hull (13 cms approx), I agonised about what sort of material the hull should be built from. Whatever I chose had to be structurally strong enough to be cut into small enough strips to simulate the frames, etc. Also, the fact that the full sized ship was steel framed, basically meant that I couldn't use wood. Much to my distaste, I reluctantly settled on plasticard to build the keel and hull! I've always shied away from plasticard, but this time, it was the only logical choice. I will paint the hull's frames and keel later to make it look like it authentic.
 
The hull will be built with as much of the internal accommodation as possible installed in the hull and visible through large cutaways of the hull and exposed deck beams.
 
I hope you enjoy the photos. More photos will follow as work progresses.

Continuation
 
The model No. 2 is ready (a little simplified option of a gun
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/454-24-pdr-bronze-gun-le-fleuron-1729-by-garward-m-124/

Continuation
 
The model No. 1 is ready.

Hi, Karl   many thanks for an assessment!  

Doris,
 
    If you can keep us updated on your Yamato, I would really like to see it when it is finished. Your work is always outstanding. Thank you for sharing with us.

My library does this as well. Read some older journals/diaries from Dutch sailors on slavers. These books came from a library in Houston and Library of Congress.
So if anyone just wants read about it go to your library first. They are all technologically connected these days and if it is in there database they will get it for you.
I did this with several model building books. I liked some of them and purchased them "used" from Amazon.
 
Marc