The Sailor

Today I could make a Little Progress, and started to put some profiled brass on to the bow eking rails, because I had no luck in Scratching or carving decors into it. I think I`ll do this with the main rails as well and then taper the front wooden portions a bit.
 

 
One Thing I never recocnized up to now was the tricky tackle of the guns, it requires quite some space to get all the blocks in Arrangement lengthwise. A Little model was made to do some Trials. This is only for checking dimensions
 

 

 

 
 
I still had some oak Planks 1 x 5 mm and used These for the inner bulwark. After Fixing These permanently the gunports had to be cut away.... I wish I had`nt taken oak, ist too brittle and started breaking in many places.
 

 

 
 
 
Nils

Just A Quick Photo Opportunity of where the Ballier stands at the moment..
 
The painting isn't  finished, it will meet the waterline later, which hasn't been drawn yet. 
 
I'll be trimming the Black Timber Piece (fashion Piece ??)  between the Gun Ports later.
 
I have sorted out the Inside areas, sanding etc, in readiness for laying the Deck and inner Bulwark Strakes.
 
Sail 'er Easy Folks
 
Eamonn
 

Finished up making the wire strops for the top deadeys, usual pins and excess wood making up the jig.  Went with a slightly shorter version than my first mock up as some hooks from a 'Badger' photo-etch kit I'd ordered last year were used (unfortunately none of the supplied PE strops fitted the 3mm deadeyes).  Once bent a spot of CA was used to close any remaining gaps and a coat of paint applied.  These were then epoxied into the tops so the top mast shroud tensions don't cause any knock-on complications.  Completed one set of futtock shrouds to see if everything would work OK before continuing, and pretty happy with the results.
 
Given that I'm planning on taking Snake to the Connecticut model ship show, I'm only going to finish up the other futtock shrouds and various small repair/touch-up jobs for now.  Am planning to start on the various spars once thats complete and get these finished before installing any of the top and topgallant masts as these would be an accident waiting to happen I suspect.
 

Very nice work Eamonn. The timber looks much better than the kit supplied walnut.

Photo Time.. WooHoo  (I know I know, I really spoil ye..  )
 
The Stern Post is in place, and the Hull is pretty much finished with sanding (it might get the odd gentle rub as I progress though)
 
You can see the Hawse Hole (where the Anchor Rope would go through the hull) re-enforcing I put in place, it isn't called for in the 'Plans' but I kinda figured it to be an area that would have been built up to combat wear 'n tear ! it hasn't been fully shaped & filed totally smooth yet .
 
The Wales are made from  2@  3 x 1 mm Beech lengths I had in stock, and will ultimately be painted black. The wale hasn't been shaped properly at the stern yet, but isn't too far off (possibly a little filling required at the very after-most part to blend it into the transom)
 
See I haven't been slacking off.. much..  
 
Take Care Folks
 
Eamonn
PS Still no Deck Timber.. and it was sent this day last week, fingers crossed for next week then
 
 
 
 

Wow, you guys make planking look easy... I've decided to follow the instructions that come in the kit for the first planking... being my first attempt.
 
I've finished bevelling the frames... Frames 1 and 9 are in place, and the stand's put together, and the gunport patterns are in place.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Then I sanded the bearding lines, and wished I'd done it earlier!!
 

 
Anyway - the first planking is underway - 6 strakes on one side, and 4 on the other... 
 

 
I've had to take a couple of planks off and redo them, but I think it's going okay now... time will tell. Thankfully, it's all going to be under paint or copper by the time the boat's finished. And hopefully the second planking will be a bit neater - I feel like I've learned a lot already: Not least, that it's tough to resist that urge to push the planks sideways.
 
Happy building!
 
Rob

She really looks fantastic.

Well hello and welcome back....Like many others on the forum, I've lost some photos on my build log....one has to expect this sort of casualty rate when upgrades, cleanups and backups are going on and I applaud our tireless forum administrators for their behind the scenes efforts!!
 
Eventually I will get to reposting the missing photos - I have them all somewhere and the names are still attached to the missing files so it shouldn't take long - at present, though, I'm so near to finishing that I'd rather press on with the build than re-post past entries here - if you are a soon-to-be greyhound builder and want to see some other photos, just prompt me here and I'll get them back up....
 
In the meantime, yesterday was a special day - my 1-year anniversary of starting on this build! The longest time it had taken me to build a ship model in the past was the Corel Toulonnaise at around 6 months. I had thought this one would be finished by late-November 2013! Ha!! So many modifications and so many issues with the kit definitely put the breaks on things, not to mention a new child and an increasingly busy work schedule and other projects drawing my attention. In any case, I thought I post a few pictures to document what she looks like one year in (though I think there are only about 10 working days left to go).....
 
Last night I made and outfitted the fore topsail yard, and began rigging it - truss, jeers and lifts. Tonight I'll finish the rigging and put on the ensign staff. Anyway, not much left of this one...enjoy the photos
hamilton
 
 

Now the ship is on its "legs"

hull nearly finished

Welcome back Hamilton. BTW: VERY nice job with the rigging.

Well hello....it's been another while - I see now that my last update with photos was before Christmas!! Shameful....but there are some photos now. The last shots were of the mizzen crossjack yard. Since then, I've constructed, outfitted and rigged the mizzen topsail yard, the main course and topsail yards and made & outfitted the main topgallant yard - to be rigged soon (Thursday with any luck). The list of things still to be completed is shrinking. And as I've been kept away mostly from building, I've made due with plotting out my next two builds - finishing rigging tables for the Fair Rosamund (OcCre Dos Amigos) and the Yacht America (Mamoli). Both will be made more or less out of the box, I think (after all the modifications and corrections on the Blandford, I'm looking for something more or less straightforward....I may replace some parts on both but no major modifications on these...
 
Anyway, here are the photos documenting the progress to date on Blandford - you'll notice in the first couple perhaps that the mizzen topsail yard is a little jaunty - I fixed this as I hope is visible in the final shots. Hope you're all keeping well and having fun!
hamilton
 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy, BE, Scott, Matti, Stergios, Pawel, John - thanks again for the interest and kind words
 
Final stages of the ratlines are on hold for a bit - I'm out of thread and it seems that what I'm looking to replace can't be found anywhere local so had to resort to the internet.  Meanwhile, my attention has moved to something that I've been thinking about for a while...the futtock strops.  The kit supplies some rather pathetic cut loops, the same as provided for the larger deadeye strops.  I can't see how they could possibly work as the bottom doesn't even clear the thickness of the top.  I'd also like to to get s slightly more authentic look with a hook for the futtock shrouds, which seems to leave two options, make something out of wire, or thread.  I tried both.  Any other ideas would be welcome.
 
Meanwhile as I ponder, I'll turn to making up the topgallant masts.
 
Wire was easiest to make, but not completely sold on the look

 
Thread took an age, maybe looks a little better, but I'm not sure how sturdy this would be (it broke as I removed it after the photo)

Mort - great tip, I didn't know that about the school glue just being diluted PVA - not sure what I thought it was    Will be great to meet you.
 
Anyway...Catharpin'ing on....
 
Catharpins have been something else I've been pondering.  The Snake plans just seem horribly inconsistent with other materials (Lever, Pederson etc) so decided to follow those.  Lever identifies a number of methods, desperately wanted to go the cross-catharpin route, but Lever seems to indicate that even when this was done, it was in addition to the regular catharpins, not in place of.  So, the bog standard approach it will be.  
 
Mk1 Catharpin.  Of course, catharpins were eye-spliced at either end and served...(has anyone been diagnosed with compulsive 'serving' disorder?   )

 
...and lashed into place temporarily it seems to work just fine.  Although the detail of the eye splice is somewhat lost, it does give a cleaner look (IMHO) than lashing the catharpin around the futtock stave.  I was a little relieved to see that the second shroud can be catharpined in without rubbing against the mast as Lever suggest only the foremost shroud was not catharpined in.  I feel scale is a little bit of an issue, it would be nice to be doing the same on a larger ship so the imperfections are perhaps a little less noticeable.

Good afternoon

here‘s a small update after a long time. I‘m not in the mood for planking the deck so I decided to start with the deckhouse and the skylights.

The parts of the deckhouse:
 



Assembled deckhouse and skylights:
 

 

 



The components are now ready for staining
 

So here is an update on my progress.
 
First a couple of comments -
 
1. I decided to dispense with the drop keel. It only detracts form the wonderful lines.
2. As discussed in Sailor's log the instructions are very unclear about the first row of planking. but it appears we both agree that it should be flush with the false deck. There is a double wide strip that lays on the edge of the deck that will cover the seam.
3. I had a slight wow in the keel. And thanks to a house call from Dr. Per I discovered the problem before it was difficult to fix.
4. I had to add material to both sides of 5 bulkheads so that the first plank was flush.
5. I should also mention I plan to paint all of the hull. and there will be no 2nd layer of planking. Easy Peasy.
 
So without further delay -

Richard,
 
As a new member, I just wanted to pass along to you how impressed I am with your project.  So much that I am going to challenge myself to start my own shipbuilding project in wood, instead of plastic.
 
Thank you!

Call me old fashion but I always liked funstion with beauty.  Yachts like the Endeavor were the epitome of their type.   The modern racing vessels with there lines and high tech materil may blow the J class yacht out of the water.  But the J Class has lines grace and style.  I would lone to be aboard one of them today let alone own one.  Does anyone have an unending bank account?
David B

Hello,
today a huge box came in. When the rigging of my Pickle is done I‘ll start with the America‘s Cup yacht Endeavour.
 
The 1/35 scale kit includes laser cutted parts for the deck, keel and frames, limewood and mahogany planking material, brass and wooden fittings, photo etched brass details, cloth, plans, instructions in three languages (Italian, French and English).
 
Endeavour is a 130-foot (40 m) J-class yacht built for the 1934 America's Cup by Camper and Nicholson in Gosport, Portsmouth Harbour, England. She was built for Sir Thomas Sopwith who used his aviation design expertise to ensure the yacht was the most advanced of its day with a steel hull and mast. She was launched in 1934 and won many races in her first season including against the J's Velsheda and Shamrock V. She failed in her America's Cup challenge against the American defender Rainbow but came closer to lifting the cup than any other until Australia II succeeded in 1983.
(Wikipedia)
 
 
The box

 
Frames and keel


 
Metal parts

 
Wooden strips for planking and the material for the mast

 
The deck and the wooden fittings



 
The building plans

 
The Amati kit is really impressive. The wooden parts are of good quality, only the sails are not sewn. Anyway, I can‘t wait laying the keel.

Good afternoon

here‘s a small update after a long time. I‘m not in the mood for planking the deck so I decided to start with the deckhouse and the skylights.

The parts of the deckhouse:
 



Assembled deckhouse and skylights:
 

 

 



The components are now ready for staining
 

build log part 45
 
 
 
rigging of the sails part 2 of 2
 
 
 

the Crew is wearing no safety harnesses
 

the sails are attached one by one, (32 sails in total)
 

all sails attached
 
 
 
 
 
Build log part 46 to follow....
 
 
The next build log sets shall continue with some daylight illuminated Pictures of the (as final) completed ship
 
 
Nils

Build log part 44
 
 
 
rigging the sails part 1 of 2
 
 
 

the wire in the bottom boltrope gives some bulging Appeal to the sails
 

the bulge in vertical direction is given by the brail ropes setting
 

now the leech- clew and burlines have to be attached
 

the gaffsails of the mizzenmast are attached to spanned wires parallel to the gaffyard beams and to the mizzen mast
 

ratlines completed and triangle stay-sails mounted
 

 
 

here again the effect of the wire reinforcement in the bottom boltropes
 

Crew entering up the shrouds on to the Yards, to fasten the sails, when Standing on the horses
 

 

 
 
 
Build log part 45 to follow
 
Nils

Build log part 43
 
 
 
SAIL MAKING PART 3
 
 

it took me some time to accept my wifes machine as my freind....
 

here doing the last seam parallel to the bolt rope. In case of the triangle sail the longer straight side gets the reinforced boltrope. (to take the pull stresses in rigged condition, without distorting the Cloth)
 

this and the next pics...., impressions on the finished sails
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
This is the end of my sail making chapter
 
 
 
 
Build log 44 to follow.....
 
Nils

Build log part 42
 
 
 
SAIL MAKING PART 2
 
 
 

start with the straight seams, here distances 8mm
 

sew on the horizontal reff lines
 

sew a bit out over the pencil lines
 

trim off the Surplus Cloth with fringed out Ends, but leave 2 x 4mm markings standing
 

do some Trial machine sewing on the boltrope
 

this 0,4mm spring hard stainless steel wire goes into the woven Polyester thread
 

should be no Problem if the wire edge is deburred and rounded carefully before inserting
 

your result should look like this
 

attach rings to the bottom outside boltrope Ends (bend a small Loop on the reinforcement wire Ends to pick up the ring)
 

this sewing foot for the machine is used for the last sewing seam parallel to the bolt rope and goes all around the sail
 
 
Build log part 43 to follow....
 
 
Nils

Build log part 40
 
 
 

forecastle deck, ships bell attached
 

poopdeck
 

view to completed highdeck
 

Forward welldeck
 

view on starbord side, ratlines under way on third mainmast
 

not any suplus space...
 

I tried to Keep it tidy though
 
 
 
Build log part 41 to follow
 
That one shall be comprising the sail making.....
 
 
Nils