TannumIan

Replace Pin Rails and fit Syren Belaying Pins The existing ply pin rails have been replaced with laminated 0.4mm ply. I used 3 layers of 0.4mm ply that were each rotated 120° and glued with Titebond. The resulting board was very stiff with no weakness in any direction and could be worked without any tear out. Mounting posts were made from 1/32" brass rod and concentric sleeves to make an overall 3/32" diameter post. The pin rails were finished with Syren 1:64 Belaying Pins. This is the AL version of pin rails and the new laminated plywood pin rails. I made the posts from brass as I had the material and it easy to work and fit. Fitting the posts to the deck was easy to align by drilling through the rail and deck together and inserting a brass pin to hold the rail position while the other holes are drilled. Then just insert the brass sleeves to complete the posts. The end result is now presentable but I will give the timber pin rails a slight reduction in size before final painting and fitting.

This build stated as a learning exercise with the end result being a throw away. This is no longer the case and I will aim to build a ship that presentable to most people. After completing the hull and starting the deck it became apparent that I had to educate myself to have a deeper understanding of the deck and rigging construction. Then there is the replacement of the smaller parts laser cut from plywood that are weak, unusable and look terrible. Pin rails and belaying pins The kit provided 2mm plywood for the rails and 0.8mm brass for the belaying pins. I will replaced these with walnut rails and the Syren belaying pins. Rope I purchased the Syren Rope Maker and some Gutermann Mara121 and Mara151 thread from Ropes of Scale. These treads can produce 3 strand ropes from 0.010" to 0.060". I have yet to experiment with the 4 strand rope. With a little practice and experimenting making rope is easy. It is also a good talking point. The Chuck Pasaro YouTube videos are the most concise resource while the forums have a bit more theory and alternatives (but be prepared to go down a rabbit hole). Rigging and fittings There plenty of excellent resources available with the forums and books. I have 2 books that show the rigging systems in detailed sketches. They are The Rigging of Period Ship Models A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intricacies of Square-Rig by Lennarth Petersson Rigging Period Fore and Aft For fittings I purchased the Syren blocks.

I use a homemade jig that clamps the bottom 2.5mm of the plank. This is was a pain to use until I added the springs to open the clamp. To shape a plank I use the miniature Veritas Block Plane. This plane has become one of my used tools. And I am currently making a vice that uses the miniature Veritas Bench Vice.

The Sanson stack made from 1" dowel is being replaced with an oval stack 50mm x 40mm. To get the shape I made an oval mandrel and laminated 4 layers of 0.8mm balsa. The soft balsa laminate is now firm to handle but I will apply a few coats of sanding sealer to keep the surface clean. This is the target look and shape. A mandrel was made from balsa and kitchen bamboo sticks. White PVA was used to laminate 600mm of 0.8mm balsa wrapped around the mandrel. The end result compared to the AL kit supply.

About 10 years ago I purchased the AL Sanson as my introduction to wood ship building. However the excitement soon turned to disappointment when the 1.5mm plywood was found to be delaminating. What ply was not delaminating was just the lowest excuse for ply that could be manufactured. The kit was then packed away and put down as a bad experiment. Last year I started an AL BELEM ship that is now progressing well. This build has required a lot of self education especially in the rigging department. While spending endless hours reading about ship/rigging construction I found a build log by user RECI who posted photos of Liverpool steam tugs. As I liked the look of these tugs I will be modifying the Sanson into the Rosegarth tug. While not an accurate scale representation, the defining features of the Rosegarth will be added to give a semi-scale appearance. I am currently fairing the bulkheads and getting ready to add the fore and aft blocking with the unblocked bulkheads to be widened about 12mm. The Sanson kit is the original version This is the Rosegarth that I will be using as a guide. A rough mockup with the BELEMs wheelhouse.

An option is to make new parts out of laminated 0.5mm (0.020") birch plywood. Only glue together once the laminated parts are bent in position or close to it. Here is my replacement plywood of some pin rails that broke. Ian

I have decided to assemble and paint all the PE and cast parts in 1 or 2 batches. There are many hours filing to clean the s...alloy cast parts but the end result will be worth the effort. Below are some photos of the portholes and rudder ready for etch primer.

For something different, I am building the smaller parts into final assemblies. Below are the hatches and light/vent boxes. The PE parts are stainless steel and much easier to work than brass that must be annealed to avoid work hardening and cracks. Paint finishes are a regular topic so I have included what I used on the PE parts - generally what I have for the plastics car models. The SMS Etch Primer was the first coat on the metal followed by grey surface primer and then white lacquer. I have always used Mr COLOR Leveling Thinners for lacquer and acrylic paints. The leveling thinners was a game changer for my car finishes where a little sanding with 1500 - 5000 grit sandpaper before the cutting polishes produces an excellent result.

Yves, Phil Thank you for your kind words. The stylish lines of the hull will only get better when painted with gloss black. I am also considering only having the standard rigging or maybe one or two sails. Does anyone have an opinion on not installing the running rigging and sails. Thanks

The decking is now complete and ready for the perimeter trimming .

CHANGE of PLAN I started this build as a learning exercise as it had plenty of planking and rigging. The end result was not expected to be that good and would have probably ended up in the bin. However, the hull when painted will be satisfactory so I have decided to keep the model when finished. To that end I have acquired an old AL Virginia kit that I will use for some rigging practice and hopefully do a reasonable job of the BELEM rigging. Progress so far has been fairing the hull and making some of the smaller components. I have decided against trying to paint a timber finish onto the plywood parts and just used some Golden Teak stain for the finish. Next steps are the decking and preparing the hull for paint. I have to find a way to airbrush the port holes without sending them into some endless orbit. The plan is to use an etch primer before the main color.

The hull is complete ready for paintings and fitting the interior.

With the planking complete I have removed the hull from the strong back. The strong back was slowly whittled away to release the hull as gently as possible. I then put thin CA on the frames where the plywood had fractured from the cutting action. Next step will be using the dremel to cleanup to hull and frames. I think I am now past the point of a major accident destroying the hull. The hull weighs 2 grams or 0.07 oz.

Planking is progressing well. I am using Gorilla Super Glue GEL to fix the planks to the frames and 400 grit sandpaper to shape the planks.

The tender is part of the Artesania Latina BELEM 1:75 kit. While this build is not overly complex the challenges will be with component sizes (for me anyway). Moderators, if this topic is not suitable for a build log, please delete. Photo from the AL website The frames are mounted on a strong-back for the planking process. A keel and some 0.45mm planks complete the parts list.