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This log is for the restoration of a model wooden schooner my grandfather made for me sometime around 1960 when I was born.
  The following information is subject to change as I question my family, but this is what I’ve gathered so far about the provenance of the model.   I believe he modelled it off of the Bluenose. According to my mother and aunts after which the ship was named, he built most of it while working on a coast guard ship. He never got around to adding sails, but I remember him mentioning a few times that he always wanted to. That would be the only thing I would want to add beyond restoring it to the original shape.   I’m afraid most of the damage is my fault. For nearly 30 years it stood in a nook in our family living room in Halifax. Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s I asked my mother if I could take it with me to Toronto where I had moved some years earlier. I needed to take off the masts and bowsprit to be able to pack it in my suitcase, and foolishly did not think to take a photo before doing so. As you can see in the photos, a lot of the rigging was damaged as well.   Another 20 years and two continents later, I’ve taken it out of storage in my current home in Tokyo and am hoping to be able to restore it. I found a few cracks, the biggest one being in the bow. But I think the hardest part will be redoing the rigging. Knowing my grandfather, I doubt it is an exact replica of any one ship but more a composite of some of the ships he worked on as a fisherman and trader out of Newfoundland.   My first step was to photograph the model from several angles. I’ll post some of them here.   I think my second step should be to clean the years of grime off it. Thanks to this forum, I’ve learned the best way to begin is with cotton swaps and water.   I would really appreciate any advice on how to proceed further. I’ve built a few plastic model ships when I was a child, but nothing since and certainly nothing from scratch. I’m not looking to build a work of art, I just want to restore as faithfully as I can the gift my grandfather spent so much time to make for me. I know I could send it off to a professional to get it done right and probably much quicker that I can, but it is  kind of a personal journey for me.   Thanks for reading this. I don’t have a lot of free time to work on it, but I hope to finish the project by this time next year (summer 2017).          

Some progress just because I am proud of it. I made the trawl-beams and glued them to the mast.
 






The most work is in installing the ridiculously small led's On every mast are just 5 led's but it was a total nightmare to place them and their wiring. But it works   I hope to make a small vid for you later.

 

Thank You all for your response and hitting the Like-button
 
Ik started building the mast of the ship (In Holland we call it the voor(front)portaal but I dont know how it's called in English). I had some very good drawings whitch were printed out (very kindly by the guy who gave me the drawings) in scale 1/75. At first sight I thought it wouldn't be a lot of work and my plan was to post the mast here totally finished but I found out it was loads of work so I make an update to show how far I am now.
 
I started gluing some styreen together and soon ther was a nice mast born at the attick.









 
The masts are not ready but I hope to show them finished in my new update.
 
Kind regards en Hartelijke groeten uit Nederland,
 
Kees

Hello everybody. Thank you for the reply's and for hitting the like-button!  
I finished the keels and the bowthrusters. These thruster makes it possible to manoeuvre without using the rudder and without making forward motion. The props will be added later when the hulls are painted.


 
Kind regards, Kees

Thanks for the "likes" and comments.
 
Milestone point tonight.  The rudder is finished.   It still needs another coat of Wipe-on-Poly but that will wait until the quarter galleries are finished and I'll do it all at once.
 
The second and third coats of stain did the trick.   The rudder coat looks pretty good in person.  Weird thing happened though, after the 3rd coat, the rudder suddenly got about a 10 degree rotation to starboard in it.  I think the coat may have shrank a bit... ????  I'm not going to argue with it as plan on have the yards rotated with sails in battle configuration (main courses brailed up and the rest set as needed).  I'm still researching this part as to what would be "normal".  The only thing not on the rudder is the emergency steering lines as from what I've read, they weren't put on unless needed.
 
Anyway, the pictures.... 
 
This was more for my benefit to check that the mortices for the main tiller and the emergency tillers were in the right locations.

 
The rest are just assorted shots of the rudder. 
 

 
I think I'll take the rest of the night off and tomorrow finish sorting out the design for the quarter galleries.   Hahn's plans and the NMM plans don't show the shape from above but there's enough hints from the stern view and side view to know that it's a semi-circle  and sticks out on the sides beyond the transom.

Thanks for the "likes" and comments.
 
Rudder coat time....
 
I tested several materials ranging from paper, silkspan, to handkerchief and a pillowcase.   I decided the pillowcase cloth would best replicate canvas.   After sorting out design and how I was going to mount it, I stained the cloth with some wood stain to give it tarred canvas look and when dry attached it to the rudder.
 

 
I've attached the rudder to the ship and glued down the rudder coat.   It's looking splotchy so I'll see what happens when the glue fully cures out.  I might just brush on some more stain but the worse case is that I'll paint it.  
 
The French didn't use a metal ring like a lot models show (here on MSW anyway) but nails.  Since those are 1" nails (full-size), I'm not going to try to duplicate them although I'm testing a method for simulating them...
 

 
More on the rudder, later, as there's still more details to finish up.

Hmm....  Here's the area that needs the rudder coat... between the two red areas.  It's fairly long.  There's two "slots" on each side of the stern post.  Maybe if I fill those in.....   ????    In fact, I think that will do the trick.  
 
It was a very bad decision on my part to plank the counter before installing the stern post.   Lesson learned.
 
  

I think I got it.  Or are at least darn close.  If not, I'll do another one.  
 

Thanks for the comments and the "likes"...
 
Here's the rudder ready to hang.   Once the cudgeons are on the hull, I'll add the rudder coat and mount it.  I'll probably pin it to the sternpost from the inside of the hull just to keep it in place as I'll be flipping the hull over a few more times before cutting it loose and mounting it to a cradle.
 
I made a judgement call after testing on some scrap about the bolts.  Not going to happen.  If the bolts are visible, they're oversize by an order of magnitude.  If' they're just the right size, they're invisible.  
 
I also did some testing to compare Jax Black to Birchwood Casey Black.  Not much difference except maybe the Birchwood Casey is a bit blacker and also seems to cover silver solder better.
 
Been a busy of testing this stuff.  
 
Ok.. pictures.....
 
First piccy shows the old and the new together.  I'm happier with the new and the old is hitting the scrap box.   The second pic has a dummy sternpost next to it.  I've got a big smile on that one.  
 

 

Small update in the overall scheme of things.
 
The new rudder is ready for the metal work and some additional holes.  For example the two tiller holes are drilled but need squaring up with some file work and a couple of small holes for the eyebolts/ringbolts need drilling   All things considered and compared to the elder brother rudder, I'm happy with this.  There is one minor defect that will be hidden by the rudder coat.  And no, i"m not going to forget this bit.....
 
The opening for the pintles is shaped now like the French ones and not like the English properly. I also used boxwood from three different sheets/scraps in order to have some variation between the three slabs of wood.
 
Edit:  Actually... I'm wrong.  Both the English and the French did that same way.  The square openings are the way many kits do them.   I have much to unlearn... as well as learn.
 
For the metal work, I'm going with smaller diameter pintles and cudgoens than on the first version. the irons (straps), I'll make from the same material as before.   Also, I'm considering right now eliminating the bolts holding the irons to the rudder and hull because even though the I'm using are the tiniest I can find, as this scale they are still too large.  i believe if my measurements and eyes are to be believed they work out to having the heads 3" in diameter and standing proud at out 1.5".
 
I'll be using epoxy for securing the metal to the wood, although I need to test first and make sure that it will hold.
 
 
 
 

Update....
 
Rudder temporarily installed (the blue tape keeps it from falling off).  I'll hit the hull with some Wipe-on-Poly and start working on the rudder coat.  
 

I have gotten a little more done, these are attempt number 2 might do better on number three but these will do.
These are cabin/deck lights.

One more mini project worked out  still to be touched up and white band painted.

I managed to get another piece of deck  gear done today. Kinda important since this is a tug boat.

Well it has been raining here for days so I don't feel bad about not getting some outside chores done. So I have been busy in the shipyard and this is what I have put together. Need to blacken the copper, Shorten levers, Paint what does get paint. Glue it all together.
 but pretty much done.

Been busy in the shipyard , while I need to trim shackle pins and clean up metal blocks yet, nothing glued down.

As we say each part is a model of its own.  So I made the model of the pilot house.  As I’m typing this I realize I still need to add the navigation lights.  But here are the pictures.
 
Bob
 

 

 

 

The "likes", comments, and questions/challenges appreciated..... 
 
So... pushing the envelope...
 
I've reworked the rudder and added some metalwork.  It looks a lot better.    The metal banding will have the appropriate amount of nails in it before this piece is ready to mount.
 
Edit:  I forgot to add... I cut it apart using a thin jeweler's saw and then glued it back together using some colored glue.
 

 
And a couple of quick shots of the rudder irons/straps in work.  I started by annealing the straps.  I silver solder the tube, cut-off the excess, and clean it up with a file.  For the pintle, a 1/16" brass rod will be epoxied into the tube.  The cudgeon will not have the shaft, naturally.  
 

I should note that these are not cleaned up yet.  

 
So far, so good.  I've got a pile of brass pieces now pickling in some vinegar.   I'll rinse well and let dry overnight.  I'm thinking of using paint on these or hitting the local gunshop tomorrow for some Birchwood Casey's.  In testing, Blacken-It did nothing for the silver solder.  I've got some discards painted and drying and I'll how they look.  

Thanks for the "likes" and comments.
 
When I laid the keel, I also cut the stem, the stern post, and the rudder from the same chunk of wood.   I've been busy with other things recently, but did spend a lot of time researching the rudder and sorting things out.  I found that many of my assumptions and some of what is on the plans wrong.
 
Here's what I've found (including from those responding to a post on this)...
 
1) As built in 1755, there's minimal vertical taper.  It wasn't common to do this, but not uncommon either.  Which makes me wonder that maybe it was a shipyard decision.   The rudder follows this. 
 
2) There is no fore and aft taper to the rudder.  That one caught me by surprise.
 
3) There is a cavitation/turbulence groove.  This would have been added when the ship was rebuilt/overhauled at some point later in time.  It would have been present in 1778 when captured.
 
4) The fore side of the rudder was beveled at about a 45 degree angle.  The pintle and cudgeon<SP?> straps were recessed only at the fore side of the rudder and at the aft side of the sternpost where the straps bend to the side.  They were recessed as on some other nation's ships.   
 
5) No spectacle plate.  There's an eyebolt with rings on each side just above the strop hole for the emergency steering.  The strop hole is nominally rigged to two eyebolts.
 
So.. I machined the rudder blank as shown in the pictures below.  There's two mortises in the top of the rudder, one for the normal tiller (which on Licorne is in the Great Room) and one for the emergency tiller which is on the quarterdeck.
 


 
I'm off and running with the metalwork.  I've started silver soldering and wondered why I didn't do this years ago.  It's pretty fast and gives a nice result.  
 
 

At long last, the "Victory" is settled into her permanent home, which gives back the work space in the den.  While the model seemed rather large, the case seems massive.  But more on that later. 
 
My first case was a proprietary case put together with tempered glass (to avoid shards of glass with active grandkids) on an Oak table I made for support. Tempering glass distorts it slightly so the fit is less than perfect.  The "Cutty Sark" found it's home in our office.

 
The second case was put together using brass "L"  3/8" and a black walnut base obtained from American Marine Gallery, Gloucester, MA.  This preserves and displays the "USS Constitution" with tempered glass, glued by silicone as in an aquarium, with the glue joints covered by the brass "L". This required cutting down the base and using a router for the glass channel, and again a walnut table to display it.  By lifting the top, the front panel is removable. The entry hall got this one.

 
Finally, the "HMS Victory" being even larger required a bigger case. Living in a condo does impose limits on work space and the use of power tools, so I elected to have the case built by Raven Arts in Seabec, Washington.  It seems rather massive, but is a work of art with mahogany and black walnut, museum quality acrylic, internal LED lighting and an opening back panel.  Being the largest, the "Victory" chose the favored location, the living room.

 
So where, oh where does the next one go?  Did I mention that we are thinking of downsizing?  Perhaps it is time for miniature models.  Cheers, Gil
 
 
 
 

Update
 
Prototyp winch is now complete (requires a few paint touch ups)
 
Two of these winches go on the forecastle deck and one on the forward waist deck, behind the foremast
 
Two reciprocating steam drives mounted, also outer winding drums and brake. The framework was chemically blackend.
 
2 of these winches go on the forecastle deck and one on the forward waist deck, behind the foremast
 
Nils
 

 
 

Thank you Dirk .
I have started assembling the stern, it will be quite hard work.

Thank you to all for very nice comments!
I finished the deck, including treenailing and attachment of the sculpers.

Thank you guys!
I finished the planking of the central belt of main deck.

Thank you aviaamator .
Margin plank.