gieb8688

Starting to attach the brass to the hull.  
 
Aft 6pdr casemate.  The hinges are separate.

 
The various deck  hatches and the winch house prior to priming.

 
Torpedo tube covers.  There are two on each side.

Yesterday I made a jig for bending the legs on the 6 pdr mounts and will be including a resin cast version in the kits.  It works well and the finished product is much better than the initial attempts.  

 
 

A test assembly of one of the exposed 6 pdr guns, less shield. It's a bit rough, but I was fiddling around with the pieces trying to figure out the best assembly sequence. It came down to lightly gluing the base and pedestal to a piece of masking tape around a stick, inserting the gun peg though the hole on the legs, gluing that assembly to the pedestal, cutting away the arcs holding the ends of the legs, bending down the legs with a hobby knife, gluing them to the base, and trimming them with the hobby knife. The tape is removed from the wood and trimmed away from the gun. It's a bit of a fiddly process, but comes out fine if you take your time.

Grates dry-fitted to a couple of the cast resin superstructure deck houses.  The houses will be painted buff and the area under the grates black.  I may leave the grates in their natural brass for eye-interest.

Spent an hour or so this morning masking off the deck surfaces in preparation for painting. It's tedious, but makes painting a whole lot easier, especially if you airbrush.

Playing with the photoetch. This is the platform for the aft binnacle on the hurricane deck. There are five pieces and the x bars are recessed. When complete, there will be a cast binnacle and PE rails & vertical ladder.

One of the initial challenges I came across in the early stages was the prominent anchor bills.  They are angular and have some difficult angles where the wedge shape meets the vertical walls.  I tried carving them into the hull, but wasn't satisfied with the outcome, as they weren't exactly the same.  So, I decided to cut a channel across the hull and laser-cut inserts that ensure consistency - worked much better.  There are two pairs of lifts that allow the builder some adjustment capability incase he/she didn't shape the hull quite to specs...🙄  The inserts are separate, as well, so the angle can be shaped before they are inserted.  Once the basic assembly is complete, the hull is filled and finish-sanded to shape.  A laser-cut deck of glued-up decking will be fitted, so the lamination does not affect the appearance.
 
These are the inserts, before (left) and after (right) shaping.

 
Lasered lifts for the anchor bills.

 
This is what it looks like much later in the process.

I have decided to attempt to salvage the Marie Celeste model.  First order: figure how to build and install the bulkheads; called bulwarks in the instructions. The plans do not show how the stanchions are attached to the hull. I believe in true life they were extensions of the ribs. My thoughts: since the present deck is damaged I will plan on laying a new deck. Before laying the deck I will cut mortices through the old deck for each of the stanchions. 
 

Uncharacteristicly, I’ve made a fair bit of progress this weekend. 
Main wale pre-painted, placement measured from the plans and glued with CA. I’ve also fitted most of the bulwark capping rails.
 
 

Sanded. Filled. Cabin facia fitted. Stem fitted. Stern facia fitted. Rudder post fitted. Canon ports cut (Not shown.) She’s starting to have a little colour applied. 
 
I’ve spent some time thinking about whether or not to make some stern windows. I’ve decided not to- I quite like the way the kit looks without them.   

Second planking is now complete. I know the method I’ve used is completely incorrect, but I’m happy with how she’s coming along. And I’m enjoying myself. 
 
I’ll trim the rubber post and finish the rear counter next. 

I’ve not felt the need to add extra planks (stealers) at the stern yet. My shoddy workmanship below the waterline will be sanded, puttied and eventually painted white, hiding a myriad of sins. 
 
or should I try copper plating? I don’t believe the original ship would have been coppered. Thoughts?

Drop-planks are a method of careful trimming plank edges into arrow-heads no less than half their full width, so they can be interlocked with adjacent, similarly trimmed planks in order to decrease their total width at the bow. By this method, I’ve been able to trim five planks down together to terminate at one plank-width. 
 
It’s the first time I’ve tried it on a kit. It takes a while to do, but I’m pleased with the results so far.

After raising the level of the poop’s bulwarks two planks, I was able to fit eight planks down before I felt the need to begin to taper them. After I’ve cut three further planks at the bow down to half their width, I found the next plank would need to be cut down more than it’s full width allows. The solution? Drop-planks.

I’ve realised I hadn’t built up the height of the quarterdeck planking far enough to meet the front facia or the rear transom’s frames (painted red). So I’m building up a measured half-width plank on either side. Beechwood centre with cyanoacrylate at the lower edge, then walnut inner and outer linings.

Gun carriage assembly jig.

Laying out upper gundeck kingplank, and then planking the UGD.  All this will be hidden after the quarterdeck goes on.

Working on stern fascia and quarter galleries, Feb 2011.

Doing some deck planking.  Cut boards to length, sandwich about 20 of them between stiffeners and spray paint board edges & ends. LIght sanding afterwards cleans up any overspray and tones down the darkness.
 
Jig to mark trunnels on boards; one for end pattern and another for those in the middle of the planks. Use a sharp pencil to make marks. then layout a 4 butt pattern.

Hi and thanks for the likes.
Upper hull planking applied and stem bulkhead stanchions fitted.
Next step is the various rails or as the instructions call them  -  the covering strips.
Kit supplied material for these is 2 x 12mm sapele.  This is good quality but the waist rails need to be
curved  slightly on plan.  Will use in stock 2mm thick sheet for these, cut and shaped to suit.
Finished rails will be painted black so I hope that the different material used will not show.
Starting at the stern with these to see what sort of mess I make of the large radius curves
before starting on the other changes in level.  If the large ones turn out OK I will curve the others.
If not, they will be "squared up" instead of radiused.    Let's see what happens.
 
Regards,
Sam.

Upper poop deck fitted.
Stem bulkhead planked and doors fitted,  lead foil as roofing to roundhouses.
Catheads for photo only.  Will be attached later.
 
Regards,
Sam.

Hi and, thanks for the likes.
After a careful examination of Mark Tiedens build log I have been trying to sort out the stern.
The parts provided in my kit don't match the instruction book and the plans (lol) are no help at all.
In addition the stern side cheeks mark 29 are approx 4mm too long and protrude below
the stern piece.  They lock into place so can't really be fixed incorrectly. I have corrected these.
I have decided on the following approach  ---
The stern piece is attached and is not moving.
The second planking will be extended to meet the stern piece at the higher verandah and a door 
for access into the high level cabins provided in the sides.
I may have to scratch build the side windows.  Will visit this after second planking is fixed.
Next  -  the top moulding piece mark 70 goes down both sides of the hull and across the bowsprit deck
above the two access doors.  Instructions say  "use a small triangular file to form a groove down the centre
of 2 x 5mm sapele strips. Then sand to form the B shaped moulding.  Not happening.
Will fabricate using 2x5 strip with 1x1 strips both sides.  Artisania Latina make a set of micro planes
which would be ideal for profiling mouldings but don't offer them for sale in Great Britain.
Last problem  -- The top moulding across the bowsprit deck clashes with the two door openings in the bulkhead.
After a close examination of the instructions it appears that the doorways have been cut 5 to 6mm too high.
This one is easy to correct.
Obviously the photo's were taken during building of the prototype and the laser cut sheets produced afterwards.
This has been a challenging build from day 1 and I have to say I am enjoying every minute of it.
It is not just a case of   -  nail part A to part 58 and stick it in a display case.
Neither is it a kit for the absolute beginner.   It is building into a sturdy good looking model.
Will admit I am spending as much time staring at it and thinking about the next stage as I am building it.
This is a very absorbing kit and a cheap hobby.
 
Regards,
 
Sam.

First hull planking fixed,  filled,   whitewashed and marked up ready for second planking.
This is a big fat boat and planking took for ever.
Waterline marked but feels too high.   Needs dropping 12mm.
Will have to do more research before I settle on this location.
The supplied plans are no use at all,  the side elevations differ significantly.
Bulkheads 9 and 11 were too low over middle third.
Didn't spot this until after planking.   This was both sides and took a fair bit of filling.
 
Sam.

If it wasn't clear, I was referring to one plank at a time ; before laying the next plank..