gieb8688

On the occasion of the coming New Year, I wish you all A happy new year! Thank you for your attention and encouragement. I will continue to work on the project as planned and try to finish it in the new year.
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Because, my friends, it will take me a few days to make the sixth structural improvement on the slipway. The update speed may be temporarily affected, thank you for your attention. I'll keep going until I finish it!  
 

The last production of Gemma 1863 is nearing completion, but due to the limited space at home, which is occupied by a large number of tools, it will be difficult to store when finished; So stop the rigging for a moment and start work on a new theme, Young America 1853. This is also one of the five all in house sailboats I plan to build in the future; I only bought the first two copies of this book, and appreciate that the author's good subject matter can be shared with you, hopefully through my craft, to recreate the brilliance of the original work.Thank you for your attention，Also wish to give positive advice。
 

 




































 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

The construction of the main deck has finally begun.......
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Thanks to Theodosius and Black Viking for your likes and comment and to Rob for advice on the gun ports.
 
I went ahead and the lidded ports are now also lined using 6mm wide lime strips. They are set back from the edge by the thickness of the lid plus second layer of planking.
 

 

 
The lower counter has been planked with 3mm kit walnut. The ports are marked out to the sizing in the AotS rather than the kit plan. I’m not sure what these ports are for. I don’t think that they can be gun ports and in the AotS diagram B3/1 they are identified as false lights, (the key for 17 and 21 being transposed I assume). The picture of the model on page 16 shows them as open cut-outs but they are obviously meant to be lidded as photographs of other models in ‘The Sailing Frigate’ clearly show.
The helm port has been cut out to accommodate the thicker sternpost and the rudder that I have still to make.

 
The Main Wale…
 
The position of the wale, as others have said, is critical to the look of the ship and how other elements, particularly the quarter gallery relate to it. I plan to start the second planking by completing the wale using 3mm kit wood to build up the thickness and then to finish off with 0.7mm boxwood veneer. I’m contemplating making the top veneer in top and butt although after painting black, it might all be hidden.
I started by marking the waterline using a pretty crude rig of block of wood with a pencil clamped to it and then followed up with masking tape. The position of the top of the wale was marked using measurements taken from the centre of the lower edge of each gun port. I used the AotS drawing, although the measurements on the kit plan are similar. Once marked, I taped a strip of kit walnut to the hull to check the line and its position relative to the waterline.
 

 

I feel pretty happy with the look and how it will sit with the quarter gallery so I can go ahead and plank the wale but I think first I will fix the boxwood knee of the head which I have marked off to simulate the pieces that make it up and cut a rabbet to take the planking.

 
I am hoping that this will give me a neater finish than adding the stem after planking.
 
 
 
 

Rubber bands are a staple in building plastic models. So, when confronted with the extreme bending of the hull bottom, I thought I'd give it a try, rather than use some pins. I took Izzy's tip and brushed soap and water on the solid pieces and also glued the three center bulkheads first.

 
After the bottom was really wet, I glued it to all but the stem and stern, wrapped some rubber bands around it, glued and clamped those uncooperative ends. 


It worked surprisingly well!
 

At long last I've finished the coppering of the hull.  It hasn't been a very intense effort until the last month but I'm happy to have completed it and am satisfied with the results!
 

The coppering is going to be a long term project.  I expect to get perhaps 10-20  plates per hour.  I am using CA glue despite my general dislike of the substance.  
 

This is a pretty big hull.  Makes me glad the Winchelsea won't be coppered!!

Everyone: Managed to get the foretop sail on last night. There is still a lot of rigging to be added but its roughly in the place where I want it. Its good to finally see some progress at my end. Getting the sails in the place where you want them and trimmed right is a painful exercise with tweezers and a visor.. and now Im working up the mast, its more standing than sitting. 
 
More pics to follow! 
 
Mike Draper

Everyone: Just a quick update pic. Got most of the rigging done on the lower fore course either than leech lines and clew lines. Plan to get the sails up first for the foremast before I get the leech and clew lines done. And Im holding off tying all the lines down permanent I get all the rigging done. I find each sail has its own personality and in turn affects other sails so until all the rigging is done I keep my options open 🙂
 
More pics to come soon! 
 
Mike Draper

Everyone: Its been a while but I finally have a sail on the ole Agamemnon. Its been a lot of trial and error but I have the lower fore course. Still have a lot of fiddling to do but I want to get the rest of the sails on the foremast rigged before I start trimming lines. In any case, its a good feeling to finally have made some progress

Chuck: I am close.... sooo close... Here is a pic of the paper templates that I made for the sails that I am planning to rig on my Agamemnon. The sails are made by a good friend of mine Wendy Thompson and are on their way to my mail box. I figure I have my time off from XMAS is spoken for with rigging these sails when they arrive. Everything else is done (except for some flags!) so as soon as the sails arrive its full steam ahead..  
 
And.. no.. I have been working on this ship way tooo long.. Need to get it on the "don" pile.. and start on the Winnie... 
 
MIKE

Everyone: Just a quick update.. I have finally finished building the yards on the Agamemnon.. I dont know if everyone knows but Im planning to rig her with sails. So... in preparation for that small exercise (yah.. right.... ) I am making paper templates to use to get the shape and dimension. The Caldercraft plans dont contain any sail plans so using a few sources and lots of measuring I think I have done a pretty good approx of the sail. Dry fitting them onto the yard and mast helps me ensure they the measurements match how they look on the ship. She is finally starting to come together.. 
 
Mike 

Everyone: While Im busy building yards for the Agamemnon I realized I havent posted pics of my stern gallery so here are a few. I noticed I need to go over the gallery with a few touch ups but you get the idea! The yards have been a slower process than I originally thought. oh well.. progress is being made.. slowly! 
 
Enjoy
 
Mike Draper

Richard: Its great that you got a chance to get up to my neck of the woods.. Too bad we didn't meet up as I could have showed you some pretty amazing areas in the back country. I had some friends up last summer and I took them for a 3 day boat trip down the 90 mile long Tagish Lake and did some wilderness camping. Maybe you can get back here some day soon. Yes.. I did manage to finish my Constitution. Here are some pics that I took when she was finally finished. I was actually got a chance to see her last fall in Boston. It was a really surreal experience for me actually standing on her decks. 
I just finished working on the Aggy tonite.. ripped out some of the ratlines and redid them as I didnt like how they looked. I will be loading some new pics soon. Good to hear from you!
 
MIKE

Hi Mike,
Just wondering if you remember me, Richard from Calgary, was on a forum with you when I was building my Endeavour and you were building your Connie I think this was back around 2004/2005 could have been before this as well hope all is well with yourself and family.
Here is a picture you sent me dated March 2005, love to see a finished ship are there pictures on this site?
 

 

 
Also did get to visit Whitehorse back in 2012 when my wife and I visited Anchorage Alaska on our Motorbike, sorry did not know how to contact you would have loved to meet up.
Here are couple of pic's of your lovely place
 

 

 

 
I do like how your Agamemnon is coming along got to get back on mine.
 
Regards
Richard 
 

Hey Everyone: Just a quick update.. working on getting the masts installed. Don't remember this being as much work as it has been. Managed to get the lower foremast completed and now working on the lower main mast. It will be good to get these done as Im keen on getting started on the shrouds and ratlines (I know I will regret that statement but Im keen to start rigging).
 
Anyhow, enjoy the quick pic
 
Mike Draper

Hey Everybody: I have been not posting too much on this forum as I have been distracted with another model project. A couple of years ago I visited Japan and I was lucky to be steered towards the line of Woody Joe kits. And as a souvenir I decided to grab a couple of kits of the temples that I had visited while I was over there. Attached is one of the kits completed -the Horyu Ji temple -unfortunately the Agamemnon had to go in a holding pattern for that time.. good news is that I finished the temple a month ago and Im back at the Agamemnon. I have started the masts and bowsprit and will post some pics soon..
 
While it was great to work on the temple Im glad to now make that final push to mast and rig the Agamemnon.. stay tuned for more progress shots..
 
Mike Draper
(in the midst of the heat wave in the Yukon)

Everyone: Updated pics of my "diamond in the rough". I am making progress on my Agamemnon. Getting the chainplates and channels installed. I have put additional braces on the upper side of the channels which seems to be on a lot of the navy style models of 64s and 74s. I have also finished getting copper plates on the rudder but it isn't going to be installed until the deck work is all done (ie hammock netting). Some things are not painted or completed but I am finally making progress and the weather is nice enough to take a pic of my Aggy outside!
 
Have a good one
 
Mike Draper

Everyone: It has been awhile since I have posted but I have been making some progress (slowed down by work and some play outside!) but I am getting through the gunport lids and channels. I have been working on getting the gunport lids, channels and Deadeyes done on the port side first. I have also added a set of braces on the channels that I have seen on some plans and models of 64 gun ships so I took a educated guess that the Agamemnon had them as well. I will finish off now with the deadeyes and then work on getting the starboard done.
 
Once I get this done I will finish on the bow details and the rudder and then take a small break to build a Woody joe kit I bought in Japan of a Japanese temple I visited in Japan (Horyu Ji). I figure it will take a month to get it built and after its done I will get at the rigging of the Agamemnon. But I will post some more pics when I get the hull work finished,,
 
Mike Draper

Everyone: Its been a while.. have been busy getting the deck furniture finished off and I am now working on the lower gunport lids.. what a repetitive chore that has turned out to be.. Took a pic outside for a change as we are getting some great weather north of 60.. I have the lids finished on the lower gunports on the port side and Im halfway through on the starboard. Once they are done I will work one level up.
 
then it will be the channels and chainplates.. this hull will never be done.
 
Its good to see other lads out there taking up the Aggy challenge. She is a big beast for sure and takes a lot of your time.. Im really hoping I can get at the rigging by the fall and be somewhere near the progress that Mobbsie is making..
 
Enjoy
 
Mike Draper