dvm27

Thanks for the visits and kind remarks, they are greatly appreciated.
 
Today I did some final shaping of the cleats to hold in the glass by making the section tapered rather than square, this will allow me to drill into the cleat while in situ so that everything lines up. I also gave the top and the port side a coat of teak oil.
 

 
Before I can drill the holes I needed to finish drilling the holes in the starboard vents these were the first ones that I had made after the experiments. I did not get the flanges quite right so this morning I whipped up a couple more. Then was able to finish drilling the holes so that I can re-set the drill to drill the cleats for the glass.
 
 
 
Next I can make the cleats for the starboard glass.
 
Michael

Small world, John. I didn’t recall your MSW connection when I visited the museum last week. That is a very fine model you’re building with only hand tools in plain view of the public!

Small world, John. I didn’t recall your MSW connection when I visited the museum last week. That is a very fine model you’re building with only hand tools in plain view of the public!

Small world, John. I didn’t recall your MSW connection when I visited the museum last week. That is a very fine model you’re building with only hand tools in plain view of the public!

Small world, John. I didn’t recall your MSW connection when I visited the museum last week. That is a very fine model you’re building with only hand tools in plain view of the public!

I’ve never seen a rifled bore on a ship model before Valerie! Your work reminds me of the finest builders models made by shipping companies in the 1900’s.

Small world, John. I didn’t recall your MSW connection when I visited the museum last week. That is a very fine model you’re building with only hand tools in plain view of the public!

The same, I think, Greg.  As you walked off to look at the museum I thought, "Oh, Greg from Admiralty Models."  
 
I can only say in my defence that I had been a little distracted that day.
 
John

Hello dear friends,
thank you all for your words and praise. That is a great honor for me and i do appreciate your feedback a lot.
 
 
 
Thank you, Johann, zappto and Denis, I am pleased you like my work. 
 
 
In fact, it really is quite simple. I usually try to find easy ways how to make things with nice results, my techniques do not need any special tools or materials. Only plenty of patience, time and experience.
 
I am pleased you find inspiration in my work. 
BTW, my friends and serious visitors have opportunity to see all my ship models by first hand, I have them exposed all year round at home in a special room. 
 
Hello Joe,
unfortunately we do not have children, but in future I would like to devote my best ship models to museums or somebody, who will also enjoy them like me.
 
Oh yes, you are right, making decorations from molds could save me a lot of time. In fact I like to create them from scratch and always enjoy very tiny and clear details. Maybe on next projects I will try to cast some equal parts. It will be something new for me.
 
Thank you Piet, I'm glad you enjoy it.
 
 
 
**********************************************************
 
In recent days, I have studied plenty of information about ship ordnance. A great help for me and also colleagues from Czech Modelforum is perfectly created information from Captain KL. You can also browse on Czech forum:
https://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=177&t=110763&start=855#p2185603
 
I am going to make the guns out of paper/card, now I'm preparing first test pieces. For example here is my first cannon - of - seven for the lower deck of RK:
 

 
 
 

A little more progress.  The forward cant frames are now all fitted and I've started fitting hawse pieces - hopefully they'll all be on next Monday.
 
The problem at the moment is School Holidays!  There are lots of visitors in the museum and I'm doing far more talking than model making.  Of course if anyone shows any real interest I tell them about this amazing international forum of model makers that I know of! 
 
John
 

 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Short update and more.
 
If you're visiting you are probably wonder where had I gone and what have I been up to?
 
Well I am back on my build, have been for weeks.  I can proudly say it no longer bothers me to remove frames.  It used to tear at my heart and soul.  Lord knows how many times I've put them on and taken them off in the last few weeks.  I do not give it a second thought anymore.
I have gotten frames installed past the location where I last stopped before summer.  To recap, I had taken them all off back to the Forward Fashion Pieces, and then I swung my hand over the model and snapped off one of the two forward fashion pieces.  It has been remade and installed and it is all now looking good with good alignment.  After too many removals and re-installations my CDO (OCD for others) is satisfied.  The plan is that I will be putting all frames in (sanding to shape when the aft cant and fore cant frames are installed and then again when those between are in) then marking off the gun ports, then removing frames individually, cutting the gun ports and notches for the cills, and finally replacing them as I go along.  It will be a long process as I have many interests and diversions and so do not seem to advance as quickly as other modellers.  I will only post when I've something substantial or worthy to look at (or am stumped and need advise) so do not think I've gone for good if you don't see a progress report for awhile.  Building and installing frames is repetitive work.
 
Meanwhile I have been lucky enough to have had an opportunity to review all but ten of the 150 issues of the Model Shipwright Magazine (1972 - 2008) and have scanned numerous articles, tips and tricks, etc. that caught my fancy.  I will be getting a few more next month.
From these I got the idea of a hardwood cutting (sawing/chiselling board).  So Yesterday I made one.  This inspired me to make a holding setup block for my protractor to free up my hand when setting the adjustable bed on my sander.  I had tried numerous methods from clamps to different style protractors but the one in the photo below is my favourite and now I can have one hand on the Allen Key and the other holding the bed.
I also attached one photo of my build table as of this morning.
 
Before Christmas I had built a 1:12 scale 9 pound naval cannon (posted on the forum).  The cannon and balls were 3D printed for free at the local library.  After several attempts they got something I could use but it was in two halves (Breech/Muzzle) and I had to 2 part epoxy glue it together.  I found the insignia difficult to see through the Plexiglas case so I had increased the size and finally coloured (painted) it to highlight so it would stand out.  I have since purchased a 3D printer and have printed a one piece cannon (1:12) with the insignia at the proper size.  One fellow at our club at our meeting earlier this month told me how to clean up the plastic a bit and paint the cannon with an acrylic flat black spray paint.  He says the insignia will likely be more noticeable if flat black versus the shiny plastic.  So I will be attempting this.  Meanwhile I've been trying to print it at 1:64 scale.  My first few attempts were a disaster.  Today's attempt was better but not quite there yet.  Too many adjustments to get it right for the small scale and specific type of PLA plastic... the learning curve.  The picture below shows my one piece 1:12 print along with the printer attempting the 1:64 in the background.
 
I apologise for the long story but you may not see another post for awhile.

Thanks, Patrick and Michael  Here's another little job done. The J.C. did not have much of a bow fender so I think this will do.

Mastkoker assembled

Hello everyone
a small update on today's work. I have recycled the olde tiller and reborn it as a flagpole - yes it was probably the last thing to put on , but it just fell right to do it now.

Good morning.

Beams of lower deck are all ready

Interesting conversation regarding the lights, thanks for that. Thanks for the views and likes. It has been a little quiet in the model shop as I have been nursing a persistent head cold. I have done a couple of small jigsaw puzzles at the kitchen table but that is about it till this evening.
 
I did not want to do anything too demanding so thought it was about time to start setting the glass into the cabin sides managed to rough in the port side light.
First I planed down a bit of mahogany to 1/8th with the little bench thickness jig and the block plane. The edges were then rounded to approx 1/16 radius. The rounded edges were then stripped off on the table saw. And while I was at it I stripped the edges off a section of wooden Venetian blind you can see those laying on top of the mahogany in the first picture. The glass is some clear plastic packaging material likely buterate because it was a vac formed piece that had a fairly large flat sheet area that is 1/32nd thick so representing some 1/4 inch glass
 

 
The fitted pieces still need a bit of shaping.
 

 
It is all snug enough that it stood up OK without falling out so I'm happy with that.
 

 

 
The next tasks are to do the starboard side and when they are done set up to drill the holes for the retaining flat head screws.
 

 
That's it for now.
 
Michael

Planking continues.  Each piece is spiled.  I find using the 1/32 bass is so much easier than card for making patterns.  Below is the pattern (laying flat) for the lower edge of the fore part of plank 10 (second up from the garboard). 

The pattern is transferred to 1/16" pear. Once that edge is correct, then the width is marked at each frame location.  A ships curve is used to form the line.  After it is cut, it's (heat) twisted, bent and glued.
Maury

Hold

Nice run down Ed.  Thanks for the update post.  Perfect with the morning coffee.
 
On your bowline sag with humidity, this might be heresy but I like the catenary sag.  It looks more realistic than everything music string tight. 
 
 

Just a bit more draughting progress.
 
I finished the forward section frames - 15 through 38. 

I was pleased with the result although these are the most easily defined frames because the are reasonably well spaced and don't conflict with one another.
 
I also marked the waterline, deck edge lines and the rail lines on the sections.
 
Additionally I have included the upstand and datum line that will be used later for mounting the frames (inverted) on the building board. The slot in the up-stand will form a cut out to align the frame centre line on the building board - this will come clearer later.
 
I have included below the PDF file of these frames for downloading. I have also put x and y scales on the PDF to allow scaling when printing. I found that in my case the scanned PDF came out at 93% full size and I had to adjust the size in the print programme back to 100%. I checked the printed scales measured 6 inch as original drawn as a check on the reproduction accuracy.  
 
 
 
Schooner 1.pdf
 

2019, the beginning of the construction inside the model ship.
 
First part,   planks to support the deck beams, very easy to position; the height in reference with the gun port openings  is the same everywhere.
Followed by 7 inner  frames. 
Still other parts to do before to fix everything.

Mark, as sure as I knew you were a gifted ship modeler at one of our earlier workshops I know that you will not only solve this problem but that is will look spectacular. On full sized barrels I have seen the cypher is sort of inset into the barrel, not really proud of it. A subtle suggestion may work better that an in-you-face crystal clear cypher. Just one more opinion to add to the many you’ve received.

Mark, as sure as I knew you were a gifted ship modeler at one of our earlier workshops I know that you will not only solve this problem but that is will look spectacular. On full sized barrels I have seen the cypher is sort of inset into the barrel, not really proud of it. A subtle suggestion may work better that an in-you-face crystal clear cypher. Just one more opinion to add to the many you’ve received.