wefalck

Our aesthetics are still dominated by the 18th century classicistic scholars and the re-discovery of medieval and earlier art in the early 19th century. At that time much of the original paint on buildings and other artefacts had crumbled away and faded. Hence, we tend to expect either the 'pure' material (wood, marble, other stone), rather than a colourful paint-scheme. Modern archeological techniques, however, have revealed many traces of paint that allow us to reconstruct paint-schemes and painting techniques. As a result, one must assume that many ships and buildings over history were painted in rather garish colours.
 
There is no comprehensive study on colours and paints used in decorating and preserving ships. It is quite certain, however, that the dominant pigments were mineral ones because they were cheap and stable. Many plant-derived pigments, particularly reds, are not permanent, i.e. they will fade when exposed to sunlight. Yellows, brick-reds and browns are all iron(hydr)oxides that are derived from natural ochre that has been heated to varying degrees and they are relatively cheap. Blues and greens can be derived from cobalt- or copper-containing minerals or synthesised from salts of these metals. They are more expensive. White, being derived from chalk or lime is cheap too. This gives you the main palette and other colours can be produced by mixing pigments.
 
As we all know, due to the long-wave light absorption by the water vapour in the air, colours appear to become more blue and paler the more distant you are from the painted object. In order to sufficiently impress across the typical viewing distance of several hundred meters you have to use a more garish paint scheme. Of course, if you reproduce this on a model that is being viewed from a short distance, it may not be very pleasing aesthetically to the modern beholder. Even modern replicas, such as the UTRECHT statenjacht or the frigate HERMIONE are not really pleasing to the eye that has been trained by museum models and old paintings.
 
Old paintings are another problem. Often the varnish on them tones down the original colour scheme. I have been shocked, when I discovered the original bright colouring in some paintings that I have known before their varnish was stripped off and they were cleaned.

My understanding was that these chains where there to catch the rudder in case it became unshipped. The festooning has the purpose to reduce the jerk, when the rudder is being dragged along. The chain would be lightly secured to the first pair of rings. Breaking these ropes takes up some of the energy that otherwise would be transfered to a single pair of rings.

Thanks once more for your kind comments ...
 
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The edges of the vitrine are to be covered by L-shaped brass profiles. These are cut to length a bit longer than needed and then the mitre is ground on. In order not to let the sanding disc work too much, I pre-cut the mitre rough with a cutter. My first investment into machinery in the mid-1980s was the purchase of a PROXXON pillar drill. It served me well ever since, not only as a drilling machine, but also as disc sander and (occasionally) as a wood lathe. At that time a longer pillar, a tool rest, a sanding disc/face-plate and a revolving centre were available as extras. The tool rest has a mitre guide. Together with a grind stone, I also used it to shape and sharpen lathe tools.
With a sanding disc one can grind the mitres very precisely.
 

Grinding of the mitres into the brass L-profiles
 
For a good fit, a certain sequence of fitting the brass profiles is advisable. First the parts for the top are roughly cut to length and the mitres ground on at both ends. Then two profiles are mated in one corner and, say, part 1 taped down with Sellotape. Part 2 and 3 are mated at the next corner and part 3 taped down. Next part 2 can be ground to an exact fit between part 1 and 3. One continues with mating part 3 and 4 in the next corner, and so forth. The brass profiles at the bottom, that sit on the wood, are fitted in the same way.
 

Prepared brass profiles
 
The brass is ground finely, polished with steelwool (0000), and then degreased with white spirit. The profiles are now glued on one by one. For this I use a clear general purpose glue (German brand: UHU Alleskleber). Until the glue is set, the profiles are taped down again.
 

Mitred corner at the top of vitrine
 
The four uprights are the last parts to go on. They are roughly cut to length and the mitres are ground on at one side. The exact fitting is done at the square end. Here we only need to fit one edge. When grinding on the mitres, one can also compensate slight unevenness of the other mitres and thus achieve a perfect fit.
 

View from below showing how the parts fit together
 

View onto the wooden plinth and brass edging
 

View onto the vitrine
 
This was the first vitrine I constructed from Plexiglas, rather than silicate glass. As noted before, Plexiglas as a number of advantages and disadvantages compared to mineral glass. An advantage certainly is its shock resistance and that it can be worked easily at home. A big disadvantage is its low scratch resitance and one has to take extra care during construction. Thus a working over of the brass profiles once glued on is rather tricky.
Plexiglas can be glued, or rather chemically welded, almost invisibly. However, the recommende glue (Acrifix 90) has a rather short open time, which makes adjusting the parts with the necessary precision quite tricky. Also the dosage of the glue was difficult. Any sequeezed-out glue is impossible to remove without damage to the Plexiglas panels.
If I compare the most recent job, with the vitrines I built in the past from mineral glass, I am not as happy with my result. Perhaps I will return to mineral glass in the future.
 

Vitrine and model united provisionally
 
wefalck

The rigging of the foresail was a rather painful process. My paper-sail turned out to be not quite fit for the purpose. They would be good to represent sails billowing in the wind. However, for representing sails that are hanging limp from the rigging in order to dry this technique is not quite suitable. In the past I made similar sails from ‚silk-span’, i.e. the silk cloth that is used to cover model airplane wings. These sails could be draped quite well, but the material would have been still too thick for sails in the 1:90 scale.
 

The foresail set for drying
 

Details of the foresail rigg
 
So I toiled, sweating blood, but am still not really satisfied with the result. The foresail simply looks too stiff. I also had too cheat a bit in the area where the sail is pushed together above the dead-eye. Due to the rather forcefull procedure of folding the sails some of the hoops on the which the foresail runs on the stay were ripped off. There are many area where some touching up is necessary.
 

Forestay set-up with dead-eye
 

Halliard/down-haul belayed on mast-cleat
 
On the botters everywhere half-cleats were used. This makes belaying a bit tricky on a model and somehow doesn’t look quite right, though I followed the sketches in BEYLEN (1985)
 

Fore-sail sheet
 

Forestay set-up with dead-eye
 
A shortcoming often seen on shipmodels is that the running rigging seems to be sticking out of the block, i.e. it doesn’t run properly around the sheaves. The reason, of course, is that usually only a cross-hole is drilled, without attempting to shape the sheave. The rather elaborate procedure of block-making described earlier was intended to remedy this. Looking at the pictures, however, it seems that I only have been partially successful.
 

Fore-sail sheet
 

Masthead with the head of the foresail rigged with a sheep’s head-block
 
And finally here a selection from my arsenal of rigging tools:
 

Rigging tools (from left to right): straight watchmaker’s tweezers, bent tweezers, stamps-tweezers for draping sails and straightening wires, two antique micro-crochet hooks to pull on rigging, pin-vice with forked needel for pushing rigging, pin-vice, sewing needle for making fake splices, micro-scissors, microscopy-scalpel.
 
Next the main-sail will go on. Another problem case ...
 
wefalck

First of all, thank you very much to all well-wishers 
 
 
With many parts of the boat actually now completed, I turned my attention to the sails. I did this before painting the model, as various fitting and shaping actions will be required that may damage the paintwork.
The plan is to show the sails in a sort of semi-set stage, as they would be when the boat is in harbour, in order to allow them to dry. This going to be a much bigger challenge to represent convincingly than fully set or furled sails. As the boat will be shown in its winter rig, there will be only two sails.
The raw material is a very thin tissue paper that I found in my stock. The first step was to draw a sail plan 'as built', i.e. with the actual dimensions of the mast, boom and gaff.
 

Sail-plan ‚as built’
 

Sail-plan ‚as built’ (detail)
 
 
The shape of each panel of sail-cloth was pencilled in also with the help of a french curve. The drawing then was backed with a piece of stiff cardboard and covered in clingfilm. Based on this pattern the individual sail-'cloths' were cut from the tissue paper with the addition of 1 mm for the seam. This is rather wide at this scale, but inconsequential as the sail will not be translucent, being tanned and dressed (i.e. soaked in a broth from bark and smeared with a concoction of tallow, oil and ochre) on the prototype. This treatment prevents the formation of mildew and permits one to furl the sails when still wet.
 

The ‚cloths’ of the mainsail.
 
Using the drawing as a template, panels were stuck together using wood-filler (CLOU Schnellschleifgrundierung) as glue. The tissue paper soaks up the filler, turning it into a sort of compound material. I prefer wood-filler over diluted PVA-glue because it does not swell the paper and the joints can be loosened and re-adjusted by applying a drop of thinner. After completing the basic sails, outside margins and doublings were added in the same way, based on the detail drawings in VAN BEYLEN, (1995) and DORLEIJN (2001).
 

Glueing together the sail cloths
 
To be continued ...
 
wefalck

In general, everything that is permanently (e.g. splicing or sewing) fastened to the sails would disappear with them in the sail locker.
 
In more modern times blocks and ropes are attached using shackles, so it is often easier to unshackle these, rather than to unravel all the running rigging. Under those circumstances you may find that on some sails halliards, downhauls, sheets etc. are hooked into each other and tightened in a way that sort of outlines the shape of the sail. However, this may up to the fancy of the master, mate or crew. Something similar may done with other parts of running rigging, i.e. the part the attaches to the sail is shackled or hooked onto an easy to reach place, but otherwise left up.

Flags point in the direction of the 'apparent wind', see e.g. http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sailingcourse.com%2Fkeelboat%2Fimages%2Ftrue-apparent-wind-2.gif&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sailingcourse.com%2Fkeelboat%2Ftrue_wind_calculator.htm&h=678&w=682&tbnid=fhlqbg3bXztHlM%3A&zoom=1&docid=tYl5Fc7fuXy6PM&ei=eRt7U9DhFqWK0AWk0oCwBg&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=2026&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=0CFgQrQMwAA.
 
wefalck

I have been using a similar method for years, using either model-plane silk or silk-paper. The sails are either made as a whole or by pasting together individual cloths and adding the doublings. Here is description: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/68-zuiderzee-botter-by-wefalck-artitec-resin/?p=47886

Not me actually. I never look into this section as I usually make everything myself ... 
 
wefalck

Acrylics for the airbrush and enamels for brushing. Acrylics tend to set too fast, particularly when you have to paint around 'obstacles' etc. Everything has to be fine after the first few brush-strokes, otherwise the acrylics start to set and you get streaks.
 
wefalck

If possible, a lot of the gear that may get loose during the combat and hinder the movement of the ship was left ashore, when a seabattle could be planned. That is also a reason why ships got into trouble in bad weather after a battle. They were not sufficiently equipped anymore.

I would always install a speed-control. You may be working with different materials that require different operational parameters.
 
For a serving machine it is important that you can control comfortably thread while it is wound around the rope to be served. So, it should not be running too fast.
 
I also would install a foot-switch for the machines. This leaves your hands free for all the manipulations. While I generally prefer on-off foot-switches on my machines in order to allow me to pre-select speeds, in the case of the serving machine, a foot-operated speed-controller may be useful. It allows you to slow down or speed up (as on a sewing machine) as may be needed.

Actually, on the real thing there were no treenails in the decks. What you see (or rather mostly not, except when really standing on a deck) are wooden plugs that cover the holes drilled for iron bolts (at least in later ships). The plugs do not show end-grain (as would treenails do) but were cut so that the grain runs in the same direction as the planks. The idea was to make them almost invisible for  aesthetic reasons.
 
It seems to be a fashion among modellers to use treenails to show how much effort they put into a model. There is also some mechanical reason, as the treenail securely fastens the plank. Otherwise, I would ignore them on a true 'scale' model.
 
wefalck

Have been given one and they are useless. No power and precision. Apart from that, I wouldn't sew sails anyway, unless I would be building 1:10 scale or so. The stiches are grossly overscale with any practical needles and thread.

Actually, on the real thing there were no treenails in the decks. What you see (or rather mostly not, except when really standing on a deck) are wooden plugs that cover the holes drilled for iron bolts (at least in later ships). The plugs do not show end-grain (as would treenails do) but were cut so that the grain runs in the same direction as the planks. The idea was to make them almost invisible for  aesthetic reasons.
 
It seems to be a fashion among modellers to use treenails to show how much effort they put into a model. There is also some mechanical reason, as the treenail securely fastens the plank. Otherwise, I would ignore them on a true 'scale' model.
 
wefalck

Actually, on the real thing there were no treenails in the decks. What you see (or rather mostly not, except when really standing on a deck) are wooden plugs that cover the holes drilled for iron bolts (at least in later ships). The plugs do not show end-grain (as would treenails do) but were cut so that the grain runs in the same direction as the planks. The idea was to make them almost invisible for  aesthetic reasons.
 
It seems to be a fashion among modellers to use treenails to show how much effort they put into a model. There is also some mechanical reason, as the treenail securely fastens the plank. Otherwise, I would ignore them on a true 'scale' model.
 
wefalck

If possible, a lot of the gear that may get loose during the combat and hinder the movement of the ship was left ashore, when a seabattle could be planned. That is also a reason why ships got into trouble in bad weather after a battle. They were not sufficiently equipped anymore.

If possible, a lot of the gear that may get loose during the combat and hinder the movement of the ship was left ashore, when a seabattle could be planned. That is also a reason why ships got into trouble in bad weather after a battle. They were not sufficiently equipped anymore.

Also, when you are sewing something like sails, you want a large flat machine table, so that you can control the movement of the fabric. Otherwise it might be difficult to sew a straight line or a gentle curve, if needed.

You may also note that the method of rigging footropes changed with time. From about the middle of the 19th century on they were attached to a second jackstay (the first one is for attaching the sails) running a bit behind the top of the spar. This jackstay was an iron rod held by eyebolts screwed into the spar.
 
From the last quarter of the 19th century on the whole foot-rope/stirrup assembly was made from wire rope. Particularly the foot-rope needed to be wire to reduce wear, as seamen began to wear shoes/boots more commonly.
 
Electronic shops sell copper wire from 0.05 mm on spools or you may look into this on-line-shop for a more consistent supply of wires.
 
You can also make the stirrups from a rope stiffend with varnish, attached with a fake eyes-plice to the jackstay and with another fake eye-splice at the end for the foot-rope.

Actually, wooden masts on 'modern' (i.e. from the late 19th century on) yachts often were not round, but oval or drop-shaped. There are several reasons for this: a) it increases the strength in longitudinal direction; it improves the air-flow to the sail, reducing eddies behind the mast; c) when using hoops for attaching the sail, it keeps it closer to the mast in the upper part; d) in the late 19th/early 20th a sort of T-slot was cut into the back of the mast, allowing the sail to be attached by feeding-in the bolt-rope (the same way as on modern, extruded aluminium masts).

It is an almost unavoidable physical phenomenon that wood or ropes darken in colour when soaked in something, be it water, glue or varnish. The liquid changes the way how light is reflected out of the pores. So the answer is to use as little as possible and to try to avoid soaking it completely.
 
I am using fast drying solvent-based matt varnish for the purpose. This has the advantage that you can soften it with a drop of solvent in case you are not satisfied with what you did. Using PVA or CA, you basically have only one shot. The wetting properties of solvent-based varnish are also better than those of (diluted) PVA.

I would always install a speed-control. You may be working with different materials that require different operational parameters.
 
For a serving machine it is important that you can control comfortably thread while it is wound around the rope to be served. So, it should not be running too fast.
 
I also would install a foot-switch for the machines. This leaves your hands free for all the manipulations. While I generally prefer on-off foot-switches on my machines in order to allow me to pre-select speeds, in the case of the serving machine, a foot-operated speed-controller may be useful. It allows you to slow down or speed up (as on a sewing machine) as may be needed.

I would always install a speed-control. You may be working with different materials that require different operational parameters.
 
For a serving machine it is important that you can control comfortably thread while it is wound around the rope to be served. So, it should not be running too fast.
 
I also would install a foot-switch for the machines. This leaves your hands free for all the manipulations. While I generally prefer on-off foot-switches on my machines in order to allow me to pre-select speeds, in the case of the serving machine, a foot-operated speed-controller may be useful. It allows you to slow down or speed up (as on a sewing machine) as may be needed.

I would always install a speed-control. You may be working with different materials that require different operational parameters.
 
For a serving machine it is important that you can control comfortably thread while it is wound around the rope to be served. So, it should not be running too fast.
 
I also would install a foot-switch for the machines. This leaves your hands free for all the manipulations. While I generally prefer on-off foot-switches on my machines in order to allow me to pre-select speeds, in the case of the serving machine, a foot-operated speed-controller may be useful. It allows you to slow down or speed up (as on a sewing machine) as may be needed.