bhermann

Originally posted on Nov. 4, 2021
 
Construction of the Masts
The following basic workflow was followed for building the masts:
1.       Size, cut, taper and stain the lower mast and top mast sections for both the fore and main mast.
2.       Build the various parts for the lower masts, working from the bottom up. The fore and main masts were worked on simultaneously, since they are so similar.
a.       The parts in this step include, in order: pin saddle & chocks, belaying pins, boom rest & chocks, metal chafing sheet for main boom jaws, gooseneck, mast hoops, mast coats, trestle trees, spreaders and all of their brass fittings, mast bands, cranes & mast caps
3.       Finish out the top mast details, including top mast bands, gilt balls, flat trucks & mast hoops.
4.       These steps took me quite a bit of time to complete.  125 hours and 70 calendar days
5.       I’m going to break the masts into several build log updates
 
Building the 4 mast pieces
1.       The 4 masts must be cut and tapered according to the plans.  Both lower masts are made from 5/16” dowel rods provided in the kit.  I matched them up directly on the plans to get the length.
2.       However, before cutting them to length, I shaped the bottom portion that fits below the deck.  I made sure they had the correct depth and that the shape fit snuggly into the holes in the deck.  Then I marked the exact spot where the mast stuck out above the deck and then aligned that mark to the plans.  I then marked and cut the top to length.
3.       Both masts have to be tapered.  Most of the mast is not tapered, just the portion where the trestle trees go and on up to the top.  I left the very top part where the mast cap goes a little large so I could do some final shaping when I was working on the brass mast caps later on. 
4.       The top masts are made from 3/16” dowels.  They are shaped on all 4 sides.  A shoulder is carved near the top per the plans.  Leave some width for additional shaping to fit the trucks and gilt balls on the top later.
5.       I took a scrap pine board and drilled 4 holes to make a stand to hold the masts while working on them.
6.       I stained all 4 masts with Minwax Cherry stain, to match the deck.
 
Building the Pin Saddle and Boom Rest
1.       I decided to follow Suburban Ship Modeler’s process for building the pin saddle and boom rest from scratch.  The kit provides laser cut halves for these, but this does not provide a way to attach the recessed metal band between the pieces.  I believe this is a beautiful looking detail.
2.       I purchased some ½” dowels from the hardware store.  I cut a 2 – 3” section off the dowel.  I placed it vertically in the vise and drilled through the center with a 5/16” drill bit on my drill press.  It took a couple of attempts to get a nicely centered hole.  The result was a donut that will fit over the bottom of the lower masts.

 
3.       The pin saddle, which goes on the fore mast, requires holes for belaying pins.  I used my pin vise to drill these 7 holes in the top of the dowel.  It is easier to do this while the piece is long and can be secured better.

 
4.       Next step was to secure the piece in the mini-vise horizontally.  I carved a 1/16” wide x 1/64” deep recess into the circumference of the dowel that will accommodate the kit provided brass strip.  I measured how far to make the recess from the cut end based on the plans.  When done, I cut the pin saddle off the rest of the dowel, matching the width on the bottom end same as I did for the top.

 
5.       I used another section of the drilled dowel to make the boom rest in the same way.  The boom rest goes on the main mast.  It does not require holes for belaying pins since these are on the fife rail.
6.       The next step is to make 8 chocks which are used to hold the pin saddle and boom rest on the masts.  In the picture below you can see the shape that needs to be carved into the chocks.  I cut strips that were longer then required.  I clamped these down on a scrap board and filed and sanded them to shape all at one time.  I cut off the excess strip wood to get the right size chocks.  The fore mast has 2 sets of chocks above and below.  The main mast has all 4 chocks below.

 
7.       The pin saddle, boom rest and chocks were glued to the masts.  I taped off the top edge and gave everything below a couple of coats of white paint.

 
Adding the Brass Bands, Belaying Pins and Brass Sheet to Lower Masts
1.       To make the recessed brass bands, I fitted a length of brass strip around the saddle/rest and squeezed it tight with pliers to form a joint on the other side.  I marked the position for drilling holes in the band and removed it.  Holes were drilled on the drill press using a #64 bit.  The strip was repositioned and brass rod was inserted into the holes.  I used CA glue to hold everything in place.  Once set, I clipped off the excess bit of brass strip and filed the end to round the edges.  I really like the way the brass looks in contrast to the white wood.

 
2.       Belaying pins were inserted into the pin saddle for the fore mast.  I have to confess, that I guess my pin saddle is a bit too tall.  When I test fit the belaying pins only a short nub stuck out the bottom.  So, I cut them in half and glued one half on top and the other half sticking out the proper length below.  Sometimes you just have to improvise!  No one will know, unless they read this blog!

 
3.       I bought a piece of 0.005” thick brass sheet to make the chafing piece that protects the main mast from the boom jaws.  It was cut to shape using scissors.  The hard part was getting the CA glue to hold the metal securely to the mast.  It took a few passes with glue.  I used a fine point punch to make the tiny holes to simulate it being nailed to the mast.

 
Gooseneck & Tack Shackle
1.       Above the pin saddle on the fore mast there are a couple of bands called the “Gooseneck and the Tack Shackle”.  This assembly holds the Fore Boom to the mast.
2.       I started by making the tack shackle, because I thought this would be difficult to make.  Since this piece holds up the fore boom, it needed to be heavier than the 1/64” stuff in the kit.  I purchased a package of assorted K&S brass strips a while back.  I selected a piece that was 1/32” thick.  I drew the shape on the end of the metal strip and drilled a couple of offset holes close to the end.
3.       I used my jeweler’s saw to cut out a piece that was shaped like the shackle but with a long neck.  I used files to refine the shape and smooth the rough edges.  I bent the long neck back on top of itself to form a ring.
4.        I made the gooseneck bands by bending 2 lengths of brass strip in half, drilling a hole close to the bent end and inserting a brass rod in each hole.  I also cut 2 more rods to use for pins on the other end.  A third “connector” rod with an eye on one end was also made.
5.       I began the assembly by attaching the 2 bands around the mast. The loose end has to be bent so there is enough space for the connector rod to fit in between the 2 pins.  It was tricky sliding the top pin in between the ends of the band with the connector eye in between.  It was even harder determining how long the connector had to be so the bottom eye is bent just right to fit between the 2 bands with the tack shackle in the middle.  After a lot of trial and error I got it right. 
I applied CA glue to hold everything in place.  However, note that the tack shackle needs to move freely on the connector.  I won’t know if I really got it right until it’s time to attach the fore boom!  That completes the construction for the bottom of the lower masts.

Originally posted Sept. 15, 2021
 
Building the Bowsprit
The following steps were used:
·         The bowsprit has to be shaped, built and painted
·         Fabricate and install numerous brass metal pieces
·         Attach the rigging lines to the bowsprit before mounting on the ship
·         Mount the bowsprit on the ship
·         Complete by attaching the rigging lines to the hull
 
Construction Steps
1.       Start with a ¼” dowel rod provided in the kit.  This needs to be tapered and sanded to shape according to the plans.  Mark the top, bottom and sides of the dowel clearly to start.  Carefully measure the reference points and transfer them to the dowel.  There is no tapering on the bottom side.  This would have been much easier if I had a milling machine.  So, I used my needle files to cut notches the required depth to match the taper at each reference point.  I used sanding paper/sticks to do the tapering.  I used my new “mini-vise” to keep the dowel anchored down firmly for sanding.
2.       Begin sanding the dowel according to the reference points.  Go slow and measure often.  Test fit on the ship to get the bowsprit to fit through the hole in the front.  Create a square section at the end to fit thru the bitts before the Sampson post.  My first effort was a mess!!  Good thing the kit provides enough dowel to make a second try.  This time it turned out much better. 
3.       Make Jib Stops.  Cut two strips of 3/32” square strip wood to 2 – 7/16” length.  Mark the locations for the notches.  I taped them together with blue tape and clamped them in the mini-vise.  I planned to use thin (0.008”) weight rope.  I used the square needle file to make the holes 1/32” deep and 3/64” wide.
4.       Glue the jib stop strips to the bowsprit once cutting is completed.
5.       Paint the assembled bowsprit black outside the ship and white where it sits on the deck.
6.       I made a jig stand to hold the bowsprit while pre-rigging the lines
 
Making the metal fittings
1.       Use the 1/64” x 1/16” wide brass strips provided in the kit to make the bands on the bowsprit.  Three bands are required at the tip end of the bowsprit. 
a.       At the very tip is a metal band with 3 rings extending off from the band.  Cut a strip of brass and bend it in a ring to fit on the end of the bowsprit.  The other end extends to form one of the fins on the ring.  Drill a hole in the fin.  Cut two more strips and drill holes at one end of each.  Solder the 3 pieces together as well as the main band shut.  Cut off the extra material close to the holes and file the corners to form it to a rounded shape.
b.       Make another band with 4 rings the same way
c.       Make a 3rd band that has no rings
d.       Sorry, I did not take any pictures of this process.  I’m still learning how to solder halfway decent!
2.       I used some electrical wire to mount the bowsprit to the stand I made before attaching the bands.

3.       Slip each band on, in order, starting with the plain band and CA glue them in place.
4.       Install 2 eyebolts according to the plans.  These will be used for rigging the sails.
5.       The next step is to make 5 staples, 4 links, 4 plates, 7 shackles & 6 turnbuckles out of brass.  I used the method published by Suburban Ship Modeler to make these metal pieces.  You can see my pictures for the turnbuckles.  I tried several methods for making the shackles based on reading the blogs from other modelers.  None of them worked for me.  I finally did it this way…
a.       Cut an 8mm long strip of brass to make a shackle that has 2 sides that are 1/8” long and a top width of 1/16”.
b.       Use a fine punch to make a pilot point in each end.  Drill holes with drill press using a #64 bit
c.       Round off both square ends with a square needle file to form a ring shape around the holes.  Hold it tight with needle-nose pliers.
d.       Mark the center and using my fingers, fold it over only about ¾ of the way using the handle end of my favorite curved tweezers (this provided the correct width).  Press down hard against the tweezers to flatten the top a bit.  Finish the bend with it centered just right!
e.       Use the tweezers to place it in the needle-nose pliers so the round side is sticking out the side.  Use the square needle file to shave a little off each side & round the edges to give it the shackle shape.
 
Making Turnbuckles: Brass tubing lined up on the drill press.  Next pic - Hole drilled into half the side of brass tube


Tubing pieces filed and cleaned up

Brass rod inserted to simulate the turnbuckle

 
Pre-Rigging the lines off the ship
1.       All the ropes were temporarily attached to the bowsprit using a bent piece of wire in the shackle.  That way in the final steps shown below, you can test fit the attachment point at the hull end, mark the exact spot in the line where the eye splice needs to go and remove the rope to make the eye splice and wrap the line in the Serv-O-Matic and reattach everything back on the ship.
2.       Backropes attach with a shackle to ring band 2.  Insert some bent wire in the shackle to temp hold it.
3.       Guy lines attach to ring band 1 using shackles and turnbuckles. 
4.       Bobstays are secured to the bottom of the bowsprit.  The Upper bobstay connects to a staple that is attached under the bowsprit, with a turnbuckle.  The Lower connects to Ring 1 at the bottom ring via a shackle and Turnbuckle.
5.       The foot ropes are too hard to make off the ship.  Wait until later to begin these.
 
Installing and rigging the Bowsprit to the hull
1.       Slide the bowsprit through the hole in the bow and use CA glue to secure it.  I never bothered to make the tenon & mortise at the base of the bowsprit.  I knew the chances of that fitting when I got to this point were slim and none.  I just placed a few drops of CA glue at the Sampson Post, between the bitts and at the hole in the hull.  The fit was already snug and held it in place.
2.       Jumbo Jib Traveler Block – carved from a piece of strip wood according to the plans.  Shape it with a curve so the bottom sits flush on the bowsprit.  A staple is made BUT NOT GLUED until later when the ring for the jumbo jib boom is attached.
3.       Gammon Iron – is a piece of metal that wraps around the bowsprit secures it to the bow.  I followed Suburban Ship Modeler’s instructions for making this piece.  The hardest part was positioning it and CA gluing to the bowsprit and hull.  0.032” brass rod is used to make “fake” bolts.


 
4.       Bobstays – I started working from the bottom up to avoid having to work inside of the lines mounted above.  Bobstays attach to plates that wrap around the keel.  Plates for the Upper are shorter than the Lower bobstays.  CA glue the plates in place, insert fake bolts in the hull and attach threaded bolts to run through the single holes at the front end.  Use an eye splice and a link to secure them to the bolts.  I used threaded bolts and nuts I purchased from ModelMotorcars.com for this last step.
Plates for Bobstays:

 
Upper bobstay completed.  Notice the rest of the bowsprit lines "pre-rigged" and waiting to be attached.

 
5.       Guy Lines – attach to plates mounted to the hull just below the eyebolt for the cathead.  Plates have a bolt on the aft end and a staple at the other.  Cut a brass strip from the kit strips.  Drill 3 holes as required and paint the strip black.  CA glue in place.  Attach a fake bolt and the staple.  Use an eye splice and a shackle to attach to the plates.  Ropes are 0.021” black line.
6.       Backropes – attach to staples that go in the rail forward of the catheads.  A link connects a turnbuckle to the staple.  An eye splice connects the rope to the TB. 
7.       Foot ropes – attach to staples below the rail on each side of the bow using a shackle.  On the other end I simply tied this thin rope to the shackle that was already on Ring 2.  Ropes are 0.008” line.  An eye splice is used on the hull end.  I used the following method to tie the “stirrups” as done by Suburban Ship Modeler:
a.       Tie the stirrup to one guy line.
b.       Run it under the foot ropes and up to the guy line on the other side.
c.       Tie it to the other guy line, being sure to leave the right amount of slack so it has the right curve.
d.       Use another piece of black thread to tie the foot ropes to the stirrups.
e.       Secure all the knots with a little dab of CA glue.
f.        I dabbed a little CA on the stirrups to help stiffen them in the ideal hanging position
8.       Jib Stops – short ropes used to tie down the jib sail when not in use.  These use tan rope.  Tie knots in the ends of the 10 short pieces of 0.008 tan rope and insert them into the holes.  Just let them hang down.
 
Pictures of the completed bowsprit:

 

Originally posted July 14, 2021
 
Deadeyes & Chainplates
The next step in my build plan is the deadeyes and chainplates.  If you’ve been following my build log, you may recall that my railing on the port side slipped slightly inboard while the glue was drying because I used rubber bands to hold them down.  Since my main railing doesn’t have the required overhang on this one side, I am going to use 1/64th inch thick black cover card stock that I ordered on-line to simulate the chainplates instead of using brass strip.  I’ve seen others do this in my research.  There are 2 sizes for the chain plates that are attached to the side of the hull.  The smaller size is for the top mast shrouds, while the rest are for the lower masts.  On my next build I hope I can do a better job with this.
 
Construction Steps
1.       I made a template of the required sizes (according to the plans) and used these to outline the card stock for cutting.  They need to be 1/64” thick, which is the same size as the brass sheet that should have been used.  They are 1/16” wide and have a point at the bottom.  I cut them out using some really old dissecting scissors from a biology lab class in college.  I sharpened them up using a wet stone to get a really clean cut.  The cut pieces were set aside in a plastic bag until needed.
2.       There are 20 deadeyes required.  16 large and 4 smaller sized ones.  Check the plans for the right sizes.  I think these are part # WP0339 for a 9/64” size deadeye and WP0390 for a 3/32” deadeye.  I placed them on a piece of fine wire and dunked them in some Minwax Natural stain.  I chose this after testing several colors, because I thought it looked good with the other stains on the ship.
3.       After staining, wrap the deadeyes with the thinner 0.014” brass colored wire from the kit.  Twist the wire at the bottom with pliers and cut them relatively short for gluing into holes that will be made along the railings.
4.       I measured the placement of the holes on the railings for each deadeye off the plans.  I marked the spot for each hole in pencil. I used my pin vise to drill the holes for a snug fit.  Dip the end of the wire in the medium CA glue and insert in the holes.  Make sure the deadeyes are parallel to the railing.
5.       CA glue was used to glue the card stock chain plates under each deadeye.  They are supposed to be angled according to the angle of the shroud that they serve, but I did not worry about this.  Along the quarter deck a tiny square of cardboard had to be glued in the space between the monkey rails. 
6.       Unfortunately, I messed up the hull with CA glue and then made it worse using the Un-Glue!!  Apparently, this stuff undoes paint and poly as well!  After I was finished, I lightly sanded down these bad spots and touched them up with black paint.  Finally, I reapplied some rub-on poly.  I think the end result will not be noticeable to anyone but me.
 
Chainplates for the Fore mast:

 
Chainplates for the Main mast:

 
The Deadeyes:

I was wondering how I would do the scroll around the hawse pipe, I tried to carve the scroll but the kit supplied wood is no good for this so thought about  painting it but trying to make both the same 🤔
So came up with making the scroll from .018" brass rod, using a pattern from LB Jensons book, in the book it does say ( these were drawn free hand cutting in with a chisel and painting with gold leaf) and also says scrolls done in summer seemed to have more knobs than those done in winter, being in flower, so to speak.
 
This is the start of the two scrolls as you can see there were some very small parts to solder together.
 

 

 
One completed and then I filed it down
 

 

 
These are the tools I used.
 

 
Now got to finish the second one and then paint yellow same as cove.
 
Thanks again to all who comment and for all the likes do apricate.
 
Regards
Richard 

Originally posted April 20/2021
 
The next step in my plan is to build the Companionway and Skylight for the Foredeck.  FYI, before each significant step in the process I start by putting together these construction plans.  They are a compilation of my study of the build logs on this forum, from which I take the best ideas and blend them with how I want my version of the Bluenose to be.  As mentioned previously, I rely heavily on the website of Suburban Ship Modeler.  For the most part, I follow his build plan.  I also take a lot of ideas from CPDDET on this forum, as well as a few others.  I don’t find the Bluenose instruction manual to be very helpful and I have not purchased anyone’s practicum.  As a newbie on my first real kit build, I’ve learned a lot in the past 11 months. 
 
Construction Plans for the Companionway
1.    Since the companionway and the skylight have a number of similar pieces, I made a few parts together.
2.    I first made the corner pieces from 1/16” square strip wood glued to a piece of 1/8 x 1/16” deck strip wood.  Since this structure is smaller than the cabin, I downsized the corners to match the smaller scale.  I glued it to a 1/8” square strip for attaching the sides and for strength.  I hand sanded the assembly to soften the outer edge but still keep it square enough for overlapping the coamings.    Made the length of this assembly long enough to use for the 8 corners of both structures.  I even made it a bit longer so I had a handle for staining.
3.    Used Sanding Sealer and then stained the corner pieces my Minwax dark walnut.  
4.    Traced the shape of the walls from the plans onto a 1/16” basswood sheet.  Cut these pieces out.  At the same time, I also cut the skylight sides.  Since the 4 walls are the same, I cut one long strip at the proper height.  Painted it white and then cut them into the required lengths to simplify the assembly.
5.    Before painting, I used my scribing tool to impress lines to simulate separate boards in the c-way doorway.
6.    After everything dried, I glued the corners and sides together for both using my jig to keep everything at a 90.
7.    After glue dried, I turned both structures upside down and outlined the shape onto a 1/16th inch sheet for the roofs.  I added an extra 1/16” for overlapping the roofs and sanded the edges to round them off.  The main roof on the c-way also requires the front edge to be notched so it appears that there is a hole when the hatch slides back.  This roof is stained.
8.    I cut some tiny square rails on the roof for the hatch to sit on.  These are painted white to contrast against the roof.
9.    The hatch appears to be taller (thicker) than the one on the main cabin.  I cut a piece of 1/8“ thick sheet wood to the required size.  I sanded this to shape with sanding sticks.  Painted it white.
10.    The finished parts were glued together
 
Construction Plans for the Skylight
1.    After cutting the painted sides to length, I drilled a 9/64” hole in the port and starboard sides.  Later I inserted a pair of brass port lights that Dave (CPDDET) was kind enough to send my way.  Thanks Dave!!
2.    The base of the skylight was assembled in the same manner as the companionway.
3.    I measured and cut the roof for the skylight the same way as the companionway.  But, for this roof I scribed a couple of lines to simulate a planked roof.  I didn’t bother with this detail on the c-way since the hatch covers most of it.
4.    Finally, I made smaller scale coamings for both structures.  I used a piece of hull planking that I cut in half.  So, it started out as a 1/16” square.  I sanded the outside edge on an angle to make it look like a piece of molding that is thinner at the top and 1/16” at the bottom.  I made one long piece and cut it up to fit both structures.  These are stained.  I mitered the corners and rounded off the corners.  Cutting these to fit was really a challenge because they are so small.  It’s hard to hold them and measure and mark the length all at once.  
 
Unidentified Object
I also made the unidentified object at this time.  I found an old dowel in my scrap wood pile in my workshop that was close to the right size.  I rounded off the top edge with sanding sticks and then cut a groove near the top to simulate a lid.  I cut it to the height shown in the blueprint plans.  Painted the lid white and the bottom the grey from the waterway.  I think it looks pretty good!  Here are some pictures.  This completes the main building structures on the deck.
 
Corner Pieces and sidewalls prepared for assembly:

 
Companionway & Skylight under construction:

 
Pictures of the deck with structures installed:

Originally posted April 14, 2021
 
2 Hatches
The next step was building the 2 hatches, one each for the fore deck and quarter deck.  These were pretty straightforward to build.  Here are the construction steps I used.
 
1.    Measure and cut the outside frames according to the plans.  Use lap joints w/ short ends at the fore & aft. 
2.    Measure and cut the inside ledge to hold the lids.  I also inserted a center brace to provide added strength and another place for gluing/holding the lids.
3.    Start gluing the sides together.  Make sure they are perfectly square using one of my jigs.
4.    Cut in the small cove around the outside of the frame using my new 1/32” ball tip stylus to impress the wood.  You can see this tool in one of the pictures below.
5.    I wanted to make the lids according to the plans, in two halves using individual planks.  I measured and cut really thin boards to frame the planks and also the planks themselves.  After constructing the lids I dry fitted them and rubbed the hatch on a sheet of sand paper to make sure they were flush with the outer frames.
6.    Paint the outside frames white and the lids with the dark walnut stain.  I started using sanding sealer whenever I stain to help even out the color.  The basswood planks seem to vary a lot in the amount of stain they will absorb.
7.    Sand the bottoms to fit the curvature of the deck.  I used the same technique as with the cabin.
8.    Seal them with Minwax satin wipe on poly.
9.    Add the eye bolts and rings according to the plans.

If you go the route of the cradles as I did, let me know. Using the contour gauge for this purpose is a bit tricky. I'll pass along some tips.

What a great save!  I may have to do something similar with mine as I didn't consider how to mount the model when starting the build.  I have been leaning toward a cradle in my mind and your solution looks simple yet elegant.
 
Bob

The first challenge was to figure out how to flip the ship over so I could design the cradle. Luckily I had a piece of balsa wood that was spongy enough to friction fit in the mast mounts. Then just mounted the ship upside down in the keel vice. Since I made the error of not prepping the keel/hull for mounting bolts I decided to use dowels to strengthen the cradle assembly.

 
Using a profile gauge, I managed to copy the hull in two places and make cradles out of basswood.

 

 
Then test fit the cradles on the hull.

 
Using double stick tape, I mounted the basswood cradles on the walnut base and double checked the fit.

 

 
Picked up a piece of walnut and used the basswood pieces as a pattern to mark the walnut and cut them on the scroll saw.

 
Then drilled holes in both the base and cradle pieces

 
I glued wood dowels into the base and glued the cradle pieces to these

 
Then drilled holes in the base of the cradle pieces to accept dowels that I glued into the keel

 

 
Then put 3 coats of wipe on poly on the finished piece.

 
Now it’s on to the bow sprit.

Repainting the hull went pretty smoothly. I used larger pieces of tracing paper and blue painters tape for masking.
 

 
Then used my airbrush to repaint. I decided not to extend the yellow stripe over the chainplates as I wanted this detail to stand out a bit.
 

 
Did a little brush work on the chainplates to finish them up, so that part of the build is now finished.
 
I had planned on moving to the bow sprit next but decided that now was the time to get the ship mounted to a base. I already had a nice walnut base and brass standoffs but, do to ANOTHER beginners error, I neve prepped the keel / hull for mounting nuts / screws. So I've decided to build some type of cradle for the model. Going to have to get creative here as I need to secure the ship upside down to work on this step. Ill keep you all posted as that progresses.

I am using my scanner/printer to get the details on a separate printout. Yes, the copy is a 100% match. Pinning it down on a corkboard and adding on with kitchen wrap to make notes on.
Works for me and the result are more than okay.

Working on the spreaders trestle tree.
Squares along with lego becomes handy. Sorry for the sideway picture.

Working on the mast and details, some of the items are extremely small but still have to have detailing added.
With my little razor blade saw I was (hehe, just made a palindrome) able to rip a 0.42mm out from a 3x3mm stock.

Some interesting progress on the Fish. After my error described in the last post, I made 32, 18 mm circumference wire loops and fitted them to 32 of the largest deadeyes, pushing the wire into the channel in the deadeyes and leaving a rectangular section at one end to insert blackened brass strip that will become the chain plate. Actually, I probably made more like 60 of the loops, as, in the process of fitting the loops around the deadeyes and forming the attachment point, I think I snapped one for every one that was successfully manufactured. Nevertheless, they are made and ready to start installation.
 
I had cut the chains according to the patterns on the plans so that the chainplates will align with the shrouds. This meant that each plate would have to be of a different length in order to ensure that the bottoms of the preventers would run (more or less) along the same line. So, I measured the distance between the lower chains and the top of the preventer off the plans and put a piece of Tamiya tape on the hull so that the top of the tape is where I wanted to upper bolt on the preventer to end.
 
(it's about 6 mm). I then took a deadeye with the brass strip attached, fitted it to the correct pair of cutouts on the chains, and carefully bent the brass strip so that the it would hit the hull at the top of the tape. I then put the bent deadeye/chainplate into a jig to hold it in place, and carefully drilled two holes 4 mm apart. (the lines are 4 mm).

 
I did this for the 6 chainplates the hold the shrouds (in this case for the port side main mast) and marked them with tape so I'd know which is which. Next I removed the tape and used CA glue to attach the 6 chainplates to the chains, but didn't glue where they attach to the hull.
 

 
From there, I glued a pre-painted black strip over the two chains, since the plates are not on the outer edge of the chains, but rather pass through. I only covered the shroud plates at this time, as I will need to do something similar for the backstays.
 

 
Finally, I used a pin vise to drill holes in the hull for the bolts, and used small nails dipped in CA to secure them in place.
 

 
It's not perfect, but this is the 'non-display' side and I suspect I will get better as I go. It is definitely better than I did with the Niagara, and I think that the concept is generally sound. Here is another view:
 

 
I also built up the core of the lower mizzen mast. It is solid, not built, but I turned it more or less the same way I did the other masts because it struck me as easier to wind up with a nice square core where the top will live rather than trying to cut out a square from round stock. Anyway, I think it looks nice.
 

 
One question. I've been detailing and painting the ship's boats, and I was wondering about how standardized the loadings of them would have been. The plans say to set all three boats on the deckhouse with the boat bows facing forward. They would seem to 'pack' better, with more room on the the roof of the deckhouse if the cutter and the Captain's gig had their bows facing aft and the longboat had its bow facing forward. One of the boats needs a bit of touch up before I mount it, but I would be curious if anyone has any thoughts here.
 

 
As always, thanks for looking in and the encouragement!
 
Regards,
George K

Installed the starboard side chainplates today.
 
I used the 3 tools pictured here: a 1/32 drill bit mounted in a pin vice, a #11 knife and a 1/32 PCB drill bit. I received a set of the PCB drill bits for Christmas but haven't used them much as they seem to screw themselves into material rather than drilling a hole and clearing the shavings as a regular drill bit does. If you look closely your can see the difference between the bit in the pin vice and the PCB bit. While I'm not familiar with the correct names of drill bit parts, the PCB bit is more like a screw. But I found it works rather well when used as a file in this application to elongate the drilled holes.
 

 
I started out by drilling 1/32 holes for each of the 5 chainplates and then used the PCB bit and #11 blade to elongate them.
 

 
Wanting a strong bond to the hull, I sanded off a section of paint so that the chainplates would adhere directly to the wood  instead of the paint.
 

 
I used CA to attach the chainplates to the hull and added some small nails to simulate bolts. These small nail heads probable won't be very visible once painted but I thought they were a nice detail, even if only I know that they are there. This is the forward starboard side.
 

 
This is the aft starboard side where I had to be a bit more precise with my drilling. The slot for the chainplate needed to go through the monkey rail, stay on the outboard side of the the monkey board and then through the main rail.
 

 
Once I finish up the port side I will re-paint the hull.

Thanks for your comments Wally and Dave, these are the drawings from LB Jenson book the Bluenose 11 (these are to help with my build if not allowed please delete)
He shows a drawing of the Bluenose which I have used for stove and chimney and the other two show the inside of the Schooner Caroline Rose.
 

 

 

 
This is part of the Captain cabin
 
 
 
This is where I am now and will paint it white inside.
 

 

 
Will be adding some curtains where their beds go
 
Also got the cove painted and also the bowsprit painted and installed 
 

 

 

 
Until next time
 
Regards
Richard
 

Getting close to a year without a post 🤔 where does time go 🙄
 
A while ago I started making some parts inside the main cabin, used the information from LB Jensons book but they are not from the Bluenose, they are based on photographs of the Schooner Caroline Rose.
 

 

 
Just wondering if the inside would be painted white 
 
Regards
Richard
 
 
 
 

Keeping up with a clean work area and a beautiful Bluenose.

Second dry fitted mast in place.
So far so good. 
But I never realised the shere height of
masts from waterline
.

My masting in works.

 
Sorry for America and Syren in the background.😁😉

Hi all, 
I have been slowly making progress.  But I have made progress.  I find it amazing that what I think will take 15 minutes takes an hour to rig.  I find that I run a line, then find it wrapped around something or needs to be run differently not to fowl another line, etc.   Then I have to pull it out and re-rig it another time or two.  It's taking much longer than I anticipated.   However, it's fun when I'm not getting aggravated at reworking lines.  One step forward, two steps (or more) back.  
 
This is where I'm at tonight. 

When I rigged  the mast I braced around the yards as I worked from bottom to top. I didn't have any of the actual brace lines rigged.  Per Harry's (HOF) recommendation, I will wait until the end to rig the actual braces.  I just lightly glued the yards into position. This allowed me to run all of the rigging through the fairleads and to the pins as I rigged.  I glued the lines to the pins as I went and this allowed for a very clean process.  However there was a price.  I had a heck of a time running the lines with the yards braced around. Maybe I should have rigged top to bottom?  Anyway For the main mast I decided not to brace the yards around. I'm running all of the lines through the fairlead board (where applicable) then through the fairleads on the shrouds and then I just pulling the lines through the rail to the outboard of the ship. My thought is that at the end, I move the yards  (brace) into their final position and adjust the tension on the lines and belay the lines to the pins, let it sit for a few days and adjust any tension needed, then glue the lines to the pins.  So far,  I've gotten the course through the t-gallant rigged and it seems to be working ok.  
 
here's a shot.  I have taken more photos and will post them after I move them from my camera to the computer. 
 
Take care, stay well, and stay safe. 
best, 
marc
 
A few shots of the model 
 
 

 
Main mast -rigging is loose

 
Aft fore mast rail 

 
 

 
main mast progress. loose rigging

 
Aft side of the main mast spider band - work in progress

I have also shaped the masts (bottom parts).
Once shaped the will get a coat of pine varnish and clear varnish on top of that. 

I have surely not payed enough attention to this girl, but in the background changes and movement forward has occured.
One area is the cabin furniture, the skylight gave me some headache about centering. Then I thought about tape, this way I could get the skylight perfect in all locations.
 

 

 

 

Took forever but all the chainplates are finished and ready to install. Now just have to work up the courage to mark the locations and start drilling the holes for them.
 

 
 

Well, it's been almost a month since the last update. Partially because the work I was doing was repetitive and not changing the appearance of the ship all that much, partially because I spent some time visiting my older daughter in Boise, and partially because I've had a long list of backed up house maintenance items that needed completion. However, an update on some progress that has been made.
 
First, I turned the lower foremast the same as the lower main. The result (unpainted, but in situ) are shown below. 
 

 
It isn't much different, the dimensions of the built portions are about 3/8 inch shorter, the square element only 1/8 inch shorter, reflecting the relatively similar sizes of the two built spars.
 
Next, I built the windlass handles on the poop deck. I used a slightly different design than shown in the diagrams which struck me as being sturdier. In any case it is installed:
 

 
Most of the rest of the work has been to build out the chains and the chain plates. First the chains, the upper chains flat, the lower chains wider at the root and narrower at the plate end. Notches were made for the various chain plates and then they were painted, the necessary eyebolts added, and installed on the port and starboard sides of the ship. I set the notches up according to the plans so that when the plates are added, they should align with the direction of the relevant shroud or stay. Once the plates are made, I will add a thin, black painted strip to the outer ends to retain the plates and deadeyes.
 

 

 
Finally, I've begun making the deadeyes. I started by making 32 wire loops from 17 mm pieces of 24 gauge wire as below:
 

 
Unfortunately, they all needed to be about 1 mm longer to readily fit around the deadeyes and leave enough room for the blackened brass strip that is the plate itself to fit in, so I've been making new ones from 18 mm of 24 gauge brass wire. I've also ordered a set of better drill bits, as the ones I have are really terrible for cutting the nail holes in the brass strip. By the time that they arrive I hope to have all of the shroud deadeyes stropped and ready for fitting on the ship and the plates ready to be cut to length and have the necessary holes drilled for the nails that are representing the bolts.
 
Until then, more soldering.
 
As always, thanks for looking in, and for the likes and encouragement.
 
Regards,
George K