bhermann

Jib hanks
My hanks are approximately 6” high by 4” wide or half the size shown on the plans, which appear too large to me. Specifically, they are .094” (2.4 mm) high by .068” (1.7 mm) wide. I used 30 gage copper wire (.010”, .25 mm) and formed the hook ends around two #77 (.018”, .46 mm) drills spaced .130” (3.3 mm) apart. After trimming the hooks I bent the hank around the smallest end of round nose pliers (.048”, 1.22 mm). I shaped these as shackles rather than planar as shown on the plans. Perhaps proving I am no sailor, but right wrong or indifferent, they look better.
 
Stitching hanks to jibs.
Lacking any guidance, I use a running stitch to sew the hanks to the jib. This works well for me and will work if the hanks are planar. I cut a thread twice the length of the hem and harden the free end with thin CA. This makes it easy to thread through the hank hooks and needle. I have to remove the needle twice for each hank since the hooks are smaller than my needles.
 
Start by locking the stitch and running the needle inside the sail hem to the point of the first (or next) hank. In this photo you can see the needle exiting the hem at the left divider point.
 
 
Remove the needle and thread the hank from the inside out to make the hank lie properly at the stitch.

 
Rethread the needle and stitch through the hem from immediately below the hank, (I learned later that stitching below the hank helps keep it normal to the hem) so the hank will lie upright.

 
Thread the other hook, again from the inside out.

 
Pull the thread tight and check the position of the hank. Now is the time to make corrections. Thread the needle and start a stitch (again below the hank)to proceed to the next hank.
 
 
Completed jib hanks.

 
Dave B

Hull planking - was done mostly in my lap.  (What can I say, I didn't know any better!) 
 
Bob

Thanks to all of you!
 
I have completed the area around the cat heads. Small details and tricky soldering. The most challenging parts were the iron bars that connects to the hull sides. I made them from wire, flattened in both ends and then filed to shape. Finally, a hole was drilled in each end. 
 
Once again, I got use of my bolt heads, great product that brings an additional level of detail. Can you spot them in the pictures??
 
Time has come to mount the model to its brass stands and to the base board. Having done that, I will dry fit all the deck structures and post a few pictures displaying the complete status as per start of 2014.
 
Next step is to complete all the ring- and eye bolts and other deck fittings. There are also a few cleats that needs to come on.
 
I wish all of you a merry christmas and a happy new year!
 
Best regards from a windy Stockholm.
/Alfons
 










 
 

Got a few hours off this weekend and spent some time with Emma.  Don't tell my wife.  
 
I continued fitting out the interior details. Aft, I installed the "sleepers" which are the beams that support the "sole" (the floor of the rear cabin). Similarly, the beams that hold the forecastle floor were installed. As an aside, any sailing vessel I've been on calls the forward storage area the "sail locker" so I will call it that.  It is my boat after all and I'm the captain 
 
Here are some detail shots of laying for forward floor boards (joists if you build houses).  

First, the foremost and after-most beams were installed, taking care to make sure they were semi-level.  Then the middle beams were installed using a "checking" plank /straight edge thing.  You can see it labeled "DOWN" in the photo.  Clothespins were used to hold them in place as the glue set.  
 
As another aside, clothespins have a "just right" amount of tension that doesn't dent the wood.  My metal spring clamps hold like nothin' but can dent the wood.  I prefer a piece that fits, and the "clamp" is simply to hold it in place as the glue dries, rather than force it in place as the glue sets. I almost NEVER use pins.  They leave holes that I find unsightly and can occasionally distort the piece being glued in. 
 
Here you can see the fore and aft sleepers installed.  Please note too that I continue to thank myself for making the deck beams removable. Soooooo much easier to work on the interior but still be able to locate parts according to the deck plan. 

 
After laying the joists/sleepers, I was really exited to start some deck planking.  I first planked the sail locker.  I really wanted to joggle the decking up in the locker there, if not for any other reason than to say "joggle" a few more times. Joggle Joggle joggle.  Joggle is a funny word.  Alas, I figured that if I were building a real boat, I would just cut the beam ends square, leaving a hand/arm gap so when I inevitably  drop my keys down into the bilge, I at least can reach in and get them out of the muck. 
 
Here I cut all the planks to length for a fit-up. They aren't glued in yet. The instructions are notoriously poor, so I used my judgement. 

 
 
Then I glued them in using absolutely tiny spots of glue.  It looks exactly the same as the non-glued in photo above. 

 
It occurred to me when I was stalking others' build logs that you can get lost in the details.  I think I might try to end each post with a "big picture" shot or two. So here is a front-on and a port quarter shot with everything glued in and the deck beams resting in place.  
 


 
 
Cheers!
-cb
 
**post updated March 23 to include missing photos from server crash

Bob, Ron, Robert, Michael,
 
Thank you very much for your interest and comments on Arethusa. Thanks also go to those who have looked in and 'liked' Arethusa.
 
With the cove in ship shape and the remediation covered under a nice coat of hull black Arethusa is looking better. I've learned a lesson on that cove - similar future details will just be pin stripe masked!
 
On my Smuggler build I first encountered dry transfer decals and while I had a few minor issues with them I did like their application and look. I gave carving the name and hail in wood the old college try, on test pieces of course, but couldn't get the widths of the components of each letter thin enough for my liking and settled on these. My attempts at hand carving were pretty bad, and using a Dremel with a 1/32 inch diameter bit yielded only slightly better results. Woodland Scenics have many fonts, colors, and sizes, allowing for (at least close) matching to what is known of a ships name lettering. I am happy with the results and they were rather easy to apply.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia
 
PS I soldered and fabricated 13 more ringbolts, the last four lower deadeye strops, and four bullseye strops and eyebolts today - yeah.

some more updates, interior and the round window in the cabin. Sorry for not really going into too much detail how the processes are done, time is limited as of late since I'm desperately trying to get this done for Christmas!
 
Any questions tho, let me know.
 
 Started with getting the bench situated and framed up:
 
 
 
This one shows the round window in place. still needs final detailing on it:
 
 
 
 
 
then attached the front and top boards to that. Once this was done, I started on the cabin front section:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LOTS more work to do!
 

Patrick,
 
Your last bit states it all:   One can only do one's best.   One of the things this site is all about is to help you do your best along with learning new skills and increasing your enjoyment of this hobby.  And don't forget to have fun since if it isn't fun, it isn't a hobby.  

Shipwrights - a little progress on my dearest Arethusa.  Third time is a charm, at least for me and the yellow cove.  I redid one last section of it on the starboard bow, eliminating the last offensive (to me) waver.  Done.  Yipee!  I have added the ship's name and hail port in the appropriate locations, using Woodland Scenic Dry Transfer letters, and have repainted much of the upper hull black.  I have completed the checker board guide installations, the boom buffer, the cleats, the chocks, and the stanchion located ringbolts.  I have also installed guide pins for the deck furniture to ensure proper placement and to ensure better retention of the components.  It is surprising how much time all of those little elements time.
 



 
Though not show here in photos I have completed 16 of the 20 double wire strops for the deadeyes, have stained the deadeyes (Minwax Ebony stain), and have fabricated/soldered much of the catheads.  I hope to show all of these elements assembled in the not too distant future.
 
Cheers,
 
Elia

Daniel, I couldn't match your beautiful work on the Victory's anchor cable, but did rebuild the windlass on our boat to raise 500 - 700 lb. of anchor and chain. A bit small for the Victory.
 
Jerry, I'm still at the amazed stage of the white whites and bright colors.
 
Popeye, Where can I find a copy of your "Modelers Creedo?"  Sounds interesting.
 
Daniel (Sailor),  I looked at your bio and was astounded.  I was also a lieutenant in the Canadian Navy (Reserve) and as a midshipman, spent time on HMCS Sioux (tribal class destroyer) and HMCS Antigonish (Frigate), 1951 - 1954. AND built models of the Cutty Sark, USS Constitution and of course the present Victory.  Dream on!  Our dream came in 1999 - 2002 when we took our boat offshore  for three years and 30,000 miles. I couldn't find a build log, but hope you'll start one before getting too far along.
 
Nick, (Pompey2), Your Victory is a delight to behold. I'm looking forward to seeing the rigging come to life.
 
And finally, finishing up the Main mast topgallant yard.  Adjusting the foot ropes.
 

 
The state of the ship before progressing on to the Mizzen Mast.  Click to enlarge.
 
 
 
Cheers, Gil

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 31 – Aft Square Frames 3
 
The installation of the remaing full square frames has now been completed – back through frame 29. 
 
Starting with frame 21, the cutting down line begins to rise.  This is the line of the inboard faces of the frames adjacent to the keelson.  However, unlike the 18thC RN ships,  the keelson remains straight and horizontal all the way back to the stern post knee in these ships.  So the tops of the full frames need to be notched as shown in the first picture – to accept the straight keelson.
 

 
This notching of the last several full frames increases the thickness – the molded breadth – of the lower part of the frames so that when the first half frame is reached there will be enough depth for that frame to be secured with horizontal bolts to the keelson/deadwood.  That increased depth needs to be approached in a fair line so the inboard planking will lie flat on the frames with no steps up.
 
The next picture shows the last of the full frames installed – back to the filler piece atop the keel.  The remaining aft frames will be bolted on the face of this filler and the keelson/deadwood with horizontal bolts – as was done at the bow.
 

 
This picture shows the gradually increasing height of the cutting down line over the last half-dozen or so frames.  The straight lower keelson will fit into the notches.
 
The remaining three pictures show the framed hull at this stage – with the clutter of tools and debris removed..
 

 
Another foot or so of hull framing remains to be done – almost back to the ends of the two temporary ribbands.
 

 
The last picture gives some indication of the fairing of the hull at this stage.  Only the pre-bevelling of the individual frames has been done so far.  The frames appear to be fair with about 1/64”.  Some adjustment in alignment of a few frames may reduce that further, leaving only a small amount of final sanding.
 

 
The next steps will be to refine the fairing of the floors on the inboard side prior to installing the remainder of the keelson.  It is much easier to do this before the keelson is installed.  With the two levels of the keelson installed, .the deadwood can be constructed.  This will allow the half and cant frames to be set.
 
Since this will be the last post before Christmas, I will wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a great new year.  Thanks for following these postings.
 
Ed

Time for an update....installing the port shutters, as always the instructions are way too detailed about it 
 

 

 
those used to be made of etched brass so....thats where they where
 

 
as i side note, i figured out what are those small pieces with two holes in them....still trying to solve the enigma of the larger ones...remember they where made of brass once, any ideas?
 

 
not very easy to get the position of the port shutters
 

 
this is the result
 

 

 

 
Time for some ornaments
 

 

 
i guess they are of average quality found in kits, i did some adjustments to them, making them similar, the tools i use for such work in the second pic. I got a lot of experience with them building the San Felipe. The one at the stern needed a lot of bending of course, basic rule is to do it slowly and gradually.
 

The figurehead was way to thin to mount it on the keel, i did both widen it and shaved the keel, before gluing it i checked her high with the bowsprit that goes above her 
 

 
The last two pieces, that i don t know how are called, wheren t problematic, apart from the fact that they are very "raw". So the final results:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
That s it for today...
 
Tomas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I have done all the planking without any clamping.
In the book "ship modeling simplified" Frank Mastini uses a gluing method of both wood glue and CA.
The CA works like clamps and the wood glue for strength. 

This is an update on the progress of the starboard ornaments.
First parts were gilded and glued into place.
Also the little angels in the two "circles" were remade to be smaller and little more looking like the original...
 
Thanks for visiting.

Thank you all for your comments.  I did some research on the paint and with some help from a couple guru's on this forum and in the club I found my answer to the color scheme.  I also think it fits the Queen Anne's Revenge rather well.  She took a much darker turn.
 

 

 

 
Ships in this day in age generally came in three colors.  Ocher, red and black.  Usually a mixture of the three.  The colors came from different things mixed in the paint.  Black was created from ash.  Red from oxidization or essentially rust.   I'm not sure about ocher I'd have to ask again.  A very common theme for the day was a black ship with an ocher stripe a long the gun ports and red on the inside of the bulwarks.  This seemed to fit so I went with it.  
 
The masts are in place but I plan on cutting them down and stepping them.  Still more to do.    

Many thanks Popeye. You may have bailed me out.
And Klaas and Jerry, I sincerely appreciate your comments.
 
A REFLECTION........Why do we spend so many hours building model ships that were in their prime over 200 years ago or more?  We each have different priorities, however many are common to the majority of us.  For me, the satisfaction of working with my hands to produce a replica of a ship with beautiful lines tops the list.  We learn a great deal about ships of the day, and how they worked, sailed and crossed oceans, and perhaps more than we need to know about the source of our immediate project.  I'll never anchor our boat again without thinking of Daniel's dissertation on anchoring the "Victory." (I'd need ten men to raise our anchor without a power windlass.)  We strive for authenticity in our models, which of course can lead to obsession over details, while sharing with great joy the interchange with our friends on MSW.  They praise us when we get it right and keep us humble when we miss the mark. But most of all it's dialog with friends from around the world.
 
We build model ships for the love of the sea, and dreams of crossing the horizon to who knows where.  "If I were a lad in 1805 going to sea........................."
 
We build the models for presentation, but since larger models don't travel well, our audience is limited to close friends and family, unfortunate neighbors whose eyes glaze over when told of over three thousand copper plates or serving the shrouds and grand and great grand children who call it a "Pirate Ship."  Few of us will ever crack the door of a major museum, so the venue will likely be the front hall, back room or where ever space allows.  Judy says, "The house is a museum."
 
Net result?  It's a passion and it's fun.
 
One other observation.  Vindicari noted that my Yellow Ochre seemed brighter and more Yellow than the real ship.  I responded with a "learned reply" about mixing paints, effects of lighting, etc............and then I had cataract surgery three days ago.  You guessed it.  With the unoperated eye, the "Yellow Ochre" looks pretty good, while through the operated eye, it's brighter and more yellow . So from now on, one has to consider the age of the old geezer and whether he has cataracts.  Nuff said.
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Gil

BEADS - another use for beads is as parrel beads for all those gaff rigged schooners out there - or other applications where there are single parrels in use.
 
Steve - great thread - may I suggest you change the title to something that might help people realize what you are trying to do with it?  It will help get more responses, I suspect.
 
Thanks,
Bob
 

Ed -
 
I have been following along in the Crothers book as you go.  I purchased it a couple of years ago in preparation for my next build.  I have to say, with the explanations you are providing, it is making more sense to me than it did at the first read-through.  You are almost inspiring me to do things like put extra bulkheads into the kit keel to make fairing go more smoothly .  I will be following every detail of this one!
 
Thanks,
Bob

BEADS - another use for beads is as parrel beads for all those gaff rigged schooners out there - or other applications where there are single parrels in use.
 
Steve - great thread - may I suggest you change the title to something that might help people realize what you are trying to do with it?  It will help get more responses, I suspect.
 
Thanks,
Bob
 

Steve, you present several interesting ideas. Keep it up. 
However, the 'crumbled aluminum can' idea was not mine to start with. It was an old one proposed by . . .
I don't remember.
What I suggested was to use very thin cloth and go from there per: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/89-making-cloth-flags/?hl=%2Bmaking+%2Bflags
 
More importantly: I wish all of you people a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
If Christmas is not on your agenda, I hope that your God or believe will allow us to pursue more friendship and common enterprises through this great forum and other venues.

I test fit the hull back into the water......I'm thinking it's looking pretty good.

I found an easy way to melt the beeswax on my line was to simply fill a water glass with near boiling water.  Coat your line with wax by running it over the wax cake, then run the line against the glass that's been filled with the boiling water.  Beeswax melts at a low temperature and the water-heated glass is plenty hot enough to melt the wax into the line.  With the scarcity of incandescent bulbs (at least in our house), this seems like an easy solution.  Plus, you're not staring into a bright light or worrying about burning the thread with a lighter.
 
I did end up with streaks of wax on the glass, but it washes right off.
 
Andy.

BEADS - another use for beads is as parrel beads for all those gaff rigged schooners out there - or other applications where there are single parrels in use.
 
Steve - great thread - may I suggest you change the title to something that might help people realize what you are trying to do with it?  It will help get more responses, I suspect.
 
Thanks,
Bob
 

Thanks Augie, Yes the holly, like all the wood from Hobby Mill, is really nice and fun to work with.
 
Thanks Chuck much appreciated.
 
Hi Bob, Thanks and your Essex is coming along very nicely too!
 
I have completed planking half of the gun deck. One plank had to be notched to fit around the hatch.
It doesn’t adhere to planking procedures and it is a little too thin but close enough. There won’t be
any rot issues anyways. At least I hope not!  
 

 

 

 

 
 
The hatch has not beeen glued in place yet as I have to sand and scrape the deck, treenail and seal it.

Thanks, Hamilton. I really had been hoping for others to do the build at the same time so that we could help push each other along. Having said that, Terry I think you made the right choice. Good luck with the Emma.
 
The bulwark planking on the port side is now done. Everything was done the same as on the other side. As usual, having done it once made the second effort go a little quicker and easier, though I have to admit that knowing that more of it would remain visible probably made me a bit more careful this time.
 
My plan is to now do the stern windows and finish the outer stern planking, and then do the inner stern planking and cabinetry. That will be followed by the gun deck planking. 
 
Bob

A few more pieces done:
 
Mast bottom flange:
 

 
Small porthole window to mold and cast:
 
 
 
And the bell for the mast. Bell made out of rigid foam as the other items above, arm made from styrene: