Craigie65

Spritsail Yard
For the last few days I have been working on building the spritsail yard. It was an interesting element to construct and I am happy with the end result. The process I followed was as follows.
 
Starting with a suitable length of dowel the tapers were applied. The  central section is a hexadecagon, i.e. a 16 sided polygon. Using a simple jig to hold the dowel in place I was able to file and create the 16 flat edges required for the hexadecagon. Next I marked and drilled the holes required for the eyebolts and footrope stirrups. A hole was also drilled for the pin that would help secure the spritsail yard to the bowsprit.
 
After the eyebolts and footrope stirrups had been blacked they were added to the spritsail yard along with the various cleats. The spritsail yard was then painted black.
 
Next the various blocks and thimbles were seized and secured to the spritsail yard. You may note in the attached pictures that I did forget to add two blocks, which are located at either end of the spritsail yard.
 
The final task was to add the footropes. The two outer footrope loops could have been more even with each other for a better symmetrical look. However once all the rigging has been added I do not think it will be that noticeable.

I now have to decide what task to tackle next. My intention was to add the bowsprit to the Indy and the foremast stays and then continue with the adding the fore topmast and fore topgallant mast. On  the other hand I might move on to constructing and installing the both main and mizzen channels and then adding the masts and their associated shrouds and ratlines.
 
I also need to paint and fit the figurehead.

Progress continues....whilst it's summer here in Australia, more rain than sunshine combined with a broken foot allowed me to spend the day on the next steps.
 
So, for now I've left the hold/lower deck with just a coil of rope.  The only other items included were a few barrels. I'll modify them by sanding off the wooden turned bands, and replacing with black tape for a more scale-like appearance.  I'll also add more barrels, plus some timbers and perhaps crates or sacks of supplies for the new colony.
 
One item I'll add when I get home is an upright piano - according to records I found, the Sirius carried the new Governor's piano. So I should add this!
 
Work then moved to the mess deck.  I replaced the laser-etched kit gratings with new ones built up, whilst still a bit oversized, the photo shows the comparison and improvement. 
The hold ladder was built, and posts and knees added to the hold. These will be painted later after a bit of putty has been applied to gaps.
 
Next step is the furniture and fittings for the mess deck - tables  hammocks, lockers, etc.
 
More updates soon hopefully! 

Thanks for watching, next updates should be more frequent. 
 
Darren
 

Excellent build and a credit to your fleet.
You powered through the rigging in short time.
 
The name plate is a nice touch.

Excellent build and a credit to your fleet.
You powered through the rigging in short time.
 
The name plate is a nice touch.

Excellent build and a credit to your fleet.
You powered through the rigging in short time.
 
The name plate is a nice touch.

Excellent build and a credit to your fleet.
You powered through the rigging in short time.
 
The name plate is a nice touch.

So the voyage is done. Best build I have done in terms of fun and quality of the kit. Unsure what to do next. Will need to look around.
 

 
And finally Pellow and Hornblower discussing the state of the build
 

 
Thanks for all the comments and support.

Snowy day up here in Vermont. Good excuse to spend the day inside working on the Flirt.
 

 
I’ve been doing a bunch of reading about planking techniques, but at a certain point need to just dive in and get the experience. Although of course the first planking will be covered, my plan is to spend some time on it to get a feel for what the final planking will involve.
 
Taped off 3 belts which will use 5 planks for the top and bottom, and 6 planks in the middle. By my measurements, I should only need to taper the planks at the bow, and the stern should work out to the correct spacing (without reaching the very bottom of the deadwood as that will be sanded down anyway). Could be totally off on that, but as I said, this first layer will be all about learning!
 

 
Used strips of card and a planking fan to subdivide the belts in the bow where they taper and marked.
 

 
Still figuring out how exactly they will be tapered as they reach the garboard plank. Thinking I should make the garboard and that will give me a better visual of how everything else will need to work. Looks to me like the tip of the garboard should hit the stem post right about at the bottom of the lowest slot.
 
My plan is to start with the upper belt, followed by the lower belt, then fill in between them.
 
Put together a bending rig using some scraps and clamps ala Chuck and others. My wife was not excited when I commandeered her fancy/expensive iron, so I've got a cheap travel iron from amazon heading this way.
 

 
…and got to it!
 



 
Used PVA and pins. Starting to get the hang of the bending, but there definitely is a learning curve (no pun intended) and figuring out where the apex of the bend should be and how much to bend isn’t easy. With these first two the pins ended up needing to hold more than I would have liked, but I’m going to keep going and expect it will get easier and better as my mind wraps around it. Note that the 2nd plank at the 3rd bulkhead has an uneven edge in the photo above. I think it got gummed up when being clamped in my bending jig, which has since been cleaned up with a couple scrapes of my knife, but a good reminder to be careful with how I’m clamping them.
 
While I was fighting with the bulwarks and waiting for them to soak and dry multiple times, I started working on some of the deck details. Can’t say I love removing char, but I do enjoy tackling little mini projects when I’m frustrated by something else.
 
Started with the capstan.
 

 
In general I’m trying to smooth out the pear wood grain as much as possible. To my eye, nothing kills scale like overly pronounced wood grain, especially on painted parts. This may have bit me on the capstan though, as after sanding the surfaces, there were gaps in the joints. Since this is painted, I used wood filler to close up the gaps.
 



 
While working on this, I got to thinking that it might be fun to rig the capstan with the messenger cable and bars as if it is mid pulling up the anchor. Plenty of time to ponder that before I’ll need to make any decisions.
 
Moved on to the anchors.
 

 
Glad I double checked the fit of the shank through the stock, as the slot in the stock needed to be significantly deeper than the laser had cut. Adjusted a little at a time with my knife until it was a snug fit.
 

 
Decided to taper the stocks as well, since it seems like the would have come to more of a square profile at the ends (photo above was mid process, and ended up tapering more)
 
After seeing the above photo, I decided to bevel the edges of the MDF anchors as they looked wrong with the perfectly sharp corners. Not the easiest thing to do with the MDF since the texture makes it very hard to see what you’re doing, but I think it’ll be an improvement to the look once painted. There were some gaps where the flukes meet the arms which I used wood filler to smooth out.
 

 
Next I cleaned up and assembled the ladders.
 


 
That pen in the foreground of the photo above should give you a sense of their actual size. Note that the ‘sawtooth’ parts where the treads slot into are quite fragile at their thinnest points. Managed to break one of them while sanding the char, but luckily was easy to glue back together when inserting the treads. These will not be painted, so I did my best to remove all the visible char and not simply smooth them. Also note that a small portion of the sides of the treads will be visible, so removing that char before assembly would be easier than the very careful sanding I did after the fact.
 
Part of me wants to ‘cup’ the steps as if they’ve been worn down from years of use. My tendency is to want to make things that feel lived in, but it seems the more common approach in ship modeling is to go for a perfect, brand new appearance. We’re not talking WWII tanks covered in mud here, but I do like the idea of representing a ‘used’ ship. Could see weathering and staining quickly looking messy and like mistakes, so I’m a little wary to even try it. Something for me to think about.
 
Should probably go shovel some snow, and then back in to continue planking!
 

Post One Hundred and Twenty-seven
Channels
 The channels each comprise laminations of three parts. The core centre part is rounded on the edges and extends slightly beyond the upper and lower pieces to create a decorative profile.

1748a
In practice the edges of the channels were open to receive the deadeye strops, and a cover strip was nailed over the top, decorative or otherwise.
Quite a straightforward business prepping the channels; largely making sure you have the correct cores and matching outer pieces, carefully applied to each side of the core, and aligned with the slots and holes.

1740a
The Main channels require more bevelling on the aft side to account for the greater tumblehome.

1739a
The Fore channels require bevelling and a little fettlin’ to match the round of the bow and take a little more time to fit.

3192
The Mizen and stools for the main and Mizen backstays require little attention and there are location holes in the hull for accurate fitting.

3194

3189
A well-designed set-up by Chris for what can otherwise be a tricky exercise.
 

1733a
Whilst in the area of the Poop I added a lead sheathing to the Gallery roof, this will tone down to a dull grey over time.

1731a

1744a

1745a
Before I permanently fix the channels I think I will return to the deck and inner bulwark fittings.
At this point the channels will just present another incumbrance to be careful about when working inboard.
 
 
B.E.
07/01/2024
 
 
 
 

Hello All and belated Happy New Year and best wishes for 2024.
 
The festive period did not allow for much model building, but that is not a complaint as we did enjoy meeting up with family and friends and indulging in too much good food and drink. 
 
What I have got done on the Trial has been very enjoyable.  Not much building as such, just added the side mouldings and wales, but these have made the model suddenly look very different.
 
Most of my time was spent variously painting, varnishing and washing parts and using Danish oil to seal and bring out the wood of the deck and Bulwarks.
 
After painting, I gloss varnished all the parts of the model I wanted to add washes to and then used dark washes on the inner bulwarks and light washes on the wales, to bring out all Chris's lovely details.  I did briefly toy with painting the sides in yellow ochre but in the end was so pleased with how the wood looked after a few coats of Danish oil I am glad I didn't!  The addition of the black upper edge to the bulwarks in addition to the black wales looks like two "go faster" stripes! 😁
 
Hope everyone had a good holiday period and also got some modelling done.  Thanks for looking in.

Onward! Faired the bulkheads to be as smooth as possible. A plank seems to flow over them without gaps.
 


 
Since these photos I thinned out the deadwood a bit more and fixed the slight asymmetry in the stern.
 

 
Attached the inner stem post.
 
And here is where I ran into some trouble. Same challenge with the bulwark patterns DelF ran into with his Speedy build.
 

 
Per the manual I soaked the plywood bulwarks in hot water and clamped them into place while they dried. I could see major gaps at the bottom so I tried pinning to those bulkheads.
 

 
Pins weren’t able to hold the lower edge in place, so I ended up re soaking the parts and clamping them into place with rubber bands and some MDF scraps to focus the pressure.
 

 
This got the overall shape closer, but with lots of wavy spots caused by trying to distort a 2D shape into a compound curve.
 


 
Glued into place, you can see the wavy bulwarks.
 
To fix the problematic areas I wet them and used the fat part of my soldering iron to form the bulwarks back into the correct shape. Going to find my wife’s iron was probably the correct answer, but I used what was within reach.
 



 
Not pretty, but close enough that with some sanding after the first planking it should work just fine. Due to the ordeal of trying to get the compound curve sorted out, the starboard bow bulwark at bulkhead 3 and 4 ended up about 1mm lower than the port side. Part of me wants to pull it off and adjust, but I’m going to just live with it for the sake of forward progress and my original goal of trying to NOT get overly obsessive and burning myself out. I’m also assuming it will be less noticeable when the bulkhead tabs aren’t there.
 
Guess that means I’ll need to figure out how to plank this thing! Time to brush up on the ‘Chuck’ method.

Bowsprit Topmast
It has been a hectic few days with family staying and spent all my free time with the grandkids so no work in the shipyard. Peace and normality has returned to our household this morning although the peace will be shattered once again at the weekend when the grandkids return for a quick overnight visit.
 
I was able to return to the shipyard this morning and decided that I should make the bowsprit topmast. I think it is important to make sure it will fit through the bowsprit end cap before the end cap is glued to the bowsprit.
 
Starting with a length of 6mm dowel I reduced the diameter down until I could pass the end cap down to the required position. This was accomplished using my Proxxon mini lathe. Once I was happy I reduced the diameter of the end section so the PE part would fit over.
 
Next I used a sharp blade to create the next section which is conical shaped. I was pleased with the work so far.

The next task was to add a octagonal section. Using a simple jig which holds the dowel in place I was able to make a reasonable job of the octagonal section. After the first flat was filed I rotated the dowel through 90 degrees and then filed the next flat edge. Once I had repeated this two more times the dowel was then rotated through 45 degrees for the next flat edge. After three more 90 degree rotations the task was complete.

It was then time for a dry fit check with the bowsprit and everything seems to match the plan sheet. I will need to shape the top and bottom edge of the edge cap, as indicated by the blue arrow.

All that was left to do is to create an octangle section of the other end of the dowel. Using the same method as detailed above it was a simple task to complete. I did use a scrap piece of planking material, cut to the required width of the octagonal flat edges as a guide during the filing process.

I also made the flying jib this morning and was very pleased with the dry test fit, as shown below. There is still plenty of work required to complete the bowsprit assembly, such as adding the various blocks to the bowsprit, making the spritsail yard, etc.

Thank you all for the welcomes and encouragement! Smooth sailing so far.
 


 
The MDF ribs snapped together with very little play. Test fit followed by gluing into place.
 


 
The 2mm birch plywood has significant charring, which I attempted to remove to minimize the seam down the center. The charring dust behaved essentially as charcoal, getting black smudges anywhere it touched. You can see in the image above the dark smudges on the bulkheads simply from sliding the deck into place (those plywood edges had not been sanded). Haven’t experienced this with any other parts in the kit, so perhaps there was a temperature issue with the laser? Fit of the deck was perfect, although by sanding down the middle joint, the holes for the masts became slightly too small, so I was sure to adjust the shape before losing access to them.
 


 
Middle seam in the lower deck is still very visible, and the piece of plywood also has some splotchy areas. Almost looks like water damage, but more likely just an ugly piece of ply. Luckily it will be essentially invisible once assembled, so I’m just being picky at this point. The rest of the wood has looked fine. A couple ribs are being test fit in the above photo, but will be removed and shaped before being glued. Had some Tung Oil handy, so tried that on the lower deck to see how it looked. Assuming I'll use WOP for the rest of it (see end of post).
 




 
 
Continued adding framing and beams. Fit is excellent and engineered in such a way that there aren’t any obvious weak spots. You could probably assemble most of this without any glue, and it would hold together pretty well (not that I’d recommend it).
 
Some Speedy builds mention that the stern frames were extremely delicate MDF pieces. These have been switched to plywood in the Flirt (perhaps the revised as well Speedy?), and I had no concerns about breaking them. These frames will be visible, so I spent some time cleaning up the char to at least look acceptable after being painted.
 

 
Forgot to take any photos of the main sub deck being added, but it went on smoothly. Required forcing to the point that I was starting to get concerned, and then popped into place.
 



 
Soaked the stern counter in hot water and then formed it over a glass of a similar (a bit smaller) curve. Didn’t take after my first try, so on my second attempt I soaked it longer and used a heat gun to (carefully) dry it out. This worked perfectly. The clamps in the above images are only holding it in place while the glue dries, not forcing the bend.
 


 
Glued on the stern board. The manual mentions “there is little curve in this part”, which to me suggests there should actually be a very slight curve to it (otherwise it would have said "there is no curve in this part). My stern frames were perfectly aligned with no curve at all, so I didn’t try to force any into it. Have others applied a curve to this part?
 
Regarding finishes, it seems like lots of folks here are fans of Wipe On Poly. Expecting to try it out on this build. Is my understanding correct that it can both be used as a final finish for bare wood as well as sanding sealer before painting (acrylics)? I think I even saw some people taking about applying it over paint. Thoughts?
 
 

Wow, if Flirt is up to the level of the Pinnace then just wow!

Wow, if Flirt is up to the level of the Pinnace then just wow!

Post One hundred and Twenty-three
 
Naming the ship.
The kit provides a water-slide decal for the name with a spare just in case you mess it up.

001
An issue for me is that the lettering colour, fine for the kit indicated scheme, is a little bright for my scheme.
I decided to create my own version on word incorporating a curve to match the counter.
I chose Baskerville old face at 36pts which equates with the kit provided version.

3155a

3155b
I created two types as above.

3153
The solid background version was tested for fit on the model.
The background match to the stern paint looks pretty good to my eye.
 
Previously I have used Letraset dry rub transfers, a method I like, but I can’t seem to find the correct size or font in this medium.
Maybe just as well, with a name of thirteen letters, accurate positioning could prove a trial.
 
I have decided to go old school and use the printed version applied over the counter.
I did this for Sphinx, after Chuck’s ‘Winnie’ build, and that turned out well.

3160
The print was sprayed with fixative before cutting out using a template from the plan.

3170
I used spray mount applied to the back of the cut-out to fix into place.
 

3163
I think I could have imparted slightly more curve to the first and last two letters but overall, I like the look.

3168
The important thing is that I have proven the system to myself, and I can re-visit at any time.
 
B.E.
28/12/2023
 
 
 

Getting there bit by bit. Lifts and sheets going in.

Hello Andrew 

Post One hundred and Twenty-two
 
Re-visiting the Poop
The position of the skylight is still something of a puzzlement for me.

3141
The original position as indicated on the Adm plans is over the Coach, the standard position for skylights.

3143
With the shortened Poop deck Chris has re-positioned it over the Great cabin, on the basis that this would be a practical move.

3144
Aesthetically, with the reduced Poop, it looks much better than the usual position over the coach.
The Skylight has been raised by 2mm to compensate for the absence of planking.

3145
The new position does beg the question whether a skylight over the Great Cabin, with its access to extensive light thro’ the stern, is really necessary.
We do know that Pellew didn’t want the round house at all, but the reduced length was as far as the Navy Board would concede.
 
Pure speculation, but it seems to me that Pellew might well have dispensed with a Skylight altogether, on the basis that it wasn’t necessary and presented an additional weakness to the structure.

3146

3150
Even so, it is a nice little feature that adds interest to the Poop deck, along with the Mizen Bitts which still seem to be oddly positioned to my eye.
 
Still ‘Indy’ is a knocked about Sixty-four, so who knows.🤔
 
 
 
B.E.
26/12/2023


 

Hello Andrew 

Hi All,
 
This is my first build, I started it in April 2023. This is the stage it is at.
 
Port side which has had its first sand 24/12/23. Not had any wood fillers applied yet so will need a touch up

 
Starboard side that still needs its first sanding.

 
Hull as you can see Port side has had its first sanding. 

 
Top View of middle deck which I stencilled all the floor rather than just a section.

in progress.
next step main deck guns and carriage.
 
Bonnes fêtes

Post One hundred and Twenty-one
Completing the stern decoration
This comprises Acanthus leaf designs and a plaque with the Royal cipher.
3109
Before I fitted the pilasters between the lights, I added the decoration for the cove.
I found it best to do this before fitting the pilasters.

3108
The Pilasters did need a light sanding across the tops to fit the available space.

3111
I decided to add a capping rail to the transom to hide the laminations of the stern.
On 'Indy' I used Boxwood, but thin styrene strips are also suitable.
 
Roof shingles
Chris has provided pre-cut card versions that do very nicely.

3113
The lower two strakes were fitted as strips, the upper one individual tiles trimmed to suit.
 
The remaining stern decoration followed.

3135

1634A

3133

1639A

3121

3116
This Polybak decoration works very well, but great care must be taken particularly with the long delicate string attached to the cipher.
Break this and there may be difficulties in matching the smooth flow of the design.
 
My last post before Christmas, so seasons’ greetings to all my fellow builders, and many thanks for those who have liked and shown interest in my builds over the year.
 
B.E.
 
23/12/2023.
 
 
 
 

Finished Plan Sheet 17. Backstays done and bowsprit on with some of the lines.
 

Thank you for all the likes and continuing encouragement.
 
The Shrouds
 
No matter how methodically I try to approach fitting the shrouds, I always find it difficult to get the lengths even. The usual method of making wire jigs to achieve the correct spacing between deadeyes has never seemed to work for me. You think that you have got it exactly right and then you put on the seizings and find that the shroud is too short or too long. It’s a further complication putting on a cross seizing as the first one.
This time I have abandoned the idea of jigs and resorted to straight measurements and marking the position of the bottom the deadeye with a thread. I did have to redo one pair of shrouds but for the most part this has worked pretty well.


Being a small ship, I found that I could work the seizings well enough with the shrouds attached to the model using my quad hands set up so didn’t bother with my previous idea of stripping the mast and working off model.
I have used 0.25mm thread for the lanyards. I thought the suggested 0.1mm too thin.
I will not finally fix the tension in the shrouds until later in the process of standing rigging


 
The Mainstay
I have tied in the deadeye for the stay in the same way as the shrouds with a cross seizing and two standard seizings. This differs from the RMG model which shows the stay wrapped around itself and seized together down the side of the deadeye. According to Lees this method of fixing the mainstay was used after 1840 but was it adopted earlier on cutters and smaller ships?
I used 0.5mm rope for the lanyard and threaded it according to the plan, i.e. starting in the foremost hole of the stem with the knot on the starboard side and working the rope through the deadeye. The RMG model again differs and shows the knot on the port side. The lanyard will not be tied off until later.

I have spent a bit of time tidying up the bow fixtures. Following Thukydidies suggestion, I have added a false bowsprit fid using pieces cut off scrap pearwood. I have also added some ‘iron’ strapping to the winch brackets and threaded the anchor cables. The cables are wrapped once around the winch drum before passing them through the hawse holes. Natural drape was induced by brushing with dilute matt varnish.
 

 

David