Craigie65

That´s the way to go my friend
 
Greetings from the North (East Coast) to the East Coast

Measuring, marking and slowly filing and sanding. Turned out nicely.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

I use a mini bench clamp vice and put my dowel / mast in there (to have it nicely fixed and not rolling when sanding) and then use a file or sanding block (often on blocks to keep a steady height). Then I turn the dowel / mast by 90 degress and go on with the same procedure.
 

 
The benchtop clamp vice was (years ago) a tenner... so not breaking the bank but a nice helper for sure.
 
Micha

It would.  I used files on my first build to square off the top of the mast.
 
You can also go the other way of using square stock and rounding off the trunk of the mast.  Particularly useful for top masts given the change in shapes across the length.
 
 

It would.  I used files on my first build to square off the top of the mast.
 
You can also go the other way of using square stock and rounding off the trunk of the mast.  Particularly useful for top masts given the change in shapes across the length.
 
 

It did, but the stock looks like it is on upside down?

I think I have another 2-3 months on designs and building hull to check everything, maybe longer. Those pics are literally the very first cut of the very first designs, and much needs amending. The end result will be a kit of an 18-gun brig with great history in real life, and with partial lower deck detail, including stove, scale spaced deck beams (all pre-cut in pear, and with the correct curves/camber, as usual) - and always trying to make it as painless to assemble as I can, but keeping the detail.

I remember doing Snake/Cruiser 25 years ago, that was the last time I did an 18-gun brig. To me, the Diligence Class has more pleasing aesthetics, with a sleeker hull and rake - like a much larger Speedy, but with a much bigger bite* - you can see the natural progression from the Childers and Speedy Class to the Dilligence Class almost 2 decades later, followed by the 'less curvy' Cruiser Class.
 
*Childers/Flirt/Speedy had a single broadside weight of 28 pounds, whereas the later 18 gun brigs like Harpy had a single broadside weight of 262 pounds

Main mast breast and shifting backstays, main topsail mast back stay and main topgallant mast backstay
After a few days work all the various backstays required for the main mast, the main topsail mast and main topgallant mast have been rigged and belayed. I am very pleased with how the Indy is now looking. Moving forward the next few days will be spent adding the various backstays for the fore mast, the fore topsail mast and fore topgallant mast. I have attached a photo of the completed main backstays.

The next two photos show the completed breast backstays, which have now been belayed to one of the main shroud cleats.

The photo shows shifting backstay and the topsail and topgallant backstays. 

The next photo shows the belaying of the shifting backstay to a belay pin

The final photo is a close up of the shifting stay eyebolt and block

 
 

Just a little progress. Not absolutely perfect but happy with these as they're so delicate. Worked from the top down and used a little flexible masking tape between parts to try and keep things even. A tiny dab of gel CA on each piece so there's a little bit of working time to nudge into place. Then once dried a coat of varnish to hopefully make things secure.
 

 

 

Busy work week so not as much time to work on the ship but finally able to finish the lower shrouds and ratlines

Working my way through the deck furniture. Very little work for the drop keels. Just a little filing at the deck and the keel then all was well. I put that all together then wound the keels back and applied some dilute PVA to the cord on the drums as suggested. Clips to hold it in place till dry.
Superb piece of Vanguard attention to detail, the PE winch handles have a prefab crease in them so they fold at exactly the right place!
 

 

 
Hand pumps fiddly to put together but good. It seems something below was misaligned as the 30mm dowel was far too long and despite using a round file I couldn't get the height right so removed and trimmed about 12mm.
 

 
Rest of the afternoon painting and putting Cannon together, ran out of time for Caronnades today. Little bit of paint touchup to be done later.
 

 

 

Terrible pics but experimented with Vallejo wood colours and pleased with the results from prime, colour, dry brush second colour. Will do a proper update asap.
 

 

 

Thanks all.
 
I thought slow and steady was the only solution and I’ll try harder. I’m trying to avoid making a hash of things and making them ugly and would rather leave off and found another solution. 
I’ve seen the off-hull cannon rig which looks very useful. I take it the general idea (this is my first non-civilian kit)  is that all the cannon rigging that isn’t attached to the hull is done here then unhooked and attached to the hull so they’re all as identical as possible?
Made a fair bit of progress over the weekend with all pretty straightforward and good results. Keel slots will need a little widening from paint but they’re nearly there. Ladders were frustrating but got there slowly with only one small break that got reattached with CA gel. 
 

 

 


 

Thankyou Kevin, Bug, and Rusty, your words are much appreciated.
 
@ Bug - That Chris Watton has a lot to answer for, I dread seeing the next irresistible model to emerge from The Forest of Dean, I’m already struggling to find a suitable space for ‘Indy’
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.

Kuddos for trying a good first planking 😊
It seems to me for as far as I can see that you could have faired the MDF bulkheads and support pieces more. For example the angle at the first bulkhead should be more round. All lines must 'flow' organically if that makes sense. 

Post One Hundred and Sixty. 
 
Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part Three) 
Getting the correct thwart levels and height is a critical part of assembly.
It is important to get the thwarts all square across the boat.

4038
When fitting the thwarts it is advisable not to exert even light pressure on the centres of the thwarts, particularly those with the mast holes in them. 
 
The final tricky part is fitting the gunwales.
These delicate parts are pre-cut and include the thole pin fittings.
4041
I decided to fit the gunwales as provided, complete with thole pin fittings for eight double banked rowing stations.
 
I know all the arguments about Pinnaces being single banked to accord with historical custom and practice, and that boats of 32’ were 10 oared, and even that traditionally Pinnaces had a centre board running between the thwarts.
 
There are more than a few difficulties involved in making a diversion from the kit to reflect the above, and as with the smaller Pinnace on Sphinx, after long consideration I decided that leaving well alone was the best course.

4044
No matter, it is a very fine boat to display with Indy.
Chris has put a lot of thought into the design of these boats, and the fine detail is the best around at this scale.

4055
The wale is next fitted and does require a degree of edge bending to conform to the line as it rounds the bow.

4048

4045
The lower hull has been painted in Ivory to provide a contrast with the ‘bright’ timbers up to the wale.
 
Painting these small boats requires careful masking but the tyranny of the macro w-i-p photos required several goes to improve the lines to a point I found acceptable.

4103
Vallejo blue/grey is used to decorate the top strake and transom, and w-o-p is applied to the bare wood.

4104
The rudder is fitted with the modified quick release arrangement common on these boats.

4097
Making these small boats provides hours of fun and frustration in equal measure. They are absorbing little projects that I enjoy doing despite the frustrations at times.
 
Just the finishing touches to add now.
 
B.E.
25/03/2024
 

Finally made a start, after getting the work area cosy.
Good to read through the instructions, as recommended, as found a few errors in the bulkhead and other pieces indentification. Also found the bulkheads were a little loose in the keel piece.
One of the many videos I've watched suggested Lego blocks for a perfect right angle. And they have worked a treat. 
False deck just gone on. Again, from watching many videos I wont be putting the stern and bow posts, or keel piece until first planking complete.
Im sure there are many mistakes already, but I'm quite happy, so far, for this first attempt.

Well this little burton pendant ended up being a little bugger.  First I wandered around searching through my little drawers and containers to find something that might work for the thimbles at the end of the pendants. What I ended up deciding upon were these little nuts left over from some model or another.  They were an adequate diameter and just needed to be rounded off by slipping them over a toothpick and barely rubbing them against the belt sander.
 
 
The darn little splice at the center where the pendants slip over the mast head ended up being much more fiddly than I expected. The thimble is lashed first - sticking with my toothpick to keep everything in place.
 

 
For the mizzen (this pendant) I used .5mm served with Mara 120 and slipped a needle through it (which took several tries) to start the splice. I then wrapped additional 120 thread over to finish it off.  It actually took me a few tries to get the length of the splice correct, and the 'bottom' of the splice is a little messy as I had to use a dab of CA glue - but I've masked it by laying the ugly portion against the mast. 
 
 
 

 
The final product looks pretty good to me.  The other two pendants for the fore and main are the same process but with slightly larger line.  I'll be using a .75mm line served with Mara 70 thread to create a 1mm pendant. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Here we are. Varnish to go on and cure.
 

 

 
Museum quality it is not but I'm really pleased given my mistakes this time.
 

Plenty of progress before DIY begins. Hull (finished pics later once the clips for outer bulwarks are off) finished with lots of filling, sanding and painting. I like to see the planking so happy with the finish. Oiled the outer bulwarks and deck to enhance the grain and all of this will be varnished next to try and avoid damage while everything else gets done.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Andrew, enjoying following your Trial build. So impressed that Chris changed the name for your gun brig base to “Sparkler” - now that’s customer service!
 
Theo - thanks too
 
The last day on Adder has posed some interesting challenges of my own making. 
 
I decided to fit the plywood false deck before the aftermost bulkhead part 153 to help ensure that the bulkhead was at the right angle. So far, so good. 
 
I’ve fitted 8 of these plywood decks to VM models so I know the drill, but on Adder I snapped it down the centre line. I could not fit the two parts so that they were aligned leading me to think that the structure below must be out of alignment. 

I contacted Chris suggesting that I’d better start again and buy the MDF sheets and plywood deck again from him. Instead, he told me that once the deck is split it’s hard to get the halves aligned, but there’s a neat trick to achieve this: taping the two halves together before they are fitted and then adding them, letting the glue dry and removing the tape. 
 
This I did and it worked very well. 
I clamped a flat piece of scrap wood on top to ensure the central join stayed flat and painted diluted PVA over all the joints below. 
I also added most of the MDF pieces that form the bow structure. 
 
Then it was time to fit the rear bulkhead 153, but as can be seen below there’s a small overhang of the false deck over the end of the keel and the longitudinal formers parts 31. 
Checking vs the plans, this results in the bulkhead being at the wrong angle and the false deck needs to be sanded back in line with the keel and parts 31. The gap between the bulkhead and the keel shouldn’t be there in the photo below (unglued). 
If you’re following the sequence in the instructions, this will need to be sanded back before the deck is fitted as the bulkhead will already be in place. I checked all this with Chris and he told me that he usually makes these type of parts over long to cover all eventualities, better to have too much than too little.

Now in the right position and back on track below. 

Chris thanks so much for your help. 
 
Whilst the glue was drying I started work on the cannons and carronades. The 3-D printed resin barrels are very high quality, but on the carronades the cavity for the barrel is shallow and if you look closely you can see the flat bottom ~1mm inside the lip of the barrel. I saw on someone’s build log that they had drilled these a little deeper, so decided to do so too. The barrels are surprisingly strong and easy to drill. In the photos below the right hand barrel has been drilled to ~2.5x as deep. It’s grey because of the resin and the inside of the barrel will need to be painted black again. 

Time for working on "Trial" has been severely curtailed recently with another DIY project for the Admiral and a brush with some nasty Cold/flu/Covid thingy 🤢, but on the mend now.
 
With the time I have had I have been experimenting with the dummy gun port I made and trying out rigging the little 3lb's, as the guns are pretty small I wasn't sure I would add more than the breeching rope, but I found some tiny printed blocks and thought I would have a go.  Breeching ropes are 0.5mm which looking at the available tables seems to near enough scale, and the tackle is 0.1mm thread.
 
I used a shim on the floor of dummy gun port to keep the muzzle about one foot (scale) inboard to measure the length of breeching rope I needed to make.  After that I did a dry run for the traditional way I have seen breeching ropes done; gun run out and breeching rope loose on the deck and tackles rigged to their blocks and ready for the falls to be coiled on deck also.  I think that will go okay, the purists among you will be horrified there are no hooks on these tiny blocks, but at the scale that is way beyond my skills, so I just tied the blocks to the rings - just make me walk the plank now! 
It has always been my intention to have the larboard battery in the "ready to fire" state with a few gun crew scattered among them and the starboard guns with the rig as stowed, I found this thread a very useful reference.
So this is what I attempted, as the last couple of picture show.  The ropes look a little "glossy" in the pictures as the matte medium I used to seal them was still drying.  I also added a little lead patch for the touch hole on the stowed gun. - One down eleven to go! 
 
Thanks all for your comments and likes.  Regarding the offending belay pins, I will have to look into how these could be replaced without damaging the model too much, if I can source/make something more acceptable, I certainly don't want to risk anyone's eyesight with my log! 🤓
 
With things as busy as they are at the moment it might be another two, three weeks before updates.  Until then thanks all!  Also waiting for the courier to deliver my VM HMS "Adder"! 😁

Good morning everyone
Main mast Back stays
at last i am starting to get some quality time on the build all the main backstays are fitted

 

, and last night the Main Topsail Yard Tye went in


Apollo Ruth and Dobbie, 3 loves of my life

 

Fore Topsail Mast Ratlines
I am now in the process of adding the ratlines to the fore topsail mast. The first task was to make a template and then clamp in place. In the photo below I have already added a few ratlines. As explained in previous posts I prefer to add every 5th ratline first, as indicated by the 0's on the template. I then add all the 1's before completing the task by adding all the 2's

It took me a couple of hours to complete one side. A couple of the deadeye seizing's could have been done better (i.e. the middle and right hand end ones) but I can live with how they look which is all that matters. Work is now progressing to complete adding the ratlines to the other side.

 

So  I had a  go  at some  wool  smoke  -   I  added  a  small   blob - ball type   bit  on the  breech  and   tried a bit  coming out of the muzzle,   but I wasn't  convinced  as it just  looked like  wool,  so  I  removed  the  muzzle  bit  but also had to  cut away  the  bayonet  (not a  problem as  some  did not have their bayonets  fixed)   I also  cut away  at the  smoke  on the  breech  till there was only the smallest  bit  left,   this  is  about as far  as  I would  go   -  just cant make it  life like.
 
OC.