egkb

The two elm tree pumps are ready

Thanks, guys, and for the likes. There are eleven separate laser cut sheets in various thickness's and six separate PE brass and copper sheets. I did mean for this to be a quick development, but as usual it didn't turn out to be so, as I knew such a vessel deserved more attention. I haven't compromised very much with this kit, and is as I would like it if I were to buy it. However, lack of compromise always equates to a higher price, but if the Alert sales have taught me anything, it's that people prefer quality materials over standard. This weekend I managed to write the complete parts list, take the main box art photos and then put the box art together. I have the manual and plan sheets to do next, but all pics and line drawings are already done, so I just need to make up the manual and add the text (which takes longer than it sounds, as it is just me doing everything....)
 
There is only one metal casting in this kit (anchors), as I hate white metal. The 14 x 4-Pounder barrels are cast in resin (so perfect shape and scale), as are the 20 half-Pounder swivel guns. Having these done in resin is a lot more expensive than white metal, but I feel a lot better knowing the quality is perfect, and I do not think people will mind paying a little more for such fittings that require no finishing aside from perhaps scraping the smallest amount of easily removable flash. The guys that do the resin castings for me are experts in resin and injection moulding kits and well established, so quality is never an issue on that front.
 
I think I already mentioned this, but I did add at the last minute an extra cradle on the 3mm MDF laser sheet, for use whilst building the model, leaving the clear acetate nice and clean for the finished model.
 
I already have the Speedy resin castings done and here with me, plus the laser engraved decks. The final laser cut and PE have been given to my colleague in Italy to be done, and the pear wood strip ordered and on its way. For future gun resin castings, they will be cast in black - I didn't realise at the time that this was an option, dammit!
 
I am aiming for a late October (possibly November if I have problems with getting final parts in time or finishing plans/manual take longer than I thought) for release. I cannot give a final price yet, as I still need to know the cost of the PE and laser cutting, but I am aiming for the following (all versions relate to secondary planking materials):
 
Tanganyika version - £220 (as shown on prototype model)
Pear or cherry - £245
Boxwood (limited to 15 kits) - £280
 
All versions will include the copper plating, Cochrane figure and 18 foot cutter.

Today I took the Speedy box art shots and then put the box art together, does this look OK?
 
Just have the manual and plans to put together now, all laser and PE have been sent for cutting/etching.
 

Hi there mugje!
 
Enjoying your build log.
Just opened an account on this site-totally hooked on this hobby!
Building Caldercraft Pickle my self for the moment. My first ever wood build.
Your model looks stunning :)

A few more hours in the shop sneaked in. Installing the black strake is going better than I expected. Careful preparation with a sanding thicknesser on the wales has so far ensured that the highlight of light at the top of the wale is pretty even along the face of the black strake. That was my biggest concern, a wavy edge between the two. So far, so good....
 
Mark

I took a stab at making some videos that show how I plank the bow of any ship model.  Specifically how to taper and edge bend a strip so that it lays flat against the bulkheads.   This is basically how I plank every hull at the bow.  I shot these videos at 720 HD quality so rather than string together the four videos into one long 20 minute session, I kept them individual.   They take forever to upload to you tube when they are 20 minutes long.   Literally hours.  So these are four short 5 minute videos instead. A lot easier to upload and process.   I will edit this post and add the other 3 as I finish processing them for upload.  Basically each part is split into an intro.....then tapering.....then edge bending.....and test fitting on the hull.
 
Let me know if you have any questions.   Keep in mind its weird making these when I am alone in my shop and basically talking to myself.  I had to reach around the tripod i order to get to the model and I was hitting it and had to start over many times....not my cup of tea all this video stuff!!!!  😂  Let me know if you think its worth the time as it is a real pain in the biscuit .  But I will continue if you guys get anything out of it.  I also must have had the camera too close to the hull so the first two videos are not as crisp as the others.   Live and learn.....next time it will be better  but I tried to get as close to the hull as possible so you could see everything.
 
The videos are posted here.....in the discussion about chapter two.
 
 
 

It's been over 6 weeks since I was on this model due to being hawked away for more magazine work. 
 
Got to say that I've really missed working on this little beauty, and it was good to get it back on the bench again.
 
There's not really too much to report on at the moment except to say that I've now added the wales and a few other bits. Thee wales are pre-cut in two parts per side, perfectly interlocking along the length. They really do make a hell of a difference the appearance. I also cut out the timber from the gun ports to open them up and added the cap rail sections. These needed to be carefully aligned to allow further laser cut parts to be fitted. 
 
As a slight change in working order, I have also added the transom. This isn't shown as fitted for a few stages yet, but there's no reason why it can't be added now and the preceding hull stages then completed before the bowsprit is made. 
 
Again, I am loving this build!
 





 

The rudder is fixt! The coppering is a bit shiny😁. But that gets old soon. You can also see one of the scuppers that I added. 

Hiya all,      nothing to report  - just letting  you know I havn't abandoned this.
 
OC.

Hi all,
Ha ha, yes he certainly did Edward, and thanks for your kind words.
I started on the ratlines today and must admit l thought at first that l lacked the dexterity required for the task, but, after many attempts (not to mention half a spool of thread) l got it. I have now managed to get into a rhythm. I have run out of time today so l hope l can pick up that rhythm again during my next session.
 Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint. 
 

Thank you all for the 👍!!! And the encouragement.
In the meantime I glued some of the sills in position

This is how I hold the hull steady while planking below the wales. I can slide the Kleenex boxes left or right depending on what section of the hull I'm working on. The painters tape can be released and reapplied several times before losing adhesion.

I've been using this edge bending jig since my 18th Century Longboat build. Recently I adapted this variation on Chuck's center hold down.

Mike

Planking below the wales is one of my favorite parts of the build. I have now completed the first belt on the starboard side. Working with boxwood is great though I have to work slowly if I want to get a nice result. On a good day I can complete one strake. I'm Just taking my time and treating each plank as a project in itself. Edge bending is my new friend and I'm finding, for the most part, it's all that is needed. The exception being where the plank sweeps upwards into the counter. There I use a dowel to form the shape. In all cases I use the hair dryer after wetting the wood for 10-15 seconds. Some preliminary cleanup sanding was done while leaving the last installed strake mostly untouched until more planks are added below it.

Mike
 

Hi LS 
That little extra you've just done with the anchors is just great. Good work. 
He told you !!😋😅

Hi all,
Thanks Rick for such great info/encouragement on my Anchor problem, thanks Tony for that great recommendation and thanks Dirk for shaming me into action. 😂
Here is where l am at now.
I drilled the four holes in each of the Catheads for the pulleys, l also attached an eyelet to each. Rigged with a double block and hook and attached to the anchor. 

once l was happy l had rigged each anchor correctly, l lowered each for the fitting of the anchor buoys. 

My last task of the session was to re hang each of the anchors in what will be their final positions (approximately) Once again, l shall wait until l am happy before tying off.

Tomorrow l shall lash them down, adjust where necessary and tie down their rigging. I shall also make and tie up the anchor  buoys. 
Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint. 
 

But that's what this forum is for. If something is unclear just ask, we all do it even the experts at times. Basically you just need 4 holes drilled at the tip of the arm then rigged through those holes and a block with a hook attached like this.

It'll make all the difference if you can manage it.
 
Rick

Hi all,
This afternoon l completed the standing rigging and, all in all, l am happy with my efforts. I was hoping to get all the Deadeyes perfectly level but it's the devil's own work achieving it. On my build there is a slight error on each side. I did, however, manage to correctly align the Chainplates. Hopefully this will redeem me in the eyes of the purists. 🤗

It certainly looks a lot more tidy now l have cleared the deck of all the loose ends of standing rigging. 

Hi Rick, regarding the Catheads. l have googled the rigging of the Anchor/Catheads but l have been left a little bemused. I have also seen an example on an absolutely superb build by Tony / tkay11 but l still don't "get" it. I have put it aside as something for further study and, as there is no mention of it in the instructions, l have decided to leave it as it is. Fortunately l am not building a museum piece ha ha.
My next task is the ratlines, it is my first attempt at these as they weren't required on my Ballahoo. I have prepared my template, as l have seen on a tutorial elsewhere on MSW and, with luck, will produce somthing a sailor would be happy climbing. 

Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint.

Hi all,
Thanks for the kind words Edward and for the tip Rick, appreciated as always.
I do plan to tie it all down before moving on to the ratlines.
Today l completed the rigging of the Starboard Deadeyes, tomorrow's task will be the Port side. Once l am happy with my efforts, for better or worse, l shall tie it all down. Then on to the ratlines.
Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint. 

Hi all, had 2 or 3 hours on my cross section mainly cutting frames and assembling them. I've only got four more to make, but as my decking timber has not arrive yet I'm not going to rush them.
This is because I've found that when rushing thing go wrong, and that's  why my last two frames were cut out twice with one of them going in the scrap box.
Well till next time, 
Cheers 

opening the hole for the bowsprit, and drilled the hawse holes

dryfitting the channels

Hi all,
Thanks Dirk, appreciated. I did say my next session would be tomorrow but l couldn't focus on anything else today, my mind kept going back to Blocks, Stays and Shrouds. So l went back to my Den to do just a little more. I hope l am not developing a problem here, ha ha.
I have now completed the Backstays and the Forestay. 
Once again, l have not tied anything off yet, l will wait untill l have completed the whole standing rigging and once happy l will tie it all off together. 
Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint. 

Hi Vane and Marc,
 
Thanks so much for your kind comments.
 
I looked up in my log book, and reminded myself that I decided to build an Admiralty model while I was visiting the Maritime Museum in London in 1988, choosing the Bellona because I like the look of mid 18th century ships the best, and I was able to obtain Lavery's book on the Bellona. I spent the next 10 years--off and on--redrawing the ship from ¼" to 3/16" with the limited resources I had at the time, and began construction June 5, 1998. And since that time, I have been able to work on it off and on, sometimes putting it away for months or a year at a time. So I started drawing 31 years ago, and constructing 21 years ago, with gaps in between.
 
I am not sure if I am unusual in this regard, but I would have to acknowledge at this point that I am only going to build one ship in my lifetime (other than a wood kit of a schooner I built when I was 16). I think I am about 2/3rds done, and at my current rate of progress I am likely going to need another 10-15 years.
 
This project obviously became much more than just building a model of the Bellona. I decided early on that I wanted to craft my model as well as the Admiralty models I saw in London, even though I had no particular skill in this when I started. So building the model also involved learning through doing, and thinking hard about how to accomplish something at a higher level of skill than I had at any given time. This meant it went very, very slowly as I built jigs or practiced skills while tackling a new aspect of the build. And throwing away a lot of efforts that didn't meet my standard.
 
Also, when I started, I had access to very little information about how these ships were constructed. So throughout the years, as more information became available--particularly thanks to this website--I have had to go back and rework things already made, or redraw things not yet made, to accomplish a model as close to the original Admiralty models as possible.
 
At the risk of sounding like a cliché, this project really has become more about the journey than the end. I enjoy the learning and puzzle-solving as much as the construction, and working away in the shop is almost like a meditation period--a focus on a familiar yet always challenging project. I can't quite imagine what life would be like without the Bellona to work on. I will have to hold off gluing on the last part until the very end!
 
Mark
 
 
 
 

Hi all,
A little more done again today. I am amazed at how absorbing this hobby is, l am so pleased l gave wooden model ships a go, l may never build in plastic again.
Today l finished the Bowsprit Guys and Jib Halliard. I have not tied off any of my Standing rigging yet, l am waiting until it is all in place, then l will tighten all and tie off.

The next stage was the fitting of the main Shrouds. 


It is getting very busy up there with all those Shrouds, l am trying to keep it as neat and tidy as possible. I still have the Forestay and Backstays to go.
Here l have added the Forstay with its collar and mouse. 


l have half done the Backstays in that the main Shrouds are fitted and have their single blocks tied on. Tomorrow/next session, l will add the tensioning blocks and rope. 
It looks a proper medieval muddle at the moment with loose ends of string/ropes draped everywhere. Not to worry, l think l know which string/rope goes where. 
Tomorrow l will complete the Backstays and Forestay, attach the Deadeyes to the Shrouds and then rig them the the Deadeyes on the Hull, phew. I am not sure l will get that much done, but when l do get that far l will, at last, be able to fix the Chainplates into their correct angle.
Best wishes as always, 
The Lazy Saint. 
 
 

OK,
I finished the Speedy prototype model half an hour ago, and have taken some quick pics. Now I have a lot of PC based work to do, box artwork, plans, instructions and parts list.
 
I had the Alert stern patterns re-designed and re-cut, a pic of one set is included here, these will be included in all new kits.