egkb

Steven i have two lots of deadeyes totalling about 250 so far. The sides are a bit straighter than the previous ones but not completely straight. I found they didnt print very well unless i added a bit of meat around the holes. I have made the ends a lot tighter as you wanted as well. I reckon if i print this amount again it should give you enough to complete your task . I should have them finished on monday for you.
 
regards
 
Paul

The stern area is now planked and sanded smooth. Glad I did it now than later on since I felt very cramped holding the planks in place. The opened area on the sides were very helpful to get a grip of the planks and for easy access to sand them.
Also, I had to edge-bend the planks before gluing them since there are two axis that each planks bend in for them to match the light sills. I used filler wherever I saw some gaps between the frames and the planks.

The molding strip was added next. The edges were first softened. Then, I glued the center part first and waited for the glue to set before bending and gluing the rest of the strip.



I was first considering to continue on with the quarter gallery. Now after thinking for a bit, I am considering completing Chapter 9 to plank all the bulwarks. IMO, it seems to be the logical option as it would be better to finish the "messy" work before moving on. I know sanding the planks smooth will generate a lot of sawdust and it might be difficult to clean up from the lights. Once I finish planking, I'll paint the planks in the stern area white, and the rest red.
 
I wanted to also note, the supplied shells for the quarter gallery do not fit my model at all so I will need to scratch build them. Something I need to think about while I plank the inside of the ship. 

Thanks for dropping in.  Makes me feel amiss in not updating more often, but   work progresses slowly.
I have completed most of the standing rigging and the running rigging is coming along.
 
 
I used the laser to cut the spars.  I make them with two parts that I finish individually then join together.
For me it makes for easier handling than one long piece..
 

 
Ready to be hoisted.
 
\
 
A pennant that will fly from the top of the topmast that still needs to be completed.

 
Setting up the shrouds...
 
There is quite a bit of other rigging completed..   I just need to take the time to make some pictures that I am ready to share..
 

I hit a bit of a snag when further planking the Pickle.
 
First, I was not too happy where the butt joints of the lower planking band was located. So I removed it and I am now following the Cheerful monologue to have a similar planking run.
 
Once I deconstructed, I started planking the upper band. I have been using a lot of scrap wood to glue the neighboring planks. 


After reaching halfway, this method was not working. The curve of the planks was hard to achieve since there was little to no surface to glue them on, especially at the bow. Because of this, when sanding it, some planks at the bow became too thin and I sanded right through them:


Here is a photo of the opposite side. I did not face this issue here.

So now I am thinking of deconstructing the planking again, and will use balsa blocks to fill up the space between bulkheads. This way I will treat it as a solid hull model and will hopefully have an easier time planking. 

Not on this day, but I couldn't find any other section to put it in, and I think it's worth seeing.
 

Some good news and bad news.
 
First the good news; I've finished adding the ratlines on the larboard main shrouds. 
 
In progress:
 

 

 

 
All ratlines in place but before trimming
 
    
 

 
After trimming
 
   
 
 
 
Now the bad news - the main starboard deadeyes really aren't working.
 

 
They're all over the place, some of the deadeyes themselves have broken (red circles below - they're made of wood), they're different sizes, different distances apart, some twisted (yellow circle), the holes have pulled through so the lanyards terminate in the wrong places (blue circle) - and I have no idea what happened in the green circle. Add to that the fact that some of the lanyards got glued into the holes so I couldn't pull them tight.  Gak!
 

 
I think I really need to re-examine all of these, probably rip them all off and start again doing it differently. I've started experimenting, but not having a lot of success so far.
 
Steven

Work proceeding very slowly.
 
Rigged the bowsprit guys and stitched the netting to them, but haven't trimmed the netting yet.

 
Pre-rigged the lower sheets and tack ends to winches or bitts. Anyone building Preussen would be wise to attach these before adding masts and walkways. The winches are tucked beneath the pin rails and were painful to reach. Also had to drill four missing sheave holes in the hull. Example tack leading from sheave to bitts and coiled on deck. Sheet leading from sheave to winch and coiled on deck. The winch drum end is that little green thing to the right of the first two "eyescrews". Speaking of the drums, they taper towards their ends and I remember thinking that would be a problem. It was, as the threads persist in slipping off the end when one attempts to wind them onto the drum. Future builders - recommend attaching a slightly larger disc to their ends to retain threads.

 
Now thinking about belaying brace trim lines, which need triple sister blocks that Heller does not mention. Made them from sets of three 15/0 seed beads glued to a short strip of evergreen. That's one poking up just to the right of the eyescrews. Not a near replica of reality but good enough. Now trying to decide what to do to associated belaying pins for these brace ends to attach (existing pins are mere bumps).

 
Also decided to add the shrouds to a masthead just for something different to do. In the interest of not taking years on this build like on Victory I did not serve the centres or clinch them round the masthead. I simply tied each pair in a clove hitch around the masthead. Good enough at this scale, or as Victor J says "close enough for jazz".

 

Hi all,
 
Thanks for the likes!
 
I've been blessed with a few evenings to work on Stefano over the past few days, so I have a little to report.
 
With the foredeck filling up, I decided to paint the bitts matt black instead of leaving them walnut. They'll complement the anchors nicely that way. 
 

 
I've also put together the anchor stands with their metal parts that clamp over the anchor to stop it moving round in heavy weather. The suggestion in the kit is that the metal strap over the anchor is made from copper strip. I reverted to a tried and tested technique and used 2mm wide strips of black card. These were detailed with eyelets glued onto brass pins and cut short to represent the hinges. It's not perfect for detail, but at 1:63 it gives that suggestion of detail that approximates what's going on. 
 

 

 
I used masking tape to stop the anchor bar (proper name?) from flopping around while this was being done. The bar gets tied down with rope, and I've done this on one of the anchors - a very fiddly procedure!, but I don't have a picture yet. I'll put up a picture once they're all done.
 
It was then that I got distracted again. I started thinking about the figurehead. The kit provides a block of wood and encourages the modeller to carve the figurehead. Thankfully, I had a figurehead left over from my HMS Ethalion based on the HMS Diana kit by Caldercraft. In that build, I scratch built a figurehead from a greek figure and a dolphin's tail... 

The Diana figurehead was the perfect size for Stefano with a couple of modifications:
 
1. The decoration where she sits on the bulkhead was cut off.
2. The tails of her dress needed to be bent outwards along with her legs to accommodate the stem and bow of the vessel.
 
These figureheads can be purchased separately from Cornwall Model Boats, I believe.
 
I was worried she'd get a bit cold in the Atlantic breeze, so I added a little modesty and gave her a dress that covered both shoulders, and filled in the gap where she would have sat on the Frigate's beakhead all using Fine white Milliput. Once done, the suggestion is that the whole figurehead be painted in gold, but I used a mix of Vallejo brass (which is a little toned down compared to their gold) and "Ivory" for her skin, again to tone it down a little. A pen was used for the eyes, as it's easier to control than a paintbrush!
 
Here are some pictures of progress...
 
As she was at the beginning of the process...
 

 
Starting to add the dress...
 

 
Adding dress details...
 

 
And beginning to paint her...
 

 
 
And once she was painted she was added to the bow...
 

 

 

 
Overall, I feel she's a great improvement over anything I could have carved from scratch, and since she was sat in a parts box doing nothing it's a win-win situation!
 
I'm really pleased with the way the ivory and brass colours work together, and from a distance she really makes Stefano look smart! I'm also pleased that, much like the figurehead on the plans, she has one arm outstretched.
 
Thanks for looking in!
 
Rob
 

Thank you, Tony, for your kind words and reminding us where to find the discussion about binnacles. Thanks to all for 'likes' which are a real morale booster. 
 
Rudder
I described construction of the rudder in earlier posts when I was coppering the hull and it has now been finished and mounted. 
 
Tiller
The tiller is curved in an elongated S shape and I made mine from a laminate of 0.5mm thick planks. The former for the laminations is from scrap ply (actually left overs from a dinosaur kit that I made with my 4-year old grandson). When the glue had set I sanded the width to get a 2x2mm section and then carved away at the back end to make a round tenon. The front merges into a circular section but it could have been square in reality. The knob at the front, which is shown on the Admiralty drawings, is from paper wrapped around the the wood. I stained the whole thing a walnut colour to match the rest of the model. 
 

Laminations for the tiller. The curvy edge in the ply former is where the dinosaur's teeth were
 

Tiller mounted on the rudder. The grey stuff around the rudder head represents tarred canvas which stopped water going down into the hull. I used tissue paper, stained grey and glued with PVA
 
Chains
The chains were to stop the rudder from sinking if it was knocked off its pintles. The hardest part was fitting an end link in a chain into an opened ring, and an eye into the same ring, and then closing the ring. The links are 1mm long. Having fitted the chains I am now wondering if they should be brass rather than 'iron' to prevent the iron from rotting away through electrolysis. I am sure that brass chains would have been more expensive and expect that the Admiralty would have saved money in the short term by ordering iron instead, so I will leave mine black. 
 

Rudder chains, and more tarred canvas around the head of the rudder. The soil pipe below the necessary has been dabbed with grey paint to give it a duller finish
 
George

Now that's a nice binnacle, George. Very nice. The one you're referring to was in my build of the Chaloupe Armée. The longboat needed a portable one but, as you say, although more experienced modellers made good suggestions, it was beyond my courage levels to undertake. In the end I realised someone may well have just carried a compass in a pocket.
 
Tony

Pieter,
 
Thanks for your comment about toning down the colour. I will see first if acrylic paint adheres to the foil, otherwise I will have to open up a tin of Humbrol enamel. I will try it out on some remaining foil before venturing on to the pipe. 
 
Binnacle
Next piece of building is the compass in its binnacle on a stand. The standard three-compartment binnacle used in the Royal Navy looks too big and there is an interesting comment in John Roach's log book for 17 June 1806 which states 'Try'd the compasses and found the one in the Binnacle to Err one point from the other owing to some Iron thing near it'. This shows that the binnacle housed only one compass; the second was probably a boat compass in a box. An internet search for 'antique binnacle' soon reveals smaller binnacles that have one compartment with the compass and a light attached to the side. There are two varieties, one made of wood and a domed, brass one which looks like a helmet for a Victorian astronaut. (Binnacles with two iron balls on them did not appear until the 1880's.) 
 
Tony (tkay11) showed on an earlier thread that making a brass dome with a window is very difficult so I chose the wood option. This is similar to the one I made for Sherbourne years ago. 
 
The stand for the binnacle is a 15mm length of 4x4mm wood with the ends cut square. I drew and printed a compass card and glued it to one end which became the top. 
I used 0.5mm thick wood to build a hood with a sloping lid. The lid was glued to paper for strength before I drilled and filed a hole in it, about 3mm diameter. The paper was then scraped off and a piece of clear plastic was glued on. The lid is then glued to the hood. The one remaining wood part is a cupboard door, 0.5mm thick, that I glued to the rear face of the stand on the assumption that something would be stored inside there. 
The hood was stained a mahogany colour which resembles several of the antique binnacles. The stand and cupboard were stained to match most of the hull woodwork. The lamp on the side was from scrap plastic, painted to look like aged brass. The assembly was then adorned with small pieces of etched brass for hinges and clamps and handles, and black paper for feet to secure it to the deck. 
 

Front view of the binnacle with the compass card visible through the window. 
 

Rear view of the binnacle. The stand is only 4mm wide so please excuse the magnified errors
 
George

The Fifie is completed. I would like to post this build in the finished models gallery. I have created an album but I have not been able to upload the photos. Could some one help here.
 
I am following with the pictures of the finished model There are some details still missing which may be completed at a later date. Basically I did not include the small boat and the three drew member are yet to be painted
 

IMG_8659.MOV

A couple of photos of a scupper, inboard and outboard. These are somewhat magnified and the furry edges of the wood and other horrors are not visible to the naked eye. 
 

Scupper inboard near a step in the deck
 

Scupper outboard just below a wale
 
One other job I have completed is the outlet pipe from the necessary. There is a good review of shipboard toilet arrangements in an MA thesis by Simmons which you can find on the web, or just here. Seats of Ease Simmons-MA1985.pdf
The pipe was usually made of wood or lead and I thought a metal one would look better. The model part started as a former in 1.5mm square section wood which had a couple of joints to take it down past the counter. I then gave it a coat of aluminium from a foil wine bottle cap which I folded around and glued with CA. A couple of brackets from the same foil make a pretence at holding it in place. The aluminium is a little bright and I might tone it down later with a grey wash. What do you think?
 

Soil pipe below the necessary
 
George

Right. Time to behave and get back to the build in order. 
 
The next step was the "remaining elements of the foredeck". Firstly, item 30 - the bitts. There are six of these, each comprising two vertical posts which are shaped from 4mm walnut dowel (I struggled to get a nice round section, so ended up using some 5mm dowel instead), and a plate made from a 15mm length of 1.5x5mm walnut strip. Using the Proxxon DB250 lathe, I was able to turn these uprights reasonable consistently. Unlike the columns on the aft cabin these will not be in a line next to each other so if they vary a little it's not such a big deal.
 

 

 
Here's a picture of the foredeck so far, with the bitts placed roughly in position. Nothing on the foredeck is glued down yet. I've also put together the belaying pin rack (49) which can be seen at the bow. Again, I replaced the belaying pins with thinner ones.
 

 
And a picture of the stern area with the bitts roughly placed in position...
 

 
And finally an overview of the whole vessel so far... (I'm waiting for some 8mm dowel to make the mizzen mast).
 

 
Next up in the instructions is detailing the anchor davits and working on the vertical windlass.
 
Happy building!
 
Rob

I've placed the columns on the other side of the aft cabin deck. Once the glue was well set the whole unit was turned upside down and very gently rubbed over sand paper to add the slope to the top of the columns ready for the railings. The railings were made of 15cm lengths of 1x4mm walnut, with a 0.5x2mm walnut strip glued down the centreline stopping a millimetre from each end.
 

 

 

 
I've also started detailing the insides of the aft cabin with a tiled floor made from 0.13mm styrene. The styrene had 6mm masking tape placed in stripes spaced 6mm apart. It was then painted black and cut across into 6mm strips. These strips can then be used to create a checkerboard tiling pattern. The pattern was glued diagonally onto the floor of the cabin, and the partition wall glued in place over them, such that when looking through the doors, the floor continues into the main space of the cabin.
 

 

 
And the finished result, looks like this. Only a hint of detail, but I think it's quite a nice addition to add interest (and we'll just ignore how brutal the close-ups are!). Since this photo I've glazed the portholes with Humbrol ClearFix as I did with the other cabin.
 

 
The finished result so far...
 

 
More soon

Thanks to you all for looking in, liking, and encouraging me along on this build. I'm finding it fascinating and fulfilling, and it's nice to know that others are finding enjoyment in it, too!
 
I took another look at the cabin roof, and compared it with those on the Cutty Sark, and realised that the profile was the opposite way up (thick at the top and narrow at the bottom). Not a big deal, but it niggled at me, and I decided to try it the other way round. 
 
Through my own laziness in not taking progress shots, I also neglected to take photos of me sticking planks onto the cabin roof only to realise that I hadn't cut them to scale length... so - here are some shots of the work, which I obviously got right first try!!! 🙄🤣 One of the benefits of re-doing it, is that I realised it made sense to plank from one end, over the other end, and then sand it back to get a neat transition to the surround.
 

 
Then the surround was glued in place...
 

 
And the profile was carefully filed back into the corners where the joins were (yes, I wimped out of trying to do neat 45 degree mitres!)
 

 
Then it was a case of rinse and repeat for the aft deckhouse, with the added challenge of making sure the hole for the raked mizzen mast was in the right position. (Achieved by measuring back from the front of the deckhouse when the deck was not in place, and then transferring this measurement (plus the overhang) onto the deck.
 

 

 

 
The next thing I wanted to have a crack at was the railings. They could probably wait a bit, but I was itching to see what they looked like! There are 17 each side, covering 140mm between the centres of the columns at each end (at least on this interpretation!), and that leads to an 8.75mm gap between column centres along the row.

The aft deck has a 3 degree slope, rising from front to back. It also has the camber to allow water to run off.  I made a jig to allow me to file the bottoms of the columns evenly to 3 degree angles. By turning the column slightly so that the angle faced inboard, I could account for the slope fore and aft, and the camber.
 
I've drawn a very rough diagram here...
 

 
And the actual jig looks like this... You can just see the column poking out from the end of the styrene tube.
 

 
When the column was removed from the styrene tube, I marked the top to show which direction the angle was (it's barely visible to the naked eye!) Then these marks were used to line them up as I glued them in place. I've only done the starboard side so far.
 
When the deck is laid flat you can see the angle (I made up a small 87 degree angle piece to check against.)
 

 
And a few pictures of the side, finished.
 

 

 
The wide angle lens makes the end columns look like they're at different angles, but they are in fact all as near parallel as I can get them.
 
I'll gently sand the top to add the angle to the columns for the rail, and once added, the whole structure should be reasonably strong.
 
Right. I think that's enough for this evening. Happy building to you all
 
Rob

I tried glazing some of the portholes, which seemed to go very well. More practice would not go astray, but that's the beauty of Humbrol clearfix, you can just go back and have another crack at it.
 

 

 
I have yet to put the portholes into the aft superstructure.
 
I used my violin rib bender at 230 C and water to warm the ply roof formers and introduce the curve of the deck (it never seems like a good idea to me to simply try and make the glue force wood into a curve). 
 

 
Then I took some walnut 4x3 strip and using Artesania Latine micro shapers (https://artesanialatina.net/en/micro-tools/1296-micro-shapers-b-wooden-plastic-models-miniatures-tool-8421426273014.html - the bottom right shape of the middle scraper in the picture on this site. The profile was put into the entire 1mm length of the strip, and a length of it bent vertically to match the contour of the cabin roof. 
 
It was glued to the cabin roof clamped with a 0.5mm strip on the plywood so that there was a lip of 0.5mm. THis means the decking should sit flush with the surround, eventually. That's the plan, anyway. In this photo you can see the profiled strip at the back, and I'm gluing each end to the cabin deck ply.
 

 

 
Once the pegs are removed it looks like this...
 

 
And because I used plasticard for the spacer, it doesn't stick to the carpenter's glue I used for the wooden strip. It simply lifts away, leaving the lip for the decking to be applied.
 

 
And here's a decking strip which seems to fit nice and flush. (I do love it when a plan comes together )
 

 
The next task is to cut nice neat mitres at each end of these pieces so that I can add the lengthwise edges. Before I do that I'll plank the deck, so I can get the edges really nice and neat. That way, when I glue the edges on, they'll simply butt up against the decking, and I won't have to worry about the 0.5mm lip.
 
More soon

And some more . . .
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
Steven

I wasn't happy with how the ratlines on the fore topmast and topgallant worked out - cutting off the free ends with scissors, craft knife, anything, just didn't work well. Nothing was sharp enough, even when I used a brand-new craft knife blade. The thread "feathered" and went messy; sometimes even came away.

 
So I decided to try a different method on the main mast, and if it worked I'd re-do the foremast.
 
First steps the same - glue the shrouds together, and then onto the mast at the top, with a lot of free thread at the bottom. Then glue each shroud to the edge of the fighting top, with a small peg as a weight to pull the shroud straight. Then glue the ratlines on one by one, with an overlap at each end.
 
   
 
So far exactly the same as before. But here's the change. Once all the ratlines were glued on, I removed the shroud/ratline assemblies from the mast, turned them over on the cutting board, and trimmed the ends off with a sharp craft knife. Then glued the assemblies back in place.
 
    
 
     
 
Still not perfect, but a lot better than the previous method. So I'll definitely re-do the ones on the foremast.
 
Now attaching the lower deadeyes, one by one, to the starboard main channel. NOTE: This is NOT the standard way of doing this - it's my own method that I evolved because I already had the shrouds and ratlines in an existing assembly, because I didn't know what I was doing when I was seventeen.
 

 
And all deadeyes in place (sorry about the photo quality). I was even able to re-use some that I'd made back in the day. I'll be fixing these in place with CA so they don't come loose when I tighten the lanyards, and also trim and fix the lower ends to the hull, as though they are the chains - because when I was seventeen I didn't know chains existed.
 

 
Now on the larboard side, temporarily gluing the shrouds to the main channel so I can glue on the ratlines to match the starboard configuration. Again, I'm re-using the old shrouds - in this case I never got around to gluing the ratlines on. Note the small peg used as a weight to put tension on the shroud.
 

 

 

 
All lower shrouds in place and beginning to glue on the lower ratlines - don't worry about the scruffy glue at the bottom where the shrouds meet the channels. That will all be sorted later when I add the deadeyes.
 

 
And now completing the main stay by adding its upper deadeye and lanyards. I won't fully tighten it up until later in case the other rigging affects the tension. As mentioned before, the mainstay splits into two and passes both sides of the foremast.
 
       
 

 
Adding the main topmast shrouds.
 
   
 
And gluing the ratlines onto them.
 
       
 
Steven
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gluing ratlines to the fore-topmast and fore-topgallant shrouds (to be trimmed later).
 
 
 
 
Finally glued the mainmast in place, and added the lower main shrouds - the starboard ones already had ratlines glued on and deadeyes in place, but needing to be attached to the channel.
 

 
 
 

 
Glued the dragon figurehead in place.
 

 
Carved oars for the longboat
 

 
And added the oars, the mast and spar (I haven't been able to find anything out about what rig these vessels would have had, so I've copied Dutch contemporary pictures and given her a spritsail rig)
 

 
And glued the hatch cover and longboat in place on the main deck. I had to wait until the mainmast was glued in place before I could close up the hatch - otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see when I was slotting the bottom of the mast into the mast-step - it's been quite a wait.
 

 
 
Steven
 
 
 
 

 

Hello,
 
thanks Gabe for this pictures, now it is clear for me.
Some photos of my progress: 

I mitered the molding that wraps around the uprights using the disc sander.
 
I used this method on a longer piece.

 
Though I used a long piece for the photo, I used this method when the length was short. Push the stick up to until the desired length is achieved.

 
Once the uprights where completed, I used a jig to register the holes for the headstock which sits between the uprights.
 
Jigs like this help to align and hold everything together during assembly. 

 
A left over beam was used simulate the actual positioning of the belfry rail as seen on the ship. This makes it easy to see if the timberheads are at the correct angle to the deck. Tweaks where needed.

 
I backed the jig with another strip in order to add the "L" shaped piece. This keeps it inline with the timberheads.

 
I added the cover boards for the stove stack along with other fittings to complete chapter nine.

 
 

 
Mike

Thanks guys, much appreciated!
 
I've finally managed to get some more of the forecastle work completed.  Only a few fittings left to do.
 
At the aft end of the Fcastle rail there is a short piece which is added on. I decided to strengthen the joint by adding a strip between the two pieces. Final sanding was completed after the glue dried overnight.

 
The rail was assembled and painted before installation. Due to some of the timberheads fitting snug into the cap rail below, I left the bottom of each one unpainted. I raised the rail slightly in this photo to show that.

 
Any bare wood showing after gluing was easily touched up.

 
The catheads were easy enough to make. I picked the ones that seemed to have the most consistent laser cut sheaves. I did my best to align the catheads with the short extension below deck. The breast beam had to be scratch built. It was done in such a way as to insure that it ran below the level of the cap rail its entire length.

 

 
Mike

Thank you for your comments Heinz and Malcolm.
 
Finally finished the never ending rat lines.  Here are a few photos.
 

 

 
 

 

 
Now I think I will start working on the Stays. I still have to do the topgallant shrouds, but I think I will leave them for a later stage as I think they will be a bit in the way when I do the backstays.  I will see as I go along.
 
Robert

Hi All
 
I think it's safe to say that these three pieces have been very difficult for me to get right.  I eventually made 4 deck clamps before being happy enough to fit them to the model.  The combination of difficult bends that have to be recessed for the breast hook which all have to be sat on the correct line inside the hull.............wow!
 
Anyway I've now got it done but not without a little damage.  The port side deck clamp glued in fine but the starboard side cracked; I didn't even notice it until the next morning when I removed all of the clamps.  It was one of those times when I just though - well its not very pretty but I do know that its in exactly the correct position.  So I opened the crack up a bit and fitted a sliver of wood in just so that it looked a bit better.  I'll put this one down as a ships repair 🤣
 
I've also had a go at making my first every hooked scarf joint and I think its going to be fine with a little adjustment.  So the next steps are to make the 6 remaining pieces of the deck clamp which are all joined with hooked scarf joints.
 
I must be honest I'm really pleased with the result mainly because structurally I know that its correct.
 
Mark