BLACK VIKING

Another four complete, and another four begun. The benches are starting to fill up . . .
 
    
 
 

Got all the frames installed, looks pretty cool:
 

 
I started test-fitting the false deck that gets inserted within these frames, and immediately found the next problem: it doesn't line up straight with the frames and keel. It has slots that are supposed to fit over every frame, but if you line up the deck's centerline with the keel, the slots are at an angle to the frames (i.e. the frame don't fit into them), and if you slot all the frames into the deck, the deck doesn't line up with the keel. Here the latter is shown; check the centerline at both ends:
 

 
Detailed view amidships:
 

 
Detailed view at the bow:
 

 
This problem is consistent throughout the deck; all the slots fit neatly around the frames, but the whole deck is off-kilter. So this could have two explanations: (1) I got the angle of the frames consistently wrong (not square to the keel) when gluing them in or (2) the deck slots aren't cut quite square.
 
I double-checked all the frames relative to the keel using a square, and they're all as square to the keel as I can determine. I then placed a strip of wood across one of the frames and placed a square against it to check the orientation of the deck's centerline, with this result:
 

 
You can clearly see the off-angle there, which seems to imply that the deck slots weren't cut quite square during manufacture (option 2). Even if I installed the frames crooked, if the deck slots were cut squarely, the deck's center line should be at 90° to the frames when they're fit together (the measurement above is independent from the keel).
 
Does that seem like the right conclusion, or am I missing something?
 
Either way, it seems like the best answer is to file the deck slots wider until the deck fits properly and squarely with the keel. As this gets covered with another layer, I don't think it matters if the slots are a bit loose.

Dafi,
 
Its simply amazing at the amount of detail you put in such a tiny space. Beautiful work. 
 
-Brian

Heave!
(Quist:) Five years hard labor,
the judge says to me...
...or honorable service
in His Majesty's Navy.
What did I pick? Hornblower.
...
(Sailor:) What are we doing in the Pacific, anyway?
I tell you, he's got us all lost.
...
(Quist:) There's islands there
where we could have a picnic.
Brown-skinned girls, bread growing
on trees, where the Bounty went.
Why don't you ask Hornblower
to take us there?
What's wrong with our cargo
doing the asking?
Muskets and ammunition.
Who for? Why not for us?
  
Harrison: Come on, get on with your work. Get on with it.


 
Those were the last words in March 2015. Last year the conversation was continued in the moment when another model fell onto the small setup: AUUUUUUUTSCH!!!
All men over board, the freshly fitted furnace in pieces. Never found the time for repair. Yesterday while looking for something else the remains were found again and also the will to fix 🙂
 
First found that Quist took the chance to desert and run behind his brown-skinned girls. So cloned a new one using the original building report from March 2015. Also fixed the furnace and lighted the ember inside.
 

 
Also a new feature appeared: The wetted sand underneath the furnace, I finally found sand or better saying powder of sand that suited fine enough for the job. Also the waterbucket found its way onto the scene. Just missing the fire engine, the hose or the wet swatters that were needed to follow fire regulations. Then checked for the right tools.
 

 
Tinkered the tongs from a spare chain iron ...
 

 
... and also an anvil found itself being used in there. And here we go with the refreshed gem 🙂
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
And here it is with the inspiration, from the starting sequence of "Hornblower" about 3:00 min.
 

 
Enjoy, DAn

Modifications are looking good. This has been a detail that has always bothered me on previous builds as most 17th century ships had this mast offset yet I don't know of any kits that are designed that way. Modifying for it always became one of those decisions that I chose to forego and always regretted it.

Hi,
Installed both sides of the lower gun deck, as well as adding the dummy carriages. Will get back to adding first plankings, but needed a bit of a change. Worked on how to secure, with an offset, the bowsprit mast. This should work – I hope.
 

It’s been awhile since my last post, but I have been working on the Providence. I’ve finished planking the main deck, done some sanding and added a coat of Wipe-on-Poly.  The blue tape is to protect the bulwarks from the sanding dust.  I intend to sand some more and add the partition to the officer’s quarters before I do another coat.  It has been a very hot summer, so far.
 

 

Many thanks Eamonn! I might try to find a way to make it thinner (maybe by using a chisel) but let's see... I'm more inclined to leave it as is since it seems a bit fragile 
 
I finished making the sweep ports. This was not too bad until I realized I forgot to paint the inside of it before it was too late.. Ah well, I am liking the contrast the wood makes with the red, and the back of the ports is kind of hard to see since its so deep, so all is good! 
 
I needed to use a bit of wider wood than the instructions called out for. Fortunately, I had saved all my scraps and used some wider pieces. After cutting each piece, I applied tung oil, then stuck them to the hull using diluted glue. Then the horseshoe shaped hinges and wire pins were also installed using diluted wood glue. 
 
Here are some pics: 

 

 

 

 

Too tired from the checker-board pattern at work this week (off,  on, off, on, etc) to clean up the last failed print and try again, I opted to make another 3D model, the anchors.  Well, 1 model, but the ship gets 4 of them.  The shackles I'll make from brass.

The building of the masts is nearing completion already. Meanwhile installed one royal mast: the fourth section, or uppermost part, of the foremast.

 

Thank you for the feedback!
Managed to get all the eyelets onto their leashes ...

... and threaded them in ...

... and all closed ports are done 🙂

XXXDAn

Whilst I’m doing a log this can cover the upgrade kit and instructions as it’s fresh off the shelf in Hong Kong them a 2 month trip to Australia. 
 
it’s one of the few upgrades that do’nt need any extras. 

So, ordering as you probably well know is problematic during this crisis. So I order up 2 kits with extras and the bulk of this one has arrived, just awaiting some delicious guns from Micromaster in NZ. Best 3D printing I have seen hands down. 
 
The Big Blue Boy upgrade is Newly produced so this should be one of the first builds. 
 
I got some actual aa guns that are not a flat piece of PE which I dislike anyway. The plans are from Profile Morskie. I also got some extra aircraft for the hangar. 
 
The ship was commissioned in 1938 and effectively gone by 1942. Not much to weather 

What I did was lay the keel halves out on my bench, which is kitchen worktop stuff and perfectly flat (you could use a glass sheet if you weren't sure about the bench being flat). I then glued the parts together with a straight edge to absolutely make sure they were even, and sat a weight on top of joint for extra insurance. Also remember that the MDF is perfectly straight too. When that glue set, I added the reinforcement plates, locking parts and keys.
 
You're extremely unlikely to get a bent frame or create any error. Those parts slot together very nicely and the whole joint was absolutely rigid when done.

Six. Three to go and I Was able to take the False frame out.....

This isn’t my best paint work, and I haven’t completed the starboard side gold work, but I am looking for some feedback on this approach to the figurehead.  Does this seem 17th C. French to you guys, or something else?



 

LOL it can be a bit mind boggling on first glance through the book Keith, Hi Emmet- the pin holes are so small they nearly disappear after sanding- i planked the bows like that as terror had second planking- i terminated planks along the runs as the shape of the hull dictated to avoid excessive bending- also a lot of the pins are acting like clamps beside the planks- computer has gone belly up (pinched sons lap top for this so posts will be apart!)
 
started to shape the masts- built the tops supplied for fore and main but altered them as in the following pic.
 

 
also got the mainmast squared for the cheeks and bibs.
 

 
also a shot of the fore mast with the top tried out- to square them roughed them with a craft knife till roughly squared then sanded with a sanding block til the top was a comfy fit.
 

 
also got the sunlights in the deck and the hatch for the chain locker in place.
 
 

 
used humbrol clear windows for the glazing.
 
take care all
keith
 
P.S. since posting this have started to scratchbuild new tops for main and foremasts as occre have thecross trees butted right up against the mast- hopefully will have comp fixed and get some pics on the log.

As my interim article project isn't happening yet, I've spent a day numbering up the parts on all the sheets. It's a BIG job!
 
I've also removed the two-part keel and locking device parts, the bulkheads and the orlop deck sections and dry-fitted them all to get an idea of the size of this thing. I thought you might light to see...
 

 

 

About ready to do walnut planks. They will have to be done slowly as I am going to use wood glue. Will leave upper deck planks for later. While glue dries plan to drill holes for gunports.
 

 

 

Looks a good smooth base, good luck with the top planking Emmet 😉👍

I bet!!!! 😆
 
One HMS Victory will be enough for my lifetime, so I'm glad it's this one.

I'm just glad I don't have to build it again!

My rigging is slow and time consuming, but it's almost over.

 
 
I didn't like rigging, so I thought the cutter ship would end easily, but it's difficult.

 
 

 
 
 

good morning everyone
 
finished making the cabin bulkheads, will do for now
 
im at that stage of doing something i dont enjoy, i wont say hate it, but very close, prepping the hull for colour, sanding priming, filling and repeat.
 
having completed a majority of 2nd planking, i was quite happy to take the weather  window and do some sanding outside, what ever i do, must be better than it was