CaptainSteve

MAP PINS - Navigation Lights/Lanterns

Yet another idea lifted, with permission, from the twisted mind of MSW member, Izzy Madd ...

And today's top tip for those like me who are fiscally challenged or even just mean.
Wondering what to use as ships navigation light.

Well here's my answer.

The cheapest map pins you can get and I do mean cheap. 99p for 250 in red, green, yellow, and blue. The cheapest because they fall apart and they use less dye so they are translucent. As apposed to solid coloured.and even if you need to trim them to fit like this.

Worry not as even if you have turned or sanded them to fit a simple rub with your favourite brass or car cleaner will restore the clear plastic even bi carb or tooth paste. Basically anything that is designed or used to polish will do.

The pins are approx 10mm tall. But, as Izzy shows, they can be cut or chopped to size.

FOOTNOTE:
Just in case SaltySeaDog or the Squirrel Whisperer is reading this, here's something to aim for ...

Nicely done Capt, I can just about imagine you in a pair of tight fitting Levi's ...  

 

Arrr ...

That be most disturbing, Mobbsie.

Your Mk XVII stern pieces look sufficiently "sturdy" compared to the Mk II "stiletto" look. Much more appropriate for a man o' war. Maybe if you do a yacht some day....

To put them into perspective, Ken, think of MK II as the Alessandrino Ambrosio version ... MK XVII is more the Kim Kardashian version.

Hi Captain Steve,

 

I see lots of careful, patient work going on here.....those blocks look very nicely shaped to me.  Great work!    

 

I see in other logs that it is rather easy to break off the tops of the frames, especially as they thin during fairing. Have you considered making some temporary braces (perhaps basswood?) to run across the deck to support the frames during fairing and then planking so it is easier to turn the hull over as needed. Strips of metal glued to the inside of the frames may work as well...just a thought!

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

Thanks Nigel ... 

I am actually planning on adding more filler blocks soon. These will go between the bulkheads, in an attempt to give the build more stability. I got the idea from reading quite a few build-logs here on MSW. Check out JesseLee's Syren build, or the current work from Mr Hollom, to see what I mean.

This is just a suggestion, Michael ... but check out this entry in Kit-Basher's Guide to the Galaxy.

TOOTHPICKS … YET ANOTHER USAGE

(The following has been supplied with permission by MSW member, Izzy Madd.)

As detailed below, Izzy creates a three-sheave cats-head by building up thin layers of wood, and using a toothpick for the pulleys.

This idea can be easily modified to suit any scale whatsoever, just trim strips to size …

In this example, 1/32nd inch thickness strips (I believe) were used to make a finished catshead of just over ¼” inch total.

Every second layer is cut to create the openings in the sheave …

Using a pin-vise (or drill-press, or heck, a hammer-drill if so desired) drill a hole through the staggered layers …

Next, trim a piece from a toothpick to create the axle …

Insert the toothpick piece, add the final veneer/cap-piece, sand to clean-up (or pop into your sanding drum) and you have your own perfectly-formed sheave …

Beautiful work there, Nigel.

I was jus' wondering tho' ... can you 'Orientalize' your cannons somehow ??

Whilst I really do not know HOW you could go about doing this, I would imagine that cannons on a Chinese vessel would look vastly different to those from a 17th Century European ship.

This just be a brief update fer now … jus’ to be proving that reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Work has progressed in CaptainSteve’s shipyard o’er the past few weekends, despite him havin’ not a lot to show fer it.

First up, Our Hero has managed to finish his bow framing …

But it were to be upon turning his attentions stern-wards that CaptainSteve didst come-eth unstuck.

“Me main problem,” Our Hero were to begineth, “were in not bein’ able to visualize the filler blocks properly in all three dimensions.”

The first set which Our Hero were to be happy with didst verily look most good … but be totally unsuited to the stern o’ this ship.

“These were the MK II version … “ CaptainSteve didst mutter-eth under his breath, “in a long line o’ failures. Ye can see that I be takin' too much off where the red arrows be.”

Essentially, what he didst end-eth up doin’ were to be marking precisely where the rabbet line wouldst be-eth …. and thence Dremelling everything else into sawdust. Then didst follow some light sanding with ever-reducing grit sizes, until he were to be satisfied wi' the shape o' Connie's derriere.

"I be a-modelling this stage with a vision in mind ... clothed in a tight pair o' Levi Strauss jeans."

Finally, Our Hero didst push-eth his chair back from the work-bench, wipe-eth his brow, and declare-eth, “The MK XVII version ‘ere doth look to be keepers.”

Thanks fer the comments guys. Much appreciated.

And Tom, thanks again for your pictures.

A superb job, Matt. I'm looking forward to seeing the mortar installed.

Clearly, the Nutz Brothers are practiced wood-waxers from way back ....

Just amazing, Dafi !!

Please ... keep going !!

[ENCORE]

What Tom said !!

(But more photos are needed)

Izzy,

I'll take three !!

Where's the 'Add To Cart' button ??

Amazing work there, Tom !!

With your launch now being towed astern, I think the view of the gun deck will make all your extra work pay off.

I'm looking forward to more photographs.

Great work there, Matt !!

I gotta agree with the others .... love the deck work.

Incidentally, in Aussie vernacular, a red-haired gent is commonly given the nick-name "Blue".

No idea why.

(I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this ...)

Jerry,

Try wrapping the tips of your dowels in tape (or similar) before you put them in the vise. This should help to stop the ends from splitting.

Nice work on your trennelling, Dr Per. 

Congrats on a stunning build, Bob !!

An awesome job from Woody and Harrison.

I think you should increase their nut rations for all the extra work they have put in.

That looks absolutely stunning, Dave .... for a "wall-side" job.

... extremely poor wood working skills.

 

Poor skills, indeed !!

I WISH I was as bad as you !!

Seriously great job, Mobbsie. 

Nice work on the Black Pig, too ... I had to double-check the photos to see which was the Bomb Vessel and which was the Pig.

Chains made from hair ?!?!

I sure would like to see THAT in Kit-bashers !!

B)

Great work on the cannons, Matt ... but I have a question.

How do you solder using a candle ?!?!?

Our Hero hath spent the past few weeks deep in contemplation, but thought it be high-time he didst update this Redux. Verily, CaptainSteve has been able to take many hours in his ship-yard. But he hath also spent a goodly amount of time in naval navel-gazing.

“Arrr … “, he were heard to be a-grizzlin’ and a-moanin’.
“Workin’ under this ‘ere Cap’n Hull fellow doth mean-eth that I shall be needin’ to lift me game !!”, CaptainSteve didst grumble.
“With THIS guy, it’s practice, practice, practice. Drill, drill, drill. Day in, day out !!”, he were to be a-mumblin’.

“Seriously !! Whate’er happened to the days o’ ‘Measure Once, Cut-eth Thrice, Profane Profusely, Start-eth Over Anew ??’”

“Tragically,” Our Hero didst confess, “me first attempts be somewhat less than successful.”

 

Apparently, there be somewhat of a learning curve for CaptainSteve to overcome in terms o’ his carpentry skills. And so, most verily, he didst venture to the wood store, where-upon he were to purchase balsa blocks a-plenty. Our Hero were to be a-figurin’ that, as the fillers shall be over-planked later, it be a-matterin’ not what wood wouldst be use-ethed for them.
“Besides, this stuff be a heck o’ a lot easier to carve-eth into shape !!”

Thusly, he were to take-eth up his wood-axe and his tree-saw, and didst commence, yet again, to hack-eth out the various filler blocks.

Firstly, CaptainSteve were to turn-eth his attentions astern. As Our Hero didst declare-eth from the outset, he doth be plan-ething upon an 1812-ish appearance wi’ this build …

“For starters,” he were to explain-eth, gesticulating wildly whilst pointing at his MS plans, “this be a-meanin’ that me transom counter doth be require-ething curvature.”

The Counter didst prove-eth to be not so difficult, once Our Hero didst finally grasp-eth the concept o’ making templates …

The hole fer the rudder post doth remain-eth un-excavated, and o’course, CaptainSteve will be a-needin’ to curve the tops of the filler blocks to accommodate the curvature o’ his Counter.

“But,” he were to declare-eth, “I be-eth relatively happy wi’ this piece fer now …”

Moving onto the Stern Filler blocks, and this be where CaptainSteve didst make-eth many, many a trip to his Muse …
That ‘twould be, Our Hero were to acknowledge, the Man from Massachusetts.
“Verily, Tom,” he didst state-eth, “your pics be of untold value whilst I work-eth through me framing stages.”

Much cutting and trimming and sanding didst occur-eth, but upon checking with his template pieces one final time, CaptainSteve doest now be seriously contemplating a re-do o’ these two pieces …

“I be most sure,” he were to bemoan, “that I hath taken off too much wood again !!”

Next time couldst prove-eth most advantageous were Our Hero to actually employ-eth the templates he didst cut-teth.

Arrrrggg-geth !!!!

Continuing on, and Our Hero didst cast his gaze a-forward.

“Indeed-eth,” he were to declare, “I be most in favour of the whole rabbet concept and also o’ these ‘ere filler blocks.”
For, despite-eth this bein’ not his first build, he hath ne’er encountered this type o’ constructiveness in kits a-fore.

But still, further troubles didst lay ahead to thwart CaptainSteve’s galloping progress.

“I be a-readin’,” Our Hero were to mention, by way of explanation, “that ‘twouldst be easier to cut-eth the grooves for the bow framing into a veneer piece aforehand.“

Really, CaptainSteve … ??

So it had absolutely nothing whatsoe’er to do with you having sanded too much material from the top, thus making yet another re-do nigh-on inevitable ??

“Ahem … “, he didst splutter. “Well, that is, mayhaps I be planning on using some sawdust and PVA to fill the gaps just a tad.”

"And, this be where things stand as of the present."

Meanwhile, in an unrelated matter, a mysterious cloth bandage has been photographed in the vicinity o' CaptainSteve's stern area …

Nice work, Tidbinbilla.

I'll be looking out for your next project to start.

That's some mighty fine carving there, Dave.