CaptainSteve
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Everything posted by CaptainSteve
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Class act all the way, MrRiddoch !! I can only hope my Connie looks as good as yours - one day. -
Love the windmill, Jay. Up to your usual standard, as always. Even though I have seen numerous windmills (including one - a tourist attraction - standing by the freeway in my own town), I had never realised that they had sails which needed to be set in order to operate. Who says model-making isn't educational !!
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Ahoy !! Just a quick broadside to say that I should soon be back into my modelling. I've managed to order replacement templates to re-construct the missing whale-boat and expect they should arrive any day now. Also, whilst out-n-about for work one day, I discovered a watch-maker who offered to source some very small cogs for me. The idea being to use these to represent the winching cogs at the ends of the trundle winches. I picked these up yesterday. Final note. My very loyal canine companion and ship-mate of the previous 11+ years was put to rest last Friday. She will be missed very much. RIP Sempei.
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Rodger, A truly stunning build that I have thoroughly enjoyed watching come together. My only question at this point ... what about the Nina and Pinta ??
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Thanks Geoff. In truth, it will take some time before I am back to where I was. Still, it was only one boat. I s'pose things could've been worse. (previous post deleted by CaptainSteve because it was not model ship related)
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Arrr ... Tonight, ship-mates, CaptainSteve is sad. Also, just a touch angry ... but mostly sad. Today, upon arriving home from work, I learned that the house where I am staying had been burgled. This, however, was not an ordinary robbery. The circumstances strongly indicate this was a targeted crime. Very minimal damage was done, and only a small number of items of sentimental value appear to have been stolen from other occupants. However, of only two of my own possessions taken, among those I quickly discovered, was a single, half-built, whale-boat!! Hence, tonight CaptainSteve is sad. Arrr ...
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An early morning (2am) start at the Shipwright's table ... For the half-moon hatches, I had soaked short lengths of veneer for an hour or so. These were then shaped around the ends of a paint-brush and clamped into position. Here's some I prepared earlier ... The slats are short pieces of the same veneer used above for the curves. The base pieces have been grooved using a razor-saw to hold the curved parts. At this point, the hatches are quite thick (2mm), but I intend to sand them thinner once dried. And here they are sanded thin, fitted (and fixed) into place ... To highlight the design differences between the whale-boats and the two swan-boats, I wanted to give these hatches something unique. Thin slices of wet-n-dry sandpaper were used to fashion "hinges" (there's one on the tip of my needle-nose tweezers). Hinges fitted, a quick coat of matt varnish, and it's bed-time for me ... (Despite the camera angle, the two hatches do actually fit quite neatly into their respective openings) Next up, trundle-winches ...
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Thanks Geoff. Coming from someone who produces the sort of work you do, that is a MASSIVE compliment. I guess I've always indulged in a few little touch-ups with my previous two kits - f'rinstance by using coils of rope to cover-up "whoopsies". But the workmanship and ideas that I've seen on MSW have inspired me to try a few things out. Seeing you have brought up the kit-bashing thing, I found some of the early Corne pics recently ... As Michel Felice Corne, from my limited research, is considered to be a fairly definitive source, and unless someone can point me towards other information, I guess this means I will need to reconsider the stern build for my Connie when I eventually get to this stage.
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Last night saw the installation of the benches and foot-bars for the two whale-boats. One bench has been removed from each to allow for the trundle-winches. In the foreground, some beads which I found whilst out and about for work during the week. They will need some trimming and shaping but should make for passable winches. Next up, the half-moon hatches ...
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Foot-bars ready to be installed.
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Geoff, Put me down for 100yards of each. Thanks. Arr!!!
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Mostly, however, I have spent a great deal of time trying to make the whale-boats look the way I have envisioned. Sorry, Geoff, I know it's another detour from the plans ... but I'm hoping everyone will like them. As mentioned earlier, one idea was to replace one of the benches with a trundle-winch. I'm still going to run with this ... Another idea I have been toying with is a different style of stern cabinet for the lift-fittings on these two boats. The idea is in a vein similiar to what I've done with the Gig and pinnace ... but the aim is for them to have a different look to the swan-boats. A good deal of tonight's time has been spent making, shaping, fitting, trimming, re-making and re-re-making templates for these stern plates. So far, one has been fitted to my satisfaction ... I soaked a thin strip of wood and then wrapped it around an Exacto handle, clamping in place for the night. These curved bits are then used to form the interior shape for the hatchways. My idea is to build a semi-circular hatch to sit on top. Rather than a brass grating, as per the swan-boats, I'm hoping to have slats made from a lighter wood. The hatches will be attached with hinges made from wet-n-dry sandpaper. More pics as it all comes together ...
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I've managed to steal a few hours to spend at the shipwright's table. It's been getting harder and harder to do so lately. Arrr!!! Some minor work to the pinnace, firstly, with the installation of a front plate and knees ....
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Oh no !!! That's terrible news, DC !! She was coming along so beautifully, too. I really liked what you were doing with the stern window configuration and am keen to follow your work when I get to that stage of my own Conny. I guess I am fortunate in that my rottweiler has never shown the slightest interest in my ships.
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Too true, Geoff. I've actually skipped a couple of things ... For instance, I didn't bother with the thwart stanchions beneath the benches. Also, there aren't any knees for the benches. However, I am currently working on the fore and aft knees. Still to come are cap-rails - still scratching my head about how to make those ?!?!? And even though there is nothing on the plans or box picture, I'd really like to add a looped mooring rope along the sides of each of the four boats. Also, I noticed in the pinnace detail that there is a metal band on the stem .... I'm guessing this is like a reinforcing plate ?? I saw something like it in pics of Chuck's pinnace build. That can wait until I'm ready to do the rudders and furniture.
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Arrrr !!! After opting to re-do my boats and stripping out most of the work done so far, progress was slowed when Life invaded my ship-building for a while. I still have the whale-boats to do, but I do prefer this version of the "swan boats". Firstly, the Captain's gig ... This can now be suspended by hooks from the davits attached fore and aft to the lift fittings. And now, the new and improved pinnace ... Although not a part of the plans, these two boats now have little cabinets to house these fittings. I chose to add a "lived-in" touch with the covers left askew (they are actually fixed in position). I took a couple of pics whilst building the last of these ...
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Harv, That sounds like a brilliant idea. My only problem with it is I am wondering how that would look with a fully-rigged boat mounted onto the main ship. I suppose that it might be possible to create a diorama with one of the boats out front of Conny ... almost as if it were engaged in a kedging manoeuvre, similiar to how Capt Hull was able to avoid a potentially fatal early encounter with HMS Guerriere prior to her famous battle just a month later. It would, admittedly, make a striking (and historically accurate) display !!
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In this pic, the eye-bolts for slings and davit lifts have been installed. They are quite movable. Each ring is held in place with a small piece of wire (I used the twist-ties from standard freezer bags - just strip off the plastic) doubled over around the ring and twisted together. The ends were trimmed to a couple of millimetres and inserted into small holes drilled where necessary and fixed with CA glue. One small step forward - the pinnace now has brass-rod foot-rests for the oarsmen and helmsman. No pics were taken during the construction of these, but I started with a strip 2mm x 2mm and then drilled a single hole down the middle with a 0.25mm bit. Round the top edges off and then slice the strip of wood with a razor saw to create identical ends for each foot-rest rod. Lots more work to be done. It's a good thing we have a holiday weekend here. More pics when I'm back on track.
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I am seriously thinking of changing the name of this build log to " How NOT to build the USS Constitution". After the heads up (Thanks, Geoff), I was re-reading the plans and discovered that not only were there no belaying pins to be installed, BUT that I had completely missed a crucial step; I had forgotten all about the lift-fittings and (on the pinnace), sling eye-bolts. Whilst the pinnace was relatively easy to fix, surgery has been rescheduled for the other three, as the benches and foot-boards etc which had already been installed were now in the way of where these fittings needed to go. So, whilst I could've disappeared for a few weeks while correcting my error, I thought it best to let this be a heads-up to others (Helmsman) who are yet to do this stage. Here, the Captain's Gig is in the process of being stripped of benches etc ...
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Thanks for the info, Geoff. I'll go back and have another look at the plans. It really isn't a big deal to change them out at all ... I've been doing that all along, anyways.
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I must confess (yet again) that minimal progress was achieved this past week. The dodgy foot-rest was replaced and there were some attempts at making a pair of the trundles/winches. Work continues there ... This morning saw sets of belaying racks (tholes?) made up for the life-boats. All they are is a strip of scrap wood. A centre line was marked along its' length, and holes were marked and drilled. The strip was then cut into individual pin-racks, the forward corners rounded and the racks stained. Here's how they look after being installed ... I had made two for each boat, but lack of space prevented any going into the Captain's Gig. Later on, when I get to the "furniture" stage, there will probably be some rope coils hanging from some of the pins. Next up, cleats and lift-fittings ... and re-working the trundles.
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Your Conny ... and us ... will be eagerly awaiting your return.
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Three Eye Patches for the updated pics, Jim. Arr !!
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The Batavia incident all happened approx 400km north of where I sit tonight. Whilst I have never personally visited, I do believe the Batavia is now at the Fremantle Maritime Museum (Victoria Quay/Peter Hughes Dr, Fremantle WA, just in case you were in the neighbourhood)
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USS Constitution ??
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