CaptainSteve

Jeff,
Before you proceed with the rest of your cannons, correct please the rigging of the blocks! I don't know why, but you've rigged the Warner's block correctly, but the Chuck's blocks incorrectly. At least your pics show it such.
Pass the rigging line through the holes that are nearer to the wire hooks rather that those further away. Sorry...
Regards,
Thomas

Finally an update! I've been working multiple projects so progress is a little slow. I managed to get all the hooks on the blocks. I ended up drilling them since Chucks blocks were a lot easier to drill. I had to figure out a way to hold everything in place while I drilled. I ended up using a vice with hemostats and an alligator clip to hold the blocks. I tried to use just the hemostats at first but they clamp to tightly and end up breaking blocks. I don't want to bore you with a bunch of rigged gun picks but here is where I am at the moment.
 
Here is my setup:
 

Here I finished rigging the first gun. You can see the difference between the warner blocks on the left and Chucks blocks on the right. Chucks blocks have nicer detail IMHO and are easier to work with, particularly when drilling.
 

Two guns complete, twenty to go. I'm also working on installing the pin racks simultaneously. As you can see I have to pop out some of the rivets to install the racks. I need to touch up the paint there. Hopefully I can find the color since I no longer have any. I'm pretty sure it was either floquil or badger reading green. Hopefully I can still find some.
 

I marked off the reference lines for the initial planks with the bulwark template. Since I will only be planking one layer, I’m trying to figure out the scale lengths and planking pattern for butt ends. I calculated about 4” planks at this scale. I’m trying to follow Chuck’s planking pattern. It seems that some lengths used were longer than 4”. Are all planks supposed to be 4”? Looking for guidance on scale length planks. 
Steve

The planking of bulkhead ZZ is complete. A maple strip was temporarily glued in place to assist with the planking. Gunport lids were created off ship with the jig I used for the panels of my Pinnace. This area is left untreated for now. You can tell the color difference in the last photo. 
Steve

I used 1“x2”x3” steel blocks to square the bulkheads. It worked well. Some of the mast filler blocks are installed while I wait for the replacement bulkhead from Model Expo. The remaining bulkheads cannot be squared until bulkhead 2b is installed. 
 
I dry fit the bow filler blocks and beakhead platforms. This will be tricky to install as you need to center the platforms with the reference lines on the bulkhead. I will use the bullwork templates to check the lines before I install the bow fillers and platforms. 
Steve

Thank Dave and Frank - mates thanks for the likes!!
 
Continuing upper deck work. Added pin rails - rear rail and railing are not attached. Will add, much later,  rear railing after I add hail and yard lines. Need to add deck blocks, rig carriages as well. 
Tried to use my Proxxon lathe to add details to knightheads - abject failure so improvised with left-over stanchion bits instead.
 
Cheers
 

I've got two pics of this block. I'll have to scan the pictures in and post them. They are from the Yenikapi finds.
 
In the meantime, here's the current progress on the pattern for the oarsmen to be cast from, based on the Olympias photos above. It's carved from casting wax which is very good for this purpose. I'm planning to make silicone moulds and cast the figures in resin. But half of them are on the starboard side, half on the port, so their arms will be mirror images of each other. I've held back from carving the arms except in broad outline that allows for both configurations. What I intend to do is cast two wax models from the silicone then trim the arms to shape - one port and one starboard.
 
Here the guy is drawn on a bit of wax.

Part way through - pretty rough at the moment
 
Finer
 
And pretty much finished.

I've given the fellow long hair and a beard because I'm also thinking of making several pattern originals for each side, with different hair styles, bearded or clean shaven etc. 
 
I've never tried silicone and resin moulding before, so I'm not sure how this will work out. But there's a very good tutorial on Youtube - I think it's produced by the people who make the product, but it's very instructive. 
 
I still have to find out where I can get silicone and resin and preferably some knowledgeable advice, in Ballarat - wish me luck! 

 
Steven
 

Hi Steven, 
Continental sheet blocks had an upper sheave at a right angle from the lower sheave. They were somewhat pear shaped. This was used for the Topsail sheet and lower yard lifts. Of course your Dromon was Lateen rigged so it will be interesting to see what purpose a block with sheaves at right angles was used for there.
The amount of research you are having to do for this build is extraordinary considering there is so little info from this period. Great stuff,I really enjoy following your build.
 
Dave 

Thanks, Mark. That makes sense - except the lateral hole is there in the original, as well as the two/three smaller holes. As I see it, the ship would use either one or the other, but not both. I was thinking to take all that load as you say, the lateral hole would have a fairly hefty rope through it.
 
Still trying to figure it out . . .
 
In the meantime, here's some pics of the crew of the Olympias trireme in action.
   
Most modern oarspeople (gender equality nowadays) sit as close to the surface of the water as possible, to maximise the efficiency of their oars. The higher above the water, the more wasted effort. However, this is not possible with a multi-banked galley. As the three banks in a trireme are offset by half a person's height, the guys at the very top (the thranites) are sitting above the heads of the lowest guys (the thalamians). This would probably be as far above the water as the upper oarsmen of a dromon, so they would be holding their oars at pretty much the same angle, all other things being equal. These are experienced oarsmen (apart from the Greek navy people) and I was particularly interested in how they would hold their oars this high above the water. Note that there are various ways of holding the oar handles, and also the angle of the thranite oars seems to differ from one photo to another  - perhaps Olympias was riding higher in the water at different times? Note also that their legs are almost straight, with their feet pushing against the back of the bench in front. I decided to model the oarsmen at the end of their stroke, mostly because it would be easier to model and cast with the arms close in to the body.
 
And here's the plasticiene oarsman based on these. I've tried to base his arms as closely as possible on those of the Olympias thranites.
 
  
He's obviously a newbie and feeling very out of his depth.
 
The oarbench is a little higher in practice than in my original drawings - I was planning to have the tenon on the end of the bench slot into the top wale, but it hasn't turned out that way and I need to do some thinking about what to do about it. More in due course.
 
Steven 

Steve and Mark -thank you a hundred times over. The main mast is Nakatomi, but perhaps that is how it should be, after all. The useful threads linked here indicate the AL atrocity is =broadly= well-proportioned but a little trimming is indeed called for because 340mm mast length just looks wrong. I learned a few bits of terminology as a bonus. \o/
 
Nika

I'd have to go along with what Steve said.  You might check the index here and see if there's any other builds. Check under "Small Craft" : 
 

I'd have to rank that one right up there at the top of the "useless scale," just below the infamous, but amazingly still sold, "Loom-a-line." (Full disclosure: I bought one forty-plus years ago. Still have it. Tried to use it once. Never touched it again.) 
 
For whatever it cost, if you need a bending jig, it's easy enough to take a block of scrap wood and a few finishing nails and save a whole lot of money. If you have a decent plank-bending iron, you really shouldn't need anything more than that for bending planks.
 
My first rule for tool buying, admittedly sometimes broken, is to never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best you can possibly afford. It's very tempting to buy the latest gizmo on impulse, but a fool and his money are soon parted, as they say. There are very, very few "ship modeling specific" tools. Most come from other crafts and trades and purchasing tools from non-modeling sources often will get you much better quality tools at much lower prices than the stuff in the modeling catalogs.
 
If you are serious about the hobby and the sort of person who sticks with their interests, I'd urge you to start a "piggy bank." Whenever you have any "spare change," set a buck or ten aside for the day when you really have a use for a good tool that will cost you a few bucks. It's surprising how fast it adds up, even if you just throw your pocket change in a jar when you take off your pants every night before bed. Do that for a few months and when the day comes you realize how much money you are spending on pre-cut wood at the hobby shop, you'll have enough on hand to join the "Model Machines Club" and buy a Byrnes saw, a decent micro-lathe, a mini drill press, a scroll saw, and cool stuff like that which can really pay for itself over time and will always hold a lot of its value if and when you ever no longer need it. 
 
If the money you've got is irresistably burning a hole in your pocket, you might consider buying a small machinist's vise and a jeweler's vise. Those are a couple of tools I find I'm always using. They are simple things, but very handy to have. The same goes for a "third hand" device of some kind, although I have never found one that was a well-built as I would wish (alligator clips and loose ball joints don't cut it.) Sometimes making your own is not only less expensive, but also much better. A draw plate for making variously sized micro-dowels is an excellent investment. Jim Byrnes makes a very fine one and at $25, it's a good "gateway drug" that will get you hooked on his other really fine tools. http://www.byrnesmodelmachines.com/index5.html
 
Finally, don't limit yourself to tools. One essential for any serious modeler is a reference library. The internet has made a huge amount of information easily available, but there's still a lot of data that isn't on line. A lot of the old timers here started building their modeling libraries before there ever was an internet or an Amazon to make used books readily available. We'd have to pore through used bookstores or subscribe to antiquarian booksellers' monthly or quarterly catalogs in the hope of snagging a treasured out-of-print title before one of our modeling colleagues did. If one buys a used book or two a month, often for less than $25 a piece, they can build a very useful, and valuable, modeling library. Only buy the good books. (There are lots of mediocre ones aimed at the beginners.) Look for the "classics" and the books that are full of good reference materials. These books will hold their value reasonably well and always be useful. If you watch for them on eBay or look for them on Amazon and similar sites, you can find the works of Davis, Underhill, Longridge, Chappelle, and other "essentials" fairly reasonably priced. Building a reference library can, and likely will, become a collecting hobby in and of itself. Besides, if you fill your house with books, people will think you're smart.  
 
 

In this situation, I would hold the money until I progressed in a build to a place where a specific tool is needed and then buy it.  If you have a large budget - buying tools on spec, or collecting anything that could possibly be of use, is a no risk, no hardship behavior.  If the expenditure has an effect, that is not a sustainable aspect.

I agree with what Jaager says.   Buy it when you need or if you "know" you'll be needing it.    As far as bending planks, one can go a garage sale and pick old curling irons (in various sizes) for very little money.  

Using water and heat will achieve the same results 100 times quicker. Amati has a great soldering iron plank bender. I use that for all my bending needs. I am sure others will have their favourite methods as well, but it really comes down to soaking the wood to make it pliable, then heating it to achieve the desired shape. Once the wood is then cooled it will hold the shape.
 
Chris
 

Hey Dave, I find I use a small modelling hammer all the time, depending on your eyesight, some magnifying tools may be useful too. Pin vises are always necessary, and you can NEVER have enough clamps of any size!
 
In my opinion, some of the fancy rigging/ratline tools/frames are a waste of money. A good selection of small chisels come in handy, and if I had any money left over I would probably stock up on sandpaper of various grades and different types of tape for masking and holding.
 
And what CDW said; definitely invest in a good plank bender!
 
Cheers
 
Chris
 

My non-existent sailing experience couldn't give you a definitive answer to your question, Nikiforos, but I do know that others who were building the Bounty launch at the same time that I was did mention adding a bowsprit and jib-sail to their kits. I can only imagine that there would have been many different rigs, depending upon design and usage, among other factors. 
Cathead opened up a discussion on the matter here, which you may find useful.

My non-existent sailing experience couldn't give you a definitive answer to your question, Nikiforos, but I do know that others who were building the Bounty launch at the same time that I was did mention adding a bowsprit and jib-sail to their kits. I can only imagine that there would have been many different rigs, depending upon design and usage, among other factors. 
Cathead opened up a discussion on the matter here, which you may find useful.

Okay.
 
Question time for you talented vets out there -both of you
 
Here is this thing, with its magnificent hull that I didn't photoshop. It actually is like that in the instructions. My question is this:
 
If I were to remove the bowsprit and foremost sail (not familiar with its name -- represented here by black lines) would this idiot be seaworthy? Its a way to reduce the skyscraper look, but would the darn thing be able to sail with two ehm ... sails? I hope it sinks, personally. The red lines represents somewhere I could reduce the length, hopefully. Even then, Nakatomi Plaza is a bungalow by comparison*.
 
Thank you! I can finally finally upload some pics this week; I don't have access to a digital camera until my son can snap a few shots.
Edit: still annoyed by the black lines between yellows and red in yonder Spanish flag, the pole of which collides with the boom (?)
 
It's unconstitutional
 
 

*hyperbole.

I really appreciate how you are taking archaeological finds from early century ships and incorporating them into your build. We all as model builders strive to do just that with our representations. Who knows when the last time a actual 1025 AD three-sheaved block and single sheaved block were actually used, but now threw your effort they will be used in historical context for many years to come threw your modeling expertise. I do applaud you sir and all the others whom produce these finds into reality once again. Personally ship modeling needs to be incorporated into all of our schools classes as the wealth of learning just from simple builds would be a wonderful teaching tool in many different discipline's.

Finally, before I would fasten the bulwarks to the hull, I needed to add the cannon rigging eye bolts to both the bulwarks and the planking just above the waterway. I thought doing that now would be easier rather do doing it later. The blackened eyebolt openings are 3/32” dia. So, they may be difficult to see. Here are all the bulwarks so far (about 1/3) glued into place. The construct continues.

Just as a matter of note, when I purchased the MS model kit and the associated practicum by Bob Hunt, some years past, Jeff Hayes’ HobbyMills was Bob’s wood supplier of choice but Bill has since retired and closed shop. He had supplied the supplemental wood required or suggested by Bob’s many practicums. In this case, Bob Hunt did not kit-bash the Constitution, but he did modify it a bit by substituting boxwood for certain basswood and laser cut constructs, which I am trying to follow. Bob felt the laser cut parts were too fragile.
 
At that time, Jeff Hayes offered a wood supplement package for those substitutions, which I purchased. That is where I’m getting my pre-sized boxwood substitutions from. Anything, I initiated, like the gun deck and all its associated accoutrements, the supplemental wood package did not cover. Whether some other wood supplier is selling those wood supplement packages today, you will have to check with Bob Hunt, I don’t know.
 
I’ve completed the remaining bulwarks forward of the waist and shown here unpainted and dry fitted with the pin rails. I then painted the bulwarks and assembled and glued their associated parts. All the fabricated bulwarks are shown in the last image.

Yes, I am slowly (what else is new?) continuing to make the spar deck bulwarks. I also had personal business, as well as visiting Mom in Florida who turned 101 early this month of June.
 
Most of the remaining bulwarks required pin rails. Continuing with my use of boxwood for any bare wood fabrication, the pin rails were made from 1/8” x 1/16” strips of boxwood. Because I know where the pin rails are going to be attached on the bulwarks, I left gaps devoid of simulated bolt heads where the pin rails were to be installed. Notice that the belay pin holes are close to the edge and not centered on the board. That is the way they are supposed to be as shown on the plans and as pointed out in Robert Hunt’s practicum.

Hi Mates,
 
Been away from the shipyard for a couple of weeks. Added a few minor bits – but first
 
Dave: thanks very much as an avid follower of your cross-section – very touching - thanks again
 
Federicoaa: I looked briefly at the rigging sheets some time ago, as I am close to adding pinrails and blocks to the deck (no rigging at this point). Yes, you are right some lines do not have locations noted – My solution is in the last photo. This build will not go into any competition haha- so line locations are not SO important. That said somehow someway the Admiral will notice any line/pin errors hahaha
 
Ferit: I think that you posted a question about how hull stairs could be climbed. That has been a question for me as well. Found very little at “Google University” – but there are apparently two methods – one of which I photographed from the 74 Gun ship bible  book 2 (Jean Boudroit)
 
With regard to stair alignments – Chose, the easier of the two solutions. well it is what it is.
 
E.J.  from your log - great idea for side skid contours.
 
Cheers,
 

Frank: The knightheads will go through the upper deck and attach to the upper gun deck floor. Also need to figure out what kinds of  details to those four. The ship was first rate - so certainly the knightheads were sculpted as well.  BTW the kit provided pins are way too large. Will toss those - and gold metal no less.