catopower

I FINALLY made some progress on setting up the shrouds on the Mary. I find this to be a lot of work and am usually much happier when I get to the part where I can just mindlessly tie clove hitches for the ratlines.
 
Took me quite a while to be happy with the work I was doing, first seizing the shrouds around the mast head, then adding the deadeyes, and then seizing them into place. This was a good project for easing back into this process, since there are only four shroud pairs total.
 

Note that the shroud lanyards are not yet secured, since the setup is only temporary, to make sure everything lines up okay. The slight variation in the line of upper deadeyes should mostly go away when I secure the lanyards. They're still loose enough to cause that bit of variation.
 
This is also kind of a practice run for rigging the shrouds on my HMS Wolf card model, which is currently on hold, but I'll be getting back to shortly.
 

All the rigging here is Syren's Ultra Scale Rope, and the deadeyes are also Syren's 3D printed swiss pear colored resin deadeyes. It's been a while since I made my own chain plates of this type, and stropped deadeyes with them. I had to handle and work the parts a lot to adjust the fit, which is why so much of the blackening has worn off the deadeye strops. I'll get back to working on my technique in future builds.
 

While I was working on the model, I also decided to secure the anchors and run the hawsers around the windlass and down the chain pipes. The cat heads were made by my predecessor and had only one sheave, so I had to get a little creative with the rigging of the tackle. I think it works okay.
The more I work on the model, and the closer it gets to completion, the more that rudder gap bugs me. I'm getting closer to the point where I'll probably just cut off the hinges, and pin the rudder into place.
 

I hope to have the model done by the next meeting of the South Bay Model Shipwrights in Santa Clara. We had our most recent meeting this past Saturday. This month's was a small gathering, but we meet in a rather small meeting room anyway, so it wasn't crowded. I didn't really make that much progress on the model since the last meeting, so I decided to leave it at home and bring something that would hopefully inspire me to get back to.
 
Below, you can see my 1/72 HMS Wolf model, sitting in front of a 1/72 Master Korabel kit of the Russian tender Avos. There's also a 1/72 Disar kit of l'Hermione, the French 32-gun Condorde-class frigate. And in the second photo is a USS Constitution cross section, and the Spanish treasure ship, Nuestra Seniora del Pilar de Zaragoza.


 
Anyway, next, I will need to come to a decision on the rigging of the Mary's cannons. There are only 6 or 8 guns depending on what information source you use, so it shouldn't be TOO bad. But, I've been having such a hard time working with the small blocks needed to rig the gun tackles. Wish me luck...
 
 

Here I am installing these gratings onto the various decks that need them. At this time, all the decks are installed. I did not yet installed the ladders, shots racks, etc...

I took off the keel because it was not lined up correctly and was not fastened well. After fixing its position, I reattached the keel and started to plank the outside of the model. I drilled a hole in the keel to help attach the model to a base. I also added the lower wale.
 

I am painting the hold a bright white to improve visibility. Right now, I'm working on the lower gun deck, attaching the support beams and columns for added stability. 

 



 
 

After a lengthy hiatus spent working on various other ships, I’ve finally returned to this model and completed it. It’s all too familiar, isn’t it? Juggling multiple projects and bouncing from one model to another, each one vying for attention and creativity. But now, I’m thrilled to see this particular model come to life after all that time.
 
I decided to return to basics and follow the model instructions for internal construction. I abandoned the customization of the ship's hold. Additionally, I aimed to gather more details about the exterior. In this section, I am working on the construction of the Orlop Deck.
 




 
 

English  direction or not I am starting.
I used an app where you can take a picture of a text.  You can extract the text from the picture. After that it was just a matter of using Google translate., there is a few mistakes , but overall it is okay to understand.
 

Thanks Patrick, John! I'm much happier with the appearance now. De-bugged, indeed!
 
Meanwhile, since I was in the process of trying out the gun tackles, I went ahead and just rigged them all. Was a bit of a challenge with only a small amount of cursing.
 



During the process of making the gun tackles, I'd managed to lose a couple blocks to the rug monster. Later, I decided to hunt around for scattered debris. Interestingly enough, I not only found the blocks I'd lost, but two other, larger blocks, that I didn't recall losing. And then, most important of all, the yellow item on the right side of the photo below.

That's one of two sweep port lids, from my as yet unfinished HMS Wolf model, that I didn't realize I'd lost! 🤣  It's now safely in storage for when I return to work on that model. Hopefully, that will be sometime late next month.
 
 
 

Thanks Patrick, John! I'm much happier with the appearance now. De-bugged, indeed!
 
Meanwhile, since I was in the process of trying out the gun tackles, I went ahead and just rigged them all. Was a bit of a challenge with only a small amount of cursing.
 



During the process of making the gun tackles, I'd managed to lose a couple blocks to the rug monster. Later, I decided to hunt around for scattered debris. Interestingly enough, I not only found the blocks I'd lost, but two other, larger blocks, that I didn't recall losing. And then, most important of all, the yellow item on the right side of the photo below.

That's one of two sweep port lids, from my as yet unfinished HMS Wolf model, that I didn't realize I'd lost! 🤣  It's now safely in storage for when I return to work on that model. Hopefully, that will be sometime late next month.
 
 
 

A minor update, but fairly significant for the model. 
 
Today, I got sick of the enormous gap between the sternpost and rudder and I clipped off the pintles and just pinned the rudder into place. I think it makes the model look a whole lot better!
 

Yes, it's not perfect, and you can see one of the pins if you look closely. But, I'm not striving for perfection here. I'm just going for a better appearance, and I think this works.
 
Now, I can move on to other things, as this is the last item that just bugged me!

Thanks Patrick, John! I'm much happier with the appearance now. De-bugged, indeed!
 
Meanwhile, since I was in the process of trying out the gun tackles, I went ahead and just rigged them all. Was a bit of a challenge with only a small amount of cursing.
 



During the process of making the gun tackles, I'd managed to lose a couple blocks to the rug monster. Later, I decided to hunt around for scattered debris. Interestingly enough, I not only found the blocks I'd lost, but two other, larger blocks, that I didn't recall losing. And then, most important of all, the yellow item on the right side of the photo below.

That's one of two sweep port lids, from my as yet unfinished HMS Wolf model, that I didn't realize I'd lost! 🤣  It's now safely in storage for when I return to work on that model. Hopefully, that will be sometime late next month.
 
 
 

Glad to see that you snugged up the rudder, Clare!

A minor update, but fairly significant for the model. 
 
Today, I got sick of the enormous gap between the sternpost and rudder and I clipped off the pintles and just pinned the rudder into place. I think it makes the model look a whole lot better!
 

Yes, it's not perfect, and you can see one of the pins if you look closely. But, I'm not striving for perfection here. I'm just going for a better appearance, and I think this works.
 
Now, I can move on to other things, as this is the last item that just bugged me!

Night view of Royal Caroline

Incredible work, both on the Royal Caroline and the rest of your collection!

Hi Glen,
 
Here are the pics, for what they're worth. The model scale wasn't specified, or at least I never saw it. It's a pretty good sized model, 1.4 meters long.
 
It's an interesting model. But, models in Japanese museum models are often very so-so in accuracy, I've found. They're often there just to give people things to look at. Scale can be way off. In fact, in this same museum, there's a nice model of a Japanese Edo period warship. It has figures on it in one size, and then a giant figure sitting in a chair on it, depicting the daimyo, or clan leader. 
 
Probably not much here you can use, but they're interesting to look at...
 

 
Of course, the term Kentoushi-sen is rather generic, and could refer to different ship designs that were all used as envoy ships at some point. Anyway, as you know, very little information regarding Japanese ships before the Edo period was documented. Most documentation seems to consist of an ancient scroll painting, and maybe a brief description.
 
But your model looks like it's coming along swimmingly, and I'm enjoying watching your progress!
 
 

Clare,
   My first model was a solid hull (Bluejackets Smuggler) but since then until now it has been all plank-on-bulkhead. I have the Emma c. Berry, Model Shipways plank on frame on the shelf and hope to try that after Simpson.
 
    Given what I know now about this kit it is definitely NOT for a beginner. As I mentioned at the start of the build log there are no laser cut parts and the cut pieces provided are pretty rough although the machined hull was very close to the plans which helped reduce the amount of sanding/checking/sanding etc. 
 
   If there were more choice on what you can build solid hull I might try them more. I seem to have lost the lust for the challenge of planking the hull now that I have done it a dozen or so times. 
 
   I believe that the BlueJackets USS Constitution is a solid hull (from the gun deck down) but it is 1/8" per foot which is smaller than I like to work but given I live on Ironsides Ave I may have to build it anyway.

Wowie kazowie, Glen. That looks fantastic!

Thanks for posting these, Clare.  That ship is remarkably similar to my Kentoshi-sen.  The upsweeps on the bow and stern are more pronounced than mine, but your ship looks like it's got the same footprint and it certainly has the same deck for oarsmen.  The 3 deck houses are almost identical and even oriented the same way.  There are some differences, like the onboard windlass vs mine where it's suspended beyond the bow.  Very intriguing!  Thanks again for sharing.  

Hi Glen,
 
Here are the pics, for what they're worth. The model scale wasn't specified, or at least I never saw it. It's a pretty good sized model, 1.4 meters long.
 
It's an interesting model. But, models in Japanese museum models are often very so-so in accuracy, I've found. They're often there just to give people things to look at. Scale can be way off. In fact, in this same museum, there's a nice model of a Japanese Edo period warship. It has figures on it in one size, and then a giant figure sitting in a chair on it, depicting the daimyo, or clan leader. 
 
Probably not much here you can use, but they're interesting to look at...
 

 
Of course, the term Kentoushi-sen is rather generic, and could refer to different ship designs that were all used as envoy ships at some point. Anyway, as you know, very little information regarding Japanese ships before the Edo period was documented. Most documentation seems to consist of an ancient scroll painting, and maybe a brief description.
 
But your model looks like it's coming along swimmingly, and I'm enjoying watching your progress!
 
 

Glen, I'm really happy to see someone taking an interest in Japanese watercraft, and your Kentoshi-sen is looking great!
 
I've been focussing my own study of Japanese boats to mostly coastal and river craft, so I don't know much about the oceangoing vessels of the earlier periods. There seems to be much less info on those.
 
I recognized the term Kentoshi-sen, but don't know much about them. However, I do recall seeing a model at the Sea Folk museum in Toba, Japan, and I have a couple photos I took of it, if you're interested. A bit different from this one, though, and I don't know what information it was based on. 
 
 

Hi Glen,
 
Here are the pics, for what they're worth. The model scale wasn't specified, or at least I never saw it. It's a pretty good sized model, 1.4 meters long.
 
It's an interesting model. But, models in Japanese museum models are often very so-so in accuracy, I've found. They're often there just to give people things to look at. Scale can be way off. In fact, in this same museum, there's a nice model of a Japanese Edo period warship. It has figures on it in one size, and then a giant figure sitting in a chair on it, depicting the daimyo, or clan leader. 
 
Probably not much here you can use, but they're interesting to look at...
 

 
Of course, the term Kentoushi-sen is rather generic, and could refer to different ship designs that were all used as envoy ships at some point. Anyway, as you know, very little information regarding Japanese ships before the Edo period was documented. Most documentation seems to consist of an ancient scroll painting, and maybe a brief description.
 
But your model looks like it's coming along swimmingly, and I'm enjoying watching your progress!
 
 

A minor update, but fairly significant for the model. 
 
Today, I got sick of the enormous gap between the sternpost and rudder and I clipped off the pintles and just pinned the rudder into place. I think it makes the model look a whole lot better!
 

Yes, it's not perfect, and you can see one of the pins if you look closely. But, I'm not striving for perfection here. I'm just going for a better appearance, and I think this works.
 
Now, I can move on to other things, as this is the last item that just bugged me!

Okay, I broke down and started rigging the gun tackles on the Mary's cannons. The way I'm building her, she'll only need six guns. And, given that at this scale, they're not too tiny, that's about as easy a rigging job as there could be. It's not going to get any easier in the future, and perhaps this will help me decide if and how I can rig the guns on my smaller HMS Wolf model.
 
First, in order to mount the guns securely, I've been pinning them to the deck. In this case, a sewing pin cut off and inserted into a hole I drilled into the bottom of the gun carriage. Don't ask me why I chose sewing pins and not just some brass rod. The pins are a hard steel and hard to cut. 

I tested out each gun in position, to locate where I need to drill a hole in the deck. Note that they don't line up quite right, but that's because the locations of the gunport in the hull are off slightly. But, that's the way it was built, and it's not actually very obvious.

Then, test fitting each one. This particular gun gave me the most trouble. I don't think the carriage is quite square.

I'll probably shorten the pins a little. Some are longer than they need to be. They seem pretty well hidden underneath those carriages, and then definitely keep the guns solidly in place.
 
Now, I'm in the process of rigging the gun tackles. I'm using Chuck's 3/32" 3D printed blocks. To be safe, I drilled out the holes with a #78 bit, which worked well, and allows me to pass a his .008" Ultra rope through it pretty easily. I decided to do a simplified job of it, using no hooks, just tying the strop through the eyebolts.  
 

I don't have a photo of them, but I have double-blocks stropped through eyebolts that will be attached to the bulwarks. Oh, and I realize that this particular gun is missing the trunnion caps. That's because it was one of two "spares" I decided not to use. Then, during the rigging process, one of the eyebolts got stuck and broke off. So, I just put one of these spares back into service. It'll get it's trunnion caps shortly.
 
My work schedule changed today, and I think I may actually have enough spare time today and tonight to complete these! 🤞