Aussie048

i have made a litle canot for my recouvrance and here is the results:
 
 
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last pictures of my model with the flag:
 
 
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hi everybody!
 
here is the news pictures of my work
i meet one of the men who build this boat and it give me plan  to make my dream come true:
 
 
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the time is passing by and here is a new year!
so i give you the last pictures:
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somme news:
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Greetings all
Well here we go again with last stick!!! I have remade and fitted the driver boom, and all it's rigging apart from the sheet which is a simple block linkage from the iron horse to the comb cleat. So that's my lot with sticks and strings for now. Anyway as you can see nothing is tightened of and I have started to fit the hammock cranes which should have been done a long long time back as we all know.. I thought this might have been a bit tricky now, but it seems to be no problem at all. All I am doing is making two frames of mesh and sliding them in position and a dot of glue. You can see the effect on the photos, and I think it looks ok. Anyway as usual thanks for viewing and all your comments. Here's a few photos with one of a side view of the ship... Here we go. DAVID

Keith and Jesse asked about how I made my mast hoops.  I use a process similar to how others make mast hoops out of wood shaving, I'm just using a different material. 
 
When I was building my Phantom, I didn't like the idea of using a strip of manila file folder for the mast hoops, so I came up with an alternative way to make them.  I've been using this method whenever a wood mast hoop was needed. 
The hoops for the main mast were made first.  This is where I learned that I needed to color the paper before wrapping.  If you look close, you can still see some green.  The foremast on my Phantom has 14 mast hoops with a total stack height of 11mm, the hoops average .7mm. 
 
The main mast has 15 mast hoops and you can still see some green.     The foremast has 14 mast hoops and look better
                                               
 
Some of the foremast hoops are .5mm thick.  

 
My preference is a dollar bill with a little bit of even wear, primarily because it is economical.  Other options include stationary with high rag content, parchment paper.  One of the best and most authentic looking materials I've experimented with to make mast hoops is silver birch bark.  I used the under bark and the mast hoops look like they were made from cherry. 
 
Samples of various materials:  Stationary with high rag content, dollar bill and four made from the bark of a silver birch.  The mast hoop on top was not blackened until after it was made, impossible to get a permanent color on the top and bottom  

 
The paper should be strong enough to facilitate wrapping, yet worn enough to wrap smoothly and allow the CA glue to soak through.
Please don't get put off with CA glue.  With a little bit of tweaking, PVA or other glues can be used, I've just never tried using other glues.  Please!  Experiment and add your findings.
 
So far, I've only used a black Sharpie permanent marker to ink both sides of the dollar bill.  Yep, it's boring, yet correct since many mast hoops were tarred.  Sharpies permanent markers also come in brown.  The color needs to be added before gluing.  There are other color options, but whatever you use, it just needs to soak through the paper completely.  
 
The first step is to add color to the paper while it is still a full sheet. Add color to both sides.  I used black since some mast hoops were tarred.
Cut thin strips of paper.  The width of these strips will vary per the finished size of the mast hoop. For my MBLS, the strips were 2mm wide and the finished height is 1.5mm or 1.5" in scale

 
Curl one end of the paper strip to start the wrapping. 
 
The MBLS mast is 5mm, so I used a 6mm dowel for form the mast hoops.  Wax the dowel to prevent hoops from sticking. 
 
Do 1.5 wraps before adding glue, add a small dab of glue to start the wrapping.  I use a bamboo skewer to apply the glue. 
Check to make sure future wraps will be straight and even.  Add glue to the next inch of strip and wrap.  Any excess glue will get squeezed forward.  Add glue to the next inch of strip and wrap.  Repeat to desired thickness.     
Take your time with wrapping, if the wrapping is straight and even, less sanding will be needed.  The finished size of the MBLS are 1.5mm.
 
At this point, the hoops have some strength, but they need more.    
Give hoops a good soaking in gap filling CA, then place on waxed paper and allow to cure for at least two hours.  
 
 
 
Finishing the hoops is straight forward:
 
Sand the ID to get rid of any excess glue. 
Sand the OD to blend the edge of the paper.   
 
Sand the top and bottom edges down to desired height,  When sanding, be sure to keep the hoop on the center of your fingertip to sand evenly.  If your wrapping is straight, you can start with a strip that is close to the finished size.   
  
I repeat the soak in gap filler to fill any new gaps and sanding.  I think it's a good idea, but it's up to you. 
 
Touch up the color and add a thin coat of glue to seal. 
 
I buffed mine for a final smooth finish. 
 
And VOILA!  You have mast rings.   

All the small stuff is done.  I found some plastic cleats that were the absolute perfect size and shape, I need 6 cleats, but only had three cleats, I used these on mast and bowsprit.  I had some 8mm metal cleats that were reduced down to 5mm, but they looked chunky and clunky.  So, I'm going to go on a treasure hunt for the remaining three cleats. 
 
Three times a charm!  It took three tries to get the hatch right.  It was worth it! 

 
I added a chain bobstay last night, but the scale of the chain is too big, if I can't find a smaller scale chain, I'll replace it with a rope bobstay or maybe even omit it. You can see one of the cleats on the mast -  They measure ~5" x 1".  The metal cleats measured 5" x 2" with a chunky base.  The three metal cleats were installed in the cockpit, but I removed them a few hours later.   

 
Next up is the rigging.  Since all of the blocks are made and installed, this will only take a few hours.  But the real world is calling and I have some real work to do.    
 
Thanks for stopping by
 
Dee Dee

I have the shrouds done around the foremast. Things are just dry set.
 

 

I started to rig the Foremast with shrouds. I am using Lizbeth 20wt 3 strand thread for the shrouds. The shrouds are served with Gutermann 50wt thread one the center 5 inches. Then the shrouds are seized to mast with Lizbeth 80wt thread. All thread seizings and servings are glued with watered down white glue. Here are a few pictures.
 

 

 

 
 

While working on the next batch of guns, I decided to make the lower main capstan, the first of three capstans that will be done. As with the other deck items, I chose to make the capstan from boxwood strip and sheet. It was a very enjoyable piece to make, with the exception of the 16 tiny chocks that had to be individually fitted between the whelps. Very fiddly work, but satisfying to get it done.
 
The guns are well along and should be mounted and rigged in the next few days.
 
Bob

Made the decision to do all of the dry fitting of the margin planking. I can then use the margin planking as a gauge to plank the inner bulwarks and remove prior to painting the hull and inside. Ordered some 1mm Maple from CMB to do all of the decking. 
 
First made up two pieces to fit against the transom and the stern frames. Not sure if this is entirely accurate but they fit nicely and set up for the rest of the margin planking.
 

 
I cut some initial lengths of maple and did some 'gauging' to try and work out some optimal lengths to cut to. The rearmost pair have started at 8cm length. Then cut some initial shaping into the planks and fine tuned using sandpaper, checking regularly for the fit and adjusting as necessary.
 
Once the fit against the bulwark was as good as I could make it (bearing in mind the leeway given by the bulwark planking to come), I then used a compass set to 6mm to draw in the shape of the other side of the plank to be cut. Very happy with the results achieved so far. Completed the rearmost pair.
 

 
The next plank I will aim to overlap by about 1cm to allow notches to be cut to lock in both planks.

More progress this morning.
 
Managed to plank the inside of the transom ready for the gunports to be cut. Used a piece of decking to get the correct height of the lower planks and then planked up to the top of the transom.
 

 
Gave the planks a coat of 50/50 PVA and water mix and allowed to dry. I then drew a guide mark for both of the rear gunports, drilled out the four corners and used my dremel to bore out the majority the ports. Finished off with a sharp blade and file.
 

 
Also repeated for all of the port and starboard gunports.
 

 
 

Quick additional!
 
After the conversations on Eamonns build I have decided to fill the gaps between the outermost stern counter frames and the bulwarks.

Second planking complete!
 
Spent this morning finishing off the main strakes and then went back over and added all the stealers that were required. Next step after this was a coat of 50/50 PVA and water to soak into the walnut planking and help reduce any splintering.
 
Once fully dry, gave a full sanding with 120 grit over the entire planking and get rid of any major lumps and bumps. Then gave the second planking a layer of walnut filler, smeared into the cracks with the mark I thumb. Again allowed to fully dry and a major sanding back down to the wood with 120 grit, followed by 180 grit and finally 240 grit.
 
Finally gave another coat of 50/50 PVA and water, allowed to dry and a final sanding with 240 grit.
 
I am hoping that the two soaks of PVA mix will prevent any potential splintering when I come to cut out the gunports, which was something that was a tedious and frustrating task with the Snake build.

Finished starboard side of margin planking. Just one more piece on starboard and the scarfing to go.
 
Eamonn - this picture should show the bow piece I have used.
 

 
Completed port side margin planking.
 

Margin planking continuing.....
 
Another length should fit on each side before I reach the curve of the bow section.
 
Also done some testing of marking the maple planks with a sharpie and getting a slight bit of bleed into the planks, so I will varnish the edge of each plank before marking the edges for caulking.
 
 

Before going too far I made sure that the sub assembly would line up with the existing parts of the model. To do this I had to drill the 2mm holes in the deck. The photo shews this done. The smaller hole in the deck is a 1mm pilot. There is another in the sub assembly base. I use these to align the sub assembly with the deck. When I am sure that all lines up I will open the pilot holes to take the lower end of the main mast.
 

 
The parts in place with a 1mm drill bit used to align the sub assembly.
 

Hamilton and BE thanks for the comments, and thanks to the others for the likes.
 
Whenever I walk down into the village I pass the sign outside our local "lifestyle boutique". For some reason it always makes me think of model ship building.
 

 
Well I managed to finish the gratings on the foredeck. I wanted them to be removable so that the stove colud be seen. The technique I used had to be such that my poor woodworking skills could cope.
 
So the first step was to make two gratings - making sure that they were both square and the same size so that they could be fitted any way around and be interchangeable. This was quite easy using the Mantua grating.
 
The next step was to cut and file up holes in the foredeck that allowed these gratings to just pass through.
 

 
Then I lined the holes with 3 x 2mm walnut strip to make a ledge for the gratings to rest on, and also to give the impression that there were beams on the underside of the deck. I also cut and lined the hole for the stove flue to pass through.
 
Next I made frames from 3 x 2mm walnut that were a nice sliding fit around the gratings. To make sure the ends were identical in length I cut 6 pieces slightly over length, glued them together then filed them to size. This also makes it easier to file them square. The parts of the frames were glued together using the gratings as assembly jigs.  
 
To fit these I cut the deck planking away around the hole and trimed the top of the lining to allow the frame to sit snugly in to the deck
 

I turned a stub main mast to ensure it would clear the bits. I couldn't resist putting a couple of spars between the gallows and the fore deck with my card outline of a pinnace sat on them. Well yes - they should be spare top masts and the spars are too long.
 
The gap behind the mast will be occupied by the two chain pumps. 
 

 
I also stepped back and took a more general view. It is at risk of looking like an actual model of a sailing ship. Swoon.
 

 
The stub mast is balanced in the waist area. You will notice the top end is turned down to 5 mm diameter. This will go in to the deck once I open the hole out (bit by bit) from the current 1mm diameter. Before opening it out I will turn a stub fore and mizzen mast so I can look along the three masts to make sure they are in line.
 

But first what should the diameter of the masts be.....?
 
I have created a spreadsheet that compares the Coral mast and yard sizes with those calculated from Steel. Some parts match in size others are completely different. A possible partial explanation is that the actual Unicorn predates Steel by half a century - so masting standards may have changed in that time.  
 
I tried to upload the fruits of my labours - no joy in its current form. If I copy and paste from the spreadsheet in to the log the data appears in one long line, and the MSW tools do not allow uploading of spreadsheets in to the log (fair enough). I will have to find a better way of achieving this so that I can compare notes with fellow Unicorn builders Mike and ZyXux.
 
I am also taking myself off tomorrow to the newly re-opened Manchester Central Library which holds reference copies of Lees' "The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War" along with a copy of Lavery's "The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War, 1600 - 1815". If nothing else it will keep me off the streets. 
 
I tried to use Danny Vadas' mast/yard calculator spreadsheet that is in the downloads section of MSW. Sadly it uses macros and my "as supplied with the pc" version of Excel Starter does not support them. This uses calculators from Lees.
 
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
 
 

A couple of good days working in the Victory; completed planking of the inner bulwalks, completed fitting linings to gun ports 3 to 10 and painted red orce and completed the 2nd planking to above the gun deck gun ports.
 
Also checked and cleared all gun port, as necessary.
 
According to manual the next task is to fit the wales. Also still need to fit stern post
 

Thank you all.
Alistair, I have to agree with Kester in that a boat on the starboard side does only make sense if you tow it astern before going into action (I remember reading about such preparations in Patrick O’Brian’s books).
N. Robert Cole thinks that all cutters had to tow their boats (difficult to get them aboard and stow them without making working the boat impossible). But in the same paragraph he writes that the admiralty requested all vessels to hoist their boats in to reduce losses. So I guess cutters lost their boats regularly in heavy weather or had to stow them on deck to prevent that, even if this was difficult and cumbersome to do.
As I have not made fast the little boat (14’, in relation to the longer Alert’s 18 footer) to the deck, I will probably show it towed in the end (there is a beautiful example in MSW’s gallery). The most important woman in my life thinks my Sherbourne’s deck too crowded anyway…
It will be more crowded at the bow with the furled sails. I’m looking forward to your progress there, Kester. The Alert book shows that the jib is made fast with hooks, so it would have been easy to haul the traveller in and unhook it, leaving only the tackle hooked there and stow the sail elsewhere. The question remains open…
A horse of iron, no legs (and not a underpowered car)? Thankfully Cole's model shows an example, which I copied quickly (picture taken from Cole's paper).
 
 

 
On my Sherbourne, it would look like this, making the working of the guns beside it almost impossible.
 
 
I could move back the knight heads a few millimetres and shorten the horse (what a terrible thought), but would it still work like that?
 

  I foresee pinrail crisis (part two) anyway in the nearer future. Cole’s belaying points bring Dirk’s windlass arrangement to mind, lucky him.
I think they invented engines to get rid of all these problems (but lost the beauty of it on the way).
Gregor

No, Tony, I don’t think the laser beats the classic method at all. It went well with this method, and it was fun being student again, but for a better result there would be a lot of designing to do. The burn marks also forced me to use paint, the wheels should be cut bigger so you can sand down the winter profile…
But for the moment I’m quite pleased, the new guns fit in nicely. It was fun to use scrap parts for things like quoin handles: again I used leftover stems from 0.3 mm eyelets and a tiny drop of PVE glue. The eye bolt on the back of the rear axle will be added together with the double block later. Here a few Sunday evening pictures.
 

 

 

 

 

 
As you see, I left the wheels unpainted; the plywood can still be seen. I have a cheap excuse for that: I show dowels that hold the parts of the wheels together, after all. Ok, Goodwin’s Alert shows only halves and not three parts…
But the pins to prevent the wheels from falling off defeated me utterly – I can live with that.
Cheers,
Gregor 

I managed to bend those small pieces and glue them in place. They are the anchor hawser reinforcing planks  I'll drill two 3mm holes in each side to take the anchor lines later.

Now I'm putting my plan into play by constructing the bow area. It seems to be working out....we'll see. It's requiring a lot of bending to get stuff to fit the hull. The blond wood bends real easy, but the dark Sapele is like hardened steel. This framework gets covered with decorative scroll work.