Aussie048

A quick little update guys while the paint on the mast and spars are drying. The rudder minus the flag is finally finished. Boy, what alot of steps for finishing this one piece. Cutting out the rudder, laminating the strips of mahogeny, fitting the tiller, multi-layers of different colour paints and lacquer, fitting the pintles and gudgeons and aplying the decals. It took days and days! The decals were a bit challenging because I had not done any for many many years. They were applied and then I coated them with a few coats of varathane. They're not going anywhere!
 
Well here is the finished product and the rudder dry fitted to the transom...
 

 

 

 
Cheers,
 
Peter

It's been a while since the last post as renovations have been taking priority. However I have managed to get the odd hour in here and there - now it's no longer dark when I get home the opportunities are increasing!
 
I've managed to finish up some more deck furniture, as well as bitts and ladders for the foc'sle.

 
I have all the belaying racks made and was thinking about fitting them when I realised I should probably get the masts at least dry-fitted before cluttering the deck up. There are also a couple of bitts under the foc'sle to hold the bowsprit that I won't be able to get at if I add any more stuff. So I've made up the bowsprit and dry-fitted it. Most of the bitts on the foc'sle are also done and in place.

 
I keep the model ion top of a bookcase where our cats can't reach it, but there is no headroom for the masts, so I'll have to find a new location. I also need to make up some kind of temporary case or cover to keep the dust off. I cleaned it pretty good last week but that middle photo above shows all the dust under the Qdeck - I see why people say photos are a great check on your work.

Generated a small amount of sawdust and the windlass is now complete. I'll put some finish on it later before it goes in place on the deck.
 

 
The kit was cheap on the interlocking parts for the gratings so I am having to make some of my own. I don't have a table saw but a square and the razor saw seems to be working fine.
 

I've managed to make some progress on the windlass. This is version 1.0

I wasn't happy with the way the holes for the spikes turned out - my drill press leaves a lot to be desired. The box artwork shows a more detailed version, but the extras are not included in the kit. So the next problem was how to produce something more like the picture. My first attempt was to glue strips of construction aper around a dowel, and then try and cut out the square sockets.

The paper tended to tear off around the holes and it was difficult to get sharp corners. The construction paper also tended to get fluffy. For the next attempt I glued strips of wood along the dowel, and then cut off slices the correct thickness. Finally I cut smaller bits of strip to fill in the edges.

The last step was some black paint. I also found the windlass was too wide, so the barrels were adjusted to the correct length. Here is the final assembly.

Not perfect but much better than before. Next step is to even out the height of the sides before adding the belfry.

And this is the progress to date.
 

I've fitted and installed my cap rail

I've glued the stanchions in place and decided to paint them white.

It's taken some time but I've finally shaped the outer hull. It's not perfect but I've got it to a point that I feel satisfied with it.This boat might not turn out to be a museum quality model but I'm pleased to have gotten this far. I also found the way Chuck has you cut the curve of the stem using pieces of 1/8" strip wood has its challenges. I found it next to impossible to get a good bond when you try joining the angled strip to the straight strip.The problem is that there's no way to clamp it. So even though I let the glue try for 24 hours when I attempted to cut the piece out it breaks. The way I ended up resolving it was to glue the two pieces back together again only this time I took a garment pin, stuck it into the stem and cut the pin flush,it worked. So this is my progress thus far.

And today, I glued them in place.
 
(Not 7, but 8 parts. There is a black paper behind to simulate the dark hole.)
 
Dražen

Nenad,
I hope this is helpful:
I use masking tape to hold the planks in place while the glue is drying, as I do not want to have the hull full of holes and anyway the tape is easier to use than the pins.
 
                                                                                 
                                  
 
                                                                                 
 
 
                                                                                 
 
 
Below is a fish kettle I use to soften the planks.
                                                                   
                                                                                 
 
 
I half fill it with boiling water and while the timbers are in it,2 at a time is all I do, I keep the water at a gentle boil for 15 minutes.
Then I take one out and move it back and forth over the hot soldering iron.It is important to keep it moving as the wood will scorch easily. However, if you heat the wood on the inside of the bend, then scorch marks will be next to the frames and will not be visible.
 
                                                                                       
                                                                                
 
 
On the last model I made some years ago, I got a glass flask, rubber tubing and a 400mm long glass tube from a laboratory supplier.
Steam from the boiling water is passed through the glass tube in which I put the wood to be softened.
The main thing is to do the bending in easy stages.heat/bend;heat/bend and so on until you get the desired shape.
 
 
                                                                                
 
 
                                                                                
 
This is what it looks like now, so far.
 
 
 
 
 

I hope I am going about this the right way.
It is my first time to attempt a build log so if I am making mistakes I would welcome correction.
This, the Cutty Sark was given to me by my son more or less as you see it. I only have applied the planking veneers to the aft [?} deck and am now shaping and sanding the aft wedges.
Crooman

I just wanted to share a few other things...
 
I have realised how well fishing line cuts into things (like your fingers when you catch a big one) and on other contraptions i have made.. Great for this process,  Its cheap it comes in many thicknesses.. Worked a treat and took a minute.. Pull back and forth with pressure till line is at least flush with top of timber.. i did this in a vice..

Some pictures, the first three are after sanding and the following three are after three coats of Minwax Polycrylic clear satin

Some pictures, I am using a better camera so I hope the pictures will be better

some pictures

some pictures

I meant to say in the last post that after turning the model over and looking at the stern filler blocks I believe that they will work and the shape is correct except that I will have to narrow the tops so they will fit between the gallery floors.

some pictures.

Some additonal notes from the dry dock.....Today I began to hang and attach the fore top mast shrouds.  Because I am now dealing with minute deadeyes  (3.5mm) and blocks (3mm), I found the going extra slow.  I belive I'd better get used to this slower pace as I delve further and further into the rigging.  It was tricky at times; a couple of deadeyes slipped out of their loops as I was handling them one way or another and I was lucky to be able to place them back where they belong.  I had visions of removing the entire pair of shrouds in order to tie in a new deadeye but as I said I was lucky.  Some of the holes in the deadeyes were a bit too small or blocked so it was also necessary to drill all the deadeye out, those that were stropped and those that were tied into the end of the shrouds. I remembered that the first pair os shrouds on both sides had a small single block lashed between them just below the top platform where the serving ended.  These will be needed later for the yard lifts.  So at the next session I will try and complete the same phase for the main top mast as it is  the same as what I just finished.  However, the mizzen top mast will be a little different as I will be dealing with 2.5mm deadeyes. Some photos are attached.  Best,
Jerry

Hello everyone...I'm happy to report a little more progress on my Victory.  The shrouds and lanyards for all the lower masts have been completed so it's on to the next higher level, the top masts.  I have a little concern as I get higher up the model as the deadeyes are getting smaller and smaller.  The jig that I made to help tie the foremast and mainmast lanyards to the shrouds is too big for the mizzen mast lanyards so I made another one, a bit smaller, in spacing and in wire guage.  This allowed me to accomplish the mizzenmast lanyards but now I'm concerned about the top masts because the deadeye are again much smaller.  I hope my brain works and I can figure this one out.  I cringed when I noticed that one of the mizzen mast lanyards on each side  sits right in front of a gun port (cannon ready to blow the hell out of it) so I guess I'll have to remove this shroud and move the deadye and strop.  Maybe I'll forget to do this.  LOL...Any way, I'm really enjoying the build at this time and look forward to completing the remaining shrouds, etc. and start counting clove hitches as I do the rat lines.  Photos attached.  Jerry

Hello Everyone...I've managed to make a little progress with the build.  I have spent the last few days working on the shrouds and lanyards and have completed them for the foremast.  I hear everyone talking about be careful about not knocking off one extrusion or another and I decided of course to be careful.  So I managed to break off one boomkin and one cat.  Both are back together so it's on to the main mast when next I get going again.  By the way, I did not permanently attach the bowsprit....too dangerous; it'd sitting on the bench while I do the shrouds.   Looks like I'll be starting the Main mast shrouds next.  Everyone stay well...
Jerry

When I opened the first manual ( there are three) of HMS Victory, I saw Admiral Nelson's prayer which was right there on the very first page. On the same day that Nelson was said to have uttered this prayer, he was fatally wounded by a musket shot from the French Ship Redoubtable. My immediate reaction was "Oh my God!", what have I gotten myself into. Since I already spent about $1200 for the kit and had parts of it strewn all over the floor of my office, I figured it was too late to change my mind.
 
About 12 years ago I built my first and only ship model, Cuttysark,  and when I finally placed the Union Jack on Cuttysark's rear stay, I know for sure that I said, "I'll have to have a screw loose to do this again." But when one is lucky enough to reach my age most sports are taboo, television sucks, there is no job to go to and even the grandkids are off on their own; I needed something to do; so, on February 22nd of this year, I began my build and what follows is a record by pictures and date, of what has been done so far. However, before I go further I'd like to give a shout to Dave (Shipyard Sid) and Kevin for their encouragement to do this and for their kindness and patience with my rookie endeavors. Also a big thank you to Derek S. for letting me use his log as if it were my own.
 
Feb 21, 2013
   When I looked into the BOX... Boy! was I bewildered. So much stuff and weighing 36 pounds.
 
Feb 22
      I used the saw blade to remove the bulkheads from the 5mm plywood
 
Feb 23
  First gluing, keelson and stem to keel
 
Feb 26
  Fitted bulkheads and middle gun deck to keel
 
 Mar 1
   With Barrel strips, stern extensions and bow forward supports
 
 Mar 4      
   Fitting first gunport patterns
 
Mar 5
  Adding gunport strips                With top and middle gunports
 
Mar 9
   Start of first planking
 
Mar 13
  16 rows of first planking      Close up of first stealer needed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for the compliments Eamonn, Janos, John, Popeye, Maury and Maurino.
 
Janos - yes the darker wood for the handrails is Swiss Pear
 
Maury, I've used the 7 - 10 method for other octagons, but the jig makes it a lot easier as I don't have to keep a careful eye on the lines .
 
Back to work - the Swivel Gun Mounts have a re-enforcing strap to hold the base of the swivel mounts. These are bolted through the timber mounts on the real ship, but I've omitted this detail as the bolt heads would be almost too tiny to see on the model. There is supposed to be an octagonal band around the top as well, but once again I'm not fitting that - I had several attempts at making them using various methods, but none looked satisfactory.
 

 

 
All the Mounts are now permanently fitted. The Swivel Guns themselves won't be fitted until almost at the end of the build.
 

 

 
  Danny

I created something I thought every one would enjoy.  Putting the ship in the bottle on video!  Sorry about the bad lighting.  
 

 
So I got her in things were good then this happened.
 

 
A thread block holding the main job popped open and she had to be pulled out and redone.  Since I had already glued the lines for the other jibs they had to come off completely.  All well I'll get her fixed up and try again.   
 
 

The funnels were pretty straight forward.  The problem I had was not with them.




When I tried to glue them to the gundeck I realized I had used a thinner stock and the deck was a little warped.

After cutting out a new deck and making sure of the fit I glued the funnels to the new deck and then glued that over the orignal one.





David B