Aussie048

Build Update:
 
Just completed the Fore and Main Lower yards and attached to their respective mast  Used brass pin to attach yards to mast for ease of assembly.  After attached ran lashing for the tyes.  Upper end lashed to yard, lower end open for now and weighted down with a clip.  Deviated from plans and used triple blocks for the upper blocks (these blocks are served  and doubled (this did have me loosing a view more hairs and working on my vocabulary).  Quarter blocks and sheet/lift blocks are also served.  Used common blocks for the clew garnet blocks (didn't attempt to make myself) plus information indicates these blocks were changed to common after 1780. Most of the line shown on these yards is DMC Cordonnet cotton wht/ecru dyed using RIT dark brown (prior builds used stain but now will use dye).  Footropes ends and falls are fake splice like I did on the gun port lids.  When finished applied Vallejo Matt Medium to add some stiffness and holding power ( still need to do some forming down the road). All blocks shown are from Chucks Syren site, except for the sister blocks (but should be fiddle blocks).  Line on the Yard and Brace Pendants is also purchased material from Chuck as is the Tye lashings and Yard Trusses.  The thimble at the center of the yard is a Deadeye with the center routed out (called out thimble looked to small to me).  This will be attached to another thimble on the sling by lashing. I made these up, but not shown here until needed once I attach the next section of masts. I also deviated from the model plans when doing the yard trusses.  Assembled as shown in rigging book with the exception of no nave line assembly (my choice, my build).
 
This is the first build where I have attached yards off the model for what I hope is easier.  I don't think this will pose a problem once I assemble the shrouds.  We'll see.
 
Next to work on blocks and such and attaching the Mizzen Crossjack before glueing down all masts and adding shrouds.  
 
If your reading this, thanks for looking in and happy modeling,
Len

I was looking in the instructions Mobbsie,  and what do you know........I have crow's feet too!   must be from these gosh-darn boot I always wear          no, but really...... I need to do them too......it's all good!
 
to continue with the build.......I got that canopy finished and stained.
 

 

 
I must have gotten some glue on the outside......I had a couple of faint blotches,  so I touched it up.  I sanded it before I did the touch-up......I kinda liked the way it looked.....I might do a re sand to lighten it up again.
 
more was done to the holds,  bordering around them with mahogany,  and then staining them later.
 

 
the trailing board frames were cemented in place......darned instructions don't show you where to put them exactly......my best guestimate.   I also need to take that piece out I put back in.......I have this bit of ornamentation to put in it's place.
 

 

 
to continue with the forward hold,  the cradle parts that holds the life boat were cemented in place.  I should have waited and stained it as a whole.
 

 

 
I got this idea from Peter Visser {thanks Peter}......since this kit does not have cutouts for gun ports and windows.....I find the need to improvise.  thanks to you,  I think I can pull off the windows.  luckily,  I'm glad I didn't throw away all my old floppy discs
 

 

 
both holds are finished now......just about ready to go
 

 
I did a dry fit of the parts so far........
 

 
 

Howdy
 
Well, just another update. The Standing rigging of the foremast is done; now its on the mainmast. But I am learning As it was quite tricky to fix the deadeyes and the shrouds on the upper foremast - the mast was already fixed on the deck - I decided to do the shrouds on the upper mainmast BEFORE Fixing the mast. So I could work slow and accurate and fastened in a vice. It was absolutely NO Problem to build it all up although the holes in the 3mm-deadeyes are NOT very comfortable
 
After this I build up the three-hole-blocks for the stay and then I fixed the mast on the deck. *haha* everything works fine - and still it is a really funny and enjoyable job. Still wonder what I will do next
 
Astrolabe... Gulnara...Derfflinger...Amphion... or the Caldercraft Endeavour... NEED HELP
 
Thats it for today, next part will follow (soon)
 
Cheerio
 
Max
 
 

Hi all
 
another little update... the rigging needs ist time... it is not as difficult as I thought, but to tie the knots and to keep everything under tension - but not to much - is quite tricky. I decided to color the standing rigging in black as it is seen on many pictures of origins and models. The shrouds of the foremast are almost ready, on one side I did the ropes connecting the shrouds (sorry did not find the english word, in german it is "webleinen"). I read that this ropes were used in a way like rope ladders to climb up the mast. So there should not be too much tension... hmmm... but I am not sure if I like the result as it is now. I used knot on every junction, perhaps the second side I will only tie the rope to the shrouds - without knots... perhaps this will look more as I want.  Any suggestions, tips or comments (pls be honest) are welcome
 
Thats it for today... my ship calls me
 
Cheerio
 
Max
 

Hi folks, a small update having rebuilt the broken jib and doing some repairs.  In the interim I have made the gaff, and started the standing rigging for the jib and mizzen mast.  The close up photos have been sharpened to show the rope and rigging detail which has highlighted some rope fuzz and raggedy ends that needs repairs.  Unfortunately this photo process also shows all the dents etc in the wood and exposed a few paint touch-ups that are required ( a good thing I suppose )
 
 
 
All comments and constructive criticism appreciated.
 
cheers
 
Pat
 
 

Hi Rod, the mahogany planks look fine mate.  Will you be painting the silver ash (if they are silver ash, they look a bit like the cheap pale coloured veneer in the AL kits)?  If you are, simply fill and sand, then paint.  If not you need to decide whether you can live with them; if you can, a light sand may remove some of the pitting/chipping.
 
I always bought more veneer than  provided in the kit so that I could select the least chipped along the edge ones; sanding can be done on the edge to bevel it which can provide a tighter fit (I did that) but if not painting I run a 2b pencil along the edge to give definition. 
 
cheers
 
Pat

At the bow
 

 
At the Mizzen
 

 
Lots of touch ups to go, but overall I'm pleased with the change.  At the work table in incandescent light or daylight, the ship takes on a much more realistic appearance.  Are we our worst critics?  Probably yes.  Will my grandchildren notice or care?  Probably not.   Cheers, Gil

Deadeyes
 

 
Main mast
 

 
Fore mast
 

PAINTED RIGGING OR "Doing it the hard way."
 
Hopefully most of you will never need or want this technique.  You will select the desired color and pre-treat the lines before embarking on the rigging process.  Having said that, when I began rigging the cannons and running rigging, I thought that the light tan or "natural" line from JoTika would work.  However, the more I progressed, the lighter it appeared.  In incandescent light and particularly in photos, it appeared white.  Playing with white balance and color editing in the camara and computer simply introduced unwanted color hues and tints.  Finally, when adding rope coils, the "white" took center stage and to my eye was not satisfactory.
 
I've likely bored many of you with attempts to match Manila or hemp with a paint wash to paint the rigging.  Why on earth mess up a pretty good model by painting the rigging????  Is anyone that dumb????      Well......................
 
Supplied "natural" line supplied by JoTika.  C/A applied on the left, untreated on the right.  However, the rigging appeared white.
 

 
Paint wash selected after experiments.
 

 
Masking to protect the deck.
 

 
Notice on the mizzen.  Starboard rigging has been painted while the port side is untreated.
 

 
Using a hook to separate the line from the yard.  Tiny brushes used at the deadeyes.  I found it necessary to change brushed frequently for they became gummy rather quickly.
 

 
The next posts show comparisons between the "natural" lines and the painted lines.

Thanks Matt.
 
In the end I decided to plank the stem, keel and stern post.  It's not as good as solid timber but looks a lot better than the plywood parts that came with the kit.
It has also given me a pseudo rabbet into which I can butt the second layer of planking as the instructions just say to epoxy the keel, stem and stern posts on after the second layer of planking is completed. 
 
Because I had already faired the false keel at the stern I had to add some filler to ensure that the 2nd planking layer will be level with the veneer I just added on.
 
I haven't had much time to do much work on her this week due to work commitments but I have most of the day set aside tomorrow to make a start on the second layer of planking.  Hopefully I will get most of it done tomorrow.
Thanks for the tips.
 
Rod

I,ve got this model sitting in my lounge room. Let me know if I can help. Matt

Thanks John, Christian, Ben, Adam and Nils .
 
I've finished fitting the Channels, Standards and Drift Rails to the Port side :
 

 

 
Quarter Badge Crown
 
I've also carved the Crown for the Upper Finishing on the Quarter Badge. It's certainly not up to the standard of some of the great carvers on this site, but I'm happy enough with it. Here are some pics from the rough-cut blank to the finished article. I used English Box - it took me about 3 hours work. It measures 6mm wide by 4mm high :
 

 

 

 

 

 
  Danny

Chart weight (for holding nautical chart on a chart table)   2 mm. hanger wire glued into holes drilled into weight.
 

 
Rope coils at Main Top Bowline Bitts
 

 
Loose coils at fore topsail sheet bitts.
 

 
 
 
 

Coils on forward bitts
 

 
Fore topsail Sheet Bitts
 

 
Mizzen mast belaying pins  port
 

 
Stbd.
 

 
Chart weight with hanger wire to form lower loops
 

 
After white glue (1:10 with water). Occasionaly use fast C/A to hold line on belaying pin.
 

 
Adding variation to rope coils
 

 
And next post.
 
 
 
 
 
 

ROPE COILS
 
A few years ago, Mike Graff came to our Puget Sound Ship Modelers group with a simple small model of a cat rigged sloop.  It had a single rope coil laying over the hatch, hanging down over one edge as if tossed aside.  No thread coil takes on this natural shape. Obviously, Mike had carefully worked the threads and fixed the shape with dilute white glue.  This single coil looked so exquisite and so natural that it changed my view of how coils should look on model ships.
 
On my former models, the rope coils were well formed with a single loop over the belaying pin.  They were precise, uniform and made a great presentation. BUT THEY DID NOT LOOK REAL.
 
I reviewed the postings on rope coils, several with excellent suggestions and technique, and then looked at all my photos of real ships.  We all draw our mental picture from our own experience or that of others.  Ed Tosti noted that it was impossible to show all the tails of all the lines without hiding many details.  He showed a few with exceptional results.  Peter (Petervisser) and Jay (modeler 12) gave clear presentations of their excellent methods.
 
I believe a common shortcoming of our rope coils (certainly of mine) is uniformity.  There are very heavy lines such as the jeers (7 1/2" circumference / Longridge, about 2.4" or 60mm diameter) with long tails leading from triple blocks.  There are much smaller lines with short tails and every thing in between. A plethora of very different lines.  I decided if I could carry the idea of Mike's single coil into all the lines, I would achieve the more natural look I was striving for.
 
It would be far simpler to form the rope coils before limiting access by the running rigging but of course one can't add a rope coil until that rigging line is in place.  The extensive rigging around the fore mast on the Victory makes it virtually impossible to get a hand or short instrument to the bitts. A couple simple tools are shown in the following posts.
 
First, a few photos from the real ship.There are tight "shippy" coils in some areas.
 

 
Mizzen Topsail Sheet Bitts
 

 
Belaying pins at the bulworks. Most coils are laid over the pins, some loose, some with a light wrap and some tied.
 

 
Like most of us, I experimented using dilute white glue (1:10 with water)
 

 
Then tried brass rod to form the lower loops.  Too small
 

 
Then tried a file handle which turned out to be too large
 

 
I decided coat hanger wire was about the right size but it needed to be weighted to hold it in position. On to the next post.
 
 

I'm back from my trip, so I have continued some work with this boat. Over the weekend, I completed the standing rigging.
 
I have seized shrouds many times in the past, but I have never been satisfied with the results. This is the theory:
 

 
So how do you do that in miniature scale on a ship model? The answer is to use crocodile clips, like this:
 

 

 
If you can't see what's happening, I have created a series of diagrams that show how the seizing is accomplished. The text and pictures are self-explanatory.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
This is the result:
 

 
I also added an eye bolt for the mainmast stay. Mackay's plans indicate that this was present, but did not indicate where it was attached - so I took a guess.
 

 
The boat as of tonight:
 

 

 
Next I should tackle the spars and sails, but I am thinking of buying a cheap sewing machine to help me make the sails. The sails are therefore on hold until I do a bit of research and learn how to sew on spare cloth. Neither can I attempt making the oars, because I want to reserve that for when my new lathe arrives. I suppose i'll just make the toolbox and a few other little accessories while I wait.
 
It also appears that I have run out of rigging thread. Let's hope that my local hobby shop stocks the same thread used by Model Shipways.

A milestone has been reached - I have finished the standing rigging and all the ratlines except the standing rigging under the bowsprit.
 
I have finished the second motor boat. The photo show all of the four boats in place on the deck. I'm currently in the process of making the lashings for these so they can be fixed in position permantly. They should not interfere with the running rigging.
 

 
The next picture show the quarter deck where I have installed the first stanchions to hold a safety line (I belive that's what it's for).
 

 
Finally a couple of overall photos
 

 

 
/Lars Peter

First of all a happy New Year to all of you.
 
I managed to get quite a bit done on my AV over the Christmas holidays. The standing rigging is now more or less finished. I still have to do the ratlines on the mizzen mast.
 
I had to attach to pair of boat davits in order to figure out how much room I had left for the mizzen backstays. They still need to be cleaned and finished off with paint. Also, the two boxes for the lanterns had to removed and changed to fit with the rigging.
 
I will now slowly begin on the running rigging. Again this will take a lot of time. There are a total of 15 spars that need to made. So far I have only made two. I also have to fit the 4 boats on the deck as it may be too difficult with all the rigging in the way. This means I have to complete the last boat to go here.
 
I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. Ny own camera is broken beyond repair so I have borrowed one which is also more or less broken. The auto focus and the screen are not very good so it is really difficult to take decent photos and it does not help that it is quite dark outside most of the day, too.
 
/Lars Peter
 

Went looking in the bathroom cabinets & found several extra curling irons not being used. (They all worked so I'm wondering what my wifes reasoning is for buying the new ones she & my daughter are using now - I will never understand women, lol ) Anyway I decided I would take them & use for additional plank bending tools. I got 3 different size curves & a straight one. Should come in handy in the days to come.
 
 
 

At 350 hours into the build, it's time for an update.
 
The second belt of planking (of 3) has been completed from the garboard on up, P/S.
 

 

 

 
Since the next belt will close her up, I took the opportunity to give the inside 2 coats of diluted PVA.  I like the way that seals the inside and stiffens her up prior to sanding.  With the false deck in place I will obviously not be able to glue the center section but 'two outta three aint bad'.
 
Though most of the planking is 1/8 x 1/16 basswood, I've snuck in some tapered 3/16 x 1/16 in the stern to try and minimize the need for stealers.  Will definitely need about 2 drop planks up in the stem.
 
Next will be the 'Super Bowl of Planking'......the 3rd belt.  But not before the real game today.  My team is in it -- GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!
 
I'm hoping to leave this lower hull planking a natural, lighter color then that above the wales.  All depends on how this next step comes out  .  Should be there before Spring ---- at least according to today's Groundhog forecast.
 

Standards
 
The Standards are small upside-down knees which support the Channels. They are 2" thick in real life, 1.06mm at 1:48 scale. There are three on each foremast channel, four on the main mast and two on each mizzen. These had to go on before the Drift Rails, which are intersected by the standards. I simulated the small bolts that hold them by using an awl :
 

 

 
  Danny

Hi Bug
 
I agree to all the others.... your Santa Maria takes good progress... turns into  beauty... and as Aussie said: Not work but fun
 
Cheerio
 
Max 

Drift Rails
 
The Drift Rails are the uppermost ones. I used dark Swiss Pear as they are a continuation of the Planksheers in the Waist :
 

 

 

 
They cut in over the Catheads :
 

 
  Danny

I learned a valuable lesson tonight.
Before asking a question do a search on MSW first.
I wanted to know whether to use contact cement or white glue for the second planking.
I should have realized that most of my questions will have been asked by hundreds of others before me and its simply a matter of searching properly. 
 
I finished the deck planking tonight so now onto the part that scares me the most  - the second planking of the hull. 
No room for errors now.  Wish me luck!

Thank you very much John, Colin, Doris and Popeye .
 
Fitting the Channels perfectly horizontally was accomplished by the use of a couple of specially made "jigs" that sit on the planksheers from one side to the other. Masking tape and clamps hold the jigs firmly in position. The leg glued to the underneath of the horizontal member was measured at the inboard edge and cut square.
 

 

 

 

 
  Danny