Aussie048

Well, Another few hours spent...  I have added my cap rails and extensions.. I am a bit dissapointed my keel at bow seems to have fallen a bit short of where it should be.. Stern could be a bit higher above rails also.   I dont know how that happened, I made my scratch built ones the same as kit supplied.. I shouldn't have cut it until now perhaps, i would next time.. as done with keel at rudder post, a valuable lesson for all.. 
 
I may try to fix this or let it go.. Any thoughts?    Regards Ollie

Hi all. Okay another 3 hours, wasn't happy with gun ports linings and another bit on frames where they met transom. So i fixed them so i was happy...
 
You may notice i left my frames proud of bulwarks because i knew there was no way i was going to cut them as accurate as i need... So i made a sanding pad with fresh 80 grit quality wet and dry paper and worked them down nice and flat all over now..  ( pad will get used for lots more sanding yet:) 
 
I have cap rails bending and use the soak, bend, dry technique. The ones in bowl are getting a head start..  Steam didn't seem to be that advantageous to me..   The square objects are lead weights.
 
5 days straight of rain here and plenty more to come, so good ship building weather..   Regards Ollie

Gallows Crosspiece
 
I've made and fitted the Gallows Crosspiece. This is used, not as a Gallows (they used a Yardarm for that ), but as the aft support for the Ship's Boat and spare spars etc. This pic was taken before a finish was applied.
 
I'm at a bit of a loss to see how the fore end of the boat and spars is supported. There is nothing in TFFM that I can find which is used as a fore support . Any suggestions?
 

 
I've also fitted the two half-curved entry steps to the waist which I'd made before I went on holidays.
 

 
A couple of progress pics of the decks. I've applied Minwax Wipe-on Poly to all the areas that I hadn't finished beforehand.
 

 

 
  Danny

Thank you to all the guys who hit the "Like" button for my last post .
 
Forecastle Timberheads
 
I've marked and drilled the slots for the Timberheads, and also made and dry-fitted 8 more of them to check if the angles were going to need changing yet. Fortunately all the Forecastle ones are straight, so I can make 8 more before I have to adjust my jig. The bad news is that all the quarterdeck ones will need to be cut on at least four different angles - it could have been worse .
 

 

 

 
  Danny

Yeah Greg - although as I mentioned before they are all different .
 
Maury - I'm using the Byrnes Saw instead of the Mill.
 
Using the Timberhead Jig
 
Before the questions are asked about how I use the Timberhead Jig - here's how.
 
1. I file the two inboard and outboard tapers using the wide slot :
 

 

 
2. I transfer the piece to the narrow slot and file the fore and aft tapers :
 

 

 
3. I cut the shoulders for the moldings using a sharp flat Xacto chisel :
 

 
4. The shoulders are rounded off with a needle file :
 

 
5. Using the jig I cut the top of the lower step all around on the Byrnes table saw :
 

 
6. I cut the piece to length :
 

 
7. Using the chisel I cut the lower step to size :
 

 
8. Finally I round off the corners of the step to fit the oval hole cut through the planksheer :
 

 
  Danny

Over the course of the last couple of days, as I continue to make and mount cleats and rails to the deck and bulwarks, I've taken some time to add the nails to the futtock riders (long overdue), and build the sheaves / pulleys that are mounted to the top of the masts.  Here are some progress photos.

Are there work gloves that would protect my hands from potential table saw damage?
 
In the past, I have used protective gloves when sculpting with knives and chisels but I am not sure they would offer much protection on a table saw. I understand about using push sticks etc. but I wanted to check and see if anyone knew of more effective protection that would allow me to work without hindrance.
 
My wife is buying me a mini table saw for my birthday and asked me to check.
 
Richard,

Greetings
Well here we are again with a bit of progress, after starting on the main mast. I looked at the hammock netting first, but that's all I did, looked. I started on the main yard and completed it ready for the jeers blocks and sling etc, then suddenly realized I had made it the same length as the foreyard. I then found I did not have any 8mm dowel left that was useable. The only piece I had left was so bowed you could throw it away and it would come back. So I simply made the main top mast yard out of what should have been the main yard. I when down to the local B&Q for some 8mm dowel and alas no 8mm but luckily they had some 9m, so it's the main yard tomorrow night. So here's were I am now. The main top mast yard is made and fitted but not belayed. The fitting of it is exactly the same as the foremast top yard, parrell beads and a tye . So here's some photos and time to bore you with the main mast yards for a couple of weeks. Once again thanks to you one and all for you comments and for viewing. Here we go again with photos.......DAVID

So working on the cleats and rails has led to this...
First, I made a quick replacement / fix to the rail at the mainmast to remove the belaying pins that didn't exist for another hundred years or so...  That would have been a giant blemish to try as hard as I have to maintain some authenticity only to have a blunder thats off by a century.  Doh.  
 

 
But then, since the cleats and rails that I'm installing obviously don't match the giant metal cleats and fixtures that are illustrated in the AL diagrams, I needed to go through and do a comparison between Pastor's rigging plans and the AL rigging plans.  What I discovered, is that the AL rigging plans are actually pretty darn accurate!  The major difference is the lack of tacks and sheets, and of course the locations of where the rigging is tied off onto the deck. 
 

 
With that knowledge in hand, I began redrawing a mockup of the deck to include an accurate representation of where my deck fixtures (bombards, pumps, ladders, etc.) are located, then plug in all of my cleats and rails. I can then re-accomplish AL's version of rigging placement and have my own, more accurate version. 
 
Here's a problem that I can use help with if anyone knows - Nothing I an find in either Pastor's book, or Smiths "Vanguard of Empire" book tells me where the lines off the Knight and Halliard are rigged. My best guess is that it would have been to the rail at the base of the mizzen, but that would take the lines directly over the hatch - which seems unlikely.  Thoughts??

Marktime,
 
   When I started my build I spend a lot of time looking at your build, as I appreciated your research and accuracy.  However, since the MSW 1.0 crash, you only have the completed pictures in the gallery.  As I'm going over my rigging plans, I noticed on your build that you added some standing rigging - as I've annotated here - included this very cool rig that drops down and connects to the ring on the Windlass.
 

 
    I vaguely remember you explaining some of these things in your initial log. Can you please tell me why you added these lines and on what you based it?
 
Thanks!

The handle of the pump is created from two strips of 2mm x 2mm square walnut sanded and etched out. They are based in 3mm x 3mm square walnut strips sanded to fit the side of the pump.

 

   

 

The pieces all put together initially and then stained.

 



 

The pump mechanism and the strips around the pump are made from a scrap brass dowel and scrap brass flattened pieces.  I flatten the end of the brass dowel out by putting it between the flat areas of a pair of pliers and striking it with a hammer.

 

   

 

All of the strips, the handle, and the pump mechanism are attached using a touch of glue, and then firmly attached using pins with the heads sanded down. Finally the pumps are re-stained, and the brass pieces are given a layer of patina.

I then moved on to the gun ports in the side of the ship. It always makes me very nervous to cut into the ship. Obviously making any kind of error would be very difficult to correct. So I spend quit a bit of time planning before I actually cut into the ship.  

 

After measuring where each gun port will be and drawing it in place, I started by drilling small holes to outline where the ports will be cut out. 

 

   

 

 I then used a larger bored carving and etching dremel tool to get close to the sides of the gun port. The rest is done by hand using pin-files. It's a very slow sanding and filing process because it's very easy for the siding and planking to fray, crack, or break off.

 

The outside of the gunports are framed with thin strips of mahogany that is mitre cut and mounted. In these cases I used "super" glue since the pieces are so delicate.

 

 

   

 

Since I always have difficulty creating frames this small, I used a technique similar to when I created the pieces for the captain's cabin. After pre-staining the wood, I cut and glued the 2mm x 2mm strips to a piece of paper. This makes it MUCH easier to eventually mount to the gunports.

 

 

   

 

After the glue dries, I use a fine X-acto knife with a new and very sharp blade to cut the paper from inside the frames. I then lightly sand the paper side until it is thin enough to not be noticeable on the final product. Each frame is then glued, sanded again, and stained. 

As I mentioned earlier,these next few stages are really slow.I have fitted the deck beam shelves and planked the inside of the hull on the starboard side,including lining the gunports.The framework of the entry port is in place,but this will have the carvings added at a later date,probably when I fit the channels as they sit on the middle channel.I had to reverse engineer the gunports to ascertain the deck levels which involved a great deal of headscratching,but it did 'prove' my gunports were correct.The internal planking has had several coats of poly applied in preparation for treenailing.I am using Dafi's(thank you Dafi) idea for drilling the holes inside.I have glued a drill into the end of a bamboo skewer so I can poke it through the gunports to drill the holes on the opposite internal face.I have given it a try and it works great,but it ain't no Dremel so I may be at it some time
Kind Regards Nigel 

A small update.I have completed the rails on the port side,I have only the forecastle left to do.I had to go and pick up my prezzies from the missus today.I feel like a kid in a sweetshop     Thank you love  Thank you to those on here that advised me which to machine to go for.It goes to show that the way to a modellers' heart is via workshop tools      
Kind Regards Nigel

Thank you very much indeed everybody for your very kind words  
In answer to your question Kevin.I am looking back and thinking how I could of progressed differently.The problem with this being a partwork is there are no drawings and the model being supplied is vastly different from the model advertised.This did start out with the intention of being a near stock build but as the part work progressed and looking at the Italian forum(which is about 6 months infront)the difference with what we are building to what was advertised was becoming obvious.At this point I had a fully planked hull which due to sourcing my own more expensive timber stood me at quite a lot of money.
So then the 'modification ball' started rolling and I found that all the supplied ornamentation was going to be inaccurate.Inspired by Bill Short's log which I used to follow before the 'crash' and becoming a member,I decided to take the step of 'having a go'at producing my own carvings.
What started out as a stock build had now turned in to probably 3-4000 hours work.Thinking on this made me think that 'dummy'canons didn't quite come up to par with the rest of the build.Helped in no small part by Chris Watton's amazing victory prototype.I think though the biggest discovery was Arthur Molle's amazing model of the Sovereign.I looked at that and thought 'I have to do that'.I include a picture of Molle's model that I am going to try and replicate to some extent for the deck structures,I am not planing on sawing the model in half though    
Back to the question of would I have done things different?Yes I would have bought Sergal's plans and worked from there,full scratchbuild.
Kind Regards Nigel

It has been a while since my last update,although I have been doing lots of hours on the build,it doesn't really show.I have now profiled the hull inside.I have cut and relined the main gunports on the starboard side(upper ports still to do.) the gunports have been cut on the port side but lining to finish.I made a start with the internal planking on the inside of the starboard side.I am only representing caulking on the decks internally.The first deck beam shelf is in position and notched.I have now told myself I must complete all the railings before going any further as I am fed up of breaking the uprights.I have made a start on this as my pictures show.There are some gunports to cut out in these but I shall do that when they are all in place.The red is coloured veneer,not paint.
Kind Regards Nigel

After considerable deliberation,I felt my build was missing something,an interior.I haven't posted for a bit,but I have been busy beavering away.I wanted to utilise full cannons and carriages throughout.In order to do this I had to remove 20mm of solid birch ply infill at the bottom and smooth off the inner walls of the hull.I then shaped pieces of lime to the inside profile on the scroll saw to build up the hull thickness to nearer scale.The sections were left overthickness to allow for interior profiling.These were bonded in two at a time and allowed to dry before continuing to avoid hull distortion.It has meant that I get to cut the gunports all over again   .I have started work around the top of the hull completing the railings as I go in the hope of avoiding breaking anymore railing uprights.The plan is to fully plank the interior and other than the lower gundeck that will be fully planked,the rest will have sections of planking missing to be able to see the insides,navy board style.

After a marathon carving session over the last few days I have managed to complete the basic ornamentation on the starboard side of the prow.There are still vertical carvings to fit on the stem underneath and of course the myriad of decorative panels.
Kind Regards Nigel

Just a little progress,these figures are taking about six hours each on account of the small size.The faces are 2.5mm across.
Kind Regards Nigel

I thought I would post some pics as they clearly show the stages involved in the prow ornamentation.I laminated 1.5mm pear sections on to the outside of the upper and lower rails inbetween where the uprights sit.You can see one in the first pic.The top and bottom rails were shaped and tapered leaving stubs where the uprights sit.The uprights were shaped form pears stock to fit over all three rails.The uprights will have the central carving carried out off the model and the rest will be done after fitting.This is to get the correct shape of the wrapround top and bottom.
Kind Regards Nigel

After a little head scratching I have decided on a method of tackling the prow ornamentation.The problem being as that the figurines wrap over the horizontal strakes.Anyway rather than trying to explain this,I shall post pics as work progresses through the steps.A late night and early morning has resulted in the first step complete.I have steamed and fitted pear section.The top and bottom are to be shaped a little later on.
Kind Regards Nigel

Managed a little time on the build today and planked the prow in black boxwood.
Kind Regards Nigel

Despite the birthday distractions I have made some progress on the build.After careful study of the V de V engraving it became apparent to me that the prow cheeks are not faceted as depicted on most models,but in my opinion are flat.I came to this conclusion because the vertical carvings run down in a straight line when viewed at an angle.This made life a whole lot easier.I developed the shape to match the engraving but also to match the proportions of my build.I cut the pieces out of 0.8mm ply and made formers to hold the pieces to the correct curve.When it came to planking the cheeks I had originally planned on horizontal planking,however being faced with a 3D structure that I believe must be close to that of the original,it didn't ring true.I realise the planking on Vasa's prow runs inline(nearest thing in existance,thanks Matti for your wonderful pics)but whilst the two look similar,they are quite different.The way I saw it was that you have four very large structural timbers running inline close to one another,then it made sense that the planking infil would join these together.
therefore I chose to plank the inside faces vertically with boxwood.These have been treenailed and epoxied in position.The outside faces should be planked tomorrow with black boxwood.
Kind Regards Nigel

I have had quite a productive evening.I first fitted the remaining carvings.I then made the caprail  out of 1mm pear then fitted it.Finally I applied a coat of varnish.The varnish still has a slight sheen because it is not fully dry.
Kind Regards Nigel

Just a small update.Work is progressing well on the pediment carvings,but as they are only 6mmx8mm I gave up trying to take a decent picture.I have now fitted the first and the autofocus on the iphone works now the carving is fitted to the hull.I am actually up to 5 out of 6, but because I am putting two coats of varnish and then leaving 24 hours before fitting,it will be a couple of days before they are all fitted.
Kind Regards Nigel