Aussie048

Hello Peter,
 
Thank you for your words...
 
I´ll follow your suggestion to allow sailing as well......, but without rigging masts and sails. Trust that will be a good compromize
 
here is a rough illustrated thought i have for rowing mode : capt. at the tiller, six men at the oars, two mastfoot positions with additional support attached to seat 2 + 6
ref. to hand scetch
 
the sailing mode : two masted, without stays (masts just stuck in place), sails acc. a little bit to the rigging of a naval marine cutter for rowing and sailing, but without triangle-foresail
Due to the long keel I think that a swivel-centerboard can be avoided
 
 
 

 
arrangement with 6 seats for rowing, (one sailor per seat, long oars)
 
 

 
this is a lovely cutter rigging ( borrowed from the web), although its heritage, it may perhaps be too modern ?
 
 

 
this could be the arrangement for rowing / sailing my jig...
 
 
 
Peter, please feel free to let me know your opinion
 
Cheers 
 
Nils
 
 
 
 

Update on captain`s gig.....
 
 
there is still quite a lot to do on this little boat, but its realy fun all the way
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
added a black liner at the sheer
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
here the floor grating and linings covering the connection links and the grating contours
These grating start breaking away, the moment one starts cutting slots etc.....
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
aft section sitting area and pillar support beneath the bench, plank floor here
 
 
 
 
Nils
 
 
 
 

Martin,
many thanks, I`m glad you like it
 
 
Omega,
thanks for your appreciation and also a merry Christmas to you
 
Michael,
thanks for your words , I also like the clinker build for those reasons. I would have liked to build a real wooden Dinghi for sailing and rowing, but then had a GRP hull daysailer instead for many years
 
Mark,
thank you very much, the Little Shell turned out to be 4 mm longer than planed, but luckily it still fits in at the foreseen place at the "Pegasus" waist area
 
Keith
I see with a smiile you realy have looked at the details......
the build-stem and transom surfaces are flat without any rabbet grooves, the planks are rather thin and do not allow much sanding after Fitting. The plank Ends are cut (beveled to the end sections, appr, 15 - 17 mm), the plank widths are tapered with a scalpel from mid length to both Ends with aid of a metal ruler.
The "rabett" at the stem is simulated by means of post adding a seperate stempost (also keel) after the planking is done. This can also be seen done a number larger, in the same technique for my "HMS Pegasus"  post # 23, build log part 12.
For the Long overlappings in remaining plank length there was no beveling done for the landings. Glueing was per CA application with toothpick at landings , stem and transom.
For the Illustration of the plank endings here is a Little Hand scetch
 
 
NIls
 
 
 

Over the last couple of days, I have been able to complete the rigging of the main mast, including the ratlines. I have also attached the spars to the mizzen and have begun the rigging on those. I was able to add the jeers and the block set that goes below the spar to the lower mast. This is unique to the mizzen. I did not have room to add a ring between the mizzen mast and the ship's wheel, so I added the ring to the lower part of the mast. 
 
Tomorrow I will continue to work on the mizzen rigging. I did notice that the top spar has the blocks reversed, but that will be an easy fix. Once these spars are rigged, I will add the spanker booms and the ship will be fully grown. Then I will complete the rigging with the lines running fore to aft to control the spars. So the end is in sight. Given the remaining work, including building and mounting the three POF whale/ships boats from scratch, I believe I might be able to complete the ship by the end of February. We shall see how good my prognostication is. 
 
I moved the ship over to the table saw and hung a white towel behind it to help in seeing the rigging. I do promise to get better shots once the rigging is complete.
 
 

Thanks for looking in Michael and Jan .
 
Futtock Shrouds
 
Preparations for installing the Futtock Shrouds begins with making the Futtock Plates which hold the deadeyes. I made these from 0.7mm brass wire rolled around a 3.3mm drill bit, clamped up with needle nose pliers, and silver soldered at the bottom end. A 0.7mm hole was drilled into the lower end and the upper end was stretched back out so the deadeye could be inserted :
 

 
After blackening the plate was closed up around the deadeye :
 

 
4mm hooks were bent from 0.5mm wire, silver soldered and blackened. The futtock shroud was then seized to it :
 

 
The futtock plates go through the oval holes in the mast top and the shrouds are hooked to them :
 

 
The lower end of the shroud wraps around the futtock stave and is seized to the lower shroud :
 

 

 
  Danny

I think you have pretty much hit the nail on the head there Geoff There wasn't and still isn't any clubs for modelers specialising in wooden period ships in the UK.We have always been second class to RC models ( although I should point out I do that as well).There were only two builders known to many,Keith Julier and Chris Watton.Kit makers were never bothered about how the shortcomings of their product,most were never finished.
Things have changed so much since I started and they are changing even faster now.Everyone is willing to share there techniques and we all benefit.No matter whether it is modelmaking or something else,being able to bounce ideas off people is far more productive than solitary head scratching    
So my answer is no,I wouldn't have expected to have so many friends around the world to share ideas with,even more so,is probably about half I couldn't hold a conversation with,without the translator.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thank you Richard I am glad you and others find my logs helpful,that is the main reason I post.I remember the days before the net and when Keith Julier's  books were in their infancy,you were very much on your own and it was a struggle.Now things are very different,everyone is free to share knowledge and it is fantastic.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hair Clippings (yes, Human Hair)
 
 
For those wondering just what the above dialogue was all about:
 
I had made some coconuts from Sculpey to be included as decorative detail on my Bounty Launch build ...


... but, the husked coconuts just seemed to be too smooth and shiny.
 
... and so I came upon the idea to finely chop up a handful of hair (collected from the floor of my neighbourhood barber). The baked, plaster coconuts were coated with PVA glue, and then rolled around in a bowl of the hair-clippings.

 
Once the glue had dried, I cleaned off any excess follicles. To me, the result looks a lot more realistic.

 
(Sorry it took me so long, Nenad)
 
Footnote: Never try to argue with a lawyer ... you cannot possibly hope to win!!

STAINLESS STEEL SCREWS FOR EYGLASSES HINGES
 
Available on ebay for around $5.00 per box - enough to last a lifetime.
 

 
I sometimes have trouble getting nails holding gudgeons and pintles to stay in the rudder (even with glue)
 
I have experimented with using these micro screws instead
 

 
Screws have CA glue applied to thread. Once in place I file back the heads.
 

 
Then paint!!
 
I'm sure there are other ways to use these micro screws in a build.

CONNECTOR SLEEVES
 
These are used to loop nylon fishing line. They are crushed to hold the line in place but are made of brass and come in different lengths and diameters. Once the protective covering is removed (inside and out) they can be used with brass wire and copper sheeting to make gudgeons and pintles.
 
 

 
They are available at most fishing tackle stores
 

 
I cut one in half to produce the `hinge' part of the pintle and gudgeon.
 

 
After a bit of silver soldering and blackening, they come out quite well!!

Nigel and John, thanks for looking in after such a long break. Here are a couple of photographs of work I completed today. The starboard timberheads and knightheads. This area isn't complete yet though. I also got most of the starboard gundeck waterway shaped and put in place. I had to tear apart the stern framing I had installed up to this point as the more I compared it to pictures the more it didn't look right. Back to the drawing board on that area.

I have a confession to make.....I gave up trying to tie clove hitches at each shroud, so I now make faux (fake) clove hitches by gluing the ratline in place with PVA and when dry, I am tying each clove hitch separately, touch it with a drop of CA and when dry....cut the ends off the fake clove hitch. With a tap of a small stick...the ratlines bow just right when the glue sets. From a distance it looks like I tied each one. I'd have torn down all my shrouds with my shaky fingers trying it the correct way. I guess when you don't have the talent...improvise.

Here I go redoing things again. First of all I did make up a rectangular sanding stick with some medium sand paper and cleaned up the bottoms of the spar deck gun ports somewhat, so they are looking better.
 
Yesterday, I came across a Constitution build log on this site by galf, where he used WHITE GLUE for the rivet heads on the inner bulwarks. Now, if you remember my first thought was to use CA for these which I tried with no success. All the time I was doing that experiment, the white glue was sitting right next to the CA glue bottles, and I never thought to try it! Doh! Last night I took a wood strip and added dots of white glue to it using a toothpick. They looked nice and round and did not stick up too much from the plank, which was just what I had envisioned when thinking of using the CA. When the glue dried, though, the dots disappeared since they turned clear, but after giving the strip a quick coat of paint, there they were in all there round glory. So here I got crazy and pried off half of the wire riveted strips on the port bulwark sections, then I made up two long strips using the white glue method. I did add some grey paint to the white glue before I did this, so that the rivet heads would be visible after they dried, so I could line up the pattern when installing the strips. I cut sections from the long strips and replanked the bulwark sections that I removed, and I really like the results better than the wired method.
 
Here you can see a comparison of the old strip (above) with the new (In the jig) and the greyed white glue and toothpick that I used.
 

 
And a closer view of the strips:
 

 
And here is a comparison on the model, with the new strips on the left section and the old on the right sections:
 

 
It took a little while to get the hang of this and get the dots somewhat consistent. After a while, the glue got too tacky and was not sticking to the strip well, so I made up a new batch of grey glue, which made more consistent dots. Another nice feature of this method is that I can add or touch up dots on the planks after they are installed, like I did for a few that were too small.
 
After I took these pictures, I pried off the rest of the old planks on the port side and replaced them with these new planks. It went very quickly the second time, as did making the strips. Next week I replace the strips on the transom and starboard sides.

Thanks Patrick, although it is an idea that came from watching others on this site like EdT, with much less precision than his approach. And thanks for the likes too.
 
Well, I am pretty happy with the repairs to the starboard gun ports and plank sheer. Here are the results from the outside and the inside:
 

 

 
I am not totally happy with the squareness of the bottoms of the gun ports, so I will square them up a bit more with a rectangular sanding stick.
 
I continue planking the inner bulwarks on the port side. Just a few more sections to plank then I have to clean up the gun ports on this side. I will be doing that much more carefully so I don't have to repair them too.

Well, another major milestone, but not a good one. A major foul up, and when I say foul I mean something else. I was so happy to finish the inner bulwark planking on one side that I had to sand the sides flush with the gun port sides. They looked great from the inside. But then I had to go and turn the ship around. While sanding the sides of the planks I had also managed to sand some of the planking below the corners of the gun ports. Oh, I thought, I'll just sand these out if I can. Well, they sanded out but then when I looked back inside the bulwarks, I had sanded the plank sheer down under some of the gun ports, one so much it was half gone. At first I thought I would have to replace the plank sheer, but that would have been too disruptive. So on the worst one I cut out only the portion of the plank sheer under the gun port and replaced it with a new piece of the same wood I used to make the original plank sheer. I will fill in the joints with wood filler, so this should look OK when painted. Here you can see the damage under the gun port on the left and the cut out plank sheer under the gun port on the right:
 

 
I then realized I would still need to add a thin strip on the bottom of the gun port to make up the other material that was sanded away, which I did. Then I realized that I could just file the other damaged plank sheer sections square, and add a wider strip of wood over the bottom of the gun port and the plank sheer, which is what I did for the rest. Here you can see the two types of repairs:
 

 

 
They are all drying now so the next steps will be to sand these down (much more carefully) and fill the cracks with wood filler to try to make everything look like one piece. We shall see how this turns out.

Lower portside ratlines finished. My knot tying skills improved with time, but the shrouds kept getting closer and closer together the higher I went. There's still many many ratlines left to tie!! 

Here's a cleaned up shot of the first finished ratlines.

I spent the morning repairing the Bowsprit. I cut the bindings at the base to the spar, then cut the spar on each side of the forward metal hoop. I soaked some acetone around the hoop then used a small drill to drill holes in the wood through the hoop. This allowed me to remove the remaining spar piece from the hoop. I used an exact blade and cleaned up the mid spar on the bowsprit in preparation of mounting the new one.
 
Then I cut a pice of 3mm dowel to the length required for the replacement. I marked the taper point on the dowel. I put the dowel into the lathe and turned it and used sandpaper to taper it according to the drawings. I then drilled the two 1mm holes in the end of the spar first by drilling .6mm holes followed by the 1mm drill.
 
I sanded and stained the spar. I took a heavy black line and dropped it around the end of the mid spar. This would be underneath the new spar and retain the spacing between the two spars. Once I was happy with the, I used CA to lock it in place. Then I continued to wrap the spar but this time including the but end of the new spar. I continued until I achieved the necessary wraps then locked everything with CA.
 
Next I started restringing the spar. I rethreaded the two lines going through the holes and replaced the rings between them. Then I related the remaining lines taking care to insure they were not tangled. I touched up the end of the spar with white paint. and moved on to the fore mast to continue the rigging.
 
I spent a bit of time reviewing the Mamoli plans to understand exactly how they were notating the end points of each line. Most of the lines I had installed were not locked in place yet. I then cleaned up the lines locking them with CA and trimming the loose ends off per the plans. I will have to go back to these later and add all the requisite coils.
 
The I continued working up the mast . I will continue with the fore mast tomorrow. Hopefully with the majority of that mast completed. I have attached photos of the spar repair before and after.

Dam the ratlines...full speed ahead!  I actually did 10 ratlines yesterday. I feel like I can tie stitches in the emergency room after a glass factory explosion.

I was unhappy about the thread color and the stark contrast for the crowsfeet, so I'm re-doing them with black line :
 

 
This is not entirely accurate, as to the best of my knowledge they weren't tarred, but the visual aspect is far better.
 
  Danny

Today I completed the rigging of the fore mast. There will still be a number of lines that will be run from the other masts and to the bow, but the main running rigging is completed and the spars are all in place. I was able to complete the ratlines as well. Breaking them up by mast is keeping this from being such an onerous task. I need to check on the main and mizzen mast rigging. If there are lines that tie off to the shrouds like on the fore mast, I plan on running at least one possibly two of the lower ratlines since these should be under the rigging.

I am currently decorating and between coats As the sun is shining,I thought I would take some pics of where the build is up to at the moment.No pics of the gratings yet as I will photograph these when I start building them up with their combings which will be in Ebony.
   I have fitted the deck clamps back to roughly amidships.They extend right up to the deck underside.This isn't historically correct,however it is my intention to cut a 3mm deep rebate to take the lodging knees.This creates a flat surface for the knees to abut to,rather than contending with the severe tumblehome at this point.When assembled,the finished appearance will be the same as if I had built it historically correct.The hooked scarph joints are clearly visible.Both these clamps and the scarphed spirketting will be fitted with copper fastenings 0.8mm diameter extending completely through the hull as it stands now.I am undecided as to whether to represent bolt heads on the deck clamp fixings to illustrate proud bolt heads.
   Work is progressing at a slow but steady pace on the deck plank fastenings.I have fitted two staggered fixings per main beam and one central for each ledge.The hatch openings have been roughly cut to size.Final finishing will be done when the hatches are made up.The area in front of the main hatch has further planking to be added for the flat capstan base.I got carried away drilling holes,I could have left this section  
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I've often heard that that it's not about the destination but the journey that's important.  I agree but this journey is currently being measured in inches and not miles. 
 
I added the timbers the taffrail will sit on and worked up and installed the two outer timbers for the counter. The whole stern area was then rough faired.  Final fairing will be just before planking. 
 
The taffrail timber needs to be shaped after cutting loose the stern (the red curved line).  I still have a lot of shaping to that curve and most can be done while it's in frame and on the build board but I need to set up the rest of the stern framing.   This will be filling in the area between the final cant frame and the stern frames with framing for mounting the quarter galleries and the hatchway from the Great Cabin.   I'm have some ideas on how to do this as this another area that Hahn is a little vague on how to do.
 
Anyway enough out of me, here's the photos.   Feel free to click on and enlarge them to see everything in horrible detail.   
 

 
 

Crowsfeet
 
The Crowsfeet prevent the topsails from chafing the lower stays, and also stop them from getting snagged in the tops.
 
I used Gutermann Quilting Cotton for these. It's not quite the same color as Chuck's running rigging line, but it is the closest match they make. This stuff is made from cotton and has a polyester coating which makes it a little more rigid than normal cotton - this makes threading it through tiny holes a lot easier. It also has NO fuzzies at all .
 
The line starts on the strop at the top of the euphroe and passes over the forward edge of the top and through the middle hole. Then it comes back up through the adjacent hole on the port side, down to the uppermost hole in the euphroe and through the top on the starboard side. These steps are repeated for the remainder. The last line is tied off to it's adjacent partner underneath the top.
 
It was a difficult job to get even tension on all the loops of line. I had to go back over all the loops a few times to get an acceptable result :
 

 

 
The euphroe tackle :
 

 

 
  Danny

Thanks very much George, Mark, Maury, John, Nils and David. Your comments are appreciated.
 
 
Yes they are Mark. You may be confusing them with the Futtock Shrouds, which do have hooks.
 
Euphroes
 
The Euphroes are used to attach the lower parts of the Crowsfeet to the stays. They are only 12mm long for the fore and main masts, and 10mm for the mizzen mast. This is slightly longer than the ones described in TFFM (by 20%) but with the slightly larger thread I'm using for the Crowsfeet I had to make the holes a bit bigger (0.45mm) to get the thread through. There are 11 holes in the fore and main and 9 holes in the mizzen.
 
I started by cutting the stock for all three to width and thickness from English Box. I ran the stock through the table saw to cut the grooves for the strops. Then I drilled all three pieces in my mill :
 

 

 
Then I cut the three pieces to length, tapering each one first. Final rounding was done with a sanding stick :
 

 
Final job was to attach the strops and a 4" block for the tackle. This is a rarely seen detail on models :
 

 
  Danny