MikeB4

Finally I have reach a major milestone!  I am not sure why my hull doesn't look as good as some but I am going to stick with this. I did bevel the edges of the planks, but maybe not enough. As the admiral says the best planking I have ever done. I still have significant sanding to do.
 
I do have a couple of questions -
- In another log it mentions a 1/16" notch in the transom wings. If I read the instructions and plans I don't see the notch. It looks like all I ahve to do is adjust the length of the cap rail and the stern end raps around the transom.
- I noted the Ryland suggests fitting the stand at this point. Are you suggesting gluing it in place? or gluing the stand to the base?
- Do I need to sand out the laser char on the inside of the frames?
 
 

I finally got my Serv-o-matic apparatus built after buying it about 2 years ago. I realize I have a lot of models sitting in my closet that need building. While working on the Royal Barge I'm prepping for my next project when this one is completed. I'm leaning towards building the "Private Armed Schooner (Lively of Baltimore 1813)" from The Lumber Yard for model shipwrights. This seems like it will be a good kit to progress to the next level in my journey of model ship building. Although lively isn't technically a ship it will be the first time I'm tackling a fully rigged vessel with a canon. But I'm only half done with the barge and I'm in no hurry to get it done. I made that mistake two years ago by giving my self a deadline because I wanted to enter it into a show. So the lesson here is, slow down and take your time. At least I got the Serv-o-matic built in preparation for my next project what ever it might be.  

Thank You for posting.
 
Today chapter ten was started.  You saw that I had already planked the qdeck along the bulwarks after adding the margin planks.  So before I could plank down the center I had to get the coamings all made.
 
The coamings are build exactly like the others we built.   They are laser cut for you.  Just build them using the 3/64" thick right angle template as before.   Round off the corners......yada....yada....and add the cambered gratings.  Two packages were enough to do these three.
 
But dont glue all three down yet.  Only glue the forward most grating and coaming in first.  This is very important.
 

As you can see above, the first coaming was positioned and then it could be used to help position the capstan partners.   These are also laser cut for you.  But because so much depends on where you placed you beams.....where you placed your lower capstan, etc....
 
I laser cut the three parts for the capstan partners a bit longer on both ends (forward and aft).  This will allow you to adjust to suit you model and get the round opening directly centered over the lower capstan.   Then trim the aft side so it falls on the deck beam nicely.  The aft end of the partners should cover half the beam it sits on.
 
Then the other coamings can be glued in position.  Make sure to center them down the qdeck of course.
 

In that same photo above you can also see the mizzen bitts.   These must be glued to the forward side of the beam before you start planking.  So these were made up next.  They are laser cut but you must finish the top timberhead shape as is usually the case.  There is a hole laser cut through these as well.  They will accept a 1/16 dia. rod.   Use either brass, or even styrene or wood.  It doesnt matter.   You will have to clean out the holes with a 1/16" drill bit first as the laser doesnt cut a perfect right angle.  So I made this hole slightly smaller as a pilot hole.   Drill them again with a 1/16" bitt and insert the rod.  Use the plans to get their length.
 

Above you can see the bitts pretty good.  But you can also see a modeler's convention for adding the slots for the ships wheel rigging.   This is laser cut in two layers 3/64" thick.   The lower layer is glued between the deck beams first.  It has a laser etched reference for the second final layer.  Just glue it on top like in the photo.  We will plank around this.
 
Finally the planking can commence down the center of the qdeck.   Use your template as a guide like when you planked the fcastle.
 
This will complete the planking or most of it.  We still have the gangways to do but that will be done much later.  You can see I also test fit the upper capstan.  I still have to paint it red and add the metal band.   But its all coming together.   That will be done next along with the pawls....and also the mizzen mast coat.  
 


 

 
With each update she is getting less naked.  Its is starting to fill out nicely with details.  Any questions. On the workbench…

I finally got my Serv-o-matic apparatus built after buying it about 2 years ago. I realize I have a lot of models sitting in my closet that need building. While working on the Royal Barge I'm prepping for my next project when this one is completed. I'm leaning towards building the "Private Armed Schooner (Lively of Baltimore 1813)" from The Lumber Yard for model shipwrights. This seems like it will be a good kit to progress to the next level in my journey of model ship building. Although lively isn't technically a ship it will be the first time I'm tackling a fully rigged vessel with a canon. But I'm only half done with the barge and I'm in no hurry to get it done. I made that mistake two years ago by giving my self a deadline because I wanted to enter it into a show. So the lesson here is, slow down and take your time. At least I got the Serv-o-matic built in preparation for my next project what ever it might be.  

I finally got my Serv-o-matic apparatus built after buying it about 2 years ago. I realize I have a lot of models sitting in my closet that need building. While working on the Royal Barge I'm prepping for my next project when this one is completed. I'm leaning towards building the "Private Armed Schooner (Lively of Baltimore 1813)" from The Lumber Yard for model shipwrights. This seems like it will be a good kit to progress to the next level in my journey of model ship building. Although lively isn't technically a ship it will be the first time I'm tackling a fully rigged vessel with a canon. But I'm only half done with the barge and I'm in no hurry to get it done. I made that mistake two years ago by giving my self a deadline because I wanted to enter it into a show. So the lesson here is, slow down and take your time. At least I got the Serv-o-matic built in preparation for my next project what ever it might be.  

I finally got my Serv-o-matic apparatus built after buying it about 2 years ago. I realize I have a lot of models sitting in my closet that need building. While working on the Royal Barge I'm prepping for my next project when this one is completed. I'm leaning towards building the "Private Armed Schooner (Lively of Baltimore 1813)" from The Lumber Yard for model shipwrights. This seems like it will be a good kit to progress to the next level in my journey of model ship building. Although lively isn't technically a ship it will be the first time I'm tackling a fully rigged vessel with a canon. But I'm only half done with the barge and I'm in no hurry to get it done. I made that mistake two years ago by giving my self a deadline because I wanted to enter it into a show. So the lesson here is, slow down and take your time. At least I got the Serv-o-matic built in preparation for my next project what ever it might be.  

I finally got my Serv-o-matic apparatus built after buying it about 2 years ago. I realize I have a lot of models sitting in my closet that need building. While working on the Royal Barge I'm prepping for my next project when this one is completed. I'm leaning towards building the "Private Armed Schooner (Lively of Baltimore 1813)" from The Lumber Yard for model shipwrights. This seems like it will be a good kit to progress to the next level in my journey of model ship building. Although lively isn't technically a ship it will be the first time I'm tackling a fully rigged vessel with a canon. But I'm only half done with the barge and I'm in no hurry to get it done. I made that mistake two years ago by giving my self a deadline because I wanted to enter it into a show. So the lesson here is, slow down and take your time. At least I got the Serv-o-matic built in preparation for my next project what ever it might be.  

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

After putting this model away for a couple of years I'm ready to try and correct the mistake I made. When I got to the point of putting the rear benches in place I found that I didn't fair the inside frames enough and would have to tear down some of the build I had already done. Needless to say I was completely discouraged and just put the model away. I'm now ready to look at it again. As you can see in the picture I removed what was needed in order to  start sanding down the frames to where they need to be.

After putting this model away for a couple of years I'm ready to try and correct the mistake I made. When I got to the point of putting the rear benches in place I found that I didn't fair the inside frames enough and would have to tear down some of the build I had already done. Needless to say I was completely discouraged and just put the model away. I'm now ready to look at it again. As you can see in the picture I removed what was needed in order to  start sanding down the frames to where they need to be.

I got some more work done on the rear bench. It was a little tricky getting this to square up but so far I think I'll be alright. I'm also using chuck's method of painting which is to apply many light coats rather than applying one or two heavy coats. when you slowly build it up it looks much better.

Decks, bulwarks and an experiment with wipe on poly
 
Not much time in the dockyard lately but I've made some progress. I decided in the end to use the etched decks supplied in the kit. Although I enjoy planking my own decks and did so on Speedy, the ones supplied with this kit seem such good quality I thought I'd give them a go. They fitted without issue along with the interior bulwark patterns, following the steps clearly set out in the manual:
Whilst continuing to dither over whether or not to paint the hull below the waterline, I decided I ought to at least apply a finish to protect the wood before I got on with other tasks such as painting the blue and red areas along the upper part of the hull.
 
I have used shellac for a long time and love the finish I get with the pale version. However I've seen the results other people achieve with wipe on poly and thought I'd give it a go. The ready mixed products aren't commonly available in the UK so after some research on the web and the forum I made up my own from a 50:50 mix of matt polyurethane varnish and white spirit (aka mineral spirits on the other side of the pond). Early results were not promising, taking ages to dry and leaving a less-than-impressive finish. I knew I must be doing something wrong, but rather than starting a load of hit and miss experimentation I asked @glbarlow, someone who clearly knows what he's doing as evidenced by his current (Flirt) and previous builds.
 
Glenn kindly sent me two detailed messages setting out his methods and advice. Straightaway I saw what I was doing wrong - I was wiping on but I wasn't wiping off! I tried again and soon, as they say in these parts, I was cooking on gas.
I'm sure Glenn won't mind if I paraphrase his method:
Apply generously with a soft cloth (eg old cotton t-shirts cut up) AND (the real key to a nice finish) wipe it off before it dries, leaving only what’s absorbed into the wood. If you let it dry on thick the finish will look too artificial.  Leave to dry thoroughly before buffing with a clean soft cloth. It can take 12-24 hours to dry depending on conditions. You know it’s dry if you can buff it without it seeming gummy. If it is stop and wait longer.  For a deeper finish like on a hull, lightly sand with 400 grit making sure to wipe with a cloth to remove dust and then repeat the wipe on/wipe off process Use a brush on small nooks and crannies, but only if you can get in immediately with a cloth to wipe it off.  Two coats are better than one, with at least three on the hull. Different woods will vary in absorbing the wop so the key is simply to repeat the process until it looks right. I experimented with matt and satin polyurethane. I found the matt a little too dull whereas the satin gave a beautiful silky finish. In both cases the varnish tins had been unused for a while and needed a lot of stirring to thoroughly mix the particles that give the matt/satin finish to what would otherwise be gloss. As I was just experimenting I used tiny amounts - I found 6ml of poly mixed with 6ml white spirit was more than enough for three coats on the Duchess. For measuring I used one of those plastic pipettes sold for model paints eg these at £2.99 for 50 from Amazon.
 
Here's some pictures:



It's difficult to convey just how silky smooth the result is, both to the eye and the finger. Glenn told me I'd know I'd done enough when after buffing I looked at it and smiled. I'm smiling now 😁
 
Derek

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

It's summertime and it's hard to stay in the house to build models. Since it's extremely hot out I found some time to stay in the cool house and continue my build. It's slowly coming along.

After putting this model away for a couple of years I'm ready to try and correct the mistake I made. When I got to the point of putting the rear benches in place I found that I didn't fair the inside frames enough and would have to tear down some of the build I had already done. Needless to say I was completely discouraged and just put the model away. I'm now ready to look at it again. As you can see in the picture I removed what was needed in order to  start sanding down the frames to where they need to be.

Well worth finishing Mike, it is such a unique and attractive model.
 
B.E.

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

I'm almost back to the point I originally started from. There's still issues but by fairing a little more the benches look like they will finally fit much better.
 

NO CHAR FOR YOU!!!!

Seriously though....knowing that some of you are now referring to me as the "Laser char nazi".   There is a very valid reason.  But its not all bad.  There are times when removing the char isnt as necessary.  BUT...I cant understand why it is left on items to remain bright...or painted red which shows.  More on this later.  LOL
 
Time for the Fcastle rail and timberheads.
 
There are twelve timberheads per side.  Thats quite a few.  And then let us not forget the many along the qdeck.   These have been laser cut for you and yes there is a lot of char.   Now I know that some of you will start to see these wonderful details being added which make the whole project special.  And the more details like this the easier it is to lose your will to slow it down and you you start cutting corners.  Because lets face it, getting these details on the model makes a huge difference and you want to see them on the model as quickly as possible.  I suffer the same affliction, trust me.
 
BUT...lucky for us, we do not have to go crazy here removing the char from these timberheads which are quite small, with lots of inside corners for the char to hide.  You will still need to give them a good cleaning to smooth out the surface for painting.  I use sanding sticks and 420 grit sandpaper.  The surface must be prepared but dont try and remove it all.  You will distort the shape and also make the timberheads too small to fit snug in each hole of the rail.  You can see how clean I made those timberheads.  They are still pretty clean with just a light swipe of the sandpaper.  
 

So you will save some time here which is good news because....
 
Because, I strongly urge you not to cut corners on the next step.   You should certainly take the time to shape the timberheads on all four sides.  Many of you will be tempted to just use them as is.  That might be quick…but it would be a mistake.
 
The reason why this is so important is because they will appear much too heavy otherwise.  Too many kits have ridiculously heavy and thick timberheads.  It looks too kit-like.  By chamfering all four sides at the top of the timberheads they will appear slimmed down and in scale.  In addition,  the angled front and back sides… You will need to slice down towards a "stop cut" to create the proper shape.  See the photo above.  This will make a huuuuge difference. So yes its ok to cut corners on the char here.  But please do shape each timberhead carefully.  
 
I also sanded the rail itself smooth and softened the four corners along its length.  As I finished each
timberhead, I slid them from the bottom into position along the rail.  I have created a small "stop" ledge on one side of each timberhead.  If you didnt over sand them and remove this detail, it will keep the rail level and The rookie at the same height across all of the timberheads.  Hope that makes sense. In addition,  this “stop ledge” detail should always face forward when you slide the timberheads onto the rail.  This is important.
 
When all the timberheads are cleaned and shaped, test the rail in position.  The laser cut tenons on the bottom of each timberhead are not as wide as the holes in the caprail.  So you should have wiggle room to adjust the timberheads and rail.  Dont glue the timberheads into the rail yet.  And dont glue the rail onto the model.   While test-fitting in position, you need to add the fancy end piece.   See below.  Just glue it onto the end of the rail and let dry.
 
When dry, remove the entire rail from the model.  Remove all the timberheads from the rail.  I numbered the timberheads but that probably isnt necessary.  Then do your best to fill the seam between that fancy end piece and sand it so you can not see any trace of the seam before painting the rail black.

Here is a picture of the forward end being tested below. Everything fits great.   Nothing is glued together yet.  Once that seam is acceptable to me, I will paint all of the timberheads black individually and also the rail.  Then I will reassemble it for the last time and glue it on the model.  This will take some considerable time....then I have to do it all over again on the starboard side.
 
Any questions???
 

 
 
 

Hi bug and Bob,
Silver soldering is well worth adding to  your skill set, and at a basic level is quite easy to do.

This is my set up, a burner, a pad to work on  and tubes of ready to use silver solder.

It is important to have different melt points if more than two pieces are to be soldered together.
The tubes above  have melt points of 671, 690, and 740 degrees.

This photo shows  two fine brass eyelets soldered to  a brass tube to make a stanchion.
 
The parts must be clean, and devices used to hold the parts together. In the case above one ring is soldered, and then the second with a lower  melt point.
A small amount of solder is  put on the  tube, the eyelet is held in position, the torch flame applied until the silver flashes, and job done.
With fine material like this it takes a second. Hold it too close or for too long and the brass pieces melt.
 
Getting inventive with ways to hold the pieces for soldering is a big part of the process, apart form a third hand tool and self closing tweezers, I use blu tack to keep  pieces in position where required.
 
One advantage with silver soldering is that once cleaned up it takes blackening very well.
 
Hope this helps.
 
B.E.
 

After putting this model away for a couple of years I'm ready to try and correct the mistake I made. When I got to the point of putting the rear benches in place I found that I didn't fair the inside frames enough and would have to tear down some of the build I had already done. Needless to say I was completely discouraged and just put the model away. I'm now ready to look at it again. As you can see in the picture I removed what was needed in order to  start sanding down the frames to where they need to be.

After putting this model away for a couple of years I'm ready to try and correct the mistake I made. When I got to the point of putting the rear benches in place I found that I didn't fair the inside frames enough and would have to tear down some of the build I had already done. Needless to say I was completely discouraged and just put the model away. I'm now ready to look at it again. As you can see in the picture I removed what was needed in order to  start sanding down the frames to where they need to be.