UdoK

Just trying a simple jig seems to do the job.I'll make a better one later.Bulwarks linings with the odd clamp or two.

Bit more decking.

Hi Ken, thanks for that, much appreciated.  Definitely will have questions about the masts also 
 
As discussed earlier the best solution was to trim the top of the stem down to the bulwarks rail.  I used a carpenters square placed on top of the stem and slid the rule down to the rail to keep the correct angle and set the depth.  Then a craft knife was used to score a line against the end of the rule to mark the cut line.

 
 
I was concerned that using a saw close to the rails would result in them getting chewed up so needed to protect them somehow.  I initially thought of using some layers of masking tape but was still worried the teeth would rub through this so ended up cutting and bending some 0.5mm brass sheet.

 
 
Because of the position of the catheads I couldn’t fit the razor saw in so made the initial cuts with a hacksaw blade which was very slow as could only make very short strokes to prevent hitting anything.  Once the cut became deeper there was enough space to get the razor saw in but was still restricted to making short strokes.

 
 
Once I removed the top I used a file to clean up the surface and then wrapped some sand paper round the bowsprit and used that as a sanding dowel to put a curve into the stem for the bowsprit to sit in.

 
 
The following photos show the curved sanded seat for the bowsprit and it in position.



 
 
Okay, the above work dropped the bowsprit down to a much better position although the flat on the bottom of the bowsprit is still not as much as indicated on the plans but at least it now butts up against in the bitt in a better position.
 
As it is right now it can’t go down any further as it hits the bumpkin end support which I already knocked a corner off for it to fit and to be honest if I left it as it is above I would be happy.
 
But once I taper the mast down as indicated in the plans that will allow a bit more space between it and the bumpkin support so I will be able to further sand the top of the stem to bring it down further.
 
Thanks for everyone’s interest and input.
 
Cheers
Slog

A bit more on the clue, sheet and tack blocks. The photos I have of the Victory show the blocks held together with shackles (which hadn't been invented in 1805.  McKay's drawings show a monkey fist and loop arrangement.  I've simply prepared the blocks and lashed them together.  I suspect McKay's illustration is more accurate.  Fashioning the clue block.  All line including the strop and eyes are served.  Brass rod used to maintain the eye.
 

 
One eye completed.
 

 
Forming the second eye.
 

 
Sheet block
 

 
 
 
 

Topmast ratlines and futtock staves and catharpins.It's getting to the really fiddly stage up high. I'm terrified I'm going to break something. I've done the ratlines (which will thankfully be the second last lot until the Topgallants) and the futtock staves and 15mm catharpins. It looks clumsy (it is) but I have to use a beige line then stain it as i just can't see the bloody lines to control it otherwise. the stave itself is just plastic rod which as you can see runs long for ease of control. There was some torsion from the fall of the stays which was corrected by the catharpins and will be lost when the Topgallant shrouds are attached. It will look very busy.
 
This is a very painful process and I am looking forward to adding the breast backstay, Topsail yard tye tackle and backstays.
 
I forgot to ask, does anyone else use toenail clippers as flush cutters for their rigging lines?  works better than any other took I have found.

Breast backstays. The backstay needs to be separated at the mast, thus the little jig so it allows me to ensure the blocks are even on each side, and allows them to be served on. Tye tackle next, then backstays and stays.

As the other Endeavour club members are getting on with it, i thought that i'd try and keep trundling on with the Topmasts. The backstays now completed, just on to the stays and their mice next. I'd just like to say I'm crap at photography of small stuff - but at least it hides the fluffy lines. iPhones are not the best if cameras but very easy.

The whole Frames are adjusted and glued on now.
The keel is still only dry fitted to the construction as I have to cut the rabbet before glueing. To make the keel fit, I chiseled off the spacers between the Frames as again the lasercut was not very accurate. Anyway, due to the use of the scrap wood spacers the structure is solid enough without this.
 
It is good to see the hull slowly taking shape!
Next is to prepare the rest of the half Frame Patterns, same way as before.

The whole Frames are adjusted and glued on now.
The keel is still only dry fitted to the construction as I have to cut the rabbet before glueing. To make the keel fit, I chiseled off the spacers between the Frames as again the lasercut was not very accurate. Anyway, due to the use of the scrap wood spacers the structure is solid enough without this.
 
It is good to see the hull slowly taking shape!
Next is to prepare the rest of the half Frame Patterns, same way as before.

The whole Frames are adjusted and glued on now.
The keel is still only dry fitted to the construction as I have to cut the rabbet before glueing. To make the keel fit, I chiseled off the spacers between the Frames as again the lasercut was not very accurate. Anyway, due to the use of the scrap wood spacers the structure is solid enough without this.
 
It is good to see the hull slowly taking shape!
Next is to prepare the rest of the half Frame Patterns, same way as before.

The whole Frames are adjusted and glued on now.
The keel is still only dry fitted to the construction as I have to cut the rabbet before glueing. To make the keel fit, I chiseled off the spacers between the Frames as again the lasercut was not very accurate. Anyway, due to the use of the scrap wood spacers the structure is solid enough without this.
 
It is good to see the hull slowly taking shape!
Next is to prepare the rest of the half Frame Patterns, same way as before.

The whole Frames are adjusted and glued on now.
The keel is still only dry fitted to the construction as I have to cut the rabbet before glueing. To make the keel fit, I chiseled off the spacers between the Frames as again the lasercut was not very accurate. Anyway, due to the use of the scrap wood spacers the structure is solid enough without this.
 
It is good to see the hull slowly taking shape!
Next is to prepare the rest of the half Frame Patterns, same way as before.

Most of the whole Frames are sanded and prepared.
I started to errect and glue them to the building board. To receive a nice and strait construction I'am using a very thin string line running down the Center of the building jig with a plumb line fixed temporalily to the Center of each keel Slot in the Frames when glueing.
To have more rigidity in the structure I'am adding some scrap pieces between the Frames.

Thanks Pavel, the building method is different to a POB kit indeed but I enjoy it very much to build a ship this way.
 
In order to center and align the Frames later on in the building board I made myself a "adjustable" jig with keel and keelson. I find it easier to sand the frames to lenght and make sure the keel fit in properly instead doing it with the drawings only.

The whole Frames are adjusted and glued on now.
The keel is still only dry fitted to the construction as I have to cut the rabbet before glueing. To make the keel fit, I chiseled off the spacers between the Frames as again the lasercut was not very accurate. Anyway, due to the use of the scrap wood spacers the structure is solid enough without this.
 
It is good to see the hull slowly taking shape!
Next is to prepare the rest of the half Frame Patterns, same way as before.

Everyone likes pics, so here's another one

Today I am fitting the wooden hoops either side of the woolding on the foremast. I am using iron-on wood veneer edging that I got from a hardware shop. I peeled off the heat sensitive glue layer and cut it into thin strips then soaked them in hot water to soften the wood. I used PVA glue and held them in place with cellophane tape until the glue dried

Hi Ken,
 
I would appreciate some photos greatly.  I had a look at some of yours from MSW1.0 but they are a bit small, but it looks like your BS is shaped exactly like the plans and fit in the space properly so more photos would be helpful. Cheers
 
Hi Edward, I just had a look at some more of the plan sheets and it appears that the top of the stem is flush with the rail which means the best way I think would be to chop off the top of the stem as close to the rail as possible as per the photo below and fix any damage that may (will!!) occur.
 
Hi Steve, was busy replying above and decided Option 2 would be the best way after all when your reply came in   LOL
 
Cheers
Slog

Thanks a lot for all the help and advice; I greatly appreciate it!! I have read a lot of the articles that are up and have found them invaluble. They are the only reason I sound vaguely like I know what I'm talking about;). I hadn't put two and two together with the copper plating covering the hull, so thanks Edward, that really helps. I filled the crack with sawdust and glue and sanded it straight so it now looks a bit better and the copper plates should go over it nicely. Thanks Brian for the tip about varnishing first when filling in gaps later. It's obviously not serious with this gap as I'll be covering it, but the glue did leave the surrounding wood a bit darker, as you predicted. On Slog's advice I did double and tripple check that bulkhead 6 is actually bulkhead 6. I was also a bit suprised that the fit was that far off on a Caldercraft model, but apparently it happens coz that bulkhead is definitely in the right place. Thanks for the advice about checking that both sides line up, I'm not sure that I would have thought of that on my own. I sanded it down, and now it all fits:). Yes I had already glued the sternpost in place. My instructions said nothing about sanding down the stern and directed me to glue the sternpost on right away. It does make sense, however, and I see on Dan's Bounty log that he did it as well, so thanks so much Jason for pointing that out! I managed to unstick my sternpost with the blade of a craft knife, so it wasn't too late to do as you suggested:).
My next challenge is bevelling the bulkheads and plank termination patterns. I've started one side of the bow already. So far it seems to be going well, but this step is promising to keep me busy for a while:)

Slow progress with the internal planking I am afraid. It is very fiddly planking under the weather deck and around the cannon. It feels like I am doing ship in a bottle type activity - though this is more bottle in a ship.
 
I have used the mahogany strip left over from the outer deck planking which is not ideal since it tends to split very easily. I also decided to plank the bulkhead extensions that are now on view. They were shewing up as chunks of light coloured plywood amongst the cannon. These non prototypical pieces do not glare at me now they are covered in mahogany. The downside is that cladding them increases their size.
 
The next photo shews the before (above the red line) and after planking. The mahogany used had some very dark grain in it which unfortunately make some of the joints look as though they are gaping.
 

 
Viewed from the outside a gap can be seen between the inner and outer planking around the gun ports. So the next job will be to line the ports.
 

 
In parallel I have been producing a quarter deck rail using the pillars supplied in the kit for the now redundant rails on the old waist layout. The picture shews the partially complete rail resting in place. The rail will stand on 3mm cubes of walnut to raise it to its final height.
 
I haven't quite got the curvature of it right yet. The parts of the rail that point forward are alongside the steps down from the quarter deck on the real ship which won't exist on my model.
 
You may notice in this photo the one bulkhead had only been partially clad at that stage.
 

 
 
 
 
 
   

Bill, the royal ships were not just warships but also floating palaces used as symbols of power and for propaganda. The red was a royal color and at the time where she was built, bright colors were used by the powerful and the aesthetics was in the style of north german renaissance. I think its beautyful.
 
Phil, Im not sure about your model, but the local hobbyshop had a really old Vasa model and I think it was a BB. It was from before they knew how she looked. You couldnt tell it was Vasa, but more a generic model of the ships from that time. It was about 50 cm. I cant tell if thats the same as yours, but if it is I would have made it a generic ship.
 
Last week Ive been working on some sculptues. It took time to get them to get a good fit, thank good its plastic, as it allows for easy shaping. I have also made the knights cloaks and swords out of thin styrene sheet.
 
Now its time to start with the emperors.
 
 
/Matti

Hi Mick,
although the only Musical Instrument I know is the Radio in my work shop I would say this Thing just looks great, very well done mate!

I received my lantern kit from Chuck Passaro the other day so I spent most of today building it, very fiddly work but the end result is very good, Really well designed Chuck! The first pic is the lantern supplied with the partwork that I replaced.

Next progress, finishing patina and the sides.

Thanks for all the compliments guys. Cheers.
I've been working onthe foremast today. I have sanded a curvature into the battens on the top because I've seen photos of contemporary models that are like that and it looks better I reckon. For the mast head hoops I used car pinstriping that I cut down to width.
 
Steve