Glenn-UK

Thanks

Thanks Chris I worked out it would not be a problem if I did damage them when looking how the build progresses but figured it better to try to keep them in tack.

GUN DECK ASSEMBLY VERTICAL GUN PORT FRAME ASSEMBLY ADDING BOW AND STERN FILLER PATTERNS BUILD MANUAL STEPS 66 – 86 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Craft knife Flory sanding stick 120 & 400-grit sandpaper Titebond original glue Old paint brush Brass pins, clamps and weights Ginour cordless rotary multi-tool Side cutters Gathering the materials required The following kit parts are required for this section of the build: Gun Deck: 47, 48 Gun Port Frames GP1 – GP11 (2 pairs per gun port) Hull filler patterns: 19 – 23 (2 off each piece) Assembly Process – Gun Deck The horizontal top edges of the stern counter frames required a some sanding so they were followed the curvature of the bulkheads. Once I had inserted them I did not wish to risk damaging them but trying to remove them as they were a very tight fit. Otherwise I would have undertaken the initial shaping before the parts were fitted. That said using a combination of sandpaper and thin and thick sanding sticks I was able to complete the sanding process in situ. I was extremely careful to ensure I did not break anything. The gun deck is supplied in 2 halves with the outside edges locating and locking into the slots at the bottom of the bulkheads. I did a trial dry fit of each deck half in turn to make sure I was happy with the overall fit and to mark the position of some of the support frames ready for pinning. I brushed some glue on the gun deck support frames and inserted the two gun deck parts. Brass pins, clamps and weights were used along the centre section as necessary. The hull assembly was then left to allow time for the glue to full cure. I also test fitted some of the parts that locate in slots on the lower deck to check the alignment, as can be seen in the photos below. Assembly Process – Gun Port Frames There are 11 off gun ports frame pairs to be fitted per side, with each gun port frame pair comprising two identical parts. Gun port 1 is the port nearest the bow and gun port 11 is nearest the stern. Before the gun port frames are added to the hull I removed the safety gates on the longitudinal gun port strips (3 off per side) using my trusty side cutters. I struggled to fit the starboard side gun port frames as there were a very tight fit and very fragile I was reluctant to apply too much force for fear of breaking them. I found the answer was to remove the laser char from the top and bottom edges of the two slots in each gun port. With a small out of glue applied to the sanded slots the port side gun port frames were added without any issues and did not take too much time or effort to complete. Assembly Process – Filler Patterns There are 5 filler pieces per side, 2 for the stern and 3 for the bow. The stern filler patterns dry fitted to the hull assembly and lines drawn to indicate the chamfer required. The appropriate chamfer was then applied to each of the stern filler patterns, using a combination of the rotary tool and sanding stick. Once I was happy with the shaping the parts were glued in place. The process was then repeated for the bow filler patterns Sorry about the quality of this photo Tomorrow will be a day of sanding of the inner fames in readiness for adding the inner bulwarks. I think this will take me quite a bit of time as I need to be careful to ensure I do not break anything and will only be able to using sanding sticks and sandpaper.

Vanguard Models sell them @BobG

The step process works for me, a side effect of 40 years working as a system designer and project manager for major computer related engineering projects for the Armed Services, Oil & Gas industry and Power Generation.

The build sequence is excellent, I have a nice looking and very solid hull after a few short hours work. I know my posting will not be quite so regular as the build progresses when the finer details starts to get added. Gun Deck and gun port frames is tomorrows plan of action. Rigged by Sunday.

LOWER DECK COAMINGS ASSEMBLY BUILD MANUAL STEPS 48 - 53 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Craft knife Flory sanding stick 120 and 400-grit sandpaper Titebond original glue Old paint brush Clamps Gathering the materials required The following kit parts are required for this section of the build: 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321 322, 323, 324 Assembly Process There are 4 off coaming assemblies required for the lower deck. Each coaming comprises three parts, a top frame, a bottom frame and a grating. After each frame pair was removed a small amount of pva was applied to the bottom edge of the top frame and it was then placed on top of the bottom frame. Once they were correctly aligned clamps were added and the assemblies were put to one side to allow time for the glue to cure. I applied some glue to the inner edges of the coamings and then added the gratings. Once the glue had started to cure the laser char was removed from the all the outer edges and from the inner edges of the two coaming apertures which were not fitted with gratings. BUILD TIP The first two coamings have slots for items to be seated through holes on the lower deck. To ensure the coamings were correctly aligned the items were dry fitted. A very small amount of pva was applied to the bottom edge of these two coamings and they were then placed on the lower deck. All excess pva glue was immediately removed using a wetted paint brush. The remaining two coamings were then glued in place using the same method details above.

Hello @BobG I use both methods depending on what I am gluing. I find painting diluted glue works when there are slots involved as the diluted glue fills up all the gaps and when cured seems strong enough.

LONGITUDINAL GUN PORTS FRAMES GUN DECK SUPPORT BEAMS STERN COUNTER FRAME ASSEMBLY BUILD MANUAL STEPS 41 – 71 WITH EXCEPTION OF STEPS 48-53 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Craft knife Flory sanding stick Titebond original glue Old paint brush Clamps Gathering the materials required The following kit parts are required for this section of the build: 1d, (x2), 2a (x2), 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a (x2), 7a (x2), 8a (x2), 9a (x2), 10a, 14 (x2), 15(x2), 25 (x2), 26 (x2), 27 (X2), 28 (x2), 35 (x2), 36 (x2), 41, 47, 48 I took care with removing these items, making top and bottom cuts on the securing tabs with my craft knife and removing any excess tab material using a sanding stick as each part was removed. I decided it would be beneficial to dry fit the parts except for the stern frame assembly (due to bulkhead 13’s infill piece). I found it necessary to very lightly sand the posts of gun deck frame 10a and 9a to ensure they could be fully seated. PLEASE NOTE: The steps 48 -53 which cover the assembly and fitting of the 4 off lower deck coamings will be covered in a separate post. On reflection it may have been better to fit them before the gun deck support fames were added. Assembly Process – Longitudinal gun port frames I started with the bottom frames and took my time to ensure they were fully engaged in the slots on the bulkheads. Once I was happy the frames were fully inserted at each bulkhead position a diluted pva solution was brushed into all the joints. I then repeated this process for the top frames. I did end up using a couple of clamps to ensure the strips remained fully seated as the glue cured. I also brushed some glue on to the surface of the 2 two gun deck support patterns and pushed them on to the face of bulkhead 1. Assembly Process – Gun Deck support beams Next the various gun deck support beams were added. With the support beams correctly positioned the inner and outer longitudinal deck beams were added. I started with the two inner beams. I brushed some glue into the slots and took my time to ensure they pushed down fully into all bulkhead beam slots. The process was then repeated for the two outer beams. I did add a couple of weights to ensure the beams remained fully seated as the glue cured. Assembly Process – Stern Counter Frame and gun deck assembly Removing the infill part of bulkhead 13 was relatively straightforward. I carefully cut through the tabs (on both sides) and I was then able to gently remove the infill, using my round nose pliers with a light bit a very gentle twisting back and forth. The various stern counter frames were then slotted into place, starting with the two inners, then the two middle and then finally the two outer stern counter fames. There were all a very tight fit and each piece required a gentle sanding before they could be inserted without undo force. With all 6 frames in place the stern frame spacer beam was positioned in the slots that run along the top of all of the stern counter frames. With the space beam fully seated in all 6 slots diluted pva glue was brushed into all the joints. The two filler patterns were then glued to the outside edge of the outer stern counter frames and once I was happy with the position they were clamped. My HMS Sphinx is starting to take shape.

Nice work.

I have added you build link to my build log index on my build log. Looking forward to watching your build progress.

BULKHEADS AND LOWER DECK ASSEMBLY BUILD MANUAL STEPS 27-40 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Craft knife Flory sanding stick Titebond original glue Old paint brush Clamps Gathering the materials required The first task was to identify and remove the bulkheads (1-1, 2, 2-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12) from the MDF sheets and then using a standing stick the excess tab material was removed from each part. It was not necessary to remove the laser char for the edges at this stage. Assembly Process – Bulkheads 1-1 to 11 The bulkheads were then slotted in turn to the keel. They are not glued during this phase of the build process. I have shown all the bulkheads in the picture below. Assembly Process – Lower Deck & Orlop Deck Next the Orlop Deck Section (39) was removed from the sheet and added to the keel after the excess tab material was sanded smooth. It is not glued in place for the time being. The Lower Deck section (40) was removed from the sheet and added to the keel after the excess tab material was sanded smooth. It is not glued in place for the time being. Assembly Process – Adding the glue to Bulkheads 1-1 to 11 and decks The dry fitted keel assembly was then positioned upside down, using a couple of tin cans to keep the bulkhead ears safe. Using a paint brush a diluted pva solution was applied to the various joints between the deck, bulkheads. I used some clamps to ensure the Orlop deck was held in the correct position. I also used some clamps at each end of the lower deck to ensure it made a firm contact with the bulkheads. I waited for 4 hours before moving on to the next task, which was plenty of time for the glue to start to cure. Assembly Process – Bulkheads 1, 12 & 13/13-1 The keel was turned the right way up (after 4 hours) so the three remaining bulkhead assemblies (1, 12 & 13) could be fitted and glued in place, once again brushing a diluted pva solution in the various joints. The completed assembly will now be left overnight to allow time for all the glue to fully cure.

BOW BULKHEAD ASSEMBLY BUILD MANUAL STEPS 18-25 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Craft knife Flory sanding stick 120 and 400- grit sandpaper Titebond original glue Old paint brush Amati’s special cleaner sanding block, reference B7140 Ginour cordless rotary multi-tool Clamps Gathering the materials required The following kit parts are required for this section of the build: 0, 1, 1a (x2), 1b (x2), 1c (x2), 18 (x2) I made a cut on either side of the securing tabs when removing each part from the MDF sheet to minimise the excess tab material. As each part was removed a sanding stick was used to remove the remanets of the tab material. It was necessary to remove the laser char for the edges as this assembly will be shaped later in this build section. Assembly Of First Bulkhead Pattern Pair Bulkhead 1 was slotted to the keel but not glued in place. A thin coating of glue was applied to the contact edges of the 2 x 1a bow bulkhead patterns and they added to bulkhead 1. Clamps were used to ensure they were held in the correct position as the glue cured ensuring bulkhead 1 is held at 90 degrees to the keel. Great care was taken to ensure no glue spilled in the bulkhead / keel joints. Assembly Of Remaining Bulkhead Pattern Pairs The remaining bow bulkhead patterns were then glued in place on bulkhead 1 (2 x 1b, 2 x 1c and 2 x 18) once again I made sure that no glue spilled in the bulkhead / keel joints. As an added precaution I removed this bulkhead assembly from the keel as the cure started to cure. Shaping Of Bow Bulkhead 1 Assembly Once the glue had fully cured I started the shaping process using the rotary tool. I then used a mixture of sanding sticks, sandpaper and the sanding block to complete the task. The bulkhead may require more sanding during the hull fairing process later in the build.

Thanks @BobG It is a bit difficult to explain, but here goes. If you look at the photo below. I drew a line from the top of part 24 where it aligned with the outer edge of part 13f to the bottom where it made contact with bulkhead 13-1. I then marked the patterns 13a to 13f which extended past the outside edge of bulkhead 13-1. With the patterns 13a to 13f I simply drew a pencil line on the bottom edge of each pattern which was the same shape as the top edge of the pattern below it. When I started shaping I removed all the pattern material which extended past the outside edge of the bulkheads. I then worked on shaping the area around part 24 and then worked upward. I took my time and kept checking the shaping at very regular intervals. Hope that helps

I probably spend more time writing the build log and taking photos than on the actual build🤣

Thanks Chris

STERN BULKHEAD 13 & 13-1 ASSEMBLY BUILD MANUAL STEPS 6-16 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Pencil Craft knife Clamps Flory sanding stick 120 & 400- grit sandpaper Titebond original glue Old paint brush Amati’s special cleaner sanding block, reference B7140 Ginour cordless rotary multi-tool Gathering the materials required The following kit parts are required for this section of the build: 0, 13, 13-1 13a (x2), 13b (x2), 13c (x2), 13d (x2), 13e (x2), 24 (x2) I made a cut on either side of the securing tabs when removing each part from the MDF sheet to minimise the excess tab material. As each part was removed a sanding stick was used to remove the remnants of the tab material. Build Tip-1 In order to ensure the bulkheads are correctly seated I find it beneficial to mark the bottom of the slots, both the keel and on each bulkhead. When the bulkheads are correctly seated pencil marks will be aligned. Build Tip-2 I placed both bulkheads 13 and 13-1 in their respective slots on the keel and so I could mark the outer edge of bulkhead 13-1 on bulkhead 13. This provides a good guide to the where the glue needs to be applied when the two bulkheads are glued together later in this task. Adding the bulkhead patterns Bulkhead 13-1 was then removed from the keel so the two sets of the bulkhead patterns (13a-13f) could be glued in position. Bulkhead 13-1 was then put to one side to allow time for the glue to cure. Assembly Of Bulkhead 13 and 13-1 A liberal coating of glue was brushed to the lower section of bulkhead 13 (in the marked area) then bulkhead 13-1 was slotted back to the keel. It is important to note that the bulkhead 13 & 13-1 assembly is not glued to the keel during this process as it needs to be removed for shaping once the glue has fully cured. I added some clamps and removed the assembly from the keel as the glue started to cure as an added precaution. Adding The stern planking patterns With the 13-1 bulkhead assembly back on the keel the two stern planking patterns were glued in place and as the glue started to cure I once again removed the assembly from the keel. Shaping Of Stern Bulkhead 13 & 13-1 Assembly Once the glue had fully cured (overnight), as per the build manual instructions, tape was added to the top section of bulkhead 13 for protection of the infill part. I made some pencil marks to indicate the material to be removed. I started the sanding and shaping process using my Ginour cordless rotary multi-tool, as my dremel had stopped working and was beyond repair. I then used a mixture of sanding sticks, sandpaper and the sanding block to complete the process. I am sure more sanding will be required once the hull is ready to be faired prior to the first planking.

I'm about a week behind you🤣 Looks amazing

She sure is a nice shape, and I will be fairing these assemblies a little bit at a time.

This is an "unofficial" build log post, so is not linked to my build log index and is not in the format I'm planning to use for each completed task post. I have had a good day in the shipyard. I am ready to start the off boat fairing of bulkhead 13 assy (stern) and bulkhead 1 (bow) assy. Before I make a start I have drawn some pencil lines to get an idea of how much material needs to be removed. There is quite a lot of material to remove so I will summon up the courage overnight and make a start in the morning. Close up of bulkhead 13 assy showing fairing pencil lines Keel with dry fitted bulkheads Keel with dry fitted bulkheads with tape protecting the infill

MDF BUILD CRADLE ASSEMBLY BUILD MANUAL STEPS 1-5 LINK TO MY BUILD LOG INDEX Tools Used Craft knife Flory sanding stick and 400- grit sandpaper Titebond original glue Old paint brush and small water pot Gathering the Materials Required The following kit parts are required for this section of the build: 31, 32, 33 (x2), 34 (x4) (all located on the 3mm MDF 2 sheet) Photograph of my work area, ready to start work on HMS Sphinx Close up photograph of the tools and material for this task. The sheet of paper in the top right of the picture is a printout of my prebuild notes for this task. I made a cut on either side of the securing tabs when removing each part from the MDF sheet to minimise the excess tab material left of the cradle parts. As each part was removed a sanding stick was used to remove the remnants of the tab material. This is a photograph of the cradle parts ready for assembly. Assembly Phase When I started to assembly the cradle I found it necessary to remove the laser char from the tab ends of parts 33 and 34 to enable them to fit into the locating slots. Photograph of the tab ends after sanding. After the laser char had been removed from the tab ends the cradle frame was assembled without any problems and locked in place using the 4 off frame securing pegs. I brushed some diluted glue into all the joints and put the completed cradle assembly to one side to allow the glue time to cure. Photograph of the completed cradle assembly

KIT DELIVERED The pre ordered HMS Sphinx kit has now arrived and I am now really looking forward to starting the build. The prototype kit built by James Hatch looks amazing and is the build standard I would like to aspire to. I downloaded on-line build manual earlier this month in eager anticipation of receiving the kit and I spent many hours getting familiar with the build processes and, where necessary, adding to my tool and paint collection. I plan to take my time with this build (which will be a first for me!). I have started a build log, which will show how I have implemented the information contained in the building manual (rev 1) and the 23 off plan sheets. I will also share any tips, problems, etc. which may help others with their build. The kit was well packaged and protected There was a little bit of transit damage to the box, but the kit was so well packed and protected there were no problems with the kit once the box was opened. An example of the protection A very nice touch, a HMS Sphinx coaster The pear wood fitting (an optional extra) The manual looks very good The plan sheets are very well presented More layers of protection LINK TO MY BUILD LOG

Looks like I'm going nowhere on Tuesday. 😀

Great news

Fingers crossed you get a big delivery of printed material today😀