Glenn-UK

Bow Work Completed

Returned to the workshop this morning after a couple of days aways looking after our 3 year old granddaughter as her parents become proud parents to a baby boy (our 5th grandkid).

I have managed to complete adding the various rails, ekeing, knees, ledges, seats of comfort and timberheads around the bow area.

The cathead knee

As the next photo shows there is some touching up required.

I remembered to add the polybak decorative pattern, as can be seen in the next photo, to the stem post.

Seats of comfort

Bow Work Continues

 Today has been a day of painting the various bow patterns. The various patterns were first coated with a thin layer of varnish before the painting commenced. It was then a case of adding the various colours to the different patterns.

Rails

I did use a black edging pen for the thin line black infill.

Ekeing

I decided to paint the  infill area black.

Gammoning Knee rails and decorative patterns

The edging pen was used for the black infill's.

Please note that I did managed to make a repair to the inner bow ledge which has split into 3 separate pieces. The two remaining parts can be sorted when the inner bow ledge is ready to be installed on to the gammoning knee.

Start Of Bow Work

I think this will take a few days to complete as these are quite a few bits to paint and fit. As you will see later on in this post I have suffered a bit of a set back.

Catheads

Once these had been painted they were glued in place. As can be seen in the attached two photos I made a better job of painting the left-hand side decorative front pattern.

I will be able to touch up the one below a little bit.

Gammoning Knee / Bow V Frame / Bow Rails

As per the build manual instructions I added the decorative patterns to the Bow V frames attached to the gammoning knee.

According the build manual instructions one of the bow rail patterns is then fed through the gap between the v-fames and decorative patterns. The manual does indicate that it might be necessary to file an angle in the openings in order for the pattern to be fed through.

After a bit of filing I was concerned that I might break the bow rail pattern as I was struggling to feed it through the openings. I was also aware that once in place it might be necessary to trim the pattern to suit my build. Therefore I decided to remove the decorative patterns so that the bow rail pattern could be trimmed. Thankfully the patterns were easy to remove, without damage. As shown in the next photo I have been able to trim the right hand side bow rail pattern.

Bow Rails and Ekeing Patterns

The other bow rails (left and right) are made up of three parts each, which were glued to together. The kit has an inner and outer ekeing pattern (left and right). As far as I can tell, by looking at the various prototype build log photo's, the two inner ekeing patterns (part no. 214, blue arrows in the next photo) are not required. The bow rails and ekeing patterns are ready to be painted.

Cathead Knees

This was an interesting build project. The kit is supplied with two jigs (left and right) to make the cathead knees. Each knee will comprise 5 patterns which need to be bent, using the jig, before they are glued together. The patterns were soaked in hot water for around 30 mins and then placed in their respective jig(s).

Once the parts had been left overnight to fully dry out they were released from the jig(s) and glued together. They will require a little bit of tiding up before painting and fitting.

Bow Ledge Inner

With the gammon knee assembly (dry fitted) in place I did a trial fit of the Bow Ledges. Although the inner bow ledge seemed to be a reasonable fit around the bow it was not perfect as there was no room on the v frame pattern, as indicated by the two blue arrows, for the outer bow ledge pattern.

I made a replicate inner bow ledge pattern using some stiff cardboard and, after making a few minor adjustments, I was happy with the overall fit. I then transferred the markings from the template to the bow ledge pattern and started to make the required adjustments. All was going to plan. The slight adjustment to the front (bow) had been made. I now needed to make a minor adjustment to the back edge to complete the task.

As I started to work on the rear edge of the bow ledge pattern disaster struck as the pattern suddenly split into 3 separate pieces, as shown below. I am hopeful that I can still install the bow ledge pattern.

Amazing work, you are a truly inspiration to us less worthy modelers.

In todays build log post I have detailed the method I used to assembly the ship's steps and the channels.

Indy's Steps Assembly

There are 10 steps required per side and each step comprises two 0.6mm pear wood pieces which have be assembled at right angles to each other. As these are quite small and fiddly pieces I decided to make a simple jig to assist me with the assembly process. I glued two small lengths of scrap planking material to a wooden base, as indicated by the blue arrow in the photo below. A second length of planking material (yellow arrow) is not glued and will be used as brace.

Once the laser char had been removed wood glue is added to the lower part of the back section before it is positioned in the jig, as shown below.

The other step part is then slowly pushed into position using the brace and is adjusted left / right as necessary. Once the parts are properly aligned pressure is applied to the brace for a few seconds. The brace can then be removed so the step can be gently eased out and left to cure.

It was a fairly quick process to produce the first 10 steps.

Channel Assembly

There are 5 channel assemblies required per side and each channel comprises three wooden parts, one is the central section and the other two are slightly smaller and to be glued either side of the central piece. It is essential that these parts are correctly aligned so the various iron work parts can be added, such as the strops and eyebolts.

A layer of wood glue is applied to one side of the central channel section and using some old broken micro drill bits, located in the holes the first two parts are aligned.

Glue was then quickly applied to the other side of the central section and the remaining part was positioned, once again using the drill bits as a guide.

It was then a case of adding clamps to the assembly.

Once the glue had been given time to cure, the clamps were removed. The locating pins (were added (but not glued at this stage) so a test fit of the channels could be made.

Chesstrees and Side Fenders

There is one chesstree and two side fenders to be fitted each side of the hull. The kit supplied parts required various notches cutting so the parts would fit over the rails. I took my time and regularly checked the fitting as I was creating the required notches. Once I was happy with the fit the parts were painted, noting the black and yellow hull colour bands. The parts were then glued in place. As recommended in the build manual I used a scrap length of 4mmW planking to set the distance between the two side fenders.

The hull does require a bit of cleaning to remove the unwanted debris.

Stern Decorations

The various stern decorations patterns were painted yellow ochre and then affixed in place. I did not encounter any problems with fitting the PolyBak decorations. I did have wet and reposition the nameplate transfer as I noticed that it was slightly off centre. Overall the stern does not look too bad but Captain Pellow needs to get a crew member to clean the cabin windows.

The two rear fitting lanterns will be added later on in the build

Looking very nice

Quarter Galleries and Stern Work

I have now completed the work on adding the window frames and decorations to the quarter galleries and stern area. I opted for the closed window option for the stern windows.

I really liked the kit supplied black card roof shingles which made fitting them so much easier than PE parts.

There are more some decorations to be added to the upper area of the stern and the ships name decal also needs to be added. I have added the depth marking decals to the stern and bow areas.

The two attached photo's amplifies the imperfections of my workmanship but I am happy with how it looks with the naked eye.

Rudder

Firstly I must apologise to Chris and Jim for not fitting the copper plates to my build and that my copper painted hull does not show off the lower half of my Indy build in the best light. I fully accept that this might distract from the wonderful design of the Indy which was not my intention. My models are not being built for display on completion, I just enjoy building them therefore I can accept some limitations with my model(s).

With that said I have assembled and fitted the rudder, and I did not account any problems with the assembly and fitting. I really liked the kit supplied 0.2mm black card for the rudder gudgeon and pintles which were so much easier to fit. I have added one photo showing the rudder in position, noting I still have to fit the depth marking decals.

Fitting Quarter Gallery Windows and Frames

This turned out to be an interesting task with regards to fitting the window panes. As can be seen in the first photo there is an opening for the window frame and pane. The window frame will sit with the recessed area and the window pane fills the open space.

The window frame was dry fitted to make sure it would fit within the recess. At this stage the window pane has not been installed.

I could not find an easy method to fit the window panes in the opening so I opted to fit them to the back of the window frame, using very small amounts of glue to hold them in place.

The window frame & pane assembly was then glued in place.

I just have to repeat the process as I fit the stern and right-hand side gallery window frames and panes.

19 minutes ago, JeffT said:

Looks good, I like it.

Many thanks, it was not my original plan but I am happy with the end result

Copper Plating The Hull (below the waterline)

This kit is supplied with 50m of copper tape and this needs to be cut in to approximately 2400 plates, each plate 18mm L.

As noted in a previous post I bought a great tool that enabled me to cut the required plates accurately and efficiently. I thought it would be a simple task to fit the copper plates as they are self-adhesive backed.

I started by fitting plates on the bottom of the keel. One plate long edge was aligned with the centre line which allows the other plates long edge to be folded over on to the hull. When I looked Jim’s build log photos this appears to be the same method he used on the prototype build. I also used cotton buds to help smooth the copper plates in place.

I found it very difficult to get the plates to line up as I wanted, and I did try several different methods and many plates were ripped off as I was not happy with how they looked. I found my progress was extremely slow and much slower than when I was fitting copper plates with super glue to both my Caldercraft’s HMS Victory and Vanguard Models Speedy models.

I did consider if I should switch to fitting actual copper plates. I noted that Cornwall Model Boats has a nice selection of suitable copper plates in stock, but as they are quite expensive, I ended up rejecting this as an option.

I then decided to experiment with applying a metallic copper paint. I bought a can of Plasti-Kote Brilliant Metallic Spray Paint – Copper. After taping the hull above the water line the hull was coating with a WOP. I then sprayed the hull with a light grey primer. I then filled and sanded the hull and then resprayed with the light grey primer. After a couple of these fill, sand and paint interations the hull was looking much smoother. I then applied a couple of coats of the copper paint. I was not looking for a perfect smooth finish and was happy to retain some some imperfections for the Indy.

I have taken a couple of pictures once I started to apply the copper paint.

I have now removed the masking tape and I am pleased with the end result. I have not been able to take any decent pictures due to the low lighting levels and reflections on the copper painted surface(s). The following are the best of a bad bunch.

I have been striving to improve my skill set and techniques with each model and I’m generally pleased with my progress in that respect. I only tend to only look at the rigging and the decks on my completed models. Therefore, as much as I would like to add the copper tiles for historical accuracy and for improving my modelling skill set I am more than happy with a simple copper painted hull below the waterline. My models, once built, are not prominently displayed in our house so the only real critics of my models of the readers of my build log(s).

17 minutes ago, Theodosius said:

your surface painting came out very even, great result! 🙂

 

Many thanks

Copper Plate Production

The kit is supplied with a 50m length of copper tape. It is estimated that between 2200 and 2400 copper plates, 18mmL will be required. Based on a quick time and motion study I am able to cut between 6 to 8 plates per min. Therefore it will take me approx. 6 hours to cut the required number of plates. I have been debating if I should bite the bullet and just get all the plates cut over the next couple of days or to alternate between cutting plates and adding them to the hull.

The cutter tool (£85) I bought has proven to be a very wise investment. I set the end stop to 18mm and then positioned the tape in place, as shown in the photo below.

The copper tape was then cut with very little effort and produced a nice looking copper plate.

After about 30 mins of cutting I had a nice collection of copper plates, with a very consistent size profile.

The copper tape supplied is 50mL so I should have the capacity to cut 2750 copper plates, which means I should have more than 350 spare copper plates. This is good news as I am having to use a little bit of quality control as can be seen in the next photo, where there are some sections where the copper tape manufacturing process is not so good.

I am still cutting the tape from the affected sections in to plates, but they are being placed in a separate container and they will only be used if absolutely necessary.

27 minutes ago, James H said:

Now you just have to make a few thousand plates!

Oh Joy!🤣

I guess it will not be too bad once I get going.

New Tool Alert

The cutter for the copper tape arrived this afternoon. It looks nice and study. I plan to start creating the copper tiles from the kit supplied tape on Monday, as our youngest grandson (2 1/2 years old) is coming to stay for the weekend so I doubt there will be any time for me to sneak off to the shipyard.

Carronades and Cannons

I completed the build of the carronades ad cannons. As reported in my last post I had to remake the cannon carriages as I forgot to fit the actual cannons. Thankfully this was accomplished without any problems. It took quite a bit of time to add the ironwork to the carronades.

I have added a collection of photos with the carronades and cannon in place (dry fitted only). I still have to add the eyebolts to the bulwarks.

Forecastle Area

The catheads are only dry fitted, as I wanted to check the openings were still Ok after the hull painting phase. The gunwales will be painted black after the timberheads are fitted.

Quarterdeck Area

Touch-Up Painting

I have spent a bit more time reworking the paint work in various areas. The bow area is now looking much better.

New Tool

The next build task is to add the coppering to the hull below the water line. Approximately 2200-2400 copper tiles are required. I am going to follows Jim's method and will use the RP Toolz Mitre Cutter RP-CUTR to cut the copper tape in to 18mmL tiles. The cutter is due to be delivered in the next day or two.

Cannons & Carronades

I decided to use my free time to build the remaining 2 cannons and 14 carronades. Starting with the cannons the basic cannon carriages were assembled and iron work chemically blackened. The laser char was also removed from the wheels.

When a test fit, with the cannon in place, was made on the deck I soon realised I had made an error. Unlike the cannons on the gundeck, where the cannons are added after the carriages have been built, these cannons need to be slotted in place as the carriage is assembled. This can be seen in the photo below, as indicated by the blue arrows. It will be an easy task to release the parts, using warm water.

Once the carriages have been reworked so the cannons can be added the iron work will be added. I also need to cut and chemically blacken two lengths of copper bars. You will also note I have not painted the gunwales black. I decided I would do this after the timberheads have been fitted.

The 14 carronades frame assemblies were build and painted the red. The iron work was chemically blackened.

This looks good with a test fit on the deck. I now need to cut 14 lengths of copper bar, approx 15mm long and chemically blacken. The iron work parts also need to be fitted.

Hull Painting - Stern & Right-Hand Side

Work continued with the painting of the hull. The stern area was the next area I painted. Always when taking photo's they seem to show areas which requires touching up which are missed when looking with the naked eye, such as the underside of the left-hand arch in the first photo.

The next set of photo's shows the right-hand side.

Bow Area - I thought this looked OK but the photo shows there is more work required.

In the next photo I think the bottom yellow line needs a slight readjustment under the right hand gun port 

Midships

Stern Area

Side On Photos

Hull Painting - Left Hand Side

The painting of the hull (left hand side) continues at a slow pace. The black painting was added after the yellow central section taped. I did not end with perfect clean cut lines once the tape was removed but it now looks much better after some rework. The gunport openings were then retouched with red paint.

I don't think I can get it too much better unless I strip back and start again. I will now be moving on to painting the stern area and after that the right-hand side of the hull.

Midship Photos

Bow Area Photos

28 minutes ago, aydingocer said:

Thanks a lot once again Glenn. So if I see correct you have tied them directly on the bowsprit itself, not to the blocks.

I added 4 blocks to the end of the bowsprit. All the other rigging was looped with a hitch type knot.

The first photo shows the 4 blocks and other rigging at the end of the bowsprit

The next two photos shows the block rigging. The top block was used for the red arrow (stay). The left and right blocks (yellow arrow) were for the braces. The bottom block (green arrow) took the rigging line that sets the position of the yard along the bowsprit. Hope that helps

10 minutes ago, aydingocer said:

Thanks a lot Glenn, that answers my first question, i.e.  it is a 0.25mm natural thread . In sheet 18 it says 650mm but now I see I had read it 65mm and installed too short thread, which confused me.  

How about my 2nd question about tying the "G" to the block on the tip of the bowsprit? According to the bowsprit plan I did not make any loop to the edge of the block for tying any thread. I wonder if I should just loop the "G" thread around the block. See pictures 1, 3 and 4 above.

I have taken some pictures of what I did, hope they help. I think they were looped with a half hitch (or maybe a clove hitch)

Hello

You need to look at plan sheet 18 (Mizzen and Bowsprit) as these show the rigging threads for the spritsail yard braces. 

Hope this helps

Glenn(UK)

Hull Painting Continues

The left hand side of the hull has had another fill, sand and paint process and is looking much smoother but there is still a little bit more work required as can be noted from the attached photo's.

Bow Area

With reference to my last post it could be seen that the bow area required more work, especially on the wales near the hawse bolster area. I mixed some filler with water and Titebond to get a smooth paste. In the photo below I have brushed some of the filler mix around the bow area.

Once the filler had been given time to harden the area was sanded, using a mix of sandpaper and sanding sticks (120 to 600 grit). The next photo was taken partway through the sanding process.

Once the bow area looked smooth another coat of yellow ochre was applied. For the most part this area is now looking smooth but still requires a little bit more work. For example there is an area at the top of the lower hawse bolster which need a bit more filling and sanding.

Midships

This area did not require a great deal of filler and once I had sanded it and then added a new coat of paint it is now looking smooth. I think it will require one more fill and sand as there is still a bit with the upper section of the upper wale (below the 4 holes) which needs to be sorted.

Quarter Gallery

I am reasonably happy with this section. There is one area which will need filling and sanding before the black paint is added, which is quite evident from the attached photo. I also need to remove the unwanted debris from the upper rail.

Stern Area

This is the section which requires the most work to get a nice smooth finish. I am slowly getting there but I think it will require a couple more sessions of filling and sanding before I can move on.

Start of Painting The Hull

Yesterday I was able to return to the boat yard after returning home from a short holiday. The next task to undertake is to paint the hull. This is not a task that can be rushed and will take a few days to complete. I have to allow time for the wood filler to set before it can be sanded smooth. I then, after a new coat of paint has been added, I have to allow time for the paint to dry before it can be inspected and new filler applied to any remaining defects.

Task 1 - Tape the hull. This took quite a bit of time. Foam padding was added to the gun ports. Once the hull painting is complete I will have to touch up the gun gun ports.

Task 2 - Add a coat of WOP to the areas to be painted and allow it to fully dry overnight.

Task 3 - Apply a coat of yellow ochre to the area to be painted. As explained by Jim in the build manual the lighter colour helps to show the defects.

Task 4 - Inspect the painted hull and applied wood filler as required.

Task 5 - After sanding the wood filler take a few photo's

Task 6 - After the dust removal apply a second coat of yellow ochre paint.

Task 7 - Take some more photo's

Stern Area Photo

As can be seen there is much more filling and sanding required around the stern area. I think this area will take the most effort to get the desired smooth finish and will no doubt end being a real labour of love.

Midship Photo's

The midships area does not look too bad, but it still requires a little bit more work to get the required smooth finish. Please note the paint is still wet the photos below.

Bow Photos

Still a bit more work required to get the bow area looking smooth, especially on the wales. As you will also note the hull rail workmanship above the hawse area is not my best work.

Waterline

The top edge of the lower blue tape is set along the waterline. Once I am happy with the how the hull looks, and before the black paint is applied I will remove the tape. Time to go for a run.

I always fully insert, the internal framework is designed for this.