Glenn-UK

She a very nice looking build and now looks ready for the deck fittings. You must be very pleased with the build so far, and I look forward to watching your continued progress. Keep up the good work.

I've been rigging 21 fire buckets, 6 failed the quality test as they didn't hang at same height as the other fire buckets. I think they have been the first few before I refined the rigging process. I will redo them redo them tomorrow morning but first I will go out first thing for my weekly treat of a full cooked English Breakfast.

Stunning set of photos showing the amazing build you have completed.

I refer to you build log all the time as I continue to plough my way through my HMS Victory build.

Thank you for sharing.

Nice steady progress as always, and you will soon move on to the next phase. I'm currently working on fixing 21 fire buckets to my build and its going easier and better than I first expected and should be completed by the weekend.

Your bow area work looks first rate. It's amazing how long what seems to be a simple task can take. I spent two hours working tonight and not a lot to show for my endeavours.

When looking at ways to rig, the lines are coated with wax (Normally beeswax) to enable the builder to shape the rigging, for example around a dead eye so the line stays in place prior to stropping.

I bought a block of beeswax and have run the rigging lines several times (up to 50 times through the block) through the wax but seem unable to get the same level of shaping. I have tried warming the wax before I run the thread through it.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Was able to spend a bit more time in the shipyard today and completed the rigging of the first three quarterdeck cannons. Coils were made separately, as per my previous post and with careful placement looks OK.

Hello David

I agree not much deck work left, but plenty of hull work left to complete.

I will try not to damage the pointy thing

Poop ladder assembly has now been completed. I have dry fitted in place to show the effect.

Once the rigging of the quarterdeck cannons is complete will I glue the poop deck ladder assemblies in place.

The breach rope rigging of the quarterdeck cannon has now been completed and I'm now working on the other cannon rigging.

Managed to damage the main compainionway ladder assembly (again) whilst fiiting the breach rope eyelets.

With the first rigging assembly I did include an integral rope coil, but I think I will simply add preformed coils as this seems to be much easier to manufacture and the coils can be positioned to look like part of the actual  rigging without distracting from the build.

I used a simple method to make the rope coils, based on advise provided by Jerry and Shipyard Sid, and with reference to Gil's rope coild method.

I coated the thread with a dulute PVA solution and then wrapped it around a plastic tube, using weights to keep the lines straight. After waiting for approx 5 minutes I removed the coil from the tube and put to one side to dry. Drying time should be 24 to 48 hours whilst I continue with making the rigging block assemblies.

I  made a little jig so I can preset the width between the rigging blocks before final installation.

Both you and Shipyard Sid both like to rework the pointy thing, fingers crossed you will keep it in tact this time around.

Good to see you still have a full compliment of fingers. The rail does does look good. Have a great weekend.

Good morning ship mates, brief status update.

Poop ladder assembly progressing very well, one complete, the second one just requires the wooden rail adding.

I was pondering (again) the lower two brass profiles fitted to quater galleries and stern. Initially I was working with a mitred joint, but had a concern with ensuring everything would line up. I then thought I might be able to make one piece with 90 degree bends. Following some discussion and advice provided by Jerry (Thanks again Jerry) I moved back toward fitting three pieces with 90 degree bends on the quater gallery sections. I think this is the way I will go, the pictures below show the trial fitting.

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Good morning David

You certainly have a think against the point thing, but you are a master repairer, so I'm sure it will all be OK.

The build is looking very good, great work as always.

Looking good Jerry, there are always some parts of the build which become a chore, as you will no doubt be aware from your Victory Build.

But the end results does justify the time and effort taken to complete each task.

More work on the quarter galleries tonight. Starboard side completed. Port side only requires the lower two brass profiles to be fitted and black inserts between windows. Will be glad when this task is complete.

When fitting the quarter gallery profiles I did fit the stern brass profiles (held with tape) to try to get them correctly positioned. The joints has been mitred in readiness and I have plenty of filler available to hide any bad joints.

Work also progressing well on the two poop deck ladder assemblies. Ladders have been assemblied. assemblied. Steps and planking fitted to the ladder platform.

Hello Peter

The gratings look fine. I too had trouble with bleeding with the paint.

I'm using tamiya masking tape (from CMB). I was advised to press the tape edge to the hull to get a really tight fit, I found using a finger nail does the trick, and then when the paint is dry to remove the tape toward the painted edge. I have tended to fix my hull bleed problems by fitting small sections of tape to the affected areas a bit at a time.

I too have been pondering the dummy gun fixings. I think I'm inclined making a guide out of balsa through which I can pass the micro drill. I'm a few weeks / months away before I have to give it some serious thought however.

Hi Jerry

I know I'm hard on myself, but I also know I can do so much better.

I always have been and always will be a bish bash bosh builder.

There are two sets of ladder sides in the kit, as I found out last week, speaking with JoTika.

Using my special ladder jig, the first poop ladder has already been assembled.

The second ladder will be glued tonight

I've been thinking about the build, and if I were to start over again I would certainly tackle some of the construction tasks in a different order, the quarter galleries build being once such item.

I'm not overly impressed with what I have achieved so far with the quarter galleries but to the untrained eye it may look passable.

These two picture demonstrate what I mean. The first one shows the application of wood filler to fill a gap, the second shows the finished result. Having looked at the after photo, a bit more touch up required on the painting front.

I expect to complete the work on the quarter galleries by the end of the week, all being well as I only have to finish fitting the brass profiles.

I'm also working on the poop / quarterdeck ladder assemblies and will hope to complete also be the end of the week.

All moving along very nicely indeed. You seem to have it all under control. I wish I could say the same thing. I've nearly completed the quarter galleries, probably have stern and quarter galleries completed by next weekend.

Hello David,

Looks look a bad accident, thankfully your finish ship didn't seem to show the scars of battle. In the book I'm reading it does state the internal wood fittings below the waterline were rotting due to the time it took to build these great ships and the lack of using any preventative measure to guard water; there was no methods available except for tarring and copper plating

Thanks Jerry

I have already noted that there is plenty of time required for rework, repairs, etc. Working on Quarter galleries now.

Finally completed the Stern Fascia panel. It turned out to be quite a tricky task, and I'm not totally happy with end result (the capping and outer yellow surround could be much better) but its not too bad. I did remove and refit the outer yellow surround to try to get a better fit, without too much luck.

You can't tell from the picture but the stern crest did split in two and it took some work to make good.

As can seen from the pictures I will need to touch up some of the black paint. Picture quality not great. I have shown two almost identical pictures, I added the second on as it shows the light reflecting back off one of the stern windows.

Great job Jerry, and you seemed to have made fabulous progress.

I completed the stern fascia panel tonight, and will be posting some pictures over the weekend. Poop ladder assembly and quarter galleries next.

Hello Mort

Thanks for that, it does look a very good book!. I'm currently reading Roy Adkins book Trafalgar: A Biography of a Battle which tells the story using eye witness accounts. It is difficult to comprehend just how bad conditions must have been during such a close force battle with the noise, destruction and loss of life. One account told of dead gun crews been thrown out of a gun ports to keep the gun deck clear.

I've started reading a book about the Battle of Trafalgar. I did find it quite amusing that from the sighting of the French & Spanish Combined fleet leaving the harbour it took over 4 hours for Nelson's ships to close the relatively short distance before they could engage in battle due to the light winds; the comment in the book was the ships were moving slower than a swimmer in the water.

It was also very interesting to read how many of the fittings & animals were throw overboard prior to the battle, when they were clearing the decks ready for action.

I finally fitted the stern panel to the hull tonight, even with the clamps its made a big difference to the hull. Slight bit of touch up required on the painting front.

Also I have prepared the stern galleries and their fittings ready for the next stage, even though there is still a bit more work to complete on stern panel before I can move on.

Can't offer advice on staining but it looks very good so a good sanding and varnish would be a good way to go.