rybakov

Well, what can I say. I'm only away for a few weeks because of work and already my tinkering room doesn't want to let me back in ...

"What does THIS strange man want here?!" was one of the nicer questions I had to listen to ...

After some persuasion à la "man cave whisperer", I was allowed to do something in there after all. In the meantime, I had revised my lists of blocks for the Victory again. I had noticed that McKay had left out some quite some blocks in the AOTS and that there were also some errors among them. I had therefore plowed through the entire Steel of 1795 and worked through the various entries, compared them and selected the most plausible variant, possibly adding variants. All in all, there were significantly more blocks added, both the standard blocks and the special types. But more on that later.

The last thing I did was to replace the square shoulder blocks, which are used on the ship today and which McKay also shows, with contemporary round ones. The main yard continues to serve as a model playing field. Here is a reminder of the last status.





Next came 3 x 2.5 mm blocks on each side for the belly and nock gordings.



Check on the tweezers whether the paint application is complete and either brush on the tweezers immediately ...



... or after the block has been pinned. Place a strop around the fixed block as described before ...



... and checked the length in place. Since the block hangs in front of the yard, the legs must of course be different lengths.



The pointed tweezers with clamping function do a good job here, first one side ...



... and neatly trimmed, and the other and you're done 🙂



Here is a comparison of the simplified version with a simple knot on the top of the yardarm and the more correct solution with a lashing.

Since the lashing is tricky to thread, a classic needle helps.



And this is how it should look 🙂



With this technique, I'm now just as fast for the small blocks as I am for the large ones 🙂

XXXDAn  

Cheers Guys, I will do a set of completion photos before I encase her, but the wooden framed glass case is  very heavy compared to my previous  acrylic covers, not very convenient for multiple  off and ons, and all the associated risks involved.
 
@ Bug - A lot of the deck fittings are removeable including the rope coils, so these are taken off when cleaning.
I simply start at the top;  firstly cleaning the rigging lines, then the masts and yards, using a soft paintbrush.
For the dust on the decks I pick it up with a soft brush and suck the dust with a hand held vacuum (Dyson) I finish off the outside of the hull.
 
Considering she has been uncased for many years she comes up pretty well, takes around 3hours + to do it.

2007a
Here she is stripped down for cleaning, built at a time before the availability and quality of fittings we have today she still remains one of my favourites.
 
Regards,
 
B.E.
 

Post One Hundred and Sixty-six
My version of Indy is effectively completed now and with some serious moving about of models within my workroom/office, I have found room to house Indy in the prominent position she deserves, and without encroaching on other areas of the house.
4223
She has displaced Norske Love which now has a new position vacated by Alert which also has a new location.

e2008a
Had I completed the masting on Indy it would be in the order of that of Norske Love which is of a slightly smaller scale of 1:70.

e2012a
Norske Love has received a well overdue clean, having endured all the dust created during the construction of ‘Indy’.

4022
Not quite ready for the glass cover to be on yet, but at least the issue of ‘where are you going to put that’ is now resolved.
As a bonus the lower profile of Indy compared to Norske love will allow me to re-arrange the wall Pictures and perhaps get one of Indy.
 
I have decided to have a further dabble with the boats, and have started assembly of the 26’ Launch, pity not to make them up as they are provided with the kit.
 
B.E.
06/04/2024
 

Hello,
the carpenters finished the great cabin for the captain. It took some time, because the oil has to dry, some days of because of eastern and the good weather we had. But now it is raining again, so we are busy at the yard.




Here the carpenters have the first bulwark allready finished in the raw.

Post One Hundred and Sixty-five
Thank you, Allan, the kit didn’t include any standards to support the transom, but I note that Alex M has included five in his drawings of the Anson following conversion to a Razee. He also includes an extended central standard to support an Ensign staff tabernacle.
 
I did think about following his example but decided that the double arrangement looked more aesthetically pleasing to my eye.
I think the inclusion of such an item is a reasonable assumption to make, and the set up on the Indy kit almost begged the inclusion of the arrangement as I have modelled it.

4206

4207
4217

4211

4212
4205
 
Onwards,
 
B.E.
04/04/2024
 

Post One Hundred and Sixty-four.
 
Countdown to completion – still counting
I am still fretting about the inclusion of fittings for an Ensign staff.
 
The kit doesn’t include the fittings and few contemporary models show them.
I don’t have any specific evidence for the type used on ‘Indy’, but she would certainly have had them.
I lean towards a more substantial set-up than a simple block and cap-square fixed to the tafferal, given her origin as a Sixty-four.

2154

2155
This is the set-up on Victory and the double knee fixing between the flag lockers would transfer well to the Indy.
A block sits atop the standards, recessed for the staff and is fitted with a cap-square.
A corresponding fitting (the step) to take the heel of the staff sits between the standards on the deck.
 
Nothing to be lost by having a play around and using bits of Boxwood, I cobbled together an Ensign support for ‘Indy’.

4183
Fairly straightforward, two standards and a top cut out on the scroll saw, the trickiest part cutting the mortises to fit over the standard tops.

4184
A simple jig aids the assembly.

4204
The completed item, the Cap-square made from a piece of brass fret will be blackened before fitting.

4190

4197

4199
Steel conveniently gives the sizes of Ensign staffs by rate.
For a Sixty-four = 38’ x 6¼” ø @ scale 181mm x 2.5mm ø
         50 gun     = 36’ x 6” ø    @ scale 171.5mm x 2.4mm ø
         44 gun     = 35’ x 5⅝” ø  @ scale 166.7mm x 2.2mm ø

4195

4196
There is very little difference at scale, I used 3mm dowel for the staff and will adjust the length to suit my eye.
The staff will require a degree of taper and the fitting of a truck.
 
A satisfying days’ work - I’m inclined to keep it. ☺️
 
B.E.
02/04/2024

The bow structure is finally finished. Some details are missing, which I will do later
 

I finally fixed the bow structure:
 










 

Post One Hundred and Sixty-three.
 
Countdown to completion - the final stages. 
This is the stage where I attend to all those little outstanding things, look through all the laser sheets and ask myself what the hell is that for, should I have fitted it?
 
It is surprising how long it takes to rig the stanchion and Hammock crane lines.

4164

4162

4163

4166
I use Syren 0.45mm ø natural line. I seem to recall from somewhere that tarred line was dispensed with as it tended to mark the hammocks.

4165

4167
I decided to fit the Fo’csle with stanchions; I think they may well have been fitted, and it balances well with the rest of the model. 
I used additional eyebolts to secure the ends of the lines.
 
I had modified the gunport lanyards for the lower ports to a double arrangement on the Port side, but the starboard side remained to be done.

4152

4168
Even tho’ it is a bit of a pain to do, I couldn’t leave odd sides.
 
Boomkins.
These less than attractive booms used to spread the Fore tack invariably cause me trouble. In my build they didn’t easily meet the angle of the cap square that secures them as they cross the Main Rail of the head, and the line was also inhibited by the position of the seats of ease which required a little adjustment.

4159

4160

4174
I also added the capsquares, represented by black card strips.
 
B.E.
01/04/2024

Continuation: Equipment of the fore topgallant yard – Vergue de petit perroquet
As announced a long time ago, I started to equip the fore topgallant yard. In principle it is the same rigging elements and accessories as the main topgallant yard, just with reduced dimensions.
In this respect, I don't want to repeat myself and let the pictures speak for themselves.



The double blocks for the royal sheets and the single cluelines are also a little smaller.
Here is a direct comparison of a quarter block for the main top gallant yard with those of the fore top gallant yard. Unfortunately, at this size you can already see some irregularities.

In the next photo I show, among other things: an already made strop for a double block with my scale man, which I've been neglecting a bit lately. Actually a loyal companion at the model building yard for more than 10 years now.


And here's another picture of the stirrups. On the one hand you can see the unraveled rope and on the other hand the finished braided plating.

 The sheets are connected to the cluelines in the usual way when no sails were attached.

 Finally, here is a picture of the entire fore topgallant yard, but still without lifts.
 
Sequel follows …

Post One Hundred and Sixty-two.
 
Woolding the masts
The kit indicates use of 0.5mmø line throughout.
According to Steel the wooldings for the Fore and Mainmasts are of 3” circ line, and that for the Mizen 2½” circ. 
This equates to 0.37mm and 0.31mm scale diameters.
 
I used 0.3mm and 0.4mm cotton line from Modellbau Takelgarn in Germany.
 
Wooldings are generally 12” deep which scales to 4.76mm.
The method of applying as shown on the kit plans is the recognised approach to take, and will be familiar to readers of R.C. Anderson’s wordy but excellent book The Rigging of Ships in the days of the Spritsail Topmast 1600-1720
 
I wouldn’t be without it.

4132

4133
The line was dyed using Colron Jacobean Dark Oak wood dye which gives a less black effect than commercial black rigging line.
 
The final touch is adding the wooden hoops that contain the woolding.

4140
These are simply made using very thin strips cut from a Manilla folder.

4137

4138

4148
Nearly there! and with great timing the  the display case arrived yesterday.
 
B.E.
 
28/03/2024.
 

Thank you Jason,  enjoy your Pinnace, it's a great little kit.
 
Post One Hundred and Sixty-one.
 
Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part four)
At this point I couldn’t resist the urge to see how the Pinnace would look onboard ‘Indy’.

4108

4112
Temporarily placed in the suggested position on the skid beams.

4113

4117
The kit provides a set of oars in laser cut Pear.
These benefit from a little fettlin’ beyond char removal.
The blades should be thinned down toward the outer end, and the shank rounded a little at the bottom third leaving the upper two thirds square to represent the loom.

4121

4123

4127

4128

4106

4109
I think a spot of woolding is up next.
 
B.E.
26/03/2024
 

Post One Hundred and Sixty. 
 
Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part Three) 
Getting the correct thwart levels and height is a critical part of assembly.
It is important to get the thwarts all square across the boat.

4038
When fitting the thwarts it is advisable not to exert even light pressure on the centres of the thwarts, particularly those with the mast holes in them. 
 
The final tricky part is fitting the gunwales.
These delicate parts are pre-cut and include the thole pin fittings.
4041
I decided to fit the gunwales as provided, complete with thole pin fittings for eight double banked rowing stations.
 
I know all the arguments about Pinnaces being single banked to accord with historical custom and practice, and that boats of 32’ were 10 oared, and even that traditionally Pinnaces had a centre board running between the thwarts.
 
There are more than a few difficulties involved in making a diversion from the kit to reflect the above, and as with the smaller Pinnace on Sphinx, after long consideration I decided that leaving well alone was the best course.

4044
No matter, it is a very fine boat to display with Indy.
Chris has put a lot of thought into the design of these boats, and the fine detail is the best around at this scale.

4055
The wale is next fitted and does require a degree of edge bending to conform to the line as it rounds the bow.

4048

4045
The lower hull has been painted in Ivory to provide a contrast with the ‘bright’ timbers up to the wale.
 
Painting these small boats requires careful masking but the tyranny of the macro w-i-p photos required several goes to improve the lines to a point I found acceptable.

4103
Vallejo blue/grey is used to decorate the top strake and transom, and w-o-p is applied to the bare wood.

4104
The rudder is fitted with the modified quick release arrangement common on these boats.

4097
Making these small boats provides hours of fun and frustration in equal measure. They are absorbing little projects that I enjoy doing despite the frustrations at times.
 
Just the finishing touches to add now.
 
B.E.
25/03/2024
 

Hello, and many thanks for all the likes
because the vegetation here is 4 weeks in advance of normal years, my garden now needed much of my time. But today it rained and so I'm back at the shipyard.
 
The carpenters set in the deck beams and started with the paneling of the walls.



 

some steps forward:
everything is still only provisionally resting, I haven't fixed anything yet
 







 
 

Post One Hundred and Fifty- nine.
 
Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part Two)
Freed from its building frame and the centres removed the process of fitting out can begin.
 
I have always been amazed that twisting away the mdf centres leaves the hull intact with little trace of their removal….
But not this time; - the planking partly disassembled, requiring careful re-fitting and use of diluted pva on the inside to stabilise the hull.
How this will impact on the build remains to be seen, but it may be necessary to paint the inner bulwarks.

4008
I made a Styrene foam cradle to support the hull whilst attempting to clean up the inside.
I used a combination of micro chisels, pen sander, and sheets to remove the glue adhesions and rough surfaces.
This is quite a fraught operation and needed careful handling.
 
I take notice of where areas will be covered by the footwaling, fore deck, benches and thwarts, and make pragmatic decisions how far to take the cleaning up in these areas, against risk of further damage.

4007
I wasn’t too keen on the set-up at the stern, so I installed a stern post.
I dislike the brass etched rudder facings, supplied with these kits, convenient as they may be. The wooden rudder core was faced with 0.6mm pear and then sanded down to shape.
 
The hanging arrangement will be modified to reflect the true set-up.

4020
Unlike my previous experience of Vanguard boats the Pinnace has Pearwood gratings and footwaling which I like. More convenient and natural looking than the brass etched versions which require painting and sticking with ca.
 
At this stage there are a few additions one can make to the boats to add realism.
Lifting ringbolts to the footwaling, and mast steps as shown in the above photo.

4016
I divert from the kit when it comes to fitting the thwart supports, I leave them extended to the stern to support the sternsheet benches.

4017
The benches are provided as a unit including the aftermost thwart.
 

4025
I prefer to cut this away, modify the benches and add the thwart as a separate item.
I have added a panel below the aft seat which will double up as a compartment.
 
When it comes to the cox’n seat there is a slight issue; a grating is provided, but it sits far too high to be a practical  platform for the Cox’n ‘s feet.

4032
It is prevented going lower by a ledge forming part of the keel set-up. Careful paring away of this incumbrance allows the grating to sit at a more realistic level.
A minor point maybe but the detail devil in me wouldn’t let it go.

4037
The bow platform comes as a pre-cut item which wasn’t a good fit on my build no doubt because of my failings. Fortunately, there is plenty of fret to re-make these items.

4028
Still very much w-i-p and a lot yet to do.
 
 
B.E.
21/03/2024

 

Well, the 6th grade CYO basketball season has drawn to a close and our team succeeded beyond my wildest dreams:  we went 13-1, and captured the Manhattan division title.  Our second and final loss came in a division matchup with the Bronx winners.  We played a gritty first half, and kept it close, but made mistakes in the second half.  We were simply overmatched.  Nonetheless, it was a wonderful and extremely rewarding season.  The Knicks, on the other hand, continue to surprise, so my attentions remain somewhat divided.
 
That being said, I am lately looking to focus more on model building.  I’ve completed all of the fore, main and mizzen channel deadeye strops.  Although Andre Kudin’s particular method is definitely more efficient with less clean-up - he solders the lower strop loop at a neatly cut joint - I stuck with the R.C. Anderson overlap method I had been using because the strops were coming out uniformly, nicely shaped, and strong.  I will change my approach for the deadeye strops in the tops.

Next in order to be made are the chain preventer plates.  One of the key differences between what I had first tried, when making the chain preventer plates, and what Andre does is that Andre bends each plate from an individual length of wire, rather than try to economize on material by wrapping a longer length of wire, many turns, around an appropriately sized former.
 
When you do the latter, for one thing - you may succeed in crimping the continuous loop neatly around the former, but it is nigh impossible, after parting the links to get the links off the former without pulling them all out of shape.
 
The other issue with parting the links in this way is that you end up with one neat flush end and a pinched end, which leads to a weaker solder joint.
 
What I am after are uniformly straight chain links, free of odd kinks, and sloppy joints.  To that end I set up a simple bending jig like the one I see in Andre’s videos.  Following is a series of screen captures from his YouTube videos.  This particular video is either #13 or #16, in the series, if I remember correctly:






And following along, I first pre-bend short lengths of wire around a drill mandrel:

I’ve placed a shallow spacer beneath the link area, so that the ends will be slightly raised and easier to crimp with my parallel pliers:

I crimp snug around the upper pin, then use my pliers to pull each end snugly around the lower pin.  I then crimp around the lower pin:

I can then remove the link, and flush-cut each side of the link.  A little tweezer/finger manipulation creates a nicely closed link:

Silver solder paste has proven to be really great as I can control its application with the tip of an Exacto.  A touch to the iron, and I have nicely soldered joints that only require a little cleanup:

Now, Andre puts the soldered loops back over the two-pin jig and uses his round-nose pliers to crimp eyes at each end.  I found, though, that the joints with this 28 gauge wire simply failed when I tried this:

Alternatively, I found that I could place each link end over the lower pin, hold the outer end with a tweezer, and use my round nose plier to crimp around the single pin.  This worked beautifully:

Now, It’s a simple matter of doing that over and again about 60X.
 
It is, of course tedious, but satisfying to achieve the result I am after.
 
More to follow!
 
Best,
 
Marc

Hello,
today the carpenters finished the screen bulkhead  

Post One Hundred and Fifty- eight.
 
Building the 32’ Pinnace (Part One)
This is the one boat example that I may include on the skids of my Indy.
I think the Pinnace is the nicest looking boat type and my go to for display on a ship.
 
I have built an example of every boat type in the Vanguard range, and my detailed logs are elsewhere on MSW, most recently on my Sphinx log.
 
My approach in building the Pinnace will be as previously recorded, so I’ll include less detail with this log. 
There are a few areas of approach to building these bijou boats that may be of use to others.
 
Setting up the frames.
These are delicate parts and I like to protect the framing, and I add support pieces to protect the bow and stern.

3981
These slotted strips protect the very delicate stem by avoiding the risk of flex when fitting the first strakes.

3979
At the stern the transom is secured square.

3982
This is a weak part and support boards are added to reduce any risk of flex during fairing or attaching the planking strakes.
 
The planking strips are nominally 2mm x 0.8mm and as I found with the Sphinx Pinnace, they have very little excess in length to accommodate edge bending which applies very near the bow end.

3984
Both lateral and edge bending and also a degree of taper is required to maintain the flow of planking. These features were applied once the first plank had been installed.

3988
The first four planks fit into the stem rabbet, followed by the addition of the Garboard plank. For the Garboard I used a wider 3mm strip.

3993
Planking continues to completion.
The final spiled plank that sits below the round of the hull is traced onto Tamiya tape and cut out of the 0.8mm Pear fret.

3998

3999
Three days’ work and the planking is completed, albeit still in a rough state.
This will be cleaned up before moving onto the next stage.
 
B.E.
16/03/2024

Hello, and thank you for your comments and likes
today the carpenters repaired there mistakes from yesterday and finished the back side of the bulwark. Then they also build the doors. The shipwright is this time pleased and spend a beer. 😊



 

I continue with the structures of the head:
 









 
 
 

Hello, and many thak for your likes
we where busy here with the aft bulwark. That is the plan

and here the (third!) raw bulwark

Today we finished the outside of the bulwark

When I saw this picture, I think there is some work left for tommorow. Some of the plinths have to go.

Post One Hundred and Fifty- seven
 
Mast Making.
Starting with the Mainmast:-
For the reduced height masts I firstly need to work out the relative positions of the wooldings, iron bands, and the point where the side cheeks and front fish terminate.

3967
I replaced the Pear laser cut cheeks and fish with Boxwood versions to better match the Ramin masts.
 
The iron bands need to be fitted before the cheeks are put into place. With a 12mm ø mast my go to use of heat shrink tubing will not work, so it’s back to thin strips of black card.
 
Once the cheeks are fitted the remaining iron bands need to be applied, they sit beneath the Front fish. I work the bands so that the join will also be beneath the Fish.

3970
The Fish is then fitted

3972

3973

3974

3976

3977
The saddle for the Driver Boom was also replaced with a Boxwood version.

3978

3971
The woolding remains to be done, but I am out of the correct line sizes.
 
B.E.
12/03/2024
 

Post One Hundred and Fifty- six
 
Bits and pieces 
From this point on the comforting crutch of the glossy manual has ended.
There are many small fittings to add and in this session I will mainly be referring to Plans 5 and 9.
 
Working from in to out there is brass wire(0.8mmø) to be inserted thro the faces of the skid beams across the waist (plan5)- shown as belay pins on (Plan 9).

3955
The arrangement seems to have been taken from that of the Victory where one rigging source indicates that the triple aft three relate to the belay of the Staysail sheets and those on the second from forward beam for the Main Topmast Stunsail downhauls.
 
Fortunately for me this has no practical application.

3946
The inner guide rope stanchions (PE59) are fitted along the waist gangboards followed by a wooden rail (2X1mm Pear) atop the inner hammock crane arms, the fit into the brass etched crutches is perfect.
 
I have diverted from the plan by adding iron stanchions between the timberheads around the Fo’csle.

3953
Not provided in the kit I used spare items from the Sphinx kit- a slightly shorter stanchion.
It seemed reasonable to me that given the low height of the rails, stanchions would have been fitted.
 
The kit provides etched versions of the belay pins, they are a mere 8mm in length, and barely 0.8mm in width, but still have a visible shape, and I think they look quite good at the scale.

3947

3956
Blackened to give them some tooth and painted a bare wood colour I added a few to the pin rails for effect.

3949
There are quite a few eyebolts to add along the channels together with the iron work for the Main studding booms.
 
I dare say I will find other little additions as I continue to re-check the plans but for now I am moving onto dressing the stump masts.
 
B.E.
10/03/2024