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The Gimps Chimp

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About The Gimps Chimp

  • Birthday 01/22/1960

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    Male
  • Location
    Bristol, UK

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  1. How about mixing a new colour from those you have? When I did mine I went with a dark blue/green. I think I should have gone a little lighter though. Chimp
  2. Build is looking good. Looking forward to following your progress Chimp
  3. Hi Stauf, This is a difficult one to answer as everyone will have a different opinion. All models will differ from the actual ship they portray to some degree. Looking at the model from a distance I would say it's a reasonable representation of the real ship. The closer you get and the more detail you study it becomes clear there are inaccuracies. Some of these will be down to cost and some will be down to practicalities of modelling. One of the first items you come across in the build are the brass etched doors, which look okay but some people choose to make them more accurately from wood. The deck parts again are generally okay but maybe don't have the precision of detail. As already mentioned, the rigging of the cannons is massively oversimplified. Again these issues can be rectified during the build if you wish. I think the most inaccurate area are the masts and rigging which have again been over simplified. To be honest I can see why that is. Looking at the AOTS the rigging is very complex and I for one wouldn't have been able to finish the build if it was accurately modelled. In the AOTS there are many chains used whereas in the kit rope is used for everything. Here is a good example from my build: I'm not sure giving the accuracy of the model a percentage is meaningful but if pushed I would give it 90% to 95%. You also need to think about the marketing aspects of the supplier. I would say these kits are not at the high end of quality and are intended mainly for people to make and have an impressive model to display. If you want high accuracy you can spend the time and improve the 'Out of the box' product, or maybe even scratch build. I for one, used the kit as a learning experience and was happy that many aspects had been simplified, otherwise I would never have finished it. Having completed my build I was motivated to improve the quality of my workmanship on my next build. Had it been unfinished I wouldn't have considered tackling another ship. Chimp
  4. Hi JFMJr, Not sure I fully understand your question when you say the brass wire is a poor fit. I presume you are referring to the 1.5mm brass pin (H5) which acts as a hinge pin for the rudder to rotate. When I fitted mine I crimped the metal band a little so the wire was a close fit. I also added a drop of CA to ensure it remained in place and didn't drop out. I'm struggling to see why/how it could be a poor fit. I guess you could make these pins from wood but I think that would be much harder and I can't see why or how they would be a better fit. If you are referring to fixing the metal band to the rudder then this is done using the metal pins (A). Chimp
  5. Good to see you decided to start a build log. Looking at what you've done so far you shouldn't have too many problems with completing this build. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice and support from everyone here. Regarding the nails, I don't think you'll need them from here. Looking forward to the rest of the build Chimp
  6. Hi Capella, Looking back at my build it looks like the keel was recessed at the bow but was then level (or even slightly proud) along the bottom. See photos: To be honest, I don't think it really matters as long as the keel is firmly attached to the false keel and the second planking is fitted up to it. The important issue is that the hull is smooth along it's length. So where I said about extending the first planking or using filler where it steps (where you circled), this needs to be smooth. You could build up the shorter planks with wood or filler, just a single piece of scrap wood is required: Or you could smooth down the longer planks to match the shorter ones. It doesn't really matter which way you choose Remember, the first planking is just a base for the second planking. It doesn't need to look nice but it's shape and profile is important. Chimp
  7. Hi Capella, when I fitted my keel I can remember it was recessed into the planking at the bow. Looking at where you've circled the photo above you may need to extend the first planking a little (or use filler). Chimp
  8. Have started the HMS Beagle a couple weeks ago. I ran across your build log. Will be very helpful!

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. The Gimps Chimp

      The Gimps Chimp

      Hi JFMJr, I used a polyurethane matt varnish from Vallejo:

      image.png.cca165f10cc3bd328515fd6b52dc4e0c.png

      Your build is looking first class.  I would encourage you to start a build log, it's not too late.  And you'll find it very useful in getting advice and feedback on your build.

       

      Chimp

    3. JFMJr

      JFMJr

      Thanks for the wood sealer info.  I will attempt to set up the build log.. Can use all the advice I can get!  Really appreciate your help...Are you going to put sails on yours? I notice some do and some don't.

      Again, Thanks

    4. The Gimps Chimp

      The Gimps Chimp

      Unfortunately the sails supplied in the kit are a poor quality so I don't want to fit them.  It's a lot of work and I think it looks better without them.

  9. Hi Capella, It's great to see you back working on the Beagle. Your photos in your last post look very similar to my build. At this point I was worried that it didn't look very good and was concerned as to how well the second planking would sit and how it would look. As it turned out I had nothing to worry about, once it's filled and sanded it's all good. Just be careful when sanding you don't go too far and sand through to the inside . Patrick B has some useful advice above and I too had the intention of doing the second planking 'properly' However, I ended up not following any advice and just did my own thing and it ended up looking okay. This is a link to that stage in my build log: Have a look at posts #55 and #61 My intension is that on my next build (HMS Granado) I'll do the second planking 'properly' and follow the technique detailed in this document: plankingprojectbeginners.pdf Looking forward to seeing your build progress Chimp
  10. Hi Tom, I'm sure that cradle will serve you well for this and future builds. I would love to take credit for the design of the cradle but have to admit I got the idea from the late Hubert Sicard and his website "Wooden Ship Modelling for Dummies". Chimp
  11. Here are some notes and thoughts about my build and the OcCre Beagle kit. After I had finished my previous kit HMS Ballahoo (Caldercraft), which was my first ship build, I started looking around at what to build next. To some extent I was overwhelmed by the choice available on the market. It therefore needed to be narrowed down to something which was within my capabilities. Despite feeling very confident after completing Ballahoo I was conscious that I didn't want to make too big a leap forward and over-stretch myself. Therefore, I restricted myself to looking within a certain price range, which was still toward the lower end (max £150/$185). I considered many kits but eventually settled on the Beagle for a number of reasons. First of all HMS Beagle was a very historically significant ship and this would be a good way of finding out more about her. OcCre appeared to offer good value for money as a supplier and there were also good resources to help the build, OcCre's 130 videos of the entire build plus the AOTS book. After ordering and receiving the kit I checked the parts and discovered the flags were missing. I contacted OcCre about this and they immediately dispatched the missing parts without any issue. This would indicate that their after-sales service is very good. Unfortunately, after I received the missing parts I found the original parts within the kit placed under other parts. The build has taken me nearly 3 years to complete so I'm not a fast builder, but as someone rightly commented "It's not a race". Generally, the quality of the kit is good/reasonable. Along the way I have had some issues with the kit, luckily nothing major. The main issue was the instructions on how to mount the fore channels, which supports the dead eyes for the fore mast. The instructions show the channels mounted the wrong way around (3 dead eyes followed by 2 as opposed to 2 followed by 3). Luckily this has been picked up in other build logs so I was alerted to it before I also made the mistake. It would be good if OcCre would amend their instructions or maybe just add an addendum note in the kit. The kit material quality and quantity were generally fine. Timber for first and second planking, I had enough to build two models. Other timber and some brass wire I would have run short of if I hadn't been very careful. My biggest gripe was the supplied thread for the rigging. In my opinion I would say it was hopeless and I refused to use it. The thread was 'hairy' and in my opinion would ruin the model. In a way this was a blessing for me as I then acquired a ropewalk and made my own rope using Gutermann thread, which was far superior. This will now carry forward onto future models. I've not been aware of others complaining about the supplied thread so it might be that I had a particularly bad batch or maybe OcCre have improved their supply. (or maybe I'm just too fussy). The instructions for the kit were frustrating at times as there are multiple A3 sheets covering different areas, part identification, hull assembly, mast assembly, and rigging. I don't have much space where I build my models and I always had problems finding the right page on the right set of instructions and ended up have to flick between different sheets time and time again. Then I would jump over to the video instructions on YouTube and check with the AOTS for the Beagle. There did seem to be much cross referencing between different parts of the instructions. By the time I had finished the build I knew where the different information was and it became a lot easier. I know it sounds like a minor point and a failing on my part but when you're struggling with a particular part of the build the last thing you want is to be sent on a wild goose chase to find a piece of information. I would say the scaling of some parts and accuracy of others (e.g. belaying pins, mast metalwork) may not be as accurately modelled as they could be but I guess this is a compromise for many reasons. In hindsight I don't think I should have chosen the Beagle as my second build mainly because there is a lot of rigging, being a three masted ship and this was something which could have been too overwhelming. Luckily my attitude of "As I had paid for it then I was going to build it" saw me through. I'm sure this amount of rigging wouldn't be a problem for others. Generally, I was happy with the kit and how the build progressed. Yes, the kit quality could have been better but it's very good value for money. I've used the build as a learning process to try and improve my skills and in some way, not having perfect parts has made me think about how things could be improved. The supplied thread/rope and my adventure into making my own rope is a good case in point. My final comment is about this build log. At first I was very apprehensive about writing a build log, thinking that my skills weren't good enough to showcase and it would be embarrassing to demonstrate my lack of skill. Clearly I had no need to worry as nobody is judgmental here and everyone is immensely supportive and encouraging, which is a great motivator. It's also good to get other peoples opinions which broadens your outlook and future approach to issues and can often trigger further research into subjects. I would fully encourage anyone starting out in this hobby to start a build log, you will find it so rewarding. I will definitely be writing a build log for my next build. And finally, to anyone who has bothered to read this far, many thanks for your help and support during the build and I hope to see you on the next one . Best regards Chimp
  12. Hi Cathead, It was good to have you along for the whole journey . Many thanks for your interest, 'likes', kind words and encouragement along the way. Hope to have you along on my next one . Chimp
  13. Hi SHJ, Many thanks for your comments. There are many things with which I'm not 100% at ease with on the model and think I could have done better, had I put in more effort. However, this has been a learning curve for me and I've gained an enormous amount of knowledge and experience (and pleasure) from the build. Given the quality of the kit, and my inexperience at this hobby, I understand why it's not up to the standard of many ships on this forum, but I'm fine with that. If nothing else it gives me something to aspire to. You're correct when you say you think the thickened sling section on the mast is too 'fat'. The OcCre instructions indicate using 1mm x 3mm lime wood for this. However, during my build I was running short of that for some reason and used 5mm x 2.3mm from what was surplus from the first planking. This was then cut in half, so 2.5mm x 2.3mm. This then made it way too 'fat' and I shaved it down to what I thought looked about right (to the instructions). Looking into it following your comment I realise maybe I should have taken it down further to maybe 0.5mm. The studding sail booms are made from supplied 3mm lime wood dowel. The rings are made from supplied 1mm diameter brass rod. Again, looking further into it you're correct in what you say and these might be oversize. I guess OcCre want to limit the variety of supplied material to keep the cost of their kits down. Regarding the placement of the studding sail booms it appears I didn't follow the instructions. They should be placed 45deg forward of the yard (although not very clear in the instructions). According to the instructions the stirrups for the foot ropes should descend 5.5mm from the yard. On my model I made them 8.5mm, not because I thought that was better but it just happened that way. Again looking further into it, it would appear to me from pictures I've found that 8.5mm x 65 (scale) = 0.552m (21.75 inches) maybe a little short?. I would be interested in what others think. With regards to the deadeyes, unfortunately on this kit the supplied deadeyes were plastic, so not that easy to colour. I believe OcCre now supply wooden deadeyes for this model. Looking into the points you've raised has encouraged me to do further research, albeit to late for this model, but will be useful for my next build . Once again thanks for your comments. Chimp
  14. Thanks very much for the 'Likes' and kind comments everyone. They are very much appreciated . I feel that now I've finished the Beagle I should sum up my experience of building the kit, which may be useful to others thinking of building this kit. I'll gather my thoughts and post something in the coming days. It's taken nearly two years for me to build so I guess I might have a lot to say! Chimp
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