rvchima

Trying for a more realistic look
 

Ha ha, only joking. I went to an awesome antique show last weekend and had to buy this double block. Next to it is one from the kit for scale. When I finish the Syren I'll clean up the old block and hang it in a place of honor in my shop.

Ratlines and Some Backstays Completed
 
Last week my wife had business in Flint, MI, and I went along for the ride. While she was working I visited the Flint Institute of Art, which has an exhibit called Ship Shape, Models of Great Lakes Vessels. The exhibit has about 30 ship models, many freighters and side-wheelers. My favorite was a magnificent 5-masted ore carrier. As if 2 sets of rat-lines isn't hard enough. The exhibit runs through 6-16-13. If you're in the area it's worth a visit. Here's a link to their web site:
http://www.flintarts.org/exhibitions/current/shipshape.html
 
I also stopped in Rider's Hobbies in Flint. They had a nice selection of Model Shipways supplies, so I bought one of each size of rigging line. Good thing 'cause I just ran out of .018 black!
 
After Flint we drove to Dearborn and spent a day in Greenfield Village and a day at The Henry Ford Museum. There were practically no nautical exhibits, but if you're into planes, trains, automobiles, or steam engines, WOW, what a great museum!
 
That accounts for a week of no work on the Syren, but I have made some progress since my last post. My extra deadeyes arrived from MS, and I have finished the ratlines and some of the backstays. Here are some recent photos of the Syren.
 

20 weeks, 375 man-hours
 

Lower shrouds and ratlines                                Upper shrouds and ratlines
 

 
 

Trying for a more realistic look
 

Ha ha, only joking. I went to an awesome antique show last weekend and had to buy this double block. Next to it is one from the kit for scale. When I finish the Syren I'll clean up the old block and hang it in a place of honor in my shop.

Trying for a more realistic look
 

Ha ha, only joking. I went to an awesome antique show last weekend and had to buy this double block. Next to it is one from the kit for scale. When I finish the Syren I'll clean up the old block and hang it in a place of honor in my shop.

Trying for a more realistic look
 

I've been experimenting with techniques to make the blocks look more realistic. Here's what I came up with.

Trying for a more realistic look
 

Ha ha, only joking. I went to an awesome antique show last weekend and had to buy this double block. Next to it is one from the kit for scale. When I finish the Syren I'll clean up the old block and hang it in a place of honor in my shop.

Slight change of plans.  Here is a photo update of just the main and fore topsail completed rigging:
 

 

 
Be a few days 'til the topgallants go aloft........darned summertime
 
 

Ratlines and Some Backstays Completed
 
Last week my wife had business in Flint, MI, and I went along for the ride. While she was working I visited the Flint Institute of Art, which has an exhibit called Ship Shape, Models of Great Lakes Vessels. The exhibit has about 30 ship models, many freighters and side-wheelers. My favorite was a magnificent 5-masted ore carrier. As if 2 sets of rat-lines isn't hard enough. The exhibit runs through 6-16-13. If you're in the area it's worth a visit. Here's a link to their web site:
http://www.flintarts.org/exhibitions/current/shipshape.html
 
I also stopped in Rider's Hobbies in Flint. They had a nice selection of Model Shipways supplies, so I bought one of each size of rigging line. Good thing 'cause I just ran out of .018 black!
 
After Flint we drove to Dearborn and spent a day in Greenfield Village and a day at The Henry Ford Museum. There were practically no nautical exhibits, but if you're into planes, trains, automobiles, or steam engines, WOW, what a great museum!
 
That accounts for a week of no work on the Syren, but I have made some progress since my last post. My extra deadeyes arrived from MS, and I have finished the ratlines and some of the backstays. Here are some recent photos of the Syren.
 

20 weeks, 375 man-hours
 

Lower shrouds and ratlines                                Upper shrouds and ratlines
 

 
 

Hi, my name is Rod Chima. I started building the Model Shipways Syren back on Jan. 2, 2013, and started posting a Model Ship World build log about a month later. I was learning so much by reading other build logs, and I hoped that my postings might help someone else. It sure was disappointing to lose all that information with the recent hard drive crash, but I did find my posts cached on Google and will try to recreate them here.
 
I am a rocket scientist recently retired from NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. If you are interested in computational fluid dynamics you can check out my work web site,

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/5810/rvc/

I have built stick and tissue model airplanes since I was 8 years old, and a few ship models when I was in high school and college. But the ship models were SO much work that I swore that I would never build another. Then I went to a hobby show at the Cleveland International Exposition Center and saw Chuck's magnificent Syren kit. The guys from Model Expo made me an offer that I couldn't refuse, and here I am.
 
I am about 90 hours (over 1 month) into the kit, and have the hull and deck planked. More on that soon, but first some previous builds.
 

I wish I could take credit for this model, but it was built by my Grandfather in 1933. I still have his original plans and construction article from Popular Science. I did some major restoration work on the model when I inherited it about 10 years ago.
 

I received the Flying Fish kit by Model Shipways as a high school graduation gift in 1969, and I was working on it when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It got pretty banged up over the years, so last summer I made some repairs and replaced most of the running rigging. I also built the display case shown in the photo. It is my own design and is built from walnut and plexiglass.
 

My girlfriend went to New England in 1970 and brought me this kit of the brig Hurricane Bird by Hobbies at Home. It must have been the right gift because we've been married for 38 years.
 

The plans for this Roman bireme ship by Mantua Models clearly shows an open stonework castle on the deck. I could never figure out why you would want one there, but I dutifully followed the plans. This was the only planked hull that I had made before I planked the Syren.

Ratlines and Some Backstays Completed
 
Last week my wife had business in Flint, MI, and I went along for the ride. While she was working I visited the Flint Institute of Art, which has an exhibit called Ship Shape, Models of Great Lakes Vessels. The exhibit has about 30 ship models, many freighters and side-wheelers. My favorite was a magnificent 5-masted ore carrier. As if 2 sets of rat-lines isn't hard enough. The exhibit runs through 6-16-13. If you're in the area it's worth a visit. Here's a link to their web site:
http://www.flintarts.org/exhibitions/current/shipshape.html
 
I also stopped in Rider's Hobbies in Flint. They had a nice selection of Model Shipways supplies, so I bought one of each size of rigging line. Good thing 'cause I just ran out of .018 black!
 
After Flint we drove to Dearborn and spent a day in Greenfield Village and a day at The Henry Ford Museum. There were practically no nautical exhibits, but if you're into planes, trains, automobiles, or steam engines, WOW, what a great museum!
 
That accounts for a week of no work on the Syren, but I have made some progress since my last post. My extra deadeyes arrived from MS, and I have finished the ratlines and some of the backstays. Here are some recent photos of the Syren.
 

20 weeks, 375 man-hours
 

Lower shrouds and ratlines                                Upper shrouds and ratlines
 

 
 

With Frank getting back on his feet and Sjors turning his attention to the Spanish fleet, I thought it would be a good time for a small update with some long promised photos.
 
The main and fore lower yards have been completed with the exception of the braces and sheets as I would surely entangle myself if those were in place.  The spaghetti all over the deck are those ropes ready to be deployed later.
 
The main and fore topsail yards have been pinned in place and are ready to be rigged.  We'll set the rigging spiders loose after celebrating the Memorial Day holiday here in the US.
 

 

 

 

 
I gotta tell ya that this rigging is a slow process but I haven't had so much fun since........planking......or was it coppering?
 
 

Ahoy Mates
 
Sorry for the delay, BUT
 
As we all know the ladies can take some time to get ready
 
After much deliberation, testing, posts and some beer, well maybe a lot of beer,  I have decided to let the lady show some skin. Many hours of testing only confirmed that for this build “not staining” would be my best move. After wiping down the hull with mineral spirits I found that this “look” suited my lady better then any other.
 
Thank you all for your patience and help on my build. I would have never reached this point alone, “Really” Thank you, (place bowing emoticon here)
 
Back to the build:
 
Using Buck’s suggestion to make patching dust with finer grade sandpaper I came up with Basswood Patch Mk2. The finer dust was collected and then water added. About five times as much as needed. The dust was then allowed to ‘soak’. After which I stirred in a very small amount of PVA glue. Then I put drops on areas I needed to fill. The surface tension used to keep the mixture in place. It usually took three to four applications to fill a small void. 
 
As for the Sanding gala. I used an eraser as my sanding block. It was one of those moments when you look at something completely unrelated to the task and say, Hummm.
 
The finish so far is one coat of “General Finishes” satin Gel Topcoat wipe on Urethane thinned with mineral spirits. I want to paint the wales black and keel tallow, and then I will put on a few more coats of Poly: Oh yes, and a million more treenails
 
Suggestions, comments welcome and “again” thank you MSW

Ahoy Sjors
 
I think I figured out what he was up to

Standing Rigging
 
In the last week I've added a lot of the standing rigging and started the rat lines. I discovered that I am short several 2.5 and 3.5 mm deadeyes, so I pestered Model Expo and they promised to send more. I the meantime my Syren is a little lopsided, with some shrouds missing on the port side.
 
I experimented with the ratlines and found that clove hitches were a lot of work to tie. But Ship Modeling Simplified by Frank Mastini says that at small scale a simple overhand knot is simpler and neater than a clove hitch, so that's what I used. Here are step-by-step instructions for tying the ratlines.
 

1. Clip some 1/4" graph paper to the shrouds. Micro clips for igniting model rocket engines are great for holding graph paper, loose threads, and rigging deadeyes.
Start with a clove hitch on the left-most shroud, since a clove hitch is self-tightening. Pull the line across the next shroud with your right hand.
Then use your left hand to put some angled tweezers in the "hole" between the next 2 shrouds and the ratline you're working on. Grab the end of the line with the tweezers.
 

2. Use the tweezers to pull the line through the hole, then push it through the loop in the line in your right hand. Here I've already grabbed the end and dropped the tweezers. I wish this picture was a little clearer.
 

3. Ta-da! You have an overhand knot around the next shroud.
 

4. Tighten up the knot, then move on to the next shroud.
When the line is done align everything with the graph paper, then put a drop of medium CA on each knot. Blot quickly with a paper towel, and make sure the graph paper is not stuck in back.
In 15 seconds you can trim the ends of the lines.
When all the lines are done, touch each knot with a black Sharpie marker to cover up shininess from the glue.
 
After my deadeyes arrive I'll try to get some photos of my Syren with some standing rigging in place.
 
 
 

Masts Stepped
 

 
I stepped the masts last night. Plans on the wall to align the side view, plumb bob hanging from the ceiling just behind the main mast to make sure it's vertical from the front. I used 5 minute epoxy for the job. I've done everything else with 15 second medium CA, so the epoxy gave me 20 times the working time I'm used to.
 
Stayed up until 1 am making tiny wire links for the chain plate assemblies. Not the most fun part of the model. ;^(
 
 
 

Masts Stepped
 

 
I stepped the masts last night. Plans on the wall to align the side view, plumb bob hanging from the ceiling just behind the main mast to make sure it's vertical from the front. I used 5 minute epoxy for the job. I've done everything else with 15 second medium CA, so the epoxy gave me 20 times the working time I'm used to.
 
Stayed up until 1 am making tiny wire links for the chain plate assemblies. Not the most fun part of the model. ;^(
 
 
 

Masts, Tops, and Top Masts Complete

15 weeks, 301 man-hours
 
The Syren has gotten much taller too! The masts aren't actually attached yet but they will be soon. I better build and attach the final base to the model before I attach the masts.
 

It took 19 hours to build the masts, tops, and top masts.
 
The 1/16" tape that came with the model did not stick very well, so I bought a roll of 1/16" flat black graphic tape made by Chartpak at a local art supply store. It sticks very well, but I coated the mast bands with some diluted white glue just to be sure.
 

I like this overhead view. In real life the cross trees would be about 75 feet above the deck. I have climbed about 40 feet up some big spruce trees in my back yard to trim branches, and it was terrifying! Imagine hauling sails this far above the deck in rough weather.

Hi, my name is Rod Chima. I started building the Model Shipways Syren back on Jan. 2, 2013, and started posting a Model Ship World build log about a month later. I was learning so much by reading other build logs, and I hoped that my postings might help someone else. It sure was disappointing to lose all that information with the recent hard drive crash, but I did find my posts cached on Google and will try to recreate them here.
 
I am a rocket scientist recently retired from NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. If you are interested in computational fluid dynamics you can check out my work web site,

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/5810/rvc/

I have built stick and tissue model airplanes since I was 8 years old, and a few ship models when I was in high school and college. But the ship models were SO much work that I swore that I would never build another. Then I went to a hobby show at the Cleveland International Exposition Center and saw Chuck's magnificent Syren kit. The guys from Model Expo made me an offer that I couldn't refuse, and here I am.
 
I am about 90 hours (over 1 month) into the kit, and have the hull and deck planked. More on that soon, but first some previous builds.
 

I wish I could take credit for this model, but it was built by my Grandfather in 1933. I still have his original plans and construction article from Popular Science. I did some major restoration work on the model when I inherited it about 10 years ago.
 

I received the Flying Fish kit by Model Shipways as a high school graduation gift in 1969, and I was working on it when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It got pretty banged up over the years, so last summer I made some repairs and replaced most of the running rigging. I also built the display case shown in the photo. It is my own design and is built from walnut and plexiglass.
 

My girlfriend went to New England in 1970 and brought me this kit of the brig Hurricane Bird by Hobbies at Home. It must have been the right gift because we've been married for 38 years.
 

The plans for this Roman bireme ship by Mantua Models clearly shows an open stonework castle on the deck. I could never figure out why you would want one there, but I dutifully followed the plans. This was the only planked hull that I had made before I planked the Syren.

Longboat completed
 

13 weeks, 255 man-hours
 
The longboat took about 1.5 times longer than it should have because of two major mistakes. I mentioned my first mistake in my last post - I sanded through the hull. It patched up OK with wood filler but the stain was blotchy. My second mistake was to try to line up the ribs by eye. I measured carefully but the result looked terrible, as shown below. I ended up starting a new longboat from scratch. This time I held it up to the light periodically as I sanded. When I could see light through the wood I knew it was time to stop.
 

Left: What happens when you sand through the hull, then try to line up the ribs by eye.
Right: New hull with ribs aligned with a jig.
 

How I aligned the ribs
First I eliminated the center keel strip. You can't see it under the floorboards anyway. Then I used a 1/8" nylon cable tie to align each rib parallel to the last. I used spring clamps to hold the cable tie. CA glue barely sticks to the nylon. The second hull looked SO much better than the first that I'm glad I started over.
 

The longboat took 27 man-hours to build but it's one of the best tiny models that I've ever built. Maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this precision work.
 

I did start on the bowsprit. Only a few hours of work so far, but it makes a big difference in the look of the ship.
 

Augie,
Tonight I was trying to match your speed on the longboat and sanded through the side. Now I have to wait all night for the wood filler to dry. Maybe I can use spray paint to catch up.
Rod