robdurant

Hi all,
 
A tiny update... I'm still working on getting this into Blender to check out the stations before I commit too heavily to real components (and working on Barque Stefano, too)... I've managed to work out how to get things neatly out of QCAD (the 2D CAD programme I use) into Blender, so progress is becoming more simple...
 
Here's a teaser with deadcentre and '7' frames in place....

 

Hi all,
 
A tiny update... I'm still working on getting this into Blender to check out the stations before I commit too heavily to real components (and working on Barque Stefano, too)... I've managed to work out how to get things neatly out of QCAD (the 2D CAD programme I use) into Blender, so progress is becoming more simple...
 
Here's a teaser with deadcentre and '7' frames in place....

 

My anchor cable solution.
I’m not overly impressed by the length provided. An extra 20cm wouldn’t have bankrupted JoTiKa…. But here we are. 
 
The front four shroud deadeyes have been rigged to length. I’m calling it a night. 

Here is the stack on Victory...
 
 

I was planning on wrapping the anchor cables twice around the winch, then through the main deck’s forward hatch, but only 500mm of 2.5mm natural hemp is supplied for the anchor cable. 
 
So I’ve had to simplify the anchor cable’s routing method.
 
A clove-hitch at both ends of the cable to prevent unravelling, then two in the centre with a cut in between. 2x 250mm lengths per anchor. A simple bight at the anchor’s ring that’s been west-country whipped, then only once around the winch. I’ll drill two holes through the deck behind the winch and push the cables through. 
 
Shrouds;
The plans recommend a piece of wire with two 90° bends 15mm apart be used to space the deadeyes apart before lashing them. So…yep. That happened. More west-country whipping. 
(Ten years of being a Scout leader has paid off.)
 
The quarterdeck ladder’s been mounted: the last of the deck fittings. 
Huzzah!

The chesstrees and crosstrees were cut out of the parts frame. I took the opportunity to remove the last two remaining kit parts from the frames: The ladder sides for the quarterdeck. 
 
After a bit of work, the trees were fitted near the topmast’s uppers, resting on the “hounds”; the point where the mast changes from an octagonal taper to a smaller diameter square. 
 
The topgallant masts rest on the chesstrees with a fid in the same way the topmasts rest on the mast’s tops further down.
 
I’m really enjoying myself. It’s been too long. 

The fore and main topmasts have now been drilled through at the bottom. The beam that supports their weight (the fid) is pushed through once the mast has been lowered through the lower mast’s caps.

The bowsprit’s now mounted, gammoned and three stays have been rigged with eyelets, hooks and deadeyes. 

Post Forty
 Drop planks at the Bow.
These are a feature of ships of the period and generally appear immediately below the wale.
They are a nice feature on a model, and installing a drop plank should help prevent overcrowding of the strakes at the bow as planking proceeds.

1131
Where it meets the stem I have tapered to 4mm, which is 1mm less than the full single plank width.
The taper was determined in the usual way using a single  5mm plank which was then use as a template on a 10mm plank.

1127
The body of the plank must be broad enough at the aft end to take account of a tapered plank that butts against it and runs beneath the wale.
The tail of the Drop plank also must run to meet a full width plank of 5mm, following on and running towards the stern.
Together they form the first two strakes beneath the wale.
 
I couldn’t find any specifics about the proportions of drop planks between the body and the tail, so this is my best guestimate.

1128A
These are the dimensions I used.
The drop plank width is 4mm at the stem, 8.5mm at the aft end of the body, which is 55mm long, and with an overall length of 120mm.

1132

1133

1140

1148

1142
 
 
B.E.
14/06/2023

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

The Bow Hawse Pipe
 
The bow of the Olympic class liners had a distinctive opening for the bow hawse pipe: 

This opening was used for the infrequent deployment of the bow center anchor that was stowed in a well on the foredeck.  Probably also handy in certain mooring and towing situations.
 
The Trumpeter kit includes a very generic roundish appendage to represent this feature.  A big miss in accuracy that is hard to reconcile.

I was a bit worried about correcting this since screwing it up would be very noticeable on the model - but leaving the inaccurate kit version in place seemed to be a worse option.  Something needed to be done.
 
There is a very attractive 3D print that Arturo Anzures has available on the Shapeways site that could be a nice solution. Unfortunately, this option requires some serious surgery on the kit that will involve quite a bit of finesse and epoxy putty to properly incorporate.  I’m a bit squeamish about going down that path.
 
If I’m willing to work with the general dimensions of the kit version (slightly wider than historical scale) I think I can fashion a simpler solution that will get me a decent result.
 
Here I go…
 
First, I notched out a section in front of the kit version using a hobby knife, micro-chisel, and a flat file. 

This creates a space to insert a small bit of styrene shaped appropriately to resemble the historic contours of the hawse pipe.  

The piece was sized to the same width as the kit version to minimize the need to carve up the plastic and to maximize the surface area for the solvent.

After getting it affixed, I went ahead and drilled out the hawse pipe opening.

I first drilled a small pilot hole, then went back again with a larger bit for the final version.
 
At this point I had the framework of the new hawse pipe in place and just needed to fill behind the new styrene with epoxy putty to establish the final contours.
 

I’m not a frequent user of Milliput, but I do appreciate having some on hand for the right moments.  The White Superfine version works best for me.

I wear disposable gloves to mix the two components together between my fingers and then roll it back and forth on some tin foil (to protect my work surface from the residue).

I used some scrap styrene to fashion a few simple shaping tools to help mold the epoxy into the final form.
 
The styrene hawse piece defines the overall shape as I add putty to back fill behind. Having a small cup of water nearby is critical… Milliput is easily smoothed and manipulated if I dip my shaping tools in water as I go along.  

The first pass does not need perfection – it just needs to represent the rough outline. I’ll come back with progressively finer sanding paper to smooth everything out.
 
Round sanding sticks are useful for the next step:

The internal hawse pipe opening is widened and smoothed out to better match against the historic references.


 
I’ll stand pat with this result until I get to the primer stage.  Like some other areas on the hull, I’ll make refinements and finalize everything once the primer helps fill and smooth out some of the rough surfaces and otherwise reveals the imperfections.
 
This turned out to be less painful than I thought it would be…!
 
Cheers,
Evan

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

Rattling down continues... Work has just begun on the ratlines for the Starboard Mizzen shrouds. Port Mizzen shrouds are done, now.  In retrospect I didn't tighten the shrouds enough, and it's caused them to become slightly wavy on the mizzen mast. This was my nervousness at making sure they didn't pull out the deadeyes from the rail. Not a disaster, but not quite as neat as I would have wanted... Oh well 🙄 This is all part of learning about this homemade rope... it doesn't behave quite the same was as the caldercraft rope I used on Ethalion. It's much softer and more easily stretched out of shape.
 

Good evening to all. Memorial Day is a holiday that has many meanings to different people, so I will just say that I hope that all that mark the day found their observance satisfactory. 
 
I've been busy on the foremast, which now has all five yards (course, top, topgallant, royal, and sky mounted. All of the halyards are mounted, and the live ends secured. The course lifts are fully in place, as are the iron sheets for the top and topgallants. I mounted five trucks on each set of fore shrouds to act as fairleads so that I can start the clews and sheets that are higher up the mast. The top clews and sheets and topgallant clews and sheets are fully installed, the royal sheets are mounted and threaded through the trucks, and the skysail clews and sheets have yet to be installed. Still progress is being made. Here are some photos:
 

 

 

 
One little oopsie that I discovered was that after installing the topgallant yard, I had failed to drill the sheaves for the sheets. When I went to drill one side, I put enough pressure that it ruined one of the lifts, which required replacement. When I went to do the other side, I was determined not to do so much damage, so I set up the following jig using a bit of dowel, held in place with Tamiya tape. It kept the yard from moving so much and I was able to drill the hole without additional damage. Eagle eyed individuals may also spot a point where I repaired a chain that broke under stress (I basically made another link with very fine wire). I figure that the latter is probably something that happened on the real ship, so, it's a feature, not a bug.
 

 
As always, thanks for looking in and for the likes!
 
Regards,
George K.
 

A small update today. I spent my day off yesterday beginning the ratlines for the mainmast shrouds. I was pleased to complete the starboard side. I use 6mm lines placed behind the shrouds as a guide, and begin by adding spaced out lines, then filling in the gaps, gluing each row as I complete it. The ratlines are #20 DMC Cordonnet Crochet thread... The same stuff I use to make ropes. I'm pleased with how it looks, and how easy it was to tie. As a natural thread, it takes the watered down PVA really well, and is easy to clip to length once dried.
 


That's it for today. Happy building, all
 
Rob

A small update today. I spent my day off yesterday beginning the ratlines for the mainmast shrouds. I was pleased to complete the starboard side. I use 6mm lines placed behind the shrouds as a guide, and begin by adding spaced out lines, then filling in the gaps, gluing each row as I complete it. The ratlines are #20 DMC Cordonnet Crochet thread... The same stuff I use to make ropes. I'm pleased with how it looks, and how easy it was to tie. As a natural thread, it takes the watered down PVA really well, and is easy to clip to length once dried.
 


That's it for today. Happy building, all
 
Rob

A small update today. I spent my day off yesterday beginning the ratlines for the mainmast shrouds. I was pleased to complete the starboard side. I use 6mm lines placed behind the shrouds as a guide, and begin by adding spaced out lines, then filling in the gaps, gluing each row as I complete it. The ratlines are #20 DMC Cordonnet Crochet thread... The same stuff I use to make ropes. I'm pleased with how it looks, and how easy it was to tie. As a natural thread, it takes the watered down PVA really well, and is easy to clip to length once dried.
 


That's it for today. Happy building, all
 
Rob

6mm at 1:63 is around 38cm or 14 7/8 inches - so a big step, but not crazy. Here's the 6mm guide template for anyone who wants it, in PDF and CAD (*.dxf) format 
 
6mm Ratline Template.pdf
6mm Ratline Template.dxf

A small update today. I spent my day off yesterday beginning the ratlines for the mainmast shrouds. I was pleased to complete the starboard side. I use 6mm lines placed behind the shrouds as a guide, and begin by adding spaced out lines, then filling in the gaps, gluing each row as I complete it. The ratlines are #20 DMC Cordonnet Crochet thread... The same stuff I use to make ropes. I'm pleased with how it looks, and how easy it was to tie. As a natural thread, it takes the watered down PVA really well, and is easy to clip to length once dried.
 


That's it for today. Happy building, all
 
Rob

A small update today. I spent my day off yesterday beginning the ratlines for the mainmast shrouds. I was pleased to complete the starboard side. I use 6mm lines placed behind the shrouds as a guide, and begin by adding spaced out lines, then filling in the gaps, gluing each row as I complete it. The ratlines are #20 DMC Cordonnet Crochet thread... The same stuff I use to make ropes. I'm pleased with how it looks, and how easy it was to tie. As a natural thread, it takes the watered down PVA really well, and is easy to clip to length once dried.
 


That's it for today. Happy building, all
 
Rob

6mm at 1:63 is around 38cm or 14 7/8 inches - so a big step, but not crazy. Here's the 6mm guide template for anyone who wants it, in PDF and CAD (*.dxf) format 
 
6mm Ratline Template.pdf
6mm Ratline Template.dxf