robdurant

Progress on the sails... I've just finished the bolt ropes on the topsail studding sails for the main mast - that's BS22 and BS23, so I'm two thirds of the way through the sails now... Once I've sewed on the bolt ropes, it'll be reefing points next... I have a plan for how to do that...  No photos of this, as it looks almost identical to the many photos I've posted of the sail sewing so far... 
 
What I have also been working on is the detailing of the yards, ready for them to carry the sails. I've completed the bands and the painting on the foremast yards, and now I'm working on the mainmast yards. It makes a huge difference to the look of the model, and when I get a chance, I'll take a photo outside with all the yards squared up.
 
Here's are the bands added to the foremast yards...  They're made of black card... 
 

 
And here they are painted... 
 

 
And finally, the full width of the main mast main yard, and that same yard, with stunsail booms removed again, so that the white sections can be painted...
 

 

Thank you for looking in, and for the likes and comments.
 
Rob
 

Work has begun on the foremast shrouds...

I set up the mainmast shrouds today...
 



More soon
 
Rob

Okay - so today I added the bolt rope to another sail - no need to add pictures for that. It's another stay sail, so they would look pretty much identical to the previous pictures I've posted. Then, as a change of scenery, I began adding the mizzen shrouds. These are using (as a note to self as much as anything) 4 strand, 2x threads per strand, from #50 DMC Cordonnet thread, dyed in Rit Cocoa brown die. The captain's clearly a showy so and so, so he's used contrasting natural #20 DMC cordonnet thread for the lanyards.
 
The lanyards are something of a challenge. I've added two starboard pairs and one port pair so far (alternating sides, beginning to starboard), and because the dead-eyes are inside  the railing, and the lanyard needs to pass through the railing  from the outside on the lower deadeye, it took me lots of fiddling with tweezers, super-glue strengthened end of the lanyard and summoning of patience, before I realised that it was possibly simply to bend the deadeye in towards the centreline of the deck to rig it, and then bend it back out again. This is by far the easiest method I've found, and it's made the task achievable (still fiddly, but possible). I'm not sure whether leaving the deadeyes detached until this point would have helped matters, as I haven't tried that approach, but certainly one for builders of this model to watch out for.  
 
Here are some photos of progress so far. I haven't put watered down Aliphatic resin (carpenter's glue) on these yet, so the ends are left long intentionally. I'll do the whole lot in one go, once I'd happy they're all a good length.
 
One deadeye is rigged off the ship (I have a little template to keep the distances consistent), then the shroud is wrapped round the mast, through the crosstrees and top, and brought back down to have the other deadeye rigged. Before I rig the second deadeye, I put on the first lanyard, so that I can gauge where the second deadeye should go.
 
  


Thank you to everyone for the likes and encouragement.
 
 

Thank you for the likes.
 
I haven't stopped working on this, but it takes me a good couple of hours to put the bolt rope on each sail, so here is sail BS 4 getting bolt rope...  COnsidering I haven't done a lot of sewing before, I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming out.

Hi all,
 
I've finished hemming the sails, and now it's onto bolt ropes. For this, I made some thinner rope (3 threads per strand of #50 DMC cordonnet thread). The bolt ropes come to an end at each corner of each sail, and they're used to attach the corner fittings for the sail. These were blackened ready for use. I've simplified what the instructions call for a little, but things are going well so far. 
 
Here's a photo of the photo-etch corner fittings.
 

 
Step one is to attach the over-length bolt rope.

Step 2 is to attach the corner fittings... This results in something of a spiders web at each corner, but it all gets tidied up once everything's attached. In the photo below the photo-etch corner fitting has been attach to the left boltrope, but not the right.

And here are all the hemmed sails laid out ... 34 in all!
 

Plenty more sewing to enjoy... After this step - which will take some time! - comes reefing points, attachment holes, and lots more work on the yards to get them ready.
 
Thanks for looking in
 
Rob 

Thanks Rob, and everyone for the likes. Not much to update, really. I've just been steadily working through the sail set, double hemming them. Today I needed to make some more rope, too.
 

 
Once I got to the stay sails, there's no rigging to hold them at the moment, so I was forced to empty a tin of shortbread to provide somewhere to keep them safe 😁 There are two more stay sails to make, and then four stunsails and I'm done on this stage!

Happy building  
 
Rob

A few more sails... The fore mast is now full and I'm onto the main mast sails... (all just hung temporarily over the yards)

I've also made a couple of the staysails, but those aren't in the photo.
 
Thanks for the likes.
 

Not much work done on this recently as I've been on a push to get Barque Stefano completed... but we're making progress. The sails are complete, and being attached to the yards...  However, tomorrow I have an exciting day planned. I'm visiting the National Archives in Kew, London, to look at the Captain's and Master's logs of HMS Bristol. I'm hoping to read the logs for a few major events in Bristol's history - in particular her dismasting during the Great Hurricane in 1780, and a few other events.
 
So... watch this space, and I'll try and share some of what I discover. I find this part of the process really helpful in building the desire to really dig into the design and build. The connection with the vessel drives me on to see the model completed.
 
Thanks for looking in.

Thanks, George.
 
Yes the work being done now all seems to make a difference to how the final model will look, which is spurring me on. 
 
It's startling how much sail these vessels can spread. Stefano must have been an amazing sight, even though she was a humble working vessel.

I've just finished the yards on the mainmast. It's a process of keeping the faith as you go, as it has to look like an explosion of rope before order then appears out of the chaos... Here are the footropes in process...

And then completed...
 
 

And here's a shot of the whole mast... the lower stunsails have had the stunsail yards attached to the tops, but haven't been rigged at all yet... None of these yards are finally attached, but are pretty much complete as units. 
 

To have a bit of a break from the yards, I think I'll do some ratlines on the lower shrouds. I think I probably need to tackle the futtock shrouds (metal bars?) first, though, otherwise they're going to be a bear to access.
 
Thanks for looking in

Hi all,
 
Not much more to show, except the reefing points that are now stiffened using watered down PVA front and back. This was done before they were trimmed to length, by placing a small ruler behind the reefing points. Then they were trimmed to the bottom of the ruler giving a nice neat line.. The second photo is the progress on the mainmast lower-topsail yard with the footropes in progress....
.
 
As always, thanks for the likes and encouragement.
 
Rob

good evening everyone
 
thank you for comments and likes
 
day 74-2 you can blame Assassins creed Odyssey, for my lack of progress
 
the  hull went to black as part of the preps for banding, the yellow has had about 5 coats, i will now redo the gunports before adding any more
the cheeks are now fitted, each one is 3 pieces in layers, i went for this colour scheme, as personally i think it looks better  
things still need to be touched up

 
 

Absolutely amazing. It's great to see a model with all that spread canvas. It makes me think about the (usually pretty small) crew having to manage all of that sail so that the ships could make top speeds.
 
The finish line must be visible now...
 
George K

I've just finished the yards on the mainmast. It's a process of keeping the faith as you go, as it has to look like an explosion of rope before order then appears out of the chaos... Here are the footropes in process...

And then completed...
 
 

And here's a shot of the whole mast... the lower stunsails have had the stunsail yards attached to the tops, but haven't been rigged at all yet... None of these yards are finally attached, but are pretty much complete as units. 
 

To have a bit of a break from the yards, I think I'll do some ratlines on the lower shrouds. I think I probably need to tackle the futtock shrouds (metal bars?) first, though, otherwise they're going to be a bear to access.
 
Thanks for looking in

I've just finished the yards on the mainmast. It's a process of keeping the faith as you go, as it has to look like an explosion of rope before order then appears out of the chaos... Here are the footropes in process...

And then completed...
 
 

And here's a shot of the whole mast... the lower stunsails have had the stunsail yards attached to the tops, but haven't been rigged at all yet... None of these yards are finally attached, but are pretty much complete as units. 
 

To have a bit of a break from the yards, I think I'll do some ratlines on the lower shrouds. I think I probably need to tackle the futtock shrouds (metal bars?) first, though, otherwise they're going to be a bear to access.
 
Thanks for looking in

Not much work done on this recently as I've been on a push to get Barque Stefano completed... but we're making progress. The sails are complete, and being attached to the yards...  However, tomorrow I have an exciting day planned. I'm visiting the National Archives in Kew, London, to look at the Captain's and Master's logs of HMS Bristol. I'm hoping to read the logs for a few major events in Bristol's history - in particular her dismasting during the Great Hurricane in 1780, and a few other events.
 
So... watch this space, and I'll try and share some of what I discover. I find this part of the process really helpful in building the desire to really dig into the design and build. The connection with the vessel drives me on to see the model completed.
 
Thanks for looking in.

I've just finished the yards on the mainmast. It's a process of keeping the faith as you go, as it has to look like an explosion of rope before order then appears out of the chaos... Here are the footropes in process...

And then completed...
 
 

And here's a shot of the whole mast... the lower stunsails have had the stunsail yards attached to the tops, but haven't been rigged at all yet... None of these yards are finally attached, but are pretty much complete as units. 
 

To have a bit of a break from the yards, I think I'll do some ratlines on the lower shrouds. I think I probably need to tackle the futtock shrouds (metal bars?) first, though, otherwise they're going to be a bear to access.
 
Thanks for looking in

Planking the lower hull, progress.
I'm kind of slow in planking, the idea is to do an update on this about every 2 weeks.
 
made an extra batch of planks.

Planking

transom

16th century planking is something like ordered chaos (my idea). that's why there are pencil lines and notes all over the hull


and sometimes things go wrong 

a pencil line is drawn

a simple but effective solution 

problem solved, the next plank will fit

Current status ( ps, the wale is not as bent and bad looking as in the picture)
And building this way gives a nice space under the model to organize all the tools

Thanks for following

Post Thirty
A conundrum
I have spent the afternoon sorting and checking my planking strip.
(102) 900mm lengths of 5x1mm Pear strip is supplied for the hull planking.
There is quite a colour variation which may be split into three shades, Dark, light, and medium.

0956
 In my kit (37) are Dark, (24) are light, and (25) are Medium.

0955
The shorter lowest selection in the above photos is Light pear from hobbymill.eu and from previous experience the colour is consistent.

0957
There is also a fourth category (16) strips, with vertical graining, that I prefer not to use.
 
Mixed colour shades applied either randomly, or by design, in the planking strakes is something that doesn’t appeal to my eye, but if the intention is to copper and paint the hull then this is of little relevance.
 
For me it means that there is insufficient strip to complete the hull without distinct colour variation along the strakes.
As I hope to leave the hull with a natural wood finish this is a little disappointing, but I infer no criticism of the kit.
 
My thoughts are turning to buying a new supply of timber from hobbymill.eu, an indulgence maybe, but this is a project that has already  incurred a not inconsiderable cost, and I want to make it as good as I can.
 
I was quite happy to have a Pear lower hull, but the situation now provides the option of replacing pear with Boxwood, and also including wider strips for spiling.
There is only a small difference in cost between Pear and Box.
 
One of the general downsides of kit timber is the lack of wider strips for hull planking, which is really is a bonus in planking. Fortunately, wider stuff is now more readily available from specialist sources.
 
Using Pear I would have a contrast below the wale and a match to the stem, sternpost, and keel.
With Box these elements would provide a contrast to the main hull planking, and Box is my favourite modelling timber.

08070
Nevertheless, I have decided to opt for Pear as demonstrated on my Sphinx build, above.
I quite fancy a slightly darker lower hull, and if my planking standard falls below what I hope, then the hull will be coppered anyway.
 
I now have a few weeks wait for the new timber to arrive, but meanwhile I can fettle those gunports, and mark up the hull for the planking runs.
 
B.E.
11/05/2023

 

After much head  I'm scratching and pulling my hair out, I'm surprised I'm not bald now, I have completed the topsides and almost ready to plank them. However I still need to use a little filler on the lower hull before lightly sanding the entire hull. I guessed the stern would be the most difficult part but, had no idea just how tough. I had planned on having the stern plate 40mm wide at the bottom, but, this meant that the stern was too wide behind the quarter deck. I had also managed to over sand the port side by 1mm so had to reshape this as well. I have now removed the planking completely on the quarter deck so once the first planking layer is done it can be sanded completely smooth. level with the topmost plank. The starboard bulwark also needed an additional strip added to the fore part of the quarter deck as a small sliver came off as I was cutting it. I always say the beauty of a wooden kit is if you make a mistake it's easily fixed. with a plastic kit you're knackered most times.
The next stage now is to fill in some dents on the bottom of the ship caused by applying pressure while using the stand. I also need to shape the rear keel better while ensuring that the shape is correct and ensuring both sides are identical.   

Hi all,
 
Not much more to show, except the reefing points that are now stiffened using watered down PVA front and back. This was done before they were trimmed to length, by placing a small ruler behind the reefing points. Then they were trimmed to the bottom of the ruler giving a nice neat line.. The second photo is the progress on the mainmast lower-topsail yard with the footropes in progress....
.
 
As always, thanks for the likes and encouragement.
 
Rob

Hi all,
 
Not much more to show, except the reefing points that are now stiffened using watered down PVA front and back. This was done before they were trimmed to length, by placing a small ruler behind the reefing points. Then they were trimmed to the bottom of the ruler giving a nice neat line.. The second photo is the progress on the mainmast lower-topsail yard with the footropes in progress....
.
 
As always, thanks for the likes and encouragement.
 
Rob

Post Twenty-eight
Second planking begins
I start by taking the trouble to sort and match the Box planking strips I obtained from Hobbymill eu.
They are well colour matched and consistent in dimensions.
So, time to apply the first Box plank.

0925
The blurb indicates fitting the first plank directly underneath the outer pear bulwarks; seems simple enough, but when it comes to the bow pattern there is an inconvenient gap between plank and pear bulwark of around 2 -3mm.

0938
The second plank fitted without issue; I used ca to start at the bow but followed by using pva for the remainder.  It is possible to clamp these two strakes.
Both strakes were fitted without tapering.
The manual suggests the strake that represents the top level of the Wale (in fact the Black Strake) is next fitted.

0924
The line is taken from Plan six and marked on the hull below the gunport centres. (above the ports in the case of the aftermost two) It is then a matter of running the plank along the hull.
I pinned the plank to the hull, and applied heat to form the shape. Pins are not an issue with this plank as it will be covered by a further wale plank.
 
 I opted to plank the topsides down to it, and then glue it into place. My preference is to part clear the ports as I go along.
Fixing the planks between wale and topsides is not quite as straight forward as it may seem, if the intention is not to cover it all in paint. In that case the paint will hide a multitude of sins.
 
On many kits the wale line is marked after the second planking has been applied, and I suppose this could still be done. It is just a matter of marking the dots on the second planking rather than the first. This would I think simplify the topsides planking.

0937
The wale sweeps up at the stern and bow, more so at the stern, and has a slight concave curve around midships.

0934
This means the planking between the gunports and down to the wale will have to be made to fit, requiring tapering at both bow and stern.
Starting with the stern I tick stripped each gunport to determine the taper. The hull mid-section is broadly full width with tapering stating around the second gunport from the bow, and fourth from the stern.

0928

0940
Not an entirely authentic method of planking the Topsides, but the taper at the bow will be masked by the hawse bolsters and at the stern by the Qtr gallery lower finishings, so little to draw the eye.
 
I am using ca gel exclusively now, but take the precaution of having a container of acetone and cotton buds handy to remove any ca spillage.

0933

0926

0930

0941
After five days the topsides planking is completed on the Starboard side. A preliminary sanding has been applied, but the gunports remain unfinished at this point.
Onwards…
 
B.E.
05/05/2023.

 

doing things my way, i want to get a majority of the outer painting done before working inside the hull, might avoid all the dust that i seam to create