robdurant

A big milestone today   I've just finished sewing the bolt ropes onto the sails... Here's a photo of them all laid out on the plan

Onto the reef points, now... 
 
Happy building all, and thanks for looking in
 
Rob

Thank you @rwiederrich and @gak1965. 
 
I finally got the model outside as spring is well underway here. Unfortunately in my excitement I hung the main mast sails on the foremast on this photo, but it gives a little idea of how the finished model will look... I haven't finished adding stunsail yards, so the stunsails are missing on the main upper topsail and main top gallant yards, too. 

Happy building to you all
 

The keel,
 
The keel consists of 3 parts. The front and back part are made of elm, the center part is made of oak like the rest of the planking.
So my center piece is made of cherry, the others are made of ramin (the last leftovers from my previous project).

At the front and rear there is a groove for "stealers" that are intended as a filler between the keel and the garboard.

preparation for the sternpieces

The first piece of the stern

Then the keel is glued

And the second piece of the stern is also glued.
This piece is now way too long. Shorten it later is always easier than lengthening 😉

The scarf between keel and stempost did not survive time.
So there is some space for a "free design"

scarfs in the keel

Bringing the keel and stempost into the right shape will be done later when the planking is sanded.
 
Next to do,  the stern assembly.
Thanks for following

Keith,
I got some more photos of Cangarda today.  Slight rain and overcast.
I put in a request to get aboard to take more photos, hope to hear back sometime today or tomorrow.
Note that the discharge pipes are not symmetrical port to starboard.

I hit a bit of a milestone today.  Still have a couple of gaps to fill and the stern blocks to shape and affix, but the hull has been largely closed up.  Below the waterline will be a smooth surface, above will be a 2nd planking with veneer.  Lots of sanding but it is good to have a rock solid hull in your grasp.

Want to thank everyone for all the likes. They mean a lot coming from you.
Graham I neglected to thank both you and glenard in my above post, sorry for that.
Rob your Stefano is a thing of beauty.
Ryland your work is immaculate, your workmanship amazing. 
Jason had your Snake and Diana logs been available when I built my Snake and Diana my builds would have been so much easier.
KHauptfuehrer I have your build booked marked so If I do build the kit in my closet it will be a valuable reference.
All the best and thank you,   
Mort

The magazine is out this Friday 14th April, in print. It can be bought now as a digital edition. This will be a two-part article.
 
She also made (a part) the cover:
 

 

Thank you @rwiederrich and @gak1965. 
 
I finally got the model outside as spring is well underway here. Unfortunately in my excitement I hung the main mast sails on the foremast on this photo, but it gives a little idea of how the finished model will look... I haven't finished adding stunsail yards, so the stunsails are missing on the main upper topsail and main top gallant yards, too. 

Happy building to you all
 

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
 

Alright, back in operation.  Finished up all the bulwarks.  This took some time but happy with the result.  Again, curved exterior to match the tumblehome but interior perpendicular to deck.  5/32" exposure at top, variable (5/32" to 9/32") at base.  Access port towards midships not cut out at this time for strength of total bulwark as I plank the bottom and have the ship inverted occasionally.

The caprail is a plastic u-channel piece that will be glued on later.

Finally getting back to the business at hand - closing up the hull.

Temperatures are sure warming up out there but still pressing on to start sanding / filling / sanding the hull.
Mark

Hello all. My last entry was on the order of 3 weeks ago, not because of massive progress, but rather because of a bunch of other things prevented work. They ranged from the Cherry Blossom 10 mile running race here in DC to visiting my (eek) now 25 year old daughter in Boise where we (double eek) met her boyfriend's parents. I don't quite know why this has me so freaked out (this isn't the first set of parents we've met) but it feels radically more likely to be permanent.
 
Anyway, since returning I have managed to get some time in the shipyard and some progress is being made. First the ratlines on the foremast are done, and I'm starting on the main.
 

 

 
I also attached the sheet blocks and painted the masts. Next step is to touch them up and attach the foot ropes. They are all in the photo below but kinda distributed while they dry. Once the ratlines on the main are done, I'm going to start mounting the fore yards. My assessment is that I don't want my elbows to whack one of the yards trying to tie the ratline knots, so, nothing until I'm working on the mizzen. Once I'm on the mizzen it will be time to start making the remaining 4 main yards (the course was finished in the first batch).
 
I am curious about some that that is going to come up soon. If you look at the section of the plans that are shown below, you will see the tackle that attaches the course, top, and topgallant sheet chains to the deck. The other end of the sheets are generally attached to the clew for the yard above (i.e. the other end of the course sheet is connected to the top clew line) when the sails are off the ship. According to the rigging plan, the live ends of the tackle are belayed to pins on the port or starboard pinrails. That (sorta) makes sense for the topgallant (the outer of the three) where the live end is coming down to the deck from a single block where it is attached to the chains. But the other two make no sense to me at all. The live end exits a double block on the deck and then appears to go straight to the pinrail for belaying. 
 

 
Am I missing something here? This seems like it would leave a set of two lines at each mast, port and starboard that runs from the deck to about 4 feet off the ground. What a colossal pain in the posterior that would be. And I keep hearing the bosun's mates telling me to watch lines on the deck. I know that it isn't impossible, the lines that control the tiller on the Niagara are equally in the way, but geez, these ships carried passengers as well, and I dunno there has to be a better way. I looked for signs of deck blocks near the pins that would at least keep the lines near the deck (easier to step over) but the plans show blocks for other lines, but not these.
 
So, am I mad? Missing something? Or is this just the way these ships were rigged? Any help appreciated.
 
As always, thanks for looking in and the likes,
 
George K.

Congratulations on a beautiful build.

Forgive me but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Heinz746, Jerry, Kevin,Gil,Sjors, Shipyardsid, Helli and Robert29 for your Build Logs which were a TREMENDOUS help as I have dyslexia and spatial issues.
All the best,
Mortr
 

Lanterns, anchors and anchor buoys mounted last week. The White Ensign hoisted Friday. She’s complete. An overwhelming project  but well worth it. At times it seemed she’d never launch - especially with my embellishments - but she’s definitely worth it. 
 
Mort

A big milestone today   I've just finished sewing the bolt ropes onto the sails... Here's a photo of them all laid out on the plan

Onto the reef points, now... 
 
Happy building all, and thanks for looking in
 
Rob

A big milestone today   I've just finished sewing the bolt ropes onto the sails... Here's a photo of them all laid out on the plan

Onto the reef points, now... 
 
Happy building all, and thanks for looking in
 
Rob

A big milestone today   I've just finished sewing the bolt ropes onto the sails... Here's a photo of them all laid out on the plan

Onto the reef points, now... 
 
Happy building all, and thanks for looking in
 
Rob

A big milestone today   I've just finished sewing the bolt ropes onto the sails... Here's a photo of them all laid out on the plan

Onto the reef points, now... 
 
Happy building all, and thanks for looking in
 
Rob

A big milestone today   I've just finished sewing the bolt ropes onto the sails... Here's a photo of them all laid out on the plan

Onto the reef points, now... 
 
Happy building all, and thanks for looking in
 
Rob

Finished the Wales on one side and now moving to the other one... need to maybe do a bit of sanding just to smooth it but it's pretty good amd also happy with my first lot of 3d printing..

Through trial and error, I found that a brand new x-acto blade to gently carve away the excess was the best tool for me (taking off little by little) - sanding just caused tear out on one side or the other... But I didn't have nice new diamond files, so you may have a better experience.

Something to watch out for... I think there were a few places that the gunports meant there was no support for the internal (and external?) planks in between the ports (they did not land on any of the frames) - you may want to check and support those places before you drill them out. I simply packed some strip in to provide support to the planks above and below.

Thank you @rwiederrich and @gak1965. 
 
I finally got the model outside as spring is well underway here. Unfortunately in my excitement I hung the main mast sails on the foremast on this photo, but it gives a little idea of how the finished model will look... I haven't finished adding stunsail yards, so the stunsails are missing on the main upper topsail and main top gallant yards, too. 

Happy building to you all
 

Thank you @rwiederrich and @gak1965. 
 
I finally got the model outside as spring is well underway here. Unfortunately in my excitement I hung the main mast sails on the foremast on this photo, but it gives a little idea of how the finished model will look... I haven't finished adding stunsail yards, so the stunsails are missing on the main upper topsail and main top gallant yards, too. 

Happy building to you all
 

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