Stuntflyer

Thank you all for the likes and kind words. Very much appreciated!

I'm still working my way through chapter eleven, though the end is in sight. .

I've been working on the gangways. The bottom edge of the small platform that sits underneath the breast beam sets the height of the gangway along the waist. I made no adjustments to it. Consequently, the top of the gangway sits flush with the lower edge of the cap rail rather than the upper edge. The gangway probably should have been higher, but I really didn't notice it until after that aft platform was already glued in. Hopefully that 3" step up wouldn't have created a huge problem for the sailors.😁

The ladder needed to be tweaked in order for it to sit somewhat in line with the deck planking. To do that, I reduced the depth of the top of the aft side (see below). I just needed to be careful not to take off too much.

You might have noticed that the QD Rail is missing. After leaning on it, I removed it while working on the gangway.

I found that the knee angles where basically one size fits all, but incorrect for my model. The disc sander took care of that.

Mike

I now have the boarding ladders completed. Chuck says that they are "pretty straight forward". I guess that in a way they are, but I needed to figure out how deep to make the profile for it to work. The back edge needs to be tapered in order for the tops to sit parallel to the building board. If the profile is too deep they would be too thin on the bottom after tapering. My first scraping was just that, too thin. I made another profile that was only half as deep and that worked out okay, I think. The I-Gauging tool help me to see when the top was parallel. The middle three ladders where later given a coat of Poly after being glued onto the hull. That strip of blue tape was just to protect the wales from getting scratched by my fingers while working.

I decided not to cover the top ladder with a frieze. Now that the ladders are in I will finish up the two dangling chain plates.

Mike

Very nice, Dusan!  Keep up the good work.

Mike

On 7/24/2022 at 9:34 PM, SJSoane said:

Some precision surgery needed to keep this intersection clean.

I remember feeling hesitant when I needed to cut out for the catheads. Using an ultra fine saw really made things a lot easier. No doubt yours will look great.

Mike 

As usual I'm working on a number of tasks at the same time. The Lantern is near completion and I should have some photos to share fairly soon. Meanwhile I've managed to complete the nailing of the chain plates except for two on each side which I left dangling. Also, I removed the moulding under them. When I start on the boarding ladders it will be easier to work in that area without the moulding. Besides, I prefer to shape the moulding to the profile of the ladders while off the ship rather than on. The billboard and fenders are done. The fiddly fenders required a lot of profile tweaking and I was very happy to be done with them.😏

Mike

I still have a lot more work to do on chapter 11. Here is generally where I am at as of today. Both main and mizzen channels are done (almost). Notice that the forward two chainplates are not attached to the hull. I'm going to remove that moulding where the second ladder goes. This will make it easier to both install it as well as shape the moulding that goes around it. All of the stools are in.

Keeping things Parallel

First attempt at chesstrees

Mike

Looks great, Thomas!

Thanks, Thomas!

http://www.igaging.com/
 

Look under measuring tools / height gauges

Thanks!!!

Chapter eleven starts with my completing the six channels. .

Before gluing each channel to the hull I set the straps. Each strap was angled according to the plan sheet. A tiny drop of medium CA underneath is all that was needed. I did find that there where a few slots which needed some angling on the bottom of the channel in order to get the desired strap angle. I was careful not to file away the shape of the slot as seen from above. During the gluing process, the IGAGING Digital Height Gauge was used to set the channels parallel to the build board. Once the channels where set, I used blackened brass nails, leftover from my Mayflower kit, to attach the bottom of each strap to the hull. A tiny smear of CA on the nail was more than enough to hold it securely in place.

Mike

A great start! Obviously a complex part of the build where I know you’ve made numerous prototypes. Can’t wait to see it all done.

Just a quick update. .

I managed to complete the upper rail today which finishes up chapter ten. One thing I would mention is the importance of being able to tweak the pillars on either side of the gun barrels. In my earlier post #483, Ofelia shows the way to get them into alignment. If I had glued them in with epoxy or CA it would have been very difficult to tweak them later while installing the upper rail. The rail is thin, so it wouldn't take much for things to not line up perfectly.

Before adding the rail, I checked it for the run along the pillar tops. It was check in both directions, sideways and from the top. I ended up changing the curvature of the rail as well as re-tweaking one or two pillars. Since the pillars where glued in with PVA, I simply nudged the pillar one way or another without the need to moisten the glue joint.

Mike

Hi Joe,

My camera is an old Nikon D5100 DSLR. It has a very good 16 megapixel sensor for its time. But in order to get sharp shots I use prime lenses. Mostly the 60mm macro lens, but sometimes the 35mm f/1.8. Of course I always use the tripod and I shoot at bass ISO.

Surprisingly , new cameras with more megapixels are not going to yield better shots for the kind of photographs that we are taking and where they are being posted on the web.

I guess that we each have our own idea of what constitutes a milestone. For me it's getting all that repetitive work completed in making guns.

Mike

Thanks you all!

I've been catching up on areas of the ship that were not completed earlier. The Q-gallery windows where on hold to avoid damage or dust collection. The remaining large guns due to my just being lazy. Anyway, here are some photos along with a few updates to chapter ten. After I drill the holes for the pinned QD guns I will finish up the upper rail on the QD.

Mike

Nicely done, Chuck. Can’t wait to see your Winnie tomorrow.

More progress today. I managed to get the wheel finished and on the ship. I could have used the laser cut spokes, but I decided to scratch them instead. Either way would have worked just fine.

Mike

Yes, it’s true. I spent a lot of time on those columns. That said, Chuck’s attention to detail when laser cutting parts really makes all the difference. He lays out the foundation, but the work has to be done beyond that in order to get a satisfying result.

Mike

Thanks, druxey

Chuck, Is there another fender located near the forward end of the waste?

Mike

Thanks, Chuck

With regard to adhering the friezes to the binnacle. Do you prefer Scotch Spray Mount or Elmer's Glue Stick?

Mike

The breastrail which was one of those in between projects I've been working on is finished. It looks pretty straight forward, but the six columns required some time to shape. Luckily the laser cut side gave me the shape that needed to be duplicated on the adjacent side.

Mike

Thank you!!!

That looks so nice!