Beef Wellington

Next - fit the tiller.  I deliberately left this until after I had the stern platform assembled to ensure there was no clash.   Bit of attention to get the angles right, then I drilled a 1.5 mm hole in the rudder post.  In my version of the kit, the tiller is 1.8 mm walnut ply - which does not require pinning with 1 mm wire.  However, it presented a problem.  To fit to the hole, I rounded off the "spur" removing most of the external ply from it.  It then had no strength and "sprung"  as I tried to fit it.  I spliced in a short length of 1.5x1.5 walnut:

 
I rounded of the external part with a file.  Works just fine

Headworks done.  Not trivial as the provided parts and drawings are what a draftsman wold describe as being of nominal scale.  Once you work that out, and engage low gear and defensive driving mode, it was all quit pleasing.  The bow rails and cheeks go on first, and take quite a lot of sanding (cheeks) and trimming to length (rails) before all is good.  
 
Next comes the "bow head rail frames", or grating supports, as might be said with fewer words.  Easy enough to paint and glue, at which point it is apparent that the grating sits much too high (wish I had re-read @Beef Wellington before I glued).  The fore support was firmly glued in place so I just took a saw to it, and chopped the top off.  For the aft support, I could prise it off, and then filed-out the slot as deep as would allow the support to fit above the bow rail.  Photographed it at that point:

 
That meant that the lower rail slots in the aft support were not in the right place - so I "moved" them, filling the old slots with milliput, sanding down and filing new slots, and then painting, again.  Not the RH slot has been eased slightly to allow the rail to rotate
 

 
With that, the supports could be glued again and the lower rails added.  I used thick CA, but the rails needed a little persuasion to adopt the right position, so needed clamping while the glue set.

 
Now, the next job is to fit the grating, but as many have discovered before me, the slots in the grating and in the knee of the head, for the gammoning, do not aline, at all.  BUT Petrejus says they shouldn't, because the gammoning is not simply would around the bowsprit and through the slots.  Instead they cross over to create an "hour-glass' shape.  (Steele say the same, too)
 


 
I bit of fiddling with a dummy bowsprit and a bit of thread shows that all is good!


 
Upper rails to install and then we are done! (naturally I had a glue nightmare at this point, but deep breath, clean it up, all's good)





 
Quite a lot of fun, really, and IRL it looks good.  In these photos you can see that the paint has taken a bit of a hammering, and the glue is not as neat as some manage.  I used gloss varnish on the grating, which I think looks great.  It should be said that this really was a painstaking process, as a great deal of dry fitting is needed, but you cannot do that for a part until the previous parts are glued and secure.  It's a case of gradually trim and sand to shape, paint, wait, glue, wait, repeat six times, on both bows.  Fun though, as I say.
 
Catheads next.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A little update again.
Coppered the rudder, make the ropes to the steering wheel.
Place the poop deck and stern deck.
Painted and the decks are done with Danish oil
 
Sjors

Mike_H,
 
First the copper plating of the rudder.
The first picture you see the under layer of te tape and above it the layer with the paper still on it.
The second picture you see the copper plates.
Easy to work with.
 
Then the lathe.
You see the extension bed and the total length of the lathe with the extension bed.
I mond the bed is difficult to get but mine was bought in the UK.
Don't ask me where because it was a gift from Mobbsie.(also a member of MSW)
More questions then just ask.
 
Sjors
 
 
 

This looks like a fascinating project, off to a great start!

You know I'll be following closely Sjors, I'm sure you'll have fun with this.

Not much of an update, but its all I have as I haven't had much time to spare recently.  I've been staring at the holes I'd drilled in the cathead pretty much from when they were installed and I just couldn't get comfortable with the way they looked. Reaching a point where I would have no options I decided to try and improve these, took a while to convince myself fully recognizing that a mistake would probably make things a lot worse.  Finally plucked up the courage to tackle them, and by drilling some more holes in between, and using a sharp knife, a very small file and some patience I was able to get proper slots rather than holes.  I then simply cut small slices of dowel for the sheaves.  Far from perfect but I'm much happier with how its looking now.
 

I would suggest diluting the solution more, the flaky finish seems to be common when the concentration is too strong resulting in an overly fast reaction - at least from my experience...

Love these ships, and you seem to be very skilled with the PE.  Definitely post more soon!

Glad to see you have started this BE, keel section is looking very nice.  I've jumped back in myself and trying to figure out where I was a year ago...

Post One
 
This involves the keel assembly and I was happy to follow the leads of JpR62 (Jean-Paul) and Chuck Seiler, by using scrap 1/32” sheet to assist the alignment of the inner keel pieces.
 

0681(2)

0697(2)
I utilised the fret cut out to hold the bow section during keel gluing and the inner keel sections.
 

0690(2)
The stern section is likewise fitted in a jig for gluing.
 
I also agree with Chuck Seiler’s approach of assembling the keel pieces as two separate sections and bringing them together only after tapering and the addition of the inner bow and stern keel pieces.
 

0703(2)
This is a long keel secured initially only by the central scarph and I share his concerns about the risk of breakage.
 

0709
Gluing the bow inner keel piece.

0713
…and the inner stern keel piece.
 
 
The stem, keel, and Sternpost require tapering.
The pieces are 4mm thick and will initially be reduced to 2.5mm. Final finish 2.38mm or thereabouts.
 
The taper runs down the stem, starting 18mm down from the head, and from inboard to outboard. The taper continues along the keel from top to bottom and is also applied to the lower sternpost.
 
To this end I have pva’d a styrene strip 0.25mm x 2.5mm along the parts to be tapered to give me a guide to the thin end point.
 
With the two sections joined the centre inner keel piece can be fitted which adds security to the structure.

0721
Initially I used pieces of scrap 1/32” sheet to centre the piece along the keel, but this didn’t give a good result; something must have been off, probably me, so I resorted to placement by eye which worked better.
 
 
Chuck mentions that the piece was made long on purpose and that sanding the after end may be required. In my case it did, reducing the keel slot size, the implications of which I have yet to find out.
 
 
The final tweaking of the tapering is now done making sure the inboard edges of the keel remain untouched so as not to affect the rabbet.
 
 
The final task of this part is to attach the transom piece.
Chuck makes the point about ensuring the transom is perpendicular to the keel.
 

0735
There are etched lines to assist centring the transom, but I then used my eye and diverse methods to try and check that the piece was vertical to the sternpost.

0746
One of the diverse methods I used to check the transom was level.

0741
Not quite as simple as may seem given the inbuilt flexibility  due to the length and relative thinness of the structure.
 

0756
A coat of w-o-p and I can move onto the next part.
 
 
B.E.
01/03/21
 
 
 
 

Guess I got the first choice of seat, not familiar with the manufacturer or the ship so will likely be learning a lot.  Looking forward to seeing some action.

Michael - welcome aboard and thanks to you and the others for the interest.
 
Nun-Buoys:
I've been trying to get my head around these for some time, there seems to be little info on these in sources but seeing how others have tackled these (esp. BE and Chuck) were of great help.  I seem to recall that the buoys should be around 1/3 to 1/4 the length of the anchor but for the life of me can't find the reference or place that I read that to confirm.  The body of the buoy was shaped from some spare dowel, and 2 ringbolts inserted at the extremities leaving some of the length exposed.  These would have been made from leather and would have been 'served' with leather strips as suggested by Lavery, but this was a detail I ommitted, and these were simply painted with brown and black paint.  In a slightly larger size, these would be fun items to add a little more detail on (as I think BE did on his on his Pegasus build)

To make up the anchor buoy slings, eyes were seized into some rope, and threaded onto the rope that will become the hoops.  I wasn't quite sure what size to use, but considering that in practice these would have been wormed, parcelled and served - presumably for protection - it seems likely that they would be reasonably substantial.  I used some Syren line to get a little definition, and used a black marker to darken as I only had some tan stuff handy.

Mounting the slings on the buoy itself proved quite the challenge.  Firstly, the hoops were made up with a single overhand knot, secured with GS Hypo glue, and then trimmed.  The slings on each end need to go underneath the hoop on the opposite end.  I found the best method was to suspend in some helping hands to fine tune, although this proved very fiddly.

Once everything was satisfactorily in position, the 4 slings were seized around the ringbolt (which simulates the loop the slings would make), and then trimmed.

This was then attached to a pre-made coil to represent the length of rope needed for given depths of water, and then secured to the shrouds for storage, and attached to the anchor.  On many models, these are shown as rather drab items, I have to believe in practice that these would have received some sort of brightly coloured paint to aid visibility, but I stayed with the more conservative muted tones.



So at this point, the only item remaining to be completed is an ensign of some sort, and some tweaking of the rigging...
 
 

David - you can rest easy, there is plenty of historical latitude at this specific time period when these ships were designed and built, which was a great period of change to really do what you want.  Built up bulwarks were the fashion, then moved back to open bulwarks, and then finally built up again.  Armament wise, carronades gradually added to, and final replaced the quarterdeck and foc's'l cannon.  Available plans are not consistent for specific ships, probably because of the factors above and depending on when they were drafted and what they represent (as designed, or built, or when in service).

Okay- the rigging is complete. I'm waiting for a case to be made, so Ethalion's under a cardboard frame with a plastic dust cover over her at the moment - not her best look.
 
I shall take some better photos and post them when she re-emerges. I shall add (at least some of) the ship's boats around the model rather than on the skids as they hide so much of the deck beneath. But for now I'm going to call this one finished . Thanks so much to everyone for your encouragement, interest, wisdom, likes, ideas, etc...  Especially Barbossa, Ray, Beef Wellington... I've taken so much inspiration from your builds!
 
Here's just a few photos...
 

 

 

 

 
She's in much need of a nicer stand, but that will happen when the case arrives
 
Thanks again.
 
Rob
 
 

Thanks Peter, BE, and Mike.
 
Peter, Winkie is probably a little too good with those small pieces, which go straight into his mouth.  I'm not sure how longer screws will work, since I don't know exactly what they would screw into.  I'm going to give that a try if I can find some longer screws that are still thin enough.  They have to have the length to pass through the base and then into the keel and plywood.
 
BE -- He hasn't encountered any bears . . . yet.  He and the turkeys mostly ignore each other, but the herd of deer that passed through our woods a few mornings ago set him off growling and barking for an hour until I took him out and let him sniff their tracks.  The Proxxon mill is definitely on my list, along with all the full-sized power tools I really, really need to make my life complete.
 
Thanks for checking in, Mike.  The work space is big, but I will probably manage to fill it up all too easily.
 
Photos are on hold for a while, as the charging port on my phone has gone haywire.  The repair shop says it might get a part in next week.  Meanwhile, I've got the three lower masts shaped, and am finishing the cheeks for the foremast.  I'm hoping to get the upper masts done this afternoon and tomorrow, and then I can start on the mast heads.  I'm reviewing lots of build logs in hopes of getting the details right.
 
Cheers,
 
Martin

I neglected to do this properly, and it shows on my final model, so I think you've done a great job there. The more work you do to really get it sanded down neatly and ready for the second planking, the easier that will prove. It's a great start well made 
 
 
If you work it out again as you go every few planks, you can accommodate for the inaccuracies and push things back into line... it's the only way I find will work for me, as my planking is never accurate enough to get it right first time. The mix of planks that are never perfectly the dimensions I think they are, and slightly off marking, and slightly off cutting mean I'm never quite where I expected to be.  

The first planking of most of the hull is now completed. It threw up a few challenges to avoid the worst of the clinkering at the bow and has meant a few pointy planks and small fillers. I have tried before the idea of splitting the hull into sections and marking out each with tick strips but was never able to get on with it. Probably because my starting points and measuring were not precise enough.  Maybe I will have another try on the second layer.
 
 

 

 
 

 
Just the quarterdeck and fo’csle walls to complete.
 
At the bow, I am grateful to Jason for his solution to the problem of providing support for the planking where modifications for the bowsprit and the stem have taken it away. At the quarterdeck, I like the more open appearance of the configuration as built but I would also like to include the carronades in the build. Was there ever a time when carronades were present before the rails were filled in ?
 
David

Thank you for your comments and words of encouragement. My paintings seem to go in trends. I was heavily 'into'  the Bolitho books, which lead to me trying to research Dockyard ancillary craft ( didn’t find a lot but led to the Stepping the foremast pic). so I did several paintings based on the Napoleonic period . The Bucklers Hard one is based on a model I remember seeing. I am presently back on Arctic Convoy stuff in relation to the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the first Russian Convoy in Arkhangelsk, and the 'Marina Raskova' disaster. My wife and I have been invited to take part, in conjunction with an exhibition of a selection of my paintings at the Arkhangelsk Local Lore Museum. Unfortunately due to several reasons, not least Corona Virus, we won’t be able to take part. However I take it as an honour to be asked.
Jim

Third in the 'Marina Raskova' series. Minesweeper T114 torpedoed with heavy loss of life.
W/C 14” X 10”

Soviet Catalina sighting a lifeboat from 'Marina Raskova' and two minesweepers, sunk in the Kara Sea with heavy losses. w/c 16” X 11”

Okay - with the gradual wrapping up of Ethalion (the rigging is completed), it's time for an update on the Barque Stefano.
 
With the bulkheads roughly faired, we finished last time with them glued into place, save the final bulkhead at the stern. The next task is to fair the balsa blocks that provide shape for the bow and stern.
 
I scanned the plans, and created CAD copies of the pertinent outlines to help me shape the blocks, and once these were stuck onto cardboard and cut out, they made good templates...
 

 
This was done before the balsa was stuck on, and then I rough shaped the balsa off the model using a coping saw to stop the room being consumed by a pile of shavings... The false keel and bulkheads gave the rough pattern for what shapes these parts should be. The block was built up so that the gap that would be left on the outside was filled at the bow so the whole area would be solid in front of the front two bulkheads. (Sorry - an ugly sentence, but hopefully the picture explains)
 
(Remember these are handed - they have to fit either side of the bow!, I almost forgot.)
 
It doesn't have to be pretty at this stage... it's all going to get sanded down and up soon enough.
 

 
The blocks are then stuck into place.
 
I quickly realised that sanding was going to take forever to remove this much material, and still created buckets of dust, so I switched to a small plane... Finishing off was then done by sandpaper  folded to make it fairly firm, and in broad sweeps to get nice curves... 
 

 
And here are the profile templates...
 

 
The gap between the first and second bulkheads was also filled at the outer edge... and then sanded back to make a smooth curve... 
 

 
Next up is the stern balsa former...  But this post is long enough already.
 

The next stage is to trial fit the bulkheads, checking that they are a comfy, but not stressed fit. This was remarkably easy - again the accuracy of the laser-cutting was great... When I tried putting in the wooden dowels they slid in really easily - one dowel was a little oval in cross-section, so I sanded it down, but the holes for the dowels were perfectly placed, and when sighting along the hull with the dowels in, I was thrilled to find the hull was really nice and smooth... (bulkhead fairing excepted)
 
Lego was employed to check squareness. As HeronGuy noted, the dowels will make a wonderfully rigid structure, but you do need to check it's all straight. 
 

 
Once satisfied with the vertical and widthways squareness of the parts, I took the whole thing apart, and glued it bit by bit with carpenter's glue. This diverted from the instructions which suggest brushing on watered down glue. I wasn't confident that the glue would work effectively enough for my liking, and I didn't want things coming unstuck during the fairing process. I had one oopsy moment, where I realised that I'd got a bulkhead slightly high, but pushing it down, the dowels fitted like a glove. The carpenter's glue gave Just enough time to double-check things to make sure all was square, and that brings us up to date. It's now going to be left overnight to glue nice and solid ready for fairing tomorrow.
 

 
Here's the glue I've been using (for every model I've built so far). I can't fault it. Good strength, quick grab, plenty of moving time, and waters down brilliantly for the rigging. It dries clear with a dull sheen. (And no I don't work for them  )
 

 
I've ordered some extra balsa, which will hopefully arrive in the next few days. I wasn't expecting to get so far so quickly, but it's testament to MarisStella that I have.
 
One last photo... Ethalion and Stefano in the same room... 
 

 
They're very comparable in size. I think I'm going to rig this model with yards braced round, as per some contemporary models in the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. e.g. https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66318.html It could help with the space 🤣
 
So far, I'm falling just as in love with this kit as with Ethalion, which bodes well for the next few years!
 
Happy building
 
Rob
 
 
 
 

Making this simple Mike, I think there are plenty of patination solutions available specifically aimed at a verdigris finish (rather than blackening) if that's the direction you want to go.  Have never tried any, but the jewelry market seems big on this.  Google search should give you plenty of options.

I agree wholeheartedly with Martin, a waterline set too low creates an unbalanced look in my opinion, a higher line, besides being more historically accurate, provides more of a sense of "heft".  On my Snake the waterline is in my opinion too low (but not horribly so) which I did in blissful ignorance, but I see it everytime I look at her.