Beef Wellington

@ Eammon - I think you and many others deserve a perseverance award for sticking around
@ Sjors - Its great that you'll be starting a Snake build as well, there are a number now in progress, and there is still a chance you will finish yours before me 🙂
@ Mike - Thanks for reminding me that you put these on your badger, she really is a nice looking model
@ Martin - Hope it helps, like always, we stand on the shoulders of those who go before
 
The Ensign:
Really the only missing item at this point is an ensign.  Making one's own is really the only option as aftermarket items are the wrong time period (the cross of St Patrick in the Union Jack was only introduced after the Act of Union in 1801), only white ensigns are available and they seem somehow a little too perfect, and the material they are made from seems overly heavy.  There seem to be a couple of very similar approaches to making these, and here is how I approached it.  This was my first effort, and although results are not the height of perfection, I'd say this is something that any modeler should feel comfortable taking on.  I am not quite finished in that the final article needs to be 'folded' to sit more realistically, but I'm stepping back for a moment to think through options as I'll probably need to use some steam to help make permanent - and this seems like it could be a little catastrophic if approached incorrectly.  Open to thoughts here!
 
The first decision was to decide what sized ensign to create.  I printed on paper various sizes to see what looked good to my eye before committing further.  I'm rather taken with the majestic look of a large flag, and have erred on the side of larger size, even if it would be perhaps more appropriate to use a smaller size for a ship not under sail or in battle.  If I could make one recommendation to a modern navy, it would be to use larger ensigns!  The other factor that played into my decision to err on the larger side was that when tweaked to hang more realistically, it will look smaller and less obtrusive to the eye.
 
The first step was to soak some modelspan tissue in water and stretch over a frame to dry.  I used an old cheap picture frame which worked quite handily, and the modelspan tightened quite nicely.  Once dry, dilute PVA was painted on, this causes the paper to stretch and wrinkle again.  Once dry, it becomes taught again and the outline of an ensign was very lightly drawn on with pencil tracing from an appropriate pattern.  After that it was a simple case of slowly layering dilute acrylic paints.  I was somewhat limited to what I could get my hands on, using Tamiya XF-7 Red, XF-8 Blue and Vallejo 'Off White'  used on the cutter.

Some masking tape was used where the hoist will be to try and limit mistakes in that area, and while this did work, masking tape did not seem to be able to provide a clean edge for the rest of the flag so it was pretty much all painted free hand.  Both sides were painted, and for the field of the flag, brush direction was alternated in horizontal and vertical directions. 

I forget how many dilute coats were applied, but I stopped before the colour became too solid and while there was still some translucency when held up to light (the horizontal and vertical lines were still somewhat visible).  Once removed and cut to size, the hoist was trimmed to an appropriate size so it could be doubled back on itself and hard crease introduced.  This is just visible below at bottom left of the flag.

In reality, the ensign would have been attached with either toggles or loops to the halyard, I decided to avoid reproducing this exactly because it would likely look a little out of scale and introduce some unnecessary complexity.  In the end, a length of rope was lightly glued into the crease of the hoist, which was then then lightly glued back into place.  Two knots were then placed into the rope where this would normally attach, and a false seizing placed above (on the top) and below (on the bottom) to give the impression of a loop.  The hoist was then tidied up with a little off-white paint.

The ensign could now be trial fitted by threading the halyard through the small block on the end of the gaff.  An ensign staff would have been used on larger ships, and even some earlier smaller craft seem to have a temporary mount to be able to place a staff.  With the platform, there is really no space for such a feature, so I'm going to proceed with the ensign flying from the gaff.  Given the spartan, utilitarian approach to the rest of the ship design, it does not seam unreasonable that this was the approach taken, similar to what I understand was done for smaller cutters.  I'm also proceeding on the assumption that the ensign halyard would just have been secured to a cleat on either the side of the stern.  I would welcome some additional insight or correction on this point.

 

@ Eammon - I think you and many others deserve a perseverance award for sticking around
@ Sjors - Its great that you'll be starting a Snake build as well, there are a number now in progress, and there is still a chance you will finish yours before me 🙂
@ Mike - Thanks for reminding me that you put these on your badger, she really is a nice looking model
@ Martin - Hope it helps, like always, we stand on the shoulders of those who go before
 
The Ensign:
Really the only missing item at this point is an ensign.  Making one's own is really the only option as aftermarket items are the wrong time period (the cross of St Patrick in the Union Jack was only introduced after the Act of Union in 1801), only white ensigns are available and they seem somehow a little too perfect, and the material they are made from seems overly heavy.  There seem to be a couple of very similar approaches to making these, and here is how I approached it.  This was my first effort, and although results are not the height of perfection, I'd say this is something that any modeler should feel comfortable taking on.  I am not quite finished in that the final article needs to be 'folded' to sit more realistically, but I'm stepping back for a moment to think through options as I'll probably need to use some steam to help make permanent - and this seems like it could be a little catastrophic if approached incorrectly.  Open to thoughts here!
 
The first decision was to decide what sized ensign to create.  I printed on paper various sizes to see what looked good to my eye before committing further.  I'm rather taken with the majestic look of a large flag, and have erred on the side of larger size, even if it would be perhaps more appropriate to use a smaller size for a ship not under sail or in battle.  If I could make one recommendation to a modern navy, it would be to use larger ensigns!  The other factor that played into my decision to err on the larger side was that when tweaked to hang more realistically, it will look smaller and less obtrusive to the eye.
 
The first step was to soak some modelspan tissue in water and stretch over a frame to dry.  I used an old cheap picture frame which worked quite handily, and the modelspan tightened quite nicely.  Once dry, dilute PVA was painted on, this causes the paper to stretch and wrinkle again.  Once dry, it becomes taught again and the outline of an ensign was very lightly drawn on with pencil tracing from an appropriate pattern.  After that it was a simple case of slowly layering dilute acrylic paints.  I was somewhat limited to what I could get my hands on, using Tamiya XF-7 Red, XF-8 Blue and Vallejo 'Off White'  used on the cutter.

Some masking tape was used where the hoist will be to try and limit mistakes in that area, and while this did work, masking tape did not seem to be able to provide a clean edge for the rest of the flag so it was pretty much all painted free hand.  Both sides were painted, and for the field of the flag, brush direction was alternated in horizontal and vertical directions. 

I forget how many dilute coats were applied, but I stopped before the colour became too solid and while there was still some translucency when held up to light (the horizontal and vertical lines were still somewhat visible).  Once removed and cut to size, the hoist was trimmed to an appropriate size so it could be doubled back on itself and hard crease introduced.  This is just visible below at bottom left of the flag.

In reality, the ensign would have been attached with either toggles or loops to the halyard, I decided to avoid reproducing this exactly because it would likely look a little out of scale and introduce some unnecessary complexity.  In the end, a length of rope was lightly glued into the crease of the hoist, which was then then lightly glued back into place.  Two knots were then placed into the rope where this would normally attach, and a false seizing placed above (on the top) and below (on the bottom) to give the impression of a loop.  The hoist was then tidied up with a little off-white paint.

The ensign could now be trial fitted by threading the halyard through the small block on the end of the gaff.  An ensign staff would have been used on larger ships, and even some earlier smaller craft seem to have a temporary mount to be able to place a staff.  With the platform, there is really no space for such a feature, so I'm going to proceed with the ensign flying from the gaff.  Given the spartan, utilitarian approach to the rest of the ship design, it does not seam unreasonable that this was the approach taken, similar to what I understand was done for smaller cutters.  I'm also proceeding on the assumption that the ensign halyard would just have been secured to a cleat on either the side of the stern.  I would welcome some additional insight or correction on this point.

 

Very impressive, Jason.  I think there's a good reason this detail gets omitted so much, and that is, as you say, it isn't easy to figure out how to get them done.  Your detailed account solves that problem for the rest of us.  Many thanks!
 
Cheers,
 
Martin

Looks fantastic Jason!  I seem to recall anchor buoys being about 1/3 the anchor length as well, but can't recall where I saw that (maybe in zu Mondfeld).  My approach was similar to yours, except I used clay for the buoy part.  The rope work around the buoy is a real pain but it makes for a nice detail not ordinarily seen in models.
 
 
 

Wow Jason,
 
I thought that the Snake was finished....
But it goes better and better.
I have now no regret that I bought the Snake yesterday 😃
I was hoping that i will get it today but i think tommorow.
So this build log will be my guide.
Thanks my friend.
 
Sjors

Brilliant Stuff Jason ..I have just taken note of your steps as I'm soon to be onto this myself !
 
All The Best Mate
 
Eamonn

COG - not so much people forgetting, but info overload and therefore a quick indicator as to what 'state' the thing can be left in, or where not to step is needed.   Not only do you need to be aware of the moving hazards of rotating turrets and machinery, but:  the blast zone distances of all weapons, decoys etc, radio hazards ( working / normal distance, standard conditions and when refuelling, loading ammo), laser hazards, chemical hazard etc, trip hazards and so on-and on.  Then you need to know what ventilation flaps, openings etc can be left open/closed in what state/condition the ship has been ordered to keep (different depending on the current situation - harbour, warning level, preparedness etc) - e.g. is it a condition A, B, Y, Z flap/opening, can this door hatch be left open or not in Action, Special Sea Duty, etc, or in what material state (how well/tightly the ship is closed down for various operational conditions).   This is the RN marking system, the USN and other navies have variations and their own specific markings.
 
Reminders are very useful and necessary, but some are probably more useful when it comes to an 'Accident Investigation' or a Court Case  - something about protecting their Royal Highness' A%#@  
 
cheers
 
Pat

Could be true, although that is inconsistent as well.  On the right side the 1 is followed by another numeral and is not scripted.  Although hard to read, it also appears that there is no use of the medial/long s anywhere (e.g. in Bowsprit) which also seems a little odd.

Just incredible what you are achieving Mike, hats off to you dealing with that insane PE at that scale, looks great though.  How do you fold the PE at this scale?

Several hours later...…..
Post Four
Fixing the stem
 
This entails cutting a new stem piece from some spare 1mm Pearwood sheet.

0999(2)
Rough cut shape
 

0004
Cutting the scarph, the etched saw blades are perfect for this scale of work.
 

0008(2)
Fairly easy to shape a new part, final shaping will be done later.

09996
A scarph is then cut in the stem below the level of the break

00998

00013(2)
The new piece is glued and pinned.

00018(2)
A little bit of shaping.
 

0019(2)
Hopefully, this new piece will be more robust.
 
 
B.E.
21/01/21
 
 
 
 

Thanks whitejames, Eamonn, Joe, Martin, Stergios, mugje, Mike and all the 'likes' for the continued interest and encouragement.  Happy New year to everyone!
 
Anchors:
Adding some appropriate features here at the bow will do much to enhance the overall look of the model, the kit itself leaves the bow area a little sparse, especially the rigging which has already been commented on.  The kit provides 4 full sized 'bower' anchors.  However, Steele indicates that a ship of Snakes size and class would only carry 3, in addition to a smaller kedge and stream anchor : “Ships of 110 to, 100, 98, and 90 guns, have seven anchors; from 80 to 20 guns inclusive, 6 anchors; ships of 300 tons, and sloops, have 5; and brigs and cutters 3 anchors.” - This would include the large (best, small, and spare) bower anchors, stream and kedge anchors.
 
As for positioning, per Steele:  "The spare anchor is stowed on the starboard side, and is seldom used, but when one of the others is lost......The stream anchor is stowed on the spare anchor; and, when used, it is sent in the long-boat or launch, with its cable bent, and let go at any particular spot, either for steadying the ship, when riding by only one bower, or to assist a ship when in shore, or to warp her, &c. ......the kedge is stowed on the stream and spare anchors, and is frequently used to stop a ship for a tide in little winds…”
 
A number of years ago (!) I had purchased a smaller Caldercraft anchor for the kedge anchor, and luckily was able to find it.  Not much to cover in the making up of these anchors, which had previously started some time ago.  The ends of the stocks were rounded of and tapered.  One mistake I did make that I am now aware of is that there should be gap between the two halves, speculating to retard rot.  I found the 'puddening' particular challenging to complete as the pieces are hard to hold securely but finally got there - once again the 'springiness' of the kit supplied rope seems very capable of undoing work at the most inconvenient moment.
 
The next question was how to install on the model.  Info on anchor handling practices seems to be a little sparse, with diagrams and descriptions appearing in 'Lever' being replicated in other reference books.  Other logs, especially BE's fantastic Pegasus build, helped fill in areas of confusion.  Again Steele sheds a bit more light:  “The best bower is then placed forward near the bows on the starboard side; the small bower near the bows on the larboard side, a little abaft their respective catheads; and are secured by their stoppers, from the catheads and shank-painters. The stopper has one end clinched round the cathead; the other end passes through the ring of the anchor, returns upwards, and leads over a large thumb cleat bolted to the cathead, and is made fast with several turns, and the end hitched round the head-rail and timber-head, on the fore side of the cathead.”

Anchor hawse clinch:
The approach to attaching the hawse to the anchors using a clinch is shown pretty clearly in 'Lever'.  A bight is made by lashings ("no larger than the anchor ring") and the hawse fed through the anchor ring and the bight.  Nothing too complicated, but this was rather tricky to execute because it needed to be done in situ, a tin was used to rest the anchor while this was performed.  Before the last bight lashings were put on, the intended end of the hawse was seized to prevent it unravelling once cut.  This approach seemed to work well, and the extra untrimmed length of the hawse was helpful in keeping things positioned to allow the last lashing to be put in place.
 

Anchor stopper:
Per Steele:  "The stopper has one end clinched round the cathead; the other end passes through the ring of the anchor, returns upwards, and leads over a large thumb cleat bolted to the cathead, and is made fast with several turns, and the end hitched round the head-rail and timber-head, on the fore side of the cathead." 
 
The rope would likely need to be reasonably substantial, and given a diagram in Lever which corroborated, 0.75mm rope was used.  Although the size looked appropriate, the poor quality of the kit rope led me to look for options, and a solution became clear after looking at some photo's of Victory.  It seems the stopper was served (presumably for protection), so this was replicated and it went a long way to improving the visual appeal.
 

Cat block:
The cat blocks seem to be a nice feature to add for visual interest.  The blocks were made up from a couple of kit 7mm double blocks and shaped.  Card was used for the iron band and brass ringbolts used for the hook and the simulated axle.  A small PE eye bolt was installed on the rear of the cathead and 0.5mm line attached and fed through the block before securing to a cleat at the base.
 

 
Shank painter:
Per Steele:  "The shank-painter hangs the shank and fluke of the anchor to the ship's side outboard; and when stowed, the shank-painter is passed under the inner fluke round the shank of the anchor, and made fast with two or three turns, and the end stopt round timber-heads on the forecastle."  Lever also has a well replicated diagram showing how this would be used.
 
Luckily I had some spare chain left over from the rudder, and this was used for the shank painter together with some 0.5mm line.  At first, I felt this was a little oversized, but looking at photos again of Victory it doesn't seem too out of line.  Against the black background of the hull it sits OK with my eye.  I suspect that the end of the chain ended in a hook, but this detail was omitted for convenience, as it would not be very visible.
 

Undecided as of now whether to leave the port anchor suspended from the catblock or replicate that used on the starboard side.

 

@Mike - thanks for the kind words!
@Martin - I guess I'm located in the valley just over the hills from the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut 🙂
 
Rope Coils...
Before any more rigging can be completed, rope coils really need to be attended to.  Once the remaining braces, cluelines and sheets go on, access will be impossibly restricted.  I'm not a fan of gravity defying suspended circular coils which don't quite look right to my eye.  I really wasn't quite sure of the approach to take, but I knew I wanted to try to replicate the shear mass of heaps of rope often shown on period photos and try to give the rope some mass, but knew that doing so would be very difficult using the kit rope.
 
After many attempts, a mock up of the pin rail was made up and the rope stretched around a belaying pin and some wire.  Dilute PVA was then applied to ensure it kept its shape, and some extra rope wrapped around to keep the shape.  Once trimmed and the glue has dried, these can be hung over the desired location.  These still require some fettling and wanted to see how I feel about them in a few days with a number on position before securing or trying an alternative approach.  I'd welcome thoughts and suggestions...
 

 

Post Three

Fairing and planking – on hold.

The vulnerable stem piece is on my mind as I prepare to start the fairing.


9990
With good reason, as before I even start the stem piece comes away with the slightest of touch, and then breaks into three pieces.


9987(2)
This is not going to work as the stem with its rabbet is a critical piece, requiring lateral strength to hold the plank ends.

Once the stage is reached whereby the first planking strake is secured in the rabbet the whole process then becomes stronger but getting there is the issue.


9993(2)
It may be that my example is particularly weak, but having this fragile upright extension cut with cross grain is probably a contributing factor.

I think I need to remodel the stem cut on the longitudinal grain and form a scarph joint to hold the remade piece more securely.


 
I may be some time. 🤔


 
B.E.

21/01/21

 
 

Glad to see you have taken these on, can fully appreciate the fiddle factor but you seem quite the old hand on these smaller boats.  I agree there has been a huge gap in the market for these high quality minikits, these seem like a great upgrade to the older kit supplied options.

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...
 
 

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...
 
 

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...
 
 

Felt good to finally get some paint on this, after such a long period of it sitting on the shelf.  I ended up priming with thinned Vallejo black primer.  For the gray, there are various grays used by different shipyards.  This ship was built by the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal.  Some companies like Tamiya make paint colors specific to the various shipyards (Kure, Maizuru, Yokosuka, etc.).  I wanted to stick with Vallejo, so I went with Vallejo Medium Gunship Gray with a  tiny bit of Vallejo Intermediate Blue mixed in to get what I think is a fairly close match to what the Tamiya paint (XF 91) looked like.  It gets a little crazy trying to be exact, as colors render differently on the computer and even vary across pictures of the same paints posted by different sellers.  With shading and weathering, things will change in the end anyway. 
 
 

 
I like how things came out.  With the black primer base, I lightly sprayed the gray so the hull is already shaded in the various recesses, which makes things much easier.  Next I'll try to add some washes and a touch of highlighting, and then start adding the remaining details like the rails which are still on the PE frets but painted.
 
Thanks for looking in!

Jason,
 
Have not commented too often -- should have --   awesome log along with brilliant work!!
 
Regards,

Glad to see you have taken these on, can fully appreciate the fiddle factor but you seem quite the old hand on these smaller boats.  I agree there has been a huge gap in the market for these high quality minikits, these seem like a great upgrade to the older kit supplied options.

Building a 22’ Yawl.
 
I was pleased to see that Chris had extended his range of ships boats to cover almost everything that the builder of 1:64 scale 18thc ships could want.
The only possible exception is a Longboat.
 

Yawl as built by James Hatch.
I was instantly drawn to the Yawl, a boat type I have not built, and this mini kit looked too good to pass.
 

9953(2)
Here’s the makings for this mini kit.
The first thing I notice is the inclusion of all Pearwood for the  keel parts and planking and the much reduced thickness of the timbers to better reflect scale. The build board and sacrificial bulkheads are of PDF.
 
The usual etched gratings and bottom boards are similar to the old cutter kit, but as with that kit I don’t think I will use the  rudder covers.
A set of Pearwood oars are provided in addition to the brass etched versions. These are very fine but provide a good template to build up the looms.
 
 
A little history about Yawls.
 
This boat type was developed at Deal on the Kent coast and was traditionally clinker built. The Yawl became part of the Navy boat establishment in 1701 but its form developed over the succeeding years.
 
In terms of naval use, both clinker and carvel planked versions were in operation at various periods and concurrently during the 18th century, but the Navy had a preference for carvel-built boats, and Yawls built in Naval Dockyards took this form.
 
The strength and lightness of clinker boats were often favoured by ship Captains, but the drawback to Clinker built boats was difficulty of repair compared with carvel-built boats, and the Navy only issued carvel versions to ships destined for foreign service.
 
The kit represents a carvel version as built in a naval yard rather than a private yard where clinker would prevail
 
For this build I am going to follow the carvel route.
 
Looking ahead I have a fancy to mast and rig my version.
 
First steps.
 
The first thing that is instantly apparent with this kit is the fragility of the parts, very soft hands will be required at least in the early stages of the assembly.
 

9965
Even so, in the process of fitting the forward bulkheads and filler pieces, I managed with the slightest touch to snap off the upper part of the stem which contains the rabbet.
This is not a criticism of the kit which by its scale nature requires fine parts.
 

9968
So, first stages comes to a shuddering halt whilst I wait for the Aliphatic resin to hopefully secure the now re-attached stem head.
 

9967
However, until the boat is secured on its board I will live in fear of the Pearwood keel snapping.
 
 
B.E.
20/01/21
 
 

Post Nine
 
 
 
Faffing and fiddling to the finish line
 
 
The rudder is completed with straps and the tiller and can now be set in place.
 

9919(2)
I used thin black card for the purposes of the straps.
 
 
I decided to make the oars using Boxwood as the brass etched versions lacked the looms, and you can’t get away from the two-dimensional aspect of brass etch.
 

9943(2)
The kit supplies two sweet little etched grappling hooks, I silver soldered the arms rather than use ca which would have been detrimental to the blackening process.
 
The boat hook was fitted in a Boxwood handle rather than use the etched version.
 
The grapnel as provided by the kit lacks the benefit of a ring, easily rectified, which is needed to attach the classic Fisherman's Bend hitch for small anchors, where the line needs to pass twice thro' the ring.
 
Steel gives a grapnel rope circ for ships boats as 3"-3½"
I used .30mm ø line for the purpose.
 

9944(2)
The completed set.
 

9927(2)
Wipe-on-poly is used to enhance the natural colour of the timbers, I decided not to use paint on the model.
 

9928(2)
It was necessary to use Light oak wood stain on the keel, which would still have been the case had I used the supplied Pearwood.
 

9930(2)

9932(2)
An enjoyable little interlude to occupy myself during the Bathroom re-fit which looks to continue for a few days more.
 

9949
A better appreciation of the relative size of this bijou build, I think it will be a cutter for a cutter and join Alert in her display case.
 
As I finish this project Chris has issued his replacement, enhanced, 18’ cutter.
Having a Pearwood keel is a good improvement and the use of thinner 0.6mm strip is more scale appropriate. The build sequence is also more logical and I like the inclusion of Pearwood oars, something else I feel is preferable.
 
 
I have decided to rename this log as 18th c ships boats – 1:64 scale - Vanguard Models, as today I received another of Chris’s little gems, this time the 22’ Yawl.
 
 
 
This build will continue in this section.
 
 
B.E.
19/01/21

Post Eight


 
Sheer strakes, Gunwales and Washboards.


 
These terms can be a little confusing in relation to cutters.


 
David White- The Frigate Diana describes the upper strake as the Wash Strake and below this the Upper Strake. The Gun wale is shown as running inside the framing.


 
Peter Goodwin – The Cutter Alert describes the upper strake as the Gunwale (wash strake) and below this the sheer strake.


 
Brian Lavery – Arming and Fitting describes the upper strake as a thicker piece of timber known as the Gunwale, fitted with thole pins or rowlocks. After the mid-eighteenth century a removeable wash- strake was fitted on many boats, above the gunwale.


 
For the purposes of my build I will use the terms Gunwale and Wash strake.


 
Gunwale


9872
I used 0.7mm x 1.8mm ebony strip for the purpose, ca’d level with the top of the bulwark.
 
Wash-strake


 
These are likely to prove tricky to fit because there is little effectively to support them inboard.


9863(2)
The knees that fit to the thwarts should run up to the top of the Wash strake, which they don’t on my build unless they are fitted with the long end upwards which I did as I couldn’t face making replacements of these tiny items.

 

9864(2)
With this arrangement there will be support for the Wash-boards but before these are fitted it is necessary to consider the Rowlock positions.


 
The kit seems to indicate three sets of rowlocks serving the forward three thwarts. This would suggest that it is set up for double banked rowing, and the oar length would support this


There is a plan for an 18’ cutter in the Cutter Alert book showing this set up.


 
However, there are plans indicating offset rowlocks for 18’ cutters which would indicate a single bank arrangement.

There is a plan for an 18’ cutter in the Frigate Diana book (David White) which has this arrangement.


 
I am using 1.7mm x 0.7mm Boxwood strip for the wash strakes.

The strakes need to be heat bent to fit atop the bulwark without tension which will greatly assist a successful result.


 
The kit blurb suggests gluing strips of wood along the bulwark leaving 1mm gaps for the Rowlocks.


9880
My approach is to fit the strake as a whole which has the advantage of maintaining a better round to follow the hull.

I used spots of ca on the brackets and the strip to secure the strake.


9879(2)
A micro-saw is then used to cut the rowlocks. I use an Airwaves etched stainless steel saw blade that has incredibly fine teeth and fits into a Swann Morten scalpel blade.
Anything coarser would inevitably break the glue bond or the wood strip.


9887(2)
This finishes the basic construction, but the macro’s I took show up areas requiring further cleaning up before the final finish is applied.


 
B.E.

17/01/21

 
 

Looks great Rob!  You've clearly been busy.  Forgive me if I missed it, what did you decide on for the topgallant masts (stump, common or long)?  Also curious if you are following the plans, or the rigging diagram in the AOTS Diana book, and whether you've seen any differences.

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...