Beef Wellington

Definitely time for an update. Unfortunately I haven't been very well for a number of weeks so, quite rightly, work, family, etc... took priority, and almost nothing happened to Ethalion.  Thankfully, I'm over the worst, so it's back on with the project. I needed a break from the things I'd been doing to get my head back into Ethalion, so I decided to start work on the masts. I've been itching to see what the lower fore, main, mizzen would look like and work out the colour scheme. Here is my first attempt.
 
 

 
And finally, I've been moving my previous models into a new cabinet to display them, and it gave me the opportunity to get a few pictures of the fleet  - all are Caldercraft - namely, the Schooner Pickle, and the cutter Sherbourne.

 


Apologies for the quality of the photos... I'll try and get some better ones another time when I have more time, and more energy  I was utterly shocked by the difference in weight between the smaller craft and Ethalion. I'll have to get some scales out at some point, but suffice it to say, it's significant!
 
Next steps are to think seriously about the fittings needed for rigging on the quarterdeck (pintails, etc..); rigging the carronades and cannon, which are just loosely sat in position at the moment, and then whatever takes my fancy next
 
Happy building 
 
Rob
 
 
 

I haven't posted in over a month - time for an update.  
 
I have finished the stern area as well as coppering and attaching the rudder.   The rudder was very fiddly! aligning tiles with those on the hull, attaching the hinges and affixing the pintle straps seemed to be unduly hard!  The straps didn't, and still don't, seem to stick tot he rudder or hull particularly well even when using superglue...gluing to nobbles on the tiles doesn't give much binding area.
 
Eventually it was on, so I started marking up for the wales. 
 
  

I have now turned my attention to the transom area - a little trepidation as many of you have commented extensively about ensuring the levels, balance and profile were correct. I followed the booklet instructions tot he letter (as best I could) and assembled slowly.  the first issue was highlighted immediately - by securing the edge of the stern galley fascia along the edge of the upper stern counter, it was clear that the was a 'list' to port! A list that I couldn't correct as the frame was well and truly sealed and I didn't want to try filing or fudging the stern fascia.  After reflection it was clear this would not be fatal, as I could correct the visual impact when I attached the wing transom by aligned the lower edge with the waterline and infilling the gap between the wing transom and the stern counter with black boxwood; when I did this I was able to remove the visual effect of the skew. 
 
The side galleries were carefully carved into shape but again the misalignment re-emerged when upper counters were shaped and glued: whittling with a sharp knife and sanding the get the required curves - result: lots of nicks in my finger, luckily no blood on the boxwood! - they overlapped the aft gunports by about 3mm. They appeared too high despite all the sides being as per the assembly instructions.  Not wishing to have alarge piece of stern woodwork in the port, I have raised the lower part of the two gunpots by inserting 3mm piece of boxwood which re-injects the balance and, to the casual observer, will not be noticed when the model goes on display.  The upper parts of the bulwarks will be painted so the repair will not be visible when complete. The 'drops' didn't fit snuggly over the main wale forcing the piece to sit at an odd angle, so I carved a small slot for the drop to sit within which will be touched up with black idc.   
 
Before I attached the various fittings - windows etc, I painted the stern blue, again as per the instructions and with the supplied Admiralty Blue paint.  It is woefully shiny, almost gloss, which is no good - any thoughts as to which paint is a good substitute?  Once that is resolved I can add the various fittings, the windows in the phot were just placed in for sizing to ensure sufficient room is left when the walnut strips were applied.  
 
Its not a patch on Rob's excellent work but is okay for my first attempt.  Much learning taken away, including the need to do that fascia alignment early in the process!
 
Rudder next.
 
peter     

I note that my last post was released in late September when I had achieved a few rows on the Port (not starboard as stated) side.  I have now finally completed coppering the hull - phew!  The whole thing took longer, and was harder, than I imagined when I set off on this phase of the bid.  It is easy to rush the sticking on of tiles, to cover the place in glue and to lose the parallel lines leading to a messy looking hull which will detract everytime you look at the ship.  I went steadily along and I think have made a reasonable job of the task - it was after all my first time attempting coppering.  A couple of points to reflect upon. 
 
a.     Don't rush.  Someone on another blog set a target of 3000 tiles an night...madness unless you are extraordinarily slick which I wasn't.
b.     Work out the lines carefully to ensure the curve is natural _ the gore line is important.
c.     I used Gorilla superglue with a brush and fine nozzle which allow even spreading of glue.  Its easy to put too much on the tile so be careful. I sealed the hull with diluted paint to give a better bind and reduce the amount of glue used.  Nevertheless it still took two pots to apply them all.   
d.    Try as you might, you will still get glue on the surface of some of the tiles; it is inevitable.  I used a lint free cloth and 100% acetone to remove the glue.  It had the added advantage of just taking the glare and excessive shine off the tiles as well: they look a little more natural. 
e.    Cutting is easy with very sharp scissors; too large a pair and the edges curl.  They can of course be flattened but it adds time.  I used a dressmakers 2" pair which were ideal. The dimples on the tiles alos make it reasonably straightforward to gauge the shape. 
f.     I applied a 1x1" walnut beading to signify the waterline, painted it black which gave a neat a neat edge to the tiles and doesn't look out of place.
g.    Be careful not to get glue on the finished boxwood - tap it up! 
 
I am happy with the outcome.  I will next look at the stern galleries before fixing the rudder.  Happy days. 

I‘ve ordered pearwood strips for the lower deck, which will probably only arrive the week after next. To keep myself busy I started something else.
This is going to be a loooong build (well at least it isn‘t a Victory) 😳😆
 

All of the blocks have now been attached to the main masts.  I have latterly substituted Syren blocks for those in the kit, and the 'ropes' are also from Syren.  Most of it has come out acceptably, though in assembling and gluing the masts before doing all of this, I have made things difficult for myself.  Doing the shrouds is going to be especially interesting.
 

I notice in the following photo one of the blocks is upside down.  I have since replaced it.


Before the shrouds go on, the pendants need to be attached.  The instructions make no sense to me, and in any event, seem to be at odds with one of the the plans, though another plan (shown second, below) is at least partly consistent with Petersson's shown in the last photo.  I shall use Petersson's method.
 


 

 

The topmast shrouds are now complete.  They are not finally tied off.  We are going away tomorrow for a couple of weeks (fires permitting) and I will leave them until we return.  Sometimes the thread may stretch a little and I can then make any adjustments to the lanyards.  I have redone the protective mesh on the tops and this time made a better job of it. 
 
Best wishes to all for Christmas and the new year.
 

 

 

 

Thanks for the encouragement Kevin.
 
The main futtock shrouds are now complete.  The process proved easier than I anticipated.  First the hooks were inserted to the strops.  The 'ropes' (wetting it makes them easier to work with, and make sure they a longer than will eventually be necessary) are dropped down over the front of staves, then looped over them.  They are then loosely tied to the appropriate shrouds.  The futtock shrouds may then be pulled through the loose knot to the appropriate tension, then properly tied off.
 

 


 
 
 

The main shrouds are finally finished.  The process did not go smoothly and a couple had to be redone.  Here are the results.  I'm not especially happy with the port side, but it's OK, and later, with all sorts of other things going on, any inadequacies will be obscured.
 

 

 
 
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The lower shrouds are now attached to the main mast.  I made things more difficult than I should have, but tying the shrouds on proved easier than anticipated and they turned out quite acceptably..  The photos give an idea how they were done.  Once the shrouds are attached to the deadeyes and made taut, the respective loops should line up quite nicely.
 



 

 
 
 

The shrouds are finally complete.  I'm rather sick of the sight of them.  The first two photos show one of the the main topgallant backstays.  Any deck furniture to be seen in the background is dry-fitted.  I'm hoping we can make our belated 'Christmas' trip tomorrow, and if so, will try to finish the various yards over the next week or so.
 

 

 
Now here are the various shrouds.
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks Mark. The work has been finished. I just need to sort out the easiest way to get the enormous data files to those wishing to purchase them.  It will include some kick-*** videos as well! The complete works should be available in January. In the meantime here are a couple of photos of the model on the open seas.
 

That is very very nice Simon.  Are you flipping the planks around to get the slight colour and grain difference between the cut plank pieces?  The results really do speak for themselves.

Definitely NOT the horrible Old Leopard!  Your solution on the upper masts with the tenon worked out very well it seems.  Great work Jim, love the full hull shots.

Vane - My preference is always to look to evidence where possible for inspiration.  "The Sailing Frigate" by Robert Gardiner is an illustrated book charting the history of the frigate using contemporary models...I take no credit for anything! 
 
The following images are from the National Maritime Museum collections site, but are illustrated in book mentioned.
 
Minerva (1780) showing the yellow ochre bulwarks with red spirketting
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66278.html
 
Winchelsea (1772) showing the black coamings
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66277.html
 

 
 
 
 
 

Thanks Pat, Carl, Kevin, Jean-Paul and 'the likes' for not forgetting me! 
 
Update on a modification made right back at the start of the build.  I had initially planned to add a bowsprit step to achieve 2 things: a little more 'interest' on for the upper deck for those peeking through gun ports and a more robust engineering solution to the attachment of the bowsprit.  Both of these are still valid, but a third reason has also just become apparent to make me very glad I decided to mod this.  Bottom line, I can't quite see myself moving forward and rigging 'Jason' at this point, which would still be a long way off if past progress is any indication.  However, I would like to leave that option open for the future, and this allows me keep moving forward without making any sort of final decision.
 
Some angled 'wedges' were added to the first deck frame to match the angle of the bowsprit step which was then glued into place.  A pin was then inserted at the center position of the bowsprit position.  Maybe went overboard on securing this, but don' think you can be too careful, it was pinned at the bottom, PVA glue secured to the beam, and then pinned into the beam.  While positioning all this it was important to keep checking the clearance over the figurehead, I'd worked through this already when making the original modification and luckily no further complications arose.
 

 
A hole can then simply be drilled into the end of the bowsprit, and once the aft end is appropriately angled, this sits very snuggly and securely even without glue.  The benefit is that this is removable and replaceable even with the fo'c'sl deck in place.  I've made up a 'stub' that will probably be used for now, and also a dowel that can be made into a bowsprit should I also go in that direction.  The fore bits are also now glued in position with a few other details which will likely be lost when the fo'c'sl goes on, but its fun to experiment.
 
In other news, there was some months ago an addition to the Wellington family, her name is Mazie, and shes a loveable 14 week old 'Whoodle' (Wheaton terrier/poodle mix).  While she has many particular skills, dockyard assistance is not currently one of them...

Cheers gents,
 
Small update reflecting this weekend's work.  Have been unsure what to do with the fore companion ladder and whether to include the safety lines and whether these would look right, but approaching point where decision is needed.  I seem to recall reading in TFFM that the hand ropes would have been secured to small ringbolts in the deck below (there really should be a word for the situation where you remember reading something but then are subsequently unable to find the reference when actually needed!).  Small PE ring bolts were used in the lower deck and 0.3mm line secured to them with a false splice.  RB Models stanchions were used as they seemed a little more to scale, rather than the kit supplied items which appeared too tall - these may not be completely period accurate, but are close enough to my eye. 
 
I feel there should also be something around the main hatch companion ladder, but cant quite see what this would look like, as the iron supports for the pumps are obstructions.
 
The only way I could figure out to install these was to estimate the length of line needed and then attach the ringbolts off the model to - I was anticipating many redoes here but luckily seemed to get it how I was hoping on the first attempt.  The location of the ringbolts was determined by dry fitting the companion ladder, the ladder only being finally installed once the hand ropes were all in position.
 

Nice deck and details Peter, looking great.  The balcony looks nicely to scale.

Carl - those louvres look so much better...

A manic summer which has precluded me doing much work on the model.  It has however started to rain, the nights are drawing in and I can get back to the boat.  Unfortunately I have to crack the coppering before moving onto building again....very dull.   I have been applying steadily and have, over the last week or so, cracked half of one side!  Using plenty of glue despite sealing the hull before hand and finding that acetone used with a cotton bud or wet wipe is ideal to remove the inevitable superglue oozing - seem to get build up of glue on the tweezers which also doesn't help.  
 
I'll be back when I have cracked the starboard side!  Peter 

Rob - Thank you; a small gap remains between to planks which I am mulling over what to do with, either leave as is or try and infill with a sliver of boxwood....not sure. 
 
I am coppering the hull and have heeded your advice on the facemask and acquired a vapour mask which will help.  I have started the work and am just about to position the first gore lines. I have 1x1mm beading which I will affix once the plating gets well up the sides.
 
Question: when, and with what, did you varnish the boxwood?  I don't want to damage it when I start to fiddle with fixtures and fittings so am minded to do it after the copper is complete.
 
Grateful for your distant support. 
 
As ever
 
Peter 

Looks stunning Rob, think you are now about 2yrs ahead of me 🙂  Very interested to see you approach on the head gratings.

Another little update. More work on the beakhead railings...  I've used plasticard, which I later engraved using a proxxon engraving bit to add the inset. This can be seen in the last photo of this post, with the first coat of paint on it. Hopefully this will provide a little dignity / privacy for those using the rear-most seats of ease!

 
Some deck furniture... (the hatch was made form scratch, as the kit one ended up too wide, and looked a little clunky to my eyes. I haven't decided whether I like this open or not - the captain may prefer if it's shut so he can't be overheard discussing his orders by the whole ship's company, but if I leave it open I'll add a couple of rods to represent supports. I don't need to decide now anyway. In the bottom I put a square of card, which provides a little depth, but means I don't have to make the deck opening any bigger (somewhat tricky at this stage!).
 


The balustrades aren't glued on at the moment, as I'm sure there will be all sorts of things that will be easier to do without them in place... the positioning holes are drilled, however.
 
And the beginnings of the gratings that the seats of ease sit on. The shape is quite different from the kit shape, because of all the reworks I've done, so I've begun building this shape from scratch using the AOTS diagram as a template. I'm building them upside down. I've started cutting it down, but left it slightly oversize, so I can fit it closely once it's somewhat more complete. I also want to curve it as I go... Hmm... we'll see how that turns out! It's made out of 1x1mm and 1x2mm walnut strip, so I will need to paint it.
 

More progress on the railings and the bow over the past few days. A bit more work to do yet... but progress all-the-same. It is helpful working on one end of the boat while glue sets at the other! I need to weigh Ethalion at some point to find out just how heavy it's got.

 

If you do a quick search on Badger you will find many build logs of this kit to get more information and answer your question.  Similarly there are many many build logs of other Caldercraft kits to read through.