Beef Wellington

Hi Christos,
 
upon your special request......., here comes the crew of the "Eagle of Algier"..., enjoy...
The ship is now nearly complete, there are also some banners, and flag attached.
On the stb. side I will be fitting 9 sweeps through the oarports
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

if my Google translator (into Arabien letters) worked correct, that should read "Eagle of Algier"
 

 
 

the old flag of Algier Port
 

 
 

the "blue pirate" is always a bit of a hot head
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

the helmsman still requires a compass and perhaps a small binacle cabinet
 

cleaning with seawater

Update :
 
just a couple of days ago I had a big fright, when the chebec slipped off the desc and fell down to the floor, bow sprit downwards. Due to the horrible cracking noise it made I was expecting worse, when I bent down to pick it up for inspecting the dammage. The sprit cracked in two and broke off as well as the the complete bow rail construction. Luckily the masts and yards were not effected by the fall.
Now, after mending everything again it would`nt be visible to anyone that does`nt know what happend, except for a short brass tube that was used for shafting the bow sprit. Now the finalization of the sails can be done after all......
 
Nils
 

this was before the fall from the desc....
 

 
 

 
 

still have to clean up and coil some line runner ends....
 

 
 

after repair
 

Little update :
 
added the fore sail with all reeflines....., the upper reeflines for the main sail still have to be rigged..
The mizzen lateen sails is next and last.... The model is now 91 cm long and 71 cm high (incl. standplate)
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

Love these destroyers...nice choice!

Love these destroyers...nice choice!

Thanks for kind words everyone, welcome back Nigel, and welcome Ian and channel.
 
Mini update on a few things, think pictures are most useful.  I saw reference to a 3D printing service somewhere else on this site (Shapeways.com) and specifically one of the 'shops' on that site Model Monkey, so wanted to give it a try.  They offer a few items in 1:64 directly taken from the AOTS Diana book and offered to 3D print.  You could browse for hours through all the items offered, but here is the most helpful link for 1:64 scale offerings, these can also be made in a variety of scales. (https://www.shapeways.com/shops/model_monkey?section=1%2F64+Scale&s=0)
 
Intrigued I ordered a few items, stove and upper and lower capstans.  Out of the packet, these are translucent and it recommended to soak these, brush gently with soapy water to remove oil residue and then expose to sunlight to chemically harden - I did 2 days.  I ordered the 'Frosted Extreme Detail' which is slightly more expensive but apparently a more true print.  With an initial coat of Tamiya arcrylic grey primer the surface texture is easier to see, and the layered structure is quite visible.  I set to work on the stove and sprayed again with a matt black undercoat before finishing with the Tamiya Dark Iron.  After a number of coats, the surface texture is less apparent and really only then in lighting scenarios from above that are unlikely in the finished model.  I was reluctant to try any sort of 'sanding' as the material seems quite soft.  
 

 
With a little bit of extra work on the stove base (evergreen sheet) I think the result compares favourably to the kit supplied parts.  Overall, the proportions look more accurate (as one would expect), and the front and rear of the stove much better represent the prototype features.  I could easily see that someone could to get a better finish and detail some more but I'm leaving as is, at least for now considering what will be visible in the finished model.  The other benefit is that this barely weighs anything, the white metal stove parts provided are really quite heavy and would need to be well secured.
 
Considering the finish, I'm leaning toward using the printed lower capstan as this will only be partially visible, and provides a reasonably detailed proxy with minimal work.   This will save some time to focus on other much more visible aspects of the build and I'm Ok with 'cheating' on this item.  The upper capstan I'm less sure about, and will likely construct my own as I don't think the finish is up to close scrutiny.
 
The bottom picture highlights this for direct comparison.  The matte black undercoat on the lower capstan shoes direct comparison the "dark iron" and the way that this colour compliments nicely in my view chemically blackened metal (barrel appears overly shiny!).
 


 
Luckily I did not need to rebuild the aft bitts as the stove fit perfectly - lucky that I'd used the estimated AOTS dimensions when these were built.
 

 
In other news...work on the cannons continues slowly: these are all near the point for further detailing and hardware as structural elements are complete.  Each has been allocated its specific location and in some case the bottom of the trucks reduce slightly to ensure good seating on the deck.  Quoins were individually placed to help ensure all barrels form a smooth line when viewed from the exterior.
 

 

Love these destroyers...nice choice!

Finished the planking for thew gun deck, its removable at present, to avoid so much masking at time of painting

now moving onto the bridge section, as the deck is plank down to the hanger area, and attempting to made the bridge lookout area on top of the bridge
 
 
 
 

All Righty Then .. Photo Time ...
 
This is Ballahoo as she currently stands...  Everything in the photo is secured in its final position,  masts are removed as they were only dry fitted .
 
Thanks For Stopping By Folks .. All The Very Best from 'The Speedy Boatyard' formally known as 'Snails Pace Yard' 
 
Eamonn

Another small update folks; I have been trying to get a 'decent' ship's wheel done.  At 1:72, Victoria's wheel is just shy of 12mm.  I had a go (several times) at making one myself but at this size I simply couldn't achieve a decent wheel so I opted for an 'after-market' brass wheel (14mm - slightly oversize but I will have to live with that). It looks great but I have yet to find a way to make it look like a wood wheel.  Current idea is to chemically blacken it then spray paint it a lighter tan then dry brush with a darker tan?  The wheel was purchased separate and I soldered a drum to it.
 
The standards look a lot better in real life than they show here with shadows and the wood grain making them look crooked and/or uneven.  they actually sit flush and are pretty even.  The rudder telltale on the fore-standard is a 2mm brass tube cut off at 0.6 mm.  I printed a 'card with indicator' (1.5mm) then filled the tube with 'liquid glass' (two part).  It still needs a little cleaning and a polish but the effect is there.   The assembly is only dry fitted at the moment.  the grating are the 'foot plates that are there for the helmsman (one either side)
 
    
 
Along the way I got a little distracted.  A mate came over a couple of days ago and he showed me some planking clamps he had purchased, and I thought I could make some.  the resulting product is shown - only took a day to make 20 of these from some "turkish box" and some M3 (3mm metric) bolts and wingnuts.
 

 
cheers
 
Pat

Love these destroyers...nice choice!

PE:
the small leaf is the kit supplied parts, the other one is from White Ensign

 
Colour scheme as HMCS

lovely job, can't rush this stuff.

lovely job, can't rush this stuff.

lovely job, can't rush this stuff.

lovely job, can't rush this stuff.

The gunports are now finished.  They have turned out quite well.
 
I  found one of the inner gun port patterns slightly out which affected two gunports.  I used pieces of thin strip to fill the gaps. The first photo shows the strips before trimming ....
 

and after.
By firmly holding a short length of flexible timber strip to the inner bulwark pattern while inserting the gunport linings enabled the linings to be flush with the inner bulwark without the need to sand them back.  It's much easier to do on the outside of the hull than the inside.
 
Here are some shots of the finished articles.





 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for all the comments and likes. 
 
It has been a while. Health condition is slowing me down. The hardest part is getting used to the fact that getting less done is probably going to be the new norm.
I have started working on the topmast shrouds and ratlines. Very slow but plugging along!
 
Jesse
 

I finished the ratlines. Did them on the futtock shrouds too.
I failed to give enough detail. After tying off the lines the watery glue is brushed on and let dry to seal all the line ends where they are tied and hitched. Shape as needed as the glue gets about half-way dry. When the whole thing is done I water brushed them to thin down any areas where the glue may show on the knots and hitches. You want them to look like you just tied them. After all this I usually do another light brushing of water with a drop or two of paint to match the original rope color to mask any glue washed look to them. This is a very light wash. I immediately dry it by lightly pressing front and back sides between my fingers where space allows this. I try to have cut pieces of cloth like handkerchief material around my fingers. You can also use cotton swabs in hard to reach areas. I have chosen dark brown instead of black rope for my standing rigging so I had a drop of black and brown in the wash. This can sometimes slightly tighten it up when the wet ropes dry. I learned this from my flagpole ropes outside. You can also use a stain for this if you want instead of the water/paint wash. I don't like it as well because to me the ropes turn out looking more wet/oily looking from the stain. The water paint wash leaves them flat and dry looking like regular rope. I know some will think this overkill but I love the final resulting look.
 
Jesse
 

the attached should answer your question

Wow, so they are blocks indeed, but single (?) ..!!
I thought it was wrong the whole plan, I thought "H" was 3mm deadeye or 3mm double block....
Thank you so much anyway Davemc!
 
Stergios

The Second planking is coming along well enough. I've gone past the point where I can use clips to hold down the planks so its going to get harder. Also the lateral bending of the planks becomes a problem. 
 

 
My test section turned out alright. I tried to keep it as clean and consistent as possible but it's just really hard. My hats off to all of you with clean edges and good paint jobs
 
I tried to make the planking and wood grain noticeable through the paint, lucky enough the Yellow Ochre was really thin. That's 6 coats! 
 

Hello -  Thank you for the generous comments and 'likes'. Martin - just get on with it 
Sheet 10 nearly done with the Crowsfeet to do. So that is all the Stays and Preventer Stays.
 

Have this book which has been a great help as the plans at times are hard to see what's what.

 
Clear illustrations.

Mouses shaped from bits of dowel turned on a Proxxon lathe.

 

 
Fore Topmast Stay and Preventer Stay secured. Ends will be sorted with a rope coil later.

 
Overall pictures.



Thanks for looking.
 
Regards
 
Doug
 

Hi all,
 
Once again, I'm indebted to Jason (Beef Wellington), Ray, and Barbossa for their excellent insights along the way with their builds of the Caldercraft HMS Diana...
 
I've taken a pause with the sheer rails until I've got the quarter deck / fore deck on... I think then it will be easier to make it all look right. That means there are some things that need tidying up before the model starts sitting upright permanently!
 
The Fore Bitts.
 
I made up the fore bitts... only one is provided in the kit, and I really wanted to beef them up a bit (I was struck by just how sturdy they really were when I visited Victory - albeit she was a bigger ship! So I started from scratch with boxwood, using AOTS and Jason's excellent effort as a guide... The square section uprights and crosspieces are made up of laminated 2x6mm guitar stringer, and the shaped supports from 6mm boxwood sheet. Before they were stuck together I checked that the stove and its brick base fitted in between the supports.
 

I started making up the chain pump boxes... although for some reason I don't have a picture of them. I'll take some and put them up when I next work on them.
 
Rudder.
 
Next was the Rudder. Because I'd modified the backbone of the ship to have a tapered stern post, the rudder in the kit wouldn't fit. Again, AOTS provided the template (photocopy it out at the right scale, Pritt-Stick it on, then soak gently once it's cut out) to create one from boxwood sheet. I cut out the shape using a coping saw, and then filed and planed it down to shape, and sanded, then scraped the gradient from top to bottom. This took quite a while. Once done, I added the pintles, 2x6 boxwood section cut to shape with 0.6mm brass rod inserted. Black card was used to simulate the bands at the top of the anchor, and copper paint added to the edge that will be towards the hull.
 
The kit provided copper eyelets were used for gudgeons, and the shape in the counter opened up to accomodate the rudder properly. I had to take a fair amount of material out of the transom to provide space for the rudder to lift up a little higher than the point at which it eventually hangs so it the pintles could be lifted over and into the gudgeons.
 
All in all, I'm very happy with it. I haven't finished coppering it yet, but the effect is pleasing already.
 

 

 

Ringols added, degaussing cable added but terminated near the A turret, as far as I can tell the bow cabling  was placed internally in 1942. 
 
The 6 a side square hatches added.