Beef Wellington

So I’ve staryed on the main superstructure and bridge. Pontos has added some nice stuff like booms and a few doors but there is an enormous amount of superdetailing to go. I’ve added doors and portholes where the Kagero plans say, cut out some plastic that holds no relevance to the ship (mounds in front of plastic in front of where doors are), cable reels, more portholes etc. 
 
this is going to have to be built on on such a way I can paint it in 3 or 4 sections as there is a lot of details to add on the decks, 20mms, signal lamps, search lights, binoculars, gun directors, cabling, life rafts and floats and on and on. 

Love these destroyers...nice choice!

Congratulations Nils on completing such a fine model, wonderful sailwork.  You have a true artists eye to have everything come together in such a way, well done indeed.  Looking forward to next project!

2 games of rugby watched this morning, then some time on the tools. 
 
This rear section will have 12 carley floats, some able drums and 2 stored boom davits. The kit carley floats just don’t cut it so I’ve replaced them. 
 
The camoflague runs throught this area so I’ll paint them off kit as to whichever section they fall into. 
 
Multiple stair sets folded and readly for paint. I’m now working on a rear gun director platform that is going to need a fair bit of bashing. 

Lovely planking BE, can only look even better when sanded down.  Nice work on the garboard planks, look tricky to shape, and I can see the advantage of the having the upper planking in place to help provide perspective.

Today's progress ladders to focsle and: Kit bashing both "poles" for the ensign, copied from a picture ... remains to paint them
 

As stated, paravanes stuck on a.o. the deck, racks in place (next to the funnel) need to do some touching up on the top of these latter ones, dinghies ready to tie down ... every time I think about the zillion things I still have to do before this thing ends ...
 
some more eye sore ...

Hi Folks -- I've been laboring somewhat steadily on the head structure, even though I haven't posted anything.  This has been the most challenging part of the entire build -- or I should say it has consistently posed the most challenges, because every part posed new problems.  And I found that decisions I'd made long ago (and often without even realizing I had made any decision) created even more problems.  I can't say that I've built the best or most historically accurate head, but I've learned a lot more than I had expected.
 
Following are most of the steps I've taken since March (I actually started the head in October).
 
I refashioned another set of Main Rails, trying my best to keep them up high enough for the lower structures.  This took an embarrassing number of tries.  Once I got a pair that fit in a way that looked even, and sat at a good height, I pinned them in place to begin fitting in the other pieces.  I only have a photo of my scrap box filled with failed tries, so I'm glossing over that.
 
The Timbers posed a new set of challenges, in part due to my own lack of understanding of their design.  Finally I looked through a few of the scratch builds of Swan ships -- in particular Toni Levine's & Dan Vadas's -- to get a clear sense of how to shape them and where to notch them for the Main Rail and the lower rail. 
 
Here's what I worked out: 
 

Basically, the bottoms of the 3rd and 2nd timbers are cut out entirely, to allow the lower rail to slide in, and then sit on top of the 1st rail.  I'll cover these over later on.  But this is where I came to one of the biggest problems.  Because I situated the Hawse Holes both too far in and too high, I couldn't sit the Lower Rail out far enough.  I suppose I might have butted it up to the bolster between the Hawse Holes, but that seemed no better than the solution I ended up with, which was to place them too far in. 
 

This is what I'm really least happy with, and have lain awake at night growling over.  But I made my choice, and am moving on.
 
Here are the head beam and cross piece:

I used the blue tape to hold the 2 pieces in place so I could try to get a tight fit.  I've notched the Head Beam to fit in the Carlings, which in turn I notched to lie over the rounded Cross-piece.
 

Next, I notched the Carlings to make way for the gratings that go outward to the Main Rail:
 
 
Once I got the Carlings and the Head Beam & Knees notched, I could line up the gratings with the Main Rail and the battens along the hull.  This part actually went quite quickly:

It looks rough here, but after a little sanding, the gratings all looked more regular.
 
From here it was a simple step of creating the Seats o' Ease, beginning with the False Rail.  For these I shaped the bottom pieces by tracing the rails onto stock that I then cut and filed to make a tight fit.  I glued these onto a piece 1/32 cherry, shaped roughly.  Then I made the top strips by drawing a curve with a scroll, gluing them in place, and filing them gently.

They're not exact replicas of one another, but I think they look nice on the Rails.
 

 
I had to glue the False Rails in place before starting the actual SoEs, because they framed the space.  Here you can see that I first shaped the vertical front of the starboard Seat:
 
 

And then I used a piece of card to gauge the fit of the actual Seat, which I then drilled the all important hole into:
 

For the forward Seats, I cut pieces of thin boxwood (castello) stock in a parallelogram shape to match the alignment of the gratings.  I cut holes in these, and glued them to thin dowels that extend below the gratings.
 
 

Because the dowels aren't hollow, I blackened the holes with some paint.
 
After pinning the rails countless times, I'd filled both them and the planking with holes.  Some of these I patched up with wood filler (made from wood dust, a bit of glue and some water), but others I concealed behind the covering board:
 
Before
 

And after:

This is where I got a week ago, before Mrs W (of the Prairie) and I left for holiday in the magnificent Pacific Northwest.  Here are just two views of that beautiful place:
 
 

 

 
From my computer, I'm headed straight for the boatyard, where I aim to set in the catheads (which I made at least a year ago), and then start working on the Supporters, and the Eking Rail.
 
Cheers,
 
Martin

Post 29
Progressing the second band.
My initial job was to add the first strake of the lower band meeting up with the Square Tuck.
 
I then re-lined the hull  using full 3/16" plank widths for the centre five bulkheads, and tick strips and the fan to mark the others.
 
The lower band of planking is designed to take ten 3/16th strakes at mid-ships including the Garboard Strake.
 
Allowing for the rabbet into which the Garboard strake fits, I calculated that a 9/32" strip would give me a little wriggle room to form the Garboard altho' at a push I think I could have got away with a 7/32" as used by Chuck.
 
Suspecting that some wider stuff would be required over the kit package, I ordered additional width strips from Jason. These comprised 9/32" and 3/8" wide strips which should allow for the Garboard and any spiling requirements.

0305
To make the Garboard I cut the plank to length to butt against the Stern post and reach forward to the edge of Bulkhead J.
 

0310
I then ticked off forward to produce the taper which ends in a point at the forward end.
 

0306
Aft of the centre section the width was left at 7/32"
I found it necessary to bevel the Garboard plank edge where it fits into the rabbet from the centre bulkhead ⊕ forward to allow for the plank to lie flat on the bulkhead.
From the 5th bulkhead from the stern the plank lies flat against the false keel and butts up against the keel rabbet, and some heat applied twist is required for this section.
 
For the adjoining plank I used 3/16" heat bent and shaped to fit.

0316
This is always a tricky plank to fit requiring quite a severe curve where it rounds the garboard plank to fit into the keel rabbet just before it curves up the stem.

0319
Achieving the curve required starting the process from a much longer strip than required.

0331
Having fitted the two lowest strakes I return to planking from the top.

0332
There is a reasonable match to the strakes each side of the stem.

0336
 I finish this section with five strakes to go.
I hope that four 3/16th planks plus a spiled strake made from a wider plank will complete the job.
 
I'm now off to North Yorkshire for a week and will hopefully complete the hull planking on my return.
 
 
B.E.
 
29/06/2018
 

First off, thanks everyone for the likes and comments, my apologies for not responding sooner.  I haven't been able to keep up with everyone else's builds as much as I would have liked.
 
Been tinkering with a number of items that I want to get a head start on hopefully avoid pitfalls later.  I'm leaning toward getting as much work on the hull planned out or complete before the cannons get installed and the upper deck can go on - although that will still be a while because I needed a break from gun carriages.
 
Trimming the bow height:
Way back I'd mentioned that I took the approach to build the bows up higher than I would likely need to allow for the unforeseen.  I have now shaped these to be much closer to where I think they will end up, less a little finishing.  The bulwarks at the bow appear to be parallel to the whale, just like the rails, which was used as a guide.  This was an exercise in reconciliation as of course various small (or not so small) errors have crept in along the way.  This proved not too difficult, the only hiccup was found when dry fitting the deck, to ensure that the height of the bulwark is symmetrical on both sides, some shims were added to the top of some of the forward bulkheads.  The error is unlikely to be in the kit cut bulkheads, but more likely a combination of small discrepancies in my positioning of the position of the whales, waterline etc.  You can see in shots below the discrepancy in the height of the foremost gunport, this was a result of positioning the ports to be of equal height off the deck, which was clearly not fitted as well as it should have been.  These add about .5-0.75 of height on the starboard side, but the very small 'twist that this will introduce will not be noticeable.  The sheer rail at the bow has also been added.
 

 
Headworks:
Have been doing a lot of thinking about how to approach the headworks, clearly a rather challenging area.  Frankly, the kit supplied parts are a little disappointing being rather grainy and splintery, with some questionable dimensions.  The main rail seemed to be the place to start, and after a lot of experimentation decided to build this and the false rail together rather than in separate pieces - mainly because it seems sturdier, and less challenging as the false rail is rather lengthy and thin at this scale.  The main rails were cut from 2mm castello, and a profile introduced using a scraper to simulate the various features of the genuine article.  Curved, tapering shapes have to be the hardest to get right, especially with fine details and there were many time consuming rejects which painfully got me up the learning curve until I was happy.  The AOTS side elevations were scanned and manipulated digitally to correct for the angle to get the appropriate shape.  Caution!  I think the placement of the slot for the boomkin is not shown correctly on the AOTS side profile, I adjusted this looking at contemporary models - the revised position matches closely with the kit part which does provide some comfort.
 
The false rail was cut from 0.6mm pear sheet and 2 were laminated together.  The panel section of the false rail was cut out carefully to be shaped later by beveling the edges before replacing back in place.  First photo below shows a little how these were built up, with the first successful but discarded prototype, and a main rail that failed scraping.  Second photo below shows the kit supplied part next to the one of the scratched final articles.  Ignoring the quality of the wood (and to be fair, I made no effort to clean up the supplied parts), the AOTS plans suggest a subtly different profile curve, and a thicker main rail which looks too thin on the kit part.  The head of the main rail was deliberately cut a little longer to allow final shaping once these are finally installed.
 

 
These were then positioned with the head of the main rail vertical in both head on and side elevations.  It was found that these were quite easy to keep in place using mini modeling clothes pins  (scale replicas of the actual clothes pins used in actual ship construction  ).  Posting a lot of photos because I would really appreciate comments and suggestions from those more experienced with this to help me avoid fatal errors!
 

 
Finally, to confirm the layout of the boomkin slot, a copy was copied and scaled from the AOTS diagram.  This shows the tight proximity of the boomkin and seat of ease.  The triangular gap at the rear of the grating behind the false rail screen is where I believe there should be another seat of ease.
 
Again - I'm fumbling my way through this following the excellent TFFM book, so please do not be shy to point out errors and mistakes!
 

 

Congratulations Nils on completing such a fine model, wonderful sailwork.  You have a true artists eye to have everything come together in such a way, well done indeed.  Looking forward to next project!

Congratulations Nils on completing such a fine model, wonderful sailwork.  You have a true artists eye to have everything come together in such a way, well done indeed.  Looking forward to next project!

lovely job, can't rush this stuff.

Congratulations Nils on completing such a fine model, wonderful sailwork.  You have a true artists eye to have everything come together in such a way, well done indeed.  Looking forward to next project!

Dear fellow builders....
 
my Chebec "Eagle of Algier" has been finished totay, for the final photo session in our garden, and with a good daylight illumination.
Many thanks to all that followed the build, for looking in along the 9 months yourney and for your kind comments and compliments. Very much appreciated. Also many thanks to all the "Likes".....
 
The final pics-set of the "Eagle of Algier" can be seen in the scratch build gallery now...
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

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