Beef Wellington

Of course everything is looking good!  One thing that jumped out at me was the ladders in your earlier post, looks like there are two ladders coming up from lower deck, one port and one starboard, looks to be a very challenging setup to avoid accidents if both sides are being used simulataneously and doesn't seem to leave much headroom space when coming up - do you know if that is a unique French design?

Of course everything is looking good!  One thing that jumped out at me was the ladders in your earlier post, looks like there are two ladders coming up from lower deck, one port and one starboard, looks to be a very challenging setup to avoid accidents if both sides are being used simulataneously and doesn't seem to leave much headroom space when coming up - do you know if that is a unique French design?

Thanks for the likes and comments.
 
Well, I finally hit the brick wall.  So rather than let it stop me, I'll go around it.
 
Attached photos show the blocks for the gun rigging.   Unfortunately, even at 5/32" they're still too big. I tried Chuck's 1/8" blocks but had to give that up after sending an even dozen flying across the room.  Too tiny to handle and to chase the holes for the .017" line.  A bit frustrating to say the least as I was enjoying doing the seizings for the lines. I'm going to look for some smaller line and hope I can use these small blocks for the 6 cannons up on the weather decks.   In the meantime, I'm telling myself that all that work would be hidden anyway under the decks and gangways.  I think the next model will have to be 1:48....
 
Anyway, here's the closeups of the cannon that tested with. 
 
Footnote1:  Somewhere around the shop are 7 or 8 of the 5/32" blocks which I'm sure I'll hear the vacuum suck up.
Footnote2:  The black hook in the first photo is one of Dafi's 2mm hooks.  Even the thin sowing thread looks huge when blown up.  
 
Time to go install deck furniture and build her galleys.
 

Thank you for the likes and the comments.
 
Meanwhile back in the shipyard, the guns are all installed and have their breeching ropes.  I put in temporarily two markers for the ends of the quarter and fore decks to check for tolerances and to think things through more on the rigging of the mainmast.  So far, so good.  There should be about 12 or 16 eyebolts with blocks for rigging behind the mainmast but that's not going to happen so I'll have to move those lines up to the quarterdeck.   Next up is making and installing the cannon traversing tackle which will be fun but also a pain as the parts are so tiny.   I'm using 5/16 inch Chuck Blocks for these.  I thought about using the 1/8" blocks but they're too tiny for these guns.  Oh well.. maybe for the 4 pounders topside and also for some of the rigging.
 
Here's the photos...
 

Hi Niles, catching up on your progress can't believe how you accomplish so much so quickly!  The rigging on this ship is fascinating a makes a nice change from the usual 19th century warships.  Beautiful and innovative work as usual, love the details you've put on.

Hi Niles, catching up on your progress can't believe how you accomplish so much so quickly!  The rigging on this ship is fascinating a makes a nice change from the usual 19th century warships.  Beautiful and innovative work as usual, love the details you've put on.

Hi Niles, catching up on your progress can't believe how you accomplish so much so quickly!  The rigging on this ship is fascinating a makes a nice change from the usual 19th century warships.  Beautiful and innovative work as usual, love the details you've put on.

Hi Niles, catching up on your progress can't believe how you accomplish so much so quickly!  The rigging on this ship is fascinating a makes a nice change from the usual 19th century warships.  Beautiful and innovative work as usual, love the details you've put on.

update,
 
made the brackets that take up the 9 sweeps of the port side (on the port outside of the QD)...
 
Nils
 

 
 
 

Status update...
 
all three masts and yards are rigged now, time to have some overall shots for the progress of Eagle of Algier...,
and make some thoughts about the sails and their rigging
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

note : the main yard is attached to the mainmast stb. side, the foremast yard and the mizzen yard are attached to the port sides of the appropriate masts....

Update...
 
started with the making of the mighty main yard. I measured several times in order to get the correct length but it is really about 2/3 of the total ship length !
I still had some of the bamboo flower sticks in sufficiant length and diameter for making the two-spar lashed yard. For tapering the spars I used the slotted side of a scrap floor pannel plank, a small hand drilling machine in the left hand, and an electric belt file in the right hand. The result was very pleasing to see, and the bamboo material easily allows to buid in a slight curve of the lashed yard. Those lateen sails will be quite large later on...
 
For making the parral coller I used some etched brass ribs I still had from my Pegasus build, and fashion beads for the trucks. The lines of the main fall go under the parral collar, and the fastening toggle for the main  yard is just beneath the parral. A Trus pedant line comes from the one paral collar end and goes through a thimble at the other end. This line holds the yard close to the mast, especialy after bracing the yard, when wind from afterly directions.....
 
The angle of the yard is set with the two "top lifts" that come from deck and over the mast top...
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

small update :
 
this is the the tackle for hoisting (fall) and lowering the main lateen yard, it will be mounted on the aft side of the main mast. The holding lines coming from the yard will go through the two pulleys at the mast top. Active are 5 sheaves, so its quite a long running end to be coiled afterwards....
 
Nils

 
 

 

 
 

Update :
 
foremast also rigged (standing rigging), but yet without the large lateen yard....
 
Nils
 

 
 

 

Thank you Chuck and Rusty. 
Post 25
Planking the first belt
Chuck has set out the approach clearly in Chapter  four and I hope to follow his example.
I have tick marked each bulkhead for the first belt and tentatively  prepared the first strake below the Drop plank.
There is a fair bit to think about, marking the plank for the taper, remembering to mark the butt joints at the correct place, bevelling the plank before fitting, and marking the 'tar' line on the edge.

8016
The first plank below the Drop Plank is very short with a butt  joint below the first port.  I prepared a longer plank to include the second butt joint which is just forward of the third port from aft.
The first butt joint was scribed, which allowed me to get a continuous run and more easily form the required lateral curve into the stem rabbet.

8015
The third plank running to the stern was fitted separately and required a little twist where it runs into the counter.

8038
Port side strake completed.

8037
I run planks port and starboard alternatively to monitor the match, and place an even stress on the hull.

8040
Once the plank is shaped a dry fit is required to mark the butt joints, which are then cut.
The method indicated by Chuck really does take the guess work out of planking, which is not necessarily the same as saying I can match his peerless work.

8105
Five strakes completed below the wale, photo'd here in their unrefined state with only glue stains scraped away.

8108

8113

8114

8115

8116
I will now continue to finish the first belt. From this point onwards clamping the planks to the bulkheads gets a tad more tricky as they start to follow the round of the hull towards the keel.
B.E.
19/04/2018
 
 
 

Scharnhorst issue 40
 

 
As announced we're taking a short break from planking. Instead the port side of the forward deck structure is kitted out with brass. As you can see fit is not perfect, but with a bit of filler this should close up nicely.

Looking good!  Nicely thought out approach Rob, the quarter galleries are harder to get right than one would think.  Visually, line of the wale is so critical.  Studying the plans, it looks as if the slope of the bottom of the gallery follows the line of the wale, similarly the decorative rails and channels appear parallel.
 
On the steps, I too had the intention to angle to account for tumblehome, although it is not very pronounced on the Artoises (sic?), but found them just too darn fiddly to get right.  In the end I made the call it wasn't worth it as no-one would notice but me....but I've already put my hat on ready to take it off to you!

Looking good!  Nicely thought out approach Rob, the quarter galleries are harder to get right than one would think.  Visually, line of the wale is so critical.  Studying the plans, it looks as if the slope of the bottom of the gallery follows the line of the wale, similarly the decorative rails and channels appear parallel.
 
On the steps, I too had the intention to angle to account for tumblehome, although it is not very pronounced on the Artoises (sic?), but found them just too darn fiddly to get right.  In the end I made the call it wasn't worth it as no-one would notice but me....but I've already put my hat on ready to take it off to you!

To gently ease myself back into working on Ethalion after flu, I installed the first decorative rail along the port side to match up with the starboard. I also used the scraper to create a reasonable supply of decorative rail that will hopefully be enough for the rest of the hull sides and transom. All this was 2x 1.5mm maple.
 
Now, I'm biting the bullet again and getting on with the quarter galleries - I think these have kind of scared me - they're complex, and very visible... So. A good few hours with a computer (Apple Pages), the Anatomy of the Ship diagrams, blown up to 1:64, cereal boxes, scissors, and masking tape... it took a few versions, but here's where I'm up to...
 
Version 1: Swoops down too much - it doesn't maintain the line from the gunports...
 

Version 2 was better... It doesn't look like it, but this took a gentle curve, such that the centre of the panel is lower than the outsides - about 1.5mm across the length of the arc.

Here's a comparison with the diagram (although they're not lined up perfectly) I've also put the top and bottom templates in on this photo... The masking tape along the bottom roughly mirrors where the trim will go along the bottom of the gallery - and I'm happy that this seems to line up with the sweep of the ports with a slight lift by the stern, as per the diagram. Also, looking from the stern quarter, the windows match up nicely with the stern lights.
 


And here's the templates I ended up with...  I've added a ten centimetre measure vertically and horizontally to check if my printer was behaving and actually printing 10cm as 10cm - turns out it's about 9.96cm when printed.  I could compensate for that, but these fit on my model.
 
Also of note, is that these are to fit the scale width stern transom I've made according to AOTS, not to fit the kit transom. The AOTS version is considerably narrower.
 
ethalion_quartergalleries_templates.pdf  

 
As an aside (and here's the job I'm avoiding, because I don't want to mess it up!) - here are the steps I fashioned from boxwood with a scraper, files, and patience...
 
I'm happy with the steps, but now they need to be fitted to a hull side with a slight tumblehome... I think I know how to do it, I just need to be brave and get on with it... I don't have any power tools such as a sander with angled bed, so I've made a jig... but I'm struggling to hold onto these little blighters and get them down to the right tread depth, with the right angle to stick out horizontally from the hull... Anyway - quarter galleries first, and then back to the steps.
 


Wow - those close-ups are brutal - they look okay to me in real life! These are going to need some cleaning up...
 
Happy building to you all!
 
Rob
 
 
 

Here is work-in-progress. Despite appearances the tree nails in the second photo are vertical.  The tape serves both as a guide and to stop the drill bit slipping.
 

 

Once the holes were drilled I filled them directly over the tape to avoid the filler spreading over the wood surface. Below is an experiment. It worked reasonably well, but provided the hull is coated with polyurethane before filling, it's probably not necessary.  Photos of the result will have to await the return of the menagerie.
 

 
 
 

Hello again,
 
and thank you for your likes and comments. 
Hubac, now and then you see it in this forum. Also my Dragon has these staples. 
 
After sanding the whole forenoon, I think the lower hull is ready now. I should have started with the first drop plank at the 1. diminishing strake. But later you are always smarter  
The next thing to do is, I think the ruder. Then I know how large the opening in the lower counter must really be.
 
But because here the spring came from one day to the other, I think my garden needs my attention first. The week before Easter we had two snowstorms with each 10 cm snow here. More north they had over 50 cm! One of my oaks lost a big branch then, and the experts will come Friday to cut it out. But also for me is enow left.
 

 

 

Excellent work on the rigging Jesse, think you've captured the scale beautifully.  The colours really look spot on as well complimenting the rest of the model.  Well done.

A small update, folks. Negotiations with OcCre have progressed nicely and we have resolved the issue to my satisfaction. As soon as all the paper is signed I'll announce it on the forums. I was impressed by their handling of the issue; they take intellectual property and copyright pretty seriously. Thanks for all the support and advice from everyone here!

Started ratlines. I experimented with the different ways of tying the ends. The first 2 I an eye splice lashed to the shroud line This was hard to do and very time consuming. The next 2 I tied the ends and seized it like the eye spliced ones. Without magnification you cant see the difference so I'm continuing to do them that way instead. It is less time consuming this way too.  A lot of clove hitching to do!
 
Jesse

Very nicely done, beautiful work on the planking, really looking the part with the wales added.  Definitely agree with your decision to use the metal black colour.  Looking fantastic.

just a small reminder we're still alive and kicking. rigging phase draws ever nearer...:-))