Beef Wellington

A couple of additions to the Bluenose to report - working on the bowsprit and deck assembly for the samson post & bowsprit bitts. Nothing particularly tricky about these. For the samson post mortice, I drilled through the 3/16" square stock I was using, squared off the hole using needle files and then plugged up the back of it with a 1/8" square bit of basswood. Filed down and painted over it blends in perfectly. 
 
The alignment was a bit fiddly, but once the samson post was positioned, things went together more or less easily. Enjoy the photos and happy modelling
hamilton

Another quick update while the ham is in the oven. Working still n deck superstructures and features, specifically, the fore boom sheet buffer, the water pumps, the dory frames and the fore deck skylight. All were pretty straightforward, though you'll see in the photos that I initially mispositioned the water pumps - the later photos show them in their proper spot aft of the fife rail.
 
I'll also admit that, because I was not feeling up to the challenge of making the pumps from scratch, I repurposed a couple of pumps that I had in a little drawer of unused parts from other kits...they are not exactly to scale (on the small side), and they are likely somewhat anachronistic in terms of design, but I don't think they look too awful. Here are the photos - enjoy and happy modelling.
hamilton
 

Second Planking In Slow Progress
I am really taking my time with this planking. That said I have already made a couple of schoolboy errors when planking over the gun ports. Thankfully this area will be sanded smooth and painted so no harm done.
 
When positioning the plank which will located beneath the main wale I was pleased to note the midship infill area would be 3 planks wide.

 
I was able to use Titebond 111 for the first few plank but resorted to using ca glue for the plank positioned under the main wale plank.

I was happy that the lower edge of the lowest plank aligned with the lower edge of the stern counter.

The midship area is shown in the next photo, noting the planks require a taper toward the bow (yellow arrow) and a planking error (blue arrow) where I cut the plank beneath the area under the gunport opening.

I did add a steeler to offset the taper beneath the gunports in the photo below

 
Although I was being careful I have noted a couple of areas where the planks are not quite sitting flush with each other as can be seen in the photo below. This can be sorted out with a bit of sanding (or filling) before the paint is applied

Post twenty-one
Light at the end of the tunnel.
I am now alternating the plank strakes from top down and keel up which should leave the final strake below the round of the hull at midships.
This is a good place to have it in case the final strake works out to be less than uniform in shape.

0752
So, Gromit, how’s it looking – RUFF.
Have faith Gromit, there’s a fair bit of fettlin’ to do yet.

0761
Five strakes now remain, and I have re-marked the ‘ticks’ hopefully for the last time.

0755

0757
Don’t say it William, I’ve heard it all from Gromit.

0760
Has it only been three weeks since I started planking, how time flies when you’re having fun. 🙄
 
Onwards…
 
B.E.
15/04/2023
 

Boats and custom-made 3D printed oars installed, deck repainted and “weathered”, exterior sail platforms attached.  Last step is to rope up and install the quarterdeck cannons and forecastle cannonades.  And then we’re off to the masts.  Gun port lids will be last, due to risk of knocking them off in handling the ship.

Side railings and hammock stowage railings now attached.  You wouldn't know I had to use white glue to fill the gap in the deck to hull mating.  Deck is now painted the correct tan, ready for clear coating and black wash.  I'm especially pleased with my custom skid beams for the boats.

The outside temperature rose to almost 20°C today. If this keeps up it is going to be difficult locking myself down in the basement workshop.
 
I have a number of small clamps made to allow me to install my gundeck deck clamps.
 
I have also been working on getting closer to completing my first small boat.
Items installed include the floor boards, benches, thwarts, mast bracket, knees, breasthook, gunwhale, washstrake and sweep (oar) crutch or pocket reinforcing pieces both inboard and outboard.
Things left to do include cutting in the sweep (oar) crutches or pockets, tiller and rudder, gudgeons and pintles, and the sweeps or oars.
Not sure if I will paint her or leave her raw.  I kind of like the raw look.
 

Thats amazing!  These are the details that really enhance the final model.

Lessons learned. Build each frame over the plan to make sure it is not too wide. Fit the frame to the keel. Adjust the slots in the jig as needed to slide the frame in. After correcting frame 25 and widening the slots in the jig, the frame fits nicely. Forty plus frames to go.

Ok here is the final iteration for now.  Center light made the same as the outer lights.   I reworked the shape and configuration as Greg suggested.   These are not glued in yet.   But using yet another color I think these are probably a winner.   I have not installed any acetate for the glass either.   But these are as close to a contemporary model version as I have gotten thus far on a project.  They do look very crisp and clean as well.  What do you guys think?
 

I am keeping that close to the vest for now!!!   We all need a leg up on the competition.   And yes there is a lot of it out there.
 
I havent finished experimenting with it yet.   It also comes in quite a few thicknesses.   So before I let the competition know how wonderful it is, and exactly what it is capable of doing,  I want to at least take it to the limit on one of my own projects first with exclusivity.
 
 
 
 

The magazine is out this Friday 14th April, in print. It can be bought now as a digital edition. This will be a two-part article.
 
She also made (a part) the cover:
 

 

Very well done Mort. she looks fantastic!

Slowly getting there... now on to the breech ropes and stearing wheel.




 
 

For some reason, I haven't been seeing the recent updates to your beautiful build.  The good news though this that I've had a lot to catch up on...everyone else has already said it, a stunning model you're building here.

Thanks everyone for the likes.
 
Topgallants are now all fitted. The parral beads that I have are all too big for topgallant yards and in any case, would have been too fiddly to fit, so I’ve attached them with truss parrals as a valid alternative according to Lees. Ties and lifts are also added.


I now return to the fore yards to add clues, tacks, buntlines and leechlines.
The clue block and sheet block are are joined together and the tack threaded through and held by a tack knot. The tack knot I approximated with a figure-of-eight with an extra turn. The clueline is tied to the yard just outboard of the block on the yard with a timber hitch, runs through the clue block up to the yard block and then is taken through the fore and aft inner blocks under the top and down to the middle sheave on the fore bitts. I’ve found a potential problem with the blocks under the top The only double block I placed was the inner block with the other two being singles. It would be quite difficult to replace the blocks now so I hope that it won’t cause me problems later on. The tack will run down to a block on the boomkin but for the moment I have loosely tied them off to the cathead. I will also add the sheet later to keep the midships area free.

clue block, sheet block and tack tied together

clue garnets tied off to fore bitts

tack lines temporarily tied off to catheads
 
Buntlines caused me to stop and think for a while. I found Lees descriptions of buntline legs and falls difficult to follow. I wasn’t sure if buntline falls were required In the end I went for two blocks stropped together for the falls. The buntline legs are tied with a toggle to stop them running through the block on the yard and then lead through the forward blocks under the lower top down to the fall block, back up through the afterward block under the top and end at the second yard block. One end of the falls is tied to the forecastle rail runs through the lower fall block and back to the rail.

The leechline a toggle prevents it running through the block on the yard it roves through the outer block under the lower top and a block is seized in the lower end. A whip is tied to the forecastle rail, passes through the block in the end of the leechline and runs back to the rail.
 
I ran out of 0.25 and 0.35 ropes from Ropes of Scale for the buntlines and leechlines so used the kit-supplied thread but standing back, the contrast between the two (perhaps not obvious in the photo below) is not acceptable so I have sent off to Canada for further supplies to replace them.
 

Thanks for looking in

Love the overall shots, really beautiful!

I'm speechless Alexandru, absolutely stunning result!  Have never seen this level of detail on a rudder before.  Well done.

Love the overall shots, really beautiful!

Love the overall shots, really beautiful!

Siggi - the comments made above by others are all appropriate.  The state of readiness of a ship could change in a very short time period, either bringing up cannons and makign up carriages stored in the hold, or moving a cannon lashed to the side to bring to bear in the gunport.  The same for breaking down bulkheads.  The "state of readiness" would be consistent with the threat situation....which is still true for warships today.  There are many examples of models not necessarily reflecting a snapshot in time of contemporary practice, so none of that should get in your way.

Siggi - the comments made above by others are all appropriate.  The state of readiness of a ship could change in a very short time period, either bringing up cannons and makign up carriages stored in the hold, or moving a cannon lashed to the side to bring to bear in the gunport.  The same for breaking down bulkheads.  The "state of readiness" would be consistent with the threat situation....which is still true for warships today.  There are many examples of models not necessarily reflecting a snapshot in time of contemporary practice, so none of that should get in your way.

good evening everyone
thank you for comments and likes
day 40 port side 2nd planking in Boxwood
things have calmed down in the household, mum is still in ospickle but she has now been given covid, after avoiding it for three years, so she is only allowed one visitor,  we have my sister visiting so as she dont live local she is seeing her and not me
the planking continues, yes most can do it better, but i am happy with what i have produced so far, i think it will be acceptable, she will never make a show though

Siggi - the comments made above by others are all appropriate.  The state of readiness of a ship could change in a very short time period, either bringing up cannons and makign up carriages stored in the hold, or moving a cannon lashed to the side to bring to bear in the gunport.  The same for breaking down bulkheads.  The "state of readiness" would be consistent with the threat situation....which is still true for warships today.  There are many examples of models not necessarily reflecting a snapshot in time of contemporary practice, so none of that should get in your way.