Beef Wellington

Here's part 2/2

Hi, the work outside continues

Some from WW1 Scapa Flow at night
'Hell Bent' Battle fleet with Destroyers
HMS Warspite , steering jammed, veers out of line towards the High Seas Fleet at Jutland.

The lanterns are now installed my having delayed as long as possible - partly because of their fragility and partly avoidance - because it's a rotten job.  I first tried to mount them by simultaneously putting the three supports into the holes drilled into the stern fascia.  This was not a good idea.  Best glue the two prongs of the upper support in first, then carefully slip the lower support through the hole provided in the upper support and then manipulate it towards, then into the hole drilled for it in the fascia. Then, of course, the lanterns didn't want to sit properly...   I found the whole business rather fraught.  At least they came out respectably in the end.
 

 
 

 

 

 
To my pleasant surprise the Granado showed up today. A quick look suggests that is quite high quality.
 

 
 
 
 

Thanks for the kind notes Martin, Nigel and Jim - much appreciated.
 
There are still a few things to do on Vanguard. The anchors are a work-in-progress. I found what I understand to be the correct knot for the anchor cable and in most of the photos of anchors I have come across seem to have the anchor ring (?) served in a manner shown on the photo below. So I decided to give it a try with the following results.
 

 

I have since touched up the copper wire showing here - though the close-up exaggerates all  its faults.   I have now done the remaining two which have turned out a little more neatly than the first.

 

 
 
 
 

Really nice work on the rigging, the footropes came out great.  Nice technique!

Hi Pat, the issue doesn't impact the axles as they work just fine, it only impacts the width of the interior dimension between the carriage walls - the impact being the provided part for at the front of the carriage (no idea what its called) is then too small.  If you look at the 3rd photo you can see how it is too small.  No big issue to make my own when I get there.  I'm just glad I saw it, because if I had mixed up all of the carriage walls, I would probably have mixed the different thicknesses and I think it would not have been noticeable until all of them were glued up.  At least I can now ensure the sides match to minimize and discrepancies.

Thanks everyone for the very kind words and continued interest...not really much to report with only some ad-hoc shipyard activity, but a cautionary tale whilst its still fresh.  Started to make up the gun carriages, all 28 of them :-(  The axles took quite a bit of time to shape appropriately which I did with a file to rough shape and then turned in the lathe to fine tune.  Cautious going is the name of the game, and of course some turned out not at well as I'd hoped but these should be able to be "hidden at the back".
 
The issue I encountered was that I didn't think to check the thickness of the Syren sheets the parts come from and assumed these would all be consistent.  The prototype I had already built all seemed to go together nicely and to make life a little easier I built a simple jig to make alignment easier.  By chance, I then noticed that there are some reasonably significant differences in dimension.  If you look at the second picture where I stack those that look thicker against those that appear thinner the difference is apparent (both 11 in number).  What this means is that to build the carriages to the same dimensions will need some parts to be custom made from spare stock as the laser cut part is too small.  It appears by chance that the prototype was built using the 'thicker' variety.
 

 

Well this was over before I even found it, but really nice looking pickle dipped in ketchup Carl!

Hi Dafi, I don't remember you saying how you were ultimately going to be 'finishing' the overall model.  Are you going to leave some part of the decks open, or will the live action scenes be lost to photographic record?  Looking awesome, but that goes without saying :-)

Update - the footropes are finally done. I started by clamping a balsa board to my table & made two lines representing the length of the stirrups. The yard was then pinned down on the upper line. Then I bent a piece of 1mm brass wire into a u shape & pushed it into the board along the lower line. The stirrup ropes were tied around the yard & cut off long enough to wrap around the wire & with a small clamp holding a little tension on it,a seizing was made to make a small eye. Some diluted white glue  was applied to stiffen the ropes so they would hang straight. Lastly,the footropes were then ran through the eyes & tied off on the ends.
 

 

 

 
Mark

The rigging of the bowsprit is now pretty much complete - quite the mess of ropes! Most of the sail handling lines were installed with the lines running through the blocks with a toggle on the ends to keep them from pulling through the blocks
 

 

 

 

 
Mark 

All of the guns/gunport lids are now finished. This is how it all looks, including it seems, a crewperson.  Hope all the photos don't overdo it.
 
I have now ordered a Granado.  It will be interesting to see how the quality compares with Vanguard.
 

 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

And here ends my IJN phase. I really don’t want to build another for quite a while as it just starts to repeat itself. 
 
Hope you enjoyed this one, I’m going forward to the Cold War next. 
 
Off to the digital graveyard. 

I posted this on an other web site some time ago 
A while back I posted a painting of a sailing ship and a verse of poetry, which some of you commented on.
The poem I found on a website of the Falkland Islands, where it was on the grave marker of one of the islanders. I don't know if he wrote it himself and I trawl the Internet every now and again, but have found absolute zilch!. 
I was so impressed with the first verse I decided to have a go my self. I'm certainly no poet, and I don't know about copyright, and the last thing I ever wanted to do is offend any one.
Any way here's what I came up with.

D'ye Mind the day
D'ye mind the day we squared away and ran her east by South.
When she trampled down the big Horn waves with a roaring bone in her mouth.
When the best of hands fought the bucking wheel , afraid to look behind.
At the howling grey beards in her wake.
D'ye mind old Pal, D'ye mind.
 
D'ye mind the day, now far away, we were south of Kerguleen.
With the rigging worn and the sails all torn, and the foc'le taking them green.
Where that tiredness ache behind your eyes, was like to make you blind.
But you soldiered on till the cold grey dawn
D'ye mind old pal, D'ye mind.
 
D'ye mind the day, down Caraccas way
Where the Frigate Birds glide and the palm trees sway.
Where the Dolphins ride the Bow wave bright.
And a billion stars light up the night.
Where the moonlit wake we towed behind 
Was made from memories of every kind.
D'ye mind old pal. D'ye mind.
 
D'ye mind the day in Liverpool Bay
With the Pilot by the wheel.
With the Crew all smiles  for the last few miles
But with ten thousand under her keel.
Then at four o'clock in the Albert Dock 
We left the ship behind. 
To sail no more to a foreign shore
D'ye mind old pal. D'ye mind.
Jim

I some times use a straight edge and pencil if it is a long line. But mostly free hand, if you look close some lines are a bit 'wiggley'
Here is a timed 'how I do it ' series  Graf Spee in Montevideo. It shows the brushes I use and my pallet, with a clock showing how long it usually takes to do a A3 watercolour. 
Jim
Sorry they didn't come out in the right sequence, start at the second from the bottom, and work up, or go by the clock.
jim

Hi Dafi, I don't remember you saying how you were ultimately going to be 'finishing' the overall model.  Are you going to leave some part of the decks open, or will the live action scenes be lost to photographic record?  Looking awesome, but that goes without saying :-)

Something I always wanted to tell:
 
A small portion of the upper deck laid, and one sees much better how claustrophobic the situation was ...
 

 
Ashes to ashes, earth to earth and top to tops ...
 

 

 
... business as usual.
 
XXXDAn

Now, the aircraft, decals to add, then weather them. 

A whaling painting 
The Chase
jim

If you have been at sea, especially in the Royal Navy, some of these people may be familiar to you!. Or heaven forbid, recognise your self!
Jim
1. Deck and Engineroom 
2.  Sickbay and Galley 
3.  Lady Stoker! And me !
4.   Skipper. Jimmy the 1 or Chief Office, Exec. Or just an 'Osifer'.
 
 

 
 

An inboard fitting and fiddlin' session.
To finish off the rudder I added the decorative panels. I had been waiting to get some Clear Self Adhesive Inkjet Sticker Label Film to print these out.

2084

2085
At only 70 microns thick it shows no edge profile and gives a good  impression of a painted on design.

0429
The lifting ring bolts are put into place and the mast support 'iron work' fabricated.

0453
I have now made a set of six oars and the Windlass Bars, and this basically completes the boat as fitted for rowing.
Regarding the Windlass Bars there doesn't seem to be any reference to the scale length of these items either on the plan or in the instruction book.
Had difficulty finding any reference to  bar length but I guess around five feet to provide satisfactory leverage.
Finally the Thole pins were added; I deviated from the kit arrangement by setting the boat up for double banked rowing which I think was the norm for Long-boats.

0434

0456

0475

02231

02228

0439
This has only been a seven week build to date altho' it feels much longer.
I now move onto the masting and rigging of this fine, if not at times troublesome little kit.
 
B.E.
 

Thanks everyone for the very kind words and continued interest...not really much to report with only some ad-hoc shipyard activity, but a cautionary tale whilst its still fresh.  Started to make up the gun carriages, all 28 of them :-(  The axles took quite a bit of time to shape appropriately which I did with a file to rough shape and then turned in the lathe to fine tune.  Cautious going is the name of the game, and of course some turned out not at well as I'd hoped but these should be able to be "hidden at the back".
 
The issue I encountered was that I didn't think to check the thickness of the Syren sheets the parts come from and assumed these would all be consistent.  The prototype I had already built all seemed to go together nicely and to make life a little easier I built a simple jig to make alignment easier.  By chance, I then noticed that there are some reasonably significant differences in dimension.  If you look at the second picture where I stack those that look thicker against those that appear thinner the difference is apparent (both 11 in number).  What this means is that to build the carriages to the same dimensions will need some parts to be custom made from spare stock as the laser cut part is too small.  It appears by chance that the prototype was built using the 'thicker' variety.
 

 

Thanks for all the 'likes', and Greg, Pat, Mike, Christian, Bob, Tom, Hamilton, Michael, Mobbsie - I really appreciate your thoughts and interest, the good news is that I don't need to decide right now.  I got a little over-obsessive on Snake using the kit supplied materials which bogged things down a bit, I'm sure I'd enjoy rigging more with better quality line and be happier with the result.  What I'm hoping is that I can leave my options open even after things get closed up when the quarterdeck and f'csle go on (e.g. mast stumps that could easily be replaced with full masts and yards at some point)
 
BE - your Victory, despite just looking fantastic, presents yet another interesting alternative.  I too like that look a lot.
 
Coamings
Moving on a little, have started on the coamings and gratings.  I had ordered some of Chuck's gratings some time ago and these were relatively painless to make up.  The coaming dimensions were taken from AOTS with a few small adjustments to ensure the edge of the coaming met the wider binding strakes as illustrated.  I did go the whole hog and build these as per TFFM which was good practice, if not slow.  Not really much else to say.
 

 
Where the companionways are, I did do bit more fiddly work to try and simulate the beams and carlings that would be visible.  I'm sure there must be a better way, but the approach I took was as follows:
Build up the bottom of the companionway coaming by 1mm to account for the thickness of the deck (as coamings would sit on the beams/carlings, not the deck) 0.5mm sheet was applied to the side faces to simulate the recess on the interior face Boxwood sheets and strips attached to simulate the beams/carlings.  This was not hard once the approach had been figured out as this all still needs to slide in through the holes in the deck (which had to be enlarged a bit).  I did decide to paint these black, as is shown to good effect on the contemporary Winchelsea model.  I was tempted to leave these natural, but as I had made these out of pear, I felt that another wood tone would be distracting.  In any event, black appears to have been quite commonly used toward the end of the century to aid safety by making the companionways more visible against the deck. Bit of a Frankenstein's monster from underneath, but to my eye looks convincing enough when in place. 

 
All the coamings and gratings have been made up and just need some finishing.  I was pleased that the coamings lined up with the butt pattern of the planks, because as irregular as they looks, they do correspond with the theoretical placement of the beams below.
 
The third photo shows the difference in appearance with the added depth in the companionway, vs the coaming simply sitting on the deck for comparison.  The last photo shows everything in place.  One slight fudge I'm making here is to put a grating into the foremost of the two rearmost openings.  This should really be a companionway down to the wardroom, but the keel former realistically presents this being represented, and given that this will barely be glimpsed, a grating went on top instead.  The kit plans omit this feature entirely.
 

Well this was over before I even found it, but really nice looking pickle dipped in ketchup Carl!