Beef Wellington

This subject and kit are very intriguing Mike, will definitely be following along.  There seem to be a multitude of molded plastic/resin (?) parts which I'm hoping the kit provides elements to further detail these.

I got the glazed portholes in from Modelboatbit in England. It took about 2 weeks to get them, but well worth the effort. They will be going in the observation pod on the nose of the Calypso. The potholes in the kit are unglazed. I needed the ones that had glass for it to work in the water. 

Polyester Anchor Cable is now available.
 
I made them ranging from 1.1mm (0.043") to 3.8mm (0.149") in Diameter. The 3.8 cable is big enough for a 74 gun ship of the line in 1:48 scale. 
 
I've also added a letter mail option at checkout for small orders. Now people that only need a few ropes don't need to pay ridiculous shipping costs.
 

 

Adam, very much enjoyed catching up on your log, I very much appreciate you showing how you approached the basic wood working of each piece for those of us not too familiar with basic techniques, you make it look simple!  A beautiful model you have coming together here, very much want to follow along.

Adam, very much enjoyed catching up on your log, I very much appreciate you showing how you approached the basic wood working of each piece for those of us not too familiar with basic techniques, you make it look simple!  A beautiful model you have coming together here, very much want to follow along.

Very nice start on 'Cheerful'.  I like your heat bending setup!

Well said Mark. I am definately bashing more than I did on my first ship I built as I have learned more about what is accurate or not with the help of friends on this forum together with the many books I have bought. I am also moving further away from the instruction manuals and hopefully one day I will hardly need them at all . My greatest help for me has as been the book by Lees 'The Masting and rigging of English ships of war' and I am trying to follow it word for word. It will be interesting to see what the differences are between this and the AOTS Diana. I wonder if one day I would have the confidence and skill required to build a model ship from scratch. Fingers crossed.

I believe that kit bashing is an important step on the path to scratch building.  So, my advice is build what you want and feel free to bash it as much as you want in the name of accuracy and learning.   I also believe it's not the destination but the journey that's important.  To learn, pick up skills, etc. is a big part of the journey.

Hello again Model Ship World forum - 
 
I was planning on doing another Bluejacket Shipcrafters model after completing the Revenue Cutter and Spray kits last year.  My wife came across this older kit of the USS United State frigate in a garage sale, and picked it up.  I must admit I was not as excited about it initially (because of it being plastic), but after researching some nice versions that others have made with this kit, decided to make it the next one on the bench!  
 
I have been working on it for a few months now, so I am going back to January images to start piecing together the build...to get back to current.  
 
Here's the first few set up pictures, and painting out the hull - - 
 

Received my swivel guns today!
OMG they are tiny.... and so sweet.
(3D resin printed from my CAD model .stl file by a local club member)

Hi everyone,
 
Not so much an update today as a few photos that might be of interest. I was re-making the dust cover for Ethalion, and thought I'd grab the opportunity to take some pictures of HMS Ethalion (the Caldercraft HMS Diana kit, bashed a bit), and the Barque Stefano to date...
 

 

 

 
I find it fascinating to see the differences and similarities between the two...
 
I've got a busy few weeks coming up, so there may be a bit of a pause before I'm able to give any more updates. Fear not, though. I'm keen to continue with Stefano asap
 
Rob

I've made the binnacle. I used the RB models binnacle for inspiration - It's really good, but made for 1:50 - too big for Stefano.
 
Instead, I used it to work out the dimensions of a binnacle at 1:63 - it works out 23mm high - 1.4 metres at scale.
 
I turned the main structure from 10mm lime dowel, then added a paper trim round the centre of the compass housing, a styrene viewing window and painted it. A 1.5mm rod was left on the bottom to provide a stronger joint with the model.
 

 
 

 

 

 
I also glazed the skylight with transparent plastic, and used a couple of plastic battens to ensure it wouldn't fall into the model. A walnut trim was added to the inside of the skylight, and another walnut strip to the partition in the deck house where it was visible through the skylight. No pictures of that right now, but I'll try and add some later.
 
Happy building!
 
Rob

Hi all,
 
I've had a lovely day today cracking on with Barque Stefano, and it's time for an update (in amongst being dad's taxi ).
 
I've been continuing to work on the deck furniture, and among that are the skylight and companionway. The kit suggests these are built on balsa blocks, but I've never much liked that mode of construction, and the aft superstructure had gone so well, I was contemplating making the skylight the same way, with the 3.5mm radius corners, but when I started to draw it up in QCAD, I realised the corners were going to be well oversize for the skylight and could look a bit silly - especially when the angled top was put on with its squared off corners. Instead, I used styrene to construct the main housing of the skylight. Measurements were taken off the plans, and I made the sides to maintain the angled front and back, as per the main superstructure (which sits on the fore-and-aft angled deck. This angle turns out at approximately 3 degrees.
 
Once constructed the skylight was placed on sandpaper that was placed on the cabin deck to sand in the curve in the deck so it could sit flush. Unlike the structures that sit on the centreline of the main deck, there is no raised king plank here, so it's an easier task.
 

 
Once the size was finalised, I could mark the cut-out on the superstructure deck and drill a hole for access, then and cut it out with a coping saw (I tried chain-drilling it, but it was very heavy going, as the plywood false deck makes for a very substantial structure. I scored through the planking where I was planning to cut to avoid the planking lifting as I went.
 

 
And a picture of the structure in place with the skylight hole cut.
 

 
Now attention turned to the panels that form the lights on the top of the skylight. I wanted to end up with something like the effect seen on Cutty Sark as posted by Nenad here (thank you for the inspiration!):  
The kit shows a few upright bars, but I wanted lots of horizontal bars that were much lighter in diameter. So I made a walnut frame, and then a styrene frame to sit on top of it to simulate the metal guard. I still feel it's a little heavier than I would have liked, but it's heading in the right direction.
 

 
Here they are being primed... 
 

 
And once the skylight itself was painted, they're put together. There are still some details to be added yet to add glazing from the inside, and to tidy up the inner edge of the superstructure deck.
 

 
And here it is sat in place (but not glued on yet), showing a hint of the patterned deck below...
 

 

 
Next up is the companionway.
 
Thanks as always for the likes. 
 
Rob
 
 

Hi all,
 
Thanks for the likes!
 
I've been blessed with a few evenings to work on Stefano over the past few days, so I have a little to report.
 
With the foredeck filling up, I decided to paint the bitts matt black instead of leaving them walnut. They'll complement the anchors nicely that way. 
 

 
I've also put together the anchor stands with their metal parts that clamp over the anchor to stop it moving round in heavy weather. The suggestion in the kit is that the metal strap over the anchor is made from copper strip. I reverted to a tried and tested technique and used 2mm wide strips of black card. These were detailed with eyelets glued onto brass pins and cut short to represent the hinges. It's not perfect for detail, but at 1:63 it gives that suggestion of detail that approximates what's going on. 
 

 

 
I used masking tape to stop the anchor bar (proper name?) from flopping around while this was being done. The bar gets tied down with rope, and I've done this on one of the anchors - a very fiddly procedure!, but I don't have a picture yet. I'll put up a picture once they're all done.
 
It was then that I got distracted again. I started thinking about the figurehead. The kit provides a block of wood and encourages the modeller to carve the figurehead. Thankfully, I had a figurehead left over from my HMS Ethalion based on the HMS Diana kit by Caldercraft. In that build, I scratch built a figurehead from a greek figure and a dolphin's tail... 

The Diana figurehead was the perfect size for Stefano with a couple of modifications:
 
1. The decoration where she sits on the bulkhead was cut off.
2. The tails of her dress needed to be bent outwards along with her legs to accommodate the stem and bow of the vessel.
 
These figureheads can be purchased separately from Cornwall Model Boats, I believe.
 
I was worried she'd get a bit cold in the Atlantic breeze, so I added a little modesty and gave her a dress that covered both shoulders, and filled in the gap where she would have sat on the Frigate's beakhead all using Fine white Milliput. Once done, the suggestion is that the whole figurehead be painted in gold, but I used a mix of Vallejo brass (which is a little toned down compared to their gold) and "Ivory" for her skin, again to tone it down a little. A pen was used for the eyes, as it's easier to control than a paintbrush!
 
Here are some pictures of progress...
 
As she was at the beginning of the process...
 

 
Starting to add the dress...
 

 
Adding dress details...
 

 
And beginning to paint her...
 

 
 
And once she was painted she was added to the bow...
 

 

 

 
Overall, I feel she's a great improvement over anything I could have carved from scratch, and since she was sat in a parts box doing nothing it's a win-win situation!
 
I'm really pleased with the way the ivory and brass colours work together, and from a distance she really makes Stefano look smart! I'm also pleased that, much like the figurehead on the plans, she has one arm outstretched.
 
Thanks for looking in!
 
Rob
 

I started to work up at the sharp end. The upper and lower cheeks supplied with the kit were a little thin and didn't quite fit onto the model. I used the drawings contained in the AOTSD to generate a 3D version which was printed out and then used as a 3D template to cut new ones out of some lime wood. The lime was a bit too soft and didn't carve that well. I wouldn't mind a do-over for these but it I fear that it is too late for that. I added the hawse bolster and filling piece using the dimensions in the AOTSD. I also resorted to the CAD to mock up the bowsprit step and manger boards. Here I added a block to help me get the correct angle for the bowsprit. This is not an authentic part but I had a peek through the gunports and it is not really visible so I can sleep easy.

 

 

 

 

 
I drew up a new profile for the gammoning knee and head timbers. I then printed this out and made up one using a combination of timber and 3D printed parts. The end result is only marginally slimmer than the kit supplied parts but I think that it is an improvement as it takes care of the exposed plywood edges. I printed out the lower rails and then used them as a template to shape some maple efforts. I mocked up the entire head structure so that I could work out the dimensions of the main rails. Once printed out these were used to construct timber ones. I kept the 3D printed part for the false rail as it proved too fiddly to make out of timber. The revised parts have a bit more definition than those supplied with the kit but are still missing some fine detail that I struggled to add.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I built the catheads from scratch out of walnut as I didn't like the laminated kit part which was also the wrong size. I carved the cathead supporter from a block of lime. I added the trailboard and gammoning bolster to fit between the cheeks. I had to increase the length of the gammoning slot as it conflicted with the position of the head timbers. I also had to rearrange the order of the small decorative animals as there was not enough room to fit the tall one (sheep?) under the gammoning slot.
 

 

 

 

 
I constructed the ekeing more or less in-situ to fit between the cathead supporter and the lower rail. The transition between these is quite clumsy but I was losing the will to live by that point. The catheads were finished off with the addition of the cathead knee, various eyebolts and a thumb cleat for the cathead stopper which was carved out of styrene.
 

 

 
The wash cants were formed out of a block of lime using a sanding drum on the dremel. These are a bit ropey but luckily they are painted black so are not that visible. Looking at the model head on you can notice some wild asymmetry happening but I can claim wabi-sabi. I will leave the gratings, seats of ease and iron horse for another day as they look quite fiddly and I need to recuperate.
 

 

 

 

 
 
 

Post One Hundred
 
The ships stove
I have been relishing making up this little beauty and decided to do it at this point as I will soon be moving onto the Foc’sle.

6186(2)
The basic carcase is of Pearwood and it slots together perfectly, taking barely any time at all to assemble.
Most of the carcase is encased with brass etched panels which I have chemically blackened, but I can see potential problems in avoiding marring the finish during the fitting process using ca.
There are also separate Brass fittings which may prove an easier option for chemical blackening.
 Either way if it fails, the blackening will provide a key for painting.
As always the treatment of brass etch starts with a thoro’ cleaning, washing, a rub with fine wire wool, acid bath, neutralising fluid, an acetone dip and onto the blackening agent.

6182
Initially the recesses that form the rivets stubbornly refused to blacken,  but a clearing with a micro drill eventually cured the issue.
The top of the stove is  unplated apart from the lids and the Flue.

6193(3)
These areas were painted black before applying the plate, and were treated with a weathering powder.
The blackened plate is then glued into place using a smear of ca.

6197(2)
The brass etch Flue is a fold and meet assembly and I took the precaution to silver solder the join before blackening.
 
The Chain Pulley
The blurb indicates that 1mm rod be used to connect the pulley wheels and chain pulley but I think this is incorrect.
The holes in the spit support crane would need drilling out to take a 1mm rod, as would the small pulley and chain wheels, a far more tricky task.

6199
The provided 0.8mm rod fits perfectly, and you won’t risk distorting the delicate drive chain.
The 0.8mm rod also looks better for scale.
 
The completed stove.

6206
I don’t know what the two holes are for in the back plate. I did wonder if the plate is the wrong way up and they were intended to be the drain cocks for the boiler, but even that wouldn’t look right.
 
One omission that I think could be provided with the kit are the fire grating bars that sit across the open front of the stove behind the spit support cranes. The supports for these are  perfect for the brass etch treatment.
However, the Stove is already finely detailed much of which won’t ultimately be seen in the standard build of the kit.

6215(2)
Even so I decided to add the  fire grate bars knocked up from some 0.6mm wire and bits of etch left over from earlier builds.

6220
The grate bars in place with the spit drip tray that I also decided to add.

6221
The connector for the still was added to the aft top plate.

6227
The assembly in place onboard.

6226
The stove certainly looks the part sitting on the deck.

6232
There are a couple of other minor enhancements that I could make to the stove, lifting ring bolts, and a rail along the top, but for the present my enthusiasm is expended.
 
B.E.
20/03/22

Colleagues, thank you for your concern for me and warm feedback! Everything is fine with me and I really hope that this will continue in the future.
It is impossible to live without hope.  
 
While there is a possibility, I continue my work on the model. Gathered together the details of the aft balcony.

The best way to distract from bad thoughts is to continue building the model.

Colleagues, friends, thank you for your sincere words of support.
I'm fine and I hope this madness ends soon.

Time to tackle the copper bottom. My previous build had a copper bottom so I was hoping to learn for the missteps of that one. My Charles W Morgan came supplied with copper tape but I did not like the colour or finish so I made individual tiles from copper sheet which I marked up with a pounce wheel and then tried to add a patina but the end result was quite scruffy looking and way too green. The copper tiles supplied with this kit are fairly thick and have a very aggressive nail dimple. This tile is also missing the edge nails so I decided to keep those in the packet and look for some replacements. The best looking tiles I could find were the Amati 1:64 photoetch set. The tiles are handed for port and starboard. They are designed to be overlapped and contain no nail pattern on the top and side of each tile to facilitate this.

 

 

 

 
I re-established the waterline with the laser level. I also had to add an additional 5x5mm strip of timber to the bottom of the keel as there was not enough depth to the existing one. I started fixing the tiles overlapping on the long and short side. The tiles on a real ship were generally classified into three gauges and the heaviest of these would be in the order of 1.1mm thick. This would represent 0.017mm at a scale of 1:64. The Amati tiles are around 0.095mm thick which is 5.5 times thicker than they should be. This additional thickness causes the overlap to produce seams that are much too pronounced. I decided I didn't like the look of them so I removed all of the tiles and started again with the tiles just butted against each other. It means that the nail pattern is slightly off but it is a less jarring solution. One of the advantages of doing it this way is that you can lay the tiles in strips of 4 straight from the sheet which makes the job progress a lot faster than individual tile placement.
 

 

 

 
Having completed the coppering I wanted to apply some patina to the surface so I resorted to the standard solution of 1 part Miracle-Gro to 3 parts red wine vinegar. The red wine vinegar does not have to be organic, that was the only one they had in the supermarket. I wanted a fairly light patina but I guess I was distracted by something on the TV and I left it on a bit too long which meant there was too much patina from my liking. I was more successful with the rudder. This was the level of patina that I was trying for. I am not overly concerned about the finish as the copper sometimes takes on a life of its own and it may mellow out over time. Overall it is better in the Charles W Morgan but I think there is still a lot of room for improvement.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking great.  I have nothing to point to, but the red ochre 'waterline' looks awkwardly low on the hull.  Curious what pointed you in the direction of doing it so low.

Plans show it as the light load waterline and it seems consistent with this photo.

Looking great.  I have nothing to point to, but the red ochre 'waterline' looks awkwardly low on the hull.  Curious what pointed you in the direction of doing it so low.

Its amazing how you have created the various 3D printed parts David.  You're really showing how this kit can really be taken to the next level with these details, you have a really beautiful model coming together.  I'd love to know how to do what you do 🙂

Looking great.  I have nothing to point to, but the red ochre 'waterline' looks awkwardly low on the hull.  Curious what pointed you in the direction of doing it so low.