Beef Wellington

I've been plugging away at the cannon rigging. Everyone has their little methods / jigs, etc, for getting the tackle together, so here's mine. I went through and attached one end of the breech rope to an eyebolt and ring, fed it through the rings on the carriage, then clipped it in the soldering holder to tie up the loose end and clip off the extra bits.  I briefly flirted with the idea of feeding it through the carriage bolts/rings, then attaching the entire thing to the carriage - but in a weird way, this actually helped me keep a good measure on the lengths, etc. 
 
 
  
    I also opted for the "feed the button into the rope" method as opposed to the wrap the breech around the button - even though the latter is more accurate. It just looks SO bulky to me that I don't care for it. After the guns were rigged, I went through and tried to touch up any blackened/painted areas that got scrapped off; a pretty tough gig.  I've tried a variety of types of paints and other methods of fixident, but still have a heck of a time getting the black to stay on eyebolts and rings. 
 
 
  
      You'll also notice that I went with all 16 guns rather than the 14 the Peg calls for.  What can I say, I like a full compliment. Getting the guns in place then allowed me to add the lower deck fittings that I had completed up until this point. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Post Sixty- two
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A five month photo review.
With the planking completed I was keen to see how the hatches and gratings looked.

2148(2)

2140(2)

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2136(2)
With the decking in place it all looks so much better and things are proceeding to plan.

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My eye keeps catching the slight difference between the Aft hatch grating and the others.
I am otherwise happy with the  modified coamings  and curved gratings.

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2144(2)
 
I will now spend some time ensuring that all the deck fittings  slot into their allotted holes before moving on.
 
B.E.
11/01/22
 
 
 
 

Hi all,
 
The foredeck is in place and planked. I made the planks shorter lengths as per the main deck for the first three rows on each side of the king plank. Beyond that the planks seemed a realistic length to be full runs.
 

 
 
And the finished article...  The angle of the photo makes it look like the kingplank isn't quite lined up, but in fact it's spot on
 

 

 

 
Happy building
 
Rob

Post Sixty-one
 
 ... and more deck planking.
The second bite at the planking cherry went better with fairly rapid planking along the deck using 3.4mm strips.
At the bow end I merely butted the planks against the margin, back to the Bridle port, but this part of the construction will be obscured.
 
When it’s straightforward I find deck planking quite relaxing, as with most things it’s the fiddly bits that take the time, and tend to frustrate.
 
As the planking line approaches the Margins, Hooded planks become a requirement.
I am not using joggling into the margins on this build.
Wider planks as necessary are needed to make hooded planks;  it’s not that difficult, the tricky part is getting the tail  to match the standard 3.4mm wide planks that extend from the hooded strakes.
 
At this point I also considered  using Top and Butt planking for the outboard four strakes as  indicated in the Tffm Swan books.
On  contemporary models of the period there is not any evidence that I can see to support a general use of this planking form.
This is what Peter Goodwin has to say on the subject.              
(The construction and fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850)
 
In most vessels all the planking was of parallel strakes, with the butts square.
Some builders fitted two strakes of either top and butt or anchor stock 4 ft from each side of the ship. This practice was probably adopted towards the end of the eighteenth century.
 
Much as I find Top and Butt  visually appealing, I have decided to forgo the pleasure; I did trial a mock-up but the t&b planks would extend some 26mm from the margin with a high point of 5.5mm. They covered  over half of the broadest deck width, and seemed to my eye to overwhelm the overall look.
 
Well that’s my excuse.
 
A further three days work and the planking is complete.

2107
The process of deck scraping begins.

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2114(2)
 
Once I’m satisfied with the scraping I will apply a coat of flat matt varnish to help protect the surface.
I will then need to re-vist the finish on the coamings which has suffered somewhat during the planking.
 
B.E.
10/01/22
 

Happy New Year everyone!  Know I have been absent for what seems an eternity, my usually slow pace was additionally impacted by the many hurricanes and storms that hit the US earlier this year, our basement had some water damage that put an end to ship modelling activities until it was sorted....which it just has been.  Luckily, no damage was sustained to any models, but, I did lose a number of kit pieces and wood strip supplies that were stored in cardboard boxes.  Luckily nothing terminal.  Decent maple strip now needs to be even more carefully husbanded but hoping I will have enough to ensure consistent material on the remaining planking.
 
The holidays provided an opportunity to get back into it and finally was able to complete the quarterdeck planking.  Very slow and intensive, but I am happy with the result and the fact this is task at least is done.  The pictures below show the deck without any tidying up and show the slight differences in plank thicknesses and pencil lead smudging, so next step will be to clean all of this up.  The forecastle planking will require a slightly different approach and planning, but there are some additional things to finalise first which can wait for a future post.
 
Cheers

Using foil is a really neat idea.  I did remember seeing this in Dan Vadas' excellent Vulture build....that solution seem to provide more flexibility, utility and ability to easily maintain.
 
 

Fascinating to see the development of these new kits, thanks for shring.

Happy New Year everyone!  Know I have been absent for what seems an eternity, my usually slow pace was additionally impacted by the many hurricanes and storms that hit the US earlier this year, our basement had some water damage that put an end to ship modelling activities until it was sorted....which it just has been.  Luckily, no damage was sustained to any models, but, I did lose a number of kit pieces and wood strip supplies that were stored in cardboard boxes.  Luckily nothing terminal.  Decent maple strip now needs to be even more carefully husbanded but hoping I will have enough to ensure consistent material on the remaining planking.
 
The holidays provided an opportunity to get back into it and finally was able to complete the quarterdeck planking.  Very slow and intensive, but I am happy with the result and the fact this is task at least is done.  The pictures below show the deck without any tidying up and show the slight differences in plank thicknesses and pencil lead smudging, so next step will be to clean all of this up.  The forecastle planking will require a slightly different approach and planning, but there are some additional things to finalise first which can wait for a future post.
 
Cheers

Somehow missed your updates, looking good Vane.

Looking good as always!  Did you cut the slots at the side of the forecastle false deck or did it come that way?  Seems a really obvious (in retrospect!) way to help ensure the deck sits properly without having to force it too much. 

Looking good as always!  Did you cut the slots at the side of the forecastle false deck or did it come that way?  Seems a really obvious (in retrospect!) way to help ensure the deck sits properly without having to force it too much. 

Somehow missed your updates, looking good Vane.

Thank you Keith, and thank you everyone for the likes.
 
A little update on the aft steering platform, and then onto the foredeck.
 
First, I added some small supports to the uprights to make them look a bit more like they belonged. These were made out of 2x4mm walnut, and you can see them in the third and fourth photos below. They're glued in place on the platform, which made assembling everything else considerably easier.
 
Then, having added pins to position the steering platform at the rear, and having painted the steering components, I threaded the chains through the grating, and I've wrapped it round the drum. 
 

 

 

 

 
I'm not sure about the black ship's wheel yet... I'll see if it grows on me. 
 
Next I focussed on the fore deck. 
 
This is section 49 of the instructions. It composes a ply false foredeck in two halves with cutouts to allow it to flex, and a 4mm walnut beam that supports the aft end of the foredeck. The instructions say that the foredeck will need to be soaked for hours in order to shape it, however the shaping is, in fact quite slight. I stuck the ply foredeck together with superglue, put water on it, and used my violin rib bender at 230 Centigrade to give it some shape. Once the curve was in, it needs to bend upwards. It will glue neatly in place, but needs supports round the edges, otherwise, it won't make a secure base for the planking. I've begun adding those supports using balsa, and so far it's looking okay.
 
I got confused here, initially. The instructions say that the foredeck should meet the bottom edge of the bulwark rail. It wasn't entirely clear what that meant... Here's a picture that hopefully will explain it better than words... 
 

 
Before I worked that out, I thought the ply false deck needed to go under the rail - and spent quite a while getting rid of the balsa support I had in the bow area down to that level. Then I realised how silly that would look, and spent a while putting it back!  🙄
 
The supports currently look like this.
 

 
The foredeck, once bent looks like this...
 

 
It's not a major bend, but getting the bend even across the gap took a bit more patience. Even pressure across the join whilst it was steam bent was important.
 
The 4mm walnut part has a 1.5mm strip glued to it. This was done by gently bending the 1.5mm strip then clamping until the glue set.
 

 
It was left overlength, then trimmed once the glue was dry.
 

 
The support is too long to fit - or at least it was on my model - but rather than trim it separate to the ply false deck, I glued them together first. Before I could do that, I had to trim the aft edge of the false deck as it had curved edge. I still haven't worked out why, but there we go. It was carefully trimmed with a steel straight edge and a sharp xacto knife, then glued to the support.
 

 
Now the task of fitting the support to the model could begin. In honesty, I trimmed it a little short, but nothing major. It just isn't quite as neat a push fit as I like to aim for.
 
I've cut the king plank, but I won't fit that until I've got the false deck firmly in place. Before I do that I need to return to the plans and carefully make sure I'm not losing access to something I need to get to. It would be frustrating and invasive to have to remove this platform to regain access down the line! The instructions do say to fix the platform in place, but I have an irksome memory that I may have neglected to put some eyelets on the deck earlier on in the instructions.
 
Anyway - here is how it looks dry-fitted at present. (nb: the false deck is sitting a bit proud at the bow, but it does sit lower when I push it down. Also, the king plank hasn't been finally shaped yet, and will be sanded thinner to merge with the deck support beam and to be thinner at the bow end.)
 

 
Happy building to you all. Hope this helps someone following on.
 
Rob

Post Sixty
Planking continues.
The tricky business of  laying down the binding strakes is next.
These incorporate the tabs that fit around the coamings and are cut from wider 6mm strip.

2086
I had a few goes at getting the cutting right particularly along the section  that encompassed the Main and aft hatchways, but got there at the end of a long day.
 
The next tedious stage was re-cutting all the holes for the deck fittings and masts.
Drilling, cutting with a scalpel blade, and finishing with files.

2079
The deck will look much better once it has been cleaned up. This will involve scraping using an old small plane blade, I never sand decks.
The cut-out holes for the fittings will be fully cleaned up once the decking is complete.
This work needs to be done with soft hands using needle files, as the merest hint of harsh filing has a tendency to rip the thin Boxwood planking.
 
As he who needs no introduction would say: 
You are not carving a bear with a chain saw here folks.
I love that saying which has stuck in my mind from my Royal Barge build instructions.
 

2088(2)
From this point I moved to using the 3.4mm planks and I start to apply tapering towards the bow and stern having marked  the decreasing widths on the false deck.

After a days work I decided it wasn’t good enough, and I didn’t like the look, so at close of play most of the planking beyond the binding strakes was ripped up.

2094ps
Fortunately, the planks came away mostly intact simply by slipping a thin blade beneath one end and sliding it along.
 
Frustrating, but it had to be done, and it’s back into the fray  today.
 
B.E.
08/01/22
 
 

This week I been working on all deck details... Just dry fitting.

 
The kit supply wheel didnt look good so I made an upgrade.

 
Plenty of mtrl in the kit

 
Added a few extra details here than the plans.

 
Fiddeling...

 
Painting is a question... I will probably go with a lot of black. 

Started to work on the masts. 

Tonights project... 18 gunports. Decided to work with a strip of boxwood instead of the supplied walnut. A bit easier to work on with these fiddling pieces.
 

 

More photos
 


 

I havent worked on my Snake for quite some time due to many other projects. Will hopefully finish a few things on her now.
 
Decks in maple completed and scraped!
 

 
 
 

Fascinating to see the development of these new kits, thanks for shring.

The garboards are two laser-cut pieces per side.  The aft portion in particular takes quite a twist, so soaking and clamping is pretty much necessary.  Because of the relative symmetry of the curved portions, each garboard has a small "k" lasered into the edge that meets the bottom of the keel.

At the moment, I'm developing three new kits for BlueJacket:  USS OREGON (BB3), NS SAVANNAH, and the schooner WYOMING.  Each has its own Facebook Group:  OREGON  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2345449125727256 ; SAVANNAH https://www.facebook.com/groups/415003942865004 ; WYOMING  WYOMING 6-MASTED SCHOONER | Facebook  .  Please visit and see how our kits are created from beginning to end.  For those not on Facebook, I will be doing a development and build log here.

Hello,
today I puzzled how to lay out the anchor cable at the deck. First, must a cable when not in use go over the bits? I build that at the port side. At the starboard side I would say, the anchor is out and the cable goes over one bit. Falconer says, only at a heavy sea the second bit was also in use and more stoppers. I secured the cables with two stoppers. All is not hard and fast, so if someone of you have other suggestions, please let me know. At least, most of this you would't see later 😐
 
I had some trouble with the uploading of two pictures! That is the reason, why one picture is now smaller. 

 

 

 

Hello,
it is done! That was more work as expected. The next, and for the next time last thing to do outside of the hull, would be to rig up the gun port lids at the gun deck. 
 
 
 

 

 

Hello,
it is done, the windows are ready and build in. The lacquer at the acrylic glas may dry a little more and then I hope they look a little more even.