Beef Wellington

Post Seventeen
Bulwarks and Margin planks.
 
For the Margin planks I am using 4.5mm wide Boxwood strip.
Nothing too severe in edge bending requirements, and I use the etched deck as a template to form the curve.

0355(2)
Using the water/heat edge bending treatment, there is no need to pre-cut the margin.
 
The Spirketting is handed Port and Starboard, fore and rear; it is nicely etched with Top and Butt planking, and I added a slight bevel to the top where it meets the quickwork planking above.
 
Strictly speaking a waterway should be fitted before the  spirketting into which the scuppers are fitted.
Unless the spirketting is reduced in width to allow the fitment of a waterway,(not a good idea) the waterway would need to fit on the deck in front of it, which would cover some of the Top and Butt planking, altho’ only to the extent of around 1mm.
 
Without this fitting the scupper holes drilled in the margin plank make no sense and are probably best not drawn attention to.
On a practical level very little of this will be seen on a model fully built to the kit specification so not really an issue.
 
The deck clamps are fitted above the quickworks, again laser cut parts.
A bit of a puzzlement here, the blurb indicates that the top edge should be slightly higher than the adjacent bulwark.
There are a series of pre-drilled holes in both the spirketting and deck clamp pieces above the gunports, which would suggest are to be aligned. These are described as being for gunport tackle eyebolts, presumably for muzzle lashing when the guns are run-in and stowed.
However, if they are aligned the deck clamp pieces encroach on the top of the gunports.

0356(2)

0359(2)
Plan 11 does show the forward deck clamp strip positioned between 0.6mm and <1mm above the ports, the aft sectioned following the top line of the ports.

0364
Along the bottom of the deck clamp strips are a series of notches. These are for the support brackets for the Gangboards. (many steps ahead) They need to be carefully positioned to neither encroach on gunport or tackle eyebolt slots either side.

0366
The aft deck clamp strips are less complicated only need to ensure that the gallery doorway slot is nicely positioned. A slight trimming of the forward end to meet the fore part is required to fit.
 
I fitted the deck clamp strips without concern for aligning the drilled holes, my main objective to avoid fouling either the gunports or side tackle drill holes.

0370
Internal planking of the bulwarks now completed.

0382
The fairly easy run of the Margin planks can be seen in this shot.

0371
The ‘false’ scarph joint is marked with a scalpel and lined with a pencil.

0376
Before I progress further I will think about adding the waterway because my eye expects to see it and I doubt very much will be seen of the fine top and butt beneath even a light coat of paint.
 
B.E.
22/09/21
 
 
 

Post Twenty-four
 Fitting the Garboard Plank.
I find it more difficult to visualise the garboard run without the keel and stem in place, so these are temporarily fitted.

0618(2)
I made a dummy stem post for the lower part to better gauge where the Garboard plank should start at the forward end.
It seems to me that certainly for the first planking, this really means running the plank to the very outer edge of the false keel and shaping to match.

0622(2)
I decided to use a 10mm wide strip of Limewood for the Garboard, a sort of Garboard plus.
I keep a small supply of 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm wide strips, always useful when it comes to spiling.

0633
I left the aft end of the plank to run naturally as it will need faying down to nothing towards the keel.

0623
The twist as it meets the flat of the keel is evident here.

0630(2)
The position at the bow doesn’t look too bad to my eye.

0625
How this will work out in practice remains to be seen.
 
The maximum number of full width planks remaining down to the keel is now 14.
So, it’s down to using a tick strip approach to fill the remaining space.
 
B.E.
11/10/21
 
 

Post Twenty-three
 
Planking down to the lower deck and stern counter.
I decided that a simple approach of taper and edge bend was sufficient for the next four strakes which take me down to just below the lower deck.
The taper applied is modest, only reducing the plank width at the stem to 4mm.

0578
I’m very much old school and prefer to use the wet and heat system of plank forming. Only requirements a long plastic tube for soaking, and an old hairdryer donated by Mrs W.
 
In summary:
Mark the taper, soak, cut taper, mark edge bend centre, (where applicable) form bend, apply heat, pin, and glue.

0574
I work the strakes singly, Port and Starboard, matching the bow tapers as I go.
With Sphinx, the tricky part is to get the sharp bend up to the counter as neat and smooth as possible.

0580(2)
All the stern strips are separate and staggered along the bulkheads between the stern and b/h9.

0573(2)
The bend didn’t prove too difficult to form and should be easier with the thinner Pearwood strips of the second planking.

0584

0586
Once the planks are formed I test fit them using clamps and pins before gluing, applying a blast of heat with the strips in place.

0599(2)

0597(2)
I’m taking things at a leisurely pace at present, other stuff to do, so fitting the four strakes each side has taken several days.

0602(2)

0603(2)

0608(2)

0615(2)
 
 
Moving onto the Garboard….
 
 
B.E.
10/10/21
 

Thanks all, done now! Off to the digital library 

Downhill now 

Some nice chains and anchors, and the clean up crew 

Bowsprit and Jib Boom
The bowsprit was remarkably fiddly, but gave lots of learning so I'm reasonably pleased.
 
The bowsprit requires 13 cleats and a bee to be placed reasonably carefully.  This I did by machining shallow slots using my Proxxon mill.  I took the photos below after I had fitted the cleats, but the slot for the bee is visible.  The square tenon to take the cap can also be seen.    Machining that was relatively straightforward though the undercut on the top surface was a tittle tricky
 


 
Far more tricky was the cap itself.  As has been remarked before, the kit-provided part with two circular holes bored perpendicular to the surface is virtually useless.  In the picture below, on the LHS you can see what happens when you machine a square slot for the tenon -  it is not possible to fit the square slot around the circular hole (I did the geometry - but I'll spare you that).  On the RHS is the cap I scratch built.  Easy to machine, hard to design, so here's my sketch of the cross-section - crucial to that was determining the angle of the bowsprit (19º above horizontal), and the width of the jib boom seating bracket (2 mm).
 


 
Here it is assembled (with interim gammoning around the boom)

 
Bumkins added

 
Painted and rigged - with Petrejus's  "hour glass" gammoning.
 

 

 

 

John, having looked at your idea of a Spanish Burton, which I had not even considered, if all three blocks are used this would work if a 'purchase winch' was used.  However, the Rigging Warrant lists 4 x 10" and 2 x 9" SINGLE blocks, which suggests two guntackle purchases, with perhaps each being tailed with a runner (whip)?  Here is a workable configuration for a 'Spanish burton' arrangement for the gin blocks (which will have alternated between Port and Stbd for the fore and main masts).  Still need to bite the bullet and go by the Rigging Warrant listing or by the Contract Specification - the correspondence is silent on this, and unfortunately the imagery does not show either configuration.  The following (and previous post) is looking from the front.
 

 
Thanks again John
 
Pat

Hi guys, a small bit of progress - see below a piccy of the PE for the tops - the fold line will enable me to create the angle-iron trestrees and the after ends of the rim for the 'D" fore rims.  I will need to attach the rest of the rim front, and drill out for the various eyebolts (start holes already etched).

 
I am also back to the Tyes and Purchases/Halliards again.  Having progressed to other things, I revisited this and realised I had got it all wrong and need to sort out the topsail tyes again.
 
Here is the predicament -  the Specification called for the fitting of Purchase winches for the topsail yard.  The correspondence from the ship build superintendent (that I have been able to access so far) is silent on them.  As this person was very detailed and informative in his very regular reports, it is unlikely he will have neglected to inform if these had been omitted.  
 
The Rigging Warrant does not mention them but does offer a very complex arrangement that does not align with the arrangements described by any of the contemporary or more modern authors consulted.  The Rigging Warrant 
lists the tye for the fore topsail as 68’ of 9/16” chain with “Gin on Yard and 2 Hanging Gins Iron”.   It also lists a halliard associated with the fore topsail tye, made up from 27 fathoms of 2½” hemp rope, associated with four 10”, and two 9” single blocks, and two travellers under the ‘Thimbles’ column. 
 
The only way such a list of items could be configured (as far as I can determine) is for the gins to set up as shown in the following image (I drew up in CAD).  The tails of the chain have long links for the associated halliards.  As two traveller thimbles + 4 by singles blocks suggests two separate halliards.  Halliards were normally a pendant set-up to the port channel (for the foremast) and the purchase to starboard.  The only arrangement I can determine here is that two separate up-and-down halliards with a runner (whip) was used?
 
Any other ideas guys?  
 

 
cheers
 
Pat
 
 
 

It took me a day to get the whole thing polished and corrected. The construction of the inner parts can begin later. Thank you for your support and attention.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Then a little update.
All the bulwarks and stripes and more of that funny stuf is on it.
Painted and happy.
Last saturday we had a model meeting in the Netherlands from a Dutch forum.
They helped me with the black stripes because they don't follow the bulwarks.
So now I am happy 🙂
 
 

Little impression of the day.
Also a builder ( Jan Zwart ) has make the Victory inside - out.
Every deck has his own drader with all the figures in it.
It's amazing to see and watch.
 

just arrived today the replacement upper deck about a week from China, Thank you Tom  @cafmodel

Nice work Peter, I found the rigging and configuration of the martingale to be one of the harder things to figure out, even with Lees as as reference, so glad you have a plan.

Hi Sziggy, not sure which paint you'll be using, but assuming it will be some sort of acrylic.  You seem to have masked off the deck pretty well, worst case scenario is you get a couple of areas bleeding through, but this can be easily scraped off gently using the sharp end of a scalpel blade once dry and no-one will be any the wiser (at least that has been my experience with the Admiralty acrylics).  Applying multiple, thin layers will help lower the risk of bleed as well as give you a better finish.  Something to consider for next time is to simply paint the lower plank prior to installation and then you don't have to deal with it, above a small amount of touch up where you don't need to worry too much about perfect masking.

Thanks for all the likes, it really does help to keep me going.
 
I have been wondering how to add the name Diana to the upper counter. I wasn’t keen on using the pe brass letters supplied as they looked a bit too chunky, so I pondered on how to either paint or apply my own lettering in some way. Having searched through all the typefaces on Windows, I decided that like others before me, Perpetua Titling looked the most appropriate. I would probably make a mess if I attempted to paint it freehand. I tried printing on baking sheet and transferring onto the model as suggested by Rob in his Jason log but the result was too faint for me to see. In the end I cut the letters out and stuck them on. The result looks effective from normal viewing distance but one leg of the N still looks a bit shaky even after tidying up. I think that if I try to improve on it, I will probably make it worse so I’m going to leave well alone.
 

 
Now it was time to bite the bullet and get the stern galleries fixed. I glazed the stern lights using the kit PET film. The two false lights were glazed separately and the central section in one piece. The false lights are backed with black card in the same way as the false quarter lights.
All lined up ready to glue:
 

 
And fixed in place with the taffarel and upper counter
 
 

 

 
With the stern gallery in place I was able to carry out a final adjustments to the quarter galleries. I was disappointed to find that some of the components required more than a little fettling, but I’m now happy with the way they look and I have glued them in place. A lot of painting and repair work to do before the final decoration and mouldings are added but I’m confident that it will look fine when complete.
 

 

 

 
I now have a couple of problems with the final decoration. One of the console brackets ( I think that they are supposed to be stylised dolphins) is badly formed so I have written to Caldercraft asking for a replacement. The other is that I have broken one of the swags that go on the top piece of the quarter gallery. The mouldings as supplied are very chunky, so I filed them back to the bare swag. Unfortunately I was not careful enough and broke one of them. I hope that I can align it when I fix it in place.
 

 
Once work on the stern is finished, I will move on to fitting the rudder which I have already started coppering.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.

I suspect Chris is referring to the fact that the deck droops in between the bulkheads so there is no clean deck sheer line...looks like the prominent ribs on a starving cow's body.