Beef Wellington

Time to clear away the cobwebs and dust from this buildlog and play a little catch-up.  Have been grabbing a few moments here and there to on some items that aren't really that interesting, and especially mulling over the approach to take on a few things.  The quarterdeck and forecastle decks are in place, this is a very large piece so these were cut into more manageable sections which works better for me, otherwise I find that the PVA glue has set too much by the time all surfaces have been glued up.  Cutting sections at points where there is support from the beam underneath makes this a much more manageable exercise and allows the sheer of the deck to be maintained.  Once installed, glue was forced into the gap at the edges of the deck to prevent any future flexing, and then filled and faired to get as smooth a run as possible.  The stern fascia has also been finished with some interior planking and a preliminary coat of paint, a margin deck plank installed and the rear gun ports finished.  The strips on the stern fascia were shaped by steaming longitudinally first, otherwise the two compound curves would make this very challenging.

One feature that I've been obsessing over is the quarterdeck skylight.  The kit provides a structure that reminds me a lot of a small greenhouse enclosure, and this is a feature that I found hard to find many suitable examples of on contemporary frigate models.  The various Artois models show both an exaggerated grating or the 'greenhouse'.  Somehow I mislaid some of the pieces so scratching something myself was always going to be a requirement.
 
Like many features, this seems to be a transitionary period, moving from the skylight being an addition to a existing companionway (e.g. clerestory style top that is wider than long - the example BE put on his Pegasus being excellent example), to more modern structures that are longer than wide and form the more typical shape.  Interestingly, some slightly later plans (e.g. the very slightly later Leda class) show this feature on the plans suggesting it being a more permanent or standardized feature, but none of the Artois plans show anything beyond a small coaming.  In the end, I decided to take some inspiration from HMS Trincomalee, and build a structure that has side lights similar to the cleristory top, but with solid wood roof.  In the main, the was driven by the fact that glass at this time period was still realistically only available in smaller panes, and that a solid top just seems a little more utilitarian and cost effective.  Once that decision was made, I needed to figure out how to execute...
 
Firstly, a very simple jig was made up with blocks the size of the needed glass panes, this would allow the narrow strip to be secured while being glued to what will be the lower part of the structure. The method of assembly required that at each end, a wider 2mm piece is needed to simulate what will be the corner structure.  Once dried, the supports can be cut back to th e necessary height before removing from the jig.

The upper structure can then be attached out of the jig either a strip for the side wall or a shaped 'end'.  The end of the left and rigt supports are approx 1mm wide so that when joined with the sides the corner support will be of consistent dimension.

When fully glued, the structure is stronger than I expected, but still clearly very delicate.  The end pieces were cut back as close as possible flush to the last support with a knife, but the last effort had to be with a sanding stick.  Clamping the structure between some ply offcuts allowed the ends to be carefully sanded relatively safely.  The structure could then be assembled, lego blocks were used to keep everything as square as possible.

Once fully cured, a rectangular section was inserted to introduce some additional strength (forgot to take a photo) before the side were carefully sanded back flush.  A profile was introduced into some 1x1mm strip for the upper molding which was attached prior to installing the sloping roof pieces.  Not finished yet, but this is sufficient to allow for some planning of the deck planking.

And finally, the various coamings and capstan partners have been made up to give a sense for the layout.  These items will be attached to the subdeck so deck planking will butt up against them as was actual practice which I suspect will prove to be a little challenging, but more to come on that hopefully.  One compromise that I saw as being unavoidable is that the 3 hatchways directly aft of the capstan should taper slightly.  In practice I believe that the battens in the gratings themselves would taper as well, but that is just not an option. Given that it would look very odd to my eye to taper the coamings but not the gratings, the decision was made to not taper.  Don't think this will be noticeable, and a compromise I can happily accept.

Bob - once you load the pictures you want , you should click the 'add' button next to the file name, it will add the picture name into text, that way you can control how and where the photos show.
 
Will watch your build with interest now I've found it, she has lovely lines and you're doing a great job.  Just out of interest, how does the 'crystal clear' work?

Post Forty-0ne
 
Acanthus whittling
 
I have previously had a dabble at this which ended in a broken strip, and I put the process into abeyance whilst I got on with other stuff.
Round two
Having carefully attached the blanks to backing boards this time using a Pritt stick I hope for better results.

2545(2)
I start by marking the stop cut lines and attend to these first.
Micro chisels are used, and the direction of the grain is carefully noted.

2546(2)
It is then a case of carefully paring a round onto the detail using a scalpel, fine sandpaper, and the edge of the chisel where required.

2542(2)
I keep a copy of the Chuck’s examples in front of me as a reference.

2549(2)
To ensure uniformity I prepared all three each side before I attempt to remove them from the backing.

2553

2552(2)

2551
Nearly ready for release, a little more smoothing and polishing.

Portside decoration
The same procedure for the Port side, but to ease interpretation of the carving lines I flipped the photo of the finished work provided by Chuck.

2611
As I write this post the first of the Acanthus carvings has been immersed in Isopropanol for some thirty hours and is still stubbornly hanging on in part to its backing.
 
At this rate with another five to go I think I’ll probably lose the will to live!
 
B.E.
 
26/06/21
 

Loving the progress and especially the figures.  I'd definitely be tempted to continue working with the Royal Watermen, a full compliment would be a really striking addition to enhance the model.  Think if you can get a little more 'flounce' to the bottom of the jacket to differentiate from the breeches they'll look great.

Starboard side is finished.
 

 

 
On with the larboard...

Progress has been a bit slow, lately.  I have continued to be amazed by the amount of prep that is necessary before painting the forward bulwark pieces.
 
I was having trouble making good eyebolts out of 28 gauge annealed wire.  The scale wasn’t quite right, and the eyes were more ovoid than round, before the stems would break from twisting.  So, I switched to 32 gauge galvanized steel wire, and consulted Marsalv’s amazing log for Le Gros Ventre:
 
Somewhere, in there, he shares his particular technique for making these eyes, and it involves twisting the shank through a hole drilled into a clothes pin; doing so ensures a straight shank and a neatly centered eye:

 
I did not happen to have any wooden clothes pins, on hand, so I took a poplar scrap and was able to achieve the same results:


 
I found that I had some difficulty while drilling into the bulwarks for these eyes.  I repeatedly drilled all the way through the bulwarks.  On a wood model, this would be a disaster!  On this model, I could simply plug and fair the holes, on the outside, with .030 styrene rod.
 
I had been debating whether to glue-in the gangway supporting knees, before paint and assembly.  Ultimately, I decided that it would be much easier to locate these accurately before assembly.  As with all of the stock kit parts, I spend a significant amount of time and effort cleaning these parts up and breaking all sharp edges.

 
Lastly, I drilled through the cap rails for the baying pins that I will add later:

 
After masking any surface that I didn’t want to scrape away paint from, later, the parts were ready for a coat of spray primer:

 
The beauty of the primer coat is that it always reveals whatever might need a little additional attention.  I can see that there are a few places where I let the upper port enhancements into the drift rail, above, but was a little overzealous.  A small bit of filler will clean that up.
 
Thank you all for looking in.  More to follow!
 

Thank you, Henry and John.  Henry, I remember that phase of your build, and I thought that was an ingenious use of this awkward gap in the joint.  I would do the same, but for the fact that I have lowered the fore and main channels to this upper main wale, so that my chains will now be secured at the middle deck level.
 
Speaking of that troublesome joint - the lapping-lip of the port side bulwark piece is significantly thicker than the rebate it fits into on the hull.  This creates an awkward landing for my waist spirketting/joint re-enforcement.  In order to create a flush landing, I furred-out the hull side of the joint with .030 styrene strip:

I then sanded away any high spots for a flush mating surface, while protecting the painted deck with painters’ tape.  Weirdly, this problem does not exist on the starboard side.
 
I’ve also been making a pair of hanging knees for each side, that will be visible beneath the break of the forecastle deck:

The top edge of these knees doesn’t have to reflect the deck camber because they will be situated behind the deck beams which are cambered.  In order to include this aft-most knee, without placing it beneath the beam, I am increasing the length of the forecastle deck so that it comes to within about an 1/8” of the waist timberhead railing.
 
This small increase in deck length (say that three times fast 😂) will help with the layout of the forecastle; I need room for the deck railing supporting knees, the stove chimneys, and the capstan drum.  There must be enough clearance for the capstan bars to travel without interfering with the fore bitts.  There is some debate as to whether a forecastle capstan would really have been a feature of a First-Rate from this time, however the Louis Quinze model features a vacant space where the drum should be:

Above, you can see the locking pawls and the hole for the drum barrel.  I have found other evidence on contemporary and near contemporary models to support this detail.  I’m excited about that because I really wanted to scratch-build a capstan.
 
I knew before I started that the rear gallery bulwark would be a tremendous amount of work, but it was time well-spent.  As is my practice, I like to build-up a part like this as a series of layers of varying thicknesses, which results in a part that has depth and enhanced detail.  Here is a montage of the progression:

Necessarily, this process begins from the center, and proceeds out, towards the ends.  The critical consideration is that both the bottom and top edges of this railing are beveled to account for the railings back-raking angle.  Each layer has to be optimally placed so that not too much material is removed from the lower edge.  This is especially important for the lattice pieces.  Before moving-on to the next element layer, I make sure to fair these top and bottom bevels, so that I have a reliable reference for placing the next layer.

 

 

 

This fairing step was critically important for these scroll brackets that flank the nameplate.

 

Another consideration is that the outermost pair of pilaster mouldings is just slightly wider than the innermost pair.  They all had to be individually fit.

Just before modeling of the scrolls and central lattice:

Afterwards:

There is still some modeling to do yet, and I still need to add tiny scroll ornaments around the nameplate, but here is the part taped in-place to give an overall impression:

I didn’t set out to make this bulwark railing wider at the center, and more narrow at the corner joint, but it was necessary to taper the ends, in order to come down flush with the side bulwark pieces.

I probably won’t focus on painting this part until I am closer to actually installing it, but I am satisfied with what I think is a rather stark improvement over the stock kit railing:

As ever, thank you for your likes, comments and looking-in!
 

Work on the open-walk aft bulwark, continues at a steady pace.  The piercings are too narrow to work with files, so the entirety is cut to the line with a No. 11 blade:


It is an easy thing to extract these panels, all around their perimeter, but I will leave them intact for the time being.  Next, I will cut the pilasters and the projecting center portion.  Then, assembly can begin from the center, outwards.
 
As I mentioned, prep of the upper bulwarks is proving to be quite intensive.  I decided the best approach for building up the hull was to begin with the forward bulwark pieces.  To that end, I installed the beakhead bulkhead, and glued-in a strip of re-enforcement, where the bulkhead meets the main deck.
 
What immediately became apparent, once this piece was secure is that the bulkhead is not square with the centerline:

This mirrors the same problem that I have noticed at the stern.  Essentially, my ship is a parallelogram:

Obviously, this is not ideal.  It is hard to say with any certainty, at this point, but the error must have been introduced at the very  earliest stages, when I glued the lower hull halves to the plinth-base; I must have induced the port side to slide aft, somewhat, or perhaps didn’t realize the geometry that I was creating through some other error or oversight:




This second stern picture seems to show the problem, but this is really a perspective problem of the photograph.  I know that my rounded stern counter started as a squared layout with the centerline.  Whatever the case may be, now the job is to make it all look okay.
 
Among the myriad tasks for the upper bulwark prep, I glued-in the kevels, scraped away the forward-most monogram escutcheon (because there will be a robed figure just aft of the headrails), filled all of the remaining holes and low fairleads for the sheets and tacks.
 
One error of the Heller kit is that the entry points for these lines are all low, where they would run a-foul of the gun carriages.  To correct these errors, I recycled one of the Four Winds carvings to make chess-trees for the fore and main tacks.  I then decided to make a housed double sheave for the fore and spritsail sheet lines:

I based the decision to do this on Puget’s drawing of the Royal Louis, following her refit in 1677:

Frolich’s L’Ambiteaux of 1680 is also a solid reference for this detail.

One other unintended consequence of my hull-widening modifications is that the extreme ends of the beakhead bulkhead now sit about a 1/16” below the top sheer of the forward upper bulwark piece:

This was perplexing to me until it dawned on me that the beakhead bulkhead side-extensions follow the top-rail camber, so that now that arc extends further outboard and intersects with the bulwarks (which are still the same height, naturally) at a lower point.
 
This creates something of an interesting dilemma.  For the time being, I have decided to take a little authorial license, here.  Although I can find no pictorial evidence for this on contemporary models from the 17th C., I have fashioned an entry-point for the cathead line, along the top of this beakhead railing:



I have subsequently filled that small forward gap and refined the shape of this cleat(?), a little.  My argument for plausible deniability, here, is that the intersection of the cathead timber with the beakhead bulkhead is now closed-in with plank, yet the cathead line needs a working contact point for sweating onto the small kevel.
 
In the end, there will also be a horsehead sculpture that rests on top of the bulwark top sheer.  Even if this detail isn’t correct for the period, it’s presence will be minimized from the outside looking-in.
 
The other major consideration for these forward bulwark pieces is that the joint to the lower hull is just garbage.  I had to do quite a lot of fairing to close the gaps along the outside of the joint, and there remains some significant tension as one flexes the part into its place.
 
I may, ultimately, induce a bit of a bend into the part by clamping it into a form and leaving it like that for a few weeks.  That should take tension out of the piece and ease the assembly process.  Regardless, though, I wanted some added insurance, and so I glued an additional re-enforcing strip that will bridge the joint and increase glue surface-area.

Just fore and aft of this strip, I will fashion gusset pieces that lend additional strength, while also providing deck beam mounts for the forecastle deck.  Above, I am fitting card templates that I will use to pattern the 1/16” styrene sheet gussets.  All of this structure will not be visible from the waist, nor will it interfere with the ship’s stoves.
 
In the waist, where this joint would be visible, I will cover the joint with spirketting.  Just as before, the added glue-surface will really solidify the construction.
 
Before I can paint these bulwark pieces, I still need to fashion a supporting knee that will be visible from the waist overhang of the forecastle deck.
 
In a departure from my usual, I will be airbrushing the primary ground colors, as there is too much fine detail that might be obscured by brush-painting.
 
All of this will, of course, take time.  Thank you for stopping-in!
 
 

Looking at the picture of the barrel and the carriage, think your problem simply comes down to the supplied parts.  The carriage looks a little big for the cannons provided which may be contributing to the problem you're seeing.  The common consensus seems to be that the metal Amati carriages are not the most authentic.  If you're set on keeping these items, my suggestion would be to add some additional wood quoins (on top of the simulated molded one) to raise the level of the rear of the barrel.

Thank you, John and Mark!
 
There is often a temptation to rush things along, a little, here and there.  I am always happy when I manage to resist.
 
The Four Seasons are secure now, and re-touched.  I used styrene cement, first, for a welded-bond, and then later allowed capillary action to draw-in thin CA for a little added insurance.  As compared with Berain’s drawing - absolutely, these figures are a little too broad.  The overall impression, though, is good and I think the adjusted posture of these figures conforms nicely with the new architecture:



 
Part of me wishes I had thought of the stylized false-window treatment earlier.  If I had, I probably would have done that throughout, as I like the way it looks, and it would have eliminated any concern for dust accumulating on the i side window surfaces.  Anyway, c’est la vie!  I can still get canned air in there to blow away most of the plastic particles.
 
The open-walk bulwarks took a while to paint because I insist on not simply dry-brushing the top surface of the frieze elements, but cutting-in to the ground.  One realization was that I did not need to thin the Vallejo artist acrylic yellow quite so much because I wasn’t painting broad surfaces; so, instead of a 5:2 ratio of paint to water, I could get away with 5:1, or even 6:1.
 
Painting yellow over red is particularly difficult for achieving good color saturation. Nevertheless, by not thinning the paint so much, I was able to get there in two passes, as opposed to five.
 
I discovered, on Kirill’s Spanish Galleon build, a very clever little hack for adding depth to the gold brightwork; He uses two different shades of gold paint.  Once I had that in my head, I couldn’t get it out, so I went to the Warhammer shop over the weekend, and picked up their bright gold.  This gives an idea of the contrast:

In practice, the effect is much more subtle.  Here, the lower bulwark piece has had the highs and edges of the ornaments brightened:

The yellow ocher has a way of muting the gold effect, a little, so whatever enhancements one can make are helpful.  I will gradually go back and add these highlights to all of the other gold ornaments.
 
I decided to leave the nameplates untouched by the walnut ink wash because I wanted them to really pop.  The lattice, here, gives a good impression of what the main frieze will look like.  As I did with the bellflowers flanking the name plate, I will continue to search for opportunities to incorporate silver gilt.
 
Once these bulwark pieces were finally painted, I could do a final fitting and secure them in-place.  It was necessary to pre-bend these bulwark pieces so that they would conform easily to the curve of the gallery.  I found it was easiest and safest to induce these reverse curves with my fingers.  The heat experiments I tried with a hair dryer and open flame on scrap sheet plastic were way to difficult to control.
 
Fingers are also, often, the best glueing clamps.  The forward edge/pilaster is CA-glued to the wooden return, while the bottom edge is weld-bonded with liquid styrene cement.  Inevitably, there will be touchups, but at this stage I declare these quarter galleries a successful marriage to the amortisement:
 







 
Next, I will pattern the back bulwark, in cardboard so that I can design an exact layout of all of the ornamental elements.  I won’t be able to install this back bulwark until after the main deck level of stern lights is in-place and painted, but making this part is a good small-work project.
 
I will probably do a short series on its creation because it will be made from several layers and the process of getting where I want to is a little more involved than other parts I’ve made so far.  I can also make up the bulwark cap railing that will finish this structure, while simultanously re-enforcing the corner join of the bulwark pieces.
 
In the evenings, I will begin finalizing the upper bulwarks and preparing them for paint.  I have to drill new fairleads for the sheets and tacks, and secure all the kevel pieces.  Without the stock stern plate to anchor the aft bulwarks to, construction of the upper stern takes on a few shades of complexity.  I have some ideas for a work-around, there, that should provide for a much more robust construction.
 
She’s a BBG (big beautiful girl) - Soleil Royal!  Little by little, we are getting there.  As always, thank you for your likes, your comments and for looking in.

Rudder now in. Looks like picture on the cover.
 

Loving the progress and especially the figures.  I'd definitely be tempted to continue working with the Royal Watermen, a full compliment would be a really striking addition to enhance the model.  Think if you can get a little more 'flounce' to the bottom of the jacket to differentiate from the breeches they'll look great.

I finished the Syren longboat. The following pictures show the making of the gratings (Img 1), the finished cockpit (Img 2), the bowsprit holder (Img 3), the knees (Img 4), the oar locks (Img 5), the rudder with hinges (Img 6), and some images of the finished boat (Imgs 7-10).
 
Thomas
 

Image 1
 

Image 2
 

Image 3
 

Image 4
 

Image 5
 
 

Image 6
 

Image 7
 

Image 8
 

Image 9
 

Image 10
 
 

Hello Will,
Your description of the 'rope coiling tool' is pretty much correct. I used a basswood base of roughly round shape and about 1.5 cm diameter. The base has a little hole in the middle, so that a needle could just fit into it. The hole does not go right through but stops somewhere at 3/4 of the base thickness. For that reason the base needs to be a little thicker (about 7mm) to provide enough support for the needle. The needle is cut off at the end - the end needs to be flat. The idea behind this arrangement is that you can fix the end of your rope with the needle in the hole so that the rope cannot escape when you turn the arrangement. Once the coil is finished you just remove the needle and the rope coil comes free. The top layer of the tool is a transparent plastic piece. It needs to be sturdy enough to provide a flat stable surface and transparent for you to see what you are doing and how the coil develops. The felt pad is just to make sure that the whole device turns easily without leaving any scratches on deck.
 
The process goes like this: you put the end of the rope into the hole in the wood base, move the needle with the flat end through the middle hole in the plastic cover and by sticking it into the hole in the wood base (with the rope end in it) you fix the end rope in the hole so that it cannot escape. Now you add some diluted white glue on the wood base and lower the plastic cover. Applying enough pressure with some tweezers (with the right hand) on the plastic cover to keep it sitting flat on the wood base you turn the base slowly with the left hand always watching how the rope coil develops. Once it is big enough you carefully remove the plastic cover and the needle, with some tweezers lift the rope coil, cut off the rope piece which was in the hole and transfer the coil to its final location on the deck. If necessary you may need to flatten out the coil again and stabilize/fix it with diluted white glue to the deck.
 
Hopefully this description is not too confusing . . . 
Good luck with the coils!
 
Thomas 
 

Post Forty
 
The Royal Watermen
Back from a break in Dorset and not yet ready to tackle the hull carving I decided to play around with a Waterman model.
 
The doner piece is a 1:24 scale figure of an American Vietnam era soldier by Dean’s Marine.
0920
I used the same (modified) figure to represent a rower for my 1:24 scale Pinnace build.
This time the dress would be different and I wanted to model the figure holding the oars in the vertical position.

2472
Early stage modification; the first action is to remove unwanted clothing and turn trousers into knee breeches.
The figure is made of hard plastic and the Dremel was necessary to achieve this.

2479
The arms with this model are separate so it was not too problematic to position them correctly.
It is then down to using modelling paste to create the uniform of the Royal Company of Watermen.
 
A little research revealed that The Company of Watermen dates back to the 16thc and details of the uniform are available.
It is from the ranks of this company that the Royal Watermen were chosen.

A skirted scarlet tunic, coupled with breeches, and a navy/black cap.
 
A prototype Royal Waterman is completed.

2533(2)
 

2521
I have reduced the Queen Ann monogram from the Barge kit to provide the plastrum on the back of the tunic.
 

2528
With the proper oars the arm/hand positions may need to be adjusted.
 

2526
I’m far from satisfied with the result but it does give me an idea of what is involved.

2519
Despite the antiquity of the uniform style, I’m not sure it looks right on the model, but at least he sits ok on the thwart.
 
Time to stop messing about with this and get back to completing the model.
 
B.E.
21/06/2021
 
 
 
 

Thank you Chuck, better than I had imagined I could achieve, which is not necessarily saying much. 😉
 
Post Thirty-nine
 
External decoration and the dark art of weathering powders.
The first thing I add is the ‘iron’ strap that runs over the stem, rather than use wire to represent the bolts, I used fine pins.

2298(2)
I rather like the resin impregnated fibre board that Chuck uses for the purpose, so much easier than the blackened brass strip, I would otherwise use.

2292
A light dusting of dark brown weathering powder and a realistic impression of iron is achieved.
 
I next attended to the provided resin decorations using weathering powders, as suggested by Chuck.
I am using a combination of Revell, and Vallejo powders, Light Yellow Ochre, Sand Yellow, Snow White, and Dark Brown.

2262(2)
Once the coating had been applied the piece was lightly sprayed with fixative.

2264(2)

2280
The full set.

2303(2)
The Queen Anne bust is glued into place on the Flying Transom.

2338
I found fixing the Bow decoration a little tricky, not least because of the marring of the paintwork once again, as I secured it into place.

2337(2)

2339(2)
I will almost certainly continue to tweak the highlighting and shading of the resin decorations up to completion of the model.
 
 
I will leave the remaining decorations until I have trialled the fit of the acanthus leaf friezing along the stern sheets, which I must now get back to whittling.
 
 
B.E.
04/06/21
 

Post Thirty-Eight 
                   
The making of a Queen. (Sort of)
 
Before I continue with the Barge I re-visit Queen Anne.

1850
Previously I had modified the head to reflect an 18th century hairdo, added a coronet, and sculpted the skirt area to fit the barge seat.

2201
Primarily the sleeves need to be made looser, again using the modelling paste to build up the fullness.
Layers are built up and as the paste starts to set it is shaped and smoothed.
 
Early Eighteenth century dresses were close fitting at the waist but very full in the skirt and often hooped.
The model as presented is quite good with the folds gathered around her but requires a little more fullness spread out over the seat.
To achieve this, I needed to make a mock-up of the bench seating of the barge so I could form the folds around her.
Parcel tape covers the benches to prevent the paste sticking.

2205(2)
The idea is to get sufficient paste around her that can be shaped and smoothed, and the figure removed once the paste firms up a little.

2215
The built-up areas are primed.
 
I have dressed her by reference to styles of the early 18th century. In my mind for a trip upriver to Hampton Court Palace, a favourite of the Queen.
 

2260

2248
Acrylic paints were used, and altho’ I belong to the Blind man on a galloping horse school of figure painting she looks ok from normal viewing distance, better than the macro would suggest.

2259(2)

2258(2)

2257

2252

2250

2261(2)
I will leave the tricky question of the Bargemen until later.
 
B.E.
01/06/21
 

 

Thank you Hubac, I did scrap a couple of them, but fortunately Chuck  had the foresight to provide a few spares for us finger fumblers.😀
 
Post Thirty-seven
 
Completing the inboard works.
 
The Bow bracket is completed.

2131
Still to drill the socket in the Fore deck to receive the Flagstaff heel.
The final part to assemble is the step down into the stern sheets.

2179
A simple assembly job of four pieces.

2183(2)
I added the Royal Monogram to the Flying transom, and the Boxwood moulding.
The Monogram I whittled earlier, and a coat of wop was applied before I fixed it in place. Again, micro spots of ca were used for the purpose.
 
I also applied a coat of wop to the Boxwood frieze panels using a fine brush.
 
 
Three months work has brought me to completion of the internal work on the model, with the external decoration and fittings now to do.
 
 Some photos to mark this milestone in the build.

2159

2161(2)

2164(2)
 

2185(2)

2186(2)

2191(2)

2192(2)

2198(2)
 
B.E.
29/05/21
 
 
 

Post Thirty-six
 
Applying friezes.
 
Before I started I re-sprayed the friezes using Windsor & Newton fixative.

2079(2)
An improvised spray booth.

2077(2)
A  kit was put together to aid this rather tedious task.

2080
Diluted pva applied with fine brush was used to glue the friezes in place. A centre blank attached to a toothpick is used to press the friezes into place.

2091(2)
The addition of the friezes  transforms the look of the barge.
 
At this point I add the support bracket for the bow Flagstaff.
This probably also doubles up as a hull brace.

2085(2)
Quite a tricky little beggar to fit, ensuring it is central and sits as best it can down on the bow frieze panels. Even so a touch of filler is required to smooth out the edge joins.

2083(2)
I ran a bead of diluted pva along the joins. Once that has cured, I will complete the filling and paint the bracket.

2084

2089(2)
 
Best part of a day to see this task completed, time to crack open the Merlot I think. 🍷
 
B.E.
26/05/21
 

Post Thirty-five
 
Adding the Decorative panels.
 
Chuck emphasises the fragility of these fancy little frames, but at least had them laser cut saving a lot of time and effort.
I well remember forming the mitres for the panels on the 1:48 scale Pinnace and have even less fond memories of doing the same for the 1:64 scale Pinnace I made for Pegasus.
The first issue that comes to mind is how do I glue these frames to the inboard planking without marring the paintwork that I have just spent hours fiddling with.
The majority of pieces fit simply enough guided by the thwart edges, but I can’t afford to have excess glue squeezing beneath the outer edges or be faced with any form of hard-edged clean-up.

2056
 To fix the frames I decided on minute spots of ca applied to the back face. With the bottom edges sitting on the thwart the question of moving around to fix position does not arise.
 
As advised by Chuck I did minimal cleaning up of the frame edges, using the centres to support the piece whilst light pressure was applied.

2058
I wet the curved bow pieces for a few minutes, clamped them into place, and applied heat for a few moments. This was sufficient to de-stress them before gluing into place.
 
The panels that gave me the most trouble were those for the Sternsheets. There are no fixed points of reference for height and distance, and the shape and dimensions of the Boxwood patterns differed slightly from those shown on the plan.

2061
I used Tamiya tape to define the inboard position of the larger frame, (7mm) and the distance between the two frames, (6mm).

2059
A 1.5mm thick piece of scrap wood was used to get a uniform height above the benches.

2064
 The final item is the Frame to fit on the Transom, to get this centred I used a cut-out from the plan.

2073
Careful as I was, the paintwork was marred a little as can be seen on the benches here, but I managed to get thro’ this exercise without any breakages.
 

2074
Further evidence of paint scuffing on the Fore deck.

2072(2)

2068(2)

2070(2)
 
A small repair to the paintwork and then the panel friezes to fit.
 
B.E.
25/05/21
 

Post Thirty-three
 
Inboard Planking.
 
Spiled Laser cut strips are provided for the purpose, but these still need tweaking to fit properly.
The bottom edge sits tight against the riser top and across the thwarts, the top edge is required to run up to the lower edge of the capping rail.
In the case of my build the strip simply requires sanding of the top edge to reduce its width a tad.
I marked the position of the thwarts on the strip and measured the distance between riser and capping rail using a tick strip method.
The marks were transferred to the strip and the sanding line marked. It was then simply down to sanding and test checking.

1966
Once satisfied, the strip was clamped into place and given the hairdryer heat treatment to take the tension out of it before final gluing into place.

1972(2)
Note the rabbet formed with the Capping rail.

1971
Both strips fixed into place.
 
The trickier element of the inboard planking is a shorter section that runs forward around the curve of the bow.
These are also pre- spiled but will need some fettlin’ to fit.

1976
The first task is to water/heat bend to fit the curve.

1977
 The forward end is firstly trimmed to fit beneath the rail.

1987
By degrees the top edge is sanded and the length cut to meet the long strip.

1988
To support the panel I added an additional ‘false’ frame each side beneath the rail.
This something Chuck mentions in his pdf Instructions and is worth doing to properly secure the panels.

1993
Sections glued into place.

1995
 The final assembly of this part is to add small sections to provide a wider surface for the thole pins to sit.
These sections are laser cut, and simply require sanding flush with the capping rail.

2002(2)

1998
A little filling and smoothing and she’s ready to lay some paint down.
 
I suspect there will be several sessions of paint, fill and sand, before she is ready for a final coat.
 
B.E.
23/05/21

 

Post thirty-one
 
Progressing the seating
 
This involves placing sections that fit between the thwarts centrally down the boat.
 
The main objective is to get a tight clean fit up against and either side of the thwarts.
 
I start by gluing a section into thwart one, the forward end fitting into the Fore deck edge.
 
The sections will require cutting of one edge to fit the space, the length is marked and cut sufficient to leave a final sanding trim.

1880
To this end I made a simple jig to hold the thwart and centre section for sanding. I took this process very slowly with constant test fits.

1877
I moved progressively down the boat until each thwart had a centre section that fitted into the thwart forward of it.
 
My decision to notch the thwarts around the frames proved the right one.
On three of the thwarts, I did need to tweak the fit to get the centres in line; had I initially trimmed them to sit only on the risers, one side may have been left without support.
Once I had completed the whole thing I reviewed and replaced three centre sections where I thought the joint insufficiently tight.
Fortunately, Chuck includes a few spares no doubt for this purpose.

1882(2)
 One of my concerns is that viewed from the side the centre line planks run in a subtle sheer line from bow to stern without any hint of an angle.

1885(2)
Being unglued at this stage the centre planks can move about a bit but once I have confirmed I can achieve a look good to my eye, I trust I can replicate it as I glue the sections into place.

1895(2)
Worth getting my oarsman in to check the seating arrangement.

1898

1896

1888

1891(2)

1890(2)
At this point I am torn between painting the thwarts red or leaving them natural, sealed with wipe-on-poly.
 
 
B.E.
18/05/21
 
 
 

Post Twenty-nine
 
Still in attendance to the Queen
 
Before I put paste to Royal head, I had a trial on a spare figure to get a feel of the how the paste worked, and its working and drying times.
 
The Queen will be wearing a small crown or coronet and I need to establish how this will fit on her hair.

1838(2)
Having made a brass ring to form the base of the crown, I could start to form the hair and when the paste had started to set, the ring was placed on the head leaving an impression for the final fit.
 
I then had the task of making up the crown, a tiny thing of 5mm diameter by 5mm high.
 

1823
The fit looks ok.

1833(2)
The parts were silver soldered together and gemstones added in the form of seed beads.

1846

1847

1850

1854

1857

1853

1856(2)
Still some tweaking to do, I think the hairline across the forehead needs softening, but I feel that she will now make a credible 18thc figure.
 
I will leave it there now and return to fitting out the barge.
 
B.E.
14/05/21