Vivian Galad

Hi All,
 
Final installment of the guardrail saga.  As you can see I've finally put the rails in place, a tip if your heading for this bit, do as the instructions say and do the guardrails in two parts.  Making it would have been easier, and installation a breeze.  Having said that if it was easy it would be boring   

Here's the close up pic I promised....  I'm not done sanding or "caulking"/crack filling yet and there's sawdust all over...   but you should be able to see how the ebony flows and fills the area between fore end of the channel (the open spot) and the main wale and how the main wale planking is all blended together. The wide planks (wale planks) are all about 1 foot wide, actually a bit more since the French foot was bigger than the English foot.  The rest of the planking is approximately 9 inches wide, and again, it's slightly larger than the comparible English planking.
 

 

Still hammering away...    Thanks for the likes and comments.
 
Here's the latest pics.  Starboard side wide wale planking is complete.  Needs final sanding and bit more caulking (  ) of some planks that I didn't quite get fitted right.  Relatively minor fix, in my opinion.  the splotchiness is from wiping it down with water to raise the grain for the final sanding.  An interesting effect is that not all Swiss Pear is the same color.. some is darker than the others.   Interesting.
 
Next comes the narrow planks.  per measurements, I need 28 strakes.  Seven strakes at the stern to the deadwood so I need to take those into account as they are 9" planks on the counter to the deadwood. After that, they can be wider as they run to the garboard.  The bow will need serious tapering and I'm starting to mark everything out.
 
Any tips, oops, or advice appreciated.
 




 

Your joinery is incredible, Alexandru.  

Last week's progress.
 
Alexandru

Hello all,
 
Quarter deck almost complete - missing last two beams - somehow I counted them wrong. I still have to add several hanging knee and lodging knees too.
 
Before someone asks, in the before last picture the space for the companionway between the first (lower) two beams is shifted toward left as in the plans.
 
The upper deck below was oiled as there will be nothing else that needs to be glued to it.
 
Regards,
Alexandru

Another small update the last before a vacation break.
Alexandru
 

Just some pics without all the clamps and things trimmed to shape so it makes a little more sense The upper level of the transom will be inline with the projecting balcony
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

I made some oars for the ship's boat a while ago.
 
I started by cutting blanks of the appropriate thickness.  Then I removed some wood to end with a square shaft.

 
With the blade already part of the shaft blank, it was too difficult to turn the shaft in a lathe, so I used the usual "stick it in the drill" trick and rounded the shaft with fine grit sanding paper.


 
Finally, I shaped the blade with some needle files.

 
To get my masts aligned,  I decided to use a self-leveling laser.  I chose a rather inexpensive one that throws a self-leveling cross (visible on the right in the pic below).  I leveled the ship on my bench and then aligned the laser so that the vertical line runs through the center off all three mast holes in the deck.  


 
By aligning the mast with the vertical laser line, the mast is now perfectly vertical (doesn't lean to port or starboard) and all 3 masts are perfectly in line when viewed from stem to stern.  You just need to set the desired rake by using a protractor.

 
I also finished rigging and installing all the canons.  I decided to rig the breaching rope only.  I did many test runs with the full set of rigging, but the proportions of the rigging line and blocks just didn't look right to me and it ended up looking overcrowded and unnatural.  (Thanks Augie for your tip on how to tuck away the excess breaching rope when the canons are out - I really like the way it looks)

 
The ship's boat is finished and mounted.



 
I don't like the blocks that came with the kit.  Sure, they are mass-produced and will never look like Chuck's, but I'm sure all mine were made on a Friday afternoon 3 minutes before factory closing time (on the start of a long weekend).  I'm going to try and make my own blocks.  Below is a comparison of my first attempts with some kit supplied ones.  Not a 100% happy yet, but it's a good start.

Dear friends,
thank you very much for your kind words, I am pleased and appreciate your posts a lot. That is a great honour for me.
 
 
 
Dear Danny and Mark,
in this room there are about 30 ship models and more than 60 cars (mainly plastic models in a scale 1/24). The oldest ships I built about 20 years ago.
Many of these older models were quite easy, so there was not a problem to build several ships during every year. Now I prefer to create mainly large sailing ships (scratch build), so it takes me thousands of hours (for example Sovereign of the seas about 6000 hours and Royal Caroline almost 7000). Now I have only one problem - there is no spare space for more....
And the collection of bottles with alcohol - this is my husband's hobby ( but he does not drink it, only collects).....
 
 
 
 
Dear Vivian, thank you for your support and kind words. I am sure, I will continue with other projects and show it also here. Now I need to relax a little, so I spend some time to assemble plastic models.
For example La Reale by Heller:

http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=177&t=95541&start=30
Unfortunately this is a poor-quality kit ( I purchase the older one), so there are many troubles with fragile or damaged parts and in addition, the model parts are very inaccurate.
 
Next time I will rather choose Tamiya kits....
 
Best regards
Doris

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for your kind remarks, and likes.
 
Follow up to trying to splice together two dowels for the bowsprit mast.
 
After making a pattern for the cutouts first used a ¼” Dremel sanding band, then one of those sculpturing bits, followed by and end mill bit, and lastly a small file.
 
My first use of the Proxxon lathe was comfortable.
 
The light dowel was then stained a bit, as it seemed too white.
 
Now onto adding the tip vertical masts, platforms needed blocks, metal strips to wrap the two pieces.
 
Regards,
 
Michael

Hi Mates,
 
Moving onto the bowsprit mast, first update.
 
Thought that I would try to seam together two mast pieces as was done on the 1:1.
 
Pics are self explanatory but some thoughts;
 
• Pic 5, 6. Drilled holes so that when I sawed both inside cheeks the center-piece would fall out more easily. And so it did sort of.
 
• Pic 11- are the first two attempts with my first use of Proxxon KS-15 circular saw. (tried to use the scroll saw but broke two blades, after very little progress).
 
Purchased a second 50mm fine tooth saw for the KS-15 circular saw. I originally tried the 58mm saw that came pre-installed. That was much too ruff (see pic 11 below). The finer saw made much smoother cuts
 
• Also used the Proxxon DS-115 scroll saw to “clean” the insides a bit better, for that it worked well.
 
After much filing it seems to look as if the first part might look ok. Though it still needs a bit of work.
 
I have not quite mentally figured out how to mate/sleeve the long mast
 
To be continued J
 
Cheers, and thanks for stopping by.
 
Michael
 
 

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Doris, as all our fellow model builders I followed your log with great interest, amazed at you "craftwomanship" (^^) and love (because we can feel the love you add to your work pouring through the pictures). It brought tears to my eyes to see your finished RC and as everyone already said, there are no words to describe your work, or there are too many words and would be boring just to put them in line right here, lol. Thank you for sharing all the process; really hope to see your next buildings for it´s an encouragement to me to know someone can build ships so marvelous as you do. Congratz for a stunning work of art.
 
PS. Hope your new job be a great one!

Thank you very much for your kind words, dear friends! Your support helped me a lot during the work.
What will be the next model in my shipyard? Well, now I need to have a rest, so I am going to make some plastic kits for relax - maybe La Reale de France (Heller, scale 1:75)

 
and also have at home small kit of Vasa/Revell - 1/150 and two battle ships from WW2 (Musashi and New Jersey, 1/350, Tamiya.
In future I am going to build HMS Sussex (probably in 1:60 scale; scratch build) from card. This could be another great project.