KenW

I want to do some preliminary sanding so everything looks a bit better.  So, I glued several ‘bulkheads’ to form one of the center frames.  First, I cut out the location of where the stairs leading below deck and painted it black.  I also planked the floor since it will be seen if you look down the stairway.
Then I inserted blocks of wood between each bulkhead to strengthen the structure and started sanding.  I had to add some shims in places and remove a lot of wood in other places.  The result is not bad; nowhere near what will be the final fairing, but not bad.  Still looks ugly.
 

 

I want to do some preliminary sanding so everything looks a bit better.  So, I glued several ‘bulkheads’ to form one of the center frames.  First, I cut out the location of where the stairs leading below deck and painted it black.  I also planked the floor since it will be seen if you look down the stairway.
Then I inserted blocks of wood between each bulkhead to strengthen the structure and started sanding.  I had to add some shims in places and remove a lot of wood in other places.  The result is not bad; nowhere near what will be the final fairing, but not bad.  Still looks ugly.
 

 

I want to do some preliminary sanding so everything looks a bit better.  So, I glued several ‘bulkheads’ to form one of the center frames.  First, I cut out the location of where the stairs leading below deck and painted it black.  I also planked the floor since it will be seen if you look down the stairway.
Then I inserted blocks of wood between each bulkhead to strengthen the structure and started sanding.  I had to add some shims in places and remove a lot of wood in other places.  The result is not bad; nowhere near what will be the final fairing, but not bad.  Still looks ugly.
 

 

Well done - particularly with such a tricky specie of wood! Impressive work.

Simply exquisite!
Excellent carving.
 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Simply exquisite!
Excellent carving.
 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Simply exquisite!
Excellent carving.
 

The carving phase is complete.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Mast steps
Over the weekend I completed the two mast steps. The location of these is very important and the plans really helped me out here.
 
Mizzen step: The first thing I did was to tack glue the three sections together with a spot or two of school glue. Then I milled the notch which goes over the keelson. After breaking the pieces apart, I milled the notch into the top of the middle piece and glued the aft and middle sections together permanently. Next, I angled the bottom edge about 5° to account for the upward sweep of the keelson. I worked the two sections until everything was sitting flush with the limber strakes and keelson. The fore section was then positioned over the keelson, against the first two pieces, and shaped accordingly.
 
You might be asking, why didn't I  just glue all three pieces together from the start? It wasn't long before I realized that the shape of the fore and aft pieces were not Identical. The aft piece had a slightly different angle at the foot than the fore piece. This is due to the twist in the limber strake, I think. Doing this in stages allowed me to get each piece angled correctly without the hassle of trying to work the whole piece at once.
 
According to the plan, the center of the mizzen step sits .151" (approx 5/32") in front of the aft edge of frame 11F. I glued the step into position using a cross piece and shim to account for that distance. This also helped to get the step perpendicular to the keel.

Main step: This was made basically the same way as the mizzen step. It sits over frame Ba. Unlike the mizzen step, I didn't need to taper the foot. The distance between the centers of the two steps is approx 9-5/32".

For the pins I turned down a 1/16" dowel using the Dremel tool. They are press fitted without the need for glue.

I've had so much fun making these that I almost forgot that I need to finish up the outer hull planking.😏
 
Mike

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

Well, I’m back with the Galley.  The Pilot boat is done except the little figures I’ve ordered and have to paint.
So, I made a jig (similar to the one in the NRJ article) from basswood.  I glued the side view of the plans to the jig and cut the gun ports so I can ‘mount’ the frames together. 
Each frame with a gun port will have its sweep frame attached.  When the frames are loaded It looks like this:
 

 
I also made a frame with most of the bow bulkheads.  Lots of sanding needed to make the whole hull presentable.
 

One of the benefits of working at 1/32" scale is of course the size.  I think its easier to handle the parts and keep things neat and tidy.  But in addition to that you can really get a lot of details in there.  Stuff I would never attempt to add on smaller scales.  Further, 1/32 and better yet 1/35 scale is a very popular modeling scale.  There are so many aftermarket parts and details available for builders at this scale.  This includes figures and accessories.  Like the small cups and pitcher.   Its all readily available on Etsy or Ebay.   Its also fun to just look.   I am waiting on a few other things I made add.  
 
The barrels are Syren barrels.   I am also getting some new ones in stock I think you guys will like.   It might be a while though.
 

The checker is still very tiny but that is laser cut by me including small very teensy checkers.  The stools are also laser cut in cedar and very differnt from the cushy chairs in the great cabin for the officers.
 

The cups and tea cups and teapot are all 3d prints from EBAY.  They were cheap and there are so many to choose from....you can add crates and boxes full of food and pots and pans and utensils. Its really just up to you and how much fun you might want to have with it.
 

The officer in the great cabin is from Vanguard.  It had a tall hat so I removed that and just shaped some hair in the traditional pony tail of the day.   I didnt want to really paint these items as I want them to all fade into the background.  I want to keep it all very suggestive and simple.   So rather than paint everything with realistic coloring with all the uniform colors and fanfare,  I am just finishing all this stuff as if it was wood color...and carved.   Its a minimalist approach so the ship itself takes center stage.  But it will all be covered and just barely visible when the decks are planked.  But still you might just get a glimpse and a happy surprise if you look hard enough.   I think it will be fun.
 
I do actually have a few more 1/32 and 1/35 scale odds and ends coming in the mail.    We shall see if they make the cut and I add them to the model.  I dont want to over do it.  For all you guys who would do the same...try and stick with 1/35 scale details.  They are plentiful and just a tad smaller and look better on the model.
 

 
Chuck
 
 

Decided not to work today and instead start working on the fcastle beams.
 
Its basically the same as establishing the height for the gundeck beams and deck clamps.  There is a template provided for you.  But yes you can measure it any way you feel comfortable.   Trace the bottom of the template in pencil.  
 

The line you just drew will become the TOP of the deck clamp for the fcastle beams.   I will repeat that...The top edge of the deck clamp.  
 
Once the deck clamp is in position which is a small length of 1/4" x 1/16" cedar strip,  we can proceed with the first deck beams.   There are two we must contend with first.   One is a gundeck beam....and the one above that is the first fcsatle beam.  They are both 1/4" deep but the fcastle beam on top is much thinner.  Those beams were not as heavy.
 

In the photo above you can see how the aft edge of these two beams are all flush with the riding bitts.  This is important.  The riding bitts are not glued in position yet and we can use them to establish the position of both beams.   The beams must of course be cleaned of char and cut to length so they sit nicely on to of the deck clamps for them.  These two beams can be glued in position but still refrain from gluing the riding bitts in place.  Also do not glue in the fire hearth yet.   Although this will sit flush against both beams and can help you position them as well.

 
Next up I will start working on the remaining 3 fcastle deck beams but I wont glue them in position just yet.
 
 

Time for an update after weeks of inactivity because of work and flu/corona after completing chapter 3.
I made a start with chapter 4 and am also preparing for masts, just to keep my options open, when I might feel I have place to showcase a fully rigged Winnie in my house 😉👍🏻.

Limber strakes
I guess these strakes are for the most part hidden. Still, having never made them before I decided to give these a try. I used the plan drawings as usual for the templates. Rather than shape them exactly to the template, I left some wiggle room in case adjustments where needed. The rabbet on the inside edge was cut with a simple scraper made from a hacksaw blade.
 
After adding the center section, I proceeded to add the fore and aft sections while trying to maintain as smooth a run along the outer edge of the strakes as possible. Both the aft and fore sections have a twist which needs to be taken into account one way or another. I was able to twist the aft section with wet heat and hold it in position while the slow drying CA set. I couldn't get enough twist in the fore section. If these were made from AYC rather than boxwood, it wouldn't have been a problem. Rather than torture myself, I went with some very expensive and exotic tools in order to give me a helping hand.

Mike

Rusty, Chuck, Thank you!
 
Keelson
I've been working on the keelson for a while. A little bit here a little bit there while fairing the frames. I went with boxwood as usual and milled scarph joints. I used 30lb (.023) black mono for the bolts. I noticed that the keelson would slip and slide a bit on the frames so I pinned it in two locations. This enabled me to center it port and starboard while saving a lot of eyeballing when gluing it down. 

Mike

Fixed blocks
This weekend seemed to be a good time to get started on the fixed blocks. Six are on the ship with the two really small ones near the transom completed, but off the ship. I'm not sure if I will add them before or after planking that area. I decided to scratch them, using the mill to make the slot between the two holes.
 
When I originally drew in the upper wale location with the hull template, I also marked the location of the blocks. I could have gone with that and it would have been fine. However, since I started the build I've tried to measure off the plan sheet whenever possible. So, here again, that's what I did. I only needed to measure and drill the position of one of the two hole locations for each block. Then it was just a matter of establishing the distance for the second hole while aligning the top of the block parallel to the shear.
 
Here is how I made the tiny rounded shape representing the sheave. It's only .020" deep.



Mike

Why not really commit Chuck? Our Speedwell was based in part on the Royal Caroline design. I'm sure your daughter would apperciate these furnishings.

Thanks Gary.
I see you've been busy.  Just looked at your current build and find I have a lot of reading to do.
I know your build will be a masterpiece since I know your modeling abilities.
Cheers.