newbee

Thanks for your comment Geoffrey. With patience I am sure yours will be as good and probably better. For me this is a challenging build. I seem to spend more time figuring out what to do 3 steps ahead of what I should be concentrating on. The most important thing seems to be to dry fit and triple check everything before fixing in place. Even then mistakes can happen.  A proper workspace and decent tools are a definite bonus. I have an old coffee table and a trolley in my living room. My captain is always complaining about wood chips, pins etc. on the carpet. I try to do all the sanding outside. She will be less happy when I start the rigging and have strands of thread hanging everywhere, but will worry about that when the time comes.   

I really like the idea of having shiny brass cannons to adorn the ship but have decided to go for a more realistic effect. I first painted the barrels matt black and the dry brushed with a very dark grey to highlight the edges. Pretty happy with the result though am happy for ideas to improve them.

The railings for the fore, quarter deck and poop deck are now in place as well as steps and the wheel house. The gratings are dry fitted along with the bitts. These still need to be varnished.

I have not been sure what to do about the captains cabin windows. I decided to paint them gold and then paint the internal squares with gloss red and blue paint to simulate stained glass. As I have now glued them in place it is too late to change my mind now. I must admit they look better without the camera flash. The fore mast channels are complete and the mizzen need to be finished. After 3 attempts I have removed the main mast channels again. I hope to replace them this week or next month after I come back from holiday. The Hauser plates have also been added to the bows but, as the lower whale curves up at the bows I have placed them below the whales instead of above. 

I have found it hard to concentrate on the build for the last 3 months but have been working on bits and pieces during this time. The stern gallery has been completed and I have added the shields on the stern and port side. The cat davits and beak have also been glued in place. I spent a while trying to research how the davits should be rigged and, not finding any info, tried several times to find a method that looked ok. Over the last 6 months I have also been searching for ideas for the deck cannons. Again I gave up and finally, last weekend completed the 10 I needed. I read somewhere on this site about using masking tape on the sides of the pieces of wood and then using PVA glue to stick them together to create identical pieces. I was a little skeptical but it worked a treat. I stuck 6 or 7 gun carriage sides together and the filed the edges down to get 20 identical sides.

I have also made a start on the chain plates. These are very fiddly and have been done by first tying thin rigging thread around the dead eye and tying this to the end of the piece of chain. Once these have all been made they will be glued into the notches in the channels and a strip of 2x2mm strip added across them. I still have not decided on the cannon carriages yet but have cut the sides for them and am cutting the notches for the trunnions and axles. I will probably only have front wheels attached though. I have also re made the steps provided as I was not happy with how the originals looked. 

Finally I have got back to adding some more photos and updating the post. Progress has been slow over the last couple of months but things have progressed a little. I have given the hull it's 1st coat of varnish and painted the rubbing strakes and gunwales black.

The upper gun ports have also been added along with the gun ports that will be closed.. I have given up on making gratings for the bow, mainly because I have run out of them as well as them constantly breaking while being cut. and have improvised instead. Once the beak is fitted they should look good.

Finally I have returned to this post. I have taken some time out and continued researching without much luck. There seems to be very little information regarding 16th century Spanish cannon carriages or anything else. I have also spent more time reading up on the rigging and have now fitted the channels. I have cut out notches for the dead eyes which will be enclosed by 2 X 2mm strips. I have no idea how I managed it but when I added the hull steps to the sides I found that I had cut out one of the gun ports where the steps should go .This error occurred on both sides. I tried adding the steps further forwards but this meant that they ran up and would interfere with the main mast pin rack. I had no choice but to redo the gun port in the correct position and plank over the wrong one. I thought this would be almost impossible but was actually much easier to fix. First I had to cut out the planks between the 2 gun ports and move the dummy gun carriages  to their correct location. Then I added 2 batons with a blob of glue top and bottom and, with tweezers pulled them into place inside the wrong gun port and the edge of the new one. I then cut 2 strips of 2 X 5mm to fit and pushed them onto the batons. Once they were dry they were sanded smooth and the steps attached.

  The notches cut into the channels were done after dry fitting the lower masts and running line from the crows nest to the channels and aiming not to have the chains obstructing the gun ports.

The after most rubbing strake still needs to be re done as I was not happy with the way it looked. I also still have a few gaps between planks along the hull to fill in. The wales are going to either be stained or painted black but I've not decided which yet. Again the holes from the pins will need to be filled first.

The bow gratings are also posing a problem for me to get them symmetrical without filing them down too much. I have also been looking to see if gratings were actually used at this time as well but with no success. It is a shame that cameras were not invented that long ago. Research would be so much easier.  

Thanks EJ. Sorry it's been a while since last post. I am back to again reading more than building.

The lower gunwales in the instruction book appear to be almost parallel to the upper one but, try as I might I could not avoid it turning up more at the bow. After seeing most posts looking the same, I have left them as they are. 

I really want to finish the outer hull before I start on finalising the in board details. At present though I am looking at adding the channels. I am worried about the fore mast ones as in most pictures of sailing ships the main and fore channels are level with each other. On this kit the main channel is higher up than the fore. I Don't know if, whether to me, this doesn't look right or feel right. It seems that with this build you really have to be thinking two (or 10) steps ahead of what you are currently working on. My only other wooden kit the instructions also said the channels should be put together during the hull construction.  I found, however, that there was so little space for me to rig the dead eyes, that I then removed the channels and rigged the deadeyes before re gluing them after I had dry fitted the lower masts. This would now result in me having to prepare the lower masts before I have completed the hull. 

Also, at present, I still haven't decided where to place the fore channel but I will be using chain instead of twisted wire.

I have added the rudder. This was also a complicated procedure as the brass strips need to be carefully squeezed around the brass rod. I also had to add 4X2mm mahogany strips between the gaps as the hinges produced too large a gap between the rudder and the stern post. I now realise that I should have found a way to cut the brass to length required before attaching them to the rudder as it is very hard to file them down after fitting. More photos will follow next time.

Since my last post I have progressed with the beak of the ship. While trying to cut, file and sand the bow gratings I found they were too fragile and kept breaking. I eventually gave up and have since ordered plastic gratings which I am sure will survive this process. The holes are also smaller and, I believe closer to scale. I have added the rubbing strakes and now need to add the second layer of tracks over the top. I have also added some 2mm x 2mm decorative strips to the beak. I have tried several times to make the pin racks but am really struggling with drilling the holes in an exact straight line. I also had this problem with the channels. When I built the Golden Hind she was supplied with the channels pre cut with notches and once the dead eyes were in place I just added a strip of wood along the edge. This will be a far easier method for this build, (yet more timber ordered even if only 1 strip 7mm wide). The galvanised wire doesn't quite work as I would like so I am also looking at a different method for rigging the dead eyes as well. I also tried to have the lower rubbing strake running parallel with the upper But could not get it to fit and so have allowed it to rise up at the bow.

I still have not figured out how to edit the post and put text after adding photos I am simply replying to my previous post.

The second planking is now complete (phew, at long last) I don't think it looks too bad but I did end up with an odd shape left between strakes about a third of the way up the hull though more towards the stern.. I managed to shape a couple of strips to fill in this space which, again, I don't think looks to noticeable. Just another fine sanding down to do.

I have now added the cut water and have put together the beak. The next task will be cutting the gratings for this which will require some figuring out. An hour spent already looking at different ways of doing this.

Finally I have got back to add to this post. Since last time I continued with the second layer of planking. I was hoping that the 1mm mahogany sheet could be cut into 2 cm wide planks which I would be able to be cut to shape. However, having cut the first one, grain of the wood did not allow it to curve to fit. Instead I decided to still use the sheet but taper and shape the planks. I have seen photos of the technique but have no idea what the term for these joints would be.  

I found that as I was only laying a plank either side at a time I was able to work on other details while the glue was drying.

I started painting the kit cannons which I plan to use on the upper decks. I found that the paint, as it had dried out since the last use, was now more shiny. I re painted the door frames, gun port frames and hinges which now look better. I have seen a lot of members have re made the doors which are supplied but, at the moment I neither have the tools nor work space to do this properly and have fitted them as supplied.

I dry fitted the rubbing strakes on the port side to get a feel of how the sides were shaping up. I also drilled the holes for the gun port lid ropes to pass through and will put pins through them when I come to sand and varnish the hull.

I have fitted the "deck stringers" along the joins between the inner hull and the decks and have started on the pin racks. The first of these are the mizzen which I found fairly easy. After 4 attempts at the main mast racks I am still unable to drill 8 1mm holes in a perfect straight line so am still working on these.  I have also built up the wheelhouse although I was not comfortable with the 2mm square lining around the roof, I improvised with .6 mm ramin, supplied for the decks. It looks a little hand made but I am quite happy with it.

I realised after adding the previous post that I should have said drop planks rather than stealers. Having added another strake below the drop plank I am unable to continue planking without shaping the next few strakes. The planks at the bow are now curving too much to allow the planks to bend. At this point I have ordered a mahogany sheet 1mm X 100 mm which I shall endeavour to cut into 20mm wide planks and cut them to the desired shape. I have cut a thin strip of cardboard as a rough template as shown. 

I have changed the orientation of the second layer to, I had hoped, to strengthen the hull a little and also to avoid laying 1 strake above the other. Should I attempt another build after this one I will definitely add balsa wood between every bulkhead from top to bottom, rather than just on the edges of each bulkhead. This will allow me to place more pins to hold the planks in place after gluing them and not damaging the planks underneath. Another thing I was going to do was to mount the cannon rigging eyes to the inside of the hull before adding the second layer. However, I got carried away with the second layer and will now have to be much more careful when I fit them in place so as not to drill right through the hull.

While I am waiting for the additional timber I still have plenty of things  to do. The gun-ports need to be squared off, I can make the pin racks and maybe decide whether to leave the gratings as they are or paint them black. I still haven't decided which way to finish them.ish them.  

After a couple of mishaps I have finally got around to updating the post again. The second layer of planking has progressed quit well but rather slower than I had hoped. The upper hull is complete and most of the stern to mid-ships as well. The bows are presenting the problems I expected and are slowing me down further.

While checking the fit of the stern gallery the deck snapped again. The first time this happened I thought I had reinforced it well enough but apparently not. As I was not happy with the original width port and starboard I used a sheet of balsa and planked top and bottom and also made the widths 2mm wider. This still needs rounding off. When the handrail supports are glued on there will be a little extra space between them and the hull.

    When I had completed the first layer of planking I found that there was a small bulge under frame 6. The keel at this point was level with the garboard rather than being sunk in. I have filed the false keel a little but still need to do a little more with it for the second layer to fit correctly as well as the cut water. I am now concentrating on adding the first stealer at the bows 10 strakes down from the bow sprit deck. I am wondering now if it should have been added a little further up though. Sorry I can't seem to get the text/photo's the way I want them.

I have finally got around to updating this post. I spent some time on paining gun ports lids as well as the doors and starting on the shields. I have also started the second layer of hull planking along with lining the bulwarks and the stern balcony. It looks like I will need to be careful when planking around it as it does not fit as well as I hoped.

I have new smaller belaying pins which should look closer to scale than the kit ones which look far too big.  

Thanks Spellapeaka. Second layer will be started in a week or two when I get a new order of mahogany strips. I am looking forward to starting the second planking with a little trepidation. I should have the first layer sanded completely smooth by then and hope to have the second planks fitting better than the first. My main aim with the first layer was to cover the hull and practise shaping the planks rather than obtain a perfect finish. I have just started lining the inside of the bulwarks, while I still have to fit the stern sections in place I am still not sure how well they are going to fit so I am leaving them for later in the build. These are the latest photos of my progress   

After my last post I have taken time out for a few weeks. I maybe should have taken a little longer as having added the plywood bulwarks and completed the first layer of planking I made the mistake of standing outside in the sun to file the gun ports when she slipped from my fingers and hit the side of a table. This resulted in 12 planks between bulkheads 8 & 9 being crushed. Luckily the extra balsa I added to all the bulkheads meant that it was not too hard to cut the damaged planks back and file down to 2 mm depth so I could add lengths of the 2mm strips that haven't been used until now. Unfortunately I can't find the photos taken before the accident but have some of the repair.     

Not sure why but photos are not in same order as posted.

Over the past week I have completed the first layer of planking and it has been lightly sanded down. I added some small planks where a few strakes were sagging between correct ones. I then used filler for any gaps and dips between planks and again lightly sanded down. as well as wiping some extra wood glue around the planks that were too flexible. It was then sanded down lightly again There are still a few gaps which have again been filled and while waiting for that to dry I have added a first coat of matt varnish to the decks and bulwarks. The gratings are ready to attach once the varnishing is completed. The for-most gun port has been cut out though this will remain closed. Once the hull is sanded down and the decks re varnished, I will add the bulwarks and plank them.

Thanks so much for the link to your build Slowhand. I will not have enough 5mm strips to complete the second layer and was not sure whether to order more or reduce the size to 4mm widths. Seeing the effect you achieved I am veering towards the 4mm wide ones. This will also avoid placing plank directly over plank. I have noticed you are in Dartford, about 2 miles away from me. Small world huh. 

Thanks for your input Slowhand. Sorry have not updated for a while and have just seen your comments. I shall have a look at your build log after posting this update. The reason I gave up on the 50 gunner was that having sanded down the hull frames I found that the port side at the stern was not as symmetrical as I wanted ( 2 or 3 mm out)  and also could not quite figure out how to build up the correct shape between the stern post and galleries. I also have limited work space (small table in living room) and tools. While planking the ship is mainly in my lap.

Regarding the planking I know that planks should be laid alternately between port and the equivalent starboard strakes. With the san Francisco I found that when pinning the supplied bulwarks  and 3 strakes on either side I kept a straight keel. Once the stern planks were laid I removed the bulwarks to prevent damaging them again. They are fairly weak and while pinning a plank in place I  broke one but was able to repair the damage. I am also not sure now that I made a good choice with using 2 layers of 1mm planking. As the hull was not as true as I had thought some sections have either raised out or sunk in a little. There are also a few planks between bulkheads that flex a little. I am hoping that by adding smaller strips to fill out the sunken planks and weaker ones followed by adding a thin coating of PVA that I can then sand the hull down before the second layer.

Having finally added the stern filler blocks and sanded down the entire hull I think I am ready to start contemplating the hull planking. I tried starting with the garboard plank being 6mm wide compared to 5mm strips I shall be using for the rest. The problem I now face is that all the planking instructions state not to allow the garboard plank to rise up too high at the bow. However if I allow it to rise up the adjacent planks fit much better. If I shorten it, which means it is more tapered, the adjacent planks do not fit so well and look bent and twisted. Also looking at previous posts it looks like everyone has their own method. The result always looks good but I am trying to find out the correct way the planks would have met either with the gunwales or a few strakes below, and also the bows. The instructions don't help as a lot of the planks appear more as splinters which would not be accurate either.

On the plus side though, the way the planks sit there is not much need for steaming or cutting most of the planks I am using. I will need a couple of drop planks at the bows and the odd stealer at the stern. At the moment, as I am only thinking of the first layer I guess it doesn't matter too much how it finishes as it will all be hidden by the second layer. This gives me more time to find out the correct finnish of the planking for the second layer. 

While I have been doing some of the odds and ends to be fitted later I have discovered, for future reference, is the foc'stle rails instructions say cut 2 X 63mm lengths for the base and hand rail. you actually need to cut them 68mm long to fit the length of the deck. I will note this for the other rails as well.   

Now that the stern filler blocks have been added and rough sanded I shall use a little filler where needed. I am also thinking of adding some extra balsa between some of the other frames. Especially as the plank butts will not all line up with the bulkheads.

One handy thing about taking photos as you go is that you can see things that you may otherwise miss. At first look the port side gun ports look fine but on closer inspection the rear most port is not quite right. Not a big problem as the planking will cover any modifications here. 

I have spent a lot of time over the last week looking at different completed models, actual ships and also older illustrations. The majority seem to have much smaller cannon than gun ports but a few do show larger cannons in the ports. I am not yet decided on these but again the cannons will not be fitted until the end of the build. I have also found that the gun port frames and lids can not be fitted before the cannons I have as, although they fit now, they will not fit after the frames.

I have now also added the stern filler blocks and been able to do the rough sanding. The time is now approaching to contemplate the hull planking. With my first kit 2nd planking I cut the long strips into individual planks and started by planking amidships from the gunwales to the keel and the laying the planks from there for and aft. I was not able to figure out whether or not this caused me to run out of the required strips or whether there were not quite enough included. I aim to avoid this as last time the new timber did not match what I had already done resulting in having to stain the entire hull which looks a lot darker than it should have been.

If only I had found this site before the build. However as a first attempt I was very happy with it.

I recieved the parts I ordered last week and found the cannon barrels 5mm longer and 2mm wider than the ones supplied with the kit. The Spanish Cannon with carriage has a carriage that is 2X longer than supplied with the kit and with a tiny cannon mounted on it. I will still re design this using wood for a carriage and the kit cannon barrels mounted to them which had been the original plan. Luckily the kit barrels look perfect on the carriage as it is so I just need to half the length of it I think that the larger barrels will look ok on the lower deck unless anyone thinks they are too large. The handy thing is that the rear end of the barrels will not be visible once the ship is complete. I have also had to change all of the carriages I had made as they are now too small. The moral of this story is not to build anything until you know what will be added. Having checked the gun ports with surrounds added they still look ok I think though there is not a lot of space around the barrels.  

I have put off finnishing the filler blocks at the stern for now as I will not be able to sand it down until the weekend. It gets too dark before I finnish work. For now I am concentrating on some of the fiddly parts that will be added towards the end. I found with my first build that by the time I had finnished the rigging I had little enthusiasm for the niggly finnishing touches which dragged on for ages. This time around I will progress with these while unable to to do anything too messy until there is more daylight and better weather. I was not sure if I was going to be able to use the gun ports supplied or make new ones from scratch. I am very pleased that I can use them with modifications.

First I needed to file down the little knob of metal and then drill a small hole for a copper eye ring to fit into. I made up a small jig with balsa for the gun port lid to fit into with a section over the top with a hole drilled 2mm up from the middle The next thing will be finding the right colour paint to use but there is no rush for that.

I am heading towards using painting the cannon barrels bronze, although I would prefer brass, I think bronze would be more appropriate.  

I can't believe another week has passed already. My Balsa wood shipment arrived late last week but was a fair bit smaller than expected. Still useful but not enough blocks. Never mind. Most of the time spent over the past few days has been taken up with the false lower gun deck and the placement of the gun ports. My original supports were between and 1 and 2mm too high up so these had to be lowered. The next step was to build up between the bulkheads with the gun ports. I achieved this by using 3mm balsa sheet cut to the width between bulkheads and to the height of the bulwarks. All that was needed then was to cut the 1cm square gun ports. This took 5 evenings to complete and in my enthusiasm and delight of completing this, (and my haste to see her taking shape) I then started gluing these sections in place. Once these were almost complete I realised that I should have mounted the fake gun carriages in place on the deck beforehand. Thankfully this is not a disaster. I have constructed the carriages with a base of 7mm wide and 3mm thick balsa. I added the sides using 1mm thick balsa with notches cut out for the trunnions. The whole assembly being 15mm long and 9mm wide. having checked out how they will look they fit through the gun ports and will be glued onto the fake deck. I was also interested to see how the cannon would look when painted so I gave the barrel a coat of brass enamel. While I had the tin open I also painted most of the gun port surrounds, however this paint  looks rather dull. I do like the look of brass cannon barrels but will research a little further before deciding on the final colour. The gun port frames will, however be painted gold. I have attached photos of the fake deck and gun station I used to get an idea for the carriages as well as the cannons included with the kit and also the 17th Century English cannon I already have. I also mounted these in the gun ports on the model to compare how they would look. I knew that only a little of the carriages would be visible but this at least gave me the heads up for my idea.