themadchemist

bulwark supports

refine hull and paint

bulwark and stern supports

I wasn't feeling well this morning so I took the day off work, and played miniature ship builder on and off all day.  I have to say that it's a lot more exciting than I ever thought it could be to see her turning into an actual ship now that I'm at a point where her lines come together into the whole.
 
I stole something I saw in one of the books, build logs, or links that I've read over the last weeks, and tried a couple of little jig things to hold the shrouds in place on the mainmast.  Wish I'd remembered/though of this on the foremast, as those shrouds are sort of uneven.  I may go back and redo the foremast, but in all likelyhood I'll just keep on trucking and apply the lessons learned to the AVS.
 

 
First shrouds on the mainmast, applying the jigs and the stuff discussed here earlier with Russ.  Thanks Russ, I think these look better.  I still need to reduce the size of the seizing even more, and add a third 'middle' one, but this is progress!
 

 
And with all of them completed.
 

 
Added a backdrop since the rigging is pretty hard to see in pictures with the dark wood and books as a backdrop.
 
Currently looks like so...
 

 
Next I start putting in the ratlines, and then will work on the rest of the standing rigging.  Getting close to needing to decide on whether or not to deal with the sails.  Also, I haven't even started building the yards, so that's back to woodworking for a while to do those.
 
Thanks everyone that is visiting, liking or commenting.  Feel free to criticize, everything I learn on this one is something I can do better next time!

Thank you all for your wonderful encouraging comments, and for the likes.
 
Since it was cold and snowing most of the day I started tidying up the shop I started at the pilot cutter bench which had been used for a while as a wide shelf while the cutter was on the launch trolley.
 
I cleaned and used some past floor wax on the bench then polished it up. After putting the cutter back up on the bench I decided I needed to make a different stand. so made a start on it.
 
It is more like a cradle that might be constructed in a yard than a fancy stand, I think it will be more effective and more solid, there will be some adjustable pads to seat against the hull. The stern cradle parts are the first ones, depending on the weather I might have a full day at the yard tomorrow
 

 

 
It was nice to get her up on the bench again.
 
Michael

and the plot thickens...
The article didn't say how deep she was, hum? It would be great if she could be brought up and put in a museum like Mary Rose or Vasa.
 
Talk about a needle in a hay stack, and those sonar images look like she is well preserved and intact. 

Danged old windows updates, I'm slowly getting all my followed logs remarked for email notification.

She's looking good DC. Don't feel bad. With a strong chemical and physics background the shroud and chain alignment never occurred to me until Andy drew a picture for me. Then the bell went off. If the shroud changes angle into the chain it causes stress at the channel connection point. DOH

But then that's is why I started this hobby as I knew sailors were better mental physicist's then most Ph.D's If known, at least in basic mechanic. Learning rigging and how it works is a long course in the study of applied mechanics. It takes a while to absorb the way the knowledge actually applies to ships, so don't feel bad.

I think you doing great. An your Corsair is turning into a wonderful build.

stern and bulwark areas to be refined

refining the hull, and planking

This is a kit from Artesania Latina of the Jolie Brise French Gaff rigged Pilot Cutter originally built in 1913.  
One hundred years later It is used today as a training vessel for youth.

I have to say, that I am beginning to think the "industry" is it's own worst enemy when it comes to these kits.  While in theory, an 'average' model maker could buy a kit off the shelf at the local store, and assemble it into some sort of a finished model, it is quite easy to understand why the vast majority of kits are probably never finished, and either get tossed, or placed into the back of a closet or garage, and collect dust.
 
If the manufacturers included decent instructions (and they needn't be extensive, but should have basic things like what knots to use in different places on the rigging), and slightly different parts (correct line sizes for the rigging - not sure how including 3 or 4 sizes of line instead of 2 would change the cost by more than a buck or two), the kits would come together much better, and with much less frustration.
 
If it wasn't for the amazing resources found online at this site, and others that I've found linked from various builds and resource links on this site, my ship would be looking vastly different I'm sure.
 
This morning I'm working on my first shrouds, and after finishing the first assembly, I thought it ended up looking like crap, so started browsing builds again, and ran across a link to Chuck's instructions for the Syren.  In the chapter for the standing rigging, it clearly shows (and explains!) that the lanyards connecting the deadeyes are a much smaller line than the rigging line, but the kit only has the single size of line included, so even though I was using Chuck's line, it was simply too large.  Luckily, I had purchased one package of a smaller line (.012) when I got the line to match the kits, and when I used it, even though it's larger than the lanyard line used in the Syren instructions, it instantly looked 5x better.  Also, his instructions give the correct type of tie-off for the lanyard (Lark's Head) which was also huge.
 
Other small details, like using small pieces of wire to hold the deadeyes in place for spacing and making them consistent.
 
First try - using .025 lanyard (Chuck's line, but same size as provided by kit to use for this).

 
Re-do - using .012 lanyard from Syren, and the first shroud pair complete.

 
If the kits were to include stuff like this, it would probably keep many more people in the hobby, rather than throwing their kits out in frustration.  The goofy thing is, they would only need to 'produce' this sort of instructions once, because they are applicable to every kit that has shrouds and deadeyes, so the cost wouldn't really be an issue at all.
 
 

That's true David, Plus it takes what, like a 15 to 20 year bath in polymers to stabilize the hull and then you have problems like the Vasa collapsing under her own weight, but it would still be worth it if she wasn't all that deep. In my humble opinion of course.
 
There are few of these Old ships still around and with the historic nature of this vessel in particular, it would be worth retrieval, archival, restoration and display, I would think, if not too costly.

Have been slowly working on the planks. It's a little slower than expected, but I've got plenty of time. Am down to the last 4 planks on the larboard side. Have found out just a while ago, the plank widths vary from 4.8 to 5.1. I've been measuring after each plank is put on and wondered why there was a little bit of difference.
 
Should be posting some pictures this afternoon.
 
The planking is coming along better than I expected.

Thanks for all the replies and likes.
 
You’re right John, just a start.
 
You got me Keith.  I was hoping you would be ahead so I could follow you.
 
Thanks Elia, Now I'm learning those names, it’s a bit different then the little day sailors I usually build.
 
Popeye,  “a lot farther than you let on”  I can only hope that is true.
 
"Every time you repeat a process though you learn a bit new and get just that better at making the next one." Michael and Keith, if that is true I should be an expert by the time the Lettie is finished.
 
Bedford, don’t worry there’s a lot more to come.  After the rigging and sails I have a seine boat and a dory to add.
 
Nils, the throat halyard blocks scale to about 14” and the peak halyard blocks are 10”.  The brass wire stropping goes along with the black and gold request by the admiral.
 
Bob

Thanks Bindy, too bad you can't send me some of that awesome looking cooking and peppers. 
 
Today was a big day.. 

 
Masts!
 
After giving them a chance to set and making sure they remained correctly placed, I placed the deck stuff.
 

 
Here is a shot trying to show the blocks pre-rigged to the masts before they were stepped.  I managed to put several of these in wrong, not just once, but twice.  Yea.. 
 

 
Thanks to a fantastic post with pictures by qwerty2008 here - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/7277-stropping-and-seizing/#entry214960 - I decided to try my hand at 'real' seizing on the shroud deadeyes.  Here is the first one, then the second one done before and after trimming.
 

 
I had quite an entertaining time figuring out how to hold things in order to get the top of the seizing tight.  Finally figured it out using a 'helping hands' thing along with a hemostat.  Then of course, I needed to seize the top of the shrouds, and since it's attached to the mast, it gave me a lot of trouble.  I got it done, but it's not very pretty.  Need to figure out how to keep a seizing tight where I can't hold solid amounts of tension on all the lines.  I didn't want to put a lot of stress on the mast without anything to balance it out, so wasn't able to hold a lot of tension on the lines while doing this.
 


 
Not sure how many hours a day I'll be able to stand fighting with the rigging in spots like that, it was a bear.
 
All in all, progress continues however, and while it's nothing like some of the truly amazing builds on here, I'm pretty happy with it, and will have no problem displaying it in my front room (or maybe at my office).
 
FYI - I have a bunch more pictures at much higher resolution that I'm not putting up, just sorting through them for the posts and resizing them to a reasonable size, but if anyone wants a higher resolution of something, or would like to see something that I haven't posted, feel free to ask, I might have a picture of it.

I'm with Druxey, don't use CA and there isn't a problem.
As a chemist, acetone is the universal organic solvent, finger nail polish remover is a very dilute version of that., but it has its issues too.
 
Like Andy, I typically use a bit of sand paper or a rasp or file. This helps prepare your fingers for safe cracking also 
 
They do sell a CA de-bonder also but I don't know how well it would works, as I switched to PVA early on in building.

Its always good to see a new Swift build log. The instructions are atrocious, agreed, but that allows you to modify her quite a bit, Especially in the rig. Plus there are Swift builds a-plenty on MSW with LOTS of great ideas. I've been studying all the changes I want to make on my build for quite a while. I look forward to seeing your version of this classic develop.

New shipyard unpacked!

Hull survived!

Thanks you Sirs, very kind!
 
My small piece of cake found a temporary home in my Trafalgar shrine, beside the tankard displaying the battle lines, the Nelson magnifying glass, the photography of Nelson´s ghost and the the piece of original oak*** of the HMS Victory.
 
 

 
Cheers and shiver in deverence, Daniel
 
***from ecologically certified dismantling ;-)

Alle Jahre wieder (Every year again), also known as "every decade the dafi manages to finish something" ...
 

 
... my small slice of in between meal is served  ...
 

 
... and lives ...
 

 
... while you can hear the chant "By the deep 17" ...
 

 
... the lieutenant and his midi are listening carefully ...
 

 
... and whisper it further with the speaking trumpet.
 
In the same time the crew ...
 

 
... with her own calm ...
 

 
... and sangfroid ...
 

 
... brings up a new rope.
 

 
And as the story was so great, here the whole picture :-)
 

 
Now only missing a new passe-partout and some good pictures,
 
cheers, enjoy and have fun, the dafi

Finally I feel I know enough to start the rigging.  I did the starboard shrouds, the fore stay and the spring lines.  I had to do the deadeye lacing three times and the spring lines twice.  I made a jig to help make the thimbles but I’m still scrap a lot.  I may have to remake the jig.  Still a long way to go but at least I’m started.
 
Bob
 

                         Starboard side
 

                         Main shrouds
 

                        Fore shrouds
 

                        Main topmast looking aft
 

                        Main masthead
 

                        Fore masthead

So I was not warned how long chain plates take to put on and learn how to do....Lol live and learn.

I've been putting some pieces on the ship.
 
The rudder gave me a heck of a time but am ok with it now
 
Here is some of the rear detailing
The rear with Windows
A view down the ship
And an overview
 
Thanks for looking :)

Thanks again Russ.  I went to a .032 drill and opened up all of the double blocks that I currently have stropped, along with the catsheads.  Seemed to go okay, so I'll do that for all of the blocks I suppose.  Seems somewhat goofy that the kit gives you blocks with holes too small to use the rope that they provide, but I guess that such is the world of wooden models!
 
On to today's update.  My last post had the little modification to the ships wheel mocked up, and after I finished that I finished up the masts, and did a first dry test fit.

 
I also mentioned in one of my posts since my last update that I modified the bitt to actually do what the real bitt does, instead of just sitting on the deck straddling the bowsprit.  This was the result.  Certainly not up to the amazing standards of Dubz where I got the idea from, but it actually worked quite well to help position the bowsprit later when I mounted it.

 
Blackened the pot metal wheel after cleaning it up a bit, and began mounting the deck fittings.  I also trimmed the wheel a-frame I made down a bit, and I think it looks better now.  No rope behind the wheel, I'm going on the theory that all the actual workings for the steering gear are behind the bulkhead.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 
I'll spare you the pictures of the block stropping, I'm sure everyone here has seen plenty of that.  The kit provides small copper wire to strop all the blocks, instead of the brass wire used for the deadeyes.
 
I installed the bowsprit, and then realized that I had gotten the martingale crooked while I tweaked everything, and of course it dried that way.  So, off to the store and got some acetone.  Used some cotton swabs and acetone and it broke it right free without too much difficulty after just a few minutes.  Remounted it and this time got it straight!
 



 
The kit has nothing about anything like gannoning on the bowsprit, but I thought that the pictures looked a little too bare, so I added some just because.  I really should have done a proper gannon through the top of the stem, but there isn't enough gap between the bowsprit and jib to get the rope through, and in order to slot the stem I'd have to remove the braces, so I just did one 'for looks'.  Outside of this forum, nobody looking at this ship will have a clue that it's not right anyway!
 
That picture also does a great job of showing that my hole for the bowsprit is too big.  Woops.
 
Started working on the catshead rigging.  I have no idea what sort of knot I should have used to secure the rope to the eyebolt, and the instructions are no help at all, but I just used a normal knot.  Hung a little weight on the rig to straighten the ropes out a bit and applied thinned white glue.
 

 
A week ago, my plan for the rigging was still what it was at the beginning, just do it simple like the plans show, using basic knots and glue where needed.  You might notice a terrible precedent starting on this anchor line.
 

 
I'm sure I did it wrong, and probably too much for the scale, but the seizing (or is it serving?) began here.
 
Secured the line to the cleat the same way we used to tie up the boat (spent a lot of time on a boat in my youth, both power boats and sailing), and the same way I tie off the halyard on my flagpole out front.  Not sure what it's called, but conveniently the pictures in the instructions show the same sort of tie off.  I guess the way cleats are tied hasn't really changed in hundreds of years.
 

 
Finished the other side as well.
 


 
Moved on to begin rigging the bowsprit.  The instructions say exactly nothing about how to secure the lines to the bowsprit or to the eyebolts, so I ended up just using loops, and seizing everything.  Since it's black thread, the seizing doesn't really show up, but it seemed like the best way to get things tight against a round piece of wood.  I really need to learn to tie more kinds of knots I think.
 
I had a lot of problems with the thread loosening up while I was trying to wrap it around the rope, so I ended up just using a half-hitch for every single loop of every seizing, as that kept it tight as I worked.  I don't think any of them will be coming loose now.
 

 
And finally, here is how the instructions show the anchors stowed.  Doesn't strike me as a very brilliant way to stow large iron objects on your ship, but I'll worry about whether I want to do something different with them later.
 

 
Thanks to everyone who wanders through my log, and for the likes and comments.  Always open to criticism and suggestions, even if it's too late for this build, I can always incorporate improvements in my next one!
Cheers!