jablackwell

Aye, but it does look good

Pat:
Wood glue will not work for attaching metal to wood.  Either use C/A or epoxy.
Kurt

Words cannot express my frustration at Britannia metal pieces. Trying to get the metal cleats to fasten to wood is difficult. 
 
I roughed the underside of the cleats and used carpenter’s glue. But they still do not seem to hold as fast as they should. I am hesitant to use CA glue...not sure if that would be any better. 😤
 
Touch up painting definitely in my future after I get the poop rail up. 
 
Moving on to remaining cleats, poop rail, rudder arm, binnacle, and swivel gun stocks...(then the masts/rigging if the bloody glue holds!!!)
 
 

Friday was a mix of progress and setbacks. 
 
1. Setting up deck furniture, eye bolts, cleats, etc.  During drilling of guide hole for pin to set the pawl (the metal tongue holder to keep the windlass from spinning backwards when under load) I accidentally drilled the guide hole in the wrong place.  After cursing, I realized the original pawl (following Chuck’s practicum) does not have the breadth to cover my mistake. So..decided to remake the pawl with a wide base and shortened it a bit. Effect was so nice, decided to forgo painting it and simply stained a natural finish before setting it on the step. Not a bad result. 
 
2. Made mast coats using 22g wire per Chuck’s practicum. Will paint later but checks out nicely and allows room for pumps for the main mast. Easy to make but may do wood for next ship. 
 
Moving on. 

Side story:  The first thing the Admiral said yesterday evening when she saw the brass eye bolts poking out of the bow wales was, "Your ship has some BLING!".  I was miffed...I am too old to BLING anything, and would never consider BLINGING my beloved schooner.  I honestly hate that word...BLING. 
 
So, after due consideration, decided to make my own eyebolts. Technique was pretty easy with a pair of wire benders. After some trials, found I could make many different sizes fairly reproducibly using 26g black wire. (Good investment!)
 
In truth, the brass eye bolts simply seemed too flashy and a bit out of place.  Replacing with the black eye bolts, other than being a bit more historically accurate, aren’t as distracting and seem to allow a more balanced impression. 
 
Moving on. 
 

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!
Over the past couple of days, I've begun my restoration of this old model. At the outset I didn't know how much, if any, of the rigging could be saved, but after some time with it I decided to cut it all out and start over. Where the spars are broken, it had become hopelessly tangled. As well many of the knots were letting go and the lines felt very brittle, so I spent the better part of a day of examining it and making copious notes before I cut it all out.
 
Next on the list was a thorough cleaning of the deck and hull. It was coated in decades of dust. In the process, some additional damage occurred, but in many ways, I'm better off having it all happen now as it's easier to repair then it would be later. The type of thing I'm talking about here is fife rails coming loose and the edging on the hatches and the roof on the skylight coming off. These were made with cardstock, so I'll replace them with some 1/32" wood.
 
I salvaged all of the blocks, deadeyes etc. by soaking them in some rubbing alcohol and releasing them from the lines.
 
I've taken stock of the repairs that have to be made - the main one is the chunk that's broken out of the port side bulwarks, some missing railing, missing cathead, broken jibboom, broken tressle trees on the main mast, fife rails, hatch trim and skylight roof, as well as return the cannons. When I received the model, over half the cannons were missing. However, over Christmas, I saw the friend who gave me the model and he had found them, so I have the full compliment.
 
I'm particularly fond of the deck on this model, so I am going to give it a coat of polyurethane to protect if from the likely possibility of paint, glue and/or coffee being spilled on it.
 
I had hoped at the outset that I would only be doing very minor touch ups, but the closer I look, the more I realize I will need to do. I think I will have to repaint virtually the whole model. For example, take a look at the photo of the yard below. I just can't return it with the white tip looking like that. That's a combination of a sloppy glue job plus 60 years of dust and cigarette smoke. 
 
David
the major damage is this break. Thankfully, the piece is not missing

the skylight roofs and hatch trim are made of cardstock
 

example of how it needs to be cleaned up

soaking the blocks etc. loose

the rigging stripped off - no turning back now

the deck is almost clean now, notice how the cardstock pieces did not survive the cleaning

Attached the hearts.
 
This seemed to take up more room than the pictures and instructions show. It was like I made the ropes for the hearts too thick but I didn't want to tear it all up and start over. I'm going with what I got but wish it all fit more snug like the pictures and diagrams show.
 
Jesse
 

Jesse,
I can only hope that my build will look anywhere as nice as yours has turned out.  I like your netting just fine.... 
:-) 
~john

Awesome!  I look forward to seeing the results!  
~john

Ahhh Musicians!  A great sub-thread here for sure.
Nice looking set there Per!  Never can have too many cymbals to play with.
Dutchman: indeed! Another bodhránist out there? :-)  I have my collection of those. I play monthly with an Irish group (whistle/flute, guitar, fiddle, and myself). We have a jolly time. We are more like Flook (great band). One drum from Brendan White and the other two from Christian Hedwitschak.  
 
To the build: I am slowly making progress on the sills.... and I am dabbling with a carronade micro-build (Caldercraft) to see if I like them enough for the Syren. They are a little pricey....   So some images....
 
~john
 
 
 
 

Ahhh Musicians!  A great sub-thread here for sure.
Nice looking set there Per!  Never can have too many cymbals to play with.
Dutchman: indeed! Another bodhránist out there? :-)  I have my collection of those. I play monthly with an Irish group (whistle/flute, guitar, fiddle, and myself). We have a jolly time. We are more like Flook (great band). One drum from Brendan White and the other two from Christian Hedwitschak.  
 
To the build: I am slowly making progress on the sills.... and I am dabbling with a carronade micro-build (Caldercraft) to see if I like them enough for the Syren. They are a little pricey....   So some images....
 
~john
 
 
 
 

John - I see Per beat me to it. I am the unmentioned member he refers to. Like you I felt that $80+ postage was a high price especially since I would still have to modify them. So Per & I are currently working on an experiment. With his drafting skills! Music Man, drafter, Modeler! wow! and my limited 3D skills I will be printing a prototype this weekend. Depending on the results. and permission from Chuck. I will hopeful make a mold and be able to create resin sets that are accurate to the plans and the right color. I am not interested in making money here. This site has done so much for me already. I should have something to report next week.

Ahhh Musicians!  A great sub-thread here for sure.
Nice looking set there Per!  Never can have too many cymbals to play with.
Dutchman: indeed! Another bodhránist out there? :-)  I have my collection of those. I play monthly with an Irish group (whistle/flute, guitar, fiddle, and myself). We have a jolly time. We are more like Flook (great band). One drum from Brendan White and the other two from Christian Hedwitschak.  
 
To the build: I am slowly making progress on the sills.... and I am dabbling with a carronade micro-build (Caldercraft) to see if I like them enough for the Syren. They are a little pricey....   So some images....
 
~john
 
 
 
 

The standing rigging has now been completed except for the ratlines (leave the best for last ). This last phase included tying off the shroud lanyards, adding the sheer poles and futtock staves to the shrouds, doing the topmast shrouds and futtock shrouds, and doing the topmast backstays.
 
The topmast shrouds are shown as running to single holed fittings of some sort, which I represented with commercial wooden bullseyes. The futtock shrouds were tied to the futtock staves and the shrouds
 
The topmast backstays are shown as running backstays and end in tackles hooked to eyebolts at the deck. I have not tied off the tackles permanently at this point since I'm certain that in my clumsy fashion I will hit them numerous times in the process of tying the ratline knots.
 
On to the ratlines!
 
Bob

John,
I got the mission from another member of ours to create the caronades in 3d from the plans. They are now ready for the first 3d printing trial.
The Caldercraft are expensive. And this will be a new area when it comes to modeling. 
Will share pictures once we are there.

Brendan White? I got mine from him as well! Went to his house near Eindhoven in Holland a few years  ago, met him,  played a few and bought one. Double skin and tunable. Great guy, Brendan!
My little band of Irish wannabees are going to play at an Irish whiskey tasting event in a few weeks. Free drinks for us!!!
As for building, I'm still busy trying to finish the Lady Nelson. The Syren is waiting for me on the shelf. I'm enjoying and appreciating your build. Good learning  for me. 

They DO look good. Nice work on them. 
~john

Ahhh Musicians!  A great sub-thread here for sure.
Nice looking set there Per!  Never can have too many cymbals to play with.
Dutchman: indeed! Another bodhránist out there? :-)  I have my collection of those. I play monthly with an Irish group (whistle/flute, guitar, fiddle, and myself). We have a jolly time. We are more like Flook (great band). One drum from Brendan White and the other two from Christian Hedwitschak.  
 
To the build: I am slowly making progress on the sills.... and I am dabbling with a carronade micro-build (Caldercraft) to see if I like them enough for the Syren. They are a little pricey....   So some images....
 
~john
 
 
 
 

This is for sure a side note, but music is my thing as well, had a 1980 9-piece Super Classic back in the early 90's with a Black Beauty from 1972. The cymbals was of the Istanbul brand, sounded so good. Miss that set today.
Looked like this, unfortunate not my set.

John,
Looking good.
The last picture really intrigued me, with the musical instruments in the back ground.
Is that a Fender guitar? And which model of the Ludwig drums is that?
I am a drummer myself.

Nice progress!  Looks sharp and the filler blocks are set just right. Also like the use of faux deck below cannon carriage to ensure no issues with porthole alignment. Good idea. 

Ok. Going to stand back and admire my progress a bit. The chain plates I made turned out really nice and I am glad now I decided to make my own via wire/solder. The metal was very easy to bend and trim. Made for a fairly painless chain plate attachment and the effect was very clean. After it was done, I had to consider how much she is starting to look like an actual ship!!!
 
Moving on...
 
 

This is going to be slow going for me.... I am now working on the gunport sills. This morning, I ran a batten to locate the sills, made the mark along each bulkhead and started to figure out the sill shapes. I plan on cutting each one to shape, a little larger than needed, then sand down from there. For strength I am using PVA glue for best bond and strength, especially since these parts are on the fragile thin pieces of the bulwarks. This will then take time to dry, etc.  Here's the foremost sill in place and aligned as best I can.  
~john
 
 

This is going to be slow going for me.... I am now working on the gunport sills. This morning, I ran a batten to locate the sills, made the mark along each bulkhead and started to figure out the sill shapes. I plan on cutting each one to shape, a little larger than needed, then sand down from there. For strength I am using PVA glue for best bond and strength, especially since these parts are on the fragile thin pieces of the bulwarks. This will then take time to dry, etc.  Here's the foremost sill in place and aligned as best I can.  
~john
 
 

Jesse,
I can only hope that my build will look anywhere as nice as yours has turned out.  I like your netting just fine.... 
:-) 
~john