HMS AGAMEMNON by Karinmutter - Caldercraft - 1:64

[*Hans*]

All the "carvings" I made are in 1: 72 so even if you wanted this I cannot send you something because it is to small.

Modelling clay has been a long time "not done" but many more see it as a good alternative to the real carving. And to be honest: claying isn't the easiest thing as well.

 

Keep up the good work, but first you have to finish your Agamemnon I guess 

[ETNZ]

Thanks Martin, just as well that I am the patient type then. I knew it would be one of the tasks of Hercules when i decided to go ahead but the more I read the more certain i am that this is a life sentence!

[Karinmutter]

Hello, I have not made much progress lately, due to having been busy otherwise, but I started to attach the clamps of the hammock netting.  After that was finished, I connected the little holes with 0,6mm brass wire. I had to straighten it before using becose it comes rolled up. I also blackened it chemically. Normally this would be the end according to plan, but I decided to add netting to the clamps. I bought very fine tulle for that, glued it to the clamps and the wire at a few contact points. Afterwards I cut off the excess and sewed the tulle to the wire. I am still doing that and will be probably for the next four weeks...

 

For explanation: I used a plank, 6 mms wide (from the original hull planking) to push the netting down to the ground. I fixed that plank with a few clamps at its place.

Greetings, Martin

 

 

[Karinmutter]

All the "carvings" I made are in 1: 72 so even if you wanted this I cannot send you something because it is to small.

Modelling clay has been a long time "not done" but many more see it as a good alternative to the real carving. And to be honest: claying isn't the easiest thing as well.

 

Keep up the good work, but first you have to finish your Agamemnon I guess 

Hello Hans,

Thx for positive comments, but you are right I will work on the Agamemnon first, otherwise it would be too confusing for me!

 

Greetings,

Martin

[Karinmutter]

Thanks Martin, just as well that I am the patient type then. I knew it would be one of the tasks of Hercules when i decided to go ahead but the more I read the more certain i am that this is a life sentence!

I am sure it will be not that bad, but it will probably take you a few years. Another suggestion: If you are getting frustrated in the building process and you think it is too much, you could as well put the "Aggie" aside for now and improve your skills and your abilities by working on an easier kit first. My first kit was the "Santa Maria", one of Columbus`s ships going to Amerika. It was an Amati kit and it was quite rewarding. You can learn all the things you need from wood bending to the rigging. It will take only 6 months to build it and it is really fun!

Martin

[Mirabell61]

Hammock-netting, wonderful Martin,

 

Nils

[Karinmutter]

Hammock-netting, wonderful Martin,

 

Nils

Good to hear that you like it, Nils. Actually it is quite time consuming, but I hope it is worth it...

 

Have a good day,

 

Martin

[ETNZ]

HiMartin, thanks for the idea but I'm a stubborn bugger at the best of times. I'm expected ting about ten years if it is any less I'll be very happy. She has just arrived and I start tomorrow with a check on parts followed by the base board.

[Karinmutter]

[Karinmutter]

After a looong break ( I had to deal with personal losses, including the death of my two dogs), I finally resumed working on my Agamemnon about 6 months ago.

I am currently working on the small boats. I encountered a few problems.

1. The space for the planks is often not enough, You can fit the planks, but then the keel more or less disappears. Therefore I added a second keel on top of the first one.

2. To get a natural look, I added a railing by cutting a piece of wood out of a 1 mm board that follows the contours of the boats.

3. To get a good shape, I put a layer of wood spackle over the first layer of planks and sanded it down. It can also be done on the second layer, because it will be painted.

4. I did not cut the 3 mm wood strips in the middle as recommended. Instead I used my thickness sander (picture) and sanded down a 3 mm board to 1.5 mms. Then I cut 0,5 mm slices with my table saw. Use a fine saw blade, You might need two or three.

[James H]

Nice to see you back at the bench again, Martin. I know things haven't been easy for you, and your Agamemnon is good therapy and excellent craftsmanship. A fine build indeed!

[Karinmutter]

9 hours ago, James H said:

Nice to see you back at the bench again, Martin. I know things haven't been easy for you, and your Agamemnon is good therapy and excellent craftsmanship. A fine build indeed!

Hello Jim,

Good to hear from you, too! Thanks for the kind words, ship modelling can indeed be a good therapy!  

[vulcanbomber]

Agamemnon is looking very good. I will follow the rest of your build with interest.

[Karinmutter]

20 hours ago, vulcanbomber said:

Agamemnon is looking very good. I will follow the rest of your build with interest.

Thank you, vulcanbomber!

 I am looking forward to the rigging.  So far the kit is very good. The material as well as the plans.

Martin

[ETNZ]

Hi Martin, well done on picking up the cudgels again. My build too has had a chequered history. I got he’d up on perfection as a first build and then pulled myself together. I picked around did small bits every now and then but didn’t make any great advances. I now have a neck problem which means no feeling in my fingers. Not great for modelling! My boats had the same issues. I would love to see photos of yours. Intrigued as to your table saw, what type is it?

[Karinmutter]

On 3/5/2019 at 6:33 PM, ETNZ said:

Hi Martin, well done on picking up the cudgels again. My build too has had a chequered history. I got he’d up on perfection as a first build and then pulled myself together. I picked around did small bits every now and then but didn’t make any great advances. I now have a neck problem which means no feeling in my fingers. Not great for modelling! My boats had the same issues. I would love to see photos of yours. Intrigued as to your table saw, what type is it?

Hello ETNZ,

respect that you picked the Aggie as your first build. I can imagine that it is a complicated endeavor.  

I hope you will solve your neck problems. I have a disease myself that might influence the feeling in my fingers (polyneuropathie). So far "only" my feet are beginning to get numb. But as long as I can, I will continue modelling!

I have a proxxon table saw. It is an older type. The saw is very good, but has no"finetune". You have to test with a scrap piece of wood, whether your adjustment is okay.

Good bye,

Martin

[Karinmutter]

I have finished the first three small boats. Currently I am working on the last and smallest boat. It is not easy to fit in the benches, because there is only a very small distance from the floor to the railing. Again , I glued a second keel on top of the first one .

[Karinmutter]

I have finished the small boats now. It took more time than I expected. The oars were also relatively time consuming.

Now I am looking forward to thenext step: The construction of the masts , yards and spars!

[vulcanbomber]

Very nice work.

[Karinmutter]

On 3/16/2019 at 8:11 PM, vulcanbomber said:

Very nice work.

Thank you!

[Karinmutter]

Finally some pictures of the boats where they will finally be. I will however put them aside for the moment to have access while I am doin the rigging.

[Karinmutter]

Meanwhile I have started to make the masts. I had to replace the dowel of the main mast (14 mms) because it was not straight.

 The platfotm turned out to be warped after I had glued the two parts together. I had to press it overnight and make the wood wet. That solved the problem.

The rings at the bottom that hold the spears were a bit too wide. I put an "iron ring (thick black paper) under each ring and glued it together. 

 

[ETNZ]

Great small boats. My best news is that someone cancelled their surgery and I was given an early call. So, neck surgery done about ten days ago and it is so good to get the feeling back in my hands. I am not able to carry on with the main build but am making the incidentals like the anchors etc whilst convalescing. I hope that your polymyalgia stays at bay. Good luck as you press on.

[Jonathan11]

Your attention to detail and excellent craftsmanship is perfection with this build. As I was going over this gem of a ship I felt as if I was looking at a real ship in dry dock being built. Really like the over-all color contrast you have used. Your other two competed ships are true master pieces.

[Karinmutter]

On 4/6/2019 at 9:49 PM, ETNZ said:

Great small boats. My best news is that someone cancelled their surgery and I was given an early call. So, neck surgery done about ten days ago and it is so good to get the feeling back in my hands. I am not able to carry on with the main build but am making the incidentals like the anchors etc whilst convalescing. I hope that your polymyalgia stays at bay. Good luck as you press on.

I wish that you will get well soon. The "Agamemnon" is hard enough to do without a handicap.

Good luck to you, too!

[Karinmutter]

On 4/7/2019 at 12:30 PM, Jonathan11 said:

Your attention to detail and excellent craftsmanship is perfection with this build. As I was going over this gem of a ship I felt as if I was looking at a real ship in dry dock being built. Really like the over-all color contrast you have used. Your other two competed ships are true master pieces.

Thank you for the nice reply!  Right now I have overpainted the black part of the foremast. Although "dull black"( admirality paints) is the recommended black by Caldercraft, I think it looks better in a more matt tone (without too much shining ). I stained the dowel (color : walnut) and put two layers of clear varnish on top. I put the dowels in a drilling machine (Bosch), layed it on my thighs, operated the speed with my right hand and the sandpaper with the left. 

One final remark : At the bottom of the fore topmast the instructions suggest to file the 8 mm dowel square. But it is impossible to have the required thickness that way. So I cut off the square bottom, took a piece of a 12 mm dowel, filed it square and glued it back on the  fore topmast (with a brass nail connecting the two parts,because glue alone might be too weak. That fit in perfectly!

[vulcanbomber]

Lovely work.

 

I'm reaching the masting stage of my build and I'm finding it a little daunting, they are far more complicated than the masts on my San Francisco!

 

[Karinmutter]

On 4/9/2019 at 5:45 PM, vulcanbomber said:

Lovely work.

 

I'm reaching the masting stage of my build and I'm finding it a little daunting, they are far more complicated than the masts on my San Francisco!

 

Hello vulcanbomber, I feel the same. There are a lot of little extras and sometimes the plans are not correct, so you have to find own solutions. Your project looks fine by the way!

[Karinmutter]

Finally I have finished the masts and bowsprit. They are glued in and I can go to the next step: Probably standing rigging or preparing the yards. I did not put the yards on right now -as recommended in the instructions. In all my previous ships I made it that way,I feel that it is a lot easier that way.

[Karinmutter]

Hello community,

 

I have finally finished the yards. I started the rigging with the side tackles. I will continue with the shrouds.