HMC Sherbourne 1763 by Waister - Caldercraft - 1:64 Scale - First Build

[Waister]

Hello, my first build and build log..!

After looking at lots of logs on here, I have learned loads and picked up some great tips and ideas of how I'm going to build the Sherbourne, and what I would like her to look like when complete on the mantlepiece. 

I've been building for eight weeks on and off, before deciding to create a log, so there's quite a bit to show before we get to where I'm at now.

What I've realized is I like the logs that show the actual techniques of what is built, stage by stage... what I didn't do was exactly that, no action shots. So from now on that's what I'm going to do..!!  Knife, file, or sandpaper in action, as well as the result, I promise!

 

Suggestions are more than welcome.

 

John

 

 

Although the instructions say to attach the sternpost at the beginning, I removed it later to make it easier to plank.

Lesson learned was, don't always follow the kit instruction

 

 

The fit of the Caldercraft kit parts was good, only one bulkhead was adjusted before gluing, and leaving for 24ths to cure.

 

 

Very little adjustment was needed with my warding file to make the false deck fit. Curves achieved fore and aft, as well as from port to starboard.

 

 

Bulwark's fitted ok after steaming over the kettle spout and clamping.

 

 

The last bulkhead was strengthened with some spare ply, decided not to use balsa as in the next pick of the bow.

Also decided to attempt to create a bearding line, which at this stage with the stern post in place, was a mistake,

I ended up damaging it. - Newbie for you.......

 

 

 

I found planking quite straight forward, and experimented with different widths of planks, to see what would work and what wouldn't.

Garboard plank was steamed over the kettle and pinned, as it twists in two directions, I left this to dry thoroughly before gluing.

Bending the plank with a hairdryer really works, but you need to attach it almost straight away, as the longer I left it the more of its bend it lost.

I used a mixture of wood glue and CA and experimented to see what would work for me, and what I was happiest with.

I ended up using wood glue all along the edge of the plank I was attaching, then when happy it was where i wanted it, spotted CA where it met the frame.

 

 

Nearly there, What was i worried about....!!

 

Fun to build, AND the Admiral gave me the time to build it..!! 

 

Till the Next catchup

 

John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tkay11]

Good to see another Sherbourne builder -- and in the UK too! I'm much looking forward to the rest of the build. You've made a good start with nice planking. I too made the mistake of leaving the stern on and scratching it -- as have a few others. It was only after reading some of the logs that I learned how to avoid the problem.

 

Welcome to the Sherbourne MSW club!

 

Tony

[Dimitris71]

Hello John, great start to your Sherbourne.The planking looks great!! I will follow along with interest.

 

All the best

Dimitris

[Waister]

Thanks Dimitris and Tony, and for all the likes..!

 

So, just a small area to finish off the planking -

 

 

 

 

Had to use 2 small steeler planks in the stern, with the second planking, I aim to use none, and only drop one plank in the bow. Lets hope for a bit of beginners luck.. or should that be study Chucks great posts and work out the widths beforehand in your plank plan..!

We shall see.

 

 

 

Fitted the stern counter and planked the aft bulkhead with 0.5mm mahogany strips. I plan to do the second planking in mahogany of the same thickness.

 

 

Cleaned up a bit with file and sandpaper. Opened up the rabbet line using a dremmel with a fine diamond tip burr to accept the second planking.

 

 

Tried hard with the symmetry to keep the planks even and not end up as if it was clinker built..

Gave it a good sanding outside, till it was smooth, just a few spots need filler.

 

John.

[ccoyle]

That's a very good first planking job.  Sherbourne is a good starter kit, and as you have seen, there's lots of possibilities for extra detailing.  Enjoy!

[Waister]

waister - English     waist +? -er  Noun       waister (plural waisters)

    (nautical) A seaman stationed in the waist of a warship.

        "The largest division of a ship's company, and the most ignoble, was that of the waisters, the men stationed in the waist, the men " without art or judgment," who hauled aft the fore and main sheets, and kept the decks white." John Masefield, Sea Life in Nelson's Time, 1905.

 

If I'd have known, I would have chosen differently!

 

 

The first of the second planking laid,after heating and steaming. You can never have enough clamps......

 

 

The stern Fascia, I found a pan who's curve matched exactly the one required to fit the part without force or stress.

I boiled the fascia in it for 15 min's, and then clamped it securely to the outside. It was left to dry overnight before attaching.

 

 

 

I'm in two minds as to whether I should fit a capping rail to the top of the fascia. The NMM drawing shows there wasn't one originally, but it does look pleasing to the eye on all of those models built with one.

 

 

This is where I am today, Four strakes fitted both sides, 5mm x 0.5mm spilled, (if that's the correct term), not tapered, ready to mark out bellow from the planking plan I'm going to produce. All strakes will be produced from the 5mm, although for the majority of its length it will be 4mm down to 2.5 at the bow, this way hopefully, the stern wont require any steelers.  Anybody see a hole in my plan..?

 

I'm now going on holiday to Malta for a week, part of the Admirals 50th birthday celebrations,  should be good... bye for now.

 

John

[egkb]

That was some serious 'clamping' going on there John... A new member for the 'Pegs, Pins & Clamps' magazine I think !   

 

Eamonn

[Stockholm tar]

Eamonn,

 

I'm not sure John knows what you are talking about – and wouldn't you think an introductory copy might be in order?

 

John,

 

Very nice first planking! As has been said, Sherbourne is a very good kit – either for a beginner, or a more advanced builder, since you can add as much detail as you like. Don't worry too much about the instructions, they leave a lot to be desired in most kits, but that's where MSW comes in useful – especially with the 'Sherbournites' and cutter builders among us. We're a growing breed!

 

It's worth mentioning at this stage, since you're up almost to that point, the removal of the frame tops – which are supposed to be twisted off with pliers.    I almost had kittens when I read that (oh, the damage!) so I decided to partially cut through the frame tops (about half-way) beforehand, both to make the job easier – and less stressful! It made tidying up the remainder easier too.

 

It doesn't look as though you have done that (unless I am mistaken) but if you have a Dremel you can still partially cut through the tops (using the rotary cutter) from the inside, lying the model on its side. I also hope you didn't use too much glue when fixing the gunport strip.

 

A good tip is to always look ahead of where you are, and to foresee any problems that might arise.

[egkb]

You are right Kester.. I best show John a preview of our Magazine ... 

 

Eamonn

 

 

[jonny.amy]

John,

 

I will be following your build with great interest! My next build will be a Sherbourne kit bash (once Eamonn hurries up and finishes his Ballahoo!), and I've decided to scrap the Walnut from the kit and replace it with strips of Basswood for the second layer of planking (available from Hobbycraft, mostly online). I'll also be adding edge beams to the deck planking, and adding a few additional details to the deck layout. I'm also considering rigging furled sails on the spars.

 

What are your intentions with the kit, any bashing going on?

 

Cheers

Jonny

[paul carruthers]

You are right Kester.. I best show John a preview of our Magazine ... 

 

Eamonn

How do you access this?

[egkb]

Hi Paul.. It was just a bit of fun I had after posting many many photos of my Ballahoo build either full of Pins, Clothes Pegs and/or various Clamps holding planking in place.. you could hardly even see the boat under them at times .. so silly humour that I have I made a joke Magazine Cover for aficionados of Pins Pegs & Clamps (discretely packaged to your door of course )      

 

Eamonn

[Stockholm tar]

Hi Guys,

 

Sorry I missed this, I've been on my hols (a few days in Dubrovnik actually ). Beautiful medieaval walled city, with lots of history – and lots of lovely restaurants! After a few days however, and after you've walked the walls and seen many of the other sights, the sheer number of tourists tend to make it rather tiring. They have a rather good maritime museum with a number of excellent models – but I'm afraid photography was not permissable. I can only apologise.

 

However I partly wanted to research the part played by Captain William Hoste, one of Nelson's proteges, and his defeat of the French who held the then Ragusa (now Dubrovnic). This was in 1814, three years after his victory of the small French frigate squadron at the Battle of Lissa. Being unable to assault the French-held city from the sea, due to it's being more or less impregnable from there, he hauled eighteen pounders from his ship, the Baccante, to the heights behind the city. His second shot hit one of the columns beside the main door of the Church of St Ignatio, leaving a gash that is still visible today.

 

I particularly wanted to see if I could possibly find the spot it was fired from, and where he might possibly have set up his battery. It was to the east of the French built Fort Imperial, and just below a ridge which shielded his gun position from the fort. My wife and I went the easy way up, by cable car – and one can only admire the guts and determination shown by Hoste and his men to get the guns, plus ammunition and powder to the top. Anyway we think we might have found the reasonably flat spot, triangulating it with the column of the church visible though a zoom lens, although of course there is no marker or other indication of where it might have been sighted.  

 

The result of all of this of course was that the French, who had previously thought themselves secure behind the impregnable walls, now found that they were not. Within a very short time they surrendered!

 

   

Anyway, I digress. Sorry Paul, yes it's one of Eamonn's jokes I'm afraid, which I fell in with – or was I misled?

Edited May 14, 2015 by Stockholm tar

[Sumner]

Always nice to follow another Sherbourne build -- looking really good!

[Waister]

Kester, Eamonn, thanks for the introductory offer to the magazine, every time I pass a news stand, I look for it......!!

 

Holiday with Admiral in Malta was well received, her 50th celebration continued to the saluting battery in Valletta harbour, where she thought the afternoon gun was especially for her, I told her I'd arranged it....!

 

 

Lots of cannonades that were breach loaded, with what seamed a small charge at the time..

 

 

When fired you really know about it, It's a big bang, and an impressive amount of fire and smoke is issued from the muzzle, you had to have to have been there to believe it....   A full broadside from a 74, or 100 gun ship must have been some sight.!

 

 

All the local Maltese boats were very colorful, and all had eyes.....

 

 

Anyway back to the Sherbourne, before continuing with the 2nd planking, I had an experiment with treenailing, I intend to use a hypodermic needle to create the effect i want.

 

I attached a .65 needle to a file handle, just to make it easier to apply just the right amount of pressure to create the treenail.

 

 

 

After giving a coat of wipe on poly, it came out as i wanted it.

In one angle you can see them , then by turning it they blend in with the planks.

 

So, time to stop playing and do some more serious planking......

[Stockholm tar]

... but, strangely, you never find it! Perhaps it should stay that way...

 

Lovely place, Malta, isn't it? We were there a few years ago, and saw the same ceremony. Btw, have you seen the clip on Utube of the Victory firing a broadside – electronically of course. I certainly wouldn't want to have been on the receiving end of that!

 

Anyway, your Sherbourne's looking very good and a very nice job indeed with the treenailing.

[Waister]

Kester - I was so looking forward to the freebies in the mag.....!!!!      But don't tell Eamonn...!!!  Malta was great, I was in the sea swimming every day.!

 

Jonny.amy - I suppose I will change some things, my initial thoughts we just to go along with the kit plans, but as you gain more confidence, It's good fun to try something different and experiment a little.

I, like yourself, quite like the way Chris Coyle rigged this Sherbourne, with full sails, I am inspired to do the same, and after seeing some paintings (of which a link was posted on someones blog) of cutters in a following wind with stunsails...  Great paintings, but alas I never saved the links.....

 

Anyway, she will evolve as time goes on....   !

[Waister]

Quick update to where I am so far..

 

 

Spiling a tapered plank - clamped, then heat with the Admirals hair dryer. 2 mins does it nicely, then let it cool. 

The Admiral was out at the time, inspecting something or other at the shops.....

 

 

Difference between a spiled plank and a straight one...

 

 

Once a routine is established, you can crack on...

 

 

 

Using a slow drying CA, I'm able to position for 10 seconds, then after its cured, a quick cleanup where the next one is to go.

[egkb]

That's some crackin' good looking planking going on there !! Lovin' the Tree Nailing too btw.

 

 

All The Very Best

 

Eamonn