HMS Victory by fifthace - Caldercraft - Scale 1:72

[fifthace]

I decided to rethink my jig for preparing the deck planks. I wanted something that would allow me to get the correct length uniformly as well as smooth all the edges of the deck planks in bulk, or batches.

 

I came up with a small block with a walnut frame open on one end. The frame is 1mm lower than the width of the planks. I placed copper tiles on the block beneath the open end. The length of the slot for the planks included the copper tiles is exactly 85mm:

 

 

 This means I can place groups of roughly-cut-to-length planks edgeways into the slot, sand the edges of them all uniformly, as well as sand the ends so that they are all the same length. Then remove, flip, insert reversed and repeat. The copper tiles prevent the length being inadvertently shortened over time due to sanding. I can fit 22 planks in this each time, which fit snugly and require slight pressure to slide them all in. This helps to ensure they stay in place during sanding.

 

I was able to over the space of about 2 or 3 hours quickly and accurately prepare about 300 planks.

 

And the result on ship:

 

 

 

[fifthace]

Very quick update, not much to report.

 

Decking progressing nicely. I think after this being the 5th deck I've planked using this method for simulating the caulking I am happy with it. It has the desired effect without being too obvious or too perfect.

 

It's not perfect as above...but then neither are the real things.

 

I'm still looking into a method of drilling the treenail holes in batches so they are mostly uniform. Something I may look into for the q/waist and poop deck(s)

 

[Jerry]

I don't mean to be qute, David,  (well maybe I do)..Did you really do that?

Jerry

[fifthace]

David I'd be able to do that after this year. Currently I have no space for any power tools like that. Once I get my workshop built top of the garden I plan in investing in worktop tools like this.

 

In the mean time...

[fifthace]

Planking on this deck is complete. There were a few moments I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, and being self critical it didn't turn out quite as well as I was hoping.

 

Although I showed these pictures to my partner and the first thing she said was "it looks old"

 

That makes it all worth while, as that was the look I was after, so I'll take it

 

[fifthace]

Fitting the inner bulwarks. Already fitted these once but removed them as they slipped during clamping and shifted horizontally. In hindsight probably just as well as they were a little too easy to remove, so clearly I was too conservative with glue.

 

Refitted and allowing to dry.

 

I'd have liked to plank planked the inner bulwarks off ship, but the nature of the lidless gun port lining made that impossible.

 

Oh, anyone else having built this, did you happen to notice the 1x16mm wood for the lidless linings was very brittle/weak ?

 

[Seventynet]

Great work Dominic. Thanks for showing me the way, but I have to say you are making me feel like I moving at the pace of a glacier on my Victory build.

 

Ian

[fifthace]

Thanks Ian.

 

To be fair I have 2 weeks on you...but there are times I was at a crawl...or it certainly felt like it anyway, especially during the planking.

[Shipyard sid]

Greetings Dominic

The 1x16 walnut will tend to split along the grain when you cut it. Put CA on the strip before you cut it to avoid the splitting. You will find that a lot of the walnut parts will break up when you remove them from the sheet. For example parts 193 , 191, 192, 132 to name a few. So CA them first.DAVID

Edited August 25, 2015 by Shipyard sid

[fifthace]

David yep it did exactly that! The book suggests the ca trick as well and it works very well. I applied thin ca to the anterior of the linings, thus helping secure the lining against the hull at the same time

[fifthace]

That all looks fine to me. And hey, you managed to get your port patterns down without bubbles at the bow like I did lol

 

If it's any comfort...I hate planking. I find it the most dull repetitive slowest part of a build and seems to go on and on...especially as you sit back and think "yeh finished" ... then realise you have it all to do again lol

Edited August 25, 2015 by Dominic

[Seventynet]

Jeez I apologize for posting on your log Dominic. I thought I was in my build. I'll remove it straightaway.

[fifthace]

Jeez I apologize for posting on your log Dominic. I thought I was in my build. I'll remove it straightaway.

 

lol it's perfectly fine bud. I just thought you were comparing progress

[fifthace]

With the inner patterns fitted I started lining the gunports. Apart from the strip being quite brittle was a fairly straight forward task. Was a bit of filling needed here and there although on these ones the planking covers them so not really required.

 

[Gundorph]

You are very fast... But it´s looking awesome... 

[fifthace]

With the gun ports lined I have started planking the inner bulwarks.

 

I pre-painted the lowest one before fitting to make keeping the crisp line between deck and bulwark easier, as masking would be difficult due to the upper supports just getting in the way. The remaining planks will be painted after fitting.

 

[fifthace]

Good morning.

 

Over the last few days I have been working on the inner bulwarks still. Basic planking, followed by lining the lidless ports. Painting. Then adding a few extra details, the waterways and ceilings. Finally followed by filling a few cracks that had crept in and repainting.

 

[donrobinson]

Very nice work, Dominic. Looks real nice

[Jerry]

Good morning, Dominic..

Your Victory is undoubtedly outstanding.  You are going to be so proud of her when the days ccomes to encase her.  I think you are doing a terrific job.  I am enjoying following your build.

Best,

Jerry

[fifthace]

Greetings all.

 

I've been busy the last few, though not very much of it on ship.

 

And I've managed to make a glaring mistake on an area which has always plagued me.

 

Will bring you upto date first, no pics sorry. I've added the eyelets for the cannon tackle on the upper gun deck, only the 8 that were lined as the rest won't be visible so I have no plans on rigging them. Continued the outer planking upto the lower edge of the upper ports.

 

Now it came to the lower whale. I spent so much time focussing on getting the run smooth and not to dip at the bow or go up and down as I have had on previous builds, that somehow I managed to completely mis-measure its position.

 

The pictures below show where they are currently, and the pencil marks show where it was meant to be. You can see I had already corrected their run a little at the bow, and I still didn't notice they were out of position. It was only when I began planing the middle whale that I noticed they were wrong.

 

My plan to correct them is simple: Trim the lower edge to where it is meant to be, and sand back smooth. The upper egde is a little more tricky. First, I have to add another layer over the upper strip to bring it out to the same thickness as the rest of the whale, then I will add the thinner strip in it's correct position. This will leave me a gap between the two, which I plan on using filler to bridge.

(Thank goodness this ship is painted!)

 

And so ends the theory...

 

[Kevin]

Im sure you will get it sorted my friend all these problems we create for our selfs = lol

[Seventynet]

I am sure it will look beautiful when you are done - with your skills.

 

Ian

[fifthace]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. It actually wasn't as much of a chore as I thought it was going to be.

Trimming the lower edge was easy, for the most part the strip came off with little damage to the underlying planking. I think filling the resulting gap on the upper portion was the most fiddly, and will no doubt need redoing before work on the hull is finished.

 

Pics below. Needless to say everything is looking rather rough at the moment.

 

 

[fifthace]

Afternoon.

 

I've finished adding the whales on either side, and on one side so far tidied them up, partly filled any cracks although not completely. (The real thing isn't made of fibreglass after all). Obviously I still have a lot of work to do on the ports...but I would like opinions on the upper whale.

 

To me it looks too low in the centre. It measures up correctly going by the planks but still to me it looks too curved? Could just be optical illusion based on the direction one looks at it, I don't know.

 

[Jerry]

Hello Dominic..

I just checked the whales on my Victory and they don't look any different than yours.  Of course the hull has the black stripes on it but from what I can tell yours look perfect.  That's just my opinion; it'll be interesting to hear what others have to say.  If you'd like, check out my log...

Best,

Jerry

Edited September 4, 2015 by Jerry

[fifthace]

Thanks Jerry. I did think afterwards that the curious way the yellow bands are painted might have the effect of lessening out that curve, and maybe it is because it is unpainted that I am thinking it looks wrong.

 

Now someone else has basically said the same thing, makes me feel better.

 

Cheers.

[Jerry]

My pleasure, Dominic..I thought about sending you a picture of the fiished hull but the display case won't let me get a decent shot.  However, as I mentioned, check my log, page 3...

Best,

Jerry

[Kevin]

at about the same stage, mine looked like this

[fifthace]

Thanks Kevin, looking at that mine are about 2mm too low amidships. The lower edge of mine touches the upper edge of the middle row of gunports, where as yours are above them by about 2mm(ish).

 

Gives me a better frame of reference to go by, thanks.

[Kevin]

I had to do mine again as i used the plans as a measure - but they are 2D noit 3d so the distances were wrong - in the end - i went mainly by photo's as a point of reference