HMS Victory by Seventynet - Caldercraft - Scale 1: 72 - first build

[Seventynet]

Thank you for the kind words Chris, Robert and Rob and for the likes Mark. I've just finished, this minute, planking up to the bottom of the upper wales on both sides, as per instructions. Just a few gun ports to clear and some minor cleanup and I can move on to the upper gun deck, inner bulwarks and lining the lidless gun ports.

Best, Ian

[mtaylor]

Ian,

I'm playing catch up....  I like what you've done on the Victory.  

 

As far as the light reflections, there's only a couple of choice.. spray with a clear matt finish, rub out the hull with 00000 wool.. the plastic type.. available at home improvement shops, or change to an indirect lighting.   I guess it's what you want the ship to look like when seen in person, not in a photograph.

[Seventynet]

Hi Mark, thanks for looking in and for your advice. The sheen is kind of growing on me, it's mainly its effect on pictures. Once I've made more progress maybe I'll try the indirect lighting approach. By the way I am thoroughly enjoying the Licorne build. I learn something every time I look at it.

Best, Ian

[challenger86]

Ian, I'm impressed with your 2nd planking on your Vic! Amazing work! I'll hope to achieve the same result on my Vic, once I get to the second layer. Great work !!

 

Cheers,

Robert

Edited February 2, 2016 by challenger86

[Seventynet]

Robert,

 

Believe me with your job on the first planking your second will be a breeze. Thanks for the compliment and for looking in.

 

Best, Ian

[Seventynet]

Hi Folks,

 

I have completed planking up to the bottom of the upper gun ports, cut out the gun ports as I planked, installed the main mast partner and applied two coats of wipe-on-poly to the middle gun deck. Now I think I'm ready to start the installation of the upper gun deck, bulwarks and lining the lidless gun ports.

 

I wanted to show the technique I used for cutting out the gun ports - which for this model means cutting out the second planking. An option I did not follow was to cut the planks to the edge of the ports before I glued them. This seemed like too much work and would result in more mistakes. I cut the planks a day after I glued each row. I marked them with a jig exactly matching the openings. Sandpaper on the bottom of the jig so it wouldn't slip as I penciled in the line. I cut the planks using a ninja hyper saw which I waxed before each vertical cut. Horizontal cuts were mostly with a sharp chisel. I sanded the edges with a sanding stick, leaving fat where I could for when it comes time to fit the lids. The results were generally ok.

 

Best, Ian

 

Jig used to mark the ports:

Marking the port:

Waxing the saw:

Cutting the port:

Main mast partner:

Middle gun deck wipe-on-poly:

Edited February 15, 2017 by Seventynet

[cobra1951]

Hi, just found this log and i must say you have done an exceptionally neat job so far, love the hull planking

[donrobinson]

Nice work Ian, it is really looking good. Do you find waxing the blade helps, I have never tried this before.

[Seventynet]

Don,

With that kind of blade, at 0.1mm, it makes all the difference. The first cm of the blade isn't supported so unless it has a smooth run it will fold and potentially ruin the blade. Hey thanks for looking in and leaving the compliment.
Best, Ian

Edited February 15, 2017 by Seventynet

[Heinz6672]

Hello Ian, 

 

good work, as always :-)

 

It´s very interesting to see how two people make the same things in different ways. It seems I have make myself too much 

work for the same result... 

 

I am not sure if we talked about the gunports before. Will you build them open or close (like mine)? If you build them open, how will you put the frames in the ports? Many modelers build them flush with the 2.planking. But that is not right. They have to be behind the 2.planking, as a support for the lids. I did not find a solution to build them exactly following the bending of the hull, when the 2.planking is already done. So I started with the frames, sanding them on the 1.planking and then build the 2 planking. That means that I have to cut out the gunports before I glue the 2.planking. A lot of work...

 

I am very interested how you solve my problem.

 

Best wishes from me!

- Heinz -

[challenger86]

Ian, nice work on the gun ports. I still have to carve out my starboard side ports, I will use your 'waxing the blade' technique!

 

Thanks

Robert

[Seventynet]

Hi Robert, thanks for the encouragement and for looking in. I saw others using the waxing technique and decided to give it a shot, it can't hurt anyway. Good luck with your starboard side, but it doesn't look like you need any.

 

Hi Heinz, Thanks for the compliment and for following my build. I have been thinking about how I'm going to line the gun ports (the ones with lids). I'm probably going to try a few different approaches because it looks like they all have some advantages. I will have to discover what works best for me.

 

Part of Vasileios' approach appeals to me. He created a box channel of the exact dimension of the gunports (I know others have done this to varying degrees), inserted it into each gun port then marked it thereby transcribing the curve of the hull, removed it, cut it, then reinstalled it flush with the unplanked hull. I do note that he put his liners in before his second planking but that would not work unless you were very careful to end your second planking at the edge of the plywood gunport because as you say, the liners need to be inset. So that part of his approach is too risky for me. My modification would be to push the liner in to be flush with the plywood surface. Anyway his link is:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3704-hms-victory-by-vasileios-caldercraft-172/#entry334081

 

Many others installed balsa supports before they installed their liners - which doesn't directly address your concern about the curve of the hull, but most seem to have done a pretty good job to me. I like the jig that Gil Middleton used to insert his liners - with the small level:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/485-hms-victory-by-gil-middleton-caldercraft-172/page-1#entry8176

 

Anyway, the main thing for me is that it isn't planking!

 

Best, Ian

[Seventynet]

CC Victory builders,

 

Given the contortions I have to put the upper gundeck through to get it through the upper bulkhead works and the obvious risk of it snapping during said process, I think I see the wisdom of cutting the upper gundeck down the middle. I know some of you have done this. Aside from accounting for the missing area from the blade kerf, is there anything I need to consider if I take this approach? I think I would simply leave the blade cut gap open when I glue down the halves and just plank over it. Comments from anyone who has gone through this?

 

Thanks, Ian

[waspy]

Hi Ian

 

The constructo version comes with the upper gun deck in 2 halves. Once I fixed the deck I layed my first plank right down the middle covering the joint....no problems. I can't imagine it would be a problem for the Caldercraft.

 

Waspy

[Seventynet]

Waspy,

 

Thanks. I went ahead and did it and am left wondering why the instructions wouldn't say to do it. Life is so much simpler.

Ian

[pompey2]

Hi Ian

 

Your build is looking great, the planking especially.

On the upper gun deck I opened up the clearances around the bulkheads to get it in.

That worked ok but needed a lot of care making sure it  was aligned properly before fixing.

Cutting in half sound like a better bet.

Keep up the good work

 

Nick

[Seventynet]

Thanks for the compliment and encouragement Nick, cutting it in half worked a charm. I appreciate your dropping by.

 

Best, Ian

[Seventynet]

Ok here's the plan. Unless someone knows something about these woods that might make me change my mind, I plan to use the dark wenge for my wales and the orange padauk for my gunport linings. The purpleheart doesn't seem to be a very good piece so I may not use that at all. Comments anyone?

 

 

 

[donrobinson]

Hi Ian, things are looking real nice. As for the wood I have seen the purple heart used(in boat building) and it looks great, as for the orange padauk that stuff looks beautiful and I would love to use that on a whole hull    . I think your choices sound good.

[robipod]

Are you going to paint the Wales and gun ports Ian?

[Seventynet]

I'll let you know how it is to work with Don. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

 

Rob: I've been thinking that I won't paint either the wales or the gun ports. One reason I'd paint the wales is if they look too odd intersecting the gun ports. But I figure I can always paint the lines later if it doesn't look good. And I remember our conversation about painting the sides in between the wales to hide imperfections around the gun ports (etc.). At the end of the day I'll just have to see how things look.

 

Best, Ian

[Seventynet]

I have the upper gun deck planked with one coat of WOP. Pictures follow, I can't figure out why they are displaying as landscape.

 

For anyone following me the gun deck should be cut in half to fit and install. One thing I didn't do but would also recommend is planking the deck before installing the bulwarks. They just get in the way. Fit them first of course but then remove them for planking.

 

On to milling the padauk and lining the lidless gun ports.

 

Upper gun deck planked - excuse the pattern, it was my way of dealing with a good portion of the wood being light coloured and wanting to avoid clumps of similar coloured planks. I only have dark coloured planks left for the quarter deck.

 

I leveled the ship, then put a self leveling laser to fit the mast sleeves.

 

 

 

One coat of wipe-on-poly applied.

 

 

[Cabbie]

Very creative work, Ian

This ship is going to look amazing when finished, with the

different timbers and the patterns on the deck and the

quality work you are doing.

Hooroo Chris

[Seventynet]

Thanks for the compliments Chris and for the likes everyone. This post is a sad excuse for getting out of the shipyard but at least I have finished lining the lidless gun ports on the starboard side of the upper gun deck. I milled and dimensioned the padauk for lining. I found this wood a pleasure to work with. It does not seem to be brittle and forms and keeps a nice edge.

 

Cheers, Ian

 

[cobra1951]

The gun port linings look great with the use of the Padauk, and the pattern on the deck looks quite attractive

[robipod]

Ian

If I take all my gunport linings out will you come over and replace mine. The linings look great! I was fortunate to have a coffee with Ian and he brought a piece of the padauk with him. He's right on how nice a wood it is. So smooth and he was able to cut perfectly. The wood is way better suited than the material supplied in the kit. Go get some if you can.

Isn't it great to see Ian experimenting even with the wood! Big compliment to you Ian. Thank you for your ideas and sharing them!

[donrobinson]

The deck looks great, nice job. The gun ports are just fantastic, I would have had the grain going the other direction in order to hide the end grain but in this case  it looks awesome. Good call and nice workmanship. Looking forward to seeing them all done, going to be a real treat.

 Defiantly going shopping for some that, where did you pick it up? Windsor Plywood? 

 Going back now for another look  

[Seventynet]

Ha, forget it Rob. I just finished up the port side lidless linings (still have to glue them) but I've been casting ahead about how to avoid gun port linings for as long as I can. Fiddly and boring. I don't know how I can say that after the endless planking. If anyone close by is interested, I bought the Padauk at Black Forest Wood Co. Others need to corroborate the utility of this wood because I have only used it for this effort. It does have some porosity that may not be ideal for everyone.

[Seventynet]

The deck looks great, nice job. The gun ports are just fantastic, I would have had the grain going the other direction in order to hide the end grain but in this case  it looks awesome. Good call and nice workmanship. Looking forward to seeing them all done, going to be a real treat.

 Defiantly going shopping for some that, where did you pick it up? Windsor Plywood? 

 Going back now for another look  

 

Don, as I said to Rob I got it a specialty store in Calgary - Black Forest Wood Co. (I think they ship). But I swear I've seen it at Windsor. See my caveats to Rob. Hey thanks for the tip on the end grain. I wouldn't have thought of that but I will do that for the lidded ports. The lidless ones don't matter because the ends are planked over.

Ian

[Seventynet]

Thanks Arthur, I will try that with the pictures.

Ian