Enterprise by src - Constructo - 1:51 - or Lessons in Adapt Improvise and Overcome

[Rich.F]

Hey Sam, She's Looking great as always. 

[src]

Thanks Rich!

 

Plugging away here, not much to show. I ordered some stuff from Chuck, rope and such, something strange happened while I was ordering, think I may need medical attention. I had looked at Chucks serving machine and said "NO! I am not serving my first rigging attempt" "Carry on, nothing to see here." I placed my block order and suddenly I felt lightheaded and everything went dark with white flashes. There was a roaring in my ears and a taste of copper in my mouth, I was paralyzed and couldnt move. A sense of impending doom had overcome me. After a moment it passed but I was left with a feeling tat something wasnt quite right and I could hear a distant cackling of the Gremlin in the back of my head. With my order placed I brushed it off and carried on.

 

The feeling of disquiet stayed with me for the next several days until my order arrived from Chuck, a BOX when I was expecting a manila envelope.....hhmmmm. Lets open it and see whats inside.  WHAT?!?!? A serving machine? Stupid Gremlin seduced the Tool Addict again. Sigh, I guess I will just have to serve me some ropes then....

 

We are back on Full Speed Ahead at work and I feel a shift to Ludicrous Speed soon so posts will continue to be sporadic and small. If we can avoid Going Plaid I think I will survive to finish this build.

 

Sam

[cog]

Another Tool Addict ... didn't know Gremlin's were capable of seduction ... I know Tools muddle with the brain, especially tools you don't have ... they've got that special wavelength ... capable t tune into your brainwaves ... (WiFi like) ... At least you have smething to play with and explore before you'll be using it

 

Have fun with the tool, take care with the working hours ...

 

Cheers

[Rich.F]

Sam, Before I finished reading for Post I Was laughing, I knew were you was going with it. At the moment im sat in a McDonalds, finishing of a coffee and paper work. must be getting strange looks

 

Sorry to say that I found that funny to read..Although let me know how you get on with it as i also have been looking at the say thing, I do believe Chuck posts to this side of the pond.

 

Regards

[Sjors]

Sam,

 

Did Chuck send the serving machine that I ordered to you ?????????

 

And now you have one show me ( us ) some results of that fine seizing on the rope !

And I want to see it  this year please ?

 

Thank you !!!!

 

Sjors

[mtaylor]

The gremlin?  I think you just confirmed what I have long suspected, Sam.   There's gremlins in our workshops.   They control us, make us buy tools, and books, and.. and... and... everything.  Now if they would just learn to do simple things like vacuum the rug, or tie ratlines....  

[src]

Thanks all, Happy to hear my little story brought some entertainment as it was intended.

I guess I have been "served" by the gremlin.

Sometimes I get a serious case of Shiny Kit Syndrome.

The new toy is stained and I hope to get a couple of coats of linseed oil on it then get it assembled. Might have a pic of it and a couple of served samples over the weekend. Work may have other ideas though.

Sam

[src]

Ok then,

La Machine is assembled and working, I have served several bits of string and seized some hearts. It took several tries to get something like I wanted, I have used up a quantity of rope from Chuck already, at this rate Chuck will be able to retire on me!

 

Here is La MAchine Herself, before and after "Cosmetic Enhancement" Other than not getting all the laser char out, after a bit of stain and some finish she looks OK. She looks better off camera, richer.  She works even better, now, will she do windows?

 

 

 

 

And a couple of served and seized hearts. The fourth one from the left may have to be redone, there is a lot of glue schmutz that didnt get cleaned up properly.

 

 

Yes its upside down. Its currently hanging, seems easier to tie off that way. I turned the photo right side up but with the lighting it looked funny  so I left it.

 

Sam

 

[Sjors]

Nice Sam   

 

Rope server looks familiar to me.......

 

Sjors

[mtaylor]

Sweet work on the hearts and the serving looks great, Sam.   

[Rich.F]

Hi Sam.

Looking Nice, I have made a few comments to the wife and booked marked the page for the serving Machine.

 

Look forward as always to more pictures, Although I Don't remember them parts on my Enterprise, Been a long while.

 

Cheers

[cog]

Waiting on a ship ... swell serving job Sam. I'll be trying Alex's machine one of these days, and will compare it to your  result, although, you have the edge as a better builder!!!

[src]

Thanks for the likes and compliments everybody, they are inspiration to do better.

 

Sjors, that's cause you sent yours here!! you have mine.

 

Mark, thanks its was a bit of a challenge getting it started.

 

Carl, thanks but I question the better builder comment....

 

Rich, Its no wonder they are unfamiliar, I have once again departed from the Constructo plans. Which brings me to a series of questions.

 

I am using a combination of Constructo's rigging plan, Chucks Syren instructions as well as Fully Framed and Masting and Rigging. I know, most likely not the smartest decisions considering this is my first build, but you only live once and as I commented elsewhere this morning, building is one of the few places life gives the opportunity for re-dos.

 

I have finished - I think - the Bowsprit and am ready to install and do the gammoning, before I do:

1. Rigging wise is there anything else that should be added now that will ease the rigging process later? Blocks, eyes etc?
2. Do the hearts and or the bowsprit itself look out of scale? They look a little bulky to me, maybe I am just being timid/overly critical.
3. Chucks Syren instructions differ in the locations of the hearts on the bowsprit from and Fully Framed and Masting and Rigging. Since none of the above are geared towards a ship as small as the Enterprise I thought I would ask the more experienced, should the hearts go forward (like I have them) or astern of the Jib Boom heel?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Sam

[cog]

Sam,

You may question, as long as I am certain about, it it doesn't matter. Since you have found the path less travelled by - as usual - I am hard put to advise ... I would advise you -still - to follow the normal rigging steps, and not look for short cuts, which will eventually be a detour ...

 

Looking rather nice that bowsprit!!!

 

Cheers mate

[src]

Thank you Gents,

Not looking for shortcuts actually just dont want to do any more rigging on-ship so to speak than I have to. After rigging my stern gun ports on-ship I vowed to do as much rigging off-ship as I could. The problem is I have never rigged a ship before so I am totally into uncharted waters here.

 

Brian, those are Chucks hearts, there are layered up from three pieces. They go together fairly easy but do want to move around a bit as you clamp them up. I may try making a few of my own out of curiosity but I can see how they would want to turn to sawdust easily. Unfortunatly he only offers tow sizes but the smaller ones seem to work ok. I will try to get a picture of the kit tomorrow.

 

Sam

[src]

The last couple of weeks have been a series of one step forward and three steps back. While working on the Bowsprit rigging I noticed that the banding on my barrels was corroding, similar to my rudder hinges so long ago. The banding was made out of K&S brass as was the hinges. I suspect there is something in the K&S brass that is causing my problems, that and I am going to assume that I didnt neutralize the blackening agent properly.

 

I managed to remove the barrels with out too much damage, I have stripped off the blackening and will paint the bands the same way I did the hinges. Hopefully this week.

 

 

It took me several tries to serve the bobstays to where they looked ok and were the right length but they are done and look ok.

 

 

The Bowsprit shrouds were another case of multiple tries, the hearts keep twisting and not laying parallel to each other, same with the bobstays, I am affraid that the only way I am going to get them to lay correctly is to remove the sets that are lashed to the Bowsprit and re-sieze them. At the moment I am trying to decide how much it bothers me, I have done them 4 or 5 times each and I think I may have to just accept that this is the best I can do at the moment.

 

I started to make more hooks and remembered I bought some of Chucks acrylic hooks. I used a couple on the shrouds, other than they are a little flat they look better than what I made for the cannons. I may stick with Chucks hooks and hope nobody notices.

 

 

I finally mounted her on a base. This is something I should have done way back before I started in on the netting and such, it would have been MUCH easier then. Lesson learned.  Running the wires through the pedestal gave me a pause. If I ran the wires through then I had no way to securely mount the pedestal to either the ship or the base. I noodeled on it for a couple of weeks and then hit on pipe. After finding a 1/16" pipe nipple and a 1/16-27 tap a McMaster-Carr I drilled out the bottom, threaded the pedestal then put the nipple on with some epoxy as backup. A matching nut made from a 1/16 to 1/8 NPT adapter anchored the pedestal to the base and some epoxy on the pedestal to ship connection finished me up, It seems pretty solid although I have a slight heel to port. We will see how things go, I may have to adapt Brian's method and add a couple of mid-ship supports, perhaps out of clear acrylic or polycarb rod.

 

 

 

Thats it for now, between early morning meetings next week and mothers day I will not get much build time in, it will probably be another couple of weeks before I get a chance to do anymore work.

 

Till then, thanks for looking in.

 

Sam

 

[russ]

She is looking good. Your barrel looks great. I have used masking tape painted black in the past with some decent results. I will have to try the blackened brass some time and see how it works for me.

 

Russ

[mtaylor]

Looks sweet, Sam. Ingenious idea about the brass hardware for the pedestal.  

[src]

Thanks for checking in everybody.

Russ, I was really pleased with the brass bands until they corroded.

Mark, it was more desperation than genius me thinks.

Sam

[cog]

 

 

Russ, I was really pleased with the brass bands until they corroded

 

Brass corroding ... You know, those bands wouldn't stand much time in mint condition anyway after being confronted with the salty sea air ...

[src]

Very true Carl, but they were green and ugly compared to the rest of the brass. If I could weather and age like some builders here, like Matt, I would go for it in an instant.

Sam

[cog]

Sam,

 

What is stopping you to try it ... I'm not a blackening artist either, but it's certainly doable

 

Cheers

[HIPEXEC]

I'm at the very same place with rigging my Surprise. Your ship is looking mighty fine.

Rich

[src]

Carl, Perhaps next build.

Rich, thanks! Great to her from you. you have been missed.

Currently working on my masts, not much to show at the moment, maybe by next weekend.

Sam

[Sjors]

Next weekend is almost here and still no update ?

 

Sjors

[cog]

No Sjors, next weekend, i.e. after todays ... so eat your popcorn, and wait with us. Don't be mean, pass the bowl please ...

[cog]

Brian,

 

you impatient half blind ... I do like the painting on the right though ....... the others are a tad unclear ...

 

Sam,

 

Don't listen to these dolts ... take your time ... when you hurry it may turn against you ...

 

 

Cheers

[src]

Hey Gents!!

Sorry, been out and about enjoying the weather here in Southern California.

 

I have shaped both lower masts and fit the cheeks.....3 times! I marked the locations of the woldings and started then realized I still have to fit the fish, so right now I am working that out. All at my usual glacial progress.

 

Sjors, sorry the weekend is almost over........so, how is that stagecoach I heard about coming along...?

 

Brian, though they looked black, there was a defenet amorphous green life form growing on them, had to go. One day I will have my build up in the gallery with yours.

 

Carl, at least SOMEBODY will defend me here!!!

 

ENjoy the popcorn

 

Sam

[Sjors]

Touche Sam     

 

Sjors

[trippwj]

Well played, Sam.

 

Take your time - you can't hurry a work of art.