HMCSS Victoria 1855 by BANYAN - 1:72

[BANYAN]

Thanks for good wishes Keith B, Keith A and John, much appreciated.   It was a light dose John but it has had some lingering effects WRT lethargy   Pushing through that seems to help - have to avoid sitting down in the 'gobble-up' chair in the afternoons or I find myself dozing.  Now to get on top of these darn 'tremors' - sometimes I spread more glue over the desk than on the piece.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[mtaylor]

I hope you'll back off a bit and not push yourself so your body can recover.  Don't worry about the model as it's patient.

[bruce d]

Pat,

Just take care of yourself and make peace with the Gobble-Up-Chair. 

As Mark said,  the model is patient. 

 

Bruce 

[KeithAug]

6 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Now to get on top of these darn 'tremors'

Pat  - you could do some sanding and make use of them while you have the opportunity. 😁

 

It must be quite frustrating do the quacks have a solution?

[BANYAN]

Thanks Mark and Bruce, appreciate your kind comments.  Keith (LOL), love the out-of-the-box thinking.  Also helps with mixing the nightly cocktail  

 

I feel I am getting better each day, and once I have finished all the delayed Spring chores and summer maintenance, I hope to devote much more time to the model - hopefully very early in the new year.  In the meantime I am still tinkering with how to make those tops 'come-together' and sorting out some much neglected fixes in the workshop (mainly dust collection).

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited November 30, 2023 by BANYAN

[Keith_W]

I visited @BANYAN yesterday and I had a good look at this model. It is even more impressive in real life than in photos. Those parts that you see are tiny and perfectly formed. This is even more incredible when you remember that he suffers from essential tremor and his hands shake when he is modelling. My hands are perfectly steady and I can't do that. I guess it comes down to skill and determination. Totally inspiring to overcome a disability like that and produce the results that he does. 

Oh yes, his modelling room is so clean that you could probably eat out of every surface. 

[KeithAug]

11 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Also helps with mixing the nightly cocktail  

An even better idea - the festive season should be amazing. Glad to hear things are improving but this increases the incentive to have as many cocktails as possible before you are completetly better.😁

[wefalck]

Just wondered why 'Spring Chores', as we are heading now into the Christmas period - but of course, you guys down under are not only standing on your heads, but also got the calendar wrong

 

Here it is mulled wine time, not cocktail time ...

[KeithAug]

11 minutes ago, wefalck said:

but also got the calendar wrong

I think they also cook the Christmas turkey on the Barbi wearing Tshirts  and shorts while knocking back tinnies. How do they expect Santa to operate his sleigh when they insist on celebrating Christmas in the middle of summer. All very strange!

Edited December 1, 2023 by KeithAug

[BANYAN]

Oh you guys!  You lot have it all wrong - it is Aus that is on the right side of the sphere; not strange at all   See told ya:

 

Why sit indoors, be cold and all rugged up to celebrate Christmas? The above picture from Keith A says it all (well except for a celebratory drink in hand).  While I am on the subject, for years you guys have also got it all wrong WRT Santa's sleigh.  It wasn't flown with reindeers, but rather with 'boomers' (yeah the sound they make when they bounce off the ground ); the only problem is they end up making for a lot more road maintenance  

 

BTW Keith, turkey on the Barbie is 'delicious' mmmm mmm.

 

cheers

 

Pat

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by BANYAN

[Louie da fly]

Had a sausage sizzle yesterday. Unfortunately as it was in Ballarat, the sun stayed away.

 

But nothing better than Chrissy on the beach! Preferably with your feet being burnt by the hot sand.

 

Steven

[Glen McGuire]

17 hours ago, KeithAug said:

How do they expect Santa to operate his sleigh when they insist on celebrating Christmas in the middle of summer. All very strange!

The land down under ain't the only place that enjoys a warm Christmas.  From the George Strait song Christmas Time in Texas:

"When it's Christmas time in Texas, It's a very special time for me
In Texas we'll be swingin' around the Christmas tree, Dancin' to a Christmas melody
When it's Christmas time in Texas, It might look just like a summer day
There may not be snow in San Antonio, But it's a Texas Christmas to me"

[KeithAug]

10 hours ago, BANYAN said:

also got it all wrong WRT Santa's sleigh. 

Maybe it's you that got it wrong PAT. 😜

 

[mtaylor]

14 hours ago, KeithAug said:

Maybe it's you that got it wrong PAT. 😜

 

So instead of "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" you sing "Rudolf the Red Nosed Roo"?

[BANYAN]

Hi again folks, back at the bench having caught up with the chores, and finding a temporary solution for the 'old fella' shakes - Beta Blockers.  These have a limited effect but enough to allow me to do a few things.

 

I have started back on the masts and their furniture.  The following shows me making the second of the top masts (still have the mizen to go).  These are a combined stick or pole mast where the top, top gallant and royal masts are all in one.  I cheat and turn these up in the lathe, using files and sanding sticks.  I support where the various steps (shoulders) are cut to delineate the masts with a 'jack'.  Not visible is a shallow 'v' groove but I cannot put much pressure on this as the mast is tapered and therefore not fully supported across the saddle - I really need to make a small saddle piece for this jack.

 

The other photos show my approach for filing the flats on each side of the tapered lower mast in which the hounds/cheeks (iron) sit.  The process is to gently hold the mast in the jaws of my indexing head (for a Sherline mill), then line up the end of the inset/flat with the end guide of my filing guide.  Adjusting the height is very finicky but I got there, and now that it is set-up I can do both flats exactly to the same depth, length and 180 opposed.  It took a while for me to sort how I was going to do this, but this worked.  One learning point though is that I will need to better protect the mast in the jaws.  I ended up with a very small mark but nothing significant.  The hardened rollers allow me to get an even flat surface to the depth set (manually) while the roller lugs act as an end stop.  Even though manually adjusted I lucked out and got it about right.

 

Now that the flats are done, I can determine the exact width the trestle trees need to be apart so that I can build a jig to solder them to the formed rim part (fore crosstree plus rim).  I will show that soon.  The brass (photoetched) hounds were designed with the trestle tree attached (with a fold line) which I have done.  This is a test piece which has not been cleaned up yet.  I will also drill out the bolt holes and use simulated bolt heads and nuts in a staggered/alternating pattern when fitting to the mast.  the idea of the flats was to ensure the hounds (cheeks) and trestletree remained perpendicular to the mast centerline axis rather than sloping inwards.  The fore-and-aft angle will also need to be adjusted to ensure the trestle trees remain parallel with the deck/waterline when fitted.

 

cheers 

 

Pat

     

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Good to see you back at it, Patrick!

 

John

[wefalck]

Good to see here more progress indeed 👍🏻

 

These roller filing guides are useful implements. They used to be standard items on watchmakers lathes.

[Louie da fly]

Wonderful work, as usual, Pat.

 

Steven

[Glen McGuire]

7 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Even though manually adjusted I lucked out and got it about right.

Doesn't look like luck to me.  Very high skill required to get the results I see.  Superb work, Pat.

[Keith Black]

 Pat, it's so good to see you back working on Victoria. I'm really looking forward to this part of your build. 

[KeithAug]

11 hours ago, BANYAN said:

guide of my filing guide

Great idea Pat - must make one. 

 

11 hours ago, BANYAN said:

and finding a temporary solution for the 'old fella' shakes

Glad to hear you are feeling better Pat and I am pleased to see you back at work.

[BANYAN]

Thanks, John, Eberhard, Steven, Glen and Keith (A and B).  Appreciate the generous feedback guys.  I'll continue on with these as I contemplate the jig for putting the tops together.  I need to make the futtock/truss band and futtock rods before that though.  The rods will help support the crosstrees which are only 1mm wide and about 0.2mm thick - the slightest knock (or heavy breath) will bend them so will need the support of the rods immediately after the top is fitted.

WRT the crosstrees, the real deal had roller fairleads in them but that is impossible at this scale, so I am simply going to drill a hole and bend the upper ends of the futtocks rods to fit them, then solder in p[lace.  This at least will give some added strength to them while I am rigging the upper masts.

cheers

Pat

[rwiederrich]

Fantastic work Pat…….. so good to see you back in the shipyard. I pray all is well. 

[KeithAug]

I agree all of us oldies need a futtock truss band. Wearing mine is a constant relief.😕

[druxey]

Welcome back! An interesting approach, that. I've only seen single roller file guides. I can see the value of a double.

[wefalck]

I have both, single and double roller filing guides (or 'rests' as the watchmakers call it), but never really understood the value of a single roller guide ...

[BANYAN]

Thanks for looking Rob and Druxey, and again Keith and Eberhard.  Always value the comments and advice from you guys.

 

Thanks for asking Rob.  I am still suffering the 'old fella' shakes (which are slowly getting worse) but the doc is trying me out with different 'beta blockers' which give temporary respite allowing me some time at the bench.  Apart from that, I cannot complain about life.  Grandkids are keeping me busy and active.

 

Eberhard, I would have to agree re the single roller except where a true flat in the y plane was not necessary, but that would be a rare thing I would say.

 

Keith, don't we all  I think I also need the additional bracing of a good 'girdle'   Not sure about that 'relief' though  

 

cheers

 

Pat

[druxey]

Eberhard; that is exactly why I never acquired a single roller rest!

 

Pat: I hope the right cocktail of beta blockers can be found for you.

[BANYAN]

Thanks Druxey, me too.  Appreciate the thoughts. 

 

cheers

 

Pat

[BANYAN]

A little more to report.  I have been experimenting to determine the best jig to solder these tiny pieces together.  The following show a very rough version of what I think I will try.  The principle seems OK but the jig needs a little 'finagling' and then to be remade in a denser wood before I dare attempt any soldering.  The brass PE parts have had holes drilled to accept the through mast bolts, but as is obvious, they need a lot more clean-up yet  

 

I am open to ideas to modify this jig before committing so please have at it.  The general idea is create 2 slots held in place at the width of the masthead flats.  The rim, which has yet to have the fore part of the rim soldered to it (see much earlier posts on this) then sits on top of them, and, after centering it, will somehow be held in place so that it does not move - I am still trying to sort that bit.  The final shot shows how it will be held in my soldering station when I get around to soldering.  

 

Then I have to think about how to put on the crosstrees with the iron rod (brass) stays pre-attached to the cross trees and the futtock band... but, that is a problem for 'future Pat' as the saying goes.

 

cheers

 

Pat

 

Edited June 23 by BANYAN