Bluenose II by Heronguy - Billing Boats Nr. 600 - Scale 1:100 - First build

[S.Coleman]

Better veiw here. These lines were coated in beeswax and glued with 50:50 white glue. I find it easier to handle off the ship when stropping these.

[Heronguy]

Very neatly done Scott!

[Heronguy]

Those are very poorly fabricated deadeyes! The larger one might as well have just one hole in the center. Your doing a great job.

I won't be replacing the parts on this build but for my bigger bluenose I may have to acquire some better ones

[Heronguy]

One set of shrouds done!

 

[Steve 12345]

Just curious Doug on my victory I done my shrouds in pairs on each side as I perceived Lenard Peterson period ship rigging book how come you have an odd number of shroud lines on each side

[S.Coleman]

Great job. Keep up the good work. Looks good. I see you have the rings for the sail on your mast, you must be adding sails?.

[Frankberge]

Nice job so far! I reckognise many of the questions you are asking as i also wondered about the same stuff when i made mine. And i also see solutions you have done that i should have done to if you are wondering about anything just ask, im not sure if i will be of any help as i cheated and did allot of mistakes on this boat but who knows maybe i can be of some help anyway:) i dont have any photos of my ship on this site but i will put one out here on your thread if thats ok?

[Heronguy]

Just curious Doug on my victory I done my shrouds in pairs on each side as I perceived Lenard Peterson period ship rigging book how come you have an odd number of shroud lines on each side

 

 

Just curious Doug on my victory I done my shrouds in pairs on each side as I perceived Lenard Peterson period ship rigging book how come you have an odd number of shroud lines on each side

Hi Steve,

 

I was expecting an even number as well.  A small section of the rigging plan is shown in this post.  The 3rd image in that post shows how the odd number of shrouds are rigged on the mast.

 

Looking at my plans for the larger Bluenose II - it shows 4 shrouds at the foremast and 5 for the main mast.

 

Lennarth Petersson 2nd book Rigging Period Fore-and-aft Craft  has this diagram for the French Lugger

 

 

And finally - leafing through Harold Hahn's The Colonial Schooner 1763-1775 I came across this photo

 

I love this sport - I keep learning things!

[Heronguy]

Great job. Keep up the good work. Looks good. I see you have the rings for the sail on your mast, you must be adding sails?.

 

Thanks Scott.  I was originally planning to add the sails - Trying to go the full monty on this build to gain as much experience as I could.  I've been reconsidering that plan as I am finding the rigging on this little guy a bit frustrating.  However to keep options open I put the rings on before I stepped the foremast.  (they are a soft plastic so I could easily snip them off.  Is it customary to remove the rings on a model that doesn't have sails?

[Heronguy]

Nice job so far! I reckognise many of the questions you are asking as i also wondered about the same stuff when i made mine. And i also see solutions you have done that i should have done to if you are wondering about anything just ask, im not sure if i will be of any help as i cheated and did allot of mistakes on this boat but who knows maybe i can be of some help anyway:) i dont have any photos of my ship on this site but i will put one out here on your thread if thats ok?

 Your's looks great!  The finishing on it looks so much better than I expect to achieve.  Your rigging is so much neater as well.  The seizing of the shrouds at the deadeyes has been one of the things I have't got close to being happy with.  Also the ratlines look better with the extra shrouds than I think they will on just 3 shrouds especially since the spacing between  my shrouds is a bit uneven.

 

Thanks for the offer of advice - I'll be happy to take you up on that!

 

Scott's post above asked about my intention for mounting the sails - what was your thought process on that question?

[Frankberge]

Thank you very much but i dont think my boat looks good haha. There is allot of mistakes if i zoom in on areas:) the ratlines and shrouds are one of my mistakes. I didnt read the drawing well enough and thougt all the deadeyes would connect to my ratlines. Also some of the deadeyes twists all the time. And the seizing are just fakes. I took some photos on how i did it. I learnt it on a website somewhere. First i find something round that will fit the size of the ropes i will use. This time it was a small drill bit. I put some wax on it so the ca glue wont stick later on. Then i just twist the rope around it. Put a drop of ca glue on and cut of the ends. And drag it off the drillbit Then you have a fake seizing. To make the other rope that will go into fit inside just put a small drop of ca glue on the end and twist it . Then i will pass the hole in the fake seizing without problem. Just cut of the part that has ca glue on it after.

 

About the sails, i dont know myself. I want to put them on, but i think it looks nice without them aswell. So i just put it on my shelf for now. And when i have time and figure out how to make the sails i will probably put them on. But for now they stay in my box:)

[Heronguy]

And the seizing are just fakes. I took some photos on how i did it. I learnt it on a website somewhere. First i find something round that will fit the size of the ropes i will use. This time it was a small drill bit. I put some wax on it so the ca glue wont stick later on. Then i just twist the rope around it. Put a drop of ca glue on and cut of the ends. And drag it off the drillbit Then you have a fake seizing. To make the other rope that will go into fit inside just put a small drop of ca glue on the end and twist it . Then i will pass the hole in the fake seizing without problem. Just cut of the part that has ca glue on it after.

 

 

 

Brilliant - I've got to try that!  Trying to steady the deadeye, while using thread to wrap around the shroud using tweezers, tying a knot... just doesn't seem to work for me!!

 

I guess we are our own worst critics - I see so much beautiful work on this site that it makes me feel out of place.  However reading the various logs and hearing the same misgivings from other modellers,  and getting the odd positive comment on my own logs is a good antidote to that feeling.  Thanks Frankberge!

[Heronguy]

GemmaJF,  We'll stand on each other shoulders to reach up (I'm a little confused by the visual of THAT but the sentiment makes sense to me).  I've seen your contributions on other builds and forums too and I'm learning from you.

[bbyford]

I just found your build log. You have a good looking build. I to am building the same kit as you but am still working on the basic hull. It seems that you have already solved the problems that have came up in my build. I'll be interested in your decision on sails or no sails.

 

Bruce

[Heronguy]

Welcome aboard Bruce.  Are you doing a build log - I'd be pleased to follow along!

[bbyford]

Hi Doug, I'm not doing a build log on this model. I chose it as a way to learn planking techniques so I didn't think it would turn out very well. I do plan a build log on my next build which will be a fully scratch model of the Chesapeake Bay Skipjack "Claude Somers". She is moored at the Reedville Fishermens museum in Reedville, VA.

 

On my Bluenose I don't like the brown plastic parts supplied for the mahogany parts of the deck fittings so I have bought sone mahogany veneer and am going to try using that instead. I'm just about to start on the deck fixtures.

 

Bruce

[Heronguy]

Hi Bruce,  I wasn't thrilled with the deck furniture either but didn't have the resources (workshop, tools) to consider scratch building the parts to I just moved ahead with the kit fittings.  I hope yours works out well - I'd love to see some pics of what you create!

[skifflake]

Hi Doug:

 

   I had the same problem with my first bluenose kit build. I had a hard time cutting them out, gluing, etc. On a lated rebuild I built these parts from solid wood and that turned out much better. Keep going. Pat at Skiff Lake

[Heronguy]

Thanks Pat. I'm looking forward to some of these "customizations". Onward for sure!

[skifflake]

Hi Doug:

 

   Have you looked into solid wood hulls, such as the Blue Jacket kits out of Maine. In the 1970's there were located in Norwalk Conn. They have great kits and this is where I got my start. My first build was plank and it was difficult and discouraged me somewhat. After that I went to Blue Jacket kits and they have the Bluenose and many other great kits. Check them out on line...

[Heronguy]

Thank you very much but i dont think my boat looks good haha. There is allot of mistakes if i zoom in on areas:) the ratlines and shrouds are one of my mistakes. I didnt read the drawing well enough and thougt all the deadeyes would connect to my ratlines. Also some of the deadeyes twists all the time. And the seizing are just fakes. I took some photos on how i did it. I learnt it on a website somewhere. First i find something round that will fit the size of the ropes i will use. This time it was a small drill bit. I put some wax on it so the ca glue wont stick later on. Then i just twist the rope around it. Put a drop of ca glue on and cut of the ends. And drag it off the drillbit Then you have a fake seizing. To make the other rope that will go into fit inside just put a small drop of ca glue on the end and twist it . Then i will pass the hole in the fake seizing without problem. Just cut of the part that has ca glue on it after.

About the sails, i dont know myself. I want to put them on, but i think it looks nice without them aswell. So i just put it on my shelf for now. And when i have time and figure out how to make the sails i will probably put them on. But for now they stay in my box:)

Tried out the easy seizing you describe. I used a mandrel coated lightly with a bit of beeswax to wrap the thread around, weighted each end with a clamp, put on a dab of CA, gave it half a minutes to set, removed the clamps and then scraped it off the mandrel. Trimmed the ends before using the seizing. I did each seizing individually in case a longer wrapping became to hard to push off the mandrel.

 

Thanks for the help

Edited February 8, 2017 by Heronguy

[Heronguy]

Hi Doug:

 

   Have you looked into solid wood hulls, such as the Blue Jacket kits out of Maine. In the 1970's there were located in Norwalk Conn. They have great kits and this is where I got my start. My first build was plank and it was difficult and discouraged me somewhat. After that I went to Blue Jacket kits and they have the Bluenose and many other great kits. Check them out on line...

I wrote a longer reply to your post but lost it before posting - here's the short version! Basically I enjoy planking, I want to get better at it but still like it. I'm of the impression that there is some carving involved in preparing solid wood hulls. Carving I'm not to keen on! I've been reading Philip Reed's books on modelling and am intimidated by the bulwark preparation on his solid hull miniatures. Maybe kits remove some of that???

[bbyford]

Doug, I'll let you know how the veneer deck fittings work out and will send you a picture if things do work out. Like you I may have to fall back on the plastic parts. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

Bruce

[Heronguy]

Bruce,  Show me how its done!

[Blighty]

Hi Doug, my first build was the Emma C Berry, a nice kit POF but I could not do the rigging at all. I ended up tieing lines round the masts, and anything else I could find.

Yours is looking really good from what I could see, it i supposed to get easier.\

 

Len.......

Where in Ont are you? I'm in Windsor

[Heronguy]

Hi Len,  Thanks for the encouragement.  I'm pushing along on the mainmast standing rigging.  I decided to use some fine black linen yarn as I don't like the string that came with the kit.  So I'll redo the foremast rigging too.  More Practice!

 

I'm 45 minutes north of Kingston on a little hobby farm.  So, I imagine it is your leftover weather we're getting now - ice pellets to be followed by freezing rain.  Too much of that this winter already.

 

No rigging on your Chaperon either.  Lots of other challenges though!

[Worldway]

Curious Doug, but are you on Sharbot Lake?  I lived in Kingston for 6 years before my company transferred me to Niagara Falls.

[Heronguy]

South of Sharbot Lake.  The thriving metropolis of Godfrey!  

 

You must have been commuting from SL - not too much industry there though it is a very nice village and well situated.  Do you miss it?

[Worldway]

Actually I lived and worked in Kingston. In my opinion the best city in Canada.  I mean, after all they have the Tragically Hip.  however I went to Godfrey every Saturday night for a kitchen party.  You walk in, grab whatever instrument is available, grab a cup of coffee and play along.  What a riot.

 

I get back to Kingston a couple of times a year to visit our branch office.  I usually stay at the Ambassador Hotel.

 

Love the place

[Heronguy]

Fun for the kids at the ambassador. Mine used to go there for friend's birthday parties at the pool and water slide.

 

They have a regular Sunday jam now at Bedford hall. You need to bring your own instrument normally.

 

I misread your post thinking you were in sharbot lake rather than Kingston. Oops. Kingston is a great town. I enjoyed living there for many years.