USS Syren by Hipexec - Model Shipways - 1:64 - building as USS Argus

[HIPEXEC]

I painted the brackets so they look like the original wood. I can't imagine anyone but me noticing this detail when the ship is finished.

[Ebomba]

Probably no one will , but the important thing is YOU WILL!

[HIPEXEC]

I'm starting to install the carronade eyebolts. The slide eyebolts went right on with just a small pilot hole. The rear or lower eyebolt was a problem. When I started the small pilot hole the whole rear piece broke off (split). So I then gave up trying to drill a pilot hole in that fragile thin wood. I glued the eyebolts behind the rear wheels under the carriage. Looks okay to me.

[HIPEXEC]

Gun platform with all the trimmings. Carronade is next if I can figure out how to mount it. If it was any smaller I'd throw in the towel.

[Pogy647]

Really enjoy the creative ways that you problem solve!

[HIPEXEC]

Continuing the carronade production line, one of the completed gun platforms just split in half picking it up. The wood in this kit is quite inferior. These are my two types of magnifiers. One on a fixed stand with a light built in, the other is a plain Sherlock Holmes type.

[src]

Looks good Rich,

I like your Macro lens!!!

Sam

[HIPEXEC]

I finished the carronade bases. Now I have to figure out how to mount the actual guns. Again the wood is so poor that several split while I was handling them. BTW I use masking tape doubled on itself sticky side up and down to hold all these small pieces to the work bench.

[src]

Rich, guns and carriages look good.

Have you painted the bottoms of the carriages? Maybe try brushing some epoxy diluted with a bit of alcohol on the bottom? That should help reinforce the wood some.

You can put them in your oven on LOW (120º?) to speed the cure time. I use my oven all the time for that but I have a pilot light. I would think the very lowest setting would work unless its in the 200 degree range, you don't want to bake your wood. Otherwise just let them sit out overnight.

Sam

[Gahm]

That's a lot of tedious work. But your guns look very good!

 

Thomas

[JesseLee]

Quite a few of mine broke. Some glued back together, some I just recut out of better wood.

 

Jesse

[HIPEXEC]

Way back when I built the guns for my Connie, I built a fake gunport so I could rig the guns off the ship. I'm now using it too build the rest of each gun,

[Nirvana]

Great idea!😀

I will remember that when it's time for me to do the cannon rigging. 

[lambsbk]

me too...

[HIPEXEC]

After the glue dries when I mount the carronades to the base, I figured the safest place to store them until I rig the block and tackle is in place on the deck of the model

[HIPEXEC]

Since the carronades that came with the kit do not have a breech line ring I decided to add my own. I glued on a small ring left over from another kit. When the glue dries I'll paint it black so it looks like part of the gun.

[HIPEXEC]

Carronade with its new breech line ring

[HIPEXEC]

The breech line rings are finished. I doubt will I fully rig all block and tackle at this scale. I'll probably do like I did on another model (see pic)

[HIPEXEC]

Now I'm installing some eyebolts to rig the breech lines to. The kit doesn't provide eyebolts big enough t take the fat breech line so I got my own.

[HIPEXEC]

The first carronade is glued in place and breech line installed. 15 to go!

[HIPEXEC]

All 16 carronades are glued in position and one half of each breech line attached to one side. The deck looks like spaghetti with the unattached breech lines flopping around

[HIPEXEC]

I shape the breech lines using a small paint brush and water to soak the line and shape so it hangs naturally.

[HIPEXEC]

I finished rigging all the breech lines. In the process of trimming the excess line ends, I accidentally cut two "good" lines and had to re-rig them. DUH!  

[HIPEXEC]

I'm starting the rigging process for the steering mechanism by installing the eyebolts for the blocks. It's a Rube Goldberg affair that I had to modify slightly from the Syren since I now have two aft superstructures that the doors open and would impede the lines in the Syren's plan location.. 

[HIPEXEC]

The blocks provided with this kit are sub standard. They are not symetrical and the holes are too small to take a sturdy rigging line fitting a ship's steering mechanism. I drilled out these blocks, but if I don't like how they look I'll have to shop for better quality blocks.

[BB_Gunne]

Just found the board this morning and registered to do some research, along the way I found your build thread here. Amazing work, and am looking forward to seeing the finished product. I did have an idea for your head door hinges, but you've already moved beyond that point! I was thinking using a pin vice to drill a small hole in the top of the door and the door frame, as well as in the bottom of the door and the deck. A bit of wire glued into the holes you drill on the door would hold it in the door frame/opening and allow it to pivot as if it were actually hinged. Hope I am explaining it clearly enough! 

 

I also saw your garage door and if you replace that refletivix foil with some foam board it will work better fighting the heat. It's about $15 for a 4'x8' sheet at one of the big box stores. I've been researching the same project for my garage since it does not have an insulated door and it can be unbearably hot in there! I left NY about 6 years ago, you'd think I would be used to the heat down here by now.

[HIPEXEC]

I found some high quality blocks in my "stash" to replace the kit's blocks. They are good wood with holes on center and don't shatter when reaming the hole larger.

[HIPEXEC]

I installed the blocks for the steering mechanism. The degree of difficulty I had fabricating and installing these tiny blocks tells me I'm really going to struggle rigging this ship. Rigging this mechanism with one long strand of line will be a challenge. I'll try it, them move to plan "B" using two pieces of line if it defeats me

[HIPEXEC]

I pinned and added glue to the tiller where it mates with the rudder post. Then I wedged with chocks to hold the tiller dead center while I string the rigging lines.

[HIPEXEC]

Challenge was an understatment! Rigging the steering was a lesson in frustration especially for my shaky fat fingers. It's rigged with one long line and it works, but it's stiff. Maybe I'll put some beeswax on the lines to lube them. It's also not neat and pretty like the drawings.