18TH c. English Pinnace by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:24 scale

[Blue Ensign]

My Pegasus build was my last foray into the world of 1:64 scale Square Rigged ships.

My future projects will consist of larger scale models of smaller vessels.

Chuck's beautifully designed kits of the Pinnace and the Longboat fall perfectly into this category, and the Pinnace will be my new project. I used the Pinnace plans to produce the reduced scale scratch versions for my Pegasus build.

It has been some six years since I last planked a hull and I'm feeling quite ring rusty, so I will have to do some serious revision of the art.

Not quite decided as yet whether to go with the provided Limewood, or upgrade to Boxwood

There are some excellent Pinnace builds on MSW as well as Chuck's own exemplary build, and I am grateful to the work of Mike Y and MikeB4 whose logs I will browse to assist my own effort.

May be a while before I have anything to usefully show, but here's the 'mini' version as a place holder.

Cheers,

B.E.

[FrozenRabbit471]

the boat is amazing

[MEDDO]

I think I'll follow along with you. I'm interested to see how you deal with the planking challenges on this boat.

 

Seeing as how awesome your small boat looks on your Pegasus build I'm sure this will be no problem. 

 

I am also strongly considering this for my next build. I also have not planked a hull for a very long time (greater than 10 years). 

[Blue Ensign]

7 hours ago, MEDDO said:

I think I'll follow along with you. I'm interested to see how you deal with the planking challenges on this boat.

 

Me too😀

 

B.E.

 

 

[realworkingsailor]

What you produced at 1:64 scale was amazing, can't wait to see what spectacular results you will be capable of at a larger scale. Best of luck with the new build.

 

Andy

[gjdale]

Always a pleasure to follow your work B.E. so I'll join the party too. 

[Tigersteve]

I am really excited that this is your new project. This should be cake compared to the beautifully tiny version you created for your Pegasus. I've barely started my Pinnace and am sure your build will  be a great inspiration. 

Steve

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Guys

The beginning

Being an American kit all the measurements are in imperial measure whereas we in the old country are now used to the metric system particularly in relation to ship modelling, although perversely I still think in terms of feet and inches, pounds and ounces,  Pints and Gallons etc; in relation to other stuff.

The first job is to thin down the false keel from the bearding line and form the rabbet along the keel and up the stem to take the planking.

The thickness of the false keel is 3mm and it needs to be reduced to around half to form the rabbet.

6767

I have used a strip of 1.50mm wide styrene strip temporarily pva'd along the keel to provide a guide to form the rabbet.

6777

Once the false keel has been fettled I firstly glue the stem piece using pva.

6789

I think it is easier to centre this short piece onto the false keel first, and then line the keel up to it. The scarf also helps hold the long keel piece in place.

6800

With the keel in place it is time to make a temporary working stand. Not very pretty but it will do the job.

 

The Bulkheads are easily removed, and are a good fit, maybe just a tad tight once the glue is applied, so a very fine sanding of the notches  to ease their passage will be done.

6797

6798

Dry fitting the Bulkheads, no issues with the bulkhead centres, so I will proceed to fettle the notches and start assembly.

B.E.

 

 

[MEDDO]

 Nice idea with the styrene strip as a guide.  Temporary stand looks great!

[Blue Ensign]

Gluing the Bulkheads

My approach to gluing the bulkheads is to start with the centre one (0) and then work sequentially aft and forrad.

6804

To get the important first bulkhead set square I use a mini level and Engineer squares.

6805

In addition to vertical planes the square is also used to check that the Bulkheads are square to the keel.

This will be the benchmark against which all the other bulkheads will be lined up.

6810

Each bulkhead in turn is checked with square and level until all are in place.

6812

I also set up a separate keel support base so I can turn and eye-sight along the frame tops.

Well that's the easy bit, progress will inevitably slow as I get into the build proper.

B.E.

 

[Blue Ensign]

Before I start fairing the bulkheads I need to consider their relative fragility and to this end two broad strips of beech are glued along the tops of the frames to stiffen the bulkheads against the sanding process.

6831

6829

and two notched strips either side, I'm a Belt and braces sort of guy.

6887

I have also at this stage added the filler pieces at the bow.

(although four pieces are provided in the kit Chuck has confirmed to me that only one each side is required.)

6894

Atop the Beech strips is a Walnut block which will be used to hold the boat when inverted in a vice. This is secured with double sided tape to allow for easier removal.

6893

So now ready to start the fairing process.

 

B.E.

 

 

[Mirabell61]

50 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

Before I start fairing the bulkheads I need to consider their relative fragility and to this end two broad strips of beech are glued along the tops of the frames to stiffen the bulkheads against the sanding process.

6831

6829

and two notched strips either side, I'm a Belt and braces sort of guy.

6887

I have also at this stage added the filler pieces at the bow.

(although four pieces are provided in the kit Chuck has confirmed to me that only one each side is required.)

6894

Atop the Beech strips is a Walnut block which will be used to hold the boat when inverted in a vice. This is secured with double sided tape to allow for easier removal.

6893

So now ready to start the fairing process.

 

B.E.

 

 

Hi B.E.

 

beautiful lines of the pinnace, it will surely be a pleasure in planking....

The stiffening out of the bulkheads for fairing, a nice idea ! 

 

Nils

[donrobinson]

Going to be a fun little build to watch B.E., looking forward to seeing more

[MEDDO]

 Nice bracing. Did you hand cut all those notches or use a table saw or something?

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Michael, I just marked them off along the top of the bulkheads, cut them with a razor saw and finished with files. Easy to do as the strip wood is soft limewood.

 

B.E.

[md1400cs]

B.E.,

 

I will, of course, also bring my deck chair to your shipyard for your new project. Nice choice.

 

Cheers,

[MEDDO]

3 hours ago, Blue Ensign said:

Thanks Michael, I just marked them off along the top of the bulkheads, cut them with a razor saw and finished with files. Easy to do as the strip wood is soft limewood.

 

B.E.

Seeing as how so many people have had trouble with the frames breaking off during fairing this looks like a very nice solution.  Nice that it doesn't require some complex milling equipment or saw or something.

[Blue Ensign]

That fairing business.

The temporary bracing I have employed is keeping the frames rock solid for fairing.

Early check reveals that several b/hds needed shims to give a fair run along the hull. A little surprised by this but some 0.6mm boxwood strip sorts the job out.

In total I have shimmed two on the portside and four on larboard, but now along the sheer at least there is a fair run.

Not one of my favourite pastimes fairing, seems to take forever, even on a small project such as this, just when you think you have it right another hollow reveals itself.

6941

Not first planking but a boxwood strip to check out the fairing at sheer line level.

6938

one of the benefits of the notched  bracing strips is that it provides an anchor for the clamps.

6942

Speaking of boxwood I do have a good supply of Boxwood strip 4.50mm x 0.6mm plus several other wider sizes.

The kit provides Limewood strip for the outer planking 3/16" x 1/32" (4.76mm x 0.79mm) In practice the thickness is closer to 0.70mm =0.66"

My 0.6mm boxwood strips at 1:24 scale = 0.57" a tad finer than the kit provided stuff.

 

Limewood is a very soft wood normally used for first planking on double planked hull and I'm a little concerned about dinks and getting a smooth finish.

So the question is should I go with the limewood or would the slightly thinner Boxwood be ok. Hmmn something to ponder.

According to Steel, the timbers for a 21' Pinnace are 1½" thick equiv to 1.59mm at 1:24 scale.

 

Back to fairing for the moment.

 

B.E.

 

[Tigersteve]

I think you should go with the boxwood. 

Steve

[Blue Ensign]

With the fairing completed the stern transom is added.

7026

This has very little to hold it securely at least until the first strakes are added, so I also drilled and pinned it to the false keel.

Even so very soft hands are required to fair the transom piece.

As a trial  I am using 0.6mm thick Boxwood strip, slightly thinner than the provided Limewood.

7033

The sheer strake is applied full width.

PVA is used to bond the strip to the b/heads, secured with an assortment of clamps.

7032

7051

 Water and heat are used to bend the strip both laterally to follow the rise of the sheer, and to curve around the bow.

7053

7058

7055

The foremost Bulkhead K  rises above the sheer line.

7060

The Sheerline strake extends beyond the transom.

When I made the mini version for Pegasus I omitted the second decorative transom piece, still not sure what practical purpose, if any, this addition served, but as they were a feature of the 18th Century Pinnace, I will include it on this build.

 

Once the glue has hardened overnight I will add the next strake, and then make a decision whether to continue with the Boxwood, or remove and revert to the Limewood.

7038

C'mon ain't you spent enough time on that today.

 

B.E.

[Tigersteve]

Making this look easy! The boxwood looks great. 

Steve

[MEDDO]

Great dockyard companion. 

[Martin W]

Ah, BE, so we meet again......  Nice start on your new new build.  Hi to William -- it's been too long since he made an appearance.

 

So what is that actual measurement of the pinnace right now?  (I'm definitely an Imperial Measures guy, in fact, I don't know how you could even bring yourself to stop thinking in Pounds Shililngs, Pence -- that was a beautifully baroque monetary system).

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers Steve, Michael, and Martin

 

I think William thought I had retired so he's not too impressed that I'm apparently fiddling with a Pinnace.

The Pinnace is 11½" long with a 3" beam, Martin, and these first strakes are giving me some trouble, far more rusty than I thought I would be.

 

I don't think in imperial currency now but that doesn't mean I have forgotten how many pennies in a pound,(240 if you're wondering) or our lovely old coins, silver sixpences, Half Crowns, and Florins, the Farthing with its Wren motif, the Ha'penny with its sailing ship. or the Thrupenny bit with its Portcullis.

 

Still reminiscing about our Imperial past won't get this Garboard Strake fitted...........

 

B.E.

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

The first Boxwood strake went on well and I think it is firm enough to continue.

7140

Although a little thinner than the provided Limewood, it has a much better finish, and I think it will need much less sanding, so it will probably work out much the same in the end.

The crushing and dinking element prevalent in Limewood is also not an issue.

I fiddled about some time working out a strategy for the second planks and had a couple of practice runs.

7139

I tapered the plank to 4mm at the bow, starting the taper quite a way back from just forward of Bulkhead A.

At the stern the plank was also similarly tapered from Bulkhead 12.

The planks will bend to follow the strake line plank, but to reduce tension, once the tapers had been made the strip was given the wet/heat treatment to impart the required curves.

The plank was then lightly bevelled on the back top edge, to hopefully get a tight join. A Pilot  marker was used to impart a caulking line between the strakes.

7138

I found it a fiddly and frustrating business to get the second planks in place, particularly at the bow area where getting clamps in place to hold the planks during glueing, and if I thought the second plank was frustrating to fit, the third plank has even more shaping involved.

Tapers are firstly applied towards the bow and stern, having marked the strips against the hull. I do this with the strip wet and cut the taper with a scalpel.

A shallow concave edge curve along the centre section of the plank, with shortish convex edge curves at the bow (b/hG) and stern (b/h11)where the plank meets the stem and transom.

The curve around the bow is then formed, all using the wet and hairdryer system.

So far so good, but then the plank across the first three bulkheads at the bow refuses to lie flat at the bottom edge, leaving gaps between it and the bulkhead.

Seem to be having trouble getting my brain around this build, and to cap a couple of tiresome days I managed to snap off the sheer plank extensions for the decorative  transom.

Joys of small boat building.

 

B.E.

 

 

[Mirabell61]

B.E.,

excellent work, one really gets tempted to build that pinnace. The kit looks like very good quality , it seems fun and joy you`re experiencing at this phase...   

Question : are you leaving the plank edges free of glue due to the caulking you show ?

 

Nils

[Tigersteve]

I think you need to do some edge bending to get the bottom of those planks to lie on the bulkheads. I'm sure it's a beast to plank like the Longboat. 

Steve

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Nils and Steve.

I did edge glue the planks Nils, the caulking still showed thro.

There seems to be a limit to the edge bending with the Boxwood strip I am using Steve, and the downward  bend over the first three bulkheads is just too severe without some buckling and within the limits of the 4mm wide strip the bottom edges just will not lie flat against the bulkhead at the lower edge.

Shims would constantly have to be added with each successive strake on that basis, which is just not right.

So, it's back to the drawing board.

7590

7592

After several days and much frustration I have decided to remove the first two strakes and start again. This will also allow me to re-instate the planking to take the decorative second transom which I snapped off earlier. Fortunately the planks came away without damaging the bulkheads.

 

The topmost sheer plank will again be fitted full size, and this does not really present any problems.

 

The second and subsequent planks however will be spiled to shape to hopefully allow the plank to sit flat on bulkheads I. J. and K.

 

Round two....

 

B.E.

 

[Tigersteve]

Another way to go about it would be to plank from the keel upward starting with the garbard streak. Maybe line off the hull and see how that looks. Sorry I haven't started mine yet to give you more insight, but planking upwards like I just mentioned worked for me with the longboat. I really have to start this thing! ;-)

Steve

[Chuck]

Planking these small boats is a challenge.   Keep in mind that the curve on these planks was rather short and abrupt.   I dont know if this helps but the shape for my latest barge is almost the same and these pre-spiled planks are a good comparison to the shapes you will need on the pinnace.  Look closely at plank 1 and 3 and 5 which show the curved end for the bow quite well.   Note how its an "s" shape overall.  Because the curve needed is so tight at the bow being over only 2" or so it is probably easier to find and spile the shape and then cut from a sheet.  You should give it a try on those strakes at the bow at least and for the first four down from the sheer.   Keep in mind that this is a clinker hull but the shapes of the planks are the same.

 

Chuck