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

[Justin P.]

Impressed by your perseverance with that last plank, looking forward to next steps...

[donrobinson]

Nice work B.E. I like your method for the spiling I have done something similar but using a compass to trace outline, I'll defiantly try this method. 

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers maturin, dunno about perseverance, feels more like desperation at times 

 

B.E.

[Martin W]

Bravo, BE, that was a tricky problem that you solved nicely.

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

So the process of cleaning up the hull progresses, any slight hairline gaps between the planks are painted with diluted pva, sprinkled with boxwood dust, and smoothed in followed by immediate cleaning off of the excess.

Had my planking skills been better all this of course would have been unnecessary.

One of the things that has been on my mind is toning in the Limewood keel and stem to match the Boxwood planking.

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Firstly these areas were fine sanded and coated with a sanding sealer, this will present a surface on which to paint a colour matched varnish to compliment the planking.

This is also an opportune time to remove the bracing strips that supported the bulkheads during the fairing process, and which provided an anchor for spring clips during planking.

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It was a fairly painless exercise to remove  the bulkhead centres, and all the frames held firm.

Chuck recommends using a needle file to cut thro' the bulkhead tabs but I have found a very fine etched scalpel saw does the job for me.

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These little saws come in very handy

https://www.air-craft.net/

https://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/Photo-Etched-Saw-Blades-Set-2.html#SID=77

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The process of fining down the frames can now begin.

Not quite clear to me at the moment how to approach the thinning down of the first two frames at the Bow. The angles look far steeper on my build than appear in the kit instruction photo's (p9)

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I have also had to add interior strips of boxwood in the bow area as the planking was getting a little too thin in this area.

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Not too much of a problem in reality as the small Fore deck will cover this divergence from the shipwrights art.

So the build will progress, but without I have to say much enthusiasm at present.

Still off to North Yorkshire soon, and a break from the frustrations of this project. 

 

B.E.

[Tigersteve]

B.E.,

Don't get frustrated just yet. Your Pinnace looks better than most at this stage. There is a lot of sanding inside and out ahead for you. What follows will be a much better looking boat. I think the colors of planking v. stem and keel contrast just fine. Enjoy your trip!

Steve

[Gahm]

B.E., just looking at the pictures (without having read your text) my first reaction was that this little ship is shaping up very, very nicely! As the builders of our models we all have the problem that we see 'imperfections' which nobody else will ever see .

 

Thomas

[Blue Ensign]

Back to my work bench refreshed from enjoying the glorious scenery of North Yorkshire coast along the Cleveland Way.

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I have now reached the point where I need to fine down the frames before I move on.

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I did the bulk of the fining using my Minicraft drill which considerably reduced the time element of this somewhat tiresome procedure . This small palm sized tool, a sort of mini Dremel, is very good for delicate work in tight places where a little more sanding power is required.

Sanding down the first two frames at the Bow and the false keel proved to be the most awkward and time consuming.

The first internal fittings are the Footwalings. Looking at the plan the central board is 6mm wide. I used 6mm x 0.7mm Boxwood strips. The boards run from 2nd to the 19th frames.

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For the aft deck I cut a template from card to get the fit and planked over this with Boxwood strip.

This also seemed an opportune time to get some paint on the interior in the helmsman area before the cockpit seat is added  which will restrict access somewhat.

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For the shade of Red for the interior decoration I thought the 18th c Red Ochre as supplied by Caldercraft a little too dull, so I made a mix using Humbrol No 60 (a little too bright), with the Caldercraft Ochre in the proportion of 25% Ochre and 75% Humbrol 60.

This has brightened the shade without making it too modern looking.

I  have also critically reviewed the deficiencies in my lower planking of the hull and made the decision to paint below the waterline which will allow me to address some of the issues and hopefully reach a finish I can live with.

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Still some fettlin' and fiddling to do with the finish, but up next fitting the Risers.

B.E.

 

 

[Martin W]

Hello William!  It's always a treat to see his noble self.  And Yorkshire has always stood out (along with Brittany) as a favored destination.

 

Lovely work, too, BE.  I don't know anything about the Caldercraft or Humbrol colors -- I don't even think they're available stateside.  But I do like the blend you worked out.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

BE, I can't believe I've missed your log.  Really great work so far, and I know I'll enjoy watching where you take this one.

 

Your planking looks great as usual.  I'm not a big fan of MS' use of basswood for the keel and bulkheads, as I've said on my Morgan log.  It's an easy wood to use as the first planking if you're double planking, but the softness, fuzzies, etc.  make it not a great wood in my opinion for outer planking.  Good move on your part to go with boxwood.

[rafine]

Looking really good B.E.

 

Bob

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you Martin, Mike, and Bob, and for the 'likes'

For the Risers I have used the kit provided Limewood, basically because it is to be painted and will take the bends fairly easily to follow the sheer of the boat.

I had retained the bulkhead stiffening strips from earlier in the build and as these follow the sheer line, I pressed them into further service as a template for the Risers.

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Not too difficult to achieve the sheer curve using wet and heat, but there is a downward turn around the first two frames at the bow which is a little trickier to achieve.

According to the plan the top of the Risers are 8.5mm below the frame tops. I used a marked stick to check the levels as I fitted the risers.

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With one side fitted the second side was glued so far along the hull and temporary thwarts put into place so the level could be checked before the glue was completely set, so adjustment could be made if necessary, fortunately it wasn't.

Before painting I coated the Risers with sanding sealer to give a smoother surface and reduce the inevitable fuzziness of the Limewood.

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The frames below the Risers I varnished to take off the whiteness of the Limewood.

The small fore deck is also being fashioned, 8mm Boxwood strip is used for this.

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I am thinking at present that I will leave the Foredeck and Thwarts in the natural Boxwood finish.

 

B.E.

[Mirabell61]

lovely work at this stage B.E.

looking foreward to the progress....

 

Nils

[Blue Ensign]

Sizing the small Fore-deck made me scratch my head a little, it is relevant because it will govern the positions of the other thwarts and according to the plan should result in the fifth thwart sitting just over the forward edge of the aft platform.

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I notched my Foredeck to fit around the much reduced false keel at the bow which runs up to the stem, and extends just short of halfway between the second and third frames.

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The first of the Thwarts butts against this Foredeck.

For the Thwarts I used the provided Limewood, veneered with 0.7mm Boxwood strip and the overall thickness then reduced to size.

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I also made a spacer jig similar to that used by Mike4B in his build.

I would suggest that this is a useful item to ensure correct spacing of the Thwarts.

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The Thwarts apart from the first one are not yet fixed, I will do that once the seat back has been installed and a little interior fettlin' is completed.

B.E.

 

 

[Tigersteve]

That's looking good. I can't wait to complete the outer hull planking!

Steve

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Steve, I like the way your planking is going I suspect you will have far less issues I have had. 

 

B.E.

[Blue Ensign]

The seatback.

For the past couple of days I have been fiddling with the seatback.

The kit provided piece is effectively a blank that needs to be shaped to fit the internal curves of the hull allowing for the Risers.

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This is trial and error using card templates taken from the blank, I made several copies and it took three to get the contours to fit reasonably.

I thought I would have a go at creating a panel effect on the seatback. This was done by fitting Boxwood strip  around the back and over the top and then thinning down the back thickness to compensate.

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I think I like the panel effect, nothing fixed as yet, but the seatback will need to be fixed to progress to the thwarts and side benches.

B.E.

 

[Justin P.]

This project is really moving, I wish I had this kind of progress!   Thanks for sharing the link on those little saw-blades, Ive been searching for a solution just like those myself.  Ordered a few just now... 

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers maturin, those little etched saws are great for delicate work in tight places. 

B.E.

[md1400cs]

B.E.,

 

Just catching up - As usual beautiful work!

 

Cheers,

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Michael for looking in

The seat back has now been thinned down to 1.5mm overall and has been fixed into place.

With that done the Cockpit trunk could be completed and the Bench seats put into place together with the aftermost Thwart.

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The seat back top will need a little final shaping once the Cap rail is in place and the Splash guards are added.

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I also installed the helmsman seats.

At this point I also reduced the strake extensions at the stern to their correct lengths which allows me to get some paint on the transom. 

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As a short diversion from the main event I turn my attention to the Decorative Transom. I do wish to add this distinctive feature of Pinnaces and Barges of the Mid 18thc  but I'm not sure about the provided cast kit piece with its less than clear  raised design. I am guessing it is supposed to represent the cipher of George 11 or 111 with a Crown and the letters GR.

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My thinking is that such a feature may well be appropriate to a Royal Barge, or even that of Flag ranks, but for a Pinnace perhaps a little too much.

My plan is to make a replacement out of Boxwood with a simple inset panel.

I will groove slots to take the Strake ends and provide a better purchase.

A card template is first made to get the positions.

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The Thwarts are also now fixed.

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Now moving onto internal planking.

B.E.

[Tigersteve]

I had similar thinking on the decorative transom casting. I will be redesigning it as well. You're moving right along. 

Steve

[Blue Ensign]

Thinking about Treenailing.

To do or not to do, I am drawn by the effect achieved by both Mike Y and MikeB4 on their Pinnace builds regardless of the work involved but I note that Chuck did not add this feature on his own Pinnace build, a question of scale perhaps?

The smallest drill that would make the job even worth considering would be a 0.5mm ø. but this equates to a tad under ½"dia at full scale or a circumference of just shy of 1½" which seems somewhat over-scale.

Below this drill size, the effect would not be apparent, and above perhaps too much, but having said that regardless of scale the two Mikes result is very appealing to my eye.

Using a 0.5mm drill I have added the treenail holes but because my Boxwood strip was only 0.7mm thick before sanding, and slightly narrower than the kit stuff, I was concerned that using toothpicks may split the already very fine planks.

I have therefore used a fine filler toned mix to represent the treenails which border on subtle approaching invisibility. They are apparent to the naked eye from certain angles and light which is good enough for me.

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Difficult to photograph but this close-up shows  the effect before cleaning up the hull.

I expect the effect to be more pronounced once the hull is varnished.

B.E.

[Tigersteve]

Your treenailing came out great. It will pop when you add the finish. Chuck did add this detail to his model. You can tell in his build log. 

Steve

[Beef Wellington]

Great result.  In my opinion the fact that they are difficult to see, yet subtlely apparent, means that you've achieved just the right balance if the photo is anything to go by.  That side view shows your planking off really well.

[donrobinson]

I like the looks of your treenails. So often they are far too pronounced taking away from the rest of the model. Great Job!

[Martin W]

I agree that the treenails being subtle approaching invisible makes them just about right.  For a build this size, they would create the pin-stripe suit with two-tone shoes effect.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Landlubber Mike]

Great job BE.  Ditto on what all the guys above me said.  Subtle treenails add nice character and detail to the model without overwhelming it.

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers Guys for your input and support, I think I did go down the right route for the treenails 

@ Steve, I didn't see the treenails on Chuck's build before I magnified the pics on his log, and as he didn't mention them in his blurb I assumed they weren't there.

On with the build.

The internal planking is completed, I used Boxwood strip.

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The Capping rails were cut out of Boxwood Sheet on the Scroll saw.

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No real problems here, it's just a question of sand, trial fit, sand, and when the size is close enough glue it on and finish the final sanding.

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At this point the paintwork required a further rub down and re-coat, once again the parts to be left natural were taped over.

The knee at the bow was also fashioned out of a bit of Boxwood and glued into place.

 Chuck makes reference to a 'fancy profile moulding along the edge of the cap rail'  I thought I would give it a go.

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Using a single edged razor blade I filed the profile which is a mere 1.7mm overall, basically two narrow slits close together with a fine point in the middle. The one on the right is the one used.

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Not sure how well this would work using the provided Limewood , too soft to get a clean line.

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I also made the thwart support stanchions out of some 1.5mm Boxwood square stuff.

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Not quite got down to the elegance of Cap rail as demonstrated by Chuck, but move on we must.

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A little more fettlin' of the interior flaws that keep catching my eye before I move onto that tricky business of the panelwork.

B.E.

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Beautiful, the profile moulding is a really nice touch.