HMS Victory by gjdale - FINISHED - Mamoli - Scale 1:90

[rafine]

I can't tell you how impressed I am with what you are doing at this small scale. Fantastic.

 

Bob

[gjdale]

Thanks very much indeed B.E. and Bob.

 

B.E. - it's actually a whopping 95mm (rounded) long (not 68) The cutters will be shorter at 85mm, but wider in the beam. The challenge with them will be the clinker planking.

[augie]

I believe your tapering from the 4th frame to the 1/2 width at the bow should work out just fine.  Fantastic work at this scale.

[themadchemist]

Beautiful work Grant. She going to be a nice addition to the Vicky.

I love working on the munchkin-sized ships boats. They seem to have an added difficulty that make them extra fun.

 

and your right on the micro motor. The only thing I still use my Dremel for anymore is stuff I don't have the 3/32" shank to fit the micro motor. The variable speed is so much more adjustable which can make a huge difference. Plus the smaller hand piece is easier for old fingers to control. Of course it looks like a full sized Dremel next to that little pinnace.

 

So will you lay the Garboard and work towards the middle, in planking or work towards the keel. I found laying the garboard first seemed easier, but then I didn't try the other way, but it also gives you a gage for narrowing the planks at the stem as you can see the gap remaining.

[gjdale]

Thanks Augie and Keith (and also all of the "likes").

 

Keith - I totally agree with you on micro motor vs Dremel. I might take a picture of them side by side to show the difference in hand piece size. The Dremel is huge by comparison. To answer your question, I will probably lay the garboard plank as the second to last on each side with this boat. On the Cutters, it will be first (for obvious reasons).

[Blue Ensign]

Sorry Grant I misread the figure on the build board as 20' but 68mm or 95mm it's still nicely done.

Incidently the 19' Longboat for Pegasus works out at 91mm, seems we both have interesting times ahead.

 

B.E.

[alangr4]

Looking good Grant. Real finesse on those frames.

 

Cheers

 

Alan

[gjdale]

Thanks B.E. and Alan.

 

In my last post I commented on the difference between the Dremel and the Marathon Micro Motor rotary tools.  Here is a pic to show the relative size.  Not only is the Dremel considerably larger, it is much bulkier to handle, heavier, and has no effective speed control (despite it being nominally variable speed).

 

 

Ship's Boats continued:

 

I finished the planking the Pinnace today, along with an initial (rough) sanding.  As this hull will be painted, I could afford to take a few liberties with planking technique.    So while it is not absolutely correct, it does provide a good foundation.  I will be applying a little filler using a new (to me) product next, to achieve a nice smooth hull surface. I am inclined to do this prior to separating the hull from the build board.  In the meantime, here are a few pics of the progress to date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mobbsie]

Hi Grant,

 

The Pinnace is coming on a real treat mate.  

 

With you using different colour woods I take it you wont be painting it, if you are going to apply a stain will the filler have an effect on the overall colour, some fillers soak up like a sponge and are a darker shade when dry, just wondering.

 

Your little boats are going to be a superb addition to what is already a fantastic ship mate.

 

Watching on with fascination and wonder.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[gjdale]

Thanks Mobbsie,

 

The boats will all be painted, in keeping with the "mother ship", so filler won't be a problem.

[newbuilder101]

Spectacular little boat! I need a couple for my San Felipe, can I place an order with you now?   

[gjdale]

Thank you Sherry. Having seen what you have achieved so far with your gorgeous San Felipe though, I somehow don't think you'll be needing much help with your ships boats!

[Trussben]

SWEET!

 

Ben

[mtaylor]

Wow.   Very nicely done, Grant.  Clean and shipshape...

[JesseLee]

Great work!

 

I used to work on jewelry at a jewelry store before I became disabled. I had a very nice flex-shaft machine that was adjustable for different size shafts. The speed was adjustable with a foot petal. I always planned on buying one for myself. Kept putting it off- now I wish I had bought it. It was absolutely great for working on small stuff.

[gjdale]

Thank you Lawrence, Ben, Mark and Jesse, and also to all of the "likes".

 

Minor update this weekend - not a lot of time in the shipyard after another week away.  Did manage to find time to host a visit from fellow Canberra modeller Leanne (Moo) - always nice to make personal contact with other members of this great community!

 

Ship's Boats continued:

 

I applied some filler to the Pinnace hull, using a product recommended in my Warrior practicum - Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty (that's a 4 pound (1.8 kg) can in the photo:

 

 

It comes in powered form which you then mix with water to a consistency of softened butter or 'soft cooked cereal'.  It is then applied using a small stiff flat brush, left to harden for a couple of hours and then sanded off.  It claims to never shrink.  Clean up was easy (using only water).  Sanding was also pretty easy, and the putty sands off in a dust form, similar in consistency to talcum powder.  This product is not readily available in Australia, so as usual I let my fingers do the walking and found some on-line.  The postage cost more than the product, but all in all not expensive.  Having used it, I can say that I like it - and I now have a "lifetime supply".  It is much easier to use than regular wood filler, especially on the extremely fragile boat.  I suspect similar results could be obtained with Spakfilla (for the Aussies reading this).

 

I then released the boat from the build board.  I was a little too enthusiastic with this and damaged a few frames in the process.  Managed to repair them all without too much fuss.  Still a bit of cleaning up do do, but here is how she looks now:

 

 

 

And just as a reminder of the scale of this little one:

 

 

I've also finished the first part of cutting out the frames for the two Cutters, so should have them in the build boards next weekend, as well as progressing with the Pinnace.

[Sjors]

Great job Grant,

 

If you are boring your self I have also 5 of those if you wanted     

 

[mobbsie]

Morning / Evening Grant

 

Pictures 1 & 2 show your Pinnace to be almost transparent mate, that really is one very fragile little craft.  

 

It's a wonder anything so delicate can be built when the hands are like shovel blades and fingers like drum sticks, one of life's little wonders I suppose.   :D  

 

Any damage sustained getting it out of the jig really cant be seen so that's a good fix, I have never seen that filler over here but I use a general household filler, it's flexible, doesn't crack and sands down really fine, it comes ready mixed so no mess and is water soluble, it's like everything else, we all have the mediums we like to work with.

 

Keep it up mate, were all in for a real treat watching these little craft being fitted out.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[rafine]

Great work on that pinnace Grant. Very impressive.

 

Bob

[augie]

Picking up on Mobbsie's point, I love the transparency.  At this scale the planking should be gossamer thin, of even thickness and reveal no spaces.  You have won the Triple Crown, accomplishing all three.  Magnificent.

 

Now for my main question.  Do you think you have enough filler on hand?   

[Moo]

Even though in Grant's hand above, they LOOK tiny - I have to say, up close and for real, the Cutters ARE tiny and paper thin. Though to touch, they feel surprisingly rigid, for their size.

I had the pleasure of paying Grant a visit at home on Saturday and left with an even higher appreciation for the Victory's build journey and level of detail... and not a small dose of Byrnes/Sherline tool envy 

As soon as I finish the Chicken coop... I'll be back at the shipyard 

 

 

 

[Script]

Grant,

 

Great!

 

Your mastery of miniature is magnificent!

 

Your style of shaping sailing ship support ships is superb!

 

Cheers,

 

Jim

[gjdale]

Thank you very much Sjors, Mobbsie, Bob, Augie, Lawrence, Leanne and Jim for your kind remarks, and also to all of the "likes".  A little more progress to report:

 

Ship's Boats continued:

 

Among bits and pieces for the Pinnace, I have cut out the frames for the two Cutters.  Here is one set:

 

 

Meanwhile, back at the Pinnace, the next job was to install the Keelson and Gunwales.  I used 1/32" x 3/64" boxwood strips for each of these, bending the gunwales using my usual water and steam iron method:

 

 

Then it was time to install the stringers for the footwaling. I used leftover bits of 1/64" x 1/16" Holly planking stock for these.

 

 

The footwaling itself is made up of the same material.  After darkening one edge with a pencil, I edge glued 9 planks together:

 

 

After a bit of fiddling getting a paper pattern to fit, I transferred this to my pre-prepared footwaling stock and carefully shaped it using the Byrnes disc sander.  This was a somewhat delicate operation, noting that the stock is only 1/64" thick.  The notches were then marked and cut with the trusty Exacto knife:

 

 

This was then set aside to be fitted a little later on.  The interior of the boat was then given a light coat of white Gesso. This is to help with the painting - it is sort of an undercoat and will ensure the paint grips over some of the excess glue that could not be removed.

 

The next job was to make the cap rails.  I used 1/64" thick Boxwood sheet stock for these.  A paper pattern was made to provide the approximate shape and the cap rails then cut out.  When I say "cut", it was more a case of sanding than cutting.  I used a combination of Byrnes disc sander, Oscillating spindle sander, and hand held rotary tool to achieve the aim.  I deliberately cut these over-size so that they could be shaped in situ.  In this next photo, you can see the white Gesso applied to the interior, as well as the oversize cap rails tack glued in place.  The port cap rail has received some partial shaping in this shot:

 

 

This shot shows again partial shaping of the cap rails, but also gives a good sense of the long, narrow, sleek form of this particular boat:

 

 

And finally, here are the cap rails in their final shape.  By tack gluing them in place, I was able to sand them to a very good fit. I used a combination of sanding sticks and rotary tool with stone polishing attachment to achieve this.  I'm quite happy with the way these have come out - they are flush with the gunwale on the interior, and have just a tiny overhang on the exterior.

 

 

Once I was happy with the shape of these, I had a rather nerve-wracking time with some Isopropyl Alchohol and an Exacto blade to unattach them again.  Once again, they will be finally fitted at a little later stage, but needed to be made now.

 

The interior of the boat has now been given it's first coat of yellow ochre paint, while the cap rails have been painted black.  The next job (once the painting is completed) will be to fit the footwaling and then the risers for the thwarts.

 

In between waiting for paint to dry etc, I will start assembling the framing for the two Cutters.

[alangr4]

 

Looking good Grant.

 

Very fine work you are doing.

 

The isopropyl sounds fiddly?

 

Alan

[Sjors]

Nice Grant,

 

It looks like a build of his own.....

But it is not taking 3 years for you finished them ? 

 

[gjdale]

Thanks Alan - the isopropyl alcohol itself wasn't too fiddly (it's just applied with an old paintbrush). The difficult part was applying just enough pressure with Exacto blade to separate the softened glue, without breaking the extremely thin stock. Patience was the key, and working very slowly, giving the alcohol time to work, lifting a little, applying more isopropyl, and repeating. The whole isopropyl thing is one of the first lessons I learned here at MSW. It's probably still the most valuable!

[gjdale]

Thanks Sjors and Brian. Always a pleasure to hear from you two gentlemen. And no Sjors, it won't be taking three years for these little suckers!

[mobbsie]

Very nicely done Grant, the Pinnace is coming along beautifully.

 

The other two are going to be smaller by the looks of things, jees, glad I'm not doing them.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[gjdale]

Thanks Mobbsie,

 

Yes the Cutters are only 25 ft actual length, which translates to 85 mm at scale. That's 10 mm shorter than the Pinnace, although they are wider in the beam.

[augie]

Thanks Sjors and Brian. Always a pleasure to hear from you two gentlemen. And no Sjors, it won't be taking three years for these little suckers!

Must be the oscillating spindle sander.  Nice work, mate