Granado by RMC - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64

[RMC]

Jason - the KK is quite easy to apply.  Put a fairly substantial drop on a pin or toothpick, and run it around the edges of the windows.  Then draw the pin across the widow and from top to bottom.  You may need another drop to cover the hole.  It shouldn't be necessary to build it up, but if it is necessary I don't think it would be a problem.  I have had no problem with cloudiness, but you must avoid the fumes from CA glue.  Once the CA is fully dried (leave it for a day or two) there should be no fumes.   While doing my Vanguard I wasn't careful enough, and one window was fogged. I simply cut it out with a craft knife (it's easy) and reapplied.  Incidentally PVA has no effect on the KK, so wherever possible it is best to use it.

[RMC]

The swivel guns are now finished.  Again it's a rather fiddly job.  I found the following method worked well.

 

First, drill a nail-diameter hole in a piece of scrap, insert a dome-headed nail into the gun bracket and glue while the assembly is in the hole.  This makes the bracket and the nail at right angles to each other.

Next, bend the bracket sides up and thread a nail through the bracket holes and the holes provided in the gun (easier said ....).  Of course the dome headed nails do not fit in the holes provided in the guns, so the guns need to be drilled out - or if you have some thinner nails as I did, you are indeed fortunate.  The brackets shown here are obviously bowed.  To fix this, apply pressure on each side of the bracket with a pair of tweezers and to further straighten and make them vertical, hold the assembly down (I used a sturdy pin) and pull the whole assembly up by the nails insert through the bracket holes and gun.  All of this was done while the whole lot was located on the hole drilled into the timber scrap.

 

The nail in the following photo had not been cut off - but here is the result.

The two little Roman soldiers decorating the quarter have large bases which are quite different to the figures shown in the Anatomy of a Ship.  I have taken off almost all the base and will try to mount the figures more closely to that shown in the Anatomy.

 

The figures need touching up, but most of what appears as lack of paint is dust.

 

 

 

[RMC]

The channels on the port side are now finished but for some touching-up and a final coat of poly.  They were quite time-consuming and I learnt a few things in the process.

 

The channels supplied are made of very  coarse ply, and of a colour inconsistent with the timber I have used for the hull.  I have therefore painted them which to some extent masks the coarseness of the timber which is clearly shown in the following photo.  Fortunately in the flesh, they are not nearly as bad.

 

Here is that channel with knees , dry-fitted.

I have no idea what the following instruction means:  'B in 30mm pendant of Q'.

Here are three channels dry-fitted.  The angles of the chain plates will be determined by temporarily fitting masts and running thread to each chain plate and to the hull.

 

 

 

 

 

[RMC]

The channels and related bits and pieces are taking far longer than I thought.  All of the channels, chain plates etc. are dry-fitted in the following photos.  As you may see, I have used Tamiya tape upon which to mark lines established from thread tied to the masts leading to the chain plates.  A pin was then put through the hole in the bottom of the chainplate which was then used to mark the place on the drawn line for the drill hole.

 

 

I had made up all the pedestals for the guns, forgetting that four on them were over the channels.  I cut down the four I had previously prepared to rest on the channels and cut their tops off at the appropriate height.  Shown here they are dry-fitted and before being repainted.

 

 

 

[mugje]

Wow amazing work you do! So much detail! I really like your work👍

 

[RMC]

Thanks for the kind words mugje and thanks to others for the reactions (?).  They really encourage.

[RMC]

While away for the weekend I started work on the bowsprit.  I'm afraid I couldn't resist showing a perfect winter's day two hours south of Sydney.  Working outside saves the dust from the wood turning.

The following photo and the first, above, show the Proxxon lathe which works a treat.

 

Here is progress.

 

 

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Did you use a chisel or simply sanding sticks?  I've tried using the sanding sticks but always seem to be fighting it because of the dowel being less than true.  You got a very nice result, well done...and the view, surprised you got anything done at all 🙂

[RMC]

I used the corner of an ordinary chisel (ie: holding the chisel at roughly a 45 deg angle to the dowel so that the edge just touches, and then gradually moving it along the support).   This also tends to get rid of any variation in the dimensions of the dowel.    I used this method to take the dowel close to the required dimensions, then sanding sticks to finish.

[RMC]

I have continued work on the bowsprit and have completed the 5mm square section at the tip.  I am now considering how deal with the 3mm square which extends from it and into the bowsprit cap.  While 'squaring'  the end of the bowsprit was not all that difficult (shown below), I have doubts about my ability to cut down the 5mm square to 3mm while obtaining the correct angle for the cap.  At this stage I think I'll cut the 5mm square at right angles, then drill a deep 3mm hole in its centre.  The right angled cut would then be adjusted to the correct angle for the cap, then a piece of 3x3mm timber would be fitted to the hole.  Suggestions are welcome.

 

 

 

 

[jwvolz]

Your suggested method is how I recall doing it Bob. Any joint will be well hidden by the cap itself. 

[RMC]

Thanks Joe for the reassurance.

[RMC]

The bowsprit has come out well.  However the upload speed for photos is glacial so I'll try another time.

[RMC]

Here are some photos of progress on the bowsprit.  First, holes were drilled in to both ends to receive the small round and square-sectioned extensions.  Both ends were then cut off at the required angle.

 

 

The bowsprit dry-fitted ....

 

 ....and the jibboom.

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by RMC

[RMC]

To my rather pleasant surprise, the bowsprit and the jibboom go together quite nicely.  Here they are joined by the cap.  They are dry-fitted and held by gravity.  Well they would have been here, but again the uploads were knocked back.

 

 

Tried again later.  Joy.

Edited August 10, 2019 by RMC

[S.Coleman]

Looking very clean.  It's great when all goes together smoothly.

[RMC]

Thanks Scott.  It is great, but it doesn't seem the happen very often.🙂

[RMC]

The channels etc. are finally done. 

 

When, some time ago,  I made one of the rowing ports with its little door open,  I made the mistake of choosing one that turned out to be under the middle channel.  This was not a good idea.  Not only does it obscure a rather nice feature, the little door makes life difficult when fitting the channel. You may just see it in the following photo.

 

 

 

Most of the deck fittings have now been finished and it's now just a process of putting them in place. They will have to wait as I will be going away for 3 or 4 weeks on Thursday and household chores need to be done.

 

Edited August 12, 2019 by RMC

[RMC]

Having done most of the household things that need to be done after being away for a while, it's time to get serious again.  Here are a couple of little jobs that needed to be done.  First, the belaying pins did not fit in the holes provided.  Here is an easy and obvious way of solving that small problem.

 

Positioning the gammoning cleats is quite fiddly.  I used narrow masking tape as a guide.

 

 

The instructions suggest the bowsprit be stained walnut.  I tested it on a similar piece of timber and was not happy with the result.  The timber supplied for the cleats is walnut and as I didn't have any light-coloured timber of the right size I have gone with the walnut.  Having seen the result I'm not too happy about that either.  You can't win.  I hope that with all the other things that will eventually be going on the bowsprit, the mismatch in timber colours will be overlooked.

 

 

 

[RMC]

Work has begun on the main mast.  The Proxxon lathe made the tapering straightforward.  The square section at the top of the mast is supposed to be a piece of 7x7mm walnut.  Unfortunately it was missing from the kit.  This did not make my day.  Having said 'Gosh, what a nuisance' or words to that effect, I found some 8x8mm boxwood and sanded it down to the correct dimensions.

 

Dry-fitted:

The bibbs supplied in the kit are plywood of very indifferent quality.  Aside from this, as I will not be staining the masts walnut, the light-coloured mast and the walnut bibbs will, I think, make a poor match.  I have made up replacements which I hope will not look out of place.  The top part of these will eventually be painted black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RMC]

After gluing the completed square section to the mast it then became obvious that this was a rather large mistake.   Belatedly I realized that the only way the main top would fit was to slide it up from the bottom of the square section.  The crosstrees and the trestletrees are a very snug fit around the 7x7mm square.  The round section at the bottom of the mast is 8mm in diameter so no go there; the top of the square section has cleats and other bits and pieces on it so no go there either.  I then discovered that I had done a really good job of gluing the damn' thing on, but it eventually it came off.   Fortunately my 7x7mm was pretty accurate, but I suggest before doing anything make sure the cross- and trestletrees fit.  I suggest only after the top is dry-fitted should the bibbs be fitted, then the top glued in place.

 

Here is the completed square section.  The colour shown is an artifact of the light.  In the flesh it looks quite good.  The second photo does not show much detail, but the colour is fairly accurate.

 

[RMC]

The various tops are now done.  One thing to note: here are no rigging holes provided as there should be for the mizzen topmast top.  Drilling them once the masts are stepped would be difficult.

 

The following photo shows up every fault.  In the flesh it's not too bad.  I presume the parts are laser-cut, but the cuts are not really clean and it's hard to get rid of the rough centre of the ply.  It shows most on the smallest of the tops and I see I will have do some touching up.

The jibboom is shown dry-fitted below.

 

 

 

 

 

[Vane]

Cant wait to see the final result! 

 

Just a question, is this not upside down? 

[RMC]

Yes, it is.  I've shown the (er...)  top and the bottom of the tops.  I suggest putting the various blocks on the tops before stepping the masts.  The hole you have circled is for another block that has now been mounted.  I stuffed up the first attempt.  Your top circle is around a bit of dust - now blown away 🙂.

[jwvolz]

I think he means the trestletree part specifically. And, no it's not upside down. You have it correct. 

 

Continuing to look very nice. I made my own bibbs/cheeks as well. Good move there. 

[RMC]

Actually, I have just discovered that I made a rather silly mistake.  Vane was trying to draw my attention to it (thanks Vane), but I didn't twig.  It was only on checking before I finally glued the top on the mast  that I discovered I had the trestletree the wrong way around.  I had, of course, stuck everything together all too well.  Getting all the bits and pieces apart was rather fraught.  I shed blood in the process, and at my age every drop matters.  Anyway, not too much damage was done - I'm in the process of fixing it -  but it's all a bit of a pain.

[RMC]

Slow progress I'm afraid. The  masts are more or less done.  The various different cross-sections  are rather fiddly.  In some cases (the octagonal sections for example ) it's a mystery to me just what functions they performed.  Here are the masts after turning the various shapes, though the photos don't show much detail unfortunately.  The octagonal cone shapes were first turned to be conical and slightly larger than the required octagon, then the cone filed down to the required shape.

 

The top for the lower main mast is now fixed as are the bibs.  There is still work to be done on it, but here is progress.

 

The following photo shows the bibs, but more, the current chaos of my work table.

 

 

I have replaced the kit's plywood mizzen driver boom saddle and the pin rail.

 

Here is the mast, dry-fitted.  It scrubs up pretty well.

 

Whoops.  I'll leave the duplicate below, just in case I screw things up further.

 

 

[RMC]

The masts have proved to be quite difficult.  Getting everything square is vital.  There may be an easy way to do it, but I certainly haven't found it.

 

Here is the main mast with wooldings.

Hoops added.

 

The yellow gizmo is a cutter used in quilting. With a straight edge it may be used to cut the cartridge paper for the woolding very finely indeed.  Here is a better photo.

 

Finally, here are the various mizzen masts dry fitted.  Everything goes together well at the expense of some angst and the use of a wider-than-usual vocabulary.

 

 

[RMC]

The mizzen masts are finally assembled and glued.  Aside from some very minor touching-up and the mast truck on the topgallant it's finished.  Tomorrow it's the mainmasts turn.  Getting the three masts straight and square is not easy and perhaps the following photos will help others.  Of course it helps if there is a spare quilting mat in the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RMC]

All of the blocks have now been attached to the main masts.  I have latterly substituted Syren blocks for those in the kit, and the 'ropes' are also from Syren.  Most of it has come out acceptably, though in assembling and gluing the masts before doing all of this, I have made things difficult for myself.  Doing the shrouds is going to be especially interesting.

 

I notice in the following photo one of the blocks is upside down.  I have since replaced it.

Before the shrouds go on, the pendants need to be attached.  The instructions make no sense to me, and in any event, seem to be at odds with one of the the plans, though another plan (shown second, below) is at least partly consistent with Petersson's shown in the last photo.  I shall use Petersson's method.