1683 Urca Derfflinger by Robert Lamba - Dikar - Scale 1:62 -

[flying_dutchman2]

CBX 1050 and a GSX 1150 wow, I remember those very well.

In college (no money for a car) started with a 1981 Honda XL250S, moved up to a 1983 XL600 and that was a kickstart. Had that till 1988 when I finished grad school. 

Went to work in Saudi Arabia and had several Huskies. No spark arrestor, short exhaust and go all out on sand flats with others. Always wore a helmet. 

Marcus 

[Sea Hoss]

Your model looks great! First build of this type, you did a nifty job.

[robert Lamba]

40 minutes ago, Sea Hoss said:

Your model looks great! First build of this type, you did a nifty job.

Thanks, I think after my first small build which would rate a 1 or 2 for skill level required I was over confident and went well above my skill level with this one. I've made mistakes but if take it slow I think it make an acceptable build. I'll probably be in way over my head with what I'm planning for my next build , the Zeven Provincien from Kolderstok.

[Sea Hoss]

That's how we do it, adapt and overcome!

[robert Lamba]

2 hours ago, flying_dutchman2 said:

CBX 1050 and a GSX 1150 wow, I remember those very well.

In college (no money for a car) started with a 1981 Honda XL250S, moved up to a 1983 XL600 and that was a kickstart. Had that till 1988 when I finished grad school. 

Went to work in Saudi Arabia and had several Huskies. No spark arrestor, short exhaust and go all out on sand flats with others. Always wore a helmet. 

Marcus 

Ahh the 70s and 80's the younger days of unrestrained irresponsibility, my brother and I rode the fine edge of the law with our moto creations. Red and Blue flashing lights frequently appeared in my mirrors.

 

Today I still get pulled over have my license checked and sent on my way with a warning to slow down, I think they're amused by hooligan grandpas.

 

The ladies from my other build hobby

Edited April 16, 2020 by robert Lamba
grammar edit

[robert Lamba]

Anyone have recommendations for gluing metal to wood?

Wood glue has little holding ability with metal, I've tried contact cement while better than wood glue it's still not 100%.

[flying_dutchman2]

Gorilla glue if they are small pieces. I have done that with epoxy. My motto is, if all else fails, epoxy is your answer. 

 

Love the pictures. Those are beautiful looking bikes. I am signing off and I am now going to reminisce. 

Marcus 

[robert Lamba]

While waiting for gorilla glue to set on the figurehead(it's come loose twice already) I've moved on to other details.

I assembled the ships light which has the same slow curing glue, before I glue in the base I need to bend it 90 degrees.

My first though is I need to apply heat, if so a torch or will a plank bender work. Maybe it will bend by hand but it just may snap in half if too if it's cast.

Any suggestions?

 

 

[flying_dutchman2]

Either a torch or plank bender will work. I think a plank bender gives you more control. 

Marcus 

[robert Lamba]

Glue curing time led to another chore I was avoiding, the ships boat. The strake material provided and the lack of instructions ended up with tearing off the strakes a few times and beginning again. I switched material to a mahogany veneer that was more pliable and I went swith a clinker systems as the only method that would work with my skill level and the small size(11cm) of the boat. Two days later and it's done. I added some colour that was period correct, they loved their primary colours.

 

 

 

 

[the learner]

Beautiful build, are you sure you are not a pro?

[robert Lamba]

On 4/19/2020 at 2:38 PM, the learner said:

Beautiful build, are you sure you are not a pro?

Thanks that's flattering but no, everyday I learn something new about scale ships, I definitely should've aimed a bit lower for difficulty level on my second build.

[robert Lamba]

Spent a frustrating weekend and part of today putting the beak head together. Took it  apart several times, reshaping and fitting before I was satisfied, it still could be better but it'll never be complete if I keep nitpicking.

 

I chose to paint the beak head rails yellow like the VOC Amsterdam in Amsterdam harbour. I like a natural wood finish but the material used wasn't that attractive and  painting hid some flaws, it's also historically accurate for the time period. Choosing when to paint and when to go natural a continuing issue.

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by robert Lamba

[robert Lamba]

I wasn't happy with the arrangement with doors and catheads, Derfflinger plans don't allow for doors even though every historical painting/drawing I could find for Fluyts show doors or at least a hatch on the front so I added my own, once completed it didn't look practical. Before I finished the beakhead I decided now was the best time redesign that area before it became to difficult to work on. I stripped of the clinker section and will move the catheads higher on top of the forcastle as they are on the VOC Batavia so that they don't conflict with the doors. PiratePete suggested adding davits which were also omitted in the plans so if there is room I may add them as as well.

 

[robert Lamba]

Head construction was undoubtedly my biggest challenge so far! I knew it was warned by Pete that it could be tricky and complex only more so without the build instructions. I lost count of all the hours I put in over the last week. Three steps forward two steps back, assemble, disassemble and then repeat!, Not enough hands and excessively large fingers, down one with a self inflicted stab on the index finger. Improvising on materials when the correct ones weren't included with the kit. With advice from Pirate Pete and internet photos of other builds and consultation to period ship builds I discovered in my own library I have finally reached an acceptable prow. I can see my errors where it can be improved for my next build but I'm reasonably satisfied with where it's at now. Detail finish work will come later. Only regret is using balsa for the vertical head timbers but they were the required dimensions I required and were easy to shape.

Edited May 12, 2020 by robert Lamba

[robert Lamba]

Today I addressed another what think is a flaw in the plans, the large gap between the top head rail and the deck. This was a working area of the ship that also served as the crew toilet, it seemed to me as strange to have such a large gap where a crew member could easily be washed off deck and it didn't look finished.  But what did I know someone more knowledgeable than drew the plans decades ago, the plans must be correct.

 

Consulting historical paintings and references sources consistently show gap is closed off, strake are brought forward around the bow filling the gap under the head rail.

I only needed to pull one strake from in front of the gun port to give a staggered appearance, not perfect but when completed there wouldn't be many people that will pick up on the change. Imo it vastly improves the ship profile in that area.

Edited May 9, 2020 by robert Lamba

[flying_dutchman2]

Beautifully executed. Looking really good. 

Marcus 

[piratepete007]

Teaching us all a few good lessons here Robert - your research has produced a few painful backward steps with your construction but you keep moving forward with your improved and more accurate view of what this type of ship really looked like.

Pete

[robert Lamba]

Encouraging words from more experienced builders are always appreciated.😁

 

My final solution for the catheads. While constructing the head I spent considerable time contemplating my problem of installing two doors and catheads immediately above the area of the head.  Moving the catheads to the deck of the forecastle like the VOC Batavia looked like a historically acceptable solution. But when I closed off the area between the deck and the top rail it still left a section of the deck without a railing which would still be treacherous for anyone venturing there, the Batavia has a higher enclosed top rail. A pair of catheads mounted on the top rail would provide a safety barrier, so now what, move the catheads back, lol. Consulting some period paintings of time period the two doors on either side of the bowsprit appear standard. Then it occured to me that I was guilty of once again not thinking outside the box, I was accommodating the two ornamental columns in the original plan from Dikar. Ditch the columns and replace them with doors! I'm embarrassed it took me so long to see the answer.

Edited May 12, 2020 by robert Lamba

[robert Lamba]

I'll be moving on to cutting a slot for the gammoning lines. The my Dikar plans and many reference materials call for the cutting through the cheek rails but I have reservations doing that. First because it's precise work in a tight spot that can go wrong, easier is always tempting. Second, wouldn't cutting them structurally weaken the cheek rails, I assume structural bracing is why they were there to begin with.

 

Anyone have any thoughts for or against cutting those rails. I couldn't help but notice the builders of the contemporary Batavia didn't cut it's cheek rails.

 

I've noticed an interesting alteration on the contemporary Batavia, the cathead is open on the end, and no cat face.

Edited May 13, 2020 by robert Lamba

[piratepete007]

Given the configuration of the cheek rails on this particular ship, I can see no reason for cutting into them to accommodate the gammoning.

Pete

[robert Lamba]

I wasn't intending to move on to the masts as yet but to finish the bow section meant addressing the sprit and doing one led to the others so I assembled the tops and crosstrees. Once again no instruction manual and no accurate illustration created a puzzle. With Petes guidance we solved it and 12hrs of work later I think I'm ready to move on to tapering the masts and fitting assembled sections. They may appear a bit glossy but that's because I just pulled them from a oil bath and drying before I apply a flat clear coat.

 

[robert Lamba]

Who knew masts could be such a pain! I thought I was finally moving into easier territory.

 

The  masts would be straight forward, round poles with a taper what could be so difficult. I did wonder how the builders fixed the masts in place there would've been tremendous torsional forces involved. Pete confirmed my suspicion, square masts.

 

So a seemingly simple task became much more complicated, joining a square mast to a round mast.

 

I've a limited amount of material so there wasn't any room for error. I laid it all out on the floor and studied it carefully for an hour(wife thought I'd fallen asleep), lot's of options. How do I shape a round mast into a square peg accurately? Pete suggested pinning a square section to the mast, pinning  worked when I pieced together the bow's top rail so that's what I went with. I haven't determined where the joinery should take place, at the Top or below  the Top between the cheeks, there are structural issues pro and con to think about first. 

 

 

 

[robert Lamba]

Main mast fitted together, only needs a little sanding, stain and clear coat. Joins all hidden by either Cap or Top.

 

No adhesive yet, 24 hr Gorilla glue to be applied when the foremast is complete and when I'm 100% sure I haven't overlooked anything.

[flying_dutchman2]

Looking good and you are doing a great job on the masts.

Marcus 

[robert Lamba]

Assembling the Sprit mast, top, knee and mast cap gave me problems, no illustration and a mast cap that was no where near required dimension. With help from Pirate Pete I finally got by that this morning. Done and ready to attach to the Sprit.

Yesterday I assembled the rudder, the kit should've had four hinges but there were only three in the kit so that's what I went with. And no hinge pins were in the kit so did my best with brass rod, not the best but I doubt anyone will notice.

I'll be done the hull this week! I never thought I'd ever get to this point, very few parts left in a small box.

I'm now attaching all the tiny delicate bits that are so easily broken off during construction.

A little bit of paint, stain, oil and clear finish and I'll put it away until the fall when I progress to the rigging.

[robert Lamba]

Seat of Ease/ toilet. I saw a picture of it on the Batavia but never on a kit so why not make two.

Seats themselves weren't too difficult the chutes were trickier.

Trial and error making the chute my first thought was a small 2x2 mm up through the prow, it worked but it was just a random stick out of place where it was.

2nd attempt was making a square chute from clinker material, too big(on left in photo).

3rd attempt I thought I'd just drill a hole into the end of 4x4mm timber and be satisfied with that. With the drill set on it's lowest setting it was going well and straight so I thought why not keep going. I probably didn't need to make them appear functional but I feel satisfied I succeeded.

I managed through luck not to drill a hole in my hand and succeeded in making the chutes. Install comes tomorrow.

[robert Lamba]

Seat of ease installed. Did I really need to have a functional toilet, no but it was satisfying to complete.

[robert Lamba]

Went out to buy some supplies this morning at my favourite auto supply store and I found this kit! $11 for a knife, 26 blades, sharpening stone, tweezers in a handy box vs  $15 for the 15 blades in the box on the right at model supply store. 

[robert Lamba]

here is where I am with my binnacle, already an improvement.

I borrowed the side panels, top and doors from the original, made a compass on the end of a dowel. Searching the internet for actual binnacles for examples of door/glass options and lighting.

 

Original solid bock of wood.

Left over railing was perfect size, I only needed to square up the cabinet.

 

A vast improvement Imo

Compass, not sure about final door layout as yet.