HMS Agamemnon by Henke - Caldercraft - 1:64

[Henke]

The filler and sanding process is in slow progress. Sanding of stern and middle section reasonably finished but very little on bow as you can see. Not very much progress but slowly I am getting there 🙂.

 

Kind regards

 

Henrik

 

[Retired guy]

Take your time it will look perfect once complete 

 

Regards

Richard

[ETNZ]

She looks great mate. The bottle being empty is no bad thing. It gives opportunity to invest in another and watch time pass. Your planking is way better than mine was Henrik, just a quick question. Did you too end up with a dip in the 4/5 rib area on the starb’d bow? I am starting to think that there is an issue with the kit in this respect as several other builders here have hit it too. It doesn’t appear to have anything that causes it to be out of line yet it happens. Anyway, good to see you enjoying her still.  Are you intending on second planking with long planks or cutting down to scale planks at 120 mm thereabouts? I tried both on mine the longer ones below the waterline and under the copperwork to come. I found the shorter lengths made shaping and bending so much easier. Have a Scotch and think about it.

[Henke]

Thanks ETNZ and YES, I had to compensate some of the bulk heads near the bow by gluing on thin wood strips to avoid  Aggy getting dimples. I thought it was my mistake but maybe there is an issue with the bow? It is no big problem and I think I have fixed it now. And yes, I will use shorter length planks for second planking. I actually found it easier work with shorter planks on the first planking also. The length has then to be adopted to the distance between the bulk heads (of course) but shorter planks are, in my opinion, easier to shape a bend to a snug fit.

 

Regards

Henrik

[Henke]

My tedious sessions with filler and sanding is over now. What you lack in planking skills have to be compensated with filler and sanding 😓. This is how Aggy is looking for the moment. The build is going forward and I feel happy and almost proud 🙂. 

 

Regards

 

Henrik

[Retired guy]

Great to see you back on her Henrik you should be proud you have a very nice base going forward 

 

Regards

Richard

 

[VonHoldinghausen]

That looks like a great base for your next planking.

Very nice work!

 

Kind regards

[Henke]

I have spent the weekend doing gun ports. Using the paper template was little bit scary. What if I cut out of alignment? But I have now cut out 52 gun ports and I think I got them where they should be. I think I deserve an extra ration of rum today 🙂!

Gun ports opened on starboard and the port is blindfolded before surgery.

Starboard finished!

 

Regards

 

Henrik

[Retired guy]

Yup you have deserved an extra glass of rum Gun ports look great 👍 

 

Regards

Richard

[ETNZ]

Henke,

 

you have made the same mistake as me. The etched doors on the aft panel should face inwards. That way when the balcony is finished, it all looks correct. I’m going to have to get my skates on. Your build is coming on well. Great job on the planking.

[Henke]

10 hours ago, ETNZ said:

Henke,

 

you have made the same mistake as me. The etched doors on the aft panel should face inwards. That way when the balcony is finished, it all looks correct. I’m going to have to get my skates on. Your build is coming on well. Great job on the planking.

Thanks for the comment ETNZ. I do not know for the moment if I will rectify my error. I will have a look how others have done and what the consequences will be if I leave the bulwark patterns as they are.

 

Regards

 

Henrik

[Henke]

I have now browsed around through other Agamemnon build logs and I now understand my mistake. I have now decided that Nelson have to climb through a window if he wants to drink his afternoon rum on the balcony 🙂. Another alternative is to paint something "door like".

 

Anyhow, it is another stupid mistake of me. The drawings clearly indicates which bulwark patterns should be on which side.......☠️☠️☠️. Hopefully nobody at MSW has to do this mistake again. Thanks once again ETNZ for the notice.

 

Regards

 

Henrik

[Henke]

Lining of gun port on lower gun deck on port side is done. Lining is done from a balsa tube (shown by other builders here at MSW) made from 1 mm balsa. It is a fast and simple method of lining the gun ports and ensures that each gun port gets the same size and correct rectangular shape.

Regards

 

Henrik

[Henke]

Hi all,

 

I have a question. Lower gun deck ports on starboard are soon lined as well but there is one thing which I am a little puzzled about. Instructions says "the gun ports without lids can be framed using 1x10 mm walnut strip". Looking at the drawing (sheet no 2) all gun ports except those without lids are framed. I think the information is slightly ambiguous 🙂. I intend to frame all gun ports regardless whether they have lids or not.

 

Is there a reason not lining/framing all gun ports? Please give me advice.

 

Regards

 

Henrik

[ETNZ]

Hi Henrik, I think that you will find they are referring to the gunports on the open portion of the upper gun deck beneath the ship’s boats. These are lined through to the internal bulkheads too. Those on the Poop will not of course be framed (I think). You are doing really well on her however. I have come to a slow patch with it being the end of summer, my wife wants firewood in and with the lockdown here in NZ I can’t wait to get out of the house where I have been working from home but there is so much to do! Roll on winter when I can get stuck in again and ruin my eyes in the dim light! 

 

Take care  and stay safe.

 

 

 

[Henke]

It has been a while since I did an update but activity at the shipyard has been high recently.

1. The stern has been planked
2. Planking of the forecastle has started
3. The forward bulkhead fascia is finished
4. Start of the assembly of quarter galleries

Not glued in place yet.

Forecastle in progress. You cannot have too many tweezers!

Stern with the open stern gallery deck (just dry fitted).

 

 

Kind regards

 

Henrik

[Axel Viðar Hilmarsson]

Great work!

I finished the first planking 13 years ago (my first ship build) - and other things have had my focus since then.  Working abroad, building me a house and other things.  Now I will get back to working on the ship - Your blog has been an inspiration to start reworking on the model.  Looking at your model I notice that you have that "end-top" piece orientated (the left side piece vs. the right side one) so that the cutting/recess is outward (see enclosed photo)- I made this so that it is inward.  I have questioned for years how I made this, but trusted the instructions.  Coming across your log, yesterday, I got more convinced that it was an error on my behalf until I looked at other builder's photos on this web Kusawa2000 (Mike Draper) - see enclosed photo.  Possibly it is best for you to leave it "as is", instead of correcting - but others, with some experience could possibly provide their input.

 

Will definitely follow your blog here - it will be an inspiration and help for me to see the progress.

 

Best Regards/Kær kveðja/Med vänlig hälsning

Axel V. Hilmarsson

[Henke]

Many thanks for all "likes" and comment from Axel. Great to have you on board Axel.

 

Yes I know I got the doors or whatever it is on the wrong side of the stern gallery. ETNZ also observed this mistake of mine a couple of months ago. I have decided to leave it as it is and improvise something. Master of this on MSW is GrandpaPhil 🙂.

 

Regards

 

Henrik

[Henke]

Spent most of the Easter Eve in the shipyard working on the upper stern gallery and the quarter galleries but first tried to rectify by mistake with the mixed up right and left bulwark patterns.  My "GrandpaPhil solution" 🙂 started using two post-it notes and and with a pencil I brushed out the contours of the supposed doors to the quarter galleries the way you can brush out the relief of a coin with paper and a pencil. The brushed out contours on post-it notes were then used as templates to cut out 1x4 mm tanganijka reduced to correct width (about 1-2 mm) and glued with CA glue. 

They were then painted and and glued in place. Next was the upper stern gallery. The gallery bulkhead wood is brush painted black and yellow ochre whilst the window frames and columns in etched brass were air brushed. I am using water based Admiralty Paints which are very thick but diluted with water it worked fine with the air brush. The result can be seen below. It is just dry fitted.

I have now started with starboard quarter gallery. The quarter galleries are tricky to get right but I think I am getting hold of it.

Kind regards and stay safe

 

Henrik

 

[GrandpaPhil]

Well done!

[Rob S]

Very nice work Henrik; She is shaping up nicely!

[ETNZ]

Wow, great stuff. I like the way you have resolved the issues on the stern. I have not done as much there. I have been fed up with cannon so started on the bowsprit which is looking quite good I think. However, last Thursday, disaster struck. I was feeding the cows when the barn door blew shut. The corrugated iron on the door sliced neatly through my middle finger of my right hand (I am right handed). The cut almost removed the tip right through the nail. I have had it stitched and the nail removed on both sides. I guess I’ll only be looking at the model for a while now as I cannot do anything fiddly. You will have caught up to me by then! 

[Retired guy]

Coming along brilliantly Henrik 👍 and you stay safe as well 😷

 

Regards

Richard

 

[Henke]

Firstly I wish ETNZ a quick and full recovery from your terrible accident. Finger injuries can be nasty and take time. ETNZ, I have decided not to give your last post a "thumbs up" since the gesture can misinterpreted considering your misfortune.

 

Secondly, thanks for likes and encouraging posts.

 

Stay safe (i.e. avoid corona virus ☹️ and barn doors 🙂)

 

Henrik

[ETNZ]

I have a very dark sense of humour Henriksen. You are welcome to my paradise, it is no more than you deserve. She’s going to be a cracker. I have tried paying with the bowsprit as something a little different. It was difficult to get my fingers around the whipping but I have managed most of it. I am determined to get some additional photo’s onto my build log. I just never seem to have time to work it all out. Keep going and you and yours stay safe too.

 

[Rob S]

Henrik - If you don’t have it, this book by Deane might provide some additional insight on the Agamemnon during your build process.

[ETNZ]

Sorry Henrik, auto corrected and I didn’t check.

[S.Coleman]

Nice job all round. This ship is definitely on my to do list. That stern gallery come up real nice. Especially with the airbrushed windows. Good job. 

[Henke]

Many thanks for likes and encouraging comments, especially to Rob for the book recommendation. I do not have the book. I will definitely try to get hold of it.

 

The quarter galleries are now finished and I am now doing of the upper gun deck gun ports. I hope to post some pictures later this coming weekend. I was a bit worried about the quarter galleries but it all went together very well. As the instructions for the quarter galleries assembly say: " Time, patience and care are the key words for assembling these parts."

 

To anyone interested building Caldercraft´s Agamemnon, I say build it! It is a huge project but the quality of the model is the best I have seen. It is very well designed.

 

Regards, Henrik

[Henke]

I have now done the lining and painting of the port side upper gun deck gun ports. When I initially cut out the upper gun deck ports I intentionally did them slightly smaller than what the drawings said. I then prepared a 18 pound gun with carriage to check the fit in each gun port before starting carving to correct size. I think have a problem with the fit of the upper gun deck below the fore castle which means that the first gun below the fore castle will be sitting on the deck without wheels but it does not matter. It will not be seen anyhow. Will hopefully continue with the starboard side today. Then it is time for main wale.

 

By, the way Rob, on Thursday I ordered a used copy of "Nelson´s favourite" by Anthony Deane from a British antiquarian. Promised arrival late May or early June.

 

Kind regards, Henrik