Chris Watton and Vanguard Models news and updates

[Nirvana]

5 hours ago, ccoyle said:

Wow. I would cry tears of joy if I could get a planking job that looked that good done in a day. 😑

Me too😀

[chris watton]

1 hour ago, SpyGlass said:

Congrats on your tanganyika planking .🤢 

I was inspired to get out a bit of scrap  that I had and try  shaping it - not much success - it seemed very brittle no matter what i tried -  wet heat, steam, dry heat etc ect?  Did you find it more inflexible than other woods or do I just have a duff sample  ?

 

And while you are displaying your skill ( how to plank a hull in a day !!!)  do help all us mere mortals .

I think you seem to favour CA over  PVA but   - speak  - tell us - how do you shape the strips ? 

 

The only clue I have ever had when we were discussing things once was that you appeared to be bending the strips with a rusty pair of pliers !

 

 

Hi Spyglass

 

I don't know what to tell you, other than I am so used to it I hardly think about the process. I do one plank per side; that is, I lay the plank to see where it needs tapering, mark the spot, wet a little and cut, usually I taper to around half the plank width. No point trying to be too technical and it would never work planking with just a Stanley Knife, steel rule and rusty old plyers to help bending. Although using the Tanganyika, I can just manipulate the required curves with my fingers, as it's much more pliable than pear.

 

Once those planks are glued in place (left and right sides), I start the process again until complete.

 

Worked on wales today, and tried a few ways of offering these in the kit. In the end, my first hunch won the day, but not before I messed up the port side by (stupidly) gluing the three part wale in place. I decided to lay it as if I was a novice, with no bevelling to take into account the curves of the hull, as I know some will do this.

 

The result wasn't pretty. A one piece wale however, is as fool proof as I can make it, and hugged the hull a lot better than I thought it would - so the single piece wale will be the kit version. Also attached is a photo of a 4 piece wale (not tried, as I know I didn't like it - get it wrong when gluing, and it would look awful). The starboard one piece wale is just pinned in place.

Edited January 31, 2021 by chris watton

[JeffT]

I like the kit design. Makes it easier for us mere mortals.

[Blue Ensign]

Out of curiosity Chris, what did you base the Top and Butt wale planking on; I don't think I have seen that additional scarph joint arrangement on the legs.

 

B.E.

 

[amateur]

It is not on the NMM-drawings of the planking. At least, not on the outside planking. It is present on the inside.

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/83709.html

 

(at least, Ithink I have the correct ship....)

 

Jan

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you Jan, that is something I've not seen before. I wonder if they used a half scarph that wasn't carried through to the external face.

I note that the expansion plans were dated 1808 which post dates the other plans by some years.

 

Personally I think the arrangement on the model looks a little too fussy, and  although I fitted top and butt wales on my Pegasus build I don't think I could have managed those additional features even if authentic.

 

B.E.

[chris watton]

The wale planking (along with a lot more info) I got from AOTS Pandora, a contemporary of Sphinx albeit slightly larger.

 

The main wale will be painted, with only faint lines shown, so won't look as fussy.

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Chris,

I haven’t looked at the Pandora book for a long time, but there it is large as life in full colour.

I’m glad I didn’t have to tackle that on my Pegasus.🙄

In the TFFM in relation to Sixth rates David Antscherl comments:

There is only space for three strakes in the width of the wale on a sixth rate. The uppermost strake is worked parallel, and the lower two are worked top and butt. In larger ships these strakes were hooked, but in a sixth rate this does not appear to be the case.

His reference is the planking elevation, topsides of Hornet, dated 1776.

Still it is all academic and you have done a very fine job with Sphinx.

Ps Leading me back to Pandora reveals a 22’ Yawl, spritsail rigged, looks like the yawl build will take a bit longer.🙂

Regards,

 

B.E.

[chris watton]

I have no idea what TFFM is?

 

For the Sphinx designs, I have copies of the original Admiralty plans (lines and decks). To fill in the gaps, I have used the Marshall paintings and the Pandora book, as this book even has a picture of Sphinx in it, mentioning the classes were very much alike, albeit Pandora being a 24 gun ship.

 

Regarding the etched plank lines, as I mentioned, a lot of the Sphinx is painted, wales are black (so the lines will be very subtle), upper sides are blue with frieze work (if you want to add it), and inner bulwarks and a lot of fittings will be red. The parts are etched on one side only, so you do have a choice to use the unetched side - or just use planking strip. This is what I like about wooden ship models, you can do almost anything you like with it.

[Morgan]

Just for Info Steel describes these forms of planking as follows:

 

The difference between Top and Butt and Anchor Stock is the first is asymmetrical and the latter symmetrical. Just thought seeing which is which helps the conversation.

 

Little known factoid for fun 🤪, Victory has several surviving 19th Century strakes of Top and Butt planking below the main wale which shows she wasn’t parallel planked, but also points to the Wales probably being one of the other two forms before they ripped them off her in the 1850’s, which leads back to the Sphinx Wales being planked Hook and Butt as well.

 

Gary

Edited February 1, 2021 by Morgan

[DelF]

33 minutes ago, chris watton said:

I have no idea what TFFM is?

The Fully Framed Model, four volumes series on scratch building a Swan class sloop, by David Antscherl and Greg Herbert. See here. Fantastic series, often quoted on the forum hence the tendency to refer to it simply as TFFM.

 

Derek

[Gregory]

With regard to these planking drawings,  What is the significance of the red vs the black drawings?

 

Sphinx 1775

[chris watton]

11 hours ago, Gregory said:

With regard to these planking drawings,  What is the significance of the red vs the black drawings?

 

Sphinx 1775

I 'think' the black is the general lines and the red is internal/fittings. Some plans also have green, which usually indicates further changes to future classes of the same vessel.

[paul carruthers]

On 1/30/2021 at 4:17 PM, chris watton said:

OK, I never meant to plank the whole Sphinx hull, as this model will be thrown away once all the info I need has been taken from it. But couldn't help myself. this is a very quick planking job (a day), using scrap 1x4 Tanganyika instead of wasting the pear on a disposable hull - no filling, just a quick sand so I have a smooth (ish) surface for checking all parts that are to be fixed to it. I am happy with the hull lines, nice shape to plank, too.

What are the dimensions? Thankyou.

[chris watton]

17 minutes ago, paul carruthers said:

What are the dimensions? Thankyou.

Overall length will be around 785mm (with bowsprit), hull length will be around 610mm

[Nirvana]

On 2/1/2021 at 4:31 PM, chris watton said:

I 'think' the black is the general lines and the red is internal/fittings. Some plans also have green, which usually indicates further changes to future classes of the same vessel.

Having lines in various colors depending what they are, is a help if it's related in the building instructions.  Helping to identify a certain plan or level.

[Clark]

On 1/25/2021 at 10:54 PM, chris watton said:

Thank you very much! Jim has done a superb job in putting them together. And to think, a year ago he hadn't touched any wooden kit for years!

They do, they are my US distributors.

Pinnace kit arrived yesterday (ordered 10 d ago). Looks perfect. Recommendation to all not only to those who like details.

Clark

[chris watton]

Cheers!

 

Stock for the new boats is very low (34 foot launch sold out) until the new sets of photo etched brass arrives, hopefully in the next week or two.

 

Two more are almost ready, both 32 footers, a barge and pinnace, around 151mm long. Again, thanks to James Hatch.

Edited February 5, 2021 by chris watton

[drjeckl]

Chris,

 

Just wanted to congratulate you on your deal with Modelers Central.  I just got their monthly email that discusses this:

 

The Vanguard Models range of model ship kits are the highest quality model ship kits currently on the market. They are for the discerning model ship builder wanting to build a quality model that is a "cut above" all the other brands.

All the Vanguard Model range of kits are designed and developed by Chris Watton, a world-renowned designer of wooden model ship kits and is best known for his work with companies such as Amati/Victory Models.

Each kit in the Vanguard Models range is expertly designed and presented. Pearwood is used as the second layer of planking along with many laser cut parts.

The building instructions are full colour A3 size showing every step of the model’s construction.

The Vanguard Model range of wooden model ship kits are truly the pinnacle of modeling perfection.

 

Pretty nice endorsement (my highlighting) .  I bought your Speedy back last year and it's still on deck to be my 2nd build. If (when) I make it through Speedy, I can't wait to see what choices Vanguard will have for me then.

 

Again, congratulations and keep up the extradorinary work.

 

John

[paul carruthers]

On 2/4/2021 at 1:01 PM, chris watton said:

Overall length will be around 785mm (with bowsprit), hull length will be around 610mm

When can I send you the money? I want one!

[James H]

Since I've been doing a few photos on something else, I thought I'd take this one of the EIGHT ship's boats I've built for VM so far.

 

I can almost do these with my eyes closed now. 😆

 

[JeffT]

It would take me 6 months to do one 🤣

[glbarlow]

Can you mail me the three that will go with Sphinx 😂🤣😂🤣

[James H]

9 hours ago, glbarlow said:

Can you mail me the three that will go with Sphinx 😂🤣😂🤣

Haha! I would, but there is another valid reason for doing all these now...

 

When the ships are being built, I can use these finished models, including the photo set, to save time. All I need to do is add the pics to the instructions and sit the boat straight on the deck/beam.

[maaaslo]

On 2/8/2021 at 7:15 AM, James H said:

Haha! I would, but there is another valid reason for doing all these now...

 

When the ships are being built, I can use these finished models, including the photo set, to save time. All I need to do is add the pics to the instructions and sit the boat straight on the deck/beam.

oi, thats cheating!!!

[Mike_H]

Hi Chris.  Hope things are going OK with you, the business and Sphinx.  I had got used the breakneck progress you were making, and miss the frequent updates. I'll try to be patient (and concentrate on the build in hand).

 

Mike

[James H]

21 minutes ago, Mike_H said:

Hi Chris.  Hope things are going OK with you, the business and Sphinx.  I had got used the breakneck progress you were making, and miss the frequent updates. I'll try to be patient (and concentrate on the build in hand).

 

Mike

He's told me to tell you he has been without internet/phone for a couple of days, and his business relies on it of course. 

 

In his area, even the mobile telephone signal is really poor too.

 

All should be sorted early next week.

[glbarlow]

I like to demonstrate my lack of nautical knowledge. I have no clue which boats are which and why there are 8 different ones...boat..oars...long...short apparently doesn’t cover it😂🤣

[James H]

28 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

I like to demonstrate my lack of nautical knowledge. I have no clue which boats are which and why there are 8 different ones...boat..oars...long...short apparently doesn’t cover it😂🤣

 

I had no idea about the differences between a cutter, pinnace, launch or barge before I built these.

Now, I feel like an expert 😆

[Jim Rogers]

10 minutes ago, James H said:

 

I had no idea about the differences between a cutter, pinnace, launch or barge before I built these.

Now, I feel like an expert 😆

Please share your expertise.