US Brig Syren by niwotwill - Model Shipways - scale 1:64 - 2nd wooden kit build & 1st build log

[niwotwill]

Started the next chapter about hull finishing. First thing was to decide rather to use the gallery castings or to make my own.  I mounted the casting on a piece of wood and started cleaning up the images with my Micromotor.  Its a work in progress and they are starting to look better with the features being more clearly defined. I'll post more about them as I progress and what decision I make to whether to use them or make my own. I looked at the photo etched panel specifically the sweep port hinges and thought I'd never be able to place the black wire for the hinges as described so I tried another method. I measured the black wire in the kit and found it to be .028 diameter, 1.792" in real scale, and the port doors are .125", 8" in scale, so I felt the wire was much too large. I straightened a length of 26 awe copper wire and attached the wire along the hinges where the simulated hinge pin were to be placed. Clear JBWeld was used by applying it on the parts with a toothpick.

 

 

I then painted the photo etched panel black and let it all dry to set up for a couple of days.

 

I then make the sweep doors staining and wipe on poly ready to mount. After mounting the sweep doors I snipped of a hinge as I needed.

 

A quick look a the doors assembled.

 

next I'll make eyebolts and eyebolts with rings for rigging and gun port lids.

 

Stay Well and Safe

Will 

 

 

[niwotwill]

Not much to show for todays work. I made 100 eye bolts and 50 eye bolt with rings. The old saying apples hear "a picture is worth a 1000 words" so here goes.

 

Spinning wire with a hook mounted in a pin vise.

 

eye bolt with ring attached

 

method to attach a soldered ring

 

first place the ring on the wire to spin place in a vise and spin with the pin vise

 

finished eye bolt and ring

 

 

blacken with "liver of sulfur" and a finished eye bolt

 

Using silver soldered rings allow the liver of sulfur to blacken the assembly and the soldered ring is strong enough to withstand the tension of rigging.

 

Like I said not much to show but tomorrow I start on gun port lids and bulwark eye bolts. Oh yea, more work on the castings.

 

Take care and stay well

 

Will  

 

[WalrusGuy]

Looking at this I really need to invest in a soldering iron. Great job!! 

[niwotwill]

Well chapter 9 is finished gun port and sweep port lids made and mounted. I tried to use the basswood fenders and chesstree but the stain didn't come out well and was way off in color/texture against the cedar stained bulwark planking so I made new ones of cedar. Making the parts was a straight forward process where I milled a piece of cedar to the fenders width and then glued a basswood fender to the edge of the cedar to use as a pattern and sanded the cedar to shape then using a slitting blade sliced off the new parts. 

Using the glue stick works great enough adhesion but water soluble to remove

Using the drum sander to get uniform shape the width of the cedar

 

 

Stain the parts on double sided tape with the edge to be glued against the tape

 

The channels were straight forward to make and mount I did drill a hole into the channel and a corresponding one in the bulkhead with a 22 AWG copper wire to make them very sturdy.

The Syren after chapter 9

Now on to the dreaded chapter 10 (Head rails and Cheeks) not looking forward to this chapter.

 

Thats it for now

 

Stay well and safe

Will  

 

[Overworked724]

Will, she’s coming along.  Nice work on those fenders!  You said those were basswood?  

[niwotwill]

Thanks Patrick and all for the likes and comments. The fenders were make from yellow cedar as the basswood didn't stain  to match the bulwark planking it gets dark on the cut edges as it works like a sponge and soaks up the stain to almost black.

 

Stay well and be safe

Will  

[niwotwill]

Before starting the cheeks I decided I'd finish the stern galleries. I'm still trying to make my own as others have done, but my skill on carving needs more improvement so I decided to use the cast metal ones until I'm happy with a set of mine. Spent quite a bit of time mixing paint to get a color that closely matches the stained bulwark planking. I got a color that matched but it still didn't look the way I wanted so I started trying to add washes and finally found that a wash of dark oak stain gave me the look and feel I wanted.

 

 

Still delaying the dreaded chapter 10 so I started the longboat. Now that the outside and inside are finished I can start assembling.

 

 

 

 

 

I milled down a piece of Alaskan Yellow Cedar down to 1/32" thick and then ripped 1/32" strips. Stained the strips dark oak stain so they'd have contrast when against the tan of the inside.

 

 

That being done I wanted to dress up the mermaid so I cleaned up the casting flash and etc. I painted her flesh body, green fin, blue waist and tiara with yellow hair. It was very garish so I had to do something, ah back to washes. Finally settled on a tan paint & oak stain mixture.

 

I like the result. Let me know what you think.

 

 

 

I can't put it off any longer so onto the cheeks. Kinda cheeky eh!

 

Stay and be safe

Will  

[Overworked724]

Nice job so far on the ship’s boat!  👍🏽Really clean!

[niwotwill]

Started the dreaded chapter ten and it started as I feared, difficult. Snapped out the cheeks and whiskers and tried the carving method described in the instructions without any success. I made new cheeks, out of cedar, using the panel as a template. Tried Chucks carving method again with better results, not sure if its the cedar or I was getting better, but I still didn't like the look. I remembered from a log how they'd made a wire tool to carve small parts. I made a tool out of .031 diameter steel wire. The end of the wire was rounded and polished to the shape of a dull pencil point. I bent the wire in a "U" shape with on side longer to use as a guide. To keep the form while using the tool was wrapped with a thin copper wire keeping both sided aligned.

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Securing the tool in a bench vise and then dragging the part across the point repeatedly with light pressure made very nice lines in the cheeks and whiskers. Reversing the process made a line parallel to the first giving a nice finish. The cedar was nice as it didn't fuzz up as the basswood did with the same tool.

 

 

Parts made and stained were assembled without any drama. Now the hawse holes and the .031 plates.

 

 

 

Next the top rail but before I do that I decided to put the ring bolts in place.

 

Stay well and be safe

 

Will

[Overworked724]

Nice job, Will!  Those itty bitty parts can be really difficult. You really did a nice job with the detailed carving. 

[niwotwill]

Thanks Patrick for the nice comments and thanks to everyone for the likes.

 

 

 

Started the top rails by sanding off all the laser char (that was very deep) and smoothing all the surfaces. I found the best way to smooth the basswood was to use very fine sandpaper with a very light touch. Actually I used 600 grit wet-n-dry but only without water and it almost made a surface nicely prepared to carve the lines. Shaping the timberheads was a problem with the soft wood and I broke one off, thank goodness the kit gives you extras. That all done it was time to stain them. I used the prestain conditioner and then stained them with golden oak. Measuring the mounting position was somewhat problematic as I couldn't hold them and measure at the same time then I remembered the glue I use to glue the Washington frame patterns unto the wood to cut. I use elmers glue sticks as kids use in school. Elmers worked great and allowed me to measure and visually make sure that both side were symmetrical and the beauty is it is water soluble. I carved the line using the same tool used with the cheeks and whiskers.

 

 

Next on the catheads and middle rail. Yippee 

 

 

Stay well and be safe

 

Will  

[niwotwill]

Catheads made and fitted to bulwarks with the appropriate reliefs in the top rail and sheer now just need to add eye bolts, cleat and finish painting.

 

 

Making the the cathead stopper cable sheave was challenging milling a piece of wood to 1/64" and then cutting, glueing and sanding. The actual sheave was made using a circle template and a very sharp 6H lead repeatedly drawing a 1/16" circle until it came free. Not sure of the value of this since you can't see it once it mounted.

Spent about an hour cleaning up the cleat castings of flash and shape. Now there ready to drill a small hole in the bottom for a 22awg copper wire to fit into a corresponding hole in the cathead. I have too many cleats etc come off during rigging so the pinning is what I do to prevent this. Tomorrow I'll drill the holes and mount the cleat.

 

 

Looking at the picture I have more work to do on the right cleat. The camera shows everything.

 

All done for today

 

Stay Well and Safe

 

Will  

 

 

 

[niwotwill]

Been awhile since last post but I've been busily working on the middle rails and have finally put them on the ship. I'm not really happy with how they've come out, but for now I'm leaving them on the model. I first tried to you the laser cut basswood but had the same results as before when trying to carve the details. The basswood is very soft and picky that if I pushed just a little to hard the wood fuzzed up and didn't look like a clean cut especially after staining. Next I made a set from the yellow cedar using the cutout image left from the laser. These came out better but were to small/thin after tracing the cutout and cutting the part from the wood sheet. The last set are made from cedar but without a pattern I just carved them using the plans as a guide. The shape is good but still not sure about the curves but we will see as I keep looking at them.

 

 

This is the last version 

 

I had a lot of time to work on other things while trying to make the middle rail so I went back the longboat that I had made the hull shape. I ripped some 1/32 by 1/32 strips from cedar, stained them a dark oak to give contrast from the tan paint inside the longboat. Putting those frames inside was a long slow process. soak one, fit one, glue one, wait till dry, cut top off, soak one, fit one etc. Finished the frames and started the floor boards.

 

 

Awhile back I met an old scratch modeler who was selling his equipment. I bought his Sherline long bed lathe and accessories while loading the lathe in the car he said I left a crate of wood at a common friends house has he told you about it. One day visiting our common friend the friend said he had the crate of wood left by Peter, did I want it. The wood was in a large wooden crate and it was beautifully full of all kinds of hard wood. (pau margin, swiss pear, walnut, mahogany, holly, ebony carbon, cherry and beech to name a few} So having this I decided I'd use the walnut for the floor boards since unfinished they will look like weathered wood.

 

 

Now I just need to figure where I can use this gift.

 

Thats it for now onto the uprights and top rail.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

 

Will  

[niwotwill]

Quick update I got the uprights on the are between the cheeks and middle rail and middle rail and top rail on the port side. Long day of fiddle work. 

 

 

In-between drying time I put the walnut floorboards on the longboat. Next is the gratings and twart support. It feels good to see fast progress when working on the small size of the longboat.

 

 

The unfinished dark walnut gives an aged weathered look to the floorboards

 

More soon 

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

 

Will

[niwotwill]

Finished chapter 10 and started chapter 11 today. I used a toothpicks to make the bumpkins working very well and took the golden oak stain perfectly. For the bumpkin support irons I used a piece of connecting brass from the photo etched pieces using the toothpick as a mandrel I bent them to shape and glued them on the upper rail.

 

 

Chapter 11 started with removing the sled brackets and getting them ready to paint. I painted the brackets and will start assembling them tomorrow.

 

In spare or rest time I work on the longboat getting the grates made and the rear thwart made ready to add the balance of thwarts. I also started making belaying pins out of toothpicks using Thomas Gahms method using a Proxxon lathe too turn them with files and sanding sticks. Need 100 of the buggers but 10 or so a day and we will be ready.

 

Longboat as of today

 

Thats it for progress

 

Stay well and Stay safe

Will  

 

[WalrusGuy]

The figurehead painting looks great! And the head rails came out very nice!! 😁

[niwotwill]

Thanks all for the kind words and likes it means a lot to me and keeps me motivated.

Finished the port side sled brackets. Turns out its not as simple as I had thought it seemed that the margin plank and waterway rose too high not leaving enough room under the port sills. I had to carefully trim each port about 1/64th" to 1/32nd" for the top of the sled bracket to be level with the port sill instead of standing proud. I'm hoping that the carronades, sleds, and associated rigging will obscure the trimming.

 

 

Were going on a little holiday trip to San Diego to see and feel the ocean (I love the desert but I grew up on the ocean) celebrating my wife birthday. When I get back I'll touchup the red paint where I cut away the waterway.

 

Spent time on the longboat getting the thwarts set in place next on the windlass and few bit on the thwarts then I'll put it away and concentrate on the Syren.

 

 

More when we return next week in the mean time Stay well and stay safe.

 

Will

[Overworked724]

Longboat looks fantastic, Will.  Wouldn’t worry too much about the sills.  Once you e got the carronade sleds, tackle and rigging, rope coils and whatnot....you will be lucky to see the trunnels in the deck planks!  😂

 

Enjoy your. Trip, shipmate!

[Mahuna]

Hi Will - I've been off the site for a long time and just started checking back in.  Nice progress on your Syren - looking really good.

[niwotwill]

Back from holiday. Had a great time in San Diego.

HMS Surprise Replica used in the movie "Master and Commander"

 

Star of India a iron hulled clipper ship made in 1863 and rerigged as a barque

 

OK travel show over I digressed.

 

finished starboard sled brackets and then onto pintails. More on pintails tomorrow but spent time on belaying pins. Using Thomas's method with toothpicks. I bought some birch wood toothpicks which turn nicely and hold stain well. I've made 25 today and 75 to go (oh yeh having some fun now} I'll probably make 20 to 25 extras for spares.

 

 

Darker ones are after a quick light stain.

 

Well touch red pain tomorrow and more belaying pins.

 

Stay well and stay safe

Will  

[WalrusGuy]

Those pins look great!! Did you use a lathe to make them? Or using a drill? 

[Overworked724]

What was the process?  They look great!!!

[niwotwill]

Thanks Patrick and Wally (hope you don't mind) I used a Proxxon lathe and swiss files and 600 grit wet-n-dry sandpaper to do minor cleanup. I must confess I got the idea and help from Thomas Gahm. I saw them on his log and asked how he did such a nice job and he was kind enough to post the method on his Syren log. One thing he pointed out was he kept a drawing next to the work area to reference spacing and such. On his log is a photo of his lathe with a piece in progress so I keep it next to my work space. After a few it becomes much easier and faster. You could use almost anything a drill or dremel as long as they were secure to the work surface. Using the lathe has the advantage of the tool rest post but anything will do.

 

Thanks again for the nice comments and likes.

Stay well and stay safe

Will  

[Overworked724]

Gotta save up for one...been eyeballing a mini lathe for months. 😣

Edited November 22, 2020 by Overworked724

[niwotwill]

Again, I can't say it enough, thanks for the likes and comments.  👍

 

Spent the day making pin rails. Started out cutting strips out of cedar 1/8" and 5/32" wide then milling them done to .05 thickness. The wider strip will be reduced to the 1/8" as it curves at the bow. I decided to drill the the holes in the to be curved pieces in a straight line as the curve is so slight on the short lengths. I used a 1mm drill for the holes, as suggested in the manual, on the mill to keep the spacing even and straight. My freehand drilling is suspect a best. I can't believe how you are able to make such perfect patterns by had.

After drill the hole patterns I cut the strips to the correct individual lengths. Using the drill bits as registration the pieces were stacked with the drill bit keeping them aligned.

 

The disk sander made sure the lengths were equal and the end angles were equal.

 

I've had problems with pin rails coming loose on other builds so I'm going to pin these rails as suggested. Trying to align blind pins sounds like a difficult process so I decided to use #9 silk sewing pins through the rail into the bulwark. Drill .029 dia holes through the rails between the belaying pin holes. Painted the rails red to match the bulwarks.

 

 

Pushed the sewing pins into their holes ready to set rail on bulwark.

 

 

Put glue on the pin rail and set it against the bulwark. Push the pins in about 3/32" with pliers and when set snip off the pin protruding even with the pin rail. Touch up red paint and can't see the pins. Tomorrow I'll clean up the pin rails by lightly sanding and then another top coat of paint.

Boy the zoomed photo shows everything but it does look much better to the naked eye.

 

 

 

Thats it for today

Stay well and stay safe

Will  

 

[niwotwill]

Cleaned up the pin rails and started preparing the cleats for the inside bulwarks. Worked on and off for 3 days on the white metal castings to remove the flash and smooth the finish.

Almost all the 5mm cleats were like these in the photo. UGH!!!

 

Closeup of a typical cleat

 

 

After filing and sanding I chucked them into a machine vice and bored holes that I could then glue copper wire to support the cleats from rigging stress.

 

 

57 5mm cleats and 10 10mm after using "JAX" to darken them. Ready to start using them. I trim the wire to length as I fit them.

 

Almost finished with the cleats and rings and then on to the carronades. Reading back through Syren logs, specifically about carronades, I noted that some had purchased their carronades from Caldercraft so I started to read up on 24 pound carronades. The kit carronades are way to thin in diameter for a 24 pounder so I bought the Caldercraft kits. Delivery was suprisedly fast from the UK

 

Stay well and stay safe

Will  

 

[niwotwill]

Just thought I'd show a couple of photos displaying the difference between the kits carronade and the Caldercraft carronade.

 

 

Looking a photos of the carronades on the brig Niagara shows me that I've got some work to do but they'll look great.

Stay well and Stay safe

Will 

[niwotwill]

Spent the day putting cleats, ring bolts and rings on the starboard bulwark and aft bulwark until I ran out of ring bolts. Had to make more so for 3 hours I made 100 more ring bolts for the port side.

 

Just a photo of how I make the ring bolts

 

 

Using  26AWG copper wire and a .045 dia mandrel.

 

Stay well and stay safe

Will  

[niwotwill]

Hello everyone hope all are well after Thanksgiving. Finished the inner bulwarks by adding the cleats, ring bolts and rings as shown on the drawings and log photos.

Started the carronades with beginning with the sleds that came with the Caldercraft carronade kits. Nice to clean up the parts as they are made of walnut and routed not laser cut. No char to sand off and straighten the cuts to keep them perpendicular to the surfaces. Placed all the brass pieces in a dish of white vinegar to clean them and put a slight etch for the paint to adhere. Set the sleds up to be painted and did the first coat of paint today. They already look good. The walnut sanded to a very smooth surface and it shows with just the first coat of paint.

Taped parts to backing paper

 

 

Painted parts first coat

 

 

More to come as I assembly the sleds

 

Stay well and stay safe

 

Will 

 

 

 

[niwotwill]

Well back to work on the sleds as said before I was using the Caldercraft kits that come with the carronades. When I did a dry fit of the sleds and mount it put the carronade barrel above center of the gun port by between 1.5mm and 2mm. After measuring all the pieces of both the Shipways and Caldercraft it was the thickness of the Caldercraft sleds causing the problem. Syren sleds are 1/16" thick, or even a little less, and Caldercraft sleds are 2.0mm thick. I've decided to use the Syren parts with the Caldercraft carronades. The Caldercraft carronades do not have a ring for the breech line so I had to modify them for a breech line ring.

 

Started out making the rings using a brass tube with an .093 od and .058 id that looks very much in scale. I mounted the the tube in a vice on the mill bed and used a .020 kerf blade to slice of rings that were .045 thick.

 

 

With the rings sliced off it was just a matter of some fine sanding to clean up the cut surfaces

 

 

 

I placed the carronades in a vice and used a 3mm cutter to create a surface for the rings to be set without moving.

 

 

I didn't think I could solder the rings to the guns with such a large difference in the material size. I could not heat the solid brass gun sufficiently to flow the solder without evaporating the light rings so its JB weld to the rescue. Using the epoxy was actually a better solution since when I put a drop of epoxy on the previously prepared surface and set the ring in place it flowed around causing a nice fillet.

 

 

I'm thinking the rings may be a little to thick maybe 5 to 10 thou but for now they look ok. I can change them without to much effort if in time they still look a little out of scale.

 

Now on the Syren sleds.

 

Stay well and stay safe

Will