HMS Winchelsea 1764 by Thistle17 - 1:48

[glbarlow]

It’s all good Joe, I am an expert at deconstructing having done it so many times. No time-outs, just a bit of reorientation. I’ve found the second or third third time I do something it sometimes turns out better 😊

[James G]

Joe, I don’t personally see it as an error! You took an educated direction that didn’t work out and that happens when building anything. Be it a bird house, chicken coop or a highly-detailed, well-crafted model ship.

 

What Glenn says is so true. Practice does make perfect and in this hobby there is a certain amount of repetition in our builds. I’m learning that being patient and not afraid to start over does improve the final result. I simply have to be ok with saying it’s not good enough and willing to try again. I don’t always do it but am getting better at it as I gain more model ship building experience.

 

I continue to enjoy following your build and appreciate you sharing both your successes AND challenges. Keep on rolling!

 

Best,

Jim

[FrankWouts]

Hi Joe, it's only a small correction in my opinion, so please do so, as your build looks very, very good and will turn into a beautiful Winchelsea when finished.

Keep up the good work and don't be afraid of posting mistakes, I posted quite a few myself and got plenty of help on this build log, which it is all about!
Cheers!

Frank.

[Thistle17]

You folk are so supportive! I appreciate your kind words.

All your works are inspiring and drive me on. It reminds me of when I was playing ball. I always wanted to play with those that were much better than I. It raised my game even though there were some hard knocks along the way.

Anyway I am nearly finished planking the port side up to the sheer after fine tuning the wales and of course removing my incorrect interpretation of the 2nd layer wales. So far with a little retuning of plank width milling I am coming out quite well. Imagine that!

Cutting out planking around ports is such an arduous and frustrating task. After more than a few plank discards I think it passes muster.

I am using this shop made plank clamp to hold strakes that have been premarked for cutout and then one by one carving out the port opening. A little sanding using a dummy port plug with 1/32 built out sides gets me in the game.

Joe

[FrankWouts]

Good to hear you're making progress on planking Joe!

I'd love to see some pictures of your progress.

Frank.

[Thistle17]

Trying again to make a log entry with photo(s).

 

I have completed the port side planking above the first layer of the wales. The whole effort was an experience in working with this new wood AYC, the model complexities and my relearned or new techniques.

 

Let me comment a bit about the material as I am a bit surprised no one has to date. Overall it is a good material to work with. It does have its own subtle characteristics beyond handling. In bending planking for the bow I did have a few planks shatter at their ends, even after heat bending on a form, at the bow. I suspect the billet end had dried out a bit. Cutting back the plank somewhat allowed usage elsewhere. The second more troubling but correctable problem with AYC I found is what I will term beam deflection tendency. Even with the closely spaced bulkheads it seemed in some cases to bow under the pressure of sanding. Not all planks, just some. The only solution I found was that I had to add a veneer backer across several planks internally to allow uniform sanding. It nevertheless is a easy wood to work with.

 

Well here is the port side planking progress in the attached photo. The first layer of wales recall was salvaged after too anxious a start (and incorrectly so) of the second layer. I did not attempt the rather complex planking "tabs" above and below the gun ports as I thought I was at the limit of my skills. Also it was evident all that difficult work, even if successful was going to be obscured by the frieze application.

 

Gun ports as many of you know, all 24 for a side are quite difficult. I had made a set of gun port plugs with a 1/32 frame around the perimeter that fit snuggly into each recess. The intent was to use them as a stop guide for the ensuing planking. For me, after a few attempts, they were abandoned. Any variation in match up to the banded perimeter became a glaring error when removed. It just shouted at you! To correct any of these early imperfections I ended up hand trimming the openings with a scapel and a guide as shown in the setup photo below. A metal rule with sand paper attached to the rear to add traction kept it in place along with the clamp. It was a  tedious, nerve racking effort but I was loathed to rip out yet more planking off.

 

After all that and with some manipulation of plank widths I ended up with the results shown. I was relieved the frieze tryout it came out correctly as can be seen in the stern area with its temporary placement.

 

Joe

Edited March 7, 2023 by Thistle17

[Thistle17]

Hard to believe it was 2019 when I ventured out on this project. The skeletal work was completed during that period. It was put aside for other projects including the Florida Sharpie restoration, the Laura Goulart repairs (hard to consider that a restoration) and of course the Mark I PBR. I picked up this project in more ernst in the latter half of 2022. Things haven't gone well if you have read the log. As a result about 2 weeks ago I put the project aside after a cold hard stare at what I had wrought. The stare was somewhat of a one eyed look as I contracted shingles at Christmas that found its way to my left eye this February. I am on  the mend but the journey's end is not yet evident.

 

Cheerful has been sitting on the bench staring back at me. It is in its final stages of completeion with all deck furniture, cannon, mast and spars completed. It needs final riiging appointments and a case. So needing a "win" I have returned to it. 

 

So I made a decision with Winchelsea. I have decided to shut this build down for the time being. In this interim I came across the components for the skeletal structure and Chapter 1 from an MSW member who has decided against the build. I purchased his components for a very reasonable price. The package arrived yesterday. First impressions when I opened the box was that the plywood material was superior to what I had bought (I elected to fabricate my own skeleton).  That is encouraging.

 

So as the song goes "you have to know when to hold 'em and you have to know when to fold 'em"! But I am not walking away.!!!!!!!

 

Joe

[James G]

Nothing wrong with backing up to take a new running start!

[FrankWouts]

Hi Joe, any updates?
Frank.

[Thistle17]

Haven't visited this portion of the site for some time Frank. Life has been a whirlwind of distractions and other ventures. I put Winchelsea away after I became frustrated with my attempts at executing a build of comensurate quality as others. I am my own worst critic.

 

In the mean time I actually bought from a fellow MSW member a complete and brand new skeletal package of her and Chapter 1. I am going to start over. I may offer my current work to someone in our group after I advance the new one to this stage hoping to incorporate what was right and do over what was wrong.

 

I may write an epitaph here and start a new thread. Have yet to decide. 

 

What is that saying? "If at first you do not succeed........!"

 

Joe

Edited November 11 by Thistle17

[glbarlow]

I failed a lot, just keep pushing. No model is perfect.