HMS Victory by rkwz - AIRFIX - Scale 1:180 - First plastic ship build

[rkwz]

Tied more blocks to the mast caps for the lower yard lifts. 

 

Positioning the thread in an "S" shape, then seizing the block on one of the loops, leaving the other loop to go around the mast head. 

 

Figured this would be easier than doing it once the top mast is glued on. Taped over some bits of the mast as I realised I'd painted the wrong colour on it. Unfortunately my jar of paint has dried out and needs replacing.

 

Completed the jib boom and flying jib boom horses, tried using 0.18mm fishing wire initially which was of a better scale but the wire wouldn't retain it's shape. Used 0.25mm thread instead.

 

[rkwz]

Added futtock staves and pseudo catharpins (in this case, CA hardened black 0.25mm thread).

 

Also added main and mizzen backstay stools, top mast pendants and various blocks onto the masts.

 

Looks like my order for more blocks may have been lost in the mail, possibly a victim of COVID-19 affecting international parcels ... I wonder if the jeer blocks can be added after the topmast shrouds? 

[rkwz]

Working on the ratlines for the topmast shrouds, next update may not be up for quite some time...

 

[EricWilliamMarshall]

Rkwz, are you happy with the stand you are using? Looks great!

[rkwz]

6 hours ago, EricWilliamMarshall said:

Rkwz, are you happy with the stand you are using? Looks great!

Hi Eric, the stand is from Artesania and really should be clamped down but I've left it unclamped for more manoeuvrability for rigging.

 

In hindsight a square plank for the base would've been more stable. I do intend to get a more appropriate display stand once this model is complete though.

[mcpwilk]

Looking very good, but the ratlines look a touch overscale.

 

Mike

[rkwz]

22 minutes ago, mcpwilk said:

Looking very good, but the ratlines look a touch overscale.

 

Mike

Thanks, Mike. Hackney did recommend glueing on the ratlines instead for better scale, but I felt I needed to log some hours tying those knots and learn something new 😁...

 

0.10mm thread was recommended but it seems the knots swell up a little when soaked with CA.

[shipman]

After all that ratline work I wouldn't get too focussed on them. They could benefit from a colour wash to tone them down a tad. Once all the running/standing rigging and yards are installed the ratlines will get lost in the clutter anyway. You're doing a fine job.

[rkwz]

That moment when you realise you're about to run out of thread... 40m used up pretty quickly!

 

Pretty much done with upper mast ratlines, guess I'll have to leave the ratlines for the fore mast futtock shrouds till my order arrives.

 

*I stand corrected. Found a few lines of scrap thread in the trusty old rubbish bin and finished the rest of the ratlines! (dances a pirate jig)

 

 

Finally I can push on with the stays!

 

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by rkwz

[rkwz]

Completed breast back stays, fore and main mast standing and shifting back stays.

 

 

Finally ran out of 0.25mm black thread so will have to put my rigging on hold until my order arrives.

 

With COVID-19 affecting international parcels, I have a bad feeling about my orders from the Czech republic (already lost one last month in the mail)... Curses.

 

 

So I finally got around to painting the gunports black as well as the gunports lids,(pretend) cannons and rudder hinges.

 

Also fixed some paint colour errors for the topgallant masts and flying jib boom which were earlier painted brown based on Hackneys colour scheme. 

[rkwz]

Had a fairly productive day today. Completed the standing and shifting/sliding backstays.

 

Topmast stays also rigged. Access is beginning to get tricky but so far so good.

Found a way to make becket blocks at this scale... Tie a knot with beige thread over the black thread that goes around the blocks first, then position in place (leaving sufficient length for the tackle). Above image is an example of a block used for the shifting back stays.

 

[rkwz]

Topgallant shrouds added. Would have been so much easier if I hadn't snapped my finest needle file earlier (crostrees needed to be notched to tension the thread over them).

 

Rigging seems to be progressing quickly now, having cleared the shroud and ratline hurdles.

 

Catharpins to be added next.

 

[rkwz]

Can't seem to find any information on catharpins for the topmast shrouds (some sources suggest 1 per mast). 

 

Also after reading Longridge's book, I realised I'd placed too many catharpins for the lower shrouds.

 

 

Guess I will leave the upper shroud catharpins till later unless anyone could enlighten me on this? 🙏

 

 

Happily, I managed to find a gem of a (bricks & mortar) store selling blocks and rigging accessories so finally got around to rigging the Jeer blocks. To date, I haven't received any of my other online orders (3 and counting).

 

Would have been less fiddly if I had them before the backstays and topmast shrouds were rigged...

 

[shipman]

Just had a look at the AOS Victory drawings. Cathairpins: 4 on fore and main lower shrouds NONE further up and None at all on the mizzen. You are doing a fine job, matey.

[rkwz]

8 hours ago, shipman said:

Just had a look at the AOS Victory drawings. Cathairpins: 4 on fore and main lower shrouds NONE further up and None at all on the mizzen. You are doing a fine job, matey.

Thanks, shipman I couldn't find any in Gil Middleton's excellent blog either. Not going to risk removing the catharpins I've placed in the lower shrouds as it's CA'd quite firmly in place. A lesson learnt for my next Victory...

 

I cannot thank all of you enough for recommending Hackney's manual. Each rigging step is explained clearly, although some drawings would've helped but that's what this gem of a forum is for I suppose!

[rkwz]

Standing rigging nearly complete!

 

The mizzen topgallant mast snapped when tensioning the stay. I should have used a finer drill bit (0.343mm Excel #80 bits recommended) for the sheave hole drilled just below the collar. The fine drill bits worked well for the dolphin striker and although Hackney warns against this method, I didn't run into any problems snapping it when rigging the martingales.

 

I opted to seize each line around the masts, but certainly clove hitches would've saved a lot of trouble and time.

 

I would have loved to show catenary curves for the stays but as the masts were earlier incorrectly cemented at a slight angle, they needed to be corrected via tensioning. This is something I will need to research and plan better for future models!

[clearway]

nice one with ye olde airfix kit! someone did etched hammock netting for the airfix victory (scalelink i think) but he semi retired and someone else is doing some of his etches (mostly railway modelling side though- called fretcetra or something similar).

 

Keith

[rkwz]

On 5/21/2020 at 5:48 AM, clearway said:

nice one with ye olde airfix kit! someone did etched hammock netting for the airfix victory (scalelink i think) but he semi retired and someone else is doing some of his etches (mostly railway modelling side though- called fretcetra or something similar).

 

Keith

Thanks Keith, I did get my hands on some etch for the hammock netting but opted to use tulle instead as I felt it looked better.

 

I haven't had the guts yet to tackle hammock netting throughout the ship. The Airfix kit hull walls are quite thin, so will need to come up with something creative to solve this.

 

 

I might redo the top rails one day as the kit supplied parts look quite bulky (had a go at using copper wire earlier but gave up. I think sprue will work better).

 

Currently working on the spritsail yard. Took me a while to find a method that works for me for the stirrups...

Black thread wound several times over a sewing needle and CA'ed for stidfness.

 

Looks a little better (right) compared to my earlier attempts with 0.25mm copper wire (left)!

Too small to drill the eyebolt in place on the yard end, so I cheated a bit and CA's the bolt onto the end and lashed it with some fine thread.

 

Now to figure out how to get some sag into the line... 

 

 

[rkwz]

Rigged the bowsprit. Slack for the horses on the yards was achieved by rolling a toothpick coated with a little CA glue over the lines. 

But in my haste to finish the job, I just realised the starboard section of the spritsail yard has been pulled back further. Damn

 

Had a go at the foremasts.

 

Access to the jeer blocks wasn't easy and took a good hour to rig them. I would advise anyone tackling this to perhaps drop those blocks an extra 1-2mm below the mast caps.

 

 

 

[Baker]

Very nice rigging. Especially on this small scale 

[shipman]

Like your ratlines issue, the slight miss-alignment of the yard will not be so obvious as things progress. It's a bit like staring at your nose or ear in the mirror, the more you look, the bigger it seems! Your build continues to impress.

[rkwz]

On 5/28/2020 at 6:52 PM, Backer said:

Very nice rigging. Especially on this small scale 

Thanks, Backer! 

 

On 5/28/2020 at 8:47 PM, shipman said:

Like your ratlines issue, the slight miss-alignment of the yard will not be so obvious as things progress. It's a bit like staring at your nose or ear in the mirror, the more you look, the bigger it seems! Your build continues to impress.

Thank you for your encouragement, it means a lot! But knowing the error is there certainly plays on my mind.... And there are many issues with my build that I guess will be written off and hopefully avoided for any future projects.

 

 

Tackling the tricing lines for the fore yard. I haven't been able to find many images online for reference so far. So I guess I will have to trust in Longridge's and Hackneys explanations for this step.

Outer tricing line to be done, but I will need to tread carefully now as it does pull the yard lower and I haven't rigged the yard lifts yet to counter the tension.

 

 

 

[Baker]

Are you sure about number 49, 50 and 51 (and 52?)
I am not a rigging expert. But I think it is not correct that these are attached to the shrouds of the foremast.

 

[rkwz]

53 minutes ago, Backer said:

Are you sure about number 49, 50 and 51 (and 52?)
I am not a rigging expert. But I think it is not correct that these are attached to the shrouds of the foremast.

 

Hi Patrick, you have a keen eye for detail as ever!

 

Yes, I did wonder about that and both Hackney and Longridge mention lashing a single block to the foremost lower shroud (below the level of the futtock stave) and another approx 5 ratlines below the first block. 

 

Lennarth Peterson also has a drawing suggesting it is hooked on to the futtock stave I think but this is based off a model of the frigate Melampus.

I have a grainy photo of the Victory during the 1970s before the topmasts were taken down for renovations which barely shows the blocks on the foremast shrouds... Maybe I should have gotten my hands on the 100-Gun Ship Victory for clearer images in hindsight.

 

[rkwz]

[Baker]

I thought this was the rigging of the spar/yard      (Never learned English at school )

 

tricing-line

A small cord, generally passing through a block or thimble, and used to hoist up any object to render it less inconvenient; such are the tricing-lines of the yard-tackle, &c.

 

Got it now...

[rkwz]

Inner and outer tricing lines completed, the becket block hooks were inelegantly rigged before so I had to redo them again.

[rkwz]

Battling the yard lifts at a snails pace of 1 yard every 1-2 days.

My punishment for not reading the manual carefully earlier... Threading through the mast cap blocks to form a pseudo becket block.

 

 

And it was here that I noticed a little error in Hackney's manual... The sprit topsail yard lifts are tied around the end of the jibboom not the flying jibboom (61), although his written instructions were correct.

And yet more punishment for skimping on the kevels during the early part of the build. Can't tie down the fore yard lifts and fore topsail yard halyards till these are painted and installed... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rkwz]

Kevels painted , drilled holes in them and inserted 0.5mm copper wire to bite into the upper deck. Fingers crossed it won't snap from tying off later.

[dafi]

Very enjoyable build 🙂

 

Some options to think about:

 

- Rudder hinges not black as iron would rust fast away. A little bit more yellowish copper or the same color than the copper would be more suitable

- If you still look for options for the hammock netting, have you considered showing them with their sail cloth cover on? Take a core of foam, give it a bit a shape with the marks of the stanchions, a slag in between for gravity reasons and the ripples for the covered hammocks, and cover with paper-hankies diluted with PVC and paint.

 

All the best, Daniel