HMS Winchelsea 1764 by MLDixon

[Mldixon]

Well I finally started the build, my build board is more of a build station. I have drawers below the build which are interchanged as I move from one stage of the build to the next, I have shown some pictures of how I utilize the space, hard to be original with designs, much borrowing of many different ideas incorporated here. This is my first build, but have been modeling and lurking about the forums for years....

This is the build station with the progress to dateT

 

Large drawer storage  top tray slides left to right to increase storage capacity

Carving tools

 

Cutting and drilling items

Keel alignment

 

Progress to date, I have not installed the bulkhead former's yet as I am waiting on some material to finish. I used Chucks instruction on bolts #77 and 15# Fishing Line

The Stem, I have used Watco wipe on Poly Satin to protect against dirt and grime

[Gregory]

There is something wrong here..   Your tools and work area are much too neat and clean..😄

 

Seriously, that is a very nice start.  I look forward to watching your progress...

 

I particularly like your work board with the drawers underneath..  I am going to shamelessly steal that idea..

Edited January 4, 2020 by Gregory

[Mldixon]

😉 thanks, I of course shamelessly borrowed much of it myself...

 

[Thistle17]

My long departed German friend taught me to be neat and orderly and clean up before one leaves the shop. I have high admiration for him and his works. He apprenticed in Germany to a wood carver and that rigor was among his first lessons. Nice discipline!

Joe

[Mldixon]

I have a hard time keeping up with tools when I'm working, so neatness is almost a necessity for me, I often spend as much time looking for things as I do building. 

[Matt D]

Is that a Saturn V rocket in the corner of your first photo?  I built the 1:100 Estes kit last summer.

[Mldixon]

Nope, that's a scratch titan missile, built it for a grandsons school project, had a Gemini capsule on top. PVC pipe wrapped with a printout, and then a scaled capsule to fit PVC pipes scale....

[Chuck]

It looks good so far.....but you really should sand the laser char from the edges of the stem assembly.   Also dont forget to taper it in thickness as stated in the instructions.   That would have been so much easier before gluing it to the BF.

 

Chuck

[Mldixon]

It is tapered, which is why I purchased that figurehead, tapered it for a fit , didn't include photos of that. Char sanding was overlooked, but I will correct that. Appreciate the feedback, got materials in today's post, so will be moving forward soon...

[Mldixon]

Fixed the char problem, with a little judicious sanding. Tested the figurehead for proper taper fit. 

char gone now

He fits pretty good

other side

The camera is pretty unforgiving,  I think it looks good then I close in on the photos,  and put on my magnifier. But then I remember people who view it wont have that agility. 

[Mldixon]

Been awhile since I posted progress, but it's moving along slow and steady

The bulkheads were plotted and cut out on my CNC Router which I built over a number of years, Plot established the lines, the cuts were roughed out with a first pass and then the second pass was a light finishing cut to eliminate flex of the tool and gantry 

This is how I kept the bulkheads square and the Keel in alignment, the first two bulkheads were glued into place and spacers were added to keep them in alignment and then i used these two bulkheads as reference points for the run to the bow and the stern

A square was clamped to the keel as i moved off to prevent twist and the bulkheads were kept equidistant with the help of the gantry which moved along as I glued each bulkhead and allowed them to dry before moving to the next one...

This kept the keel in the same position as I added each bulkhead

Moving to the Bow

i used a black thread with two clamps to check the alignment after all the bulkheads were in place. I use Titebond Glue exclusively,  I have avoided Cy as it seems to have a affect on me as of late...

I am now starting the Fairing of the Hull, or as I like to think of it , as the unfairing of the Hull, because the whole process of sanding for days on ends seem so unfair....

More to follow.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by Mldixon
removed two photos

[Chuck]

That looks super fantastic....well done.

[Mldixon]

Thank you...looking forward to planking..

[Mldixon]

These group builds are just the ticket, I make it a point to peruse all the posts so that I can learn and benefit from others problems and their solutions...

I am always motivated to keep moving forward when I see Chucks posts, even though I know my ship will never look like his, unless I Photoshop It

 

I next set up the model to fair the bulkheads

Binder clips worked just fine to keep the bulkheads stiff for sanding

I added this block so I had a clamping surface to hold the hull while I inverted it for fairing

Hull set up for sanding

I used a 360 vice so that I could get good access and save my shoulders and wrists

This is as Fein detail sander I used 60 grit for bow and stern , and then switched to 180 for the rest, finished off with 220 grit

I also followed Stuntflyers advice and bought the Foam Sanders, man was that ever a good move, made for easy sailing. 

Lots of odd positions to get the job done.

I cut a pair of bars that were the exact size of the ports and framed away

Lots of clamping and adding strips to check for symmetry along the way

I used the gantry to make sure the stern framing was aligned and it also aided as a holding device

The window templates were a big bonus in getting the alignment just right

Final check just to make sure it was in the ballpark

Sanded the Bow on the insides in preparation for the Posts 

Not happy with these, so I am going to make sets 2 and 3, then choose

Poor shot, but it was just set up for the picture, will continue working on this area, I am most likely going to cut some planking to the correct size and do some mocking up to get this just right.... to be continued 

Edited February 19, 2020 by Mldixon
remove pics

[Mldixon]

I make it a habit to build most of my models in 3d so I can see the sequence before I start building. I went ahead and lofted the lines of the bulkheads to scale and then intersected then with the model, this resulted in getting a template of the sanding profiles so you could sand just short of the lines and save a lot of time....which I didn't do...

Anyway I might just start a second hull and use this method to see if it makes a huge difference. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what the template looks like for bulkhead 27

[Beckmann]

Wow, that is certainly a big help! You are an expert!

[Mldixon]

2 hours ago, Beckmann said:

Wow, that is certainly a big help! You are an expert!

Thanks, I only wish I would've started with this , sanding symmetrical sides can be very challenging. Trust me I'm no expert😉

[Mldixon]

I decided to use this set of Bollards, second attempt

needs a little refinement on the Bowsprit slot

[Chuck]

Looks very good.   I would fair a bit more on those bow fillers judging from how that batten run off them.  You need just a wee bit more so you dont have a bump in your planking along the aft edge of those fillers.

 

Chuck

[Mldixon]

I agree, so more sanding. Thanks for the heads up

[Chuck]

So how are doing with the Winnie?  Any more progress?

[Mldixon]

I've been moving along..but I am not very happy with the Hull planking. I am at a crossroads. I'm thinking about starting all over again from the beginning, I realize that we are out own worst critics, and in reality I will most likely be the only person who will see this after it is finished. So maybe it won't matter, but I have a lot invested in this and I am reluctant to move ahead with all those expensive parts on the stern. So maybe better to begin again....

 

Bottom of Hull as of today

[Wacom]

The planking looks good to me👍, ask yourself, will it be any better if you do it again from the start? If the answer is yes then do it, if the answer is not sure then carry on.

I think Longridge wrote along the lines of do the best you can and move on, otherwise you run the danger of never doing anything.

You are very right, we are our own worst critics.🥴

[Mldixon]

Thanks, I guess I'll press on with the planking and see how I feel about it when completed...at the very least I'll get some more experience...

[Chuck]

It looks pretty good to me also.  Dont be afraid to sand the hell out of the planking to get it level and smooth.  There is plenty of meat on those strips to do so.  Its looking great so far.

 

I would recommend that you adjust the black tape for your molding though.    Try and get a consistent space between the tape.  Especially at the bow as it looks a bit wavy as shown in the photos.  

[scrubbyj427]

I agree with Chuck, I think a good block sanding will make it look great. Planks look good as it is already. A nice sand will definitely do the trick.

JJ

[Mldixon]

A bit wavy is a understatement, that is part of what is bothering me. Also I am having a lot of trouble at the stern with those turns and bends. But I am becoming quite proficient at removing planks, cleaning the area and replacing them.🤕

[Matt D]

4 hours ago, Mldixon said:I am becoming quite proficient at removing planks, cleaning the area and replacing them.🤕

I know the feeling!  

[Mldixon]

The good news is I'm still alive... 

sol I finished the planking of the hull, I guess it's gonna have to do, as I will probably die of old age before I get it the way I truly want it. 

 

This was a progress photo

planking the last side

A finished shot, rubbed on a coat of poly to try and keep it clean

and this shot shows why Chuck suggested I sand a little more, Obviously it was not enough, The transitions for a smooth Hull are quite a challenge

and I'm guessing doom a lot of models to the burn barrel, 

I truly struggled with this end of the hull, after numerous attempts I just threw in the towel, I did however recognize that the model looked pretty 

good when sitting in the cradles....I also noticed that a lot of these areas are going to disappear behind details as they are added. So I'll quit trying 
to reason why this is OK and just admit that it is a mediocre attempt.  

To conclude...As they say in the Opera, its not over till the fat lady sings, and she is just starting to hum... till next time.

Edited July 26, 2021 by Mldixon
spelling

[Jorge Diaz O]

Hi, it looks pretty good, it's a breakthrough. When it doesn't work, just keep trying. My HMS Winchelsea model will have a copper-lined bottom.