HMS Speedy by Delf - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - Scale 1:64 - Master Shipwright edition

[Vane]

The stern is actually a section that i would like to see more photos in the manual. I have just finished mine and it was a little more tricky to do than the rest of the model.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Vane

[DelF]

1 hour ago, glennard2523 said:

I have attached a couple of pictures.

Thanks Glenn - very helpful.

 

1 hour ago, Vane said:

The stern is actually a section that i would like to see more photos in the manual.

I agree - it's the one area that's not covered as well as it might be in an otherwise excellent manual. Of course, the manual is light years better than most others - it's just that people like Chris and Chuck have spoilt us.

 

Derek

[DelF]

Silly mistakes, Part 2

 

I said in an earlier post that no kit is idiot proof, and I've demonstrated it again with two more elementary and entirely avoidable mistakes. 

 

First, I ignored the instructions and forgot to sand the inner bulwarks before I fitted the cap rails. As a result the bulwarks were too thick in places, with the cap rail flush with the inner bulwark rather than slightly overlapping it. This would look wrong, especially with the pin racks in place, so I had to fix it. I considered removing the cap rails but didn't think I could do so without damaging them. I could have made new ones, but in the end I decided to sand the offending planks with the cap rail in place. I managed the best I could with various scrapers and a small contour sanding tool. 

The second mistake was even sillier. In order to protect the boxwood I'd applied a couple of coats of matt polyurethane on top of two coats of rubbed-down shellac. Forgetting of course that I had to stick the upper rails and swivel plates to the hull. Needless to say they wouldn't stick,  so I had to rub down my carefully applied poly. 

 

If the only thing this log's good for is to help others avoid similar silly mistakes (whilst laughing at me for making them!) then it'll be worth it.

 

Painting the rails before fixing them to the hull saves grief later on.

 

Like everything else in the kit these are cleverly designed, made so that the rails run in a continuous line  across gun and sweep ports. When stuck firm, you remove the sections crossing the ports with the result that the remaining sections follow the line of the sheer perfectly. The next job was to fit the swivel gun posts and bases - more sanding back of painted surfaces!

Finally, after a fair amount of fettling and titivating I reapplied the matt poly.

 

The boxwood is really starting to look the part.

 

Before I go much further I need to decide what to do about the stern counter side timber. But that can wait 'til tomorrow.

 

Derek

 

 

 

[JeffT]

Well, you recovered well and the model looks great.

[DelF]

Thanks - much appreciated. I'm just glad wood tolerates mistakes more than some materials. 

 

Here's a picture I forgot to post earlier. Mmmm. The upper rails don't quite look even in this view, and they finish inexplicably short of the prow. 

More tweaking required!

 

Derek

 

 

[glbarlow]

On 4/28/2020 at 5:12 PM, ASAT said:

ou let me know and I’ll send you some.

Very kind of you. I'm not at that point at the moment but I really appreciate your offer.

 

Actually I've gone nuts and started building Chuck's Cutter Cheerful, I'll be way over my head in no time. I've started a build log if anyone's interested, the link is in my signature. I'm still buying the Master Shipwright version of Flirt as soon as its available.

 

Chris, I also got an aluminum block brass rods, and a metal drill bit.  I'm going to try to build your mast marker. I didn't know you could just buy a block of aluminum until now...

Edited May 7, 2020 by glbarlow

[glbarlow]

10 hours ago, DelF said:

what to do about the stern counter side timber

First off, your hull looks great! You may want to fit a small piece to cover that gap at the bow, painted you won't know its there but it will be obvious if its missing.  At this point the fact that they don't line up is less an issue once the bowsprit and all the rigging is installed.

 

I've never ever built a ship that I didn't have to get creative to modify, adapt, and overcome issues with the stern - there is always something. I think as I showed, I mean the other Glenn showed, and what you held up you can make it fit. Just do it concurrently with the boom crutch ready to go. Even if you don't install that until later you want to know how they look together and adjust from there  - at least that's my recommendation.

 

PS: I like your file stand, mine are just laying there in a pile though I did ask my wife to make be a little felt sleeve to store them in.

[ErnieL]

On 2/29/2020 at 10:16 AM, SpyGlass said:

As to scotch - I dont care what brand it is as long as its with Schweppes dry ginger.   I am a simple man actually preferring Newcastle Brown !

Sacrilege!

I said a prayer for your poor, lost soul, kind sir.

[Vane]

14 hours ago, DelF said:

Thanks - much appreciated. I'm just glad wood tolerates mistakes more than some materials. 

 

Here's a picture I forgot to post earlier. Mmmm. The upper rails don't quite look even in this view, and they finish inexplicably short of the prow. 

More tweaking required!

 

Derek

 

 

I had similar experience here. I focused too much on the gunswivel holders than the rail.  But getting the rail right is more important. The first piece was also abit too short for me and i had to add some extra mtrl in the gap.

[DelF]

Thanks Vane - glad it's not just me!

 

9 hours ago, glbarlow said:

First off, your hull looks great! You may want to fit a small piece to cover that gap at the bow, painted you won't know its there but it will be obvious if its missing.  At this point the fact that they don't line up is less an issue once the bowsprit and all the rigging is installed.

 

I've never ever built a ship that I didn't have to get creative to modify, adapt, and overcome issues with the stern - there is always something. I think as I showed, I mean the other Glenn showed, and what you held up you can make it fit. Just do it concurrently with the boom crutch ready to go. Even if you don't install that until later you want to know how they look together and adjust from there  - at least that's my recommendation.

 

PS: I like your file stand, mine are just laying there in a pile though I did ask my wife to make be a little felt sleeve to store them in.

Thanks Glenn - I appreciate the advice.

 

The file stand is just a bit of scrap timber. I was fed up with getting files in and out of the plastic wallet. 

 

Good to hear you're making the marking gauge I described earlier. I can't claim copyright on it though - like many of the things I've learned in the last few years I read about the octagon gauge on this forum, although unfortunately I can't remember the author. Hope you're getting on with your new plane.

6 hours ago, ErnieL said:

Sacrilege!

Agreed!

 

Derek

[DelF]

I finally decided to grab the bull by the horns and tackle the stern counter side timbers that had been bugging me for some time. I had been reluctant to chop out part of the wales to accommodate the side timbers, but in the end it proved much easier than I'd anticipated. I sharpened my smallest chisel, and yet again the boxwood showed what a lovely wood it is to carve:

After that it was easy to fit the side timbers, with a bit of sanding to get everything flush.

With the boom crutches and taffrail fitted and a coat of black paint:

I'm glad I fitted the side timbers. It's not entirely clear from the photo, but they add a more elegant sweep to the stern.

 

Next, I'll move on to the prow. 

 

Derek

[James H]

On 4/29/2020 at 3:34 PM, Vane said:

The stern is actually a section that i would like to see more photos in the manual. I have just finished mine and it was a little more tricky to do than the rest of the model.

 

There will be new photos showing this in the Flirt manual.

[DelF]

Some fiddly work on the prow, starting with the laser cut bow rails and various photoetch parts for the vertical bow rails and prow decoration. 

 

The PE parts are painted yellow ochre, with the recessed central parts painted a contrasting blue or black (I chose black). Chris suggests painting the parts yellow first, but I didn't think I'd be able to do the recessed parts neatly enough and avoid getting black on the yellow, so I did it the other way round - painting the black first, cleaning the raised bits carefully with a fine file, then painting them yellow:

 

The next task was fitting the bow rails, which proved tricky. The main problem was that there were  gaps between the bow rails and the vertical rails that are meant to join them to the prow. I decided that this was because the bow rails were too straight. Rather take them off the model I managed to bend them in situ with my trusty hot air gun. I wet the rail with a finger dipped in water, pushed it inwards with the stick and blasted it with hot air until dry. Miraculously it stayed curved enough to touch the vertical rails. In the photo below I've already done the port side. Btw, I'm not pushing on the stick as both hands were busy holding the air gun and my phone!

 

As a minor aside, I think Chris originally intended that the ends of the vertical rails should locate in holes in the bow rails. The PE parts had little lugs on their ends (which I cut off to make them fit), and if you look carefully at the photos in the manual the bow rails have holes. Anyway, that's not how the design ended up and it works fine.

 

Remaining details were relatively straightforward - catheads, knigtheads etc. I departed from the instructions by not painting the crown on the end of the cathead yellow. I figured Cochrane could have afforded a bit of gold leaf so I left the neat little photoetch crown unpainted.

Back to the stern next.

 

Derek

 

[jwvolz]

That looks very nice. Seems like those are some of the best designed kit head rails. Much more authentic looking than most. 

[Suzdal]

Complete with a crown on the the end.

[DelF]

Thanks as always for the likes and supportive comments.

 

A Diversion

 

I had intended to complete work on the rudder, but when I removed its protective covering I started having second thoughts about the laser etched deck. There are patterns in the surface of the deck that catch the light and give the impression, to my eye, of marks and shadows. 

 

I tried a couple of surface treatments - shellac and matte polyurethane varnish, but these both tended to magnify the patterns rather than hide them. 

 

I suspect that these patterns stand out more on a clear deck, and would tend to be masked once all the normal fittings are in place. However, after much internal debate I decided to lay my own planking on top. After a couple of experiments I found I could mill planks consistently just under 0.5mm - about 1 inch full size, which shouldn't add appreciably to the thickness of the deck. I also found I could loosen the catheads just enough to slip these planks under them.

 

I started with the margin plank. I knew I wouldn't be able to bend a plank laterally to follow the bulwarks so I had no option but to cut the curved sections from wider sheets of boxwood. The following pictures show the process for one section.

 

Milling the sheet:

 

Photocopying the plan, sticking the margin plank to the boxwood sheet, cutting it out and trying it for size:

I've now got all the margin planks in place and I'm starting on the planking proper.

This will take some time, as I plan to joggle the planks into the margin planks. I hope I don't end up regretting this decision!

 

Derek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Edwardkenway]

Even though the etched deck is fantastic I do think that if you have the inclination and or the time an individually planked deck does add a certain something to a build, so I applaud your decision to go down this route. 

Speedy is looking fab 👍😁

[glbarlow]

On 5/14/2020 at 10:37 AM, DelF said:

fitting the bow rails

Nice work on a very tricky part of the model.  They look great.

[Blue Ensign]

The head rails look great Derek, certainly a cut above some I’ve seen on kits, and together with the stern are key features on a model, very nicely done.

 

Interesting discovery about the etched deck, but if you’re not happy you are best to take the long route and individually plank. At least you have a laying pattern already worked out.

 

I’m off to scrutinise the etched deck on my Fifie now 🤔

 

B.E.

[DelF]

Thanks Edward, Glenn and Blue Ensign. I agree, the head rails are much better than others I've seen. 

 

On 5/19/2020 at 4:35 PM, Blue Ensign said:

At least you have a laying pattern already worked out.

I wish. Unfortunately Chris shows the deck planks tapering towards the stern - a refinement I feel neither capable nor inclined to follow. Neither am I mitring planks around hatch openings - I just feel the detail will be hidden too much by coamings to make it worthwhile. I also found it difficult to work out the butt shift pattern on the etched deck. In the end I just decided to go for 20' plank lengths, 9" wide  (95mm X 3.5mm scale), following the 4-shift pattern described by Longridge in his Anatomy of Nelson's Ships (see here for details).

 

One detail in the kit I am following is joggling - despite the fact that I'm not sure the normal rules are followed on the etched deck. My understanding is that you only joggle a plank into the margin if the snipe (the length of the plank that needs to be cut on the diagonal) is more than twice the width of the plank. On that basis, several planks either side of the mid-line in the bows would not be joggled - they would simply be cut on the diagonal across their full width to sit against the margin plank. However - and this is where appearance trumps realism for me (sorry purists!) - I just like the look of the joggling right the way round the margin plank. In a perverse (and probably masochistic) way I'm quite enjoying the task of chiselling out the necessary shapes and trying to get them as neat as possible. Here's progress so far:

 

   

You'll note I had to remove the catheads. I tried to work under or round them but it wasn't practical. Fortunately I was able to free them without damage.

 

Finally I must repeat my thanks to the two Glenns for two of their recommendations that are helping me greatly with this deck work. The first is the Super 'Phatic aliphatic resin recommended by Scarborough Glenn (see here), which I'm using to glue the planks. This works so fast it's almost like CA - a few seconds and it's stuck enough to lay flat against the sheer and solid enough to trim.  It has really speeded up my deck laying. The second is the doggy dental tool recommended by Texas Glenn (see here). This is now my go-to tool for removing excess glue, and any general small scraping jobs. Not sure how I ever managed without it.

 

 

Derek

[glbarlow]

Very ambitious and well done with the joggling, I learned a new word. I’m sure you’ve thought to check your cannons fitting in the gun ports with the additional .6mm deck height. 
 

The dentist tool remains one of my most often used tool, glad it’s helping you as well. 

[Bill Morrison]

Wow! This is the first time I have heard of Vanguard Models and I am quite impressed! Your HMS Speedy is beautiful so far.  Well done!  I just ordered my own . . .

 

Bill

[DelF]

1 hour ago, glbarlow said:

I’m sure you’ve thought to check your cannons fitting in the gun ports with the additional .6mm deck height. 

Hi Glenn

 

I’ve double checked and I’m ok 👍

56 minutes ago, Bill Morrison said:

  I just ordered my own . . .

That’s great Bill - I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Vanguard Models is a one-man band, and that man is Chris Watton. Check out his update topic on this forum (I’m on my iPhone so can’t provide the link). It’s great to follow Chris’s updates as he designs and produces new kits, and he’s always open to suggestions for improvements and new models from fellow forum members. 
 

Best wishes

 

Derek

[Bill Morrison]

4 hours ago, DelF said:

Hi Glenn

 

I’ve double checked and I’m ok 👍

That’s great Bill - I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Vanguard Models is a one-man band, and that man is Chris Watton. Check out his update topic on this forum (I’m on my iPhone so can’t provide the link). It’s great to follow Chris’s updates as he designs and produces new kits, and he’s always open to suggestions for improvements and new models from fellow forum members. 
 

Best wishes

 

Derek

Derek, 

 

That's great to hear!  Again, I am most impressed with your model. You are doing a great job!

 

[Bill Morrison]

1 minute ago, Bill Morrison said:

Derek, 

 

That's great to hear!  Again, I am most impressed with your model. You are doing a great job!  I contacted www.agesofsail.com and asked them if they can carry this line.

Bill

 

1 minute ago, Bill Morrison said:

 

 

[DelF]

Thanks Bill, much appreciated.

 

On 5/21/2020 at 3:08 PM, glbarlow said:

I’m sure you’ve thought to check your cannons fitting

 

 

Just thought I'd triple check.  They do fit, with a minor modification:

 

🤪

 

Derek

[glbarlow]

Looks perfect to me. More elevation more range. 🤣😂

[egkb]

Hardly Notice It !   

 

Eamonn

[DelF]

Deck planking proceeds slowly and carefully. To break it up a bit I've started preparing and painting some of the deck furniture:

 

I managed to lose the original flue base. However it was an easy job to knock up a replacement using the hole in the laser sheet as a template:

It's worth taking some time preparing the laser-cut wood components - filing/sanding off char and adding little refinements like chamferred edges on the ends of beams.

Back to joggling. Cutting the last planks on each side will be an interesting challenge!

 

Derek

 

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

You're doing a fine job on the decking,  Derek, impressive joggling. 👍

 

B.E.