HMS Vulture 1776 by Dan Vadas - 1:48 scale - 16 gun "Swan" class sloop from TFFM plans - Finished

[popeye the sailor]

guess Pud should be happy your not in a third floor apt!   are you sure you don't have a gremlin?     great repair Danny!   {I'll put my like on the after pictures}

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks guys. I'd keep the door shut if I HAD one - no such luck . Pud stays outside while I'm working on the ship, but we have to let him in overnight (winter and all that ).

 

Vangs

 

The Vangs control the swing of the Gaff. They are clove-hitched around the end of the gaff, and the falls reeve through a lead block hooked to the taffrail and belay to the quarterdeck rail. In these pics the Mizzen Topsail and Mizzen Topgallant Yard Braces have also been fitted :

 

 

 

 

 Danny

[GLakie]

They look great Danny! I don't know what it is about that phase of rigging, but every time I see the vangs go up, it seems to give the ship that finished look.  I feel bad for Pud though, with all that temptation always staring him in the face, resistance is futile. 

[Dan Vadas]

I don't know what it is about that phase of rigging, but every time I see the vangs go up, it seems to give the ship that finished look.

 

 

Thanks George. Maybe it's because they are among the last bits of rigging you fit? . I still have a few more to go, as I've found it easier to start at the stern and work forward.

 

Braces

 

I've fitted most of the Braces, which control the fore-aft swing of the yards. I've come to a slight stand-still as I've run out of 0.3mm line (I'm less than 1 metre short, but have to wait a week or so to get some more from Chuck).

 

The first ones to fit are the Topgallant Yard Braces, starting with the Mizzen mast. These are seized around the yard without a Pendant (all topgallant braces are similar). The brace runs through a double block fitted near the peak of the Gaff, through a lead block hooked to the taffrail, and belays to the quarterdeck rail :

 

 

 

Next come the Mizzen Topsail Braces. The halyards are attached to the strop of a block each side of the peak of the gaff, reeve through the blocks in the pendants, back through the first blocks, and belay off in similar fashion to the topgallant braces.

 

The Main Topgallant Yard Braces run through Pendants hitched around the Mizzen Topgallant Mast. The brace goes straight down to deck to belay to the quarterdeck rails :

 

 

The Fore Topgallant Yard Braces run through the pendants attached to the Main Topmast Stay, forward through two blocks hooked to the aft end of the fore top, and go to deck to belay at the cleats either side of the Belfry :

 

 

 

 

The Main Topsail Yard Braces make use of a Pendant clove hitched around the mizzen mast just above the Crossjack. The standing ends of the halyards are hitched to the strops of the pendants, reeve through the blocks in the pendants on the yard, back through the first block, and belay to cleats at the foot of the mizzen mast :

 

 

 

I can fit the Main Braces, but the other two Fore Braces will have to wait until my rigging thread arrives.

 

 Danny

[GLakie]

That's some lovely work Danny! So precise! 

[Jack12477]

Beautiful work, Danny. Thanks for the explanation also.

[Dan Vadas]

And thank you George and Jack .

 

The Main Braces start at an eyebolt above the quarterlight. The halyard then reeves through the pendant on the yard, back through the fixed block near the taffrail, and belays to the aftmost timberhead :

 

 

 

 Danny

[Jim Lad]

Looking good, Danny!

 

John

[michael mott]

 

But we have to remember Pud's in training and mistakes are inevitable

No No you have it backwards Pud is training Danny,   Pud could see that Danny needed more practice on those parts so gave Danny a bit of a push, you have to understand how a cats mind works.

Perhaps a large mosquito net shrouding the bench area might cover for the lack of a door Sir.

 

Danny every time I see your rigging I realize just how much there was to sailing these early vessels. You are doing great work in detailing these areas.

 

Michael

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks for looking in John and Michael .

 

With work on the rigging at a standstill for a week or so I've decided to make a start on the Cutter. I'm going to do this as a seperate Build Log which can be accessed HERE.

 

 Danny

[Landlocked123]

Thanks George, Dave, Greg (that happened ) and Christian. Robin, I think Druxey explained how they fitted in the post you put up - I don't know any more about them.

 

The Cat came back !!!

 

Below are some pics of the damage caused by Pud on his most recent (and hopefully LAST) excursion through my ship. All damage has been repaired, and wasn't quite as bad as it first appeared. The Crowsfoot Euphroe block lashing was the most difficult piece to repair. The whole repair job took me a full morning, but Pud is still alive and well :

 

 

 

Cat Damage 001.jpg

Cat Damage 002.jpg

Cat Damage 003.jpg

Danny

Danny,

 

I hope you gave Pud a stern talking to and explained that Oz is not very far from places he could end up on the menu!

Edited May 29, 2015 by Landlocked123

[AON]

Arrrrgh.... been a long time since we had a good keel haul'n

possibly start with some lashings with a cat-o-one tail

[Dan Vadas]

Lantern

 

The construction of the Lantern begins by milling a plug around which it will be built. I used plastic which had a quite slippery surface to prevent as much glue as possible from sticking. The lantern is tapered from top to bottom and is also at a 15 degree angle from the vertical. I used the dividing head shimmed up to the 15 degree angle on one end :

 

 

The vertical munions are cut to 30 degrees on the edges. They are left overly thick whilst assembly goes on, I'll trim them to the right thickness when all is assembled :

 

 

 

 

The top and bottom are rather tricky to shape, as the 15 degree angle applies again but they are also rounded. I milled the hex to the angle and rounded them with a sanding stick :

 

 

 

 

Continued next post .....

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Oh Danny Boy

"My heart, my heart are waiting" for for your next post.

Its looks like another piece of fine work you are doing.

All the best mate

Greg

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks Greg.

 

.... continued.

 

Here's a pic of the progress. The base has been fitted to the munions :

 

 

The Stool was a challenge :

 

 

 

There are several rims between the pieces. I glued each piece to some 0.5mm thick stock and sanded the edges to shape when it dried. This was then rounded with a sanding stick :

 

 

The centre munions were fitted next. There is still some sanding to be done to get the verticals down to size in this pic. The "glass" (acrylic) has been fitted :

 

 

I filed the Crank from brass strip and soldered a mounting pin on :

 

 

Nearly finished. I'll sand the edges of the verticals down to size tomorrow when the glue is completly dry :

 

 

The Vent :

 

 

Detail of the base and stool :

 

 

With the crank fitted :

 

 

 

 Danny

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Danny

Bloody marvellous is all I can say! My jaw is dropping at your details.

Havagooday

Greg

[Jim Lad]

Now that is a very nicely executed piece of work, Danny.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

Danny,

 

that lantern is fantastic....

 

Nils

[amateur]

That's a great lantern (although, I guess that it's rather small )

 

Jan

[GLakie]

Brilliant work Danny! Is one lantern all you'll need, or do you have to repeat the process? 

[rth385]

Hi Danny,

I echo the above. Fantastic work. Did the Photo Etched lantern prove to be inaccurate or did you scratch it just because you could

Regards

Russell

[BANYAN]

Excellent work Danny, a very nicely crafted lantern.  I will be sure to tuck this technique away.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks very much Greg, John, Nils, Jan, George, Russell and Pat .

 

I guess that it's rather small

 

 

Jan - it's 28mm tall.

 

Did the Photo Etched lantern prove to be inaccurate or did you scratch it just because you could

 

 

Russell - Because I could . I don't doubt the PE one would be accurate though.

 

Is one lantern all you'll need, or do you have to repeat the process?

 

 

Vulture only needs the one.

 

Here's the finished job. I've just now given it a coat of Minwax which hasn't dried yet :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Danny

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Unbelievable, but that is what I have came to expect from you!

Haveagreatone mate

Greg

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Another model of it's own on your ship  model. Really wonderful lantern

[mtaylor]

Just incredible and it looks that door would actually work...  almost scary how realistic it looks. 

[wyz]

Beautiful Dan, but we've come to expect this from you.  That's what master modelers do.  What an educational build log!  Thanks for sharing.

[mhegazi]

as usual

super good work Danny 

the wood helplessly obeys your will   

 

[Dan Vadas]

And thanks again Greg, Christian, Mark, wyzwyk and mhegazi .

 

Anchors

 

Work begins on the Anchors by filing the bevels into a piece of tapered brass stock for the Shank :

 

 

 

The Shanks and Arms after milling and filing to shape :

 

 

The arms are silver soldered to the shank :

 

 

Then the Palms (or Flukes) are cut from flat brass stock and soldered to the arms. The assemblies were then blackened using Jax Black - I'd run out of Birchwood Casey Brass Black and was having difficulties importing some more, so Grant Dale very kindly sent me some of this. Thanks again Grant,  it seems to work quite well .

 

The Stocks are made from Castello in two pieces per anchor. This will allow for a small air gap between them to prevent rot. They were tapered on the disc sander and finished with a fine sanding stick. I spot glued the two halves together before sanding them to shape to ensure they were pefectly similar. The holes for the bolts and treenails were also drilled before assembly to the stocks, and then the pieces were dropped into a jar of Isopropyl to separate them :

 

 

 

 

Continued next post .......

[Jim Lad]

Very nice blacksmithing there, Danny!

 

John