US Brig Syren by WalrusGuy - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64 - Second wooden ship build

[Gahm]

That is quite a milestone! It makes such a difference once you have the masts up and the standing rigging in place. It looks very good!

 

Thomas

[niwotwill]

It looks very good standing with the rigging. Your speed is amazing.

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks so much Thomas and Will!! I agree, I can't believe how much of a difference the standing rigging makes to the looks of the ship. I can't wait to see how the ship will look once the yards are all made and rigged!

 

Standing rigging is finally finished! Here are some pics to mark the completion of this chapter:

And some pics of the rope coils (these were harder/trickier to make than the ones on cleats, at least for me...). I again followed Ed Tosti's method to make these from his Young America build.

Edited March 31, 2021 by WalrusGuy

[Retired guy]

Hi Wally just spent an hour catching up on your brilliant build,  you are doing a fantastic job on her well done mate.

 

Regards

Richard  

[WalrusGuy]

1 hour ago, Retired guy said:

Hi Wally just spent an hour catching up on your brilliant build,  you are doing a fantastic job on her well done mate.

 

Regards

Richard  

Thanks for checking in Richard, and glad to have you back! Looking forward to seeing your beautiful Bluenose build take shape will all the detail work 🙂 (got to admit, I find myself browsing through your log every now and then admiring the craftsmanship and metal work) 

[TimC]

Wonderful job so far. I’ve referenced your work frequently!  What did you use for your netting? I’m struggling to find anything that meets scale and looks decent 

 

Tim

[WalrusGuy]

2 hours ago, TimC said:

Wonderful job so far. I’ve referenced your work frequently!  What did you use for your netting? I’m struggling to find anything that meets scale and looks decent 

 

Tim

Thanks Tim! I'm using the net provided by the kit. Maybe check with Model Expo to see if they sell these separately. The part number for netting is WP2828. 

Edited March 31, 2021 by WalrusGuy

[TimC]

4 hours ago, WalrusGuy said:

Thanks Tim! I'm using the net provided by the kit. Maybe check with Model Expo to see if they sell these separately. The part number for netting is WP2828. 

Thank you!  I’ll check it out 

 

tim

[egkb]

Magnificent .. Just Magnificent !!

 

Eamonn

[JpR62]

Wonderful! This brig is absolutely gorgeous. A real pleasure to admire all the perfectly executed details.

[niwotwill]

Just checking in your build. I love to go back and admire the photos of your work.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[WalrusGuy]

On 3/31/2021 at 4:50 AM, egkb said:

Magnificent .. Just Magnificent !!

 

Eamonn

 

On 3/31/2021 at 8:58 AM, JpR62 said:

Wonderful! This brig is absolutely gorgeous. A real pleasure to admire all the perfectly executed details.

 

On 4/1/2021 at 4:30 PM, niwotwill said:

Just checking in your build. I love to go back and admire the photos of your work.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

Thank you so much for the nice comments, Eamonn, Jean-Paul, and Will. It's very much appreciated!!

[WalrusGuy]

Just a quick update, I finished up shaping up and painting the yards, boom, and gaff. I used tung oil for the stunsl' booms. I bought the mini chisels from Lee Valley, and they helped to speed up the tapering process! It was also a lot of fun using them 😃

 

Here are some pics:

Still deciding what to do next. Might go ahead and finish up detailing all the yards, gaff, and boom before I start rigging them.

[niwotwill]

Gotta watch out for places like Lee Valley they have so much stuff that I need/want, but a good set of chisels are a great investment. Its even fun to sharpen them between usages. Oh the yard and gaff look great also.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[WalrusGuy]

51 minutes ago, niwotwill said:

Gotta watch out for places like Lee Valley they have so much stuff that I need/want, but a good set of chisels are a great investment. Its even fun to sharpen them between usages. Oh the yard and gaff look great also.

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

For sure! I had to control myself 😄. I just got some of their miniature tools (chisel, spokeshave, and honing guide). Next on the list is their block plane. Too many options!!

 

Here are the chisels I got

They are really a pleasure to work with. I haven't tried sharpening them yet. I bought some small diamond credit card sized whetstones of different grits for that (hoping those will be good). Have never sharpened tools before, so once they get a bit blunt I'll try it out.

[KurtH]

The best models are the ones that look pristine and clean no matter how close the camera gets.  Yours is one of those. Congrats!

[WalrusGuy]

11 hours ago, KHauptfuehrer said:

The best models are the ones that look pristine and clean no matter how close the camera gets.  Yours is one of those. Congrats!

Thanks so much Kurt! 🙂 

[WalrusGuy]

I finished installing all the iron bands on them. From Lee's book, I read that if a spar had battens, iron bands were also used to hold them in place. So I deviated a bit from the instructions to include this small detail. Here are some pics of where they are at

Still lots of work needed on the spars (installing blocks, footropes, stuns'l boom irons etc etc)

[niwotwill]

The iron bands make the spars. The small deviation adds the detail making them visually stunning. Great work what did you use for the bands?

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

[captain_hook]

Very nice! You‘re approaching the finish line. Keep up the good work!

[abelson]

I like the bands on the spars - a nice addition. I think I'll copy you when I reach that stage. Looking good. You better slow down or you'll be starting your next build soon. haha.

[desalgu]

I haven't checked in for a while, and I'm always stunned at your rapid progress, and how clean and crisp it looks in closeups.  Amazing craftsmanship!   This will be a stunning model when finished.  You'll be amazed at what a difference it makes when you start adding each yard and rigging.  

 

Glad you caught the extra block on the crosstrees (I think that's where it was).  I didn't notice it, and adding it after you have a lot of rigging on was a bit difficult.  Much easier to get all the blocks and details on beforehand.

 

I agree with comments about iron bands around the spars.  A very nice detail to add, and kind of surprised it wasn't mentioned in the kit as an optional detail.  Chuck added so many small details like this, it really makes the kit.  And you have to draw the line somewhere.

 

Yours always looks better than mine in the photos.  I had a hard time with the netting on the bow.  It was hard to trim to the right shape because it wanted to deform, and when I started tying it, it didn't want to stay flat.  I managed, but yours looks a lot better.  Perhaps eyes and fingers about 50 years younger than mine make a difference?   Ha, ha!   It's just patience and your knack for getting details right.  I'll be patient for a while, and then get going too fast and make little mistakes. 

 

Display case is coming along slowly.  I've been sanding & spraying on coats of lacquer on the parts.  I'll assemble after I get the parts finished except for a final coat.   

[WalrusGuy]

On 4/7/2021 at 9:39 AM, niwotwill said:

The iron bands make the spars. The small deviation adds the detail making them visually stunning. Great work what did you use for the bands?

 

Stay Well and Stay Safe

Will 

 

22 hours ago, captain_hook said:

Very nice! You‘re approaching the finish line. Keep up the good work!

 

18 hours ago, abelson said:

I like the bands on the spars - a nice addition. I think I'll copy you when I reach that stage. Looking good. You better slow down or you'll be starting your next build soon. haha.

 

13 hours ago, desalgu said:

I haven't checked in for a while, and I'm always stunned at your rapid progress, and how clean and crisp it looks in closeups.  Amazing craftsmanship!   This will be a stunning model when finished.  You'll be amazed at what a difference it makes when you start adding each yard and rigging.  

 

Glad you caught the extra block on the crosstrees (I think that's where it was).  I didn't notice it, and adding it after you have a lot of rigging on was a bit difficult.  Much easier to get all the blocks and details on beforehand.

 

I agree with comments about iron bands around the spars.  A very nice detail to add, and kind of surprised it wasn't mentioned in the kit as an optional detail.  Chuck added so many small details like this, it really makes the kit.  And you have to draw the line somewhere.

 

Yours always looks better than mine in the photos.  I had a hard time with the netting on the bow.  It was hard to trim to the right shape because it wanted to deform, and when I started tying it, it didn't want to stay flat.  I managed, but yours looks a lot better.  Perhaps eyes and fingers about 50 years younger than mine make a difference?   Ha, ha!   It's just patience and your knack for getting details right.  I'll be patient for a while, and then get going too fast and make little mistakes. 

 

Display case is coming along slowly.  I've been sanding & spraying on coats of lacquer on the parts.  I'll assemble after I get the parts finished except for a final coat.   

Thanks so much for the motivating comments! 🙂 I was also surprised on how the spars looked with the bands. The end seems near, yet so far away. I am really excited to see how she'll look with all the spars. I took a bit of a break from the spars and started to work on rigging the boom and gaff. I will post photos in the next couple of days once I finish. The running rigging is even more fun than the standing rigging 😄! I am just having a bit of trouble with is belaying the lines in the cramped spots with all the ropes on the way. After doing a couple I think I am getting used to it.

 

Will, I used a black tape for the bands. I first stuck it on a flat piece of wood, then used a ruler as a guide to cut the small strips. Since the tape's adhesive is very weak, I put superglue on the ends to prevent it from peeling off. Here is the photo of the tape. Unfortunately there is no branding on it, so I am not sure what is actually called. Also, since the edges are a bit whitish, I painted it over again with black paint.

 

David, I also had a bit of trouble with the net. I ended up using a bit of an oversized piece of net, then seized the corners. After I seized all the links in the middle. Then I trimmed off the excess pieces with a small pair of scissors. I just took a look at your display case. The wood after staining is gorgeous! Can't wait to see it all come together.

[WalrusGuy]

Finished up rigging the boom and gaff, and added the rope coils. I am thinking I'll add rope coils after each section of the rigging. Otherwise there will be too many to handle all at once!

 

And pics of the rope coils:

 

I'll next continue working on the spars. I might also do some work on the stay sail rigging as a break from the spars.

Edited April 9, 2021 by WalrusGuy

[Edwardkenway]

Just stunning!

Been catching up on your progress. What a glorious brig 😉

[NovaStorm]

Just wonderful looking at your progress. Moving along nicely is an understatement :) 

[WalrusGuy]

4 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

Just stunning!

Been catching up on your progress. What a glorious brig 😉

 

2 hours ago, NovaStorm said:

Just wonderful looking at your progress. Moving along nicely is an understatement

Many thanks for checking in and leaving the nice comments, Edward and Robin. And glad to see you back Robin! Looking forward to seeing progress in your beautiful Syren build 🙂 

Edited April 10, 2021 by WalrusGuy

[WalrusGuy]

I decided to go ahead and finish up the staysail rigging rather than work on the yards. For some reason the stirrups and footropes felt a bit daunting to attempt at this time. I will be trying to use thread with matt medium acrylic applied to stiffen them. I have never used this product, so very interesting to see how it all works.

 

For the staysail rigging I used waxed sewing thread (with beeswax) wherever ST was written on the plans. After installing the ropes, I started to make the coils, then I realized the thread I used is a tint lighter than Syren's ropes..... So I am planning to just dye the coils up a bit with very dilute tea water. Hoping this does the trick to match the colors. Here is a pic of the photo of the lighter colors contrasting with the thicker Syren rope. 

And here are some pics of the staysail rigging. It was very hard to show the ropes with the white and cream background, so I tried to play around with the lighting to see if they show. I will be on the lookout for a greyish board/fabric I can use to contrast against the rope colors 😁

I'll next try to sort out the color issue with the rope coils, then will continue on with the yards.

[Gahm]

Great job on the rigging! It is amazing how fast you are going through your Syren build! 

 

Thomas 

[WalrusGuy]

Thanks so much Thomas!! 😃

 

I dyed the sewing thread rope coils with some tea. I think that did the job. I just applied the tea with a toothpick, and allowed the strings to dry a bit. It's still a bit light, but matches the other ropes a bit better. Here are some pics:

And of the other rope coils

Really enjoying making rope coils as an intermediate step. I don't think I'd feel the same if I did them all at once at the end 😬

 

Will now continue working on the yards, very curious on how they turn out (especially the footropes!)