18th Century Armed Longboat by Justin P. - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:24

[Justin P.]

26 minutes ago, Chuck said:

Justin.....I am actually cutting more Medway longboat kits this week.  I am already about half way done with another six kits.   

 

So sooner than later.....

 

Chuck

Thats great news Chuck!   I was hoping to do that one before graduating up to a larger project.   Cutting my teeth on the small boats has really helped with a lot skill progression.   Perhaps better for me to hold off on SYREN.   Ill watch the shop for them to go on sale.  Thanks for the heads up. 

[Cathead]

Well done and thanks for sharing. A beautiful build.

[BobG]

You'll love the Medway Longboat. It's a beautiful boat with great instructions and materials. Rustyj and JpR62 are two great build logs for reference in addition to Chuck's log. I look forward to watching you build her.

[GrandpaPhil]

Congratulations!  Well done!

[Dr PS - Paul Schulze]

Justin, A very very nice build.  Somehow I missed your log as it was proceeding.

[Vladimir_Wairoa]

On 6/2/2020 at 4:57 AM, Justin P. said:

Work continues as those of us who choose, hunker down, and wish the world the best.   Ive been steadily marching towards the finish line checking off small tasks as I go and lengthening my "don't do that again" notes.   So much learning goes into these small boats that Ive grown really fond of them.   I look forward to Medway when it becomes available again.   As my skills have improved Ive been contemplating some redo projects to complete a nice collection of small boats.   We'll see...

 

In the last few days since my last post I was able to get the rub rails bent to shape and dry fit.  The instructions have you bend them and then paint before installing but something about that sequence didn't sit right with me so I decided to install before painting.   This allowed for more precise fitment and very minor gap filling where my miters weren't quite perfect.   

After drying, I began painting the rub rails as specified in the plans.   It turned out ok-ish.   I guess the benefit of painting prior to install is the very clean line, however I felt it was a balance between my skills at getting the perfect fit versus painting the best line.   Using a combination of masking tape and a careful, non-caffeinated hand I was able to get a passable result.   Ive had to go back and forth through some areas, as one one would do when painting in a line along the ceiling in a house.

 

Ive also installed the bowsprit, deadeye chainplates and backstay anchors.   The instructions here get a little imprecise, but with some careful study of other build logs, and a bit of common sense I was able to piece it together.   Some details are depicted in the manual photography, but not mentioned at all in the narrative which I found frustrating.   

I also began shaping the mast and fitting it in the usual way.   I found I had none of the  problems observed by other builders with fitting the hardware to the mast so long as I was willing to make minor modifications to the cast metal parts.   I feel perhaps this was always intended, with other builders expecting a bit more precision in the provided cast metal parts.  I think they actually are made larger to provide more room for error - but that is just my opinion.  

 

I also began setting up shrouds.  Ive made the highly recommended decision to replace all the tackle and rope with Syren products, which is simply much more satisfying to work with, and the result much more in-line with the time and effort invested in such endeavors.   I served my shrouds in the usual way using a Syren serving machine and used a jig to get the deadeye distances correct.   The pictured jigs are NOT what worked by the way, I ended up using a scrap bit of wood with nails as is documented in many logs across MSW.   

 

I then began work with the Gaff and Boom, back and forestays and the bowsprit rigging, all of which were not particularly well outlined in the instructions.   Here Wolfram Zu Mondfeld's Historic Ship Models was an invaluable resource.   In fact much of my rigging questions were answered through 80% that book and 20% perusing MSW logs of similar builds.   Everything from block stropping, deadeye rigging, knots, and other peripheral rigging minutia is well covered.  

 

I also decided to scratch build new belaying pins.   The provided pins were absurdly small brass things that really did not look or function correctly, nor did the reference materials bear out the use of metal for a belaying pin.   I knocked a few out pretty easily with some dowel stock and my foredom.  I made a bunch until I got it right and could consistently make the same size and shape.   Time well spent.  

 

Currently working on the other bits as most of the rigging is done.   I need to go through and shoot photos of all the cleaned up rigging and so forth which Ill include in the next post.   I did get the deadeyes rigged and lines belayed.  All that's left is coils and touch-up paint where my blackened metal components left some black scuffs on the paintwork.  I also have a flag halyard to rig now that a glaring omission in the instructions has been cleared up for me thanks to BobG.

 

Ive also got to convince myself to add the oarlocks - which I think are just hideous as designed for this kit.   The rudder and tiller gudgeons were not well executed on my part, so I need to return to that mini-model and see if I can recover it.   Getting there.   

 

this work is joy to watch sir. exceptional . thanks for sharing.  

[SkiBee]

Justin 

How did you figure out, how to cut the forward curve on the garboard plank, on the 18th Century Long Boat?  Need help!