Le Renard by Gaffrig - FINISHED - Artesania Latina - Scale 1:50

Rick01 · August 15, 2020

Quick "Heads Up". Have you looked at the rigging book yet? Not the best one I've ever seen and there appear to be a number of short cuts being used. It seems to be missing the traveller with its in-haul and out-haul. As far as I can see this has just been replaced by a block wired to the end of the bowsprit, so it you're near fitting it you may want to consider constructing the traveller ring etc. before fitting the end ring on the bowsprit. Do you have any other books giving basic rigging for this type of ship? It will help interpret these instructions.

Rick

Gaffrig · August 19, 2020

Hello all!

Sorry for the long abscense, but we've had a couple of weeks of absolutely beautiful summer weather!

So sailing and playing with fullsize boats has been enjoyed!

Now there's a weekend of heavy rain forecast, so great modeling weather on the horizon!

Rick01, Thanks for all the tips. they are much appreciated.

About the rigging plan, it seems to be much simplified in many places. Single blocks on foresail halyards is one example..

I would think that the bowsprit in a vessel this size would be retractable and the tackles on the bobstay and sidestays also suggests this.

Both of the jibs however is hanked on, and this would mean that no in/outhaul would be fitted. In/outhaul is normally used when the sail is set flying with or without stay.

This is just my own (limited) knowledge of how it is done on boats I have sailed on.

When it comes to books, I don't have any specific ones regarding vessels from this era, but I do have some more general ones.

I think I'm going to build/rig this more or less as the plans show, even though this is not completely accurate.

Also many thanks to all others for liking and commenting!

It is very much appreciated and very motivating!

Not much progress lately because of sailing, but some has been done.

Glued on the rubrails and I made the mistake of gluing the top one first, which made clamping the lower one difficult.

Did this lower one first on the other side!

Also glued on the trim(?) along deck inside the bulwarks.

I've also prepped the caprails with glueing on a thin strip on either side to hide the plywood endgrain and make them a little wider, as they barely cover the top of the bulwarks as is.

Next up is to get them painted and mounted so I can mount the transom.

That's it for now!

Stay safe!

Gaffrig.

Rick01 · August 20, 2020

I based my thoughts on the traveller on a number of cutters built during the appropriate period, this link gives a close-up of the bowsprit for le Cerf a slightly larger French cutter of a similar period. https://ancre.fr/en/monograph/34-monographie-du-cerf-cotre-1778.html . I agree the bowsprit does retract but probably no more than the length of the squared off section, however as my experience with sailing is in a negative value I can only look and guess based on what seems to me to be the simplest solution. 😉

There is one item I've added and that's the bilge pumps which you may also see in this link. As there don't appear to be any set dimensions for these pumps mine do vary somewhat from the illustrated ones (found after I'd built them) but at least they do help with deck furniture.

Rick 🙂

Gaffrig · August 24, 2020

Hello all!

Been a few days without internet here, but that translates into more time for modeling!

Rick01, Thanks for the link, great pictures of a beautiful model. And probably a great book too.

Regarding a traveler, looking at the pictures in that link, that is the way the travelers was rigged.

I think I'll follow the Instructions more or less as they are, and rig without a traveler.

The weatherforecast came true, with lots of rain and indoor time. 😆

So quite a bit has been done on the model.

I've got the caprails painted and mounted.

When dryfitting the transom I was not happy with the way it fit, so I glued on a strip of wood to the bottom to make it a little higher, and that made it fit much better.

I've made the rudder fittings and fitted the rudder.

I've fitted the "thingys" on the bow, don't know the english word for these...

I've made the caprail(?) for the dinghy. I ended up laminating this from mahogany to get the right shape.

And painted the interior white.

Here one side is glued and sanded, the other waiting to be glued..

So, all in all a pretty productive weekend.

Looking forward to start rigging.

Gaffrig.

Rick01 · August 27, 2020

I'm thinking I should let you get ahead of me for a while then I can check with you for instruction errors/omissions. 😉

I'm just starting on the masts already I've one error, but at least it isn't hard to fix. Main mast requires the top to be painted black for 62 mm, the only trouble is that the cheeks fitted under the "crows nest" are 26 mm long which added to the 52 mm tip of mast to "crows nest" isn't the 62 mm indicated on the instructions!! So it needs 80 mm of black to work properly.

The next bit is just personal preference.

I can't see that the shrouds on the top mast would be tied directly to the mast without anything preventing them slipping down as they expand/contract with the weather, so I've provided a shoulder to loop them over, a little delicate rough carving it but I got there. I'll fully dress the masts before fixing them in place and I'll probably just use the various stays to hold the main mast in place rather than glue it as I find this just as effective with no fear of it moving whilst the glue sets.

Rick

Rick01 · September 1, 2020

Heads up for you - if you haven't already I'd dump the furry rigging thread AL supply and change to one of the others. I use mainly Amati, it's much better quality without any of the fluff that the AL stuff has. I'm using a combination of 1 mm black for the main stay, .5 mm and .1 mm in both black and natural for the balance of the standing and running rigging. Looks more proportional to me.

Rick

Gaffrig · October 25, 2020

Hello all!

Long time since the last update here..

Now that fall is here there will be more time for me in the shipyard again.

Some work has been done on Le Renard inbetween other chores..

I've made the bollards to go inside the bulwarks.

I've painted them, and made a small jig to file out a small groove for the caprail, since I made the caprail a little wider this was needed.

I've filed/sanded the cleats that also go on the bulwarks, and painted them. A lot of burrs/edges that needed trimming on these.

I've finished the "bench" in the stern over the tiller, and mounted all the bollards and cleats.

I've drilled the hole for the bowsprit. Must say I was a little scared to do this, but with a sharp drillbit it went great!

I've also finished the mast, booms and yards.

All in all, things are coming together here, and I look forward to start rigging!

All the best,

Gaffrig.

Gaffrig · October 28, 2020

Hello!

Another small update.

Been working on finishing the dinghy.

Finished the caprails, and made the thwarts and floorboards.

Made the rowlocks and decided to put a rope fender along the rail.

Finally I made a pair of oars out of toothpicks and scrapwood.

Also mounted two eyebolts to take the hoist from the davits.

With this I think I'll call the dinghy finished!

Stay safe!

Gaffrig.

Rick01 · October 31, 2020

Love the dinghy, particularly the rope bumper. I chose to provide two seats rather than the single that you've provided.

I've finished mine after a reasonable tussle with the rigging, eventually examining photos of the replica, models of le Cerf and various American cutters of that period as the French rigging seemed to compare with the American style rather than British navy. Anyway here are a few (bad) shots of the finished product.

Rick

Gaffrig · October 31, 2020

Rick01,

That looks great!

Congratulations on the finished model! 👍

I see that you have made a diffrent stand for it, I’ve thougt about the same thing as the kit supplied one is a little wonky..

Are you gonna add the sails?

The ones supplied are not the greatest but I’m gonna use them anyway.

I like how the dinghy turned out. It may be a little to «yacht like» for this model, but that’s how it will be!

Thanks to everyone for looking in and liking!

Gaffrig.

Rick01 · October 31, 2020

8 hours ago, Gaffrig said:

I see that you have made a diffrent stand for it, I’ve thougt about the same thing as the kit supplied one is a little wonky..

Are you gonna add the sails?

Thanks for the nice comments. As for the stand - it's an old one that I use when building as it fits most hull shapes but I will be making one myself as the supplied one just doesn't sit right. I'm not adding sails as I feel that the supplied ones aren't convincing enough and my skills aren't such that I can make them from scratch. Still got the case to make and one or two little bits to tidy up but otherwise that's it.

I had a fair bit of trouble interpreting the rigging plans supplied and eventually reverted to Petersson's "Rigging fore and aft craft" for help, so what you see isn't quite as proposed.

Rick

Tompslattery · November 2, 2020

Rick and Gaffrig

Both your models are amazing!!!

Could I please ask a question? What are these connections on the bulwark towards the stern? They are drawn on my plans but I cant find any annotation to say what they actually are.

image.png.0514d41c4caa43cf3c199f324fdaaca1.png

Also how did you connect the cleats on the inner bulwarks?

Thank you

Tom

Rick01 · November 3, 2020

Hi Tom,

One of the AL problems is less than clear instructions. In this case the "connections" are eye bolts, just above and forrard of them is a hole that the running rigging for the yard arms is passed through before attaching to the relevant knight heads. I rigged mine model with somewhat more complexity than AL show, so if you look at this photo you'll see a block at the yard arm tips.

The yard brace is then run up to the block and back down, through the gunwales and then looped round the knighthead (if that's the right word). It just makes more sense to me to run the braces this way than the way AL illustrate.

These two shots should make it clearer.

Apologies for sort of hijacking your thread here Gafrigg 😞

Forgot the cleats - just a drop of supa glue and a prayer that I didn't become part of the attachment.

Rick

Edited November 3, 2020 by Rick01

Gaffrig · November 3, 2020

Hello.

No worries about hijacking! It's all good info.

I have been looking at the rigging instructions and there seem to be a lot of simplified solutions compared to the real ship.

I will probably make some adjustments as necessary.

A small update for today.

Have finished the rigging of the carronades as I think this will be good to get done before I start the rigging of the mast.

I think the access after the mast is up will be limited.

I made up two tackles, one with the kit supplied blocks, and one with aftermarket 3mm blocks, as suggested by Rick01.

I decided to rig the blocks with rope instead of wire as I think this was easier and better looking.

When using the kit supplied blocks the whole tackle ended up too long to fit, so I went with the aftermarket ones.

The first one fitted on deck..

Time for some mass production..

Quite time consuming making all these small tackles, but a good feeling when they are all in place!

Now I need to glue in place all the little "height adjusters" to get the barrels straight.

That's it for now!

Stay safe!

Gaffrig.

Tompslattery · November 4, 2020

You’ve both done amazing work

Moab · November 4, 2020

Great looking deck...Moab

Gaffrig · November 5, 2020

Hello.

Thanks for the kind comments and likes!

Another update here.

Got the "height adjusters" in place so the gunbarrels are more or less straight.

Painted the channels (I think this is the right word for the "chainplate spreaders") and glued in place.

Made and glued on the steps.

I made the chainplates. I decided to solder a ring to the chainplate instead of just twisting a wire around the deadeye as the instructions say.

I've painted and glued on the pinrails..

And I've mounted the chainplates. Things are starting to come together, and it is looking more and more like a boat!

That's it for now.

Stay safe out there, and happy modelling!

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to read and comment here. It's really inspiring!

Gaffrig.

Gaffrig · November 11, 2020

Hello all!

Another update here as the work continues.

I've made the bitts/samson posts for the bowsprit.

Painted them and mounted them and the bowsprit to the boat.

I decided to make a bolt to hold the bowsprit. The instructions just say use glue.

I've made the pinrail around the mast and painted and mounted on the boat..

I've stepped the mast and got the lanyards in and tightened..

Dryfitting of the deckhouses/ skylights. The forward companionway is a little off in this picture.. 😂🤣

The pinrail in it's final position..

Started tying the ratlines..

I'm really enjoying this part of the build, the rigging that is..

The rigging instructions is not very good and self contradicting many times.

I do have expert help in reading them, but the expert doesn't understand either... 🙄

That's it for todays update.

Stay safe, and happy modelling!

Gaffrig.

Rick01 · November 12, 2020

Have you decided how you're going to handle the anchor cables? Mine run across the deck and down through the main hatch which needed holes cut in the "grating". Note also only one anchor provided not the two that the original would have carried.

Rick

Tompslattery · November 13, 2020

On 11/12/2020 at 6:58 AM, Gaffrig said:

Hello all!

Another update here as the work continues.

I've made the bitts/samson posts for the bowsprit.

Painted them and mounted them and the bowsprit to the boat.

I decided to make a bolt to hold the bowsprit. The instructions just say use glue.

I've made the pinrail around the mast and painted and mounted on the boat..

I've stepped the mast and got the lanyards in and tightened..

Dryfitting of the deckhouses/ skylights. The forward companionway is a little off in this picture.. 😂🤣

The pinrail in it's final position..

Started tying the ratlines..

I'm really enjoying this part of the build, the rigging that is..

The rigging instructions is not very good and self contradicting many times.

I do have expert help in reading them, but the expert doesn't understand either... 🙄

That's it for todays update.

Stay safe, and happy modelling!

Gaffrig.

I hear you on the dodgy instructions

Moltinmark · December 3, 2020

On 7/13/2020 at 12:18 PM, Gaffrig said:

Hello all!

Rick01, the carronades look great. I tried making up a tackle but as you say, the supplied blocks are a little to big. It doesn't look very good in the instructions either.

3mm blocks is ordered!

The extra cannon, is that something you add just because you want to? or is there some source you found that says it should be there?

Tompslattery, in my kit there was two lasercut pieces glued on top of eachother to make up the gun sled. Then a small PE brass bracket to hold the gun barrel.

It seems your kit is an older version.

The hull is getting ready for some paint shortly.

A little more filler and sanding has been done.

Marking the waterline..

Masked and ready for paint below the waterline.

The dinghy has been removed from the jig, and is ready to be finished inside.

And after sanding of the frametops..

I'm happy with the way the sheer of the boat turned out. It was very straight as the jig was before modification.

That's it for now.

Gaffrig.

Hello

, great job. I'm new to the site and reading thru your log. I built this same kit around the same time as you during the 2 month lockdown in Michigan!! I wish I would have found this site back then. It would've been fun following and creating the logs. I was lucky to find this kit in my local hobby shop. 2 weeks into the lockdown. They were great running out to their customers in the parking lot delivering what I needed to build the kit.

Moltinmark · December 3, 2020

On 11/12/2020 at 9:21 PM, Tompslattery said:

I hear you on the dodgy instructions

That doesn't look like the same rigging instructions that I have. My kit came with 2 instruction sets. 1 for building and 1 for rigging. I can try and post close up pics if you want?

Moltinmark · December 3, 2020

This is a pic out of the rigging manual that is 27 pages long that came with my kit. Color coded with arrows.

Gaffrig · December 30, 2020

Hello to all.

Sorry for the long abscense here. Got a waterleak in the bathroom that ended with a complete rebuild... This has eaten up all my modelling time the past month and a half. Seeing the end of the bathroom fix now, and hopefully some more modelling!

Tompslattery, those instructions look even worse than the ones I have. I have the same ones that Moltinmark posted.

Have done a little bit in between bathroom work.

Have finished the standing rigging.

Really enjoy the rig work. Even the ratlines was fun to do!