HMS Winchelsea by jfhealy - Fred's W2

[jfhealey]

The deck is finally complete. That seems like the last major constructional step. 

 

 

 

It turned out reasonably well. Here is my first attempt at a scarf joint: not perfect but I'm happy enough. 

 

 

Here is the capstan. I can't believe so many are taking Chuck's lead and sloshing red paint it! I guess what to me is a little masterpiece ( Chuck's contribution not mine) is the everyday to the master.

 

Unfortunately I dropped it at the moment of completion and broke off the central stick which may make positioning the upper section a tiny bit more tricky – but nothing serious.

 

 

 

 

 

I took Chuck's advice regarding painting the hull right up to the wales rather than the waterline. I think it looks much better. And I've made a start on the rudder. Shame that's got to be painted but no choice really.

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck]

Nicely Done.  The capstan looks great.  I still go back and forth about painting it.  I see you chose not to simulate the caulked seems between the deck planking.  
 

its really coming together.  

[scrubbyj427]

Looking great Fred! The hull does look very nice painted.

[jfhealey]

I had a go at the cheeks and hair brackets and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

 

 

 

 

Rather than make up the cheeks off the ship I started with the middle section and fixed it in position with the hair bracket. The top and bottom sections of the cheek are not yet glued in.

 

 

 

 

 

Then the top cheek and hair bracket. I wish I'd started with the top bracket as that must (I think) line up with the top of the stem. I put my bottom cheek a couple of millimetres too high and got very cramped for space to fit the resin moulding - but I got it in with a bit of filing. I' wasn't sure if the resin piece above the gammoning hole was a casting sprue or meant to be there. I cut it out as I needed the space but I suspect that's incorrect. 

 

Here the hawse hole piece is not glued in.

 

Then I glued on the friezes. The advantage (as I see it) of not fixing the top and bottom sections of the cheeks is that the  friezes can easily be manipulated into position and pressed to follow the bevelled edges of the middle section very easily between thumb and forefinger. Painting the section first also disguises any mismatch between the wood and the paper. I "painted" or coloured  the cut white edges  of the friezes before glueing so I'd have no white paper showing.

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the result.  Far from perfect but I'm very happy. The joints between the cheeks and the brackets could have been tighter but I guess much of this will be disguised by the gallery (is that the correct terminology?).

 

Now for the other side. 

 

The precision of the laser cutting, incidentally, is a marvel.

 

 

 

 

 

[Matt D]

That looks outstanding, Fred!  I like that you used blue on the stem like the contemporary.  I've been thinking about doing that also.  It looks really nice.

[Greg M]

Awesome work Fred.  What color blue is that you are using?  It meshes up well with the friezes.

 

The stem looks like the one area where everyone has created their own look.

[Rustyj]

Very nice work Fred. 

[jfhealey]

Good afternoon everyone from a lovely sunny Cornwall.

 

Thank you everyone for your comments and likes!

 

Greg - the blue colour is Tamiya flat blue with a squirt of Vallejo Andrea blue. I just mixed away until it looked about right. I think the colour differences are pretty forgiving. One of the advantages of blue paint is that you can underpaint the areas covered by the friezes so no bare wood shows and also colour the cut edges of the paper so you don't get a white border.

 

I didn't use a pencil to simulate the tarred edges to the deck planking as Chuck observed above. That was an idiotic oversight I very much regret but there is nothing I can do about it now. Never mind.

 

Things are moving on on wet days. One mishap was breaking off the rudder. I suspect I won't be the last. Chuck very kindly supplied some replacement hinges so those will go on soon. I intend the rudder should be removable for the time being. I think I may have read that on Mike's log.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I clearly didn't sand my roof tiles thin enough and I can't get the hang of scraping profiles but the windows fit nicely.

 

I can't get hold of fruitwood gel here in the Uk. I drybrushed the resin figures with raw sienna oil paint and wiped it off with a kitchen towel between coats. Not everyone's taste I suspect but I like it.

 

The interior is underway. I painted the windows white on the inside. The panelling is ivory.

 

 

I found it easier to glue together the centre part of the aft bulkhead and the cabin divider. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck]

That is looking beautiful.  Nice work.  You are making some great progress.

[bdgiantman2]

 I really like the blue  paint on the bow myself, a nice contrast to the black paint of the wales. And it makes the figurehead really stand out in sharply too. Nicely done model.

[scrubbyj427]

Your Winnie is looking really nice Fred! The choice of coloring for the paneling and wood tones look great!

 

JJ

[FrankWouts]

Looking good and beautiful colourful and warm wood tones in an evenso beautiful build!

Frank.

[jfhealey]

Thank you everyone for your kind remarks and likes. 

I finished the aft bulkhead over the weekend. Nothing is glued in yet.

Looking at the pictures reminds me that I never put in the waterways. 

Canons next - I intend to rig the canons. I'm mindful of NZ Reg's reckoning of 2 hours per canon for rigging. That should keep me quiet for a while but semi-retirement beckons from the end of September so all being well I'll have a bit of time on my hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rustyj]

Very nice!

[jfhealey]

I could not get the hang of forming the gun port hinges with pliers so I soldered some micro tubing on to the hinge strap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They work well enough as hinges but - there is always a but with my work -the opened gun ports don't line up very attractively.

 

 

 

I don't know whether that is the result of complex geometry (opening a rhomboid shape) or poor execution. A bit of both perhaps. But I can live with it.

 

 

 

 

I trial rigged a canon with Syren ultra rope and blocks.

 

 

 

I believe the boss does not particularly like frapping but I think it looks neat and tidy and for a first attempt I'm really pleased.

 

 

 

Only another twenty something to go. That one took me ages but I think its all quite repeatable so Chapter 8 sometime around 2022 I reckon.

 

Keep going everyone

Fred

[scrubbyj427]

That looks really nice Fred! Your hinges worked well and they look good opened.. I had similar issues with mine and they just required some gentle persuasion. Your guns look wonderfully executed! I will definitely be referencing your log when I get to this point.

JJ

[Chuck]

It all looks very good.   The guns look great rigged.  The hinges are neat and tidy.

 

Chuck

[jfhealey]

Six guns rigged. The first one took me ages. The sixth about an hour so the remainder are do-able  - slow and patient are the watchwords here. 

 

I reckoned the boxwood filed rhodings were a bit above my skill level so I used microtubing soldered to brass strip. They are probably  a little overscale but they are robust , functional and easy to make.

 

 

 

 

 

The posts at either end are not yet glued down. I'm not at all sure about the wooden posts at the forward end. Should they be steel I wonder? I think I should certainly follow Chuck's simpler design. Every departure I've made from Chuck's instructions so far has come unstuck.

 

 

All the best everyone.

Fred

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck]

That looks terrific....I would recommend cleaning that starboard pump of glue stains.  That is a shame considering the craftsmanship is so clean.  That is if you already didnt take care of it.  You are a building a beautiful Winnie for sure.

 

Chuck

[jfhealey]

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for the likes.

 

I'm plodding along slowly. Chapter 7 is nearly done and Chapter 8 is well under way. Rigging the guns with Syren Ultra rope took an age but I'm pleased with the outcome. Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stove is done. 

 

 

I've glazed the windows with the supplied acetate (?). I had my doubts how effective it would be but it actually looks jolly good.

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the whole.

 

 

 

Now seems a good time to take stock. I love everything about it ...... except some of the bits I've done where I have fallen short. That is in part because I'm a relative newcomer - Winchelsea is my third build and its been a sharp learning curve - but in no small measure to the knowledge I've gained reading all the other logs. Model Ship World is a treasure trove of useful learning.

 

Here is W2 with my long abandoned first attempt. They are, incidentally, the same size. That W2 in the foreground looks bigger is an illusion.

 

 

 

 

I am becoming increasingly dis-satisfied in particular with the deck. I wonder if a lighter coloured wood  - maple? - might have looked better. Omitting the pencilled caulking was a serious mistake. That would have provided some definition to the individual planks. But mostly I just bodged up some gaps that shoudn't have been there in the first place with some mismatched filler. Ugh!!

 

Look around the hatchway.

 

 

The question is what to do about it.

 

If I had the skills I would scratch build something – but I don't. And there is not really another model on the market that I would prefer to build than this one. I really want to produce a result I can be really proud of without reservations and this one, I fear, will come up short. Here is one possible solution:

 

 

 

I've got the plywood left over from the big sheet I bought for W1 and a scroll saw. And I really think I can make a better go of it. Just a thought!

 

Best wishes everyone

Fred

 

[Chuck]

I think it looks fantastic.   You should continue with it as is.  Take what you have learned and move on to another subject to prevent yourself from losing interest.  Possibly Spedwell?   But your model really does look lovely.   So little of the lower deck will be seen.   Be sure to simulate a light seam on the fcastle and qdeck planking.  It will look just fantastic.

[Gregory]

That looks very good..    Poor cannon rigging could spoil an otherwise great model, but yours is in no danger of doing that..

 

Your gun rigging sets a fine example that others may wish to follow..

 

PS

In this image, if I didn't know better, I would think I am looking down the deck of a real ship.

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Gregory

[Matt D]

Fred, I agree with Chuck.  Like you, I didn't have a lot of ship modeling experience when I started this big and challenging project.  So I have a lot of mistakes in mine and understand where you're coming from.  But your model looks excellent.  Chuck also makes a good point about the gun deck.  In addition to the forecastle and quarterdeck, it will be concealed by the gangways and barge.  Shadows will obscure whatever view is left.  Anyone looking closely will be captivated by all of the amazing accoutrements (stove, capstan, pumps, gratings, ladders, etc.). 

[jfhealey]

Thank you Gregory , Matt and Chuck for your very kind comments and the likes.

 

Matt - I wondered whether the launch and gangways might cover much of the visible deck - I hope so.

 

Chuck - like everyone else I can't wait to have a crack at Speedwell. As you say: take everything youv'e learned and move on.

 

But I still hanker to make the best job I can of your lovely Winchelsea. I'm wondering whether - were I to do it again -  I could paint the friezes (I love Siggi's HMS Leopard - really inspirational) and carve the fancy mouldings and have a go at carving the figurehead - and certainly include masts and rigging. Given that I've never done any of those thing before I suspect I'm dreaming of an outcome beyond my ability but I shall have a go. I think I'll make a mast and then review.

 

[scrubbyj427]

Fred, I agree with everyone else, your Winnie is definitely looking great, you should finish her and be proud. It’s quite the accomplishment. 
 

JJ

[jfhealey]

Evening all

 

I have - finally - finished rigging the guns. I'm pretty happy for a first go.

 

I used Syren 5/32 single blocks,  0.050 Ultra tan rope for the breeching and 0.018 for the tackle. I formed a little "hands free" from brass strip with eyelets soldered near the top. The gap between the eyelets is 3.7mm which produced a "frapped" outhaul tackle which looks about right to my eye.

 

 

Here is one end of the tackle.

 

 

And this is the other.

 

 

And here they are in the hands free.

 

 

I put in a simple overhand (?) knot/twist.

 

 

And start "frapping". The brass strips have sufficient spring to provide a little tension and keep everything in place.

 

 

Then push the free end through the eye of the hook.

 

 

 

And tie it off.

 

 

Here are the rigged guns waiting to go on board.

 

 

It's a lot easier to fix the ring bolts to the rigging rope rather than the bulwarks.  I did not take a picture of the breeching rope but its just tied off underneath the gun barrel.

 

 

All the best everyone 

Fred

[Gregory]

Nice jig and nice work..

[jfhealey]

I don't quite know how those last 4 or 5 pictures came to be posted. I'm not on top of the technology here. And thank you Gregory for the speediest of responses!

[Chuck]

Nicely done

[bdgiantman2]

Sneaky!! I am definitely copying this idea when I get to this stage. Great job on your model.