Lady Isabella by EKE - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - Zulu

[EKE]

27 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

You won’t be disappointed Richard, it’s a great read apart from the technical stuff, I would go so far as to say that Edgar March is to fishing vessels what C.N Longridge is to Victory.

 

Loads of  copies available in the U.S. of A. Erik, hint, hint. 😉

 

B.E.

Just found a copy for $65 US.  On its way.

 

[Rik Thistle]

Erik,

 

I think the $855 one must have been a scammer...chancer.

 

But $65 seems similar to the going rate in the UK, from what I've seen.

 

My copy, IIRC, was £30 + £4 pp 'in good condition' with a (tattered) dust jacket...delivery in about a week.

 

It will make a pleasant change from reading Kindle books....I'm looking forward to reading it

 

Richard

 

[Rik Thistle]

Earlier today I had been wandering through a website which had hundreds of pics of old (mostly) UK fishing vessels (...I've bookmarked it on another computer so will edit the link in to here tomorrow)

 

I'll add the link here as a separate post since I doubt if 'edits' generate notifications. ... http://www.trawlerpictures.net/gallery/category/473-a-look-back-in-time/page__view_style__large

 

The bulk of the pics seem to be from around the 1960s but there are still quite a few older ones. Most of the trawlers have wheelhouses. The pics give a good feel for the life these families led.

 

There is a Gallery section where the pics are sorted by topic ...  http://www.trawlerpictures.net/gallery/    including 'Models'.   

 

In the Forum section there is a thread on 'Books about fishing from around the world'...       http://www.trawlerpictures.net/topic/115-books-about-fishing-from-around-the-world/         

 

Richard

 

 

Edited December 2, 2020 by Rik Thistle

[EKE]

Thanks Richard!  That’s a treasure trove of information.  Fantastic, thanks.

 

-EKE

[EKE]

Last night, I fitted and glued in the finished deck, which is a light plywood piece with beautiful laser etching simulating the deck planking. It fit with very little modification.  I sanded the edges in a few spots, and beveled the edges at the bow and stern.  I also put a bevel in the notches at the bow and stern, to allow it to fit nicely up to the sloping stem and stern post. 

 

The ply deck is very flexible, so it’s important to make sure it fits properly.  If it’s too snug against the bulwarks, it will induce a crowning bulge in the deck that’s difficult to settle down when gluing.  This is exacerbated by the tendency of the ply to soften up when wetted with PVA glue.  So for those building this assembly in the future I recommend making sure the fit of the deck side-to-side is not so tight as to overly compress the plywood.

 

In the end I used some small clamps, and five or six strategically placed brass pins to hold it down while the glue set.  Came out nicely.  I think the deck will be very pretty, especially when I give it a coat or two of poly.

 

I glued in the rudder, and then gave the whole hull a coat of the poly varnish to protect the paint.  I’m really liking the satin finish of the varnish over the painted surfaces.

 

I’m moving on to the timberheads and deck structures, while I wait for some dry-transfer letters to arrive in the post.  That’s an update on progress.... as always, I’m grateful for the advice and dialog!  
 

-EKE

 

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by EKE

[EKE]

Small update:  Started some of the deck details.  I built the mast step well, which consists of four perimeter frame parts, an interior bulkhead which completes the aft side of the well for the butt of the mast, a floorboard for the sole of the well, and six deck cleat brackets. Everything fit very well. I recommend dry fitting the square mast stock into the mast step before the glue sets, to make sure the aft bulkhead is in the correct vertical position to allow the mast to be inserted later.  Once this is checked, you can remove the mast stock.

 

I left the char on the edges of the deck cleats, as I thought they looked nice that way, adding a crisp look and a bit of contrast.  
 

I also started placing the timberheads on the port side.  This is quite a task, as I think there must be 10,000 of them.   just kidding, but my recommendation is make yourself a cocktail, as I did, put on some music, and settle in for a long session or two.  
 

Chris has made this as easy as possible, as the timberhead parts are laid out on the pearwood sheet in order, with annotations very clearly explaining how to proceed.  I started using CA gel, but I soon found that a bit stressful, as I wanted to make very sure the part was in the proper position, plumb and true, before the CA kicked off.  I ended up using Titebond instead, as it gave me a bit more piece of mind that I had the working time to position the pieces accurately.  
 

This is really fun!  I’m having a great time with this build.  As some of the deck structures start to go on, the Zulu is starting to gain character.  She coming alive!  

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by EKE

[Rik Thistle]

Erik,

 

Yeah, I like Vanguard's fishing boats...I secretly hope Chris adds to his line up...or maybe a tug or two? But I suppose tugs aren't sail driven so maybe not.  Yup, I like the smaller size and bare functionality of working boats.

 

As for timberheads, when I first saw all those tiny bits of wood in my Fifie's box I wasn't looking forward to fitting them...but after attaching a few it got strangely satisfying. Can't remember if I used PVA or CA.

 

Your Isabella is taking shape very nicely and very cleanly....an enjoyable build to watch...thanks.

 

Richard

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Rik Thistle
I had meant to say 'tugs' rather than 'trawlers'.

[EKE]

1 hour ago, Rik Thistle said:

Erik,

 

Yeah, I like Vanguard's fishing boats...I secretly hope Chris adds to his line up...or maybe a trawler or two?

 

Hey Chris.... how about an Australian Pearling Lugger?  👍 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by EKE

[Rik Thistle]

'Lugger'...nice one. Seems luggers were also used around the UK and France, sometimes for smuggling.

 

Apparently Fifies and Zulus can be classified as luggers?...but I'm only reading this on the web just now and am no expert at all.

 

Here's another interesting website .... https://intheboatshed.net/2008/10/23/spirit-of-mystery-crew-set-sail-for-australia-without-their-underpants/    ... including an Oz lugger adventure.

 

Richard    

[EKE]

A “lugger” is generally a small sailboat which carries a lug sail on one of its masts.  So yes, Fifies and Zulus were luggers.  The Australian Pearling Lugger was called a ‘Lugger’ but apparently stopped using lug sails for gaff rigs sometime in the late 19th century.

 

The pearling Lugger would be a great boat to kit, as it’s non-European, so a bit different.  Apparently, the boats would sail to spots along the reef, and would drift while divers in helmet rigs would harvest oysters for pearls.  This would give our friend Blue Ensign a field day kit-bashing.  He’d be soldering up little diving helmets, air hoses and weight belts.  
 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by EKE

[Rik Thistle]

Erik,

 

I think we've now been reading the same websites 😉 ... and similarly thinking that Blue Ensign is the man for the job when it comes to bashing Chris' new Lugger!

 

As an aside, I've just received my 'Sailing Drifters by Edgar March'. It looks in good condition but will remain in the 'isolation ward' (shed) for a few days before I handle it.

 

Richard

 

 

[EKE]

Timberheads complete on the port side.  You want to bevel the bottom of the last 4-5 timberheads at the stern, front to back, as the bulwark flares out considerably there.  Otherwise this isn’t tricky at all.  Just repetitive.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by EKE

[Mirabell61]

what a beautiful model Erik !

 

well done

 

Nils

[James H]

The memories are flooding back 👌

I do like the black uppers.

[EKE]

25 minutes ago, Mirabell61 said:

what a beautiful model Erik !

 

well done

 

Nils

Thanks Nils!

[EKE]

39 minutes ago, James H said:

The memories are flooding back 👌

I do like the black uppers.

Thanks, Jim!  I do too.  At first I was hesitant to cover up all the pearwood that I worked so hard on, but in the end she does look right this way, true to the type.  And a bit different than the other Zulus on MSW, so there’s value in the variety.

Edited December 8, 2020 by EKE

[EKE]

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted an update here.  Work has been a bit of a blur.  My studio had a big client presentation on Thursday, which my team has been working towards for the last few months.  We presented final drawings for our clients’ new house and grounds.  And we knocked it out of the park.  I am so proud of our team, and of the lovely project we shared with the owners.

 

Now things slow down a bit as we approach the holiday, so I can concentrate on the really important things... such as ship modeling.

 

I finished the timberheads, all 98 of them (yes, I counted.  ). As I said before, this is not a particularly difficult task, it just takes patience.  Then I added the side rails, which are developed in two parts per side, with a very nice little dovetail joint in the middle.  These fit perfectly, and it would be hard to mess this up, as Chris has provided laser-etched marks on each timberhead, to mark the correct position.  He even provided a vertical mark at the midpoint, to mark the location of the joint, so it’s really easy to make sure the rails on each side are in the same spot fore-and-aft (yes Chris, I noticed!  Thank you. 👌).  I glued them in with white PVA, and clamped them to make sure they conformed to the curve.

 

 

 

Then I added six adorable little cleats to the rails, and then gave the deck a light sanding with 600 grit paper, just to take the fuzz of of it, but not enough to ruin the beautiful etching.  Then I gave the deck and rails two coats of matte poly varnish.  I like the subtle satin sheen of this Minwax poly.  Good stuff.

 

Then I added the registration number on to the sides of the hull.  This was done with white dry transfer letters (RR Roman, white, from Woodland Scenics).   Came out well, I think, and it gives the boat real character.  I made the little decimal point with a toothpick, and white acrylic.  
 

The number identifies her as BF 1479 Fidelity, the Zulu from those beautiful drawings at the Greenwich Museum, which closely resembles Chris’ design.  The “BF” is for Banff, her port of registration.
 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by EKE

[Keithbrad80]

Your letter transfer turned out awesome! Your timber heads are also very very nice, I just finished mine on my Flying Fish as well!
 

Congrats on work that sounds exciting, happy holidays and stay safe! 
 

Bradley

[Blue Ensign]

Looks very smart Erik, especially against the black hull.👍

 

B.E.

[Rik Thistle]

Erik,

 

Congrats on the successful team presentation, and getting back to the shipyard for the festive period.

 

BF 1479 is looking very neat and (in my imagination) keen to get a catch on board ;-)

 

Richard

 

 

[EKE]

Been making some progress on deck details.  First I installed the triangular thwart brace at the stern, and built the small aft steering gear house.  This is an easily built small slab-sided deck house which contained the steering quadrant.  The steering lines exit the aft side of the house, and go through holes in the bulwark to terminate at the fitting on the top of the rudder.  I didn’t want the lines to sag over time, so I installed a little elastic “snubber” inside the house, so when I put a little tension on the lines while tying them to the rudder fitting, they will stay taught. 
 

I also built the companionway hatch, which has sliding rails on the deck of the main deck house.  All very authentically detailed by Chris in the kit.  This is all so well designed.  
 

 

Then I started work on various deck details.  Added all of the little handles to the fish hold hatches.  These are all PE brass, which I darkened with brass blackening solution.  Installation of these handles is a bit more involved than is described in the manual, as the holes for the outer handles on each side fall over the framework of the deck house, so they must be drilled out first before the pins for the handles can be fully inserted.  No problem there, but be aware of this.

 

Built up the steering wheel, and blackened it.  I lowered the mounting of this a bit from where Chris has it in the kit.  Seemed a bit too high at scale for it to be properly reached.  Looks right to me now.

 

One other interesting thing I discovered.  There are two small brass ports in the deck, which I am guessing are for filling fuel and potable water tanks.  The larger of the two (fuel?) had some nice photo-etched detail, including a radial bolting pattern on it.  I immersed the part in the brass blackening solution, and let it sit until I thought it had a nice bronzey brown patina, then pulled it out and washed it.  Well, the bolt marks stayed a nice bright bronze color, which is a really nice contrast to the darker patina of the rest of the port...it really brings out the detail.  All I can think of is that when I immersed it in the solution, a small air bubble must have formed at each of the bolt marks, which kept the solution from reaching the brass there.  Lucky happenstance.  I wonder if there’s some experimentation to be done here, maybe with silicone grease applied with a needle...?

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by EKE

[Blue Ensign]

Very neat work Erik, all looking good.

 

B.E.

[James H]

This has been a triumph. Your attention to detail is superb.

[EKE]

13 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

Very neat work Erik, all looking good.

 

B.E.

Thanks, B.E.!

[EKE]

12 minutes ago, James H said:

This has been a triumph. Your attention to detail is superb.

Lovely of you to say so, Jim.  Thanks so much.  I do think it’s coming along well so far.  I’m really grateful for all of the guidance and support from all of you here on MSW.  

[EKE]

I also built and installed the steam capstan.  This has got to be one of the neatest bits of design and engineering in the kit.  In the photos you see here on MSW, it looks large, because it’s so carefully detailed (and because James has a lovely close-up lens!), but truth is it’s tiny.  And it’s made of a bunch of even tinier parts, walnut dowel, PE plating and blades (whelps?), and MDF drums.  And they all fit together to make the coolest little machine you ever saw.  It’s brilliant, and really fun to build.

 

I assembled the “mighty mite”, and spayed it with red primer.  Then I painted the machine box at the top in black acrylic, and painted the circumference of the two drums in a grey-green for contrast.  And then as a final touch, I glued on the nice little brass winch on the side, after blackening it a touch to take the sheen off and weather it.  
 

The attention to detail in this kit is quite stunning, especially for one that is ostensibly targeting beginners.  Comparing the details to the drawings of BF1479 Fidelity from the Greenwich Museum, I have to say that Chris has missed very little.  Quite authentic indeed.

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by EKE

[Keithbrad80]

Your skills and attention to detail is very impressive for a first build! Things are looking very sharp, nice work on the capstan your paint job is very clean! 
 

Bradley

[Rik Thistle]

"... two small brass ports in the deck.... I immersed the part in the brass blackening solution....the bolt marks stayed a nice bright bronze color.... a small air bubble must have formed at each of the bolt marks, "

 

That's an interesting one.  Did it happen on both brass ports?

 

The 'held in the hand' pics are really good, and out in the sunshine too :-)  The different wood colourings and the fittings are combining very well.

 

Richard

[EKE]

8 hours ago, Keithbrad80 said:

Your skills and attention to detail is very impressive for a first build! Things are looking very sharp, nice work on the capstan your paint job is very clean! 
 

Bradley

Thanks very much for the kind words, Bradley!

[EKE]

4 hours ago, Rik Thistle said:

"... two small brass ports in the deck.... I immersed the part in the brass blackening solution....the bolt marks stayed a nice bright bronze color.... a small air bubble must have formed at each of the bolt marks, "

 

That's an interesting one.  Did it happen on both brass ports?

Thanks Richard.  It’s a bit hard to tell, since the other port is much smaller, and it’s very hard to see the detail clearly. 

Edited January 4, 2021 by EKE