HMS Granado by HardeeHarHar - Caldercraft - 1:64 - Bomb Vessel

[AJohnson]

Hi Brian, how’s your Granado build going, have you attached any of the details you have been painting?  The stern decorations looks nicely detailed, good painting 👍

[glbarlow]

Hopefully your diligently at work still…

[HardeeHarHar]

I am still making progress my good men.  I’m almost done with the cannon rigging.  I’ve been traveling a lot, and when I have time to work on the Granada, I am trying to do the best job possible.  

Edited April 4, 2022 by HardeeHarHar

[HardeeHarHar]

Got back to the coast and the Granado shipyard for a couple days, and I am still rigging cannons!!!

Edited April 17, 2022 by HardeeHarHar

[Peanut6]

Hey HHH, so what is the cannon count now (completed vs. still to do)?  

[HardeeHarHar]

Kev- I’ve got one more to build from scratch, some tune ups to do, monograms to attach on all but the one test case completed.  We have been inland for a while, so the shipyard was closed 😞

[Peanut6]

When you get finished with this build, can we consider you an armament expert?

[HardeeHarHar]

I’ll be an intermediate, if that!!!  Beginner with some experience.  Seasoned novice.  Etc!  There will be 12 cannons total, including the two bow chasers already in place under the forecastle deck.  The cannon tackle rigging is all being done with tan rope and black seizing.  I’ve stained the blocks very lightly to give them some aged appearance.  While out on the coast I went to a fly fishing store and got some waxed black nylon thread size A, and it seems to do a pretty good job as the seizing line.  Time will tell!

Edited April 18, 2022 by HardeeHarHar

[Peanut6]

I was very pleased with how Granpa's fly tying line worked out for me.  So glad I got 3 spools, all of which are nearly full.  Looking forward to seeing the pics of your rigged cannons when you get them done.

[allanyed]

Your build is going great, and I hope you do not mind a question.   Why do most of us (me included) rig cannon?  Am I (are we) just gluttons for punishment?   I have yet to find one contemporary model that has any cannon rigging other than breech ropes, and I am not sure they are original.  For that matter, the vast majority of hull models and some of the fully rigged models at RMG don't show cannon at all.  Just curious 🤪

Allan

[glbarlow]

Because we’re building a model and the aesthetics of a rigged gun look nice. Plus rigging guns is something we all need to endure to improve our perseverance and tenacity.

 

That said, and having rigged the guns on all of my previous models and my tenacity fully tested I won’t be using a single strand of rope on my Winchelsea.  I figure a model with 32 guns is a good time to go ‘contemporary.’

Edited April 18, 2022 by glbarlow

[HardeeHarHar]

Also, one has to admit that “it’s in the instructions!”  :-).  I do like the aesthetics of a fully rigged gun, and will likely do it again in the future.  But when the ship has 32 or more, I might have to look into purchasing fully rigged cannons 😉

[HardeeHarHar]

I should also note that I still need to temporarily "install" most of the cannons in the jig I have created.  Once "installed", the lines will be coated with dilute PVA in order to make sure that they all have and retain the correct "natural looking" shape.  Once they have all been treated as described, they will all be installed permanently in the Granado's gun ports.  And then I will have a celebratory moment (or two or three).

[HardeeHarHar]

On 4/18/2022 at 11:49 AM, Peanut6 said:

I was very pleased with how Granpa's fly tying line worked out for me.  So glad I got 3 spools, all of which are nearly full.  Looking forward to seeing the pics of your rigged cannons when you get them done.

I forget to note that your comment on Granpa's fly tying line gave me the idea and the inspiration to try it, particularly since there was a fly tying store near-by.  Thanks Kev!

[Peanut6]

  did you happen to get the PM I sent you?

Edited April 20, 2022 by Peanut6
additional content

[HardeeHarHar]

2 hours ago, Peanut6 said:

  did you happen to get the PM I sent you?

I did, and thought i sent you a reply, but maybe it didn't get sent/failed for some reason.  I'll go do so (again) presently.

[AJohnson]

Oh you tease Brian!

 

I saw your update on the "At a glance" thread and expected "pages" of updates here! 😆

 

She is looking good, love to see your updates here on your log when you have time my friend! 👍

[HardeeHarHar]

Back at the coast and the main shipyard here on Roanoke Sound of North Carolina.  I have been able to make modest headway on cannon installation and gun tackle rigging, it still needs some editing and adjusting to make the lines lay down more realistically, and I still need to make a bunch of flemish coils, etc.  However, progress is being made and I am going to celebrate it as it happens.  😃  I threw in a nice sunset picture after a heavy rain as eye candy for those stopping by and taking a look at the build!

Brian

Edited September 1, 2022 by HardeeHarHar

[AJohnson]

Plenty of water there Brian, now do you need a Pickup or a Canoe to get about from your place?  I can see a white van there, but it looks like you had a deluge not long before that lovely picture was taken! 

[HardeeHarHar]

6 minutes ago, AJohnson said:

Oh you tease Brian!

 

I saw your update on the "At a glance" thread and expected "pages" of updates here! 😆

 

She is looking good, love to see your updates here on your log when you have time my friend! 👍

Hah, you beat me to the punch Andrew!  I will take some better photos with a real camera before the end of the week, and then you can have a better look at my trials and tribulations with the 10 cannons 😃

[HardeeHarHar]

@AJohnson - We got 2.5 inches of rain in 1 to 2 hours, then the clouds started to break right around sunset.  Made for an interesting image.  Luckily we are on higher ground so our cars didn't float away (this time).

[HardeeHarHar]

Have I mentioned recently how time consuming it is to rig and install a mere 12 cannons?!?!?!  Holy Toledo, I have all 12 installed now, but there is plenty of touch up to do on the rigging.  I've worked on spinning Flemish coils (to finish off the rigging with a flourish) for a few hours the last two days, and I have managed to get SIX (yes, SIX) that look good enough to use.  I am using a rig to speed up the spinning, and a hair dryer to hasten the glue drying, and it still seems to be proceeding in uber slow motion.  That makes 15 Flemish coils total so far, out of the 36 I need to complete the cannon installation.   Someone send help, I need it! 

[VTHokiEE]

Rigging the cannons can be really time consuming, but it is all part of the journey. I don’t know if this method will work for you or not but I make my coils on the sticky side of painter’s tape. I coil them by hand and then either use diluted white glue (if cotton rigging) - still trying to determine the best option for synthetic (maybe varnish?) to hold the coil. After they dry I pop them off with a small scrapper and attach them on the model. I think I have some pictures from my Alert build. Let me see if I can track them down… hope it’s useful in some form or fashion.

 

Edit: Found a picture from the prior build: 

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by VTHokiEE
Added coil link

[HardeeHarHar]

Thanks @VTHokiEE!  I tried some other approaches, but then saw one that uses two plates and a spring (I’ll post a picture asap).  It works fairly well, and things are going a fair bit better today.  I think I have made about 10 today that look good enough to use.  I’ll also give your approach a try for comparison!  

[HardeeHarHar]

@VTHokiEE your coils look so perfect!  It seems your method is fast too!

[VTHokiEE]

44 minutes ago, HardeeHarHar said:

your coils look so perfect!  It seems your method is fast too!

Thank you, I appreciate that. I've found that it works pretty well for me, I tried a method or two similar to your plate and spring method but I wasn't very successful. It looks like your coils in the background are coming along quite nicely so if you have a method that works for you keep at it! Good work on the build so far, enjoying your updates.

[Peanut6]

Hey HHH, now I see what you've been getting "all wound up" about (sorry, I couldn't help myself) 

[AJohnson]

Hey Brian,

 

Doing coils is a pain, I've tried a few techniques and came across this one somewhere on MSW using little chips/counters that you "sandwich" the coils around a pin.  I use wet thread using a diluted PVA solution, so (hopefully) the coils stay together, trapping the end down the centre hole and then wrapping the thread around the centre pin.  Letting all dry before separating.

 

Made a board so I can do six at a time, hope this might be of help also.

[HardeeHarHar]

Ohhhhh, that looks efficient and effective!!!  Thanks!!!!

[HardeeHarHar]

I have learned the hard way that it pays to ask questions, or plead for help, earlier rather than later.  Had I learned about Andrew's approach to making 6 coils at one time a little earlier, I'd be done with my cannon rigging by now.  Instead, I have 3 cannons completed with Flemish coils in place, 7 left to go, and all 10 need serious touch-up/clean-up still.  Nevertheless, progress is being made, and I have learned a lot along the way that I can apply in future builds.  Woof.  Here is a picture of the deck as it stands right now:

I also happened to be cruising in Shallowbag Bay the other day and noticed that Elizabeth II now had her topmasts on and fully rigged, making her much more attractive in my opinion.  

And finally, I found some grass flats with some trout/dinner hiding in them.  They were some nice fish so I thought I would share.

I hope everyone is doing well and having fun, and thanks for looking in and offering advice, it sure does help a lot (even when it will have more impact in future builds).

 

Tight lines!

 

Brian