HMS Victory by Roberts Orca - Corel - 1:98

[Eugenio Treviño]

Robert after setting the supports I recommend you to mark them with the position of the cannons and drill the holes and paint them black. This will help you to mark them in the first planking easily. Take a look to post 4,5 and 8 in my log.

Best regards!

[Roberts Orca]

10 hours ago, Eugenio Treviño said:

Robert after setting the supports I recommend you to mark them with the position of the cannons and drill the holes and paint them black. This will help you to mark them in the first planking easily. Take a look to post 4,5 and 8 in my log.

Best regards!

Hi Eugenio.  So glad I checked my notifications. I had installed all the blocks but forgot to paint them black. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm choosing to wait until after the hull is planked before locating my cannon ports. I don't trust my cutouts to line up with a predrilled hole. Just me. Thanks for the tip though.  If my way proves to be a mistake,  I'll remember you.😃

[Roberts Orca]

For anyone planning to build the hms victory from Corel,  I  highly suggest that you glue pieces #31 in place WHILE you're gluing up the bulkheads. They would have actually helped line everything up.  And it would have been much easier to glue them in. Having to cut each one to fit, after everything is already together was a PAIN. Thanks to my friend Eugenio, I was reminded to paint them black before I cover them with planking. Got my very first plank on. Starboard side. Runs right along the curve of the quarter deck. I'm fairly happy with the gentle sweep. 

Soon I will try to match this on the port side.  I'm going to take a break and remind myself of the importance of patience. Good day friends. 

                                            Robert 

[Roberts Orca]

Put the first plank on the port side. Checked carefully to make sure it lined up and mirrored the starboard plank, especially at the stern. Been following many other builders and found that tapering planks will be used alot. So I made a tapering jig. It's made from 3/4" melamine. Particle board core with a hardened plastic surface. I cut a saw kerf along the length that is 4.5 mm deep and another that is 4.25 mm deep. The kerf is just wide enough for 2 strips. So I can taper matching strips for both sides. I simply put the strips in the slot and using 120 grit sandpaper and a block I sand down the end flush with the plastic surface. Then sand lengthwise along the strip to taper it up. Works great. 

Glued in place the first tapered plank next to the port strip. The planking clamps I got in the mail are working good. I'm just using white glue on all surfaces. 

[Rob S]

She’s shaping up nicely!

[Roberts Orca]

Thank you Rob for the compliment. 

I've been spending some time studying the forward progress. Especially in the stern area. After looking at some pre shaped blocks that go there, I realized that I need to still take a little more wood off of the last bulkhead. Then I'm going to do some math and try to lay out a plan for the planking. Have a great day. I'll post pictures later today. Best regards,    Robert 

[Gregory]

On 2/9/2021 at 12:19 AM, Roberts Orca said:

The planking clamps I got in the mail are working good.

I love those little clamps for 1st Planking.  Used them on my first build over 25 years ago..

[Roberts Orca]

4 hours ago, Gregory said:

I love those little clamps for 1st Planking.  Used them on my first build over 25 years ago..

They are very good. I'm curious, how do you get the second layer of planking clamped in place. I'm considering doing smaller pieces,  or strips, and leaving it natural. Appreciate your suggestions. 🙂

[Gregory]

41 minutes ago, Roberts Orca said:

how do you get the second layer of planking clamped in place.

 There are a lot of different options, and too much for a single post from me.

 

You could use the clamps until you have no room without putting holes in the 2nd planking.

There are techniques for bending the planks so they lay flat on the curves.  I'll find you some links.

There are wood glues that set up relatively quick and there are methods of using rubber bands and various bumpers to hold down the plank until the glue sets.

 

I personally use CA ( super glue ) but it has taken me a while to get comfortable with it.

 

Do the Corel pans/instructions call for scaling the planks?  You might have to rely on advice from others who have built the kit.

 

Here is info about Chucks bending techniques..

 

 

This is single planking, but would be just as useful for double.

Chuck uses CA and no clamping, but you could adapt it for wood glue and some sort of clamping.

 

If you do use CA you need to experiment with a formulation that works best for you. 

I threw away a lot of CA before I settled on this:

 

Gap Filling 4oz CA Glue  ( Medium Bob Smith Industries Glue

 

Keep asking questions and I'm sure you will get a lot of help..

 

 

[Roberts Orca]

2 hours ago, Gregory said:

 There are a lot of different options, and too much for a single post from me.

 

You could use the clamps until you have no room without putting holes in the 2nd planking.

There are techniques for bending the planks so they lay flat on the curves.  I'll find you some links.

There are wood glues that set up relatively quick and there are methods of using rubber bands and various bumpers to hold down the plank until the glue sets.

 

I personally use CA ( super glue ) but it has taken me a while to get comfortable with it.

 

Do the Corel pans/instructions call for scaling the planks?  You might have to rely on advice from others who have built the kit.

 

Here is info about Chucks bending techniques..

 

 

This is single planking, but would be just as useful for double.

Chuck uses CA and no clamping, but you could adapt it for wood glue and some sort of clamping.

 

If you do use CA you need to experiment with a formulation that works best for you. 

I threw away a lot of CA before I settled on this:

 

Gap Filling 4oz CA Glue  ( Medium Bob Smith Industries Glue

 

Keep asking questions and I'm sure you will get a lot of help..

 

 

Thank you Gregory. There's just about everything a ship modeler needs in this site. I've used gap filling CA glue quite a bit building RC aircraft. It's not very forgiving. I'd prefer to use Elmer's or tite bond. Corel doesn't ask the builder to scale the planks, I like the look of it. And they supplied a very good quality walnut for it. I saw a post where someone used separate planks with charcoal in between them. I would like to do that. Finish it with tung oil. 

I'll keep plugging away. Thank you kindly for taking some time for me.

Best regards,      Robert 

[Roberts Orca]

Here's a photo of the stern area at bulkhead #14. The blocks go in some time later, but it gave me good reference for shaping #14.

[Roberts Orca]

Planking progress. 

That strip on the bow was fun. I used a quart sized paint can to pre bend the strip. Once dry it fit right in.

I was bored so I pinned every plank to each bulkhead with a small piece of toothpick. We're supposed to be getting a foot or so of snow for the next few days. I think I'll keep planking.  Best regards,   Robert 

[Eugenio Treviño]

Very nice planking Robert. And you are flying!!! Great.

[Roberts Orca]

20 minutes ago, Eugenio Treviño said:

Very nice planking Robert. And you are flying!!! Great.

Thank you my friend. I've been enjoying the journey. This HMS VICTORY is quite the challenge. I think the only thing that is square is the end of deck boards 😂 everything else has many angles and turns. 

Would have been fun to see those guys build it in real life. I have a new appreciation for what those guys went through. 

[Roberts Orca]

Here's a picture of my new plank bending jig for the bow.

Good day to all.  Robert 

[Roberts Orca]

It's snowing outside. Might as well put a few more planks on. 

Here's some updated photos. 

Have a great day. 😊

[Roberts Orca]

[Roberts Orca]

Looking ahead I was thinking about the stern area at the rudder location. After measuring the thickness of the rudder, then realizing that after the 2 layers of  hull planking go on, the joining area between the hull and rudder will be way too thick. Corel didn't give any instructions to reduce this area. I went ahead and did a rabbet the thickness of my first plank. The walnut is thinner and I think it will work out. 

It's snowing pretty heavy now. I guess I'll keep planking. Beats shoveling snow.😁

[Roberts Orca]

While waiting for a plank strip to dry, I decided to try and make my own steering wheel. The one in the kit won't fit between the 2 decks. Corel shows the steering wheel out in front of the poop deck edge. Where as the actual location is under the poop deck next to the mizzen mast. 

I took an old artist paint brush handle and cut a small piece for the barrel. Then I drilled 8 tiny holes around each end. I know that victory had 10 spokes, but seriously,  it was hard enough getting 8 in there.🤪

Then I found an old ink pen cap. Plastic. It looked to be the right diameter. I cut 2 small donuts of of the end. Then drilled 8 tiny holes around each donut. Next I took tooth picks and chucked them in my cordless drill. And with 120 grit sandpaper between thumb and forefinger I sanded down 16 tiny spokes. Put a dab of Elmer's white glue on the spokes and pushed them through the donut into the barrel. And here ya go. Not as pretty as the one in the kit, but with some paint I think it's going to work. 

Best regards,   Robert 

[Helli]

Hello Robert,

 

I like the planking very much. The wooden nails are great. It`s a shame that they disappear under the second planking.

Keep it up.

I`m already looking forward to the next step.

 

Helli

[Roberts Orca]

Thanks Helli for your kind words. 

I have to admit, I'm frustrated with the way my planking is going. Especially now at the stern. My first plank to take the sharp corner broke.☹.  I'm  probably going to have to wet those down and pre bend them. 

Learning curve is taking me a while. I'm wishing these lime wood strips were a little thinner, but then there wouldn't be much left for sanding. 

Time to put it down for a bit.

Best regards,   Robert 

[Roberts Orca]

I put some more patience on and attempted the port side strip. First I tapered the strip according to my measurements.  Then I laterally bent the strip in my jig using a flat iron. Then I pre bent the bow end, again using my jig. Then I positioned the strip on the hull bow end tight against the keel, and carefully marked where the stern area needed to be bent. I'm using my wife's old curling iron to heat up the strip and slowly bend in the shape. 

I have to admit, my patience is thin, I need to appreciate the process more. I'm not use to going through so many steps for 1 piece of wood.

I'm  also trying to give myself some slack. This is my first ship model,  I'm going to make mistakes. 😖.

Following are my messy strip photos.  Have a great day.   ROBERT 

[Roberts Orca]

Today was a successful day in that I learned how to apply my hull planking strips in a new way. I can be stubborn and not want to learn new things. But when the experts are saying "do it this way" I need to pay attention. I successfully applied another 4 strips, and I didn't break them.😁

And I switched from titebond glue to medium CA. I don't like it when I glue myself to the ship.🥺

Any and all advise is welcome.  Thanks for taking the time to look in.

Best regards,  Robert 

[Roberts Orca]

Discovered that the plank run at the stern was a little off. I cut a new path for the next strips. This is all a huge learning experience. Hopefully I can get the walnut on better. 

While I can still put the ship in it's holder, I measured out the location of the gun ports. Marked centers with a sharpie. Once I know they are where they are supposed to be, I'll drill a hole in the center to match up with a jig for cutting out the ports.

I've learned so much from following many victory builders. My hat is off to you for allowing me into your world. Here's some photos. 

[Roberts Orca]

So now I'm discovering the complexities of planking a hull. And why so many people have said that the HMS VICTORY was taking a big bite for my first build. 

I am trying to get the bottom third of the hull planked, but I'm having trouble. I need to rethink this process. My relief is that I get to cover up all my mistakes with a layer of walnut. But my concern is whether or not I'll be able to get the walnut to look good. This is nothing like building a cedar strip kayak. Much more difficult. I don't want to throw in the towel, but I have to admit I have been very frustrated with my build. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or thoughts to help me. 

Thank you, best regards,   Robert 

[Gregory]

It looks like you are not taking into account the amount of  tapering needed at the bow.

 

You need to measure the number of planks needed at midship, then divide the area  at the bow by the same number.

 

Here is a little section from Chuck's Winchelsea.  He is single planking, but you can use the same method on POB.  You can practice on first layer and refine the process on 2nd layer..

 Don't undo what you have done so far, because it will clean up just fine as a basis or 2nd planking.   You may end up with some sharp pointed blanks, but don't worry about that now.

 

 

Here is a little detail to show the marks  ( red dots are mine ) made when lining off the hull and determining plank width..

 

Looking ahead you will find the area at the stern post may be wider than mid-ship and you will have to introduce a stealer or two, because you don't have wider planks to make up the difference.

 

I'll try to help you later with stealer info, if you need it.

 

I am certainly no expert, but I have had to dig deep on this forum for the help I need..   You will probably see I talk about Chuck a lot, but I have found he is good at explaining things in a way the beginners can understand.

[Roberts Orca]

5 hours ago, Gregory said:

It looks like you are not taking into account the amount of  tapering needed at the bow.

 

You need to measure the number of planks needed at midship, then divide the area  at the bow by the same number.

 

Here is a little section from Chuck's Winchelsea.  He is single planking, but you can use the same method on POB.  You can practice on first layer and refine the process on 2nd layer..

 Don't undo what you have done so far, because it will clean up just fine as a basis or 2nd planking.   You may end up with some sharp pointed blanks, but don't worry about that now.

 

 

Here is a little detail to show the marks  ( red dots are mine ) made when lining off the hull and determining plank width..

 

Looking ahead you will find the area at the stern post may be wider than mid-ship and you will have to introduce a stealer or two, because you don't have wider planks to make up the difference.

 

I'll try to help you later with stealer info, if you need it.

 

I am certainly no expert, but I have had to dig deep on this forum for the help I need..   You will probably see I talk about Chuck a lot, but I have found he is good at explaining things in a way the beginners can understand.

Gregory you have been so helpful.  Thank you so much for taking some time for me. I've watched the videos from Chuck. Great instructions. I think I'm starting to understand more of what I need to do. I can't undo what I've done. So I'll need to be creative in filling in my hull.

I had no idea that planking the hull was going to be this involved. So I'm needing to pace myself differently. So if all I do is get 1 plank on per day, so be it. I would rather do it right than make a mess as I have done.

Thank you again for your kindness in lending a hand.        Robert 

[Gregory]

I have learned a lot over the years.  The biggest thing to wrap your head around, is that you can't cover a curved surface, with flat, straight planks.

Few kit instructions bother to point that out.  To make it worse, they are often curved in more than one dimension.

 

You are doing a great job so far.  Most importantly, you are asking questions and not getting discouraged.

[Roberts Orca]

1 hour ago, Gregory said:

I have learned a lot over the years.  The biggest thing to wrap your head around, is that you can't cover a curved surface, with flat, straight planks.

Few kit instructions bother to point that out.  To make it worse, they are often curved in more than one dimension.

 

You are doing a great job so far.  Most importantly, you are asking questions and not getting discouraged.

I learned how to make a cedar strip kayak. But that's a bigger curve. This is working with tiny pieces of wood and bending them at times quite sharply. I'm not afraid to learn, but I have gotten discouraged. Thanks to your encouragement and tutoring I will keep trying. I'm pretty hard on myself. I'll try to ease up a bit.

Thanks,  Robert 

[Eugenio Treviño]

11 hours ago, Roberts Orca said:

So now I'm discovering the complexities of planking a hull. And why so many people have said that the HMS VICTORY was taking a big bite for my first build. 

I am trying to get the bottom third of the hull planked, but I'm having trouble. I need to rethink this process. My relief is that I get to cover up all my mistakes with a layer of walnut. But my concern is whether or not I'll be able to get the walnut to look good. This is nothing like building a cedar strip kayak. Much more difficult. I don't want to throw in the towel, but I have to admit I have been very frustrated with my build. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or thoughts to help me. 

Thank you, best regards,   Robert 

Robert !!!!

 

What are you talking about my friend? You are doing a great job!!! Your craftmanship is superior; your Victory is going to be glorious !!!

 

The bow area, approaching the keel, is the trickiest one. You have curvatures in two axes. Therefore, you need to take care of the plank’s correct tapering, the curvature to the center, and the curvature to the bottom.

 

What I did was to taper the plank and then bend it to the center (the device you made looks perfect for that). After that I soaked the plank again and by hand made the second curvature towards the bottom (same as shown in Chuck’s videos, but rudimentary way).

 

I used a combination of glues. CA to fix the plank to the bulkheads and white wood glue in the plank to plank areas.

 

My recommendation is to take a couple of days off, do something else, and then go back to work and enjoy !!!