HMS Victory by Bill97 - FINISHED - Heller - 1/100 - PLASTIC

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. That is an interesting idea doing it in reverse. Never thought about doing it that way!  
 

Have been away from my Victory for almost a week. Went on a little family trip to beautiful Kentucky Lake. For some reason my wife would not let me bring it along to work on!  How inconsiderate was that? 😀

Since returning to my “ship yard” I have modified the channels as recommended by Daniel and installed them. After what has seemed like forever I am close to finishing Step 9!

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Looking great Bill, lovely paint job on that deck

[Ian_Grant]

I agree with Kevin.

 

Don't forget to feed that main tack through the chess tree! 🙂

[Bill97]

Ok Ian I am still learning nautical terms. Your last comment “feed that main tack through the chess tree” might have went over my head! 😊

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, we talked about this before. See post #433 where the tack runs through a sheave in the chess tree. I was just reminding you.....

[Bill97]

Oh OK Ian.  I looked back. I remember now. Thanks for the reminder. I still don’t remember all the terms and names of parts and have to scroll back or ask questions. 😊

[Bill97]

OK gentlemen here is your next quiz. I have looked through Longridge’s book and searched through the Heller instructions but can’t put my finger on this early rigging step. In the picture I am instructed to do something with a line near the mizzenmast backstay chain plate. I know I will eventually run standing rigging up to the mizzenmast and attach to deadeyes on this chain plate but I am not confident what this line is that I am instructed to thread before assembling parts 142 and 143. No idea what is meant by (ref - 1032 length 60mm). Can’t make out if this line is also attached to the chain plate. 

[Bill97]

The Heller standing rigging diagram shows a 3rd line running to the top of the mizzenmast even though there is only 2 deadeyes on the chain plate. I wonder if the line I questioned in the previous post is this line and if so, what is it attached to at the bottom?

[Ian_Grant]

Bill,

 

Consult Longridge pg 233 first paragraph, and last two paragraphs.

 

In summary, the two deadeyes on the stool are for the topmast standing backstay, and the topgallant backstay.

 

The royal backstay either has a thimble on the end lashed to an eyebolt on the stool, or lashed to a 2nd thimble attached to the eyebolt on the stool. This eyebolt lives behind the topgallant backstay deadeye which is why you can't see a 3rd attachment in the big drawing. This backstay is Heller's "1032";  I guess they want you to attach the thread before it is inaccessible behind the deadeye after you add it.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Ian_Grant

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. Your help is always so appreciated!  I am guessing like the other advance rigging steps I just attach an appropriate length of thread and coil it up for now?

Edited October 21, 2021 by Bill97

[Ian_Grant]

I think I rigged it from masthead to eyebolt figuring at least it's outside the hull. Either way works.

[Bill97]

Ian in the photo on page 233 it shows the line (topgallant shroud) to be attached to the deadeye rather than an eyebolt. Is either method acceptable or am I misreading. 

[Ian_Grant]

Hi Bill;  That's how the topgallant shrouds (not the backstay) tie off, in the mast tops - the deadeye shown is one of the topmast shroud deadeyes with the short iron plate to which the futtock shrouds hook.

 

This photo shows my model's maintop. The thimbles inboard of the shroud deadeyes and lanyards can be seen, as can the black topgallant mast shrouds rising inside the ratlines. Also you can just see the hooks on the futtock shrouds below the top.

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Ian_Grant

[Bill97]

Thanks one more time Ian. After reading your reply I realized I had a “da” moment! That photo is obviously not of the bottom deadeyes. Just this one photo you attached of your Victory shows some incredible rigging!  Beauty that I can only hope to get close to. I have an idea. How bout I bring my ship and meet you somewhere in between like Detroit and have you rig mine for me 😁.

[Ian_Grant]

Two years in a rented room to rig her, even in Detroit, would be prohibitively expensive 😁.

 

Just want to add that my maintop photo was during build, hence the few slack lines and dangling ends 🙄.

[Bill97]

Ian let me ask you and anyone else that cares to respond to this question. How do/did you use Longridge’s book as a reference guide?  I still have not got a good grip on that. Hence my previous question. Do you simply start at the chapter that begins the rigging process and follow sequentially through the book adding the designated lines as you go or do you follow the Heller instructions (which we all admit is tough) and look to Longridge’s book for guidance on that particular rope (thread) even if it means jumping all around in his book? I am very much a sequential builder. Do this line, then this line, and so on. I know I do the standing rigging before the running rigging. In my previous builds, especially the Revell USS Constitution, the instructions gave the sequence of every single line including the pin it tied too. I must admit I really liked that. 

[Ian_Grant]

Like many builders I paid zero attention to Heller's rigging instructions; they might as well be in Etruscan.

I recommend you do the same.

 

I read through Longridge's rigging instructions many times - evenings, at hockey and ringette practices, weekend afternoons. It's actually a pretty short read, given all the other info on hull building etc in this large book. I agree that Revell's rigging instructions are to die for, for sequence of events. Use them as a general guide for sequence, and look up lines in Longridge to get the details.

 

Like I said before, I actually rigged jeers etc before any standing rigging (apart from looping shrouds over the masthead), for reasons of access.

 

While reading Longridge through, I made notes in a Hilroy exercise book regarding extra eyebolts required etc.

 

Plan, plan, plan! 😀😃

[Bill97]

That sounds like a great plan Ian. I still have the Constitution rigging instructions booklet which I will use for sequence of lines then refer to Longridge’s book to see how he advises rigging that similar line. 👍

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Half of this conversation sounds like etruscan to me.... jeers, thimbles, futtocks.. Which probably gives you an indication of how I'm getting on with Longridge, Bill. I like the drawings though. Look, it's simple. You just send it to me when ready, I'll stick it in my garage, after a month the resident spiders will have it covered in silken strings so fine and taut you'll be the envy of the entire forum.

[Bill97]

Kevin that is the best idea I have heard yet! 😀😀😀

[Bill97]

Stern and quarter galleries installed over last couple days. Have to admit that was a bit of a challenge. Put copper on the roofs of the quarter galleries. A little putty here and there to fine tune a couple seams and then a little sanding followed by some paint touch up and I believe she is going to look pretty good!

[Ian_Grant]

She's looking great, Bill!

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. I have been anxious to get those parts installed. Had to remove the stern piece and redo it. After it set last night and the glue tried I noticed this morning that it was just slightly off center making the quarter galleries fit differently. I was able to carefully remove it and reattach it with no visible damage. Fine tune it over the next few build periods and move to the bow end. 
 

Again thanks for your help throughout this build along with Kevin and Daniel. 

[Bill97]

OK guys I am pulling my hair out today. I did all the steps in Daniel’s instructions for Plate 4 and painted all my little water buckets. I began the process of attaching the buckets to the tiny brass wires that make the bucket handles. Began might not be the appropriate term here!  I am sure I am to do this using CA glue but I can not establish an effective way to do it. For any of you who have used Daniel’s Plate 4, how did you attach the little tiny water buckets.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Afraid I can’t help you there Bill, light years away from that stage. What is making it so difficult with CA?

[Bill97]

Ok I was hollering before I was really hurt! 😊 

once I looked closely at Daniel’s picture I saw he put the little brass wires inside the buckets. I was trying to attach the little wires to the outside of the buckets. That just was not working. Once I saw Daniel put them on the inside of the bucket wall I simply put a touch of CA in the bucket and fed to the two little wires in and used my tweezers to press them apart inside. That worked great. Got that done now and Daniel’s skylight. Also dressed up the storage boxes at the back with some brass hinges. 

[Ian_Grant]

Nice buckets!

 

Those boxes at the taffrail are the flag lockers, which are just a bunch of cubby holes with a canvas flap over the front face, not a wooden hinged lid on top. The blobs of styrene supplied by Heller are unappealing. I copied Blue Ensign on the old Pete Coleman site, and cut the front off one, filling it with an array of short lengths of square brass tubing. I put coloured bits of toothpicks in to simulate folded signal flags. The canvas flaps were simulated with thin bandage tape, one being open to show the flags.

 

Here is a shot from the build. The real locker has many more cubbies, but I called it a day at this point.

 

I could only find this shot of the real thing:

[Bill97]

 Well heck Ian. Now you tell me.😀

Well they are in and done now. Still look better than the plastic cubes supplied with the kit. I think I read somewhere that Admiral Nelson tried the idea of hinged wooden chests to protect the flags from weather before switching to the cubby hole idea. 😉

I think my ship is the version during that week are two he used the chests. 😀

 

Think that sounded convincing?

 

Now on to this mess!

 

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, your photo of the "next mess" reminds me:  to forewarn you, the marine's walk has some slots among its grid surface for the mainstay and main preventer stay collars to pass through it. Their locations are wrong, given that these stays pass to the right of the foremast (which is why there are no boarding pikes on that side of the mast) and are not centred. If you use Heller's slots you'll have a kink in these high tension lines. Blue Ensign had a detailed description of this on the, all together now, "old Pete Coleman Victory site".

 

Don't glue the walk in until you have tested the alignment to the mainmast and shifted the slots.

 

Also I seem to recall some difficulty getting part 358 installed around the necessarily previously installed bowsprit gammoning (see Longridge pg 225) but the details are foggy. I forget the sequence I used. Try some dry assemblies to prevent getting into a corner. 🙂

 

Did you happen to buy Daniel's resin knighthead?  Whether or no, it is best to attach the relevant blocks to the front of the knightheads now because access is more difficult after this assembly stage is completed. See Longridge pg 266 Plan 10 for list of purchases which use these blocks.

[Bill97]

Kevin when you get a chance could you check your kit to see if it has a part?  I am searching for part #98 (see photo). It is called the Half Crown and is supposed to be on pack #8. I have scanned it and all the other packs and don’t find it. Curious if I am just not seeing it, I lost it somehow, or Heller no longer uses it. 
Thanks