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

[Bill97]

OK Ian. Screwed up pikes and rings removed and cleaned with acetone. Need to refinish the lower part of the mast where the rings were and then do it over the right way, or would that be the Port way! 😊

[Ian_Grant]

Glad that acetone makes CA removal easy. I didn't know that.........

[Bill97]

OK Ian pikes now correctly on port side of foremast. Thanks again for bringing that to my attention before it was to late to correct. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Bill97

[Bill97]

Ok gentlemen as I get closer and closer to starting my standing rigging I am spending more time reading the rigging chapters on rigging in Longridge’s book as you all recommend. Starting with Chap 14 on page 220 do you recommend rigging in the order that he explains each line: Main Stay then Main Stay Collar, then Main Preventer Stay, then the Fore Stay, etc, etc, etc, on through page 233?

[Bill97]

I ran across a post from John Reid where he listed his recommended sequence for the standing rigging.  Being a very accomplished builder I trust his opinion. His sequence seems to make sense. I think my plan will be to follow his sequence using Longridge’s book for specific instruction on how to do each line. Looking at his sequence (see photos) would any of you recommend any modifications based on your building experience?

[Ian_Grant]

On 12/28/2021 at 1:00 PM, Bill97 said:

 

 

 

Bill - Don't forget about the lashing at the heel of the jib boom.....Longridge mentions it on pg 227 "Standing Rigging of the Jibboom &etc"

[Ian_Grant]

Regarding the order of rigging, my goal is always to minimize the number of lines I have to tie down at deck level while reaching in through previously rigged lines. I think I mentioned before I rig a lot of stuff in reverse for this purpose. It makes for a mess in the intermediate stages but saves a lot of cursing later. 🙄  For example I attached the lower yards and rigged their jeers completely, before the lower shrouds (shrouds were seized around the mast head, but just dangling). My thinking was that I had easy access at that stage, and that any slight movement of the mast as I later adjusted the shroud lanyards would not affect the jeers anyway.

 

You just have to imagine later stages, and try to avoid painting yourself into a corner.

 

I'm doing this again on my Preussen build. Only the jigger mast is glued in so far but already there are a lot of dangling threads. 😬 I will be rigging all the sheets and downhauls in reverse, at each mast.

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. Great suggestion. At this point would you go ahead and glue in the three lower masts sections and add the mast tops and futtock plates so stays and shrouds can be attached?  Then with plans to add the remainder of masts sections later?

[Ian_Grant]

Hi Bill.  You would be better to get the various blocks attached beneath the mast tops first while separate from the boat. Especially the fore top.

[Bill97]

Oh that makes since for sure. 👍

Will install the lower section of the 3 masts and then attach all the various blocks to the 3 tops before installing them. In my pictures the lower masts are just dry fitted in the decks b
 

Today I put Daniel’s etched boarding pikes around the base of the main mast. So far of all the etched parts I found this to be the most frustrating but I finally got it. 

[Bill97]

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my MSW friends! Hope it is a great 2022 for each of you and your family. 

[Old Collingwood]

Splendid work Bill  - really coming on.

 

Happy New Year to you and yours.

 

OC.

[Ian_Grant]

Thanks Bill, and I echo that comment to everyone 🥂  Have a safe happy 2022 😷.

 

Bill, I realized that there are some things you could do before gluing in the masts; or maybe you have done them I don't know. Way way back I mentioned some additional eyebolts you need around the masts. I think you bought Noel Hackney's little book after I mentioned it? If so see his belaying plan inside the back cover. 

 

Around the foremast you need four eyebolts marked 18, 19, and 47(pair). These are for the main topmast stay and preventer, and foreyard truss pendants. You also need a pair of cleats at the front of the mast for the pendants.

 

Around the mainmast you need four eyebolts marked 9, 10, and 65(pair). These are for the mizzen stay and preventer, and mainyard truss pendants. You also need a pair of cleats at the front of the mast for the pendants.

 

Around the mizzenmast you need four eyebolts marked 78(pair), and 93(pair). These are for the driver boom lifts, and crojack truss pendants. You also need a pair of cleats at the front of the mast for the pendants.

 

These would be easier to drill before adding the masts. In keeping with my rigging philosophy, I attached the stays and boom lifts, with the required thimbles etc, at this stage and rigged them in reverse later.

 

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. No I don’t have that book. Would you be able to attach a photo of the base of each of your mast so I can follow your lead?

[Ian_Grant]

Sorry my model is hard to photo in its case. Here are pics of Hackney's belaying diagram. Longridge's is very good but he omits some deck eyebolts. Consult him for rigging these lines, and the diagrams below to show where they terminate.

 

The forecastle area:

47 are eyebolts and cleats for foreyard trusses;

18 is eyebolt for main topmast stay;

19 is eyebolt for preventer stay;

 

Quarter and Poop decks:

65 mainyard truss pendants;

9 mizzen stay;

10 preventer stay;

 

78 cro'jack truss pendants;

93 driver boom topping lifts;

107 are davit lifts which he claims use same eyebolts as topping lifts; I think Longridge places them on mizzen belaying pin band.

 

Oh and while I think of it - you'll be rigging many lines to the forecastle after rail beside the belfry. You might want to drill some sheave holes at an angle through the bases of the uprights before proceeding upwards.

 

Good luck Mr. Phelps.........this post will self-destruct in 10 seconds............

Edited January 1, 2022 by Ian_Grant

[Bill97]

Thank you my friend. This is perfect. 

[Bill97]

Now that I have begun construction of the masts I referred to Longridge’s book for  any bits of helpful information. When I was reading about the mast top I saw in the drawing that it included a copper edge around the exterior (see photo). Since I still have left over copper tape from doing the hull I decided to replicate the drawing. Added some of my hand made eyebolts to the underside. The tips of the eyebolt ends are slightly visible on the top, but acceptable. 

[Ian_Grant]

I missed that. I think the plates are only at the deadeye spaces though.

[Bill97]

After closer look Ian I think you are right. Much easier fix than the pikes being on wrong side of mast, 😊

[Bill97]

When I first started my HMS Victory most of the reviews I read and comments from other builders here on MSW lead me to believe building this kit would be a couple years in the making, at least. As I moved along over the last 8 months several of my friends on MSW complimented me on the speed of my progress. Even comparing my progress to how long it took them. This kind of lead me to think I might finish my HMS Victory in much less time than I expected. Well no no no no no my MSW friends that is not going to be the case. As I look over and study this rigging challenge I fully expect it to match or exceed the amount of time I spent building the ship. Wow!

 

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Bill, I think your build will stand as a good reference for doing it well in a fast timeframe. It’s also the best step by step log I’ve come across. I was looking at where you’ve got to, a day or two back, and thinking ‘that’s a lot of ship’, compared to the CS for instance. I’ll watch with interest as you progress into the rigging.

[Bill97]

Thank you very much Kevin I appreciate you nice comments. We will see how this goes. I wish I could arrange for you, Daniel, Ian, and a others to come look over my shoulder and lead the way. 😊

 

By the way on a humorous note, how many if any, parts are floating around inside your ship?  Parts accidentally knocked lose and for ever trapped inside. I know I have one cannon barrel and one cannon hatch shutter (sick bay) that I am sure of. I replaced the barrel with a spare I had and made a new shutter. However any time I tilt the ship to work on something I hear lost parts slide about the lower decks

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, we are looking over your shoulder, figuratively speaking. We just need a constant stream of pics to keep you on the straight and narrow! 😄

[Kevin-the-lubber]

I just fish them out… not so difficult when, 8 years in, I still haven’t glued the hull together 🤪

[Bill97]

Ian be prepared for a steady stream of pictures! 😀

 

[Bill97]

Lower foremast installed with appropriate blocks at this point added and the deck eyebolts you recommended Ian. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Bill97

[Bill97]

Well. Pretty good screw up noticed today. If you scroll up to post #700 to see I show the completed installation of Daniel’s etched boarding pikes on the main mast. Little frustrating to do but I thought I did it OK. Anyone who has installed them know Daniel’s instructions say to dry fit the mast in the hole and make a mark about 5mm above the surface of the deck. This mark is where the bottom ring is to be fixed and then the upper ring and pikes placed in accordance with this bottom ring. No problem. Did it just as instructed. Today I finished attaching all the appropriate blocks on the lower main mast and was finally ready to glue it in. There is a square peg on the bottom of the mast and a matching square hole in the bottom of a he hull that the mast is supposed to set in. If it is set correctly the mast is locked in position and can not turn. Applied glue to the square peg on the bottom of the mast and slid it into the holes on the decks heading toward the square hole in the bottom of the hull. As expected the mast came to a solid stop and I believed the squares were lined up as required and that the mast should not be able to turn. Ready to let it set and the glue dry. Thought I needed to adjust the mast just a little to get the top perfectly parallel with the deck. Expected that I should only have a slight bit of play since the square peg was firmly in the square hole. Well no that was not the case. The mast was able to rotate completely all the way around meaning it was not fully in and set. After scratching my head, peering into the hole with a flash light, and examining what was going on I reinserted the mast into the decks and with a little twisting, turning, and a little pressure had the mast drop down into position. Apparently my decks are slightly off alignment to where the mast does not smoothly slide into the hole. However with a bit of effort I am able to set it correctly so that is not a problem. Where the screw up came in is when I was able to set the mast correctly the bottom ring of Daniel’s etched boarding pikes dropped to the surface of the deck! For whatever reason whatever was stopping the mast from fully dropping into position happened as well when I was doing my original mark for the ring. As a result I knew I was going to have to carefully remove the boarding pike rings and slide them up about a half inch. I again resulted to using acetone to loosen the CA and ever so gently prying the rings lose enough to slide them up the mast. I reinserted the mast and located the correct seat. I marked the mast correctly this time and used CA to glue it into position. Acetone also dissolves Vallejo acrylic paint so I had to sand off all the old paint and dried CA at damaged area and refinish it. Several of the fragile pikes were bent in the process so I straighten them and all was good again!  I plan to use a long narrow file to adjust the alignment of the holes in the decks so the mast will easily slide into place this time. 

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, it's not you it's the kit. There is indeed an alignment problem with the mainmast hole in one of the decks; I forget which.  I recall testing it after adding each deck and going at it with a file too. Too bad about the pikes - at least you had the fix method previously worked out! 😀

[Bill97]

Yes Ian. That is what is was. The alignment was just not right. I used a long narrow file and widened the one that appeared out of alignment as I looked down through the whole with my flashlight. The bottom one seemed to be the issue. I just now got it glued and set correctly. It is late evening (I think we are in same time zone) around 10:15 PM. A little late to be modeling but this was going to keep me awake until I got it set. Looking at the photo I attached I can tell I need to adjust the pikes a bit but that is easy on comparison. Hopefully I can do the mizzenmast without issue. So far I am 0-2 for installing the fore and main mast without issue. 😀

[Kevin-the-lubber]

That’s a useful tip Bill, note to self to slightly enlarge the mast holes in the lower decks. I remember thinking, during dry fits, that this was a risky area and once painted likely to be even more so. Isopropyl alcohol is also good for dissolving acrylic paint, and doesn’t dissolve glue (but does make putty go soggy). I know this because I had to strip the entire deck of the CS yesterday evening after making a mess of inking in the plank lines through guessing where they should be where I could barely see them under the base coat - I’m doing the same as you, Vallejo old and new wood. But I have a plan…

 

In passing, I’ve been experimenting, over the last two or three weeks, with re-making the deck in sections as a proxy for doing the whole victory hull and upper decks and learned that this would be extremely difficult to get right. Probably extremely expensive too, with all the trial and error. Getting ‘seamless’ joints in the printing is the problem and not even commercial hobby 3D printing outfits seem able to print a whole deck of this size. No doubt industrial businesses could, but at quite a cost. So at least I now know to let go of those thoughts and, as I feel ‘victory energy’ returning, where to direct that energy when I pick up on it again.