HMS Snake by jim_smits - Caldercraft - First Build

[drtrap]

I always use a metal primer on all brass and copper parts that need painting, try that if you want to paint parts before fitting them. I then don't have any problems with paint rubbing off...

To restore/touch up the appearance especially to small black parts it is advisable to use a waterproof black permanent marker.

[jim_smits]

Still working away producing tackle and now also creating rope coils for the deck.

 

Created a little rig to produce four coils at a go using board pins, rigging thread and a bit of pva watered down.

 

Just got to keep grinding away until it's all done.

[ModelBoatMaker]

Still working away producing tackle and now also creating rope coils for the deck.

 

Created a little rig to produce four coils at a go using board pins, rigging thread and a bit of pva watered down.

 

Just got to keep grinding away until it's all done.

Jim, do you glue the rope tackle to the deck first, and then separately glue the rope coil on top? Also do you find that the watered pva changes the colour of the rope?

 

Cheers,

 

Pete

[jim_smits]

Hi Pete,

 

Yes the rope is glued to the deck and the coil is made separately and placed over the end of the rope and glued down.

 

The rope seems to be unaffected by the PVA as it dries very translucent. Colour is still consistent with the unglued rope section.

 

Hope this helps

 

Jim

[ModelBoatMaker]

Hi Pete,

Yes the rope is glued to the deck and the coil is made separately and placed over the end of the rope and glued down.

The rope seems to be unaffected by the PVA as it dries very translucent. Colour is still consistent with the unglued rope section.

Hope this helps

Jim

Yes that helps Thankyou, I will try using a different weaker glue and hopefully it won't change colour, also when you glue the rope coil down to the deck do you water it down or not?

 

And one last thing, over on my log I have asked about the side fenders, if possible could you try and help me?

 

Thanks!

 

Pete

[jim_smits]

Yes that helps Thankyou, I will try using a different weaker glue and hopefully it won't change colour, also when you glue the rope coil down to the deck do you water it down or not?

And one last thing, over on my log I have asked about the side fenders, if possible could you try and help me?

Thanks!

Pete

I can see a response from Dubz but no question from yourself?

[mort stoll]

I like your jig. I usually make coils as per Mastini in his book "Ship Modeling Simplified.

 

Mort

[jim_smits]

Progress so far.

 

Tackle assembled and added to one sides worth of carronades. Need to touch up the metalwork, and some of the rope coils still need to be added.

 

 

[jim_smits]

All carronades have been installed and I have finished adding rope coils to the ends of the trailing ropes from the sets of tackle.

 

I still have to touch up some of the hooks and there are now bits and pieces over the hull that need a little attention but I can now think about turning my attention to masts and rigging. I am trying to decide whether to add the anchors or not. I figure that they could be added towards the end and would just end up in the way otherwise. Any general thoughts in this area?

 

Anyway, here are some pics of the build thus far....

[mort stoll]

I would rig the ship and add the anchors as late as possible. Your build looks great.

 

Mort

[Beef Wellington]

Looks lovely Jim, I'm trying to get some more time back in the shipyard after returning from our holiday (actually we were in your neck of the woods near Bath), unfortunately we had some water in our basement so the shipyard has been out of commission.  Must be nice to have all the deck fitted out.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[jim_smits]

Welcome back mate!

 

Hope you had a good time. Manage to visit Portsmouth docks? Missus and myself went about a month or two ago. Victory had most of the masts and the spars down for repair. Shame really, sort of loses the effect.

 

Yeah, not far from myself at all. Went to University in Bath. Lovely city.

 

Hope the dockyard is salvageable, be good to see your build up again!

[jim_smits]

Deep breath and onto the next daunting steps - the masts and rigging.

 

First step, I added in the Boomkins. Cut from dowel, and then I simply used sandpaper to sand down a taper into the Boomkins. Then added 1mm brass wire into the end and pinned into the bulwarks.

 

 

 

Next step was to make a start on the Fore Mast. This took a lot of time and patience. As per the plans, I cut 8mm dowel to length and then proceeded to plane the mast down to accept the cheeks and bibs. Also then shaped the top of the mast to fit the tressletrees and the mast cap.

 

 

 

Put the tressletree together and used it to test the shape of the mast tops. Gradually iterating until the tressletree was able to rest on top of the bibs.

 

 

I then put together the Mast top and gunwale and careful marked up and glued on the battens as per the plans. Once complete this was then glued to the tressletrees. Then added further detail with the rail at the rear of the platform, and single 3mm tackle blocks underneath for the bow spirit rigging.

 

 

 

All parts were painted as appropriate. I have gone for yellow ochre for the masts with black for the detailing and platforms. Did a quick check of the mast orientation. There was a distinct lean to the right from the front view. Quickly sanded down the bottom and added a shim to straighten it out. All good!

 

 

Added the metal bands to the mast using black paper cut to 2mm width and glued down with slightly watered down PVA.

 

 

Just need to repeat for the main mast now.

Edited August 26, 2013 by jim_smits

[Beef Wellington]

Wow Jim, you really have been busy!  Looking fantastic, you've covered so much ground.  How did you shape the top of the masts with the square section?

[jim_smits]

Wow Jim, you really have been busy! Looking fantastic, you've covered so much ground. How did you shape the top of the masts with the square section?

Hi Jason,

 

In answer to your question - very slowly!

 

I had already planed down two surfaces on opposite sides for the cheeks and bibbs. after that I used a sharp modelling knife and shaved down the remaining two sides, constantly checking the orientation. Any divergance was corrected as I went until the correct angles were attained and I then sanded down to correct size.

 

The really hard work was on my work on the Gallant for the fore mast. That has two square sections on either end. Had to be very careful to make sure that the two squares line up and weren't 'twisted'. Did all of that by eye but took a fair while. Sure if I had any proper machining tools this would have been a lot simpler but it is all by eye, knife and sandpaper...!

Edited August 28, 2013 by jim_smits

[jim_smits]

Got a question regarding the main mast and hopefully someone can help.

 

The plans show that the platform that is attached to the main mast is attached perpendicular to the mast. However, as the main mast is raked back a few degrees, this means that the platform will not be parallel to water level. What is the correct orientation? Parallel to water level or perpendicular to the mast?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Got a question regarding the main mast and hopefully someone can help.

 

The plans show that the platform that is attached to the main mast is attached perpendicular to the mast. However, as the main mast is raked back a few degrees, this means that the platform will not be parallel to water level. What is the correct orientation? Parallel to water level or perpendicular to the mast?

 

Jim, I always thought that the platforms should be parallel to the waterline, and that's what I see in various AOTS plans, not perpendicular to the mast.  However, the Snake plans clearly show these being perpendicular! I more inclined to believe the AOTS plans vs the supplied instructions given other errors/inconsistencies noted to date.

 

I'm sure that one of the other more experience builders can state definitively.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[normanh]

Parallel to the waterline, from memory when you assemby the lower mast the cheeks that you bond to the dowel will give you the right angle.

 

 

 

Norman

[jim_smits]

Main mast has now been adjusted and does look far more sensible.

 

I will update with images this evening.

[normanh]

Jim

 

These pictures from my build may help. They give some idea on the angles of the platforms and rake of masts.

 

 

Norman

 

 

[normanh]

Jim

 

I forgot to mention that the true rake of the masts is governed by the slot cut in the false keel by Caldercraft in which the masts sit so unless something is way off the design the rake is what you get and will be accurate as far as us builders are concerned.

 

 

Norman

[jim_smits]

Busy on the build again.

 

I put the bowspirit together a little while ago as a distraction whilst doing the Carronades.

 

Reasonably easy to put together, I cut the main dowel to length and cut and sanded the end to an angle to fit the deck and slot into the forward bitt. Slightly tricky and tedious part was fitting the bowspirit cap. Having to file the two holes to allow the correct angle to fit the bowspirit and the jibboom took a while. Once complete this was glued in place and filler used to smooth the joint.

 

Added the jibbom saddle and the slotted the jibboom through the bowspirit cap and glued into place. Then added the gammoning to the bowspirit and jibboom and secured in place with some watered PVA.

 

Next was the dolphin striker and the stay bee. Pretty straight forward, although have to be very careful with the striker as I imagine would be very easy to break. Also, added a pin on the bottom to attach the spar later on.

 

Finally, fitted the blocks and deadeyes. This took a fair while to work out how I was going to attach all the blocks. In the end I decided to tie the heart block onto a length of thread and then attach the deadeyes using separate threads tied around each. Worked ok I think.

Edited May 17, 2014 by jim_smits

[jim_smits]

Glued the bowspirit into place and gammoned to the bow rails. This took a good long time to thread the gammoning in and around the bow rail structure but got there in the end. Threaded the end in place and then glued down with watered down PVA.

 

Added some rigging to the bowspirit, to form the martingale rig, and added the four lines from the bow onto the deadeyes on the bowspirit. Also added the first set of rigging lines to the boomkins.

 

Massive learning curve dealing with rigging lines. If anyone has any recommendations for websites or books that have a good description of modelling techniques and tricks I would be grateful.

Edited May 17, 2014 by jim_smits

[jim_smits]

NormanH, thanks for the images. Appreciate the assistance.

 

Got the main mast platform to an angle I am happy with.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2014 by jim_smits

[jim_smits]

Remaining work so far this weekend has been to start adding the foremast stays.

 

Cut a length of 1mm black thread and added a loop halfway along by lashing with 0.5mm thread. Fitted the loop over the main mast and threaded the ends down through the platform.

 

Lashed deadeyes onto each end of the thread. The length to lash to was determined by using a 15mm spacer between the deadeye to be fitted to the stay and the deadeye fitted to the channels. I found lashing the deadeye to the stay really tricky. Best method I have found is to form a loop around the deadeye and the tie a single lash using thinner thread to secure the loop tight to the deadeye. A second lash secures the end of the stay against itself. I have purchased some GS Hypo cement, and used this to glue the threads permanently in place. Once dry the ends were trimmed back.

 

Added the first two pairs of stays to the Foremast and added deadeyes as above. Then added the first lanyards. Followed the threading directions as per plans and a copy of 'Rigging Period Ship Models'. The final lashing around the stay was glued in place and trimmed back once dry.

Edited May 17, 2014 by jim_smits

[normanh]

Your bomkins look a little out of scale jim from memory the plans show a much smaller diameter than you have installed - should be 2mm I think.

 

Norman

[jim_smits]

Your bomkins look a little out of scale jim from memory the plans show a much smaller diameter than you have installed - should be 2mm I think.

 

Norman

 

I followed the plans which state that Boomkins should be 4mm at the base tapered down to 2mm at the ends.

Edited September 1, 2013 by jim_smits

[jim_smits]

Quick update.

 

I really wish the plans had a bit more structure to them. The masts require a series of cleats towards the base, but this is only indicated on plan sheet 3 within the plan of the belaying pin markers. It would be more helpful to have added on sheet 2 which details the construction of the masts themselves. Cue some slightly awkward drilling and glueing on the fore mast.

 

Anyway, added the shrouds to the foremast and got a good system going now so more happy with the process.

 

 

Second grumble. One of the two stays between the fore mast and bowspirit is indicated as 1.25mm black hemp, but this is not included in the kit. However there is a packet of 1.25mm natural thread included and listed in the plans. Is this a mistake on Caldercrafts part as I can see no place where the 1.25mm natural is actually used.....?

 

On the assumption that this is a mistake I have cut an appropriate length of 1.25mm natural and am proceeding to stain it black.

[Beef Wellington]

Jim, you've made some amazing progress in such a short space of time, really starting to look like a ship now!  Shes looking great.

[normanh]

Just looked back on my drawings, seems I changed the sizes down to a 2 mm size as they looked overscale - looks better to scale and more inline with the pictures in Peterssons Rigging book pages 48 and 61.

 

Norman