HMS Snake by jim_smits - Caldercraft - First Build

[jim_smits]

Hello!

 

Well after a fairly extended absence I am back. Just about finished my side project of a LED cube, so I have the work table back for ship building.

 

Time to start working on the yards and started off with the main yard. Cut a length of 5mm dowel plus some extra. To form the octagonal centre portion I cut 8 lengths of 0.5mm by 3mm walnut strip. Trimmed and shaped the strips with a bevel and then added to the dowel with CA.

 

Added detail at the ends of the yard with some styrene strip and brass wire. Still need to add the stunsail boom rings, and paint the yard. After that it is onto the fun of added foot rope and rigging.

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Glad you're back to it Jim, yards are looking good.  See you took the same approach with the boom irons, the supplied cast metal loop around the yard seem way out of scale.  The Amati PE fittings seem better than the CC solution.  I've decided I need to build a display case before I can get back to my Snake to avoid dust issues.  When will you get going onto Diana if that is next?

[egkb]

Good Stuff Jim.. off to a flyer 

 

Eamonn

 

PS   an Led Cube? 

[jim_smits]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mXM-oGggrM&feature=player_embedded

 

Although mine doesn't work fully yet.....

Edited April 28, 2015 by jim_smits

[egkb]

Very Cool

 

E

[cog]

If you made such a cube, wel done, though, it would drive me completely nuts

[drtrap]

Welcome back Jim.

Have you purchased any after market fittings for the yards (except the styrene strips) and what kind/type of them?

I shaped all my yards many days before but (as I remember) I was stuck with the way to fix/attach all those metal material to the yards.

Thank you.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Stergios

[jim_smits]

Hi Stergios,

 

No after market fittings, just some styrene and basswood to create the cleats.

 

Jim

[jim_smits]

Time for another update.

 

Spent the last week putting together the finishing touches to the main yard.

 

Simulated the footropes by creating stirrups from a lengths of brass wire and a false seizing using guttermann thread. Finally added the footropes themselves using thread.

 

Served a length of thread and seized the ends together to create a loop for the sling. Also seized two jeer blocks to the yard, in addition to all of the other various blocks.

 

Finally, added the stunsail booms and tied them in place to the yard.

[cog]

Nice work Jim, did you 'turn' the yard on a makeshift lathe you were working on? Like the footropes, something to remember ...

[jim_smits]

Cheers carl.

 

Yes, used the lathe and dremel with a sanding barrel. Still haven't got round to fitting the check and bearings so I simply passed the end of the yard through the end plate. I had deliberately cut a few cm extra on each side to allow this. Seemed to work ok.

[normanh]

I shaped my spars totally by eye and hand, I never felt the need to use a lathe or drill for that purpose although I did for the actual masts to ensure that the caps fitted accurately. Shaping the spars I found so easy and not a difficult job at all and not taking an excessive amount of time. I used a simple rule to makrk the tapers. A felt pen dot on the precut lengths, the dot being the finished diameter required. I used no knifes just a fine file and abrasive papers from coarse to fine. The octagonal sections were laminated with 0.5 to 1mm basewood strips up fron filed squares in the spar the taking of the corners to form an octagan. It really was that simple.

 

Norman

Edited May 12, 2015 by normanh

[jim_smits]

I found I struggled to keep the spars evenly shaped when using a david's plane so figured the best way would be turning. Turning by hand took forever and still introduced some errors, so found using the drill lathe pleasantly easy, if a little noisy......

[cog]

Jim,

 

You need to sacrifice something to get such a smart result ...

[wq3296]

Greetings Jim,

 

Very nice work. May I suggest that the foot ropes don't look natural? Too tight and too perfectly shaped. Loosen them up and let them drape to form curves instead of sharp, precise angles. 

 

wq3296

[jim_smits]

Been working on and off for most of the week but nothing really exciting to report.

 

Another lesson learned about looking at all the plans in advance. Started studying the running rigging plans and the second sheet has a series of blocks stropped to the masts for use with the spars. I have now installed all these extra blocks but been a pain in the butt with all the standing rigging in the way. Would have been nice if caldercraft included these blocks in the mast plans.

 

In addition to this the rigging plan for the boom includes a double block stropped to an eyebolt in the deck near the bulwark. Again, a touch irritating to install with the standing rigging in place.

 

Question for knowledgeable people:

 

What is the best order to rig? Boom and gaff first then the spars or vice versa? I don't want to create issues for myself further down the line.

Edited May 16, 2015 by jim_smits

[normanh]

From memory when I rigged my Snake I started mast at a time working upwards and outwards. I found it worked for me pretty well as the last thing you want is to struggle inboard on the decks with everything else in place.

 

Norman

[jim_smits]

Well, I am still beavering away at my build but I have been very slack in updating my log. In all probability is due to the fact I ant be bothered tidying away everything to take images but I shall endeavor to keep you all updated a bit better....!

 

Anyway. I have added spars to the mizzen and got a good deal of the running rigging in place. I have now moved onto the main mast and I have finished the main sail spar and currently working on the main topsail spar. Find this stage to be lots of mini projects and then putting it all together. Feel like you're not making progress and then suddenly it surges ahead.

 

Quick teaser image. Hope fully more updates to follow in the days ahead.....

 

[egkb]

Great to see an update Bud.. She Looks A Treat.

 

Keep those photos coming  

 

All The Best

 

Eamonn 

[Beef Wellington]

Nice Jim, if you add what you've done and what I've done, we'd both be done by now   Seriously, looks great.  I've had a few detours, I've decided to redo the footropes on the fore yards which is a little tricky when doing it when the yards are on the ship.  I also decided to add ratlines to the topgallant shrouds, even though these are identified in the plan, I can find no logical sense why they wouldn't be there as the topgallant yards should have foot ropes and the chaps need to get to them somehow...

[cog]

Jim,

 

Don't bother tto tidy up. It has it's charms(!!!) Looking good though

[drtrap]

Hi Jim

I'm trying to find your 3d orienatation of the boomkin.

Did you place them after the bowsprit rigging, i suppose...

[drtrap]

Hi Jim

I'm trying to find your 3d orienatation of the boomkin.

Did you place them after the bowsprit rigging?

[cog]

Stergios,

 

Why don't you send a PM ... I know Jim to be rather preoccupied with some recent personal events

[drtrap]

Stergios,

 

Why don't you send a PM ... I know Jim to be rather preoccupied with some recent personal events

Hi Carl and thank you.

Jim has sent me his relative reply on time!!

Cheers

Edited September 15, 2016 by Stergios

[jim_smits]

Well....

 

This post is over three years overdue! Two new jobs, one house purchase and move, wedding and an early first baby. Quiet really....

 

I am taking the late shift on feeds whilst my wife gets to bed early. So while baby Edward is napping I have two hours to kill each night.  

 

Really struggling with space to build Hood until my workshop gets done so time to unpack the Snake build and get it finished off finally. 

 

Tonight is is going to be spent re-sorting all my bits and pieces and trying to find all the wood, dowels, styrene strips and tools that have been packed up. Small shopping list needed also!

 

Kitchen table is dual role!

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by jim_smits

[mort stoll]

all the best my friend, all the best

Edited October 23, 2018 by mort stoll

[cog]

By now you must be multi tasking! Take care ... both of your son and your build ... and remember to have some fun

Edited October 24, 2018 by cog

[jim_smits]

It’s that period between feeds at 9pm and then midnight. Without anything to actively do I have found I really struggled to stay awake. 

 

With the build to concentrate on it will be far easier to get through. 

[jim_smits]

Well, spent the evening trimming excess thread from several half finished bits of rigging and generally tidying up. 

 

Then proceeded to pore over the rigging diagrams. After a three year hiatus it’s taking a while to get my head round them again!