HMS Sophie by TBlack - kit-bashing Jack Aubrey's first command from the Vanguard Models HMS Speedy

[TBlack]

First planking done. Sanding, sanding, sanding. But, If you will recall, my biggest question was how to achieve a smooth hull shape aft with no

plan to guide me. I'm happy with how it turned out:

[Keith Black]

 Tom, this is great to see, you've managed to get over that hurdle! Do you see things being pretty normal going forward? 

[TBlack]

17 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 Tom, this is great to see, you've managed to get over that hurdle! Do you see things being pretty normal going forward? 

Hi Keith,

Yes, getting the hull shape was the biggest hurdle. Adding the captain's cabin, and the quarterdeck should be straightforward. Otherwise, it's just build out the kit (maybe I'll see some places where I can augment or improve). For now it's a question of sanding down those first planks. Unaltered, the first planks and the finish planks together are 1/8" thick; too much for my eye, so lots of sanding.

Thanks to all of you who are following along and adding "likes". Most humbling!

Tom

 

[flyer]

Hi Tom

 

As a great fan of O'Brian's books I admire your project.

 

Perhaps you could find some additional information on your subject when checking wikipedia for HMS Vincejo (1799). As I understand the adventure was based on Speedy's capture of El Gamo. However HMS Sophie was supposed to be the former spanish Vincejo (or Vencejo) which could be this one. I think that at least the general description would fit.

 

Keep up the good work

Peter

 

[TBlack]

Peter,

Thanks for your interest and suggestion. I'm kinda constrained by the parameters of the kit and any descriptions that I glean from the book. I figure nobody can tell me I'm wrong.

Tom

[TBlack]

Small up-date, but life sometimes interferes with ship building:

Having built the hull to its new configuration, I'm now trying to follow Chris Watton's excellent instructions on building out the model. One deviation is the placement of the wale, which I think I've figured out to my satisfaction:

 

I only, belatetdly, realized that I don't need to make the wale out of the very nice pear wood supplied, inasmuch as it gets painted black in the end. Next layer will be something less grand. Next step is the garboard and then figure out the plank spacing in between.

Tom

[Keith Black]

 Tom, I love seeing the Sophie come to life. 

[Nipper]

Tom

I've just returned to your build log after a few months when I read the interesting discussion at the very beginning about Geoff Hunt's imaginative depiction of Sophie's stern.  You've done a brilliant job of modifying Speedy, and I appreciate how satisfying it must be to be so creative.  And for sticking to your guns when some members hinted that perhaps this project was not doable.

It was O'Brian's books that got me into ship modelling (way back in the 70s for me), only it's only since lockdown that I've been able to find the time to focus on the hobby.  My ambition way back then was to build Surprise, as did so many lovers of the novels, and maybe one day I'll follow your example to do just that.

Keep up the good work and the fascinating log!

Nipper

 

[Gregory]

On 11/22/2021 at 8:54 PM, TBlack said:

In my volume of Master And Commander, page 32, Aubrey states that there are 7 windows in his cabin.

Just a thought considering the limited space on the transom.  Is it possible the seven windows included quarter badges?  Five on the transom and one on each quarter.

[TBlack]

Nipper!

Thanks so much for your kind words. I guess I've shown that one doesn't need fancy CAD programs to get a smooth result. Also, my last project (Scud) was greeted with 

some derision (why bother? Waste of time and talent) until the end (see log). Moral of the story? Don't rush to judgment. Anyway, you and the other 18 people who are following this keep me going and trying my best. Thanks for that.

 

Gregory,

I intend to do just what you suggest: 5 real windows and 2 fake. That arrangement will agree with the picture of the stern of the cover of the book. We had some discussion here on the impossibility of having 7 windows in the cabin given what the picture shows of the hull shape (please see post #84), and certainly there are no quarter galleries.

 

Thanks, also, to the others for the "likes", especially my brother, Keith, whose talents and encouragement keep me going!

Tom

[TBlack]

Before I can place the garboard, I have to thin down the back end of the profile former (false keel to some). With the addition of the primary planking, that area is now

7 mm thick and needs reducing to 1.5 mm which also means more feathering of the hull to produce a smooth flow. Having done that, I notice that Chris doesn't expect 

me to install a garboard stake. I suspect it's because all the planks in the kit are of a uniform width. Nevertheless, I will press on:

Looks the same on the other side. I'm using 24 foot planks. It also occurs to me that because the planks are all the same width that there will be stealers aft.

Tom

[TBlack]

Bit of an up-date:

Second planking installed, albeit slowly. Not my favorite part of the construction.:

Having done that, I think I'm going to work on the captain's cabin next. It would be nice to see the other side of this vessel for a while.

Tom

 

[Keith Black]

 Tom, it may not be your favorite part but the hull planking looks great. 

[TBlack]

Great cabin deck planked. The crazy arrangement of sticks in the picture is verifying that everything is square and that there is about 5'7'' headroom between quarterdeck

beams. We know from the book that Aubrey could only stand fully up between the beams. Also the sticks are telling me that the quarterdeck will, in fact, hit the transom

just as I had designed it. This is all working out much better that I could have expected.

I thought about what kind of treatment for the cabin deck, and was inspired by Greg Herbert's treatment of the deck in Speedwell which, with its multiple carvings, is a much snappier craft than humble Sophie.

Tom 

[TBlack]

I've done all I want to do with the "great cabin". I had to spend some time doing design work to make sure the quarterdeck beams were of the proper size and placement. I'm

in the process of making those now, there will be 4.

[TBlack]

At this point in construction the instructions have you placing the lazer etched deck in place. I can't use it because the deck is wider aft than the Speedy. So I'm laying the deck with individual planks. Chris suggests putting in the bottom spirketting plank (painted) first which necessitates my adding the margin plank.

Now I can either finish up the spirket planks, or do the deck, depending on my mood. I'm using yellow cedar for the deck. Chris wants me to use the pear planking for the spirketting, but, being the cheap Yankee that I am, and that it gets painted anyway, I'm using basswood for that planking. 

[TBlack]

Thanks for all the likes and devoted followers. Try not to disappoint. Started planking the quarterdeck. Remember the adage, "measure twice; cut once"? I forgot. So started planking with 1/16" planks:

The planks looked very thin to me. Back to the plan; there're supposed to be 1/8" wide (8''). So, scrape it all off and start again:

Better this time, but I sure went through a lot of Alaskan Cedar. Thankfully, Joe Volpe is right beside me.

Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TBlack]

It's been a month, but got the decking and spirketting done, and time to deal with the transom.

[TBlack]

Starting the transom, which needs 7 windows. The picture shows the base over which will go the pear planking. The two strips are for mullions and side trim on windows. 

The wood is African Boxwood. A slightly more yellow cast than Costello and with the same grain characteristics, and should go well with the pear.

The strips measure 1/64"X 1/16" cut on the milling machine.

Edited October 20, 2022 by TBlack

[TBlack]

I've gotten this far. Those mullions are not fun; most frustrating! This picture helps me see any misalignment that I can't see directly. Needs a little more adjustment.

[CiscoH]

Tom-  I'm facing a similar issue with the windows in my AVS.  The kit supplied window frames are very heavy and i was planning to scratch build mine.  How are you making your stiles and rails?  It looks to me like you have full-height stiles and are placing short horizontal mullions in between (hope i got those terms right).

 

thanks Cisco

[TBlack]

Yah, Cisco, I'm not sure of the terminology either, but, yes, long uprights, and short mullions. The tricky part is getting the mullions in a smooth arc and not twisted, not to mention that they are bloody small!

Tom

[TBlack]

second attempt. Getting closer. The center window needs redoing, and some other tweeking. It occurs to me that putting in the lights first (mica in this case) might make it easier. These won't be up to Greg Herbert's standards, but the best I can do:

[Jim Lad]

Certainly looks a lot better than your first attempt, mate.  Good on you for re-doing it!

 

John

[TBlack]

The third attempt wasn’t any better, so I ripped it all out and will install the glass (mica) in first then lay the mullions in which should keep everything in the same plane.

[TBlack]

I've been searching through the build logs to see if there are any clues as to how to put windows together. I've discovered that, for the most part, stern windows are in a straight line (see Naiad, Essex, etc.) which are much easier to construct as they are all the same. The only arched stern windows I can find are Speedwell and Sphynx. Greg doesn't really tell how he reaches perfection, and Sphynx comes with laser cut windows provided. Anyway, I have attached the mica and have a template (sphynx plan) to help with placement:

[Keith Black]

 You've got this, Tom. I'm sure your template will work out splendidly. 

[TBlack]

Keith,

Does everybody following this thread know that you're my brother and almost obligated to say nice, encouraging things?

[Nipper]

46 minutes ago, TBlack said:

Keith,

Does everybody following this thread know that you're my brother and almost obligated to say nice, encouraging things?

Yes!  We are wondering if you only ever communicate with each other via MSW, or whether you ever chat on the phone!

 

Nipper

[Keith Black]

10 hours ago, Nipper said:

whether you ever chat on the phone!

 As a matter of fact we have. 

 

11 hours ago, TBlack said:

that you're my brother and almost obligated to say nice, encouraging things

 I wouldn't say nothing wouldn't true even though Mom liked you best.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Keith Black