HM Brig-Sloop Flirt 1782 by BobG - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[BobG]

Hello and welcome to my build log of the HMS Flirt by Vanguard Models. I've decided to start building the Flirt in addition to my current build of the Pen Duick after a significant hiatus from doing any ship modeling as I grappled with the vague and confusing, instructions by Artesania Latina. At this point, I just need to build something that has excellent instructions, great materials and is historically authentic and the Flirt fits that bill for me.

 

My goal to improve my overall modeling skills while taking my time to slow down and carefully execute each step without rushing the process. I want to thoroughly understand what I'm doing before I do it especially when it comes to fairing and planking the hull. I will be using Chuck's method of planking for lining the hull, shaping and bending the planks. Those who use this method well end up with beautifully planked hulls and it's time for me to learn it too. Finally, I plan to simply have fun and enjoy the journey without getting overly perfectionistic. I can get obsessive about the smallest details at times and I have found that there's a point at which I need to say "enough" at continue forward. 

 

Of course, I will be relying heavily upon the expertise of other modelers whose work I admire here on the forum such as gbarlow, DelF, Blue Ensign, Hollowneck,  desalgu, WalrusGuy, Moonbug, gjdale, James H and many others.

 

So here we go. I will be building the Master Shipwright Edition of the Flirt. I chose this edition particularly because of the extensive use of boxwood rather than pear wood which is used in the standard version . I've heard ship modelers sing the praises of boxwood over the years but I've never used it before and have wanted to see what it like compared to woods like yellow cedar and pear which I like very much.

 

 

The false keel and the bulkheads are birch plywood which is very smooth and quite hard and the laser cutting is excellent. The cuts are extremely accurate with minimal laser burn. 

 

The first step was to add bulkheads 4 -13 to the false keel. Bulkhead 4 had a little wobble in it and bulkheads 10 - 12 were quite loose so I used my machinist blocks to insure they were all accurately perpendicular to the false keel. I primarily use Titebond Thick & Quick glue which sets up faster than regular Titebond but still gives me plenty of time to make adjustments as needed. It also doesn't run down vertical surfaces.

 

 

 

 

I added the scribed lower deck next. These fit very snuggly and I'm glad that I practiced test fitting them first before gluing so I could see how they click into place with a careful amount of pressure. Lastly, I used regular Titebond to brush glue on all the joints which makes for a very solid frame at this point.

 

 

 

Many thanks to everyone for stopping by and taking a look. Your comments and advice will always most welcome.

 

Cheers!

  

 

 

  

[Paul Le Wol]

Hey Bob, I think I read somewhere that perfectionists can have fun too. Looking forward to your Flirt build.

 

Paul

[Theodosius]

I will follow this too! 🙂

 

[Cathead]

I can sympathize, I have yet to build a kit with really good instructions. Hope this one fits your bill!

[Blue Ensign]

Look forward to seeing your progress Bob, what’s not to like about a Vanguard build. 👍

 

B.E.

[hollowneck]

21 hours ago, BobG said:

Hello and welcome to my build log of the HMS Flirt by Vanguard Models. I've decided to start building the Flirt in addition to my current build of the Pen Duick after a significant hiatus from doing any ship modeling as I grappled with the vague and confusing, instructions by Artesania Latina. At this point, I just need to build something that has excellent instructions, great materials and is historically authentic and the Flirt fits that bill for me.

 

My goal to improve my overall modeling skills while taking my time to slow down and carefully execute each step without rushing the process. I want to thoroughly understand what I'm doing before I do it especially when it comes to fairing and planking the hull. I will be using Chuck's method of planking for lining the hull, shaping and bending the planks. Those who use this method well end up with beautifully planked hulls and it's time for me to learn it too. Finally, I plan to simply have fun and enjoy the journey without getting overly perfectionistic. I can get obsessive about the smallest details at times and I have found that there's a point at which I need to say "enough" at continue forward. 

 

Of course, I will be relying heavily upon the expertise of other modelers whose work I admire here on the forum such as gbarlow, DelF, Blue Ensign, Hollowneck,  desalgu, WalrusGuy, Moonbug, gjdale, James H and many others.

 

So here we go. I will be building the Master Shipwright Edition of the Flirt. I chose this edition particularly because of the extensive use of boxwood rather than pear wood which is used in the standard version . I've heard ship modelers sing the praises of boxwood over the years but I've never used it before and have wanted to see what it like compared to woods like yellow cedar and pear which I like very much.

 

 

The false keel and the bulkheads are birch plywood which is very smooth and quite hard and the laser cutting is excellent. The cuts are extremely accurate with minimal laser burn. 

 

The first step was to add bulkheads 4 -13 to the false keel. Bulkhead 4 had a little wobble in it and bulkheads 10 - 12 were quite loose so I used my machinist blocks to insure they were all accurately perpendicular to the false keel. I primarily use Titebond Thick & Quick glue which sets up faster than regular Titebond but still gives me plenty of time to make adjustments as needed. It also doesn't run down vertical surfaces.

 

 

 

 

I added the scribed lower deck next. These fit very snuggly and I'm glad that I practiced test fitting them first before gluing so I could see how they click into place with a careful amount of pressure. Lastly, I used regular Titebond to brush glue on all the joints which makes for a very solid frame at this point.

 

 

 

Many thanks to everyone for stopping by and taking a look. Your comments and advice will always most welcome.

 

Cheers!

  

 

 

  

 

Bob, the  Vanguard HMS Flirt is a great choice for your Build Log. The kit's materials and the "Build Manual" are excellent. I'll follow along. There are a host of superb modelers here that will be your willing - unpaid- consultants! AND - As we all know, there is no imperative to speed through your build, no "timeline" on the enjoyment of your achievement.

 

You'll find that the additional time in cataloging your progress with photos, text commentary - and questions you'll post here to other colleagues - will increase the build time substantially. However, besides the obvious benefits of encouragement and encyclopedic knowledge (and help) from others, you'll be your own worst critic when you focus on posting your work for others to see. For me, this aspect of creating a Build Log has been rewarding since a 500% enlargement of one's work can be a humbling reminder why we are all learning and perfecting.

 

[BobG]

Many thanks to everyone for the comments and likes. Much appreciated!

 

15 minutes ago, hollowneck said:

500% enlargement of one's work can be a humbling reminder why we are all learning and perfecting.

 

Good Lord, ain't that the truth! 😱

 

[Moonbug]

  I've done four Artesania Latina kits (three ships and a stage coach) and while I generally like their kits and materials, let's just say the instructions are... uh... up for interpretation.  

[Dave_E]

Pulling up the chair. 👍

[glbarlow]

Very glad to see you at this.  We’ll be here to provide help by several of us giving you opposing answers to the same question and opposite points of view designed to get you throughly confused. Fortunately Vanguards instructions are so thorough and detailed you have the reference you need. 
 

Heres my first bit.  I was too soon in adding the stem. I built Flirt after Cheerful and as an interlude to Winchelsea and I rushed it. It is a bit fragile (compared to the other two, by a lot) and I broke it, more than once. So your plan to take your time is the best advice you can have. Of course I repaired it easily enough and after painting with no visible evidence, but didn’t have to add it when I did (and if I’d just followed the instructions, duh).

[BobG]

Well, it's been an interesting 2 days. I've made some progress but it hasn't been without some hiccups and one major disaster. Read on to see how things went a little haywire and how I think I managed to bail myself out and, yes, it's ok to roll your eyes! After today, I may need to rename my build log "A Comedy of Errors and Repairs." 🤣

 

First off, I added the little door to the sub deck and used a cut off pin for the door knob. Then I gave the deck and door a single coat of satin WOP.

 

 

Next up was to add bulkheads 2 and 3 and the 4 bow pattern pieces. The manual suggest beveling these pieces before installing them. I've always just shaped the bulkheads when I fair the hull so I was hesitant to do this but I decided to try it. I used my new Proxxon rotary tool with the Proxxon Flex-Shaft attached to it. I really like this tool. It has a nice variable speed dial and the Flex-Shaft is so much more comfortable to hold rather than the bulky rotary tool itself.

 

 

Now here's where I began to get ahead of myself by not thoroughly reading ahead in the instructions. I was relying too much on the great photos in the manual. The first photo below is from the manual and it shows the beveled Bow and Stern Patterns 19, 20, and 21. The second photo is also from the manual and it shows that pattern 19 is placed between bulkhead 2 and 3 and pattern 20 goes between bulkhead 3 and 4.

 

However, there are 3 arrows in the photo and one of them is pointing to the space forward of bulkhead 2 and 3. I simply assumed that the arrow meant that pattern piece 21 would go there (i.e. 19, 20 and then 21 where the arrow was pointing). 

 

Wrong! Pattern 21 goes between bulkheads 14 and 15 near the stern which is actually shown in the next photo in the manual but I didn't read ahead. The arrow that points to the space ahead of bulkhead 2 should not be in the photo but I could have avoided the error by reading more carefully. 

 

After I realized what I had done, a little bell went off in my head where I thought I had read about this same error somewhere before. So I checked out the other Flirt build logs and, sure enough, Glenn (gbarlow) did exactly the same thing when he was building his Flirt. I had read about it some time ago but had forgotten about it. Hilarious! Glenn and I must think alike! 😂

 

 

 

Here's a photo of pattern 21 wrongly glued ahead of bulkhead 2. It won't cause a problem being there.

 

 

Bulkheads 14 and 15 were very loose so I used my machinist blocks to square them up to the false keel.

 

 

The very last bulkhead #16 was very loose so I took my time eyeballing it and using a narrow, 90 degree angle square to line it up perpendicular to the false keel. This was a bit tricky but I think I got it squared up pretty well. The tops of bulkheads 14, 15 and 16 also need to be sanded quite a bit so they are level with the top of the false keel. I think I may have needed to sand it even a bit more but it looked and felt level so I stopped. I'm always afraid of sanding too much.

 

 

 

Having glued pattern 21 in the wrong place simply meant that I needed to make a new set from the same parts sheet. I cut the new patterns with my razor saw and glued them in the right place between the stern bulkheads 14 and 15.

 

 

I went out of sequence from the manual a little and waited until I had all the bulkheads and patterns installed before I added the deck beams, the upper deck longitudinal support and the stern frame patterns which are very fragile. I took my time with these parts as nearly all of them required some sanding to get them to fit properly and I still managed to snap one of the stern patterns when my elbow hit it while I was adjusting one of the deck beams. The tolerances between the these pieces and the slots are very tight. I was able to carefully glue the stern pattern back together also.

 

 

Adding the main deck is when things really began to get crazy! The 2 mm birch plywood main deck is an extremely tight fit. I tried to test fit it but I was afraid I would never be able to get it off in order to glue it down. I tried to check the spacing of the bulkheads and the slots in the in it also as best I could and then proceeded to put glue on all the supports. Even though I used regular PVA for this, I knew I needed to work fairly quickly since there's a lot of notches in the bulkheads to get lined up right and to get the deck to sit down properly.

 

Try as I might by flexing the deck until I thought it was going to break, I couldn't get it to seat properly and I had a bulge in the middle. So I kept wresting with it by pushing down between the bulkheads. I even tried to get it off but it wasn't cooperating so I just keep at it. Little by little and with a bunch of frightening snaps and pops, it began to seat better but it was still not seated down flush to all of the deck beams and was not all the way into the notches in the bulkheads.

 

Then disaster struck. I was holding the model in my lap and still working on getting it to seat when it slipped. The stern bumped into my forearm and all of the fragile stern frame patterns broke off!  After a few choice words, I realized that if I didn't get the deck to seat properly, the model would pretty much be ruined so I focused my attention on manipulating the deck and finally I got it to seat.

 

All I can say is that the deck is an astonishingly tight fit and that it was really difficult to finally get it to seat properly. I'm not sure how I could have done it any different given how tight it was. I wonder if anyone else has had this problem?

 

Now I needed to see if I could repair the stern frame patterns. Fortunately, I was able to correctly match the broken off pieces with their mates when I looked at them closely under magnification. So, little by little with PVA, thin CA and a lot of patience, I was able to get them glued back together and properly aligned...I think! Fingers crossed!🤞

 

 

 

 

So there you have it folks. Another adventurous day of errors and repairs in Bob's shipyard. You'll certainly be able to learn a lot about "what not to do" here!

 

So stay tuned, there's probably more bloopers to come! 😂

 

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by BobG

[WalrusGuy]

1 hour ago, BobG said:

I would have made the exact same mistake seeing this photo! 

 

Nice fix to the stern frames. They all look aligned. 

[glbarlow]

I think what we did with part 21 is perfectly logical 😊
 

As you probably discovered the bulkheads have a little notch at their base. The way to get the deck to fit is to get one side to fit under the notches then work it down the other side to fit into those notches.  It is not a simple task for sure and I don’t recall if the notches are mentioned in the instructions. The notches are a great idea for holding the deck, not fun to get it there.

 

The stern frames are indeed fragile little things.  Solving problems and fixing mistakes is all part of the fun, you did it and you’re moving forward, congratulations!

Edited February 8, 2022 by glbarlow

[hollowneck]

9 hours ago, WalrusGuy said:

I would have made the exact same mistake seeing this photo! 

 

Nice fix to the stern frames. They all look aligned. 

 

Yikes! Good recovery, Bob.

There is a subdeck (orlop) that slides into place around the bulkheads on the Vanguard Sphinx build and the fit is also very tight owing to the manufacturing tolerances that I've been praising. However, it didn't require the number of bulkheads you had to accommodate in this build.

The stem & the stern pieces: tricky - and fragile - business! You should be o.k. now. Watch those elbows...😖

 

Do flip ahead in the kit's manual and scrutinize the plans BEFORE proceeding in a logical manner. It's the logic that sometimes defeats us!

 

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by hollowneck
grammar

[BobG]

Thanks Bug and Glenn for your comments and others for the likes.

 

Glenn, I had read in the manual about slotting the deck into the bulkheads notches by bending it and I tried doing it that way but I couldn't get it entirely into the notches on the side I started placing it on. Then I thought I should try and get the other side started before the glue got too sticky and, when I tried to get it in, I ended up with neither side fully into the notches and the glue was sticky enough now to make it even tougher.

 

My error, as you noted, was not getting the first side all the way into the notches in the first place. I'm not sure how I finally got the deck all the way in while fighting the sticky glue but it finally happened much to my relief! I'm sure I made it a lot harder than it actually is though... 

Edited February 8, 2022 by BobG

[BobG]

15 minutes ago, hollowneck said:

Do flip ahead in the kit's manual and scrutinize the plans BEFORE proceeding in a logical manner. It's the logic that sometimes defeats us!

 

I read all the way to the rigging last night. No more surprises for me...I hope! 😅

[glbarlow]

23 minutes ago, BobG said:

not getting the first side all the way into the notches in the first place. I'm not sure how I finally got the deck all the way in

You’re not alone in this, I sorted it out but not without challenge. 

[BobG]

9 hours ago, glbarlow said:

You’re not alone in this, I sorted it out but not without challenge. 

 

We all like parts that fit well and Chris has certainly done that well with the precise laser cutting in his kits. I'm wondering, however, if the tolerances on the deck could be just slightly more relaxed and still fit very nicely given that it will be covered up when the final scribed deck is laid on top of it anyway? I'm not talking about a big change in the size of the notches in the deck but just ever so slightly larger so this task might be less challenging while still keeping the integrity of the framing intact.

[Theodosius]

Interesting, how different the experiences are, that we all made with the same kit :-). This little notches for the deck are a kind of genius, because then you don't need to somehow clamp the deck down to follow the curve. On the other hand I totaly failed with the ply bulwarks, lol.

 

But all I can see here ist that you are doing a fine job, IMHO! 🙂

[BobG]

Thanks, Theodosius. I'm getting better at covering up my mistakes! 

 

Are you still working on your Flirt?

[BobG]

I added the stern counter and the stern board to the stern frame patterns today and, unlike yesterday's ordeal, I was able to get this done without breaking anything! 

 

I used the securing pegs to temporarily hold the the rudder post in the correct position as illustrated in the instructions. This is a great idea and it worked really well. The stern counter lines up nicely this way. There's a very slight curve to the stern counter but it's only 0.8 mm so it's quite flexible. I was able to simply hold it tightly onto the bottom of the stern frame patterns while using medium viscosity CA to glue it on. The medium CA gave me enough time to make adjustments as needed. I practiced my "moves" a couple of times before doing this though! 😅

 

 

I added the stern board next that sits on top of the stern counter and attaches to the back of the stern frame patterns. I used Titebond Thick & Quick for this step so I'd have more time to make adjustments. Again, I practiced my placement and eyeballed the stern frame patterns so I knew which ones I needed nudge slightly so that the spacing looked correct in relation to the windows in the stern board.

 

I was able to complete this step by just holding the stern board in place with my fingers and adjusting the stern frame patterns as needed so that the spacing looked good but many modelers prefer using clamps. The Titebond Thick & Quick starts getting tacky fairly quickly and provides enough hold at that point that I can still make small adjustments before holding everything in place for a couple of minutes until the glue is set firmly. I often will drizzle a drop or two of thin CA into any tiny gaps and apply some pressure to close them also. Just be mindful of gluing your fingers to the model

 

Thanks to everyone for their comments and likes and for taking the time to stop by and take a look. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katsumoto]

Nice and clean work Bob! I will follow allong the way if it's fine with you! 🙂

[BobG]

13 minutes ago, Katsumoto said:

Nice and clean work Bob! I will follow allong the way if it's fine with you! 🙂

 

Welcome, Katsumoto, and thanks for following along. The Xebec you are building is a work of art!

[Theodosius]

5 hours ago, BobG said:

Thanks, Theodosius. I'm getting better at covering up my mistakes! 

 

Are you still working on your Flirt?

 

Yes, but I build HMS Speedy, the sisership. My log here is up to date, I think 🙂

[hof00]

1 hour ago, Katsumoto said:

Nice and clean work Bob! I will follow allong the way if it's fine with you! 🙂

Hi Bob, Ditto as Katsumoto said.... 🙂

 

Cheers....HOF.

[glbarlow]

Looks like you have some fairing to do, this is the most important step on every model and critical to what comes after.  

[BobG]

1 hour ago, glbarlow said:

Looks like you have some fairing to do, this is the most important step on every model and critical to what comes after.  

 

I like sanding and shaping but my problem is that I'm never quite sure I'm getting the shape correct especially on the forward bulkheads in the bow area . I'll be checking the flow of the fairing often with a thin batten and hope for the best. Thinning the deadwood the area where the stern post attaches to the false keel is new to me also. 🤞

[glbarlow]

Don't have to hope for the best. Leave the aft edge on those forward of the waist and fore edge on those aft of the waist (so as not to overdue it and lose the shape and to keep both sides even) while taking the edges off the couple of center bulkheads so its smooth all the way.  The batten needs to contact at least 90% of the bulkhead but if done well it will contact 100% of every bulkhead front to back. The stern takes a little more attention to follow the flow to the counter, it isn't especially hard on Flirt as my log will show. Slide the very thin batten up and down covering at least 4-5 bulkheads at a time, up and down back and forth - it will be right. Then it's just tapering and edge bending the first planking and you're home.

[BobG]

10 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

if done well it will contact 100% of every bulkhead front to back.

 

Easy peasy! 🤣

 

Seriously though...thanks for the tips and the encouragement, Glenn. 👍

[BobG]

1 hour ago, glbarlow said:

 The batten needs to contact at least 90% of the bulkhead

 

Does the entire length of the bottom of the false keel get faired down to 2 mm just like the stern and deadwood areas get thinned as you continue to sand and fair along the the bottoms of the bulkheads from stern to bow? In other words, will the entire length of the false keel be about 2 mm think from stern to bow? I hope this makes sense...

 

I can't quite tell when I blow up your photo showing the entire keel on your build but it looks like the 2mm thinned area around the deadwood gradually flows into the full, original, 3mm width of the false keel with maybe a little tapering into it from the bottom edges of the bulkheads. Is this right? 

Edited February 10, 2022 by BobG