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

[Jeff5115]

Bob

 

This model is on my future hope to build list. As a relative newcomer to this hobby I learn so much from reading other members build logs. I especially appreciate build logs that include difficulties and mistakes.  It is part of the hobby and I tend to learn quite a bit from others errors. As a perfectionist it helps me to realize mistakes are part of this hobby. I look forward to following your build.

[BobG]

20 hours ago, smotyka said:

I'll get a log going in hopefully 6 weeks due to your encouragement - have an upcoming medical situation to tend too in the meantime.

 

Sorry to hear that you have some medical issues that need attention, Steve, and I hope that all goes well for you. I look forward to following your build once you are back working on your model. Take good care. 

Edited February 20, 2022 by BobG

[BobG]

19 hours ago, Jeff5115 said:

As a relative newcomer to this hobby I learn so much from reading other members build logs.

 

Welcome, Jeff, and thanks for following along.

 

Most of what I know about ship modeling I learned from others on this forum and, like so many things, the more you learn about something, the more you realize just how much you have yet to learn! 

Edited February 20, 2022 by BobG

[BobG]

I spent quite a bit of time redoing the planking belts taking into consideration the advice from the posts by Chuck and Glenn in responses to my original attempt at lining the hull. Chuck had noted that my original layout was incorrect and so I paid particular attention to the red lines he superimposed onto the photo of my original layout of the belts. I tried 2 belts also as Glenn had suggested to see what that would be like and I preferred 3 belts. Three belts helped me visualize the flow of the belts better but I think that's simply a personal preference and some would prefer 2 belts.

 

I erased my previous tick marks and started over by marking the widest bulkheads, #7 and #8. The planks are 5 mm wide and the those 2 bulkheads are 78 mm wide so, starting at the bottom of the gunport patterns, there will be 15 planks total (14 planks at 5 mm wide plus a garboard plank that is 8 mm wide) and I marked those 2 bulkheads accordingly.

 

I used 1/16" black chart tape to divide the hull into 3 belts. The chart tape is frustrating to use because it doesn't stick well to the bulkheads and it kept popping loose requiring me to readjust often. I ended up putting Scotch tape on the ends of the tape at the bow and stern to help hold the lines in place. I need to find some narrow tape that sticks better...maybe there is some very narrow making tape...?

 

I started placing the tape at 5 tics down from the bottom of the gunport patterns on bulkheads 7 and 8 with the upper edge of the tape at the 5th tick mark and laid out that belt. Once the first belt was in place, I dropped down another 5 tics and did the same. Now I had 3 belts. I tried to approximate the lines Chuck had recommended to make the 3 belts and then I viewed them from different angles and made more adjustments. I also used the sheer as a reference as Glenn had suggested. Finally, I marked the top edges of the tape on all of the other bulkheads.

 

Next up, I'll need to use tic strips to measure the width of each section on each bulkhead. Then I'll lay each tic strip on a planking fan to determine the width of each plank in that section and transfer those marks to the appropriate bulkhead. I'll do this for all the bulkheads in each of the 3 belts. Once done, the tic marks will define the width of each plank at every bulkhead.

 

Here's several views of what the belts look like from different angles. I think they are better but... 🤞

 

 

 

 

 

I do have a question about the planking process itself. Is it preferable to plank the first belt on one side and then plank the first belt on the other or is it okay to plank and entire side and then plank the other side?

 

I'm trying to go slow and understand what I'm doing so I hope my snail's pace isn't boring everyone out of their minds!

 

Cheers!

Edited February 25, 2022 by BobG

[VTHokiEE]

20 minutes ago, BobG said:

Is it preferable to plank the first belt on one side and then plank the first belt on the other or is it okay to plank and entire side and then plank the other side?

I’ve seen it mentioned that you wouldn’t want to plank an entire side first as it may create some twist to the assembly. I can certainly see how that has potential with some out skeletons but I would think the amount of reinforcement here would prevent that though.

 

I would do a belt (or less) on each side at a time so that I could keep them in alignment from side to side better, but that may simply be a personal preference.

[glbarlow]

Don’t plank all of one side first, danger of keel twist as VTH says, may not happen but why risk it.  Alternate by belt. 

[mtaylor]

Just playing catch up on this, Bob.  For some reason I've missed this one.   Looking good.   

[BobG]

3 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Just playing catch up on this, Bob.  For some reason I've missed this one.   Looking good.   

 

Thanks for stopping by, Mark. I'm trying not to make a mess of it! I'm really enjoying your Sphinx build too.

[gjdale]

I’m no expert, but that layout looks pretty good to me Bob. I agree with the others about not doing all of one side at once, for the reasons already given. An alternative to the chart tape is thin cotton held in place with some diluted white glue.

[glbarlow]

Hey Bob, how’s your Flirt coming along?

[BobG]

On 3/14/2022 at 8:00 AM, glbarlow said:

Hey Bob, how’s your Flirt coming along?

 

I'll be back at it next week, Glenn. Thanks for checking in.

 

I had some oral surgery a couple of weeks ago. Then this week I've been up in North Lake Tahoe with my wife and son and I've been skiing with my son after being away from it for 25 years. I've been having a blast...forgot how much I used to love to ski. I sure am tired after a full day on the slopes though. Maybe being 75 has something to do with it. I plan to continue to ski as long as I can from now on and, if I make it to 80, I get to ski for free! 

Edited March 16, 2022 by BobG

[hollowneck]

Whoa! Ski for free @ 80yo? Now, that's a Senior Discount.

Glad to read you're coming back to the forum!

Ron

[glbarlow]

Any progress Bob?

[BobG]

Unfortunately not, Glenn. Cycling, gardening and many hours of playing guitar has all but shut down my shipyard lately. I've been building vicariously by following the logs of others though! 

[glbarlow]

Sorry to hear that, I was looking forward to following your progress.

[BobG]

1 hour ago, glbarlow said:

Sorry to hear that, I was looking forward to following your progress.

I will eventually get back to it. I simply have too many activities that I love to do and I seem to get immersed in one or the other at any given time. Your work on the Winnie, by the way, is inspirational. 

[hollowneck]

14 hours ago, BobG said:

many hours of playing guitar has all but shut down my shipyard lately.

Mui sympatico here, Bob. There are Ship models and then there are other pursuits...

How about combining the Best of Both Worlds?...(first pic of a Weissenborn acoustic lap) or

Cranking the Spinal Tap Dial up to eleven on the Marshall?

[BobG]

Nice, Ron! 

 

I currently have 6 guitars: classical, flamenco, 2 steel string acoustics, a steel electric and a nylon electric. I play fingerstyle guitar and, lately, I've been completely enamored with Brazilian music so my classical is getting the most use. The famous Brazilian rhythms, like Bossa Nova and Samba etc, are wonderful and challenging as are many of the beautiful, complex chords that are common in Brazilian music.

 

 

[VTHokiEE]

Hey Bob, just thought I’d check in and see if you re-opened the shipyard at all? Mine has been closed as well but finally have started making progress again. I hope all is well with you!

[BobG]

On 8/26/2022 at 2:44 PM, VTHokiEE said:

Hey Bob, just thought I’d check in and see if you re-opened the shipyard at all? Mine has been closed as well but finally have started making progress again. I hope all is well with you!

I'm doing fine but, unfortunately, my shipyard is still closed. Most of my time this spring and summer has been spent playing my guitar, cycling, gardening and a host of other things household and family things.

 

Currently, my wife and I are planning a 5-6 week road trip to Oregon, Washington and Vancouver Island in late September to late October. We're avid hikers so our trip will be focused primarily on visiting wilderness areas like Mt Hood, the Columbia River Gorge, Mt Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, southern Vancouver Island and the Oregon coast. Climate change is wreaking havoc on all of the beautiful wilderness areas out west so we feel an urgency to visit them before they're forever changed. We aren't getting any younger also. I'll be 76 next month and my wife just turned 74. We are fortunate to be in good health and still able to go on fairly challenging hikes together but we know the clock is ticking so we need to do things like this while we still can.

 

Thanks for checking in, Tim, (it is Tim isn't it?) 🤔      

[VTHokiEE]

It is 🙂. Glad to hear you’re doing well; I can understand the urgency - the fires, drought, etc. Looking forward to when you eventually get back to it whenever that may be.

[gjdale]

I can certainly understand the distractions and the desire to get out and do things Bob, but we do miss your fine builds here. Enjoy your trip away and get back to the bench on your return. 

[gjdale]

The yard foreman just called Bob. He wants to know when you’re coming back to work!

[BobG]

On 2/22/2023 at 12:28 PM, gjdale said:

The yard foreman just called Bob. He wants to know when you’re coming back to work!

🤣 It seems that have forgotten how just how much vacation time I had on the books!

 

Hey Grant, all joking around aside, I've been asking myself this question for quite a while now as well. I see that it has been a whole year since I've done any work at all in my little shipyard. I can't really put my finger on it but I just seem to have lost my motivation to keep at it and I've been allocating my time to other activities I enjoy like guitar, cycling, hiking, reading, gardening and travel.

 

As you can see in my signature, I have two models partially completed and, unfortunately, they've been relegated to my dry dock at this point. I love the the beautiful lines of the Pen Duick but the rigging instructions are terrible and the deck fittings are of poor quality. The Flirt is a wonderful model but I just don't seem to be as enthusiastic about the building the great, historical warships as are most of the ship modelers here on MSW. I admire the folks that build these complex models and I love to follow their work in their build logs but I'm not sure they're my cup of tea.   

 

In the time since I dipped my toes into this hobby, I have completed 3 models: the Batelina by MarisStella, the Indian Canoe by Midwest and the Medway Longboat by Syren. They're all smaller models in size and I enjoyed building all of them and I can display them nicely in our small home. So I've been thinking of building another small model or something completely different than a ship model as a way to get me back to my modeling table. 

 

I have always admired your eclectic taste in modeling, Grant, and of course, your modeling skills are off the charts and your build logs are exceptional. You've built some truly unusual models and they're all very interesting. I have a discontinued gondola kit by Artesania Latina on the shelf that I'd like to build. It would be slow going since the instructions are entirely in Italian. I also have the Pocher Alpha Romeo kit that I got after following your beautiful build. The Queen Anne Barge by Syren is another model I've had my eye on for a very long time. I'm thinking one of these might get my modeling juices flowing again...we'll see...

 

Anyway, thanks for checking in, Grant, and tell the foreman I've been out sick with a bad case of procrastination!

 

I hope all is well down under!

[Diver]

Just started to follow your build. My Medway is nearing completion and I want to do a Vanguard build next, probably the Lady Eleanor.  If that works out, HMS Alert will be next in line.  Just contemplating purchasing the Serving machine so that I can start the rigging of the Medway.  Have a good day.  Bob

[BobG]

Hello Bob, I've been following your Medway build and she's looking very good! I'd highly recommend Chuck's serving machine. It's works great and I found it easy to use. You can't go wrong with one of the Vanguard models and, after completing the Medway, I think you would find any of the Vanguard models within your ability level and the instructions are as good as they get.

 

 

[VTHokiEE]

1 hour ago, BobG said:

but I'm not sure they're my cup of tea

No need to force it - definitely stick with what you enjoy (even if it’s only following other builds). If you do start a smaller kit I’ll be sure to watch for it!

[BobG]

Thanks Tim.

 

I was so taken by all the wonderful looking ship model kits that were available early on that I collected quite a few kits that caught my eye without really knowing how much time and skill it takes to do a nice job building them. Then, in addition to my overly zealous enthusiasm, was the fact that many of these models have instructions that leave a lot to be desired and some have poor quality materials to boot. That was before I discovered what really good quality kits, like Syren and Vanguard, for example, were all about. Consequently, I have a shelf full of kits that, quite honestly, I doubt I will ever get around to building and, at my age, time is of the essence!

 

I realize now that, at least for me, perhaps the most important factor in choosing a model to build is that I need to very interested in it and I need to really like it a lot. The beauty of the model itself has to really capture me and pull me along as it comes together. Historical accuracy and significance are important to me also but it's the beauty of the model that excites me the most. Of course, the complexity of the model certainly needs to be reasonably within my skill level but, again, it's the beauty of the model that can keep me plugging away.

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by BobG

[gjdale]

I rather thought you might have taken ill with PROVID 22 ( "Procrastination Virus variant 2022") Bob - it happens to all of us. You are quite right about getting going again. Choose something, anything, as long it gets your juices flowing - and start building. I really enjoy following your build logs and miss not having one active to peek over your shoulder with.

[BobG]

1 hour ago, gjdale said:

I rather thought you might have taken ill with PROVID 22 ( "Procrastination Virus variant 2022")

🤣 That may well be what I have. I'll talk to my doc about it straight away and see if there's a cure for it...

 

Thanks for your kind words as well, Grant.