Lady Eleanor by DB789 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - Fifie

[DB789]

This is my build log for the Fifie. I'm a beginner to wooden boat modelling and this is my first build.

Any advice or criticism is very welcome - I have a lot to learn! 

My first impressions of the kit is that the instructions and plans are excellent and highly accessible to me as a beginner. The parts are beautifully laser cut with only tiny tabs holding the parts in their wooden sheets. The materials feel very high quality too. So far I am hugely impressed by Vanguard and hope to make more of their models in the future. 

So the build started today, the bulkheads have been bevelled and mounted on the false keel with the lower deck in place (unglued) to keep them aligned. Leaving it to dry overnight before progressing further.  

[DB789]

A little more progress today. Lower deck glued in. Infill parts have been bevelled and glued in at bow and stern. Fish hatch side walls installed. 

Again very impressed by how well the parts fit together and align with little effort. Quality of the MDF is great too with no splintering when bevelled. 

So far relatively straightforward - going to get a lot more complicated shortly with the bulkheads and planking!

One question - I have been using Titebond PVC and have not been diluting this down with water. Do I need to dilute it, the instructions suggest that I should? Many thanks

[nehemiah]

I don't know much about diluting glue but I use a paint brush for application while planking and I wet the bristles before starting so I guess that counts.

 

You might want to continue to fair the bulkheads. I think the char should not be showing on any of them. I get paranoid about removing too much wood in the process but it really needs a good fit for the glue.

[DB789]

Thanks Nehemiah, great advice. I have faired the bulkheads much more and added the deck. 

 

A limewood plank seems to flow nicely from bow to stern now, but we'll see when I attempt planking for the first time!

 

Bulwarks next.... 

[Dion Dunn]

I’m a beginner too and just started planking my first boat.  I love this Fifie kit and will be following your build with interest!

[DB789]

Hi Dion, do you have a build log? I'd like to follow your progress too.

 

I'm finding the other build logs essential reading alongside the excellent instructions that come with the kit. I am going to stick as closely as possible to the model as built in the instructions and not make any modifications as some have done. I need to crawl before I can walk!

Starboard bulwarks having been soaked in water are being bent to shape and left to dry.  

[DB789]

Quick question. When it comes to pinning the bulwarks and planks - do I need to drill holes in the planks / bulwark for the pins to avoid them splitting or can I use the pin pusher on them undrilled? Many thanks for any advice.

[Andyrew]

9 minutes ago, DB789 said:

Quick question. When it comes to pinning the bulwarks and planks - do I need to drill holes in the planks / bulwark for the pins to avoid them splitting or can I use the pin pusher on them undrilled? Many thanks for any advice.

Hi, you are doing really well so far. When I built Lady Eleanor I marked the position of the Bulkheads on the Bulwarks and then drilled holes for the pins before I glued the Bulwarks onto the Hull. You can then clamp the top of the Bulwarks to each Bulkhead and pin the bottom part. Hope that makes sense. There are several builds on here and if you need any more help just shout, 

Cheers Andy

[chris watton]

10 minutes ago, DB789 said:

Quick question. When it comes to pinning the bulwarks and planks - do I need to drill holes in the planks / bulwark for the pins to avoid them splitting or can I use the pin pusher on them undrilled? Many thanks for any advice.

No, there should be no need to drill holes for the pins. I choose the ultra fine pins precisely because I prefer the pins to be temporarily pushed into place with the minimum of effort, and I have rarely encountered a situation where the pins have split the materials, like larger diameter pins do.

[DB789]

Apologies for my slow reply. 

 

Chris - thank you. I've used some of your pins and they went in perfectly without drilling or splitting the wood. This is a great kit - thank you very much!

 

Andy - thank you very much for the advice and encouragement.

 

I have fitted the bulwarks now and the port side is drying overnight. Planking next....

[Dion Dunn]

On 3/17/2022 at 6:50 AM, DB789 said:

Hi Dion, do you have a build log? I'd like to follow your progress too.

sorry, no build log 

[DB789]

Getting harder. First two planks fitted on each side. I had to soak the planks, clamp them and leave them to dry before glueing and pinning them - as per the bulwarks - to get them to bend upwards at the bow and stern. I am going to create a simple jig for bending the planks more effectively based on Chuck Passaro's HMS Winchelsea video but don't have the clamps, board or iron I need yet. 

 

Also, I have not started tapering the planks yet and think I can get at least one more plank on each side without doing so. Given how tricky fitting the first two planks has been I think I am going to use the lining off methodology for the planks between the top three untapered planks and the garboard plank at the bottom. Maybe I should fit the garboard plank next. 

 

I have made a small mistake at the stern whilst fairing and have slightly tapered the stern end of the false keel. So the planks do not sit as neatly at the stern as they do at the bow and do not leave a 3mm gap for the stern post (too embarrassed to add picture of this until sorted out!). I think I can tidy this up when I fit the stern post and I will need a little filler. It is certainly a learning curve.  

[DB789]

Planking was challenging (whilst still being a lot of fun). I didn't follow the kit instructions on how to plank, much to my regret and tried instead to line off and taper the planks. This proved to be too much for my beginner wood work skills and I couldn't cut the taper onto the planks with anything like the precision needed. The upwards bend at bow and stern meant that some of the planks did not sit naturally on the bulkheads (learning point for fairing next time) and in particular dried not straight around bulkhead 9 where the curve is sharper giving a slightly clinkered effect. I relied on bending the planks whilst wet and then clamping them, going forward I will try to bend them on a "jig" with an iron.

 

The final plank was a real challenge on each side and I ended up needing to fit it in three sections with some slivers filling gaps. The end result was much messier than I would have liked, but with liberal doses of filler and sanding I now have a flat smooth surface for the second layer of planks.  So somehow got to the required outcome, but lots to improve on next time. 

 

For the second layer of planks I am going to follow the procedure in the kit instructions to the letter. 

[Andyrew]

It's looking good to me, the first layer just needs to be smooth to provide a good surface for the second layer. I found that measuring the gap after I'd fitted a couple of planks meant I could work out how much to taper each plank and keep things neat and tidy. Just make sure you have the plank ends flush with the Stem and Stern before you fit the Rabbet patterns,

Cheers Andy

[DB789]

Andy, thank you very much for the advice. I hadn’t sanded the planks at bow and stern flush with the prow and stern post and would have missed that. I have now done so and sanded almost through the planks at bow and stern. In one case right through but supported by the bevelled infill piece below so not a problem. Your build log is a great help - thanks. 
 

Rabbets now fitted with a sufficient gap for the second planking. 
 

 

[DB789]

Been busy with the second planking which went on a little easier than the first planking and have put together a jig (as per Chuck Passaro’s video) to aid with pre-bending which with a little water really helped. The last plank was a challenge again and ended up being added in sections on both sides. 
 

The biggest problem was the stern rabbets which seemed wide and deep enough but were not (entirely my fault not the kit’s as usual!) so the planking rests against the stern post, a bit messy but mostly below the waterline where I can use filler and will be covered in paint. Hope there will still be room for the rudder fittings. 
 

I’m enjoying myself, but there’s plenty of room for improvement and almost endless amounts to learn. Thanks for all the help and advice it’s so helpful knowing there’s a support network out there for this! 
 

[AJohnson]

A lovely sense of achievement isn't it when you have the second planking done!  Are you going to paint the good Lady Eleanor, or leave her with the natural planking showing above the waterline?  Just mentioning that for the colour of the wood filler above the waterline.

 

Great progress. 👏

[Andyrew]

The second planking looks really good.

[Theodosius]

Your first ever second planking is great! It looks very smooth. And when you paint the hull anyway, you can use filler, as you do!

 

I had exact the same problem as you had: Theory is one side, but I was not ably to cut and form the wood as good as I would have wanted to. More practive will help.

 

And then I think that the instructions for the planking in the manual were all that I needet. Just let the strips follow they're own way, and when the want to run above another plank, that is the point to start tapering. But then I have an elektrical plank bender, that was a very helpfull tool to bend the planks in both directions.

 

[DB789]

Thank you! Yes it feels so satisfying to completed the second planking. I’m going to leave her natural above the waterline if I can. Luckily there isn’t too much filler needed above the waterline and where I have needed it I’ve used a mix of pear wood dust from sanding and PVA as one of the build logs suggested. 

[DB789]

Rubbing strakes and rudder now fitted. Plenty of beginner mistakes here!
 

Firstly I drilled the holes for the rudder ropes at slightly different heights on each side. Can’t fill and redo one side as I don’t want to paint the upper hull plus the new and old hole would overlap and likely create more mess so I just have to live with it . This meant that the upper of the two 1mm walnut rubbing strakes crossed over one or other hole and I wanted to keep the rubbing strakes high as per the instructions (with hindsight I should have put them lower as Blue Ensign did in his build log). Instead I have cut a gap in the strake for the rudder holes which looks OK but not ideal. 
 

Next I decided to pre-paint the PE rudder fittings (and most of the rest of the PE) with black acrylic spray paint, priming it with Tamiya grey primer first. This looked great until I used CA to glue the fittings on. I should have guessed that cyanoacrylate would dissolve acrylic paint. The dissolved paint prevented a proper bond between fitting and rudder and it ended up with lots of smeary black paint/CA mix all over the wood that had to be sanded off. I’ve tried sealing the painted PE with polyurethane varnish which has worked to a degree. Does anyone have any better ideas for either attaching painted PE without using CA or to seal the acrylic paint better so it doesn’t dissolve? 
 

Furthermore I decided to cut the pins for the rudder fittings so I could have domed pin heads on both sides. This was very time consuming and fiddly and I needed CA to keep them in place, so yet more CA smeared where it shouldn’t be. Not sure my hands are small enough for this! 
 

Lastly I used too much CA on the rubbing strakes so there’s now CA smeared on the upper hull. I’ve been trying to sand and scrape it off and have a bit more off than in the photos but still visible in places. 
 

I clearly need a better applicator than just a glue bottle and bit of discarded plank for applying CA when I do have to use it! 
 

Thanks again for all the support and advice. 
 

Dan

[AJohnson]

That looks lovely Dan, well done, those rubbing strakes look nice and parallel, as to the positioning and the holes that you needed to cut out for they don't look bad at all.  All part of the learning curve.

As for C-A, yes it can be unforgiving, it will destroy most paints and undercoats, it doesn't adhere too well to paint anyway, so I usually scrape away down to the underlying wood/metal for gluing, fiddly process and yes get plenty of C-A smears where I don't want them.  A small applicator is good for applying C-A, I use an old needle where the eye has been cut in half and dip that into a drop of C-A I put the needle point first into an old paintbrush handle to hold it.

[DB789]

Thank you! Good to know it’s not just me being hopeless then. Good idea on the CA applicator - I’ll make one of those. I’ve also ordered some other applicator tips from Cornwall Model Boats, see if those help too. 

[DB789]

Waterline marked. Quite difficult to work out how the boat should sit in the stand for the waterline marking also and ensure the line is  consistent on both sides.
 

I measured down from the top strake as per the plans at both bow and stern and positioned the boat accordingly on the stand, then used the waterline marker. The waterline comes at least 5mm higher amidships higher than the plans suggest it should. I’ve just stuck with this. 
 

Then masked and painted in Plastikote red oxide primer. Filled a few cracks, sanded down and did a couple of coats. Waterline was good except small leakage around the bow, but this can be sanded a little and will be under the white ‘bootstrap’. 
 

Leaving for at least 24 hours before marking out the white bootstrap line tomorrow. 

[DB789]

I know nothing about rigging techniques and reckon that I have a week to ten days work before the hull is complete. I chose the Fifie for a first build partly because the rigging looks much more straightforward than even Vanguard’s other trawlers Nisha and Erycina, and similar to Lady Isabella. Nonetheless I don’t know where to start with rigging her! 
 

The instructions which are wonderfully step-by-step for building the hull don’t give any such help on the rigging techniques, although the plans are excellent. 
 

Does anyone have any guidance on where to find some very basic / beginner guidance on how to rig a model boat and techniques? Such as how to tie a block on and put the thread through it, how to tie the sails onto the yards, what knots to use and how to tie them, what tools I need for rigging, etc. 

 

I have trawled through the MSW forums and found lots of detailed and advanced comments but not a lot to get me started. Likewise some excellent videos on YouTube but mostly about rigging dead eyes, shrouds and ratlines which the Fifie doesn’t have (useful for my next build I hope, but not for this one). 
 

Any advice would be hugely appreciated. Many thanks

 

Dan

[ccoyle]

15 hours ago, DB789 said:

Does anyone have any guidance on where to find some very basic / beginner guidance on how to rig a model boat and techniques?

 

If you haven't read it yet, a wonderful book for beginners is Ship Modeling Simplified by the late Frank Mastini. Some of it is a bit dated, but it's a very encouraging read. Your local library may even have a copy, or can get hold of one through an inter-library loan.

[DB789]

Fantastic, thank you very much for the recommendation. It’s ordered on Amazon Prime, I should have it tomorrow. 

[DB789]

Ok another problem. The red hull paint starts at bow and stern at exactly the same height as on the plans (50mm down from top of the prow and 38mm from top of stern post) but it’s much higher amidships - see photos attached. Joining these points to create a waterline looks correct but is too high. 
 

This means that the bootstrap above this is also too high on the hull. The curves of the hull are much flatter higher up so there isn’t the different width of the white line at bow, amidships and stern and I lose the distinctive wide white bootstrap at the bow. Plus the waterline is too high amidships (maybe it has a full load of fish!)
 

I don’t really understand why this has happened - it must be that my hull is a different shape to what it should be (it doesn’t sit flush with the acrylic stand either). 
 

My options I think are:

 

a) paint a thin white line of a consistent thickness above the top of the red paint and live without the distinctive bootstrap - probably the easiest option and would still look like a good model to the uninitiated but a little disappointing. 

 

b) sand the red paint off and paint the hull red much lower starting at a lower point at bow and stern and keeping to a waterline so the amidships point comes down. I can then lower the bootstrap onto a more curved part of the hull. But it may look odd with an overly thick bootstrap or much too low waterline. Also will I be able to strip back the red paint which has probably been partially absorbed by the planks (no primer or sealer used as the red paint is a primer). Might end up becoming quite messy. 
 

c) paint a lower white line joining the current correct bow and stern points but that does not follow the waterline. I’d have to either paint over or sand back some of the red paint too. Would this be noticeably odd too and I’m not sure how I’d do it. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m erring towards option a as it’s safest but I’d appreciate the opinions of more experienced builders before committing myself. 
 

In the meantime I’ve been making deck fittings  and sanding the engraved deck to size (not glued on). The deck didn’t fit exactly which also suggests that I have got the hull shape slightly wrong… well it is my first build so still learning!! 
 

Many thanks 

Dan 

[DB789]

Think I’m going with option d (not listed above). Keeping the red waterline and painting on a bootstrap above it. The bootstrap will widen at bow and stern as it should but amidships it will narrow, not following the waterline. There will be less freeboard amidships but it’s the best compromise I can think of. 
 

I’ve masked her up ready to paint in the morning. Should look OK, I think. 
 

Using different masking tape around the bow and stern rabbet areas as that was where the paint leaked last time. Need to add the plastic sheeting too. 

[BobG]

She's looking great! Nice work!