Statenjacht by Melissa T. - FINISHED - Kolderstok - Scale 1:50

[druxey]

Yes, I agree with the other comments; your model is coming along well. Remember, only you are likely to know where a 'mistake' was made!

[Baker]

very nicely done 👍

[mark.bukovich]

Great to see your progress! it's shaping up to be a lovely little ship

[Melissa T.]

About to leave on another trip (busy summer already!), but I did manage to build and install some of the forward deck fittings this past week.  Satin urethane still drying in these photos, hence the shiny appearance.  All good.

 

[Melissa T.]

Since posting last month, I’ve been busy with summertime activities but have still found time to work on my Statenjacht for at least a little bit on most days. The focus has been on the various forward deck fittings and furnishings.  Most of these are made from scratch, which I find very enjoyable and relaxing, plus I like learning new skills and tricks.  The anchor cables will eventually feed through the holes in the lions heads mouths - I love that design feature.  The deck house is removable, so you can still view interior details like the fireplace.  I made the vertical gold rope decorations along the side by dipping the rope in my clear nail polish primer and then letting it dry overnight before painting it gold.  The instructions had said to use CA glue - I find that nail polish primer is much easier to use and gives the same result.

 

Now here’s something I have not been able to figure out - how do you drive a tiny brass nail through an equally tiny brass strip?  In the next step, I have to do this for a bowsprit strap and I had also wanted to do it for the brass strips on the hatch cover I made.  This totally baffles me, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by Melissa T.
Forgot something!

[ccoyle]

44 minutes ago, Melissa T. said:

how do you drive a tiny brass nail through an equally tiny brass strip?

 

You don't. Glue the strip, then simulate the bolt head. A small drop of glue can do the latter bit convincingly, but there are also after-market bolt heads available on the market, depending on your scale.

[Melissa T.]

Interesting - thanks, Chris!

[Mark m]

On 7/9/2022 at 10:30 AM, ccoyle said:

 

You don't. Glue the strip, then simulate the bolt head. A small drop of glue can do the latter bit convincingly, but there are also after-market bolt heads available on the market, depending on your scale.

@ccoyle I am trying to make a good looking bolt head.  Can you provide a link or other source for bolt heads?

[ccoyle]

I don't know a particular site off the top of my head, but if you do a Google search, you should find something.

[Melissa T.]

Summertime in Saratoga Springs means lazy afternoons at the track watching the horseraces, outdoor concerts, visits from friends and family, long bicycle rides in the surrounding countryside, daytrips to the many historical sites in Upstate New York, watching too much baseball (Let’s Go, Mets!) and occasionally, just occasionally, finding time to continue work on my Statenjacht.  I realized I hadn’t posted anything in two months, and didn’t want anyone to think this was another “dead” build-log!

 

I’ve been continuing the slow work on the deck cabins and furniture, working my way towards the stern.  The stern superstructure, which I have most recently been working on, is quite intricate and has been a bit of a challenge since the side panels are too short for the laser-cut front and back of the cabin.  I partly solved that issue by sanding down the tops of the front and back as much as practical without interfering with the windows.  It was important that the tops of the side panels line up with the tops of the front and back to properly fit the roof (yet to be built).  So I ended up gluing the side panels a bit higher up off of the deck rail than shown in the plans, hence the gap at the bottom – I plan on fixing that by adding a bit more planking than called for in the instructions.  I don’t see this as a major problem going forward.  One thing I’ve learned is to not be afraid to improvise when things don’t go exactly as shown in the plans or instructions.  Which happens a lot.

 

I continue to enjoy all the interior details on this kit – each of the deck cabins are removable so that the interiors I had worked on earlier can be viewed.  I’m currently working on the stern cabin doors, then I’ll tackle the roof and side paneling.  Onward! 

 

[Keith Black]

 Melissa, everything is looking peachy. Say, did you have a chance to go by the house that This Old House was renovating there in Saratoga Springs? If so, was it the circus it appears to be on TV?

[Melissa T.]

Keith - So many people have asked me about that house, though I don’t even watch that show! I know where it is, but haven’t been by there. May check it out, now that the hoopla is over.

[mark.bukovich]

It is looking beautiful! 

[Melissa T.]

Thank you, Mark!

 

[pwog]

Melissa, just catching up on this. Wow! Fantastic job. She looks beautiful. 
 

I totally understand the summer time slow down. I live in Maine and our summers are so short, we make the best of them. 

[Melissa T.]

Thanks Paul - I’ll post updated pics in the next day or two. I’ve made a lot of progress on the stern cabin.

[Melissa T.]

I got this kit back in March both for its historical interest and as a skill-building exercise - it has definitely been a stretch, but a fun one! Over the past month, I’ve been focused on finishing the stern cabin, its roof, and the extensive ornamentations.  The coat of arms I painted is for the city of Amsterdam.  The work at the stern is  mostly done now, though I still need to make a flagpole. I invested in a Proxxon mini-lathe to make that job easier, as well as the masts and spars on this and future projects. Will figure out how to use it tomorrow! After that, I’ll begin work on the bow. 

[pwog]

Really nice work. Looking great!

[Baker]

Very nice work 👍

[Melissa T.]

Thank you, Paul and Patrick!

[Melissa T.]

I’ve now built and mounted both of the leeboards - working with brass (for the narrow strips along the edges of the leeboards) turned out to be a huge learning curve with much trial and even more error.  After a lot of research on MSW, I figured out there was no way to drill the necessary holes in a 2mm wide brass strip without a drill press and an x-y table attachment.  Once I had those tools in hand, I used a mini-blow torch from my kitchen (that I normally use to make the crisp topping on crème brûlée!) to anneal the brass.  I had read about that on MSW, and it really does make the brass more pliable and easier to work with.  Finally, I figured out that carbide tipped drill bits were necessary, as HSS just didn’t cut it (pun intended).  All of this research and trial and error occupied most of the past month, but I’m pretty happy with the result and I’m definitely gaining some new skills.  Onward!

 

 

[Keith Black]

Melissa, impressive results. 

[Melissa T.]

Thank you, Keith - this model shipbuilding thing is quite the journey!

[Baker]

Great work. 

And, where is the creme brulee ??😉😋

[Melissa T.]

It was delicious! 😁

[HardeeHarHar]

Hey Melissa, 

I am late jumping on board, and am just now catching up.  Your build looks great.  I am glad that you splurged for the mini-lathe from Proxxon, as I am about to do the same.  Please let me know what you think as you start to use it and learn all the tricks of the trade.  I also wanted to reply about simulating bold heads.  I just ordered rivets from Model Motorcars in a variety of sizes in order to use them for just this purpose.  I will cut the heads off the rivets and use them on my build of the Secret Vessel. They also have bolts in a variety of sizes too.  https://www.modelmotorcars.com/.  Best regards and keep up the good work!

Brian

[Melissa T.]

Brian - Thanks for the tip on bolt heads! I’ve only used the lathe a couple of times for the bowsprit and flagpoles, but will be using it more as I get into the masts. I will say though that I was able to taper these dowels in about 15 minutes, work that would have taken me a couple of hours sanding by hand. A definite time saver!

 

I also got Proxxon’s mini drill press and x-y table. These made drilling holes in brass easy, and I couldn’t have done it without them. Highly recommend for this kind of work!

 

[*Hans*]

Nicely done!

[Melissa T.]

Thank you, Hans! 🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱

[Melissa T.]

I realized I hadn’t posted anything in a while, so here’s the latest progress report.  I had less time over the holidays to work on the Statenjacht, but now I’m able to pick up the pace a bit.  I think I’m about 90% done, with only the rest of the rigging and the sails yet to go. I’m hoping to finish this by the one year mark in March! As others have said, definitely a hobby that rewards patience.  Over the past week I did the ratlines. It was my first ever effort at these, and the tips on MSW definitely helped, especially using a 50/50 mix of PVA and water to seal and tighten everything.  My results aren’t perfect by a long shot, but they’re not awful either so I’m basically happy with how they came out.  Getting there!