Lady Nelson by JGoff - Amati/Victory Models - 1:64 - First Ship Build

[JGoff]

Hello all! After reading through several posts and build logs, I decided to start my modeling adventure with the Lady Nelson. I have no carpentry/wood-working experience or with many of the very practical things that go into ship modeling, but I do look forward to this craft which so many seem to have found stimulating as well as satisfying.  I think my first encounter with ship modeling was through my high school band director 20 years ago, and if I’m not mistaken, his first model was the HMS Victory.  Now that I have started reading through build logs and such, I am mightily curious which model kit he started with and what scale he completed! Incidentally, he also got me started reading both C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian, so this interest in nautical history and ship modeling has been a little ambition of mine for a long time, which I am finally starting to make good on.

 

Reading many of the logs available on the Lady Nelson, so many folks have made different improvements along the way to the kit, and I have been having this little debate in my head as to what I might improve and whether or not I will work to elevate the model in a particular way or in several ways. In one sense, there is just the hurdle of the first build (and planking!) to surmount, and then adding various bits to the model can seem daunting when I’m not even so sure that my bulkheads are installed properly! I also understand the need to plan ahead for those improvements should I decide to make them. But all in all, I have decided to try and have fun, take on the problems as they come and let the next step be the next step.

 

I’ll post some of my initial issues and current progress soon. Cheers!

[Gregory]

Make sure you note in other logs where some shortcomings in the kit were pointed out.

 

Otherwise, the kit has a lot of potential to build into a very nice ship.

[glbarlow]

Just be sure the bulkheads are squared up completely before, during and after the glue is added. Fair them so you have a smooth run of a plank bow to stern. One way to make sure you don't over-do or under-do that task is to remove all the char others than a line of it on the the stern-facing edge forward of midships and the bow-facing for the bulkheads aft of midships.  Take your time with fairing and take your time with your first planking. Study the other logs for a technique and don't be mislead by well-intentioned advice.  There are many ways to plank, but mixing them is the worst way to go - choose one and stay with it. I've seen a lot of entry level modelers think there in a race to get past these first steps, but just like the concrete in a house the foundation is critical to future success, rush it and everything after is a mind-numbing challenge to correct. Planking is a skill, its fun when you do it right, it's misery when you try and force the planks to fit. It is not natural for a flat rectangle to fit opposing curves. Plank bending is an easily learned skill. My advice is to find and read Chuck Pasarro's tutorials, you can look at my LN, Cheerful, and now Winchelsea logs to see how I apply his techniques.. 

 

On the plans for LN, as you will see noted in other logs, two of the bulkheads are labeled incorrectly. It's fairly obvious they don't fit that way.

 

The biggest flaw, though it will be a long while before you get there, is the forward bits are out of scale and incorrectly sized so badly the bowsprit won't fit. Some have just cut them down, I chose to scratch build a new set. You'll see this in other LN logs including mine.

 

It's great you started a log - between that and using others that have gone before you can get plenty of advice to make up for the lack of quality instructions with the kit.  Be sure to use the plans, even though they aren't crucial for this build, learning to follow along with the plans and use them when possible is excellent instruction and learning for more complicated models as you grow with the hobby.

 

Welcome to modeling, we're glad you've joined us. I'll follow along with your build

[Thukydides]

4 hours ago, glbarlow said:

I've seen a lot of entry level modelers think there in a race to get past these first steps, but just like the concrete in a house the foundation is critical to future success, rush it and everything after is a mind-numbing challenge to correct. Planking is a skill, its fun when you do it right, it's misery when you try and force the planks to fit.

Can't agree more. Treat every plank like it is its own project and trust me you won't regret it. There are lots of lady nelson logs, read as much as you can.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Thukydides

[JGoff]

Thanks for the wisdom and encouragement guys! When I started dry fitting the keel with the bulkheads, there was quite a bit of give….more than I thought reasonable.  Also, when the bulkheads were placed in the slots, the top of the bulkhead was not flush.  After looking at several other logs, I did not see any complaints about it, so I made the assumption that it was quite normal to be this way. And perhaps it is.  I just know that in the gluing process (PVA), trying to square and lift the bulkheads to the appropriate height and checking afterwards, everything seemed to fit and be square This afternoon, I rechecked and the bulkheads are off just a smidge.  Now I am trying to determine what the next steps are here. The first photo is where I was dry fitting, the other two are photos taken this morning of the glued hull.

[JGoff]

4 hours ago, glbarlow said:

On the plans for LN, as you will see noted in other logs, two of the bulkheads are labeled incorrectly. It's fairly obvious they don't fit that way.

The bow and stern plank terminating pieces were also mislabeled but also easy to catch. 

[Gregory]

Other LN builders would have to confirm this, but the false deck can sometimes help you align the bulkheads.

I'm not sure  if that is the case with this kit.

[JGoff]

9 minutes ago, Gregory said:

Other LN builders would have to confirm this, but the false deck can sometimes help you align the bulkheads.

I'm not sure  if that is the case with this kit.

After the bulkheads have already been glued? I actually caught the misalignment when I dry fitted the false deck.  You could clearly see that they were not aligned. I was also wondering if maybe placing some blocks in between each of the bulkheads (in addition to aid in planking) would also help to properly re-align the bulkheads. 

[Dave_E]

Looking forward to it. Don’t be shy about asking questions! 👍

[glbarlow]

Isopropyl alcohol will loosen the glue so you can reset the bulkhead. You want to do everything you can to have a squared up frame.  

[JGoff]

So removing the bulkheads begins…alcohol, paint brush and dental floss. In the attempt to not oversaturate the wood, I have brushed the alcohol on the seams two or three times with some time lapse between before working the dental floss down to cut through the bond.

[Dave_E]

Good work. What name do we call you? Look at some build logs concerning the squaring of the bulkheads. Many approaches, one will hit you. Intricate building jigs, squares, Lego blocks, clamps etc., something will reach out to you. 😀

[DanB]

Dental floss is an interesting idea. Most of my ungluing ( I am becoming quite an expert at it) seemed to need repeated applications over a few minutes for the PVA to soften. Gentle but persistent wiggling of the part also seemed to help. I don't think calling it bad names helps much, but I seem to try that also. Hang in there, it is worth it to get it right.

[glbarlow]

In addition to using two squares on each bulkhead as I glue them, I do them 1-2 at a time, not all at once. A shim in the groove might help getting them flush with the framer.  Flush and square are essential, do what it takes to get it there.

[JGoff]

23 minutes ago, Dave_E said:

Good work. What name do we call you? Look at some build logs concerning the squaring of the bulkheads. Many approaches, one will hit you. Intricate building jigs, squares, Lego blocks, clamps etc., something will reach out to you. 😀

Just call me Johnathon… Yeah I had a little square that I laser cut from acrylic.  Clearly I need something a little better for this work.

[Oldsalt1950]

Johnathon, you might consider purchasing some 1-2-3 blocks. They not only work very well for squaring things but are also handy as weights when gluing up flat stock. You can get them from Amazon for about $9 per pair.

Jim

[Thukydides]

Lego is great if you have some lying around, very accurate and you can build them up to any size you want.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Thukydides

[allanyed]

 Johnathon,  a warm welcome to the fray.   Good for you doing a build log on the first build and seeking advice.  You will likely get more advice than you hoped for, but we are all well intentioned even if sometimes not in agreement.  Question every piece that comes out of the box before securing it place from planking to gratings, cannons to sails.   

Looking forward to your progress

 

Allan 

[JGoff]

Thanks Allan! 

 

I took @Oldsalt1950 up on his recommendation for the 1x2x3 blocks. Those should come in today. The lego jig is an interesting idea...might have to make a purchase and try those out at some point.

 

I have finally have gotten all the bulkheads removed that needed removing, lightly sanded off some of the glue. Hopefully, I'll receive those blocks today, as well as some other necessary tool/paint purchases made a few days ago.  I am leaning in the direction of adding some balsa wood blocks in between the bow and stern bulkheads. I'm sure there are some lengthy discussions about this, but I'm thinking a hand saw and sandpaper - perhaps an Xacto blade - will be all that is really required to get those fit and carved. Chisels might make the work easier? Any thoughts about the most efficient way of going about this?

[Thukydides]

4 minutes ago, JGoff said:

Thanks Allan! 

 

I took @Oldsalt1950 up on his recommendation for the 1x2x3 blocks. Those should come in today. The lego jig is an interesting idea...might have to make a purchase and try those out at some point.

 

I have finally have gotten all the bulkheads removed that needed removing, lightly sanded off some of the glue. Hopefully, I'll receive those blocks today, as well as some other necessary tool/paint purchases made a few days ago.  I am leaning in the direction of adding some balsa wood blocks in between the bow and stern bulkheads. I'm sure there are some lengthy discussions about this, but I'm thinking a hand saw and sandpaper - perhaps an Xacto blade - will be all that is really required to get those fit and carved. Chisels might make the work easier? Any thoughts about the most efficient way of going about this?

I wouldn't worry about the lego unless you had some lying around. It will likely be no better or worse than the 1x2x3 blocks provided they are cut accurately. I just suggested lego as most people have at least some of it lying around and why spend money when the thing you already have will do :).

Edited March 31, 2022 by Thukydides

[glbarlow]

Balsa at the bow and stern is a good idea, especially for a kit with more widely spaced bulkheads. I just saw, cut, file until it’s close then sand from there. Chisels, much as I like my Veritas mini-chisels, aren’t much help on balsa.  
 

Mechanics squares are what I use, but any solid true square object is fine.  Either way you need to clamp the square tight between the bulkhead and framer, just sitting it there isn’t enough. Rule one in modeling, when you think you have enough clamps, buy more clamps. 

[Oldsalt1950]

You can never have too many clips, or types of clips. Don't forget rubber bands too. 

[starlight]

Hi JGoff,

 

I also used 1-2-3 blocks to hold the bulkheads square on my build and they worked fairly well. Probably not enough clamps on the below image but you get the idea. One thing to be aware of: if you have excess glue coming out of the joint, it will get onto the blocks and will require a good cleaning to true the surfaces up again (ask me how I know).

 

 

-starlight

[JGoff]

Saturday Morning Update: 

 

Taking @glbarlow advice, I took my time squaring and gluing the bulkheads, and the 1x2x3 blocks worked well with the addition of clamps.  The visual @starlight was indeed helpful in moving forward.

 

 

I also started bending the bulwarks. After reviewing a few build logs of the LN, it seemed that a few folks made a wood pattern for the soaked bulwark to form against. So I traced the shape of the false deck onto a scrap piece of board, cut it, sanded and proceeded with the soaking, etc before strapping them on with rubber bands. I used a pin vise and screwed whatever those little thingies are (they were lying around the house somewhere) into the gunports to anchor the rubber bands. I do not yet know whether the edge of bow will be curved enough, but as I get the false deck, keel and prow installed, I will know more then.

 

 

And finally....I decided to insert balsa at the bow and stern to add support and aid in the planking. At the moment I have only worked on the bow doing some general shaping - still more and then some sanding.  This part has been a little time consuming, which was one of the reasons that I wasn't sure that I wanted to go forward with that. However, after having started it, it just reminds me to accept that this will be a slow build and that I should not try and rush each step. Each little component or micro-project is a step forward in the build.  And as each step starts to take shape and come together, that is exciting to watch. 

 

 

Thanks guys for the advice and encouragement! More to come.

[Dave_E]

Go man go! Looking good! 👍😀

[glbarlow]

32 minutes ago, JGoff said:

should not try and rush each step.

That’s the absolute rule of modeling. You aren’t on a schedule, enjoy the process. 

[JGoff]

I have been a busy little bee this Sunday.  I have finished cutting out and shaping my blocks to fill in between the bow and stern bulkheads, and I added some additional support between the remaining bulkheads.  The bulkheads just seem to shift too much, and though I admit this might be a bit overkill, it gives me a bit more peace of mind as I anticipate the fairing process. I also made a “dockyard” of sorts, finally. 

 

Once the glue cures, I’m going to continue sanding and sanding and sanding some more before I finally start fairing the hull 🙂. Based on what I have been seeing from other logs, it seems prudent to wait adding the keel and prow until that has been completed. 

 

Stay tuned…

[Thukydides]

The faring process is one that cannot be rushed. Many of the issues I had with my first planking directly relate to not faring properly.

[JGoff]

18 minutes ago, Thukydides said:

The faring process is one that cannot be rushed. Many of the issues I had with my first planking directly relate to not faring properly.

Indeed. Every problem with planking that I have seen, seems to be traced back to a problem with fairing the hull. 

[glbarlow]

I’m sure you plan to take the balsa down. The bulkheads need to all be in contact with the planks. The balsa just helps hold the shape. Also need to be sure it’s below the bulkhead tops as well, it doesn’t help anything there.