36 Foot Admirals Barge by Blue Ensign – FINISHED - Vanguard Models – 1:64 scale

[Blue Ensign]

Post Eleven

Fitting the thwart set as a unit presents some difficulties.

The unit must sit down on the central supports and the thwarts be trimmed uniformly on either side to sit squarely against the hull sides at the correct level.

My approach is to use individual thwart substitutes to determine the correct lengths and apply those to the unit.

The unit is then trimmed by degrees.

 

The stern sheets required careful sanding and bevelling mostly towards the stern, to seat fully down at the correct level.

9494

Once again, the dockyard workers were called into use to confirm the levels.

003

Many contemporary models show panelling below the benches.

Note also that the inside hull has been lined to below the thwarts.

 

I fancied replicating the look below the stern benches.

 

 

Great care must be taken in sanding and bevelling the thwart ends because the grain runs fore- aft making them prone to snapping if sanding is done other than with the grain.

I suggest the thwart is held between thumb and fore-finger as close to the end as possible during sanding.

Each thwart is progressively fitted until by applying light pressure on the central plank the unit sits down on the pillars without flexing the hull sides.

It is necessary to get the thwarts and seats dry fitted to satisfaction before moving on.

 

I glued the stern benches first but using the thwarts to ensure the levels met up.

9496(2)

Getting the thwarts to look right is a major aspect of small boat builds.

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9498

C’mon lads, break over, back to the job.

 

With the stern sheets glued into place I can turn my attention to the panelling below the benches.

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Forming the shape of Boxwood strip to fit.

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A lot of faffing around to get the panelling to fit, still ongoing at this point.

9506(2)

9509(2)

9510(2)

Before the stern-sheets can be completed I need to work out the panelling above the benches.

 

Onto the thwarts.

 

B.E.

22/11/2022

[yvesvidal]

I never really understood, why the Brits were so fond of these diamond shaped floors.... I did not know they would even place them in their barges (granted, this one is an "Admiral" barge). Any explanations would be most welcome.

 

Yves

[Blue Ensign]

Well Yves, a case of monkey see, monkey do.

 

I thought if it was good enough for a guy who was around at the time (1750) to show it, it was good enough for me.

 

The black and white schematic was a traditional thing to be found everywhere in the flooring from stately homes, to cathedrals, to 1950's kitchens in the form of lino.

In naval circles it probably just followed fashion of the time, except it was merely painted sailcloth, anything else would be considered extravagant.

 

The French on the other hand, more conscious of creature comforts preferred parquet flooring in their great cabins, perfect for unlaying by carronade.

They even had separate Bread Ovens; can you imagine!

 

The British were, and are, more conservative, and their lordships of the Admiralty had an aversion to anything 'frenchified' despite having pinched the designs of their Seventy-four gun ships, and finally being seduced by the epaulette, that most French of French adornments.

 

A brief potted history, not entirely tongue-in-cheek😉

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

[yvesvidal]

30 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

The black and white schematic was a traditional thing to be found everywhere in the flooring from stately homes, to cathedrals, to 1950's kitchens in the form of lino.

In naval circles it probably just followed fashion of the time, except it was merely painted sailcloth, anything else would be considered extravagant.

 

The French on the other hand, more conscious of creature comforts preferred parquet flooring in their great cabins, perfect for unlaying by carronade.

They even had separate Bread Ovens; can you imagine!

 

For the separate ovens.... I can fully understand: you don't want your bread or pastries to smell like venison or roasted chickens.

 

For the checkered floor, it (unfortunately) reminds me of the flooring used in all Grand Lodges of the Masonic fraternities, where some significant atrocities are committed. I will not say more about that...

 

Yves

[Blue Ensign]

Post Twelve

Time to fit the thwarts.

9513

There is a natural spring in the unit which resists the sheer of the barge. To this end the unit is weighted into place and heat treated to follow the sheer.

9516

Ca is applied to the pillar tops and pva to the thwart ends.

The sheer is evident in this photo.

9517

9518

With the thwarts firmly in position the next stage can begin.

9519

9521

Wood strips are fitted between the thwarts this will form the lower element of the panelling.

9522

A card template is used to get the shape of the upper panelling.

9523

With a coat of paint applied I can get a good impression of how the finished boat will look.

9525

Sadly, I don’t like what I see.

9529

That Fore deck position looks so out of kilter with the elegance of a barge, I don’t think I can live with it.

The only option is to de-construct the bow area at the risk of destroying the model, but I would otherwise waste no more time on it.

If I’m going to do it, it needs to be done before I add the linings, now where did I put that Dremel.

 

 

B.E.

23/11/2022

 

[allanyed]

19 hours ago, yvesvidal said:

For the checkered floor, it (unfortunately) reminds me of the flooring used in all Grand Lodges of the Masonic fraternities, where some significant atrocities are committed.

Never having been in even one, let alone all, grand lodges could you please help me understand how this relates to ship models?  Many thanks.

Allan

[Beef Wellington]

Where did you obtain the seated figures B.E.?  They seem perfect for scale and dimension validation of the thwarts.

[Blue Ensign]

Hi Jason,

 

I get them from a company called Modelu.

Modelu – Finescale Figures (modelu3d.co.uk)

 

They do them in various scales and I bought them originally for my 1:64 Fishing boat kits.

Unfortunately, they don't do 18th c period naval figures, but they now do a range of fishing boat crew figures.

 

Scale figures in various poses are useful for comparison purposes, it is a pity no one does seated rowers, I could do with around a dozen if the barge ever gets completed.

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

 

[James G]

Better to make it right for yourself rather than live and suffer with it. I’ll take the bin over constant frustration any day!

[Blue Ensign]

Post 13.

De-construction begins.

Removing the wash boards and platform is the easy bit.

9531

I used a combination of scalpel, micro chisels, and etched saw blades to slowly pare away the first two bulkheads.

9538

I reduced the height of the bulkheads to a fraction above the line of the central thwart dividing plank.

9540(2)

9542(2)

The job went better than I imagined, there was a slight breakaway of the planking at the bow, but the planks remained glued to each other, and a spot of ca resolved the problem.

9545

With the lowered foredeck, the barge now better reflects the elegant lines typical of the type, and I’m far happier already.

9553

9554

9557

I’m not out of the woods yet, there is the internal lining to fit, followed by the decorative panels, but at least I now feel I can continue with the build.

 

B.E.

24/11/2022

 

[yvesvidal]

Very sweet recovery! 

 

yves

[Wintergreen]

What Yves said, nice save B.E!

 

Keep it up!

[James G]

That looks SO MUCH better. Well done!

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you, Yves, Håkan, and Jim, I'm much happier now. 👍

 

Post fourteen

Lining the hull.

Moving on to fitting out the internal hull, the point of a build that most excites my interest.

9561

Multiple card templates were made and tweaked to match the sheer of the hull and run from the bow to stern-sheets.

9565

Once satisfied the patterns were transferred to 0.6mm Pearwood (spare fret from the Sphinx kit)

I tried to get as good fit as I could but the fallback position is that the linings will be painted so a little filler won’t go amiss should the need arise.

A full day at the work bench sees the lining in place, ready for fining down and hopefully joined seamlessly to the lower lining strips.

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At this point sanded and filled the internal hull is ready for a coat of paint.

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The somewhat trickier business of the decorative panels is up next.

 

B.E.

25/11/2022

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Glad you are 'happier' B.E., well justified in my humble opinion.  Your tweaks have made all the difference.

[mtaylor]

I think the admiral would be well pleased with your modifications, B.E.

[Blue Ensign]

Post Fifteen

My next thought is how to represent the decorative panels.

oob kit arrangement.

 

The kit offering, a simplification, would stand too proud, and not look good just stuck atop the linings.

I am thinking fine mouldings, possibly no more than 0.5mm x 0.5mm. in section.

I also want the panels to be inset and contain a decorative design.

 

A tall order at this scale perhaps, but I’ve come this far……

I discounted use of timber to make the mouldings which would have a high attrition rate of breakage.

9581

I started using a printed frieze design but didn’t like the look.

 

After a few false starts I settled on using 0.25mm x 0.5mm styrene strip for the moulding, glued to painted paper, with an impression of a design painted on.

 This arrangement has ultimate flexibility and will not overwhelm the scale.

 

I started with the stern-sheet decoration.

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9589

The remainder of the panels fit between the thwarts.

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A time-consuming exercise making up these small panels, but they don’t look too bad from around nine inches, at least to my rheumy old eyes.

Even so I have more work to do on them.

 

The next task is the shaping and fitting the capping rails.

 

B.E.

01/12/2022

 

 

[Wintergreen]

I bet the panels look quite good at an ordinary watching distance (i.e. more than 9 inches anyway).

Finicky work, but well executed B.E.

 

Keep it up!

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks, Håkan,

 

Away from the macro lens it looks ok, altho' I'm still fiddling with it.

 

B.E.

 

[Chuck]

Absolutely beautiful....lovely little model.

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you, Chuck, it's a testy little beggar and I'm struggling to achieve the finish on my models of the Queen Anne Barge, Pinnace, and Longboat. Scale does have advantages.

 

Post Sixteen

For the capping rails that don’t feature on the basic kit I use strips of fret which provide a great source of material for modifications on small scale models.

9620

9621

The degree of the bow turn and size of material just about allows for edge bending rather than cutting out.

9623

The rails are glued progressively along the gunwale using ca. I start at the bow, and it helps to dampen the underside of the rail which increases the grab of the ca.

The process proved less problematic than I had imagined.

9626

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With the rails in place the look of the barge is much improved. 

 

Getting there slowly, but each macro reveals further areas needing a tweak or touch-in of the paint work.

 

 The thole pins are up next.

 

B.E.

03/12/22

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Blue Ensign
missing narrative

[Blue Ensign]

Post seventeen

 Oarlocks/Thole pins

The kit provided oarlocks are of brass etch comprising a base plate into which the tiny pin and bracket combinations fit.

At this scale replicating wooden pins is out of the question; the brackets are a possibility but would present a very fiddly exercise.

The problem with the base plate is that it would stand proud of the capping rail which I don’t really want, on the other hand, the pre-drilled holes for the pins give a uniform distance between them.

I finally decided that the kit parts were the least worst option.

9650

The base plates in position, they have been chemically blackened to provide a key for painting.

 

As previously mentioned in the log, the kit layout is somewhat suspect. Barges were traditionally rowed single banked and so the tholes will be arranged on each thwart alternatively port and starboard.

9648

This arrangement allows for twelve oarsmen to power the barge. One of the benefits using the longer oars is that there is a greater leverage, altho’ the relative narrowness of barges would make double banking more problematic.

Aesthetically I think boats look more elegant crewed like this.

 

With the second part of the assembly there is a high risk of the parts pinging off into the ether due to difficulty in holding whilst working.

I found it necessary to file the pins a little where they fitted into the base plates.

 

I so very nearly made it, but two pins were lost during fitting leaving me a thwart short of tholes, so bloody annoying.😒

9653

The first plate, port side, can be seen without the pins/brackets, I will try to make replacements perhaps using styrene.

9654

The plates and brackets have been painted to match the capping rails.

 

B.E.

05/12/22

 

 

[Wintergreen]

🙂 "least worst" option goes hand in hand with the common "not too bad" option, I just love the UK-English language ❤️ (honestly I do!)

"Bloody excellent" though, would be my way of react to what you show us B.E.

 

Keep it up!

[James G]

I can relate to the parts "pinging off into the ether. Inevitably, when doing a repeated delicate process, i.e. installing small pins yesterday, a few seem to always want to take off on their own. Murphy's Law, gremlins or ham hands...I don't know. Does seem to be a part of the modeler's condition. Sure enjoying your build though!

[Blue Ensign]

Post Eighteen

Looking at the Rudder.

9667(2)

The rudder is of brass etch with the straps moulded in. There is a suggestion to pad out the thickness a little using thin spare fret, which I did, the rudder is too thin otherwise.

9676

On my previous boat models, I had not used the etched rudder versions but on the barge I decide to give it a try, mainly because it was to be painted overall.

Ca was used to glue the rudder to the stern post, the straps were then pressed into place.

9664

The boat cradles are of mdf.

I fixed the positions along a strip of 2x2 pearwood, this will be fixed to whatever base board I decide upon.

9662

Not quite sure how to finish the cradles, but that’s something that can wait.

9683

In the closing stages of the build there is a need to re-do the paintwork, marred by constant handling.

The lower hull has been re-painted along with the capping rail and thole pins.

 

 

B.E

08/12/22

 

 

 

[Wintergreen]

Nicely done B.E!

It is a bit hard to envision the size of the barge even though I understand that the cutting mat i 10x10mm. Toss in a ball point pen and it will be obvious how delicate the build is.

 

The mdf does shame the overall impression. If it was me I would paint it. Maybe not white, but off white or something similar white-yellowish or so. Not too prominent anyway.

Or why not use the shape as template and do a build-up support instead? It would be "lighter" in impression compared to the quite sturdy mdf-supports?

 

[Blue Ensign]

I think you're right Håkan, the mdf supports are a bit ugly, and I have plenty of thin sheet to make more delicate versions.

Looks like I will be re-visiting the display, but for the present it is oars that have my attention.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[allanyed]

This continues to be a fun journey BE!!!   

 

Oars are some of the trickiest things to make, at least in my own experience.  Laser cut means only shaping so a big plus versus making from scratch.   I mostly use David Steel's scantlings for barge oars as well as for other ships' boats and wonder how they compare with what comes with the kit.

 

Allan

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by allanyed

[Blue Ensign]

Post Nineteen

The oars.

A set of twelve Pearwood oars are provided in the kit. These are a scale 74mm long equating to a length of 15’6”.

However, the kit arrangement is set up for double banking, so the oars would be shorter than those used for single banking.

The contemporary model in the NMM gives a good visual impression of the oar/boat length relationship.

On this basis the kit oars should be in the order of 90mm length with a loom of 22mm.

9689

The provided oars are laser cut fare and suffer from the usual process simplification of being flat in profile, lacking the round of the shaft and the swell of the looms.

The above photo gives the correct configuration, but a lot easier to do at 1:24 scale.

 

9701(3)

It is difficult to lengthen short oars, more trouble than its worth, so the shafts will need to be scratched, altho’ I can use the blades from the kit offering.

9697(2)

Imm square stock is used for the shafts, the sections are marked, the shaft rounded below the looms, and the blade is notched to take the shaft. 

The blade requires thinning down towards the tip and a slight curve induced.

Very soft hands are required, the risk of breakage is high.

 

9710(2)

7912(2)

The relative length difference is apparent in these photos.

9706(2)

A further eleven oars are now required to make the set.

 

B.E.

09/12/22

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Well done indeed with rounding that 1mm square stock, are you going to try and curve the blade?  Big improvement on the kit offering.