The Black Pearl by Twokidsnosleep (Scott) - Zvezda - 1/72 scale - PLASTIC

[Twokidsnosleep]

6 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

Superb work,  all the extra work  will  so be worth it  as  she builds into a  real piece of art.

 

OC.

Thanks OC

Your build is the inspiration for mine and I refer to what you did with your Pearl frequently

I really appreciate your commenting and support, mate👍🏻😎

[Old Collingwood]

13 hours ago, Twokidsnosleep said:

Thanks OC

Your build is the inspiration for mine and I refer to what you did with your Pearl frequently

I really appreciate your commenting and support, mate👍🏻😎

No problem at all.

 

OC.

[Twokidsnosleep]

New ropes on the ship’s wheel. These are fantastic to work with. I added a little CA glue  to hold

 

 

 

reference pic of The Pearl

[Twokidsnosleep]

Working on the foremast I believe this is called

I re-inforced the mast with a wooden dowel ála Mr OC

And then took it to the lathe to remove the six moulded rope windings so I can add the Ropes of Scale rope

I was fully prepared to make a wooden mast if this broke or I FUBAR’’d it

Was careful and it came out ok, but the styrene is very flexi on the lathe and so hard to turn concentric

Now in primer to get the oil paints today

 

Edit: added the oil painting pics

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Twokidsnosleep

[Twokidsnosleep]

Quick video of it running on the lathe

 

https://youtu.be/Ung4RtH8c_c

[Jeff T]

Your lathe makes quick work of those plastic wooldings so that you can replace them with rope — it will look much nicer.  On the kit that I am building, each of the wooldings consisted of two separate “rings” spaced a few millimeters apart, so I eliminated them by scraping them down with a blade, because I also plan to redo them with rope.  I imagine that it would have been much more taxing to scrape them down by hand if they were 5 deep like on the Black Pearl kit.

[Twokidsnosleep]

17 hours ago, Jeff T said:

Your lathe makes quick work of those plastic wooldings so that you can replace them with rope — it will look much nicer.  On the kit that I am building, each of the wooldings consisted of two separate “rings” spaced a few millimeters apart, so I eliminated them by scraping them down with a blade, because I also plan to redo them with rope.  I imagine that it would have been much more taxing to scrape them down by hand if they were 5 deep like on the Black Pearl kit.

I have another pic of taking them off the foretopmast as well..will post it later after work.

What purpose did those rope windings have on the masts??? I have not been able to find an answer so far in my research

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Masts are sections of tree trunk, of course - so the growth rings (harder than the early season wood in between) encircle throughout.  Take a look at the 'end view' (or a stump) of a newly felled tree and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

  a living tree has an awful lot of water content, and much of this is lost once cut as it dries ... but there is always a water content (unless left in the desert, and even then there is a little).  Wood shrinks width-wise as it dries, so the further out in circumference the greater chance of a serious crack developing - which will run up and down. Oiling dried wood helps lessen the travel of moisture in or out of wood in the short term - furniture makers know all about this.  

 

  Strong forces can bend and snap a mast, and if you simulate this by snapping a branch often large 'shivers' connected to one piece or another can be produced.  Wrapping rope around in bands will significantly reinforce the mast section against snapping.  Perhaps you've seen period cannon with iron or steel 'bands' around the barrel ... they also do reinforcing.

[Twokidsnosleep]

2 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

  Masts are sections of tree trunk, of course - so the growth rings (harder than the early season wood in between) encircle throughout.  Take a look at the 'end view' (or a stump) of a newly felled tree and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

  a living tree has an awful lot of water content, and much of this is lost once cut as it dries ... but there is always a water content (unless left in the desert, and even then there is a little).  Wood shrinks width-wise as it dries, so the further out in circumference the greater chance of a serious crack developing - which will run up and down. Oiling dried wood helps lessen the travel of moisture in or out of wood in the short term - furniture makers know all about this.  

 

  Strong forces can bend and snap a mast, and if you simulate this by snapping a branch often large 'shivers' connected to one piece or another can be produced.  Wrapping rope around in bands will significantly reinforce the mast section against snapping.  Perhaps you've seen period cannon with iron or steel 'bands' around the barrel ... they also do reinforcing.

What a most thorough and excellent answer SHJ

This is why I joined here, just great advice on this site so far 

I am a woodworker so clearly understand your lesson. I was worried I was missing that this wrapping  tied into the rigging somehow, but could not see that on any of the research pics so far. So your answers absolutely makes sense and I thank you a ton

👍🏻😎

[Twokidsnosleep]

Used the ropes of scale and some wire and roped off some staircases

 

 

[Twokidsnosleep]

I took them off

Then added them back

I used the tan 0.7mm Ropes Of Scale as I am saving the black for rigging. I can weather this up and easily darken them
Not bad result, looks cool especially in the contrast colours 

A research pic shows unevenness and really worn rope, so some realism in my imperfections

Edited April 20, 2023 by Twokidsnosleep

[Twokidsnosleep]

I learned about “whipping” a rope today from a YouTube video and have used it on the mid foremast wrappings.

A loop is made with a tail lain along your mast. You wrap around this from the bottom up, threading through the loop at the top.
Then pull the bottom tail and it tightens the loop down under your wrappings. Trim top and bottom threads off.

All of these rope wraps have zero glue on them. Zero. This has the tell tale  pull down ‘v’ at the top that matches my research picture in the previous post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paint touched up and test installed with the rest of the foremast

 

Masts make a ship pretty darn tall pretty darn quick

Edited April 21, 2023 by Twokidsnosleep

[Old Collingwood]

Excellent work  -  so  makes  a  difference.

 

OC.

[Twokidsnosleep]

1 hour ago, Old Collingwood said:

Excellent work  -  so  makes  a  difference.

 

OC.

Thanks OC mate👍🏻😎

[Wintergreen]

That whipping technique is usually used to stop line ends to fray. It is quick and easy when you get the hang of it.

For a more secure whipping one can use needle and sew it on. 

 

Anyway, your whippings on the mast look the part!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Starting the main mast. Using telescoping brass rod and tubes for internal strength and solid connections 

 

 

The foremast and its’ rope wrappings got a coat of the black oil wash that brings the black into the Black Pearl

Edited April 24, 2023 by Twokidsnosleep

[Twokidsnosleep]

More whipping of the main mast parts.

Using a little thread zapper to heat the ends I have from leatherwork.

Simple little tool that helps quickly prevent thread unravelling

[Twokidsnosleep]

First time with all three masts on. Just the mizzenmast  to de- and re-rope then stain

 

 

 

 

 

Cat is life size scale. Not made by me🤪

Edited May 2, 2023 by Twokidsnosleep

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  "I tawt I taw a puddie-tat ..."  (Tweety Bird in the  old Warner Brothers cartoon)  Then there was Yosemite Sam, "Great horny-toadies!"

[Twokidsnosleep]

I received some jolly roger flags to fly

 

And found a good analogy for my burnt wood surface finish...Japanese Shou Sugi Ban

Blackened but still brownish

[Twokidsnosleep]

I am away from my modelling desk travelling so some downtime to research

Looking at OC’s build and how he replaced some of the smaller mast parts and spars with wood🤔

So do I worry about the styrene mast parts supporting the rigging tension or do I replace them now with wood or brass?

 

 

Have learned the hard way that styrene plastic may let you down.

This motorcycle’s main fork tube was left styrene ( green) and it broke well after full assembly😱

 

 

 

I had  to jiggy-Jack telescoping brass tubes into there to get around the electrical, brake and clutch wiring to reinforce it all and get the forks back on.
Would have been way easier if I did that at the start. 
I think I am  answering my own question with the plastic mast parts and the rigging😊

[Jeff T]

I plan on using wood for the small masts and spars to try to avoid bending while rigging (but also so I can change their lengths).  By the way, very nice job on those motorcycles — you really make them look real.

[Old Collingwood]

Wooden  top masts  and  spars  will  certainly  benefit  you, to avoid  the  rigging  bending them.

 

OC.

[Twokidsnosleep]

2 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

Wooden  top masts  and  spars  will  certainly  benefit  you, to avoid  the  rigging  bending them.

 

OC.

Yep, I think I will have to do that

[Twokidsnosleep]

5 hours ago, Jeff T said:

I plan on using wood for the small masts and spars to try to avoid bending while rigging (but also so I can change their lengths).  By the way, very nice job on those motorcycles — you really make them look real.

Thanks Jeff

I have built a lot more bikes than ships😱

[Twokidsnosleep]

Making a brass upper part of the mizzenmast 

 

 

 

There will be soldering😊

[Twokidsnosleep]

This is what I came up with for the mizzen mast

 

Dry fit test

[Twokidsnosleep]

[Twokidsnosleep]

Not very exciting lately. Just making more brass holes and squares for the masts. Lucky to find I had a square jeweller's file handy

These are for the foremast which is almost done. Then the mainmast and I am ready to rig

[Twokidsnosleep]

Alright, my goal this Victoria Day long weekend was to finish the brass work for all three masts

done!…,wasn’t easy, some burns, some screw ups, some swearing and some back to starting boards

Everything is still loose here and not in final positions or perfect alignments

 

All three attach to their respective mast differently. I would love to say this was on purpose to avoid confusion, but it is truly just poor planning on my part.

‘I have kept the plastic masts as back up I suppose. It is easier to create something when you have the real thing to copy from

 

This sucker is going to be hard to work on and photograph as I get all the masts and such on.
Largest kit I have built so far, other than a Space shuttle and her launch pad…that was TALL!

Edited May 23, 2023 by Twokidsnosleep