HMS Flirt by TJM - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[TJM]

Log entry 38

 

The rigging is done! Phew! That was a learning process, and while there is a lot of room for improvement in the small details, and a few mistakes here and there, I am very happy with the overall result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun fact: it has taken a little more than half of the total build time to do the masts and rigging - around 85 hours or so total for that part. This was about twice as long as I had anticipated! It is not a problem, and the effort is worth it, but good to know for setting my own expectations in future builds!

 

Now all that is left is the anchors and some rope coils - I am not really happy with my first tries at making coils, so I will peruse the forum for good techniques to do these. 

 

BR

TJM

 

Edited June 19 by TJM

[chris watton]

Looks great, you should be proud of that!

[TJM]

2 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Looks great, you should be proud of that!

Thank you Chris, that means a lot!

[Thukydides]

Looks great, well done.

 

1 hour ago, TJM said:

I am not really happy with my first tries at making coils, so I will peruse the forum for good techniques to do these. 

See below for a picture of the jig I have landed on after trying a bunch of different methods.

The two pins you can space further apart or closer together depending on how big you want the coil to be. I start by super gluing a small loop and putting it on the large pin. Then making a loop in the remainder and twist it and flip it over on the large pin (see below crude diagram). I then loop the remaining rope around the two smaller pins slipping it in-between the two loops until I have enough turns.

Finally I super glue the end of the rope against the coil to hold it in place. I then give it a blast with the hairdryer and finally coat it in diluted matt varnish to help it hold its shape. Once all dry I pull out the smaller pins and pop it off and it holds its shape.

[TJM]

Thank you @Thukydides! Yours was the first log I was going to go for 😁. 

 

I will definitely give it a try!

 

A few questions: 

 

Is it correctly understood that when you flip the second top loop up, you then have to thread the main loops in the coil between the first and second top loops on each pass? Meaning that a piece of thread has to be cut off the spool to begin with?

 

My experience with CA and light thread is that it seeps into the thread and permanently colours it - but I don't see any sign of that in your image! How do you do? Use tiny amounts? Is it the low viscous or gel CA?

 

Thanks!

Edited June 20 by TJM

[Thukydides]

Sorry I should have been a bit more clear. I took a few more pictures to illustrate, but I think you have the idea.

 

First I should note that I am using polyester rope and so that has dictated some of my process. If I was using natural thread I could use white glue to hold it, but that doesn't work on the polyester so I have to use super glue. If using natural thread you might want to experiment with alternative fixing agents.

 

With regard to the super glue I use Bob Smith Medium super glue. It is pretty runny and I only use very small amounts. I really just use it to tack things in place so that they don't move until I can blast them with the hair dryer and then varnish them to fix them in place. If you use small amounts and you are careful to let it fully dry then I find it leave no visible marks other than a shininess. The matt varnish is both to take away the shininess and also to hold everything together. Note I thin the matt varnish with equal parts flow aid to make sure it goes on very thin. you don't want to have the rope looking like it has a coating over it.

 

To apply super glue I put a bit on a yogurt container lid and then use pins I got from the dollar store to carefully apply tiny amounts precisely. These are really cheap so the moment I get much glue build up on the pins I throw them out and grab another.

 

With regard to the actual process I have taken a couple more photos using a scrap piece of rope. You start with a length of rope cut to the approximate size you think you will need.

You can see above where I have glued the first loop (A) and then flipped the second loop around and attached it to the first (B). Note that the direction of the first loop will depend on the direction you attached the line to the cleat or pin. You want this to simulate that the end at A is a continuation of your tied off line.

Then you loop the rope around through the gap between the loops as many times as you want. D and E show where the pins would theoretically be. I have this upside-down in the picture as you want the glued loop to be the lower one.

 

If you are wondering why my jig has the loops bent over the edge of the wood, that is because polyester rope is stiff and so I need to pre form the fact that the loops will not be on the same plane as the coils when it is hanging.

 

Hope this helps.

[TJM]

Brilliant, thanks a lot for taking the time to explain it so nicely! I will give it a try! 

[TJM]

Ok, I will have to give up on the rope coils. I have been struggling for hours, trying out both Thukydides' method and others and this is simply beyond my skill to do at the moment. I have managed one hardly passable coil and could not get it to hang nicely at all. 

 

Had it been a few, I might have persevered, but with 50-60 to do to make a consistent look, it is just not worth months of frustration. 

 

I'm a bit bummed, but I guess there has to be some room for improvement for future builds. And if I at some point mange to get the hang of this (like with the cannon breech ropes), I can just go back and add them.

 

I will finish up the anchors, and then I will call it done.

 

BR

TJM

 

Edited June 22 by TJM

[Thukydides]

4 hours ago, TJM said:

 

Had it been a few, I might have persevered, but with 50-60 to do to make a consistent look, it is just not worth months of frustration. 

It does take a bunch of them to get the hang of it. My earlier ones are not good and even now I would say 1 in 5 I have to redo.

 

I do them as I go along as I find it easier to access the belaying point when I am tying off the line. This also spreads out doing them.

[TJM]

2 hours ago, Thukydides said:

It does take a bunch of them to get the hang of it. My earlier ones are not good and even now I would say 1 in 5 I have to redo.

 

I do them as I go along as I find it easier to access the belaying point when I am tying off the line. This also spreads out doing them.

Yes, this is surely the way to do it. If I could just do a reasonable job of it. I will try again on the next project, and try to do them as I go 😉.

 

 

[wmherbert]

I too struggle with those stupid coils. And I keep at it because they really add alot. I have three completed models still awaiting the last few coils.

My latest method  is to tie/glue the line to the pin leaving it long. Then a make a coil between two nails and tie one end of the coil with fine same color thread. Secure knot with dab of glue. Trim thread. Then pass line through the coil and then loop the line over the pin and cinch up. Some times I'll coat coil with diluted white glue to hold it together. Looks realistic and has been my most successful method.

( but I still hate those videos of guys making them so effortlessly)

Bill

     

[TJM]

Log entry 39 - Finale!

 

With the anchors attached, I now consider my Flirt finished! 

 

I whipped out the old DSLR and the big flash for the images to give it justice - though of course it also showcases all the shortcomings 😉.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I am very happy with how it turned out.

 

What an absolutely fantastic kit @chris watton has made! It is truly a testament to the quality of both the kit and the instructions that a first time builder like me can achieve something like this, even with all the small rooms for improvement I know I have!

 

Big thanks to all who followed along and commented and liked along the way. This community and all your logs and helpful comments is a big part of the building experience for me. So really, thank you!

 

I will now take a short intermezzo doing other things (not least; a thorough cleanup), but I am itching to start up the next project, so it probably won't be long before I am back. The next project will also be a Vanguard Models kit, though I plan to give it a Danish twist! So stay tuned for that!

 

See you around!

 

TJM

Edited June 23 by TJM

[Ronald-V]

Lovely ship! Love the colors you used and the natural hull, well done and congratulations!

[wvdhee]

Looking great 😃 

[TJM]

How do I rename the log to include 'Finished', or is this done by a moderator?

[Ronald-V]

2 hours ago, TJM said:

How do I rename the log to include 'Finished', or is this done by a moderator?

With my Pickle build it was changed by a moderator  

[Thukydides]

2 hours ago, TJM said:

How do I rename the log to include 'Finished', or is this done by a moderator?

Edit the title of the first post I believe

[TJM]

8 minutes ago, Thukydides said:

Edit the title of the first post I believe

That worked, thanks! 😃

[Thukydides]

Great job, you should be proud of her. 

[Knocklouder]

Congratulations,  nicely done !!  

Bob M.

[DB789]

She looks wonderful! Great build, thanks for sharing! 

[ccoyle]

A fantastic finish, TJ!

[usedtosail]

Great job, especially for your first build.

[Jsk]

Wow! What a looker! You can be proud of her!

[Blue Ensign]

I think your biggest achievement is  your obvious enjoyment of a first build, recognition of areas that you hope to improve, and an appetite gained to build another.

 

Well done.👍

 

B. E.

 

[TJM]

Thank you all for the nice comments and all the likes! It is much appreciated.

 

And see you soon for the next project!

 

BR

TJM

 

 

[hollowneck]

On 6/23/2024 at 3:33 PM, Blue Ensign said:

I think your biggest achievement is  your obvious enjoyment of a first build, recognition of areas that you hope to improve, and an appetite gained to build another.

 

Well done.👍

Ditto!!! When you're ready to jump back in there are many great choices amongst Vanguard's range.

[AJohnson]

Great build, congratulations 🙌 

[TJM]

Log entry 40 - epilogue

 

I have been debating, mostly with myself, where to permanently display Flirt. It has been standing on top of a driks cabinet for a few months, but it will quickly become very dusty and it is at risk from jumping cats and flying toys (I have two small kids). So I knew I had to get it into a case. 

 

But boy, those are expensive! Especially as I have only found good options from UK and US and before all is said and done, I would be paying an additional 60% or so plus shipping to get it into Denmark! That would probably be 1.5-2 times the price of Flirt itself...

 

So I decided to build my own. A local model shop stocks brass corners and wooden parts from OcCre for a DIY case.

 

Cutting the frames were easy enough, but I did not get the acrylic glass pre-cut and as I dont have a table saw, it was an excercise with a heavy duty craft knife to score the acrylic from both sides repeatedly and then breaking the sheet. Many, many times. That was a bit of an ordeal and I will have to find a different solution for future projects i think.

 

But the final result ended up ok!

 

 

 

 

 

 

At present, I dont have a good place to display it in the living rooms, as the case is so big. So I opted for the staircase to the basement. Not many people will see it there, but I will, several times a day, and there was a well placed light already in place for a pretty nice final setup.

 

 

Cheers everyone! Now on with Christiania!

 

BR

TJM

 

 

Edited August 11 by TJM

[Ronald-V]

That looks really good! Will keep that in mind for myself, when it's time for a glass case