HMS Victory by Yabuhebi (Chris) - Caldercraft - 1:72

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks great!  You're really flying along on this kit.  

[vossiewulf]

Good, sounds like Chuck helped you work out the kinks. 

 

As for the serving, I am using 14/0 fly-tying thread at 1:64 and it looks pretty good. I think you should be using something similar at 1:72. Take a look here for fly-tying thread. The specific one I am using is the Gordon Griffith's Sheer Ultrafine Thread.

 

Below is a thimble with fully served line as it's coming off my Syren machine.

 

 

[Yabuhebi]

5 hours ago, vossiewulf said:

Good, sounds like Chuck helped you work out the kinks. 

 

As for the serving, I am using 14/0 fly-tying thread at 1:64 and it looks pretty good. I think you should be using something similar at 1:72. Take a look here for fly-tying thread. The specific one I am using is the Gordon Griffith's Sheer Ultrafine Thread.

 

Below is a thimble with fully served line as it's coming off my Syren machine.

 

 

That actually looks great! 

 

I checked your profile, do you have more pics of your build...clearly, your skills are very good!

[vossiewulf]

34 minutes ago, Yabuhebi said:

That actually looks great! 

 

I checked your profile, do you have more pics of your build...clearly, your skills are very good!

 

Thanks Chris! I only have what's in my build log. I've just gotten started on the rigging so all I've done so far is experiment with the Syren machine in making two fully-served jibboom guys and some ancillary rigging like the guns and the anchors. I can report that it's possible to serve line with 14/0 fly tying thread and it looks good, but it's slow going considering how thin the thread is. I tried some 6/0 thread to see if it would go faster and it did, but I didn't like the final result as much. Your mileage may vary, buy several different brown and black threads in different sizes and experiment, see what you like best.

[SaltyScot]

This is truly a fantastic build. The Victory is a personal favorite of mine, always has been since I attempted the Airfix kit as a young boy. One day maybe....... The good thing is, I will have your build log to help me along if and when I do get round to it. A seriously good example of what she should look like. You have a new follower sir!

[Yabuhebi]

13 hours ago, vossiewulf said:

 

Thanks Chris! I only have what's in my build log. I've just gotten started on the rigging so all I've done so far is experiment with the Syren machine in making two fully-served jibboom guys and some ancillary rigging like the guns and the anchors. I can report that it's possible to serve line with 14/0 fly tying thread and it looks good, but it's slow going considering how thin the thread is. I tried some 6/0 thread to see if it would go faster and it did, but I didn't like the final result as much. Your mileage may vary, buy several different brown and black threads in different sizes and experiment, see what you like best.

 

Well!!! I just went through your build log. Your skill set is many levels above anything I will ever hope to get to.

Just head shaking how detailed your small scale work has been on the Lady Nelson. Well done. Having retired after 40 years working for the Teamsters, I know just how satisfying it is to be able to spend time doing the many things that took a back seat building a career.

 

It looks like you actually served ALL of the block stropping? Wow.

 

I took your advice and found some 14/0 fly thread. It should come by the end of next week and will try that.

I still have the 10,000 yards (lol) of the Gutermann thread and while that seems to fray and catch on any little thing, might be just as good.

[Yabuhebi]

13 hours ago, SaltyScot said:

This is truly a fantastic build. The Victory is a personal favorite of mine, always has been since I attempted the Airfix kit as a young boy. One day maybe....... The good thing is, I will have your build log to help me along if and when I do get round to it. A seriously good example of what she should look like. You have a new follower sir!

 

Thank you Mark.

 

I appreciate the kind remarks, my take on what I've done so far...well I am a bit more critical!!!

 

I'll keep plugging away and posting my sometimes sad efforts! Perhaps a more do as I hoped and not as I actually did!!!!!

[vossiewulf]

29 minutes ago, Yabuhebi said:

 

Well!!! I just went through your build log. Your skill set is many levels above anything I will ever hope to get to.

Just head shaking how detailed your small scale work has been on the Lady Nelson. Well done. Having retired after 40 years working for the Teamsters, I know just how satisfying it is to be able to spend time doing the many things that took a back seat building a career.

 

It looks like you actually served ALL of the block stropping? Wow.

 

I took your advice and found some 14/0 fly thread. It should come by the end of next week and will try that.

I still have the 10,000 yards (lol) of the Gutermann thread and while that seems to fray and catch on any little thing, might be just as good.

Thanks Chris, I appreciate the kind words  Keep in mind with thing like serving the stropping, I have like 500 fewer blocks to do than you do!

 

And yes I am definitely enjoying getting up every morning and going to my workshop instead of dealing with crisis number ten thousand for Visa. I wish I was as far along as you, I'm nowhere near taking on Victory yet.

 

Anyway, you're doing a great job with your Victory, keep it up  I will be watching to see how you do with the serving. 

[Yabuhebi]

Thanks to a LOT of great advice, I continued on and I am fairly happy with the results today.

 

I removed the pendants, the binding around the mast was too loose and they obviously were too low. I cut them away and redid them.

The end result actually turned out better. I still used my half *** homemade copper tubing thimbles, but they cleaned up nicely.

 

I did make a mistake when re-rigging them. The plans call for the pendants on the mizzen to be .5mm and I missed that and used the .75mm line.

Too late now! Hopefully weights and measures won't board the boat and find out!

 

 

After that, I had already served and installed the port/starboard #1 & 2 shrouds. So I moved on to the remaining lines. I believe all remaining shrouds needed to be served where they rest around the mast.

 

I was able to access the middle of each pair and when I attached the correct length line to the serving machine I used a little wire clip to mark the middle. Once secure, I served a few inches on either side.

 

 

While this line is very small, you can see the difference in the line after it's served.

 

The mizzen called for 3 pairs of shroud and the pendants. They actually laid down nicely and I am pleased that they look a lot like other builds. I didn't bother gluing these in place, I am not sure if once tensioned, they will be ok.

 

I then moved onto the main mast shrouds.

 

The plans call for all of the shrouds and pendants to be 1.3mm line. I had bought 1.3 from Rope of Scale and it looks just great. I used the same rope (in tan) for the cannon breach lines.

 

Tat being said, I used the kit line for the pendants. I want to be sure that I have enough for the main shrouds and stays.

 

This was the final result of serving the kit 1.3mm line. It looks pretty good.

 

 

After, I added my new wooden thimbles to these pendants and I think they look pretty good!

 

All because of the help, suggestions and encouragement from all of you!!!

 

 

 

Time for a break!

[vossiewulf]

Excellent progress Chris!

[Yabuhebi]

Ground out a few more for the main mast. I was able to get all of the shrouds and the swifter laid down.

 

As I've said, the Rope of Scale, which looks great on its own, has a pretty aggressive cabling look. So when I start to serve it, it almost looks like it is actually worming the rope. I had to really concentrate on the serving process to be sure it looked good.

 

You can see that some of the serving looks better than others.

 

That being said!!!!! I think the shrouds laid down very nicely and they look a lot like they are supposed to. I did make the jeer strops WAY too big, but that's life!

 

I am not sure right now if I'll install the jeer blocks or move on to the fore mast....try to keep to the theme of doing like things.

Then once done, go back and add the jeer block for the main and fore and the sling for the mizzen.

 

Once done, I think I'll move on to the various stays, then I'll complete the lower shrouds and begin work on the next level of shrouds.

[Yabuhebi]

I managed to get all the lower shrouds done. Looking at the picture dates, it looks like it was about a 5 day ordeal. Very labor intensive and hard on my back, hunched over the model. 

 

I need one of those hospital tables that I can slide over my lap!!!!!

 

I think that the shrouds laid nicely around the top of the mast for all three. 

 

After, I contemplated working on the jeers and other rigging tasks but I opted to continue with the deadeyes.

 

I tried to use wire to create a 20mm spacer and it kind of worked. In the end, I did the first one with the space and then the next three by eye. They came out ok, but it was tedious.

 

I used the wood backing that came with the photo etch and created a template to lay out the rest of the deadeyes. I cut out the cannons and interference on the chainplate platform. Using the first 4 deadeyes, I tried to create a line for the rest.

 

When it was said and done, they all laid fairly evenly. 

 

After, I cut the bitter ends and seized them. I think in reality, there are 3 seizings...the one just above where the deadeye is, the middle one and end one. Also, the bitter end is pulled down a bit to create an open bulge. I tried that, but it was difficult for me. I ended up putting 2 seizings and tried my best to create the bulge.

 

 

My only failure was trimming the bitter ends so they were even.  Clearly, the middle one is too high and it's possible I could cut away the seizing, trim it and re-seize it. I may do that. They others....I'm CA glue committed there!

 

Going over to the port side, I think I did a better job of laying out the jig.

The pencil line is parallel to the top of the hammocks behind it and the holes ON the line are my go to placement of deadeyes. The first 4 seem to be ok!

Practice makes perfect.

 

I do hope that I have laid the bitter ends on the correct side. I can't remember where I saw it or what book (if I did) where I read it.

I thought I read that on the starboard side, the ends face forward and on the port side they face aft. I hope that's right!!!!!

 

...cuz'... you know...I'm CA glue committed!

[Yabuhebi]

Since I had painted the lower deadeyes as part of assembling the chainplate platforms I had to paint the partner deadeyes.

 

I don't have enough pins and I'm not really sure if I wanted to pin 30+ large deadeyes and a multitude of the small ones. I also did not want to paint them with a brush because it would absolutely clog the holes. Air brushing at least is clean.

 

I tried stringing all the like deadeyes together on wire and painting them. It was a 70% success on the larger one, haven't looked at the smaller ones yet.

I will have to touch up some with a brush and then go over them to make sure they stay clog free.

[SaltyScot]

That is some fiddly work there Chris but it is coming along. We are all obviously very self critical of our work and that is what makes us strive for perfection. That being said, let us remember the words of Salvador Dali - "Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it"