HM Gun Brig Adder 1797 by DB789 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[DB789]

Top of the bulwarks painted black.

Then channels and upper rails fitted.

Gunwales painted black and glued. Eyebolts added to the inner bulwarks.

The gunwale across the stern needed to pre-formed to get the correct curve. I soaked it and let it dry for 24 hours.

On the stern the outer stern board was added followed by the rudder post cheeks. Then the aft gunwale and the black trim on the stern. 
I need to try a different white pain to touch up that matches the spray can white better. 

 

 

Edited April 28 by DB789

[DB789]

Started fitting Adder out. I’d already made some of the fittings. She has very nice lines for a gun brig. 

Parts 173 go below the hawseholes on each side and are not mentioned in the instructions but are clearly on the plans - easy to miss if you just work from the instructions. 

The carronades still need PE parts 17 and 18 added. I’ve also left the sprue to the lower elevating arm for each carronades in place for now and will remove this at the last moment as I broke a couple of these on Grecian and they proved nigh on impossible to glue back on. 

I’m not fully rigging the guns but will certainly add breach ropes to the 24 pounders. I may add breach ropes to the carronades but I struggled to make these lie naturally on Grecian. 

The plans show six side steps on each side with the lower two on the main wale. Chris’s prototype in the instructions photos omits the lower two. I suspect that the plans are more accurate as the bottom of the four steps would be quite a reach from a small boat, but I’ve copied the prototype as it’s more aesthetically pleasing. The parts are there for six steps each side if anyone wants to add them. 

The deck and inboard fittings were treated with Danish oil and they came up very nicely. 
 

I’m not sure what to do on the exposed wood on the outer bulwarks and stern. I’ve scraped PVA glue off the bulwarks in places and I know from experience that Danish oil won’t be absorbed where the glue has been and would give me a blotchy finish. I guess I’ll try some poly varnish or make another attempt at mixing some wipe-on poly. I’ll put Danish oil on the channels to be consistent with wood fittings inboard. 

 

Edited April 30 by DB789

[chris watton]

That looks really good! Those 3d printed wheels on the carronade carriages look a lot better than the old PE versions.

[Chuck]

Nicely done.  That does look sweet!!

[Ronald-V]

Lovely pictures also!

[DB789]

Thanks Chris, Chuck, mugje, really appreciated. 
 

Fitting out of Adder’s hull nearing completion. 

I decided to risk blotches and apply Danish oil to the outer bulwarks and it worked! The engraved pear looks amazing with Danish oil. 
I’ve done a somewhat amateurish job of fitting breech ropes to the cannons and carronades. 
The cannonballs were added using ultra matt poly varnish to hold them and take some of the shine off them. 

Fitting the parts is pretty straightforward. The fiddliest parts are the rope for the wheel and also for the drop keels. I have taken the drop keels off again whilst I manhandle the hull and fit deadeyes and chainplates. 

 

I’m leaving the anchors off until rigging is complete. I’m not sure when best to fit the hammock cranes and the cord between them as they’ll likely be in the way to for tying off rigging, then again I’ll need access to fit them which may be hard post-rigging.
 

Still to add the deadeyes, chainplates and drop keels. 
 

Thanks for looking! 

 

 

[Glenn-UK]

8 hours ago, DB789 said:

I’m not sure when best to fit the hammock cranes and the cord between them as they’ll likely be in the way to for tying off rigging, then again I’ll need access to fit them which may be hard post-rigging.

With my Indy build I had left off fitting the hammock cranes with the intention of fitting them once the rigging was complete. However as the rigging progresses I realised access was going to be an issue, especially after I had fitted the shrouds and back stays so I ended up fitting them.

[DB789]

Thanks Glenn, I’ll follow you advice and add the hammock cranes once the deadeyes and chainplates are fitted. 

[Thukydides]

You could also try a middle road and wait till after the lower shrouds and ratlines are on. They are are the main reason why you would want unimpeded access to the area. Also they are pretty strong so if you bang them a bit there is not as much risk you will cause damage unlike single lines that are going everywhere later in the build. Though I would fit the PE associated with them before doing the shrouds.

 

Just another option

Edited May 7 by Thukydides

[DB789]

Thanks Thukydides - I was planning to follow your excellent advice. I installed the PE for the hammock cranes, then put a line through to check alignment, this proved surprisingly fiddly, so I fully rigged the hammock cranes as I’d probably find it difficult to do so once the shrouds were fitted. 
 

Adder’s hull is now complete except for the anchors so onto masts, yards and rigging… 

 

Photos of the finished hull below: 

With Alert. Perspective is deceptive, Alert and Adder’s hulls are almost identical in length. 

[DB789]

Sunny weather in the UK (until the last few days) has not been so conducive to boat building. 
 

I’ve made the masts and bowsprit, they’re not glued in position yet, so may not be properly aligned. Still to add any blocks or deadeyes to them, that’s the next job I find squaring off the dowel at the tops for the masts and topmasts quite difficult, I just use a vice, file and sandpaper, I’m not sure if there’s a better method?

 

I’m also clumsy and keep snapping off the top of the topgallant masts - both now reaffixed with CA glue. 

There’s two types of PE eyebolts in the kit, larger PE-15 for the outside of the hull and smaller ones PE-14. I don’t think there’s quite enough of the larger eyebolts for the outside of the hull so I checked with Chris and he said fine to use the smaller PE-14 eyebolts there too. I ran out of eyebolts after completing the hull and before adding those needed to the masts and bowsprit. I’m not quite sure why, I’ve gone back and counted all the PE eyebolts required on the plans including the shortage of the larger eyebolts and by my reckoning I should have had enough between the two types. I must have lost more to the carpet monster than I thought!

 

I contacted Chris and he very kindly sent me some more eyebolts. Such incredible customer service and hugely appreciated. Thanks again. 

Edited May 22 by DB789

[Oboship]

Excellent build and build log! She really looks brilliant!

 

I was convinced of this model the moment Chris posted the first pictures.

I guess rigging will also be straightforward, I'll be following closely.
 

Maybe one day ... (once I have finished my current Speedy, then Trial, then Nisha......)

 

Best regards

Uwe

 

[Lee Spender]

As others have said Excellent build mate.

This definitely is my next order from Chris and nice model of Alert too

[Blue Ensign]

Very nicely done Dan, 👍

 

B.E.

[DB789]

Apologies for the lack of progress, I’ve been very slowly adding blocks to the masts, but life and work have got in the way. I hope to be back on the case properly next week. 
 

Uwe - thank you. I think the rigging should be pretty straightforward for a modeller with some experience. It’ll be a challenge for me as I don’t yet know the rigging of a square rigger and have lots to learn. 
 

Lee and B.E. thanks for the encouragement! 

[Lee Spender]

2 hours ago, DB789 said:

Apologies for the lack of progress, I’ve been very slowly adding blocks to the masts, but life and work have got in the way. I hope to be back on the case properly next week. 
 

Uwe - thank you. I think the rigging should be pretty straightforward for a modeller with some experience. It’ll be a challenge for me as I don’t yet know the rigging of a square rigger and have lots to learn. 
 

Lee and B.E. thanks for the encouragement! 

No worries Dan no need to rush.

[Oboship]

Dan,

As Lee just stated there is no need to rush and as for the rigging there is no need to worry. Chris' instructions and particularly his drawings are very precise and accurate. The trick, however, is to early find and locate all the tiny bits and pieces like eye bolts or blocks tied into the topmast shrouds etc.. My recommendation is to thoroughly study the plans -over and over- and follow the run of sheets, braces, falls etc. -even using your finger. If you have to rig one of the tackles it is helpful to find out on which side of the tackle the "tie or starting point" is and where the belaying point is on deck. I have also found out that to rig certain ropes at a very early stage is helpful. An example for Adder might be the spritsail yard braces which run from the yard arms up to the fore mast top and down on deck. If you tried to do that once all shrouds and ratlines are in place it can become very tricky. So, planning ahead is a good option.

Take care, the forum is here 😉
Uwe

 

[DB789]

Thanks Uwe and Lee. Uwe I’ll certainly follow your advice, life has been busier than normal…. So I’ve stalled a bit as I find the rigging a little intimidating.   
 

Not a huge amount of progress. I’ve seated the masts, but not yet the bowsprit, and added shrouds. I’ve left the deadeye lanyards longer than I should have and certainly longer than Chris has in his prototype. I’m happy enough with them on the main mast but do they look silly this long on the fore mast? I’m loathe to change them as it means replacing the fore shrouds as they wouldn’t be long enough… 

 

The deadeyes are just above the hammock cranes at the main but higher still at the foremast and particularly noticeable on the starboard side of the foremast. Any thoughts and advice very welcome. 

 

[Thukydides]

20 minutes ago, DB789 said:

I’m loathe to change them as it means replacing the fore shrouds as they wouldn’t be long enough… 

If it was me I would do it again, as every time I have failed to go back and fix something I have regretted it, but in the end it is you who will look at it the most so the question is how much does it bother you. These sort of problems are hard as it is not just a small simple fix.

 

Whatever you decide she is look good. Those 24 pdrs at the front are very imposing.

[Glenn-UK]

Nice work so far.

 

I echo Theo's comment below which is the rational I normally apply to my builds when I have made an error:

 

but in the end it is you who will look at it the most so the question is how much does it bother you.

 

 

 

[Lee Spender]

100% do it again you will be happy you did as its one of the first parts you look at on a ship and the masts and bowsprit look great.

[hollowneck]

16 hours ago, Thukydides said:

If it was me I would do it again, as every time I have failed to go back and fix something I have regretted it, but in the end it is you who will look at it the most so the question is how much does it bother you.

I concur. Making new shrouds will go much more quickly a second time around. From personal experience, If you don't fix this it will haunt you.

Your work has been excellent thus far; you've created a very nice-looking model of Adder -with more accurate rigging it can be an outstanding one.

This kit is next-up for me this Fall; I'll likely be referencing your build for my own!

Edited June 17 by hollowneck
added commentary

[DB789]

Thank you all for the excellent advice. Gratefully received and followed. I’ve removed and replaced the shrouds on the foremast.
 

All the shroud lanyards are a little longer than on Chris’s prototype which I’m sure has the realistic scale length, but they’re all now the same length and I don’t have the odd looking high deadeyes starboard on the foremast. I’m happy with that, the lanyards are no longer than I have on my Grecian and Alert kits, they just look it as the height of the maintop/foretop is much lower on the square rigged Adder than the two fore and aft rigged vessels. 

Next either to add ratlines (and catharpins) to the lower shrouds or add the topmast shrouds. Not sure which I’ll do first - or should? 
 

Ron - I look forward to seeing your Adder, mine is very much an “out of the box build” following the instructions and colour scheme. They’re such great kits from Vanguard that’s enough for me, but I really liked your interpretation of Grecian. 

[hollowneck]

18 hours ago, DB789 said:

Next either to add ratlines (and catharpins) to the lower shrouds or add the topmast shrouds. Not sure which I’ll do first - or should? 
 

Ron - I look forward to seeing your Adder, mine is very much an “out of the box build” following the instructions and colour scheme. They’re such great kits from Vanguard that’s enough for me, but I really liked your interpretation of Grecian. 

Dan, I'd recommend that you add the futtock shrouds and the catharpins, then do the upper shrouds. Do all the rats after all the shrouds are completed.

I'm likely going to do an OOB for my Adder too. Thanks for the shout-out on my Grecian. The kit was a joy to build and more or less an OOB. I'm awaiting another larger Vanguard model to put into another diorama.

[DB789]

Ron, thanks so much for the advice. I’ll certainly follow that sequence. I look forward to seeing your diorama. 

[chris watton]

I always do the lower shrouds, then futtock staves, catharpins, futtock shrouds, upper shrouds and upper shroud staves and catharpins. Then ratlines and last of all, topgallant shrouds.

 

I always used to dread rigging, thinking I would spend the same amount of time on that as with the hull. However, I soon learned that rigging is done at a much quicker pace than the hull, which is in reality around 90% of the total time spent on a model. I remember spending over a year (full time) building the Amati Victory hull, yet the rigging took less than 3 weeks from first shroud to final bowline. And that had a lot of shrouds and rats...

 

For the the distance between the deadeyes I think they be at least 5mm, but absolutley no more than 7mm apart for 5mm deadeyes. For 3mm deadeyes, 3-5mm apart.

Edited June 18 by chris watton

[DB789]

Chris, thanks so much for the advice. I will certainly follow that sequence. 

 

My deadeye lanyards are longer than the top of your range, but not hugely so. I’m happy with them albeit they’re not technically correct. I’ll make sure I get them shorter on my next build. 
 

I’m much more out of my comfort zone on the rigging so it takes me a lot more time than it really should. As I get to know the typical rigging layout on a square rigger it will get easier and I’m sure I’ll speed up.
 

I much prefer building and fitting out the hull to the masts and rigging. 
 

Your plans couldn’t be clearer and I appreciate that Adder has a slightly simplified rigging plan compared to say Speedy which will really help me. 
 

Thanks again for another great kit. 
 

 

[DB789]

Futtock shrouds and topmast shrouds added. Still need to add futtock staves and catharpins to the topmast shrouds. Then onto ratlines followed by topgallant shrouds. 

There’s definitely work I need to do to get my knots and seizings tidier! Nice to see her start to take some “3D” shape above decks now. 
 

My next post may not be for a week or two as the ratlines will take a while and I may break up the monotony after doing one mast and fit out the bowsprit and make the spritsail yard. I haven’t made any of the spars or yards yet. 

[hollowneck]

Very well done. I sometimes break-up rigging tasks into non-linear chunks. Some ratlines, then another task, then back to ratlines. There's no First Place Award for the ship modeler who completes his rigging in record time!

[AJohnson]

Hi Dan, playing catch-up with your log, wonderful progress, a really smart finish, very neatly done.