Dutch 17th century pleasure vessel by Alvb - FINISHED - 1/250 - CARD - from plans by Ab Hoving/Nicolaas Witsen

[Alvb]

After a very sudden hospital stay and operation, I need a little activity.

I chose the pleasure vessel that Ab Hoving has already presented here.

As I enjoy very small models, I will try it on a scale of 1:250.

Ab Hoving kindly provided me with plans.

I took the liberty of modifying the plans a little to be a little closer to Witsen's sketch. The most obvious difference is in the shape of the stem. This of course required minimal adjustments to the hull lines.

But see for yourself

 

Speel-jagt.pdf

 

Alvb

[Alvb]

The keel board, frames and mall frames are cut and assembly begins.

The model will have a length of 48 cm = 1,89 in over stems.

[Baker]

Wow, very small. 

Looks like 48 mm 😉

[Alvb]

oh yes, typo, it's millimeters

[Alvb]

The carpenter has erected the frames and has already planked the bottom and decks.

[Alvb]

The gaps between the frames are filled, puttied and sanded.

 

The upper side walls were prepared.

the upper part of the hull is planked.

 

Before the lower part is planked, the stern and the middle inner area are constructed first.

 

Greetings Alvb

[Alvb]

The wood carver has finished the stern decoration.
The painter and gilder have tried their best, but the sculptor is a rough fellow who produces rough, crude work. And that despite having almost a sixteenth of a square inch of space at his disposal!

 

[amateur]

You are not fair to the woodcarver. This is very clearly two lions carrying the Asterdam- coat-of-arms, againdt a gilded background. Would have been clearer when the painter didn’t cover it up with lots of red paint

 

I’m aleays impressed with these very small card models. Did you use the drawing as a template for the sides? 
 

Jan

[Alvb]

I'm not quite sure if I understand the question correctly.

I used my drawing from #1 for the upper part of the side walls, stretching them to match the curve (I noticed too late that they were a bit too low at the bow).

The barkouten will be a challenge. The lower ones are about 0.5 mm wide, the upper ones more like 0.25 mm. The last one is difficult to cut cleanly out of paper. I would have to find a stronger paper 0.2 mm thick than the simple printer paper.

[Alvb]

The stern is completed, the frames and the benches are installed.

 

 

Next, we'll continue with the lower planking of the hull, followed by the "barkhouts".

 

I'm wondering whether I should actually paint the white paint on the underwater hull all the way to the lower barkhout, as the still unpainted paper suggests at the moment?

 

AlVb

[amateur]

I never saw a painting of a small vessel painted white up to the barkhout. It is either no white paint or painted up to the waterline.

 

Jan

[Alvb]

There's some truth in that, amateur. It was just a thought, as I'm afraid I won't be able to get a nice edge on the waterline.

At least the hull is now completely planked.

 

The next step is to do the wales(?). But first a week in South Tyrol.

Greetings

[amateur]

What do you use for paint? You have a nice colour, but also a convincing gloss/no-gloss difference.

Looking very good.

 

Jan

[Alvb]

Actually, I haven't given any thought to the different levels of gloss until now...

Most of it, the side walls, etc., is painted with watercolor paint. The decorative elements are painted with acrylic paint. The white stuff is also acrylic, because I had to cover up impurities on the paper.

[Rik Buter]

wauw great build! Are you also going to do the rigging?

[Alvb]

Of course. It's not much work, as there's only a small amount of rigging.

[Alvb]

Back from South Tyrol we continued to the paper shipyard.

 

The wales were quite a challenge. I've almost reached the limit of what I can do.

I only painted the underwater part up to the waterline and a really straight border isn't possible with my resources.

I've now reached the point where I'm not really allowed to touch the boat anymore. But how do you carry on building without touching it?

 

And then there is the question of how the model should be presented. On a small base or sailing in the "water"?

 

Greetings Alvb

[amateur]

Looking good from here!

A small base is the safe option. Putting it sailing in a diorama is great, but you have to get the water, the waves and the sails exactly right, otherwise it spoils the effect. (And a sailing vessel need people on board…)

 

Jan

Edited July 21 by amateur

[Keith Black]

42 minutes ago, Alvb said:

But how do you carry on building without touching it?

 

 I think, Eberhard  @wefalck, users varnish or lacquer  to glue/anchor small objects onto wine corks allowing him to work on them as needed. 

 

 

One of the many images from his build log. 

[Alvb]

another question:

how were the leeboards attached to the hull? I have researched but found no information on how this was solved technically.

 

I would be very grateful for any information.

 

Alvb

[amateur]

By using an iron bolt. It is still used in ships like the Dutch ‘botter’. Google the words ‘botter’ ‘zwaard’ (the dutch word for leeboard), and some pics shoul show up.

a piece of wood attached to the outer bulwarks, to get it level with the wale. And a bolt through the head of the leeboard. Sometimes through the frames, sometimes a heavier reinforcement on the inside of the bulwark. And there is some tackle (or sometimes a single rope) to lower the leeboard into the water.

 

Jan

Edited July 21 by amateur

[Alvb]

yes, wefalk is a professional, micro machines, laser cutters, etc.

I can't keep up with hand-cut pieces of paper...

 

But it goes on:

Leeboards

 

 

 

and rudder

[Alvb]

 

 

The hull is largely finished. Time to turn to the rigging. The routing of the gaff halyard and boom halyard is a bit unclear (sorry, I'm not familiar with the English names).

I interpret the images as follows: the boom halyard runs down the mast over the upper block in the top. A light tackle is attached. The gaff halyard starts at the top, runs over the block on the small gaff, from there down over a sheave in the mast.

 

What are those poles on the outside along the sides of the ship over the leeboards?

 

Thanks Alvb

[druxey]

Too thin for wood poles: those appear to be lines (ropes).

[Keith Black]

33 minutes ago, druxey said:

Too thin for wood poles: those appear to be lines (ropes).

  I agree, David. They look like lines securing the leeboards.

[Alvb]

boat hooks?

[Rik Buter]

Yes, they are boat hooks.

 

[Rik Buter]

By the way, is that the guy from IT sitting there in the pleasure vessel, but then when he was younger?

[wefalck]

Not sure, how this was done on a 'speeljacht', but usually, there was a solid block of wood (in German: Schwertpoller), a bollard, through which a heavy pin ran ('Schwertnagel') on which the lee-boards pivoted. On later boats/ships there was an iron frame going over the bollard, which held the pin. The side-views that you showed, don't show the bollard above the rail, so it may be inboard. However, a solid piece of wood would be needed to hold the lee-board. 

There is also a lift attached to the lower edge of the  lee-board, that allowed to raise it above the water. The lift was belayed on another bollard or cleat inboard.

 

In order to get a clean line along the waterline, you could use white decal sheet. Cut a thin stripe and apply it along the the desired line. With acrylics you can paint over it to almost touch the edge. The acrylic paint will also cover up the lower edge of the decal strip.

 

I also tend to play with different grades of glossiness/mattnes. Some people like their small-scall models all matt, but I think the different grades enhance the appearance of different materials or surface treatments.

 

At this scale, the project is going to be quite a challenge and I will follow with interest.

[Keith Black]

 

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