HM Colonial Cutter Mermaid by olliechristo - FINISHED - Modellers ShipYard -

[ringbolt2013]

Make sure the proportions on your anchors are good!! I like the form on the black ones!    I'm also the kind of guy that carved his own cleats when needed.......found a good ref on that in a back issue of Wooden Boat Mag.    Did it for my sail boat!!  Worked good!!  Surprise, surprise    White oak on the real ones  old drawer bottom bass wood for the models.

 

Tom

[olliechristo]

Thanks Tom, I think the proportions are ok..

Managed to load a few pictures of progress. Got the anchors all cleaned up and looking ok... Not really on a roll but ticking along...

[olliechristo]

Also the two gunports I did.. Can't believe how much hesitation I have had whilst scratch building them.. Still glad I threw the supplied cast ones away..

[olliechristo]

Wondering what you lot think about masts. The supplied dowels are very pale. I.picked up some Tasmanian oak. It's a bit grainy but I don't want to stain so leaning towards oak.. Feel free to cast your votes

[olliechristo]

Oak is on the right

[egkb]

The Oak looks better to me Ollie, will it work from both sides colour wise though? (I imagine it would be great!)

I can understand your reluctance to Stain, can be blotchy sometimes, but done well (as I'm pretty darn sure yours would be!) it could be grand... at least you can experiment on it and if all goes pear-shaped you have the Oak, not a bad fall back eh ?

 

All The Very Best Mate

 

Eamonn

[Jim Lad]

Ollie,

 

I've never worked with Tassie Oak, but I've heard that it can be liable to twisting or bending.  Make sure that your Oak dowels are really well seasoned.

 

John

[ringbolt2013]

Anchors look great! Don't forget the huge ring!  I like the gun ports... look right!

Masting is scary, what ever color they are they HAVE TO BE STRAIGHT and not prone to warp.

You want them to be somewhat stiff too as the rigging can pull them off true.

Good luck!

 

Tom

[aliluke]

Fantastic work on those gun port lids Ollie and they look so much better than the cast ones.

 

I'd actually go for the paler mast. The Tasmanian Oak grain might look out of scale - you shouldn't really see anything but the slightest hint of grain I reckon. On my last model I painted the masts and was pleased with the result so that is another option too? Perhaps mount test masts and go with a colour that fits the rest of your work?

 

Cheers

Alistair

[BANYAN]

Hi Ollie, looks great mate!  WRT the masts; all my furniture at home is Tassie oak with a clear finish.  Over about 5 years this has yellowed to a honey colour but does show the grain.  I am not sure what degree of grain you will show and whether this would be similar to the masts of the real vessel in appearance.  If you are happy with the wood there might be another finish you could consider.  I use Huon pine for my masts and have fond a stain made here in Australian (an outback recipe I t believe) called Bushman's stain.  When applied to the Huon pine and finished with a dull cote finish (Testors) I think the colour is very similar to that of the masts of the Endeavour replica.  I hope this is useful info for you?

 

cheers

 

Pat

[olliechristo]

Thanks for all the suggestions likes and compliments as usual. It helps me keep momentum..

 

After looking at the Tass oak closer. I can see the grain is too pronounced really.. Still deciding. Great advice from all..

 

Some of you may have noticed I used left over copper plates to make my hinges, and some brass safety pins shafts. I like the rivet details, nails would have looked too big and have to be short as port lids are only a few mm thick..

 

I have been sending the copper surfaces with a fine foam pad and then black enamel.

[olliechristo]

Gunports hinges have to be painted much neater on my timber side. I could have made hinge mounts more realistic but I want them movable and as strong as possible.. I have them prepared no worries. It's the glueing on that usually stresses me..... I.need to figure out the purdening for anchor rings, um spelling!? For anchors and I have 1mm black cord but that looks like it might be a bit big.. Regards ollie

Edited March 19, 2014 by olliechristo

[Bindy]

Hi Ollie,

 

I can't be too much help with the masts sorry but had to say that your gun ports look incredible.  I didn't really understand why you were going to the trouble of scratch building them but I certainly do now.  Great job!

 

And good luck with your mast decision

[olliechristo]

Thanks Bindy..

 

Decided I might just use supplied dowels, when I think about it none of the timber in this ship really matches what the original would have been..

 

I can see why kit supplies gunports, they were a nuisance to make but I'm sure they would be much easier second time round. But jeez I take my hat off to those that make a hundred or so of these.. You have extreme patience.

 

Im happy with the result, they will stay in any position by themselves but I will need to add ropes to act as operating setup.. Ollie

[dgbot]

Great hinges.  Your idea of using the left over plating is a stroke of genius.

David B

[olliechristo]

So a bit of a man cave update,.I got home from work.thinking I would get into it..

 

Turns out my.ship has sprung a leak!! The house that is.. It's built under a deck and the design to keep water out is failing. Luckily nothing got ruined. I would have gone wandering off sobbing in the forest , it's been one of.those days.. Oh well.soldier.on. Moved my.stuff. There's a river under the room. :-/ Ollie

[dgbot]

Ouch I hope you did not lose to much.

David B

[S.Coleman]

Maybe you start building a boat that you can actualy sail before the water gets too high! Like the ark!

[egkb]

Jeez Ollie you didn't need that, hope you get it all sorted easily enough!

 

On a brighter note.. your Man Cave looks a little more like mine now though.. that first photo from a few days ago was way too clean & organised..

I'd keep quiet about the River mind you or we'll all want one..   :huh:  

 

Seriously though, I'm glad nothing was ruined.

 

All The Best Mate

 

Eamonn

 

I wonder if I can buy a River on eBay ?

[ringbolt2013]

Lovely Just lovely!!

[Jim Lad]

Just what you needed, Ollie.  Hope you don't have to man the pumps for too long!

 

John

[olliechristo]

-Thanks Dave I was lucky.

-Lol, S.Coleman. I would love to build a human size ship..

-Eamm. I can spare a bit of river for you mate, postage won't be cheap but

-Thanks as always tom

-Cheers John

[olliechristo]

So I've started on my skylight. Made.the carcass. I've been looking forward to making this.

 

I really don't don't like the cast windows, so another scratch component coming up.

 

The first picture is what kit supplies and instructs.

 

The second two are pictures I found that I think are more like it should be. Please advise me if you think they should be otherwise.. Regards ollie

[olliechristo]

Like this looks nice

[olliechristo]

 

...

[aliluke]

Hi Ollie

Hmmm. This is a complex subject. You'll find a better advisor than me here...The kit version looks too high but the window frames look right. The windows in the other versions look too modern. My Fly kit supplies a top lit skylight but the reality is it was probably side lit. I'd go for your Post 460. A lowered and more compact version of a top lit skylight. I have NO knowledge about this - just going by eye. In the end, know one really knows and much of what we make in respect of these things is just a best guess

 

A hopeless helper...

A

[olliechristo]

Alistair.. No to the last statement.. you're a great help mate.. I think you could be right about the era... I think I need to do more searching..or as you said someone will know.. Cheers..

[dgbot]

One of the things you have to remember is that back then glass was blown.  The size of the panes were limited.  I would go with the first photo but use the profile of one of the other photos.

David B

[ringbolt2013]

Glass was blown into a cylinder  then cut and flattened while still plastic.  You can always tell old glass panes by the ripple effect of the way it was made!

A piece 12 x 12 is about as big as they could make as a standard size. Larger could be made but that was special order and usually too thin for use on board ships. Water hitting it weighs 8 plus pounds a gallon and you would be talking a lot of force.  The iron rods are a must because of falling objects and people!

Hope this is helpful Ollie.  You are doing quite nicely and I bet you are learning a bunch!

 

Tom

[Jim Lad]

Ollie,

 

Here are a couple of photos of skylights on contemporary models of cutters at the NMM at Greenwich which might be helpful to you.

 

John