HMS Snake by Beef Wellington - FINISHED - Caldercraft - Scale 1: 64 - First wooden ship build

[ModelBoatMaker]

Great job on the cathead Jason. I was just wondering why you painted the capstan red, are there any examples of this throughout history? Or simply to hide the walnut ply?

 

I was looking at mine and didn't like the look of the ply layers so I painted the top part black (this part looked the worst) , what do you think?

[Ferit]

Great job on the cathead Jason. I was just wondering why you painted the capstan red, are there any examples of this throughout history? Or simply to hide the walnut ply?

 

I was looking at mine and didn't like the look of the ply layers so I painted the top part black (this part looked the worst) , what do you think?

 

Sorry Pete, for my intervention... It's an unnessary reminding, a little thing that you know very well but in these situations when the ply layers are in sight, I prefer to replicate them as scratch... 

Edited September 22, 2013 by ashiponthehorizon

[Beef Wellington]

B.E. - thanks, that's a much appreciated compliment coming from you!

 

Pete/Ferit - Believe capstans would have been painted in practice, don't think I've seen one unpainted.  In terms of colours, I tired a couple of thinkgs before settling on the plain red which I like best.  However, I'd agree with Ferit that if I had been building an model without paint I would probably have tried to scratch something as I really do not like the ply look.  I can live with it on the ladders because it not too noticeable.

[Beef Wellington]

Few pics before I forget on the approach taken for the single blocks for the carronade rigging, this seems to have worked best so far after many choice words on multiple failures.  Finding this particularly fiddly dealing with the hooks and the blocks and keeping them aligned....at least the double blocks only need stropping.

 

After simple overhand knot through the previously made hook, applied a bit of GS Hypo glue to the thread and attach the single block (very small amount of glue, this is just a temp at way to stop the block continually falling out

 

 

Yet another overhand knot around the block for the stropping.  "Helping hands" come in very handy here

 

 

 

With the block still in the helping hands, pry open the stropping enough to insert a length of the line through and pull around so its at the bottom of the block (believe its the **** end?) and tie a double overhand knot

 

Apply some dilute PVA glue and trim once dry...repeat

 

Edited September 24, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[texxn5]

Nice details for working with small blocks, I'll try to remember to reference this for my build of the Niagra later on.  thanks for sharing the photos on your methods.

[Landlubber Mike]

Nice work on the gun rigging and catheads!  Stropping and running the small blocks on the cannons was probably the most frustrating part of my build - was a relief to be able to jump from 2mm blocks to 3mm blocks for the rest of the build

Edited September 26, 2013 by Landlubber Mike

[Beef Wellington]

Promised no more updates until I was done with carronade rigging, still not done so this is a 'notation to self for the future' rather than an 'update'.  One lesson I'm learning is that I'm going through a lot of rigging line, and each spool seems different to the last.  The stuff supplied in the box was very nice to work with, new line bought separately, though allegedly the same is much springier and surface seems much rougher and prone to snagging so harder to work with.  Not sure why there is a difference, whether I was lucky with the kit supplied stuff, or unlucky with the replacement line.

 

These are far from consistent with the outcome, so I'm moving around the deck randomly to mix earlier and later efforts so I don't have a gradual transition from 'bad' to 'better' along one side.

 

Apologies for the photos not quite being in focus, I didn't notice when I took them...

 

Step 1:  Simply rigged using the blocks prepared earlier....

 

Step 2: Rig as taught as possible and thread through the eyes of the hooks, aft first and then the bulwark hook...

 

Step 3: Thread line around the line near where it is tied to the single block, care needs to be taken not to foul with any of the other lines.  Simple overhand knot and piece of wire to help position the knot and keep everything taught seems to work best.  Purpose of this is just to secure the line to allow the frapping to be positioned

 

Step 4: Wrap around the tackle 4 times and secure the end through the last loop.  Once complete, soak in dilute PVA to ensure everything stays positioned

Edited September 30, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[texxn5]

Hi Jason, this is really looking nice. I like the detail of the gun tackle.

[Ferit]

This is "a presentation of another fragment of a nice and clean work" rather than an "update". 

Always impeccable Jason...

[drtrap]

Nice work Jason, absolutely nice work.

Could you please specify the tip (?) with the wire helping place the knot where you want to ?

Thanks. 

[hamilton]

Glad you didn't wait for an update - the carronade rigging looks really great!

hamilton

[Beef Wellington]

John, Hamilton, Ferit - appreciate the (overly) kind words!

 

Stergios - here is a photo trying to show what I was trying to describe with the wire.  Once the knot is tied around the 'central' line (although its all one line obviously), the wire helps one to position the knot where its needed by pulling the knot close around the wire, and then just pulling tight after removing wire.  Much harder to describe than do, hope this makes at least some sense...

Edited October 2, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[drtrap]

Fully understood now, Jason.

You know, many techniques and surgical procedures in shoulder arthroscopy use to enhance this kind of tip...   

Edited October 2, 2013 by Stergios

[Beef Wellington]

Fully understood now, Jason.

You know, many techniques and surgical procedures in shoulder arthroscopy use to enhance this kind of tip...   

 

I'll need to take your word for that Stergios

[Beef Wellington]

Finally completed the carronade/cannon rigging. Next time, I would definitely like to work with some better line, both for visual result and ease of use.

 

On the cannons, I decided to stick with mounting the tackles to the aft most eye after trying a number of options. One thing that swayed me was looking at a picture of some cannon mounting which actually shows this method, there are examples in a few paintings as well, so I suspect it was done. This also allowed me to keep the hooks consistent across all armaments which I personally like.

 

 

Overall pretty happy, so a few pics to celebrate before moving on.

 

Edited October 6, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[jim_smits]

Very nice Jason!

 

It's good to get the weapon rigging out the way isn't it?!

[Ferit]

Everything comes together very nicely and neat...

( And dust free... ) 

[Sjors]

That looks marvellous Jason !

Thanks for the pictures     

And what is the next step ?

 

[Beef Wellington]

Jim - yes!  Think I made the process a little harder than it needed to be, but pretty sure I would have spent a lot of time as well if I had to make a bunch of cheeses

 

Ferit - trying to follow humbly in your footsteps...

 

Sjors - I don't comment in your log(s) as there seem to be so many others who do  , but I'm watching your progress closely as well, thanks for the kind words.  As for next model, I'm going to leave the final decision until the very end of this one....I would love to try something a bit bigger (dare I say the Agamemnon), but also have the Diana or Pegasus on the list.  I'm hoping the Caldercraft Surprise is available by then as well, but that could be a vain hope!  Their 'new' 74 would also be on the cards, but I think there is no hope of seeing that anytime soon.  Also like some of the newer Chris Watton kits that will hopefully be released in near future...so many options when you write them out, this is why I'm waiting to see what is available at the time, and also see where my 'skill level' is and how much I want to bite off.

Edited October 6, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[Sjors]

Hi Jason,

 

It's no problem that you give no comment on my logs.

I know  ( hope ) that you are looking     

I think the Surprise is an endless story with Caldercraft 

I know that Mobbsie also want to build that.

For the rest you have a few options !

Aggy ….I don't say a thing 

Diana, great one !

Pegasus, the same …

I see you have a lot of options…just follow your hart when the time is there !

Then you make the right decision .

 

[jim_smits]

Hi Jason,

I also find myself contemplating the next build to go for.

My two main candidates at the moment are Diana, as I like the look of the step up to quarter galleries, decorated stern and a gun deck, or Warrior as it is very impressive vessel and having visited it in Portsmouth during the summer.

 

In addition I am considering the mortar vessel convulsion as a smaller cheaper build to test some techniques upon.

 

My eventual target will be Victory but that will wait until I have bought a house in a couple of years. I need more build space!

[mort stoll]

I too am considering the Diana as my next build and am also hoping for that Caldercraft 74 to be released. I am also considering purchasing the Amati 74 if all else fails as that looks like a nice kit.

 

Mort

[jim_smits]

Will the Snake group collectively become the Diana group....?!

[mort stoll]

there are worse things that could happen...

 

Mort

[Blue Ensign]

Love those deck shots Jason, ery fine work indeed.

 

B.E.

[Beef Wellington]

Have been struggling a bit more with the bowsprit.  Realized that the kit supplied bee is nothing like it should be, so decided to try and build something a little more realistic and include a sheave by visually estimating from builds of others (esp. BEs - once again a big thankyou for that!).  Also added in the various cleats as best interpreted from the plans - sadly, these are once again quite a bit out scale between plans which I'm not sure whether it will lead to to a problem or not, but did my best. 

 

Good news, I just found the online copy of Steele's masting references http://hnsa.org/doc/steel/, bad news I found it after I was finished.  Good news, the measurements used seemed to be in line with Steele's.  For reference (not trying to beat BE at his game here!), but this helped convince me that they (very luckily) were in right ballpark:

• Bee, per Steele length 18mm, breadth 5.3mm - vs 18mm, 5.5mm on mine
• Cleats, per Steel length 4mm, thickness 2.4mm - vs 3.5mm and 1.5mm for the collar cleats, and 4.5mm and 2mm for the gammoning cleats

Original kit supplied bee...

 

and the scratch replacement...this is giving me pause.  Although luckily I estimated the sizes OK, the placement is possibly wrong.  I positioned this trying to keep the same placement as the plans, but suspect that this should really be butted up against the cap (?).  As is, its consistent with the plans....

 

Overall end result (needs more touchup, eyebolts and dolphin striker to be added)

 

In position, highlighting another potential problem.  There is next to no room to separate the main and preventer stays which need to sit behind the gammoning cleats as indicated in the plans - again these don't reconcile.  Will just need to move forward as is I think as gammoning cleats seem to be appropriately positioned.

 

Question:  Would I be foolish attaching the bowsprit at this point?  I want to secure this to the deck with a pin rather than just glue, and that will require the bowsprit to be attached before the forward bits.

 

As always, any and all comments/suggestions welcome!

Edited October 10, 2013 by Beef Wellington

[Ferit]

As always clean and very nice Jason.

I prefer doing as much as labor on the mast before fixing it in its place.

[mort stoll]

I agree. It is so much easier to work on a mast or yard when it is off the ship than on the ship. 

 

Mort

[Beef Wellington]

Don't think I expressed myself very well, I intend to 'finish' the bowsprit before fixing, the key thing is that because I would like to pin it to the deck, the forward bits can't be installed until that's done, which then means that other deck fittings probably need to wait as well.  I'd like to get the bowsprit installed and then can finish the deck off.

[aliluke]

Beautiful work Jason. For your next model - with your skills I can't imagine any kit that is out of your reach!

 

Cheers

Alistair