HMS Vanguard by RMC - FINISHED - Amati/Victory Models - scale 1:72

[Jdieck]

Having  painted a couple of dozen oars for the ship's boats, the question then arose, how to fit them all into the boats? It seems to me you can't without the boats disappearing under a pile of oars. I have placed 4 oars in two of the boats and this seems to work reasonably well. If anyone can suggest how to fit in the remaining oars I would certainly be grateful. If not I have a heap of painted oars if anyone wants them.

 

Hi Bob

Some pics on how I setup the props on the boats.

Enjoy!

[RMC]

Hi Jdieck: thanks for taking the time to show your work.  You have done a really beautiful job on the boats and the fittings. I will certainly

appropriate (ie. steal ) some of your ideas.

Bob

Edited February 10, 2016 by RMC

[Jdieck]

Hi Jdieck: thanks for taking the time to show your work.  You have done a really beautiful job on the boats and the fittings. I will certainly

appropriate (ie. steal ) some of your ideas.

Bob

Just go for it. You have no idea how many ideas I have got from you and Arthur so take it as a partial payback. You guys are doing a prety fine job.

[RMC]

The fore and main slings are now completed. If there is a trick in all of this, it is to make the sling the correct length. This requires the position of the respective yards

 

First, a loop is made.

 

The length from the loop to the eye is determined (see below).

 

 

The overall length of the sling is determined by taking the sling over the cap to join the first loop.

 

 

 

Here, the fore yard is temporarily attached to the mast. Holes have been drilled into the yard and the mast and a pin inserted to support the yard. The length can now be measured from the cap to the eye of the sling. See second photo above.

 

 

 

 

I hope I am now able to mount the fore and main topmasts.

 

I have now received the 0.62mm Syren thread, so now the first job is to complete the futtock shrouds for the mizzen - and then make another sling.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by RMC

[RMC]

The tops are now, I hope, at a stage where I can mount the respective topmasts.  The lifts for the yards are finished and the blocks on the caps are ready (at this stage I don't know what they will eventually do). These are all temporarily installed.  I have not yet put on the safety railings (they look as if they will get in the way at the moment), and it may be useful to do the jeers.  I have posted the following photos mainly to get some reaction regarding the readiness (or otherwise) to finally put up the topmasts. It seems to be easy to overlook some vital step that will be difficult to remedy later.

 

The mizzen top:

 

 

the main top;

 

 

and the fore top.

 

 

This is how it all looks.

 

 

 

Advice is invited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by RMC

[RMC]

The jeers for the foremast are now done. I can't now think of a reason not to fit the fore topmast.

 

The photo below has turned out to be quite poor, but I hope it gives the general idea.

 

 

The following photos show the jeers temporarily fitted.

 

 

 

 

With all the blocks hanging off the top as well, it's certainly looking rather crowded.

This is how the whole thing looks ready for the topmast.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2016 by RMC

[Jdieck]

I like how neat all your work is.

Maybe you want to install the fore main and preventer stays and the crows feet before the top mast. I think it may be easier to do them without the top on the way.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jdieck

[RMC]

Hi jdieck. Thanks for the comment. I am away at the moment and will not have chance to do much for a week or so. Your suggestion would not have occurred to me, but I think you're right.

[Jdieck]

Travel safe Bob.

[RMC]

I have decided to use a truss pendant to mount the crossjack to the mizzen mast. As Arthur pointed out, the plans are ambiguous in their treatment (two drawings; two different methods). I have also followed Peterssen and hope it turns out alright in the end.

 

The idea is simple: make a loop on the end of the thread, the length  of which will reach roughly to the deck; make a second separate loop with an eye through which the length of thread passes, and on the end of which is a double block. This will eventually lead to a single block attached to one of the channels towards the stern  (I haven't decided where just yet).

 

 

 

With ropes going every which way it is difficult to see what is going on, but I hope these give the general idea.

 

 

 

This shows the block on the end of the pendant, roughly where it will eventually  be when the whole thing is finally fitted.

 

 

 

I think my next step will be to put on the ratlines, something to which I have not been looking forward.

Edited March 10, 2016 by RMC

[Kevin]

just had a wonderful lunch break catching up on your log, what lovely clean crisp work, everything that my build isn't,

[RMC]

Thanks very much for your comment and for all the likes Kevin.  I thought that your finger must have been stuck on the button.

 

PS. I just had a look at your log. You are being VERY hard on yourself. Your build certainly looks excellent  to me and to the many others who have commented on it.

Edited March 11, 2016 by RMC

[RMC]

The ratlines are now started. For the lower masts there are only about  1,800 knots to go .

 

I decided to begin with  every 5 rows - the ones that stretch from the first to the last shroud. By doing this, I am hoping that the spacing of the shrouds will not be affected.  According to the instructions (I had almost forgotten about them) the spacing of the ratlines should be 5 to 6mm. I chose 6mm - more for sanity than authenticity. The fewer knots the better.  I began with a template and superimposed the knot-tying process over the template.

 

Here is the template.  The rows are horizontal (ie, parallel to the keel) , and the every fifth row - the longer rows - are marked heavily.

 

The few rows completed and pictured took about 40 minutes per row - what with a couple of mistakes and a certain amount of bad temper.  I found wetting the fine thread made it slightly easier to handle.  The half hitches were more likely to stay tied (though not invariably) and it was easier to get the right 'hang' of the thread. Once things seemed to be about right, I applied 50:50 white glue and water and made any needed adjustments (eg, tightening knots) while the glue was still wet.  That way, the adjustments stayed adjusted!

 

The following photo makes the rows towards the top look as if they are not parallel. In fact they are (after this photo was taken, I checked to make sure). The template had just fallen back a little as I had removed one of the clips holding it.

 

 

 

This shows things a little more clearly.

 

 

 

The process was about as relaxing and enjoyable as playing a bad round of golf, so I will finish the job a little at a time while working on other things. I'm hoping this may preserve what remains of my good humour and make me slightly easier to live with.

Edited March 13, 2016 by RMC

[AON]

It is a monotonous job but the finished effect is tremendous!

[RMC]

Thanks for the encouragement Alan. Incidentally, you seem, somehow,  younger. How did you do it?

[AON]

something in the water

[RMC]

I have taken Jdieck's advice and started on the fore and main stays. This means that I will have to finish rigging the bowsprit, so I will have plenty to occupy me while (almost) avoiding the ratlines. The lops of the forestays are now done.  Serving the loops with their mouses (sic?) proved to be rather fiddly and the result could have been better. At least I have learned a few things and I hope to do a better job on the main stays.

 

Here is the mouse for the fore stay.  The end with the greater taper was done with a pencil sharpener (thanks Arthur).  With hindsight I should have made a greater taper on the other end. It would have made it easier to serve.

 

 

 

Here is the loop that fits around the mast, served and with the mouse.

 

 

The following photos show the fore and fore preventer stays loosely fitted around the mast. Things are obviously very crowded indeed and it is difficult to see just what is going on. It all looks like a bowl of demented spaghetti. Attaching the yards is going to be quite a job.

 

 

 

 

Here are the stays looped around the mast and all the previous rigging (jeers, shrouds etc.).  Is this correct?

 

 

 

I would have preferred to have the loops slightly larger, but the result is acceptable.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2016 by RMC

[Beef Wellington]

Everything looks great from where I'm sitting Bob.  Not sure I follow your comment about slightly larger loops.

[RMC]

Hi Jason

 

Yes, my point should have been clearer.  The larger loops would have joined a little further down the stays. I would have preferred the join about 1cm further down, so the loop should have been 2cm longer.

[Jdieck]

Great serving work!

[archjofo]

 Very good performance.

[RMC]

Thanks Johann.

[RMC]

Work on the stays is now quite advanced. All the mouses are complete  and all that needs to be done is to attach the various blocks and related rigging. However almost all this needs to be done on the model, and it looks to be a fairly daunting series of jobs.

 

Here are  the main stays

 

 

and how they will eventually be fixed.

 

 

The mizzen stay

 

 

and roughly how they will all look.

 

 

I have now started rigging the bowsprit. I am following Petersson - using collars for the forestays. One is complete (below).  The photo shows what appears to be bubbling of the paint. It hasn't.  The photo was taken in full sun and perhaps this caused the appearance.  Very odd.

 

Doing all of this has enabled me to avoid  as much as possible doing the ratlines.  Only a couple of thousand-odd knots to go. I can't bring myself to actually count them.  Here is progress, such as it is.

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by RMC

[AON]

I think the "bubbles" are the tiny pockets in the grain of the wood.

 

You have to use a less powerful camera to not expose this  

Edited March 24, 2016 by AON

[RMC]

Well Alan, the next  time I'm exposed, I'll certainly use a less powerful camera.

[RMC]

Well Arthur, about the only thing I can say is that now, about 500 knots in, at least I'm getting slightly better at it, and a little faster. It still doesn't make it any more fun.

[RMC]

Lashing collars - help needed.

 

I have looked fairly extensively over this website and elsewhere, and cannot find the method by which collars are lashed to the bowsprit.  I have thought of putting a half hitch on one loop and winding thread through the other, then making a few turns through both loops, finally tying off with another half hitch.  I guess this would work, but it doesn't seem to be very satisfactory. It results in a couple of loose ends for a start.

 

Does anyone have suggestions?  Here is the problem ...

 

.

 

Here is some progress on the bowsprit. The fittings are now complete. As has so often been the case, I have appropriated one of Arthur's ideas with the bees. I remembered I had some fittings left over when I used parts of Cornwall Model Boats carronades to modify the ones provided in the kit. Included were two little brass rollers that I have now used a sheaves in the bees (?). Perhaps the brass is a bit obvious and I may end up painting them brown, but the idea seems to have worked. But if I need two more there will be a problem ......

 

 

I hope I have now fixed all the dead eyes that need to be fixed on the bowsprit.. (If I haven't, please let me know.)  From the plans, I found it a bit difficult to figure out just what is going on, and I'm not all that confident that I do have it right.  Doing all of this off the model is likely to be easier than waiting until the bowsprit is mounted.

 

 

 

This how things are working out.

 

 

In the meantime, the ratlines march on.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2016 by RMC

[RMC]

The main and main preventer stays are now attached. Lashing the hearts proved quite awkward. The holes in the hearts provided for the lashing were circular which made it difficult to keep each strand from overlapping previous strands. It would have been far easier to file flat the surface where the lashing was to go. By the time I had figured that out it was a bit late. I solved the problem of the strands wanting to overlap each other by gluing each strand (50:50 PVA) individually  - doing one, waiting for the glue to dry, doing another .......

 

Here is a photo of the lashing for the main stay partially done.  The line is held taught by a weight on the end (a pair of spring tweezers).

 

 

The lashing (almost) complete.

 

 

 

 

The lashing for the preventer stay in progress:

 

and how it all looks at the moment.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2016 by RMC

[RMC]

The bowsprit is now mounted. I have delayed this as long as possible.  It's one more invitation to bump and destroy. I had quite a bit of trouble finding the correct way to gammon the bowsprit. The plan was singularly unhelpful - to me at least.

 

 The only thing that seemed clear  is that there is a loop formed at the end of the gammoning which goes around the bowspprit and then the rest of the gammoning  is wound around it in some mysterious way. I eventually found a reference to the process on this website under masting and rigging.  It showed some photos taken from an unnamed book which did prove helpful. If anyone would like a photo of the photo, let me know.

 

 

Here is the gammoning partially completed,

 

 

and completed.

 

 

How the bowprit looks at the moment:

 

I can see a copy of my guide in the background of the following photo. I'm not sure if I have the gammioning right, but it looks OK and it's not going to be changed now.

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2016 by RMC

[Fam]

I think it's correct, RMC: you should start from the bowsprit laying the collar against the stop cleats, then go down and pass the rope through the gammoning hole, keepeng it as much forward as possible. Then up for another loop, with the rope laid forward of the previous loop. Then down through the hole, with the rope laid aft of the previous loop, and so on.... The loops around the bowsprit should be eight to eleven, depending on the period and class of ship.

In the end, the rope coming down from the bowsprit is lashed with several loops at the middle of the gammoning, where the ropes cross to each-other, and seized. The loops of lashing should be eight to ten, depending on the period and class of ship.

Good job indeed!

Fam