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

[RMC]

Good grief Nigel - go for your life. That's what this log business is all about.  I've borrowed (ie: stolen) ideas from all over the place. 

 

I must pass on to my family that I am to be  emulated (well deserved of course).  They'll get a good laugh.

[RMC]

The lanterns are now installed my having delayed as long as possible - partly because of their fragility and partly avoidance - because it's a rotten job.  I first tried to mount them by simultaneously putting the three supports into the holes drilled into the stern fascia.  This was not a good idea.  Best glue the two prongs of the upper support in first, then carefully slip the lower support through the hole provided in the upper support and then manipulate it towards, then into the hole drilled for it in the fascia. Then, of course, the lanterns didn't want to sit properly...   I found the whole business rather fraught.  At least they came out respectably in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To my pleasant surprise the Granado showed up today. A quick look suggests that is quite high quality.

 

 

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Looking mighty fine Bob.  The stern lanterns turned out great despite your challenges.  I really appreciate you showing your pictures of the anchor serving, it turned out well.  I had tried to do this on already rounded wire and found it pretty impossible - I hadn't considered doing it before and then bending, an approach I'll steal if you don't mind.

[RMC]

I hereby waive my patent rights Jason - though a small donation would always be welcome. Of course a larger one would be even more welcome.

 

Things have been delayed a little.  I forgot to do the stunsail booms. I've made them up and I'm now watching the paint dry ...  Once they go on the anchors can be mounted.

[MartinB]

Those stuns'l booms will get you every time. 

Cheers 

Martin 

Edited November 9, 2017 by MartinB

[RMC]

No doubt about it Martin.  The pain is almost unbearable.

 

On a completely different subject: ensigns.  The flags supplied with the kit suggest a white ensign is appropriate.  However contemporary paintings show red ensigns.  Which is correct?  If I'm forced to hoist an ensign incorrectly, it may as well be the right one.

[Beef Wellington]

All could be correct as it would have come down to which division the Admiral belonged to, or on independent command under Admiralty orders, the red ensign.  Remember though to use the correct union flag in the canton, without cross of St Patrick before 1801, and with after.   So pick your date and takes your choice 🙂

[RMC]

Thanks Jason. It turns out the ensign that I was experimenting with is the correct one.

 

Meanwhile I have been trying to stow the anchors - which at this late stage has turned out to be very frustrating indeed.  The process lends support to my contention that evolution, if it does its job properly, will result in humans eventually having three hands: one, to hold an object, and the other two to do the work.  At the moment nothing is finally tied off, and I can see in the first two photos there is a bit of stray thread hanging near the middle of the anchor, and i neeed to reposition the knot a little.

 

 

 

The second (kedge?) anchor is a pain.  Tying off the lower end is straightforward.  Where to tie the fluke end is a mystery  - to me at least.  The only place I can see is the rail and that does not seem to be very satisfactory at all.  At the moment the thing is held in position by gravity and grave threats to its existence.

 

Suggestions are invited - indeed, are compulsory.

 

The plan is of no help whatsoever.....

 

....and while having a general whinge, the Granado gun carriages are quite disappointing.  I have ordered some carriages from Syren which seem to be the right size, or at least may be modified to fit.

 

 

Edited November 12, 2017 by RMC

[flyer]

Hi Bob

 

Once again I must congratulate you on a superb and very clean build.

 

I'm wondering where you would let evolution attach the third arm. For ship modelling purposes a good place would probably be on top of the head to be able to hold your piece of ship in a triangular grip...

 

While stowing that anchor on my Pegasus I simply put a line around the base of one of the lower deadeyes.

 

BTW why don't you like Granado's gun carriages?

 

Cheers

Peter

 

[el cid]

Looking very nice.  Re: the anchor stowage, I'll offer my opinion as a retired US Navy Sailor and as a private recreational sailor, not as an expert on period ground tackle practice.  Number one rule when getting underway was/is to secure all gear (especially heavy items) for sea.  Sometimes there isn't a dedicated storage space (or rack, cradle, fitting etc.) for all equipment, but sailors will be creative in finding a way to secure things to whatever is available...often involving the liberal use of rope.  So, I suggest just putting yourself in your miniature bosun's place.  How could/would you secure that anchor with the available fittings?  I would keep in mind that you shouldn't secure to anything that would interfere with operating (or fighting) the vessel.  Also,  small ships pitch and roll a lot (sometime a LOT), consider how well your anchor will be secured against heavy rolls.  And don't forget possible chaffing, ropes would be protected where they lead over edges on which they might rub.  I suspect there is no absolute right way of securing that anchor, it would be the preference and judgement of the bosun and first lieutenant...now you.  

 

FWIW,

 

Keith

 

 

 

[AON]

Good morning Bob,

 

I have just spent two days going through your build log yet one more time.

Thank you very much for all the pics, build comments, details.

I will be referring to your build over and over (along with my library) and over as I progress on my ship.

I haven't gotten very far as work has its demands so I crawl along... but I retire in one year and will then have tons of time.

You've done a fantastic job and you are sooooo close to done.

Alan

[RMC]

Thanks very much Alan for the kind comments.  I have stowed all the extraneous bits from the kit, but will exhume them later today with, I hope, a favorable answer to your Bellerophon question.

 

Bob

 

PS: anyone who tells you that retirement isn't what it's cracked up to be is wrong.

 

[Bluto 1790]

Hi Bob,

 

Like you, I'm always looking for ways to make/attach/rig things on my ship ~ and I have to say that I've been getting lots of ideas from your build log.

 

I found a couple of photos of a British frigate which show the anchor stowage used on that model.  I'm not at that stage yet but I think I'll be trying to adapt something like this system for my model. (Just like yours, my model isn't a frigate but I think the method will adapt.)

I don't know if it will be helpful to you, but here are a couple of photos anyway >>>

Jim. 

[RMC]

Kieth: thank you for taking the time to help.  I think I have made some changes consistent with your suggestions. I shall post photos  in the next day or so.

 

Jim Thanks you you too.   I had thought to drop lines from the cathead to the anchor as shown in the first of your photos - it's certainly a superb model. The second - kedge anchor - shows the flukes on the deck.  In my case the hammock netting prevents this.  I have come up with an acceptable alternative (to me anyway), though I am not overjoyed with it.

 

Alan (AON) Is building the Bellerophon version of the Vanguard, and I know there are others doing the same. This may help. The figurehead shows a rather odd-looking  head being held rather threateningly in the hand of Bellerophon.  As a fan of the Sopranos my first thought was for a horse's head or that B had bumped off his horse Pegasis, but it seems that it is a goat's head from the chimera, a mythical Grecian horror with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent!

 

This is from the plan.

The figurehead supplied.

This is the chimera.

 

 

 

 

[MartinB]

Hi Bob,

You could check Alexey Baranov's website and see how he attached the anchors on his HMS Cumberland. http://shipmodels.com.ua/eng/models/elite/cumberland/index.htm

Cumberland and Vanguard are both 74 guns.

 

Regards

Martin

[RMC]

Hi martin

 

That is magnificent.  I wish I had seen it before I had started this anchor business.  It's probably a bit late now, but I will look to see if I can modify a couple of things.  Thanks very much for bringing it to my attention.

 

Bob

[RMC]

Hi Peter - regarding the gun carriages - they are made of rather moderate quality walnut ply.  At this stage I intend to leave the carriages 'natural' (ie: just a coat of polyurethane) as this appears to be their correct appearance.  In doing this the ply would show up as just that.  The alternative would be to paint them ochre, and at least now I will have the choice.

 

Incidentally I have ordered the Granado Anatomy of a Ship, a copy of which, to my suprise, turned up in Bendigo, a country town in Victoria.  Thanks for the tip.

 

Bob

 

[RMC]

Hi Martin.

I have appropriated Baranov's cathead as best I can. I think it will come out quite well, though nothing is finally tied off at the moment.  A couple of stray threads are to be cut off and a minor adjustment or two are still to be made.  Thanks again for the reference.

 

 

 

 

The rigging thread through the cathead in the following photo is now more taught.

And I've finally done something about an ensign. I have attached cleats on the side and just above the side galleries. They seem to work.

 

The ensign doesn't look too bad but I think it's a bit heavy and tends to foul some of the other lines.  It is a double thickness (printed on one side and doubled over) so I will see what alternatives may be available (eg: becc).

 

 

 

 

[MartinB]

Hi Bob,

 

Glad you found that reference helpful.

Ah, flags. I generally leave them off because I cannot get them to look realistic. The wave you achieved looks good though.

 

Cheers,

Martin

[RMC]

Hi Peter

I received the Granado Anatomy of a Ship today. Trying to duplicate that - even in a very small way - is a daunting prospect.  I will be away for the weekend and putting together the caldercraft gun carriages will be a nice little project to see how they turn out.

 

Bob

[RMC]

Well it's finally finished.  Both sets of anchors are now on (this was a really rotten job), and the rudder is on, chains and all.  Joy - and the whole thing only took about five years. 

 

The rudder and chains may be easily removed to transport the model to wherever it ends up.  At the moment I have no idea where.

 

Here it is in all its glory....  There is no ensign. I decided that the double-layer ensign earlier hoisted on it was too heavy, making it foul some of the rigging.  I will buy a couple of single layer becc ensigns to see how they go,  If I'm unhappy with them the ship shall remain ensignless.

 

Here are the two port anchors.

 

 

 

The rudder -

 

 

Just a note on the Granado gun carriages.  I received the Syren carriages a couple of days ago.  They are very good quality indeed, but unfortunately just too large. I will have to go with the Caldercraft carriages. I made a couple up over the weekend and they turned out reasonably well, though the ply shows.  A couple of extras were supplied so I will experiment to see if I can improve the result. 

 

I will post a couple of pictures when I get around to it, but aside from this, this is the last post.

 

 

 

 

[robdurant]

Wow. Congratulations on a fabulous model!

[MartinB]

Congratulations Bob, she really looks the business.

All the best.

Martin.

[leginseel]

Congratulations Bob, you've done a fine job to be proud of - beautiful.

[zappto]

Wow, this is incredible build, very inspiring creation!

[flyer]

                         Congratulations Bob! A beautiful ship and very clean, precise work.

 

                         Cheers

                         Peter

[mort stoll]

well done sailor, very well done

 

mort

[RMC]

Thank you to all those who posted 'likes' throughout the build.  It certainly does provide (sometimes much needed) encouragement. And thank you to those kind people who posted their congratulations:

    robdurant

    martin

    Nigel

    zappto

   Peter* and

   Mort

It's very much appreciated.

There are a number of people who helped greatly in solving particular problems.  If I tried to name them I would almost certainly miss someone.  So I won't - but you know who you are.

 

 

* Peter - having gone to the trouble of replacing the Granado gun carriages - I ended up ordering the wrong size - so that's $50 down the loo.  I would rather have spent it on the bottle of champagne (well actually I spent it anyway).  I certainly haven't started Granado on the right foot.  When I get the replacements I'll post some photos comparing the kit carriages and those from Syren for your info'.

Edited November 23, 2017 by RMC

[donrobinson]

What a remarkable build Bob, beautiful work. Congratulations!!

[RMC]

Thanks Don - hope it's not too cold there.