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HMS Snake by drtrap - Caldercraft


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On 5/30/2022 at 7:35 PM, drtrap said:

Hi to everyone!

Are you still there? :)

Very much so, you have a beautiful model there and looking forward to seeing it finished. I have a Snake that is getting closer to the top of the pile to build, so detailed logs like yours are going to be invaluable. 👍

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well it’s time to start with the yard lifts (mizzen topsail first), but I'm not so sure about the proper placement at each end of the yard. What do you suggest, lateral or medial to the block ropes of the end of the yard?

Taking a walk through this forum I have seen both ways of application…

349C4EF3-787E-4801-8D42-EB8FA399458C.jpeg

Edited by drtrap
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On 6/17/2022 at 5:49 PM, drtrap said:

Well it’s time to start with the yard lifts (mizzen topsail first), but I'm not so sure about the proper placement at each end of the yard. What do you suggest, lateral or medial to the block ropes of the end of the yard?

Taking a walk through this forum I have seen both ways of application…

349C4EF3-787E-4801-8D42-EB8FA399458C.jpeg

That’s a pic showing the lifts in a inner position…

76408A3E-2EB0-4070-BEFB-FF71B8E9D6E7.jpeg

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Thank you AJohnson, thank you all.

 

These days I have progressed to the next steps about the mainmast and foremast topgallant yard lifts.

It is basic and very important to pre-plan the course of each line in advance to avoid all that unwanted cross-roads of different lines before the final, docking point for the belaying pin…

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Hi drtrap

Your Snake model looks great!  I am confused though by one part of the rigging and I hope you can explain.  The crossjack would not have carried a sail on the ship rigged Cruizer class vessels Snake and Victor so why do the instructions call for sheet blocks as on your model?

Thanks

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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On 7/3/2022 at 3:49 AM, allanyed said:

Hi drtrap

Your Snake model looks great!  I am confused though by one part of the rigging and I hope you can explain.  The crossjack would not have carried a sail on the ship rigged Cruizer class vessels Snake and Victor so why do the instructions call for sheet blocks as on your model?

Thanks

Allan

Hi Alan and thanks for your comment.  
One of the reasons that it's been at least ten years since I've been working on this model (except my every day private job) is that I've come across a lot of inconsistencies both historical and in the planes of Snake in general.  I admit I'm not sure what to answer.  Maybe someone more knowledgeable could comment.  I am attaching a related interesting link from msw. Thank you.

 

.

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Thanks drtrap

 

Looks like it is indeed a crossjack therefore there would be no sail so your sheet blocks can be removed.   

Looking forward to your next progress posts.    

 

As far as stop and go, most of us have done that, many more than once.  For me it can be days, weeks. or months, and one time, a couple years when life got in the way.

 

Cheers

 

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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11 hours ago, drtrap said:

Once again completely disappointed with the plans of the model.

Once again disappointed with the materials (even the after market) of Caldercraft…

If I were to make another model, I would never choose this company :(

Yeah, Every time I pick up my HMS Snake I get discouraged a bit as well. Lots of scratch built replacement's and aftermarket parts needed. You've done well despite the kit's limitations. 

 

If you aver feel like building another ship model look at some of the Vanguard kits. They have much better instructions, parts, and wood.

https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/

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9 hours ago, BenD said:
21 hours ago, drtrap said:

Once again completely disappointed with the plans of the model.

Once again disappointed with the materials (even the after market) of Caldercraft…

If I were to make another model, I would never choose this company :(

Yeah, Every time I pick up my HMS Snake I get discouraged a bit as well. Lots of scratch built replacement's and aftermarket parts needed. You've done well despite the kit's limitations. 

 

If you aver feel like building another ship model look at some of the Vanguard kits. They have much better instructions, parts, and wood.

https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/

Love the honesty in both your posts.  Fortunately there are several great kit makers that save the day.  Hopefully other members will give honest opinions about both the kit makers that put out a great product like Vanguard and as well as those that put out kits that barely resemble a real ship.

Allan

 

 

 

 

Edited by allanyed

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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Oh heck guys, this sounds bad!  😥Snake is my next ‘big’ build once I finish a couple of project’s off that are close. Though I am going to ‘kit bash’ it into a different “Cruizer” class ship rigged of 1830s vintage, so probably will end up semi-scratch built anyway. 

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Since Snake is one of the initial batch of kits that @chris watton designed for Caldercraft over 20 years ago, perhaps he'd be willing to shed some light on the issues being discussed in this thread.

Chris Coyle
Greer, South Carolina

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.
- Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Hawker Hurricane

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Not sure what I can add, as this is something I did almost a quarter of a century ago!

 

All I know/remember is that Snake and Cruiser were designed together and very very quickly, they were, I think, the second and third period kits I designed after Diana.

 

There should be no crossjack sheet blocks, as being the crossjack, it had no sail.

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1 hour ago, chris watton said:

All I know/remember is that Snake and Cruiser were designed together and very very quickly, they were, I think, the second and third period kits I designed after Diana.

 

That's my recollection of what you told me some years ago. So would it be safe to say that these early Caldercraft kits didn't get the amount of research that you now put into Vanguard offerings?

Chris Coyle
Greer, South Carolina

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.
- Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Hawker Hurricane

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13 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

 

That's my recollection of what you told me some years ago. So would it be safe to say that these early Caldercraft kits didn't get the amount of research that you now put into Vanguard offerings?

That would be a gross understatement....

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8 hours ago, AJohnson said:

Though I am going to ‘kit bash’ it into a different “Cruizer” class ship rigged of 1830s vintage, so probably will end up semi-scratch built anyway. 

I think the Caldercraft kit is based on the 1797 Cruizer Class.   There is a wealth of information on Snake and Cruizer et al.  There is also the revival series of the Cruizer class in 1828.  Snake 1797 was launched as a ship sloop then converted in 1811 to a brig sloop.  There are contemporary plans of Cruizer and Snake and others on the RMG Collections site that should help you.  There are differences in rigging covering the years involved starting with the lengths and diameters of the mast and yards, and subsequently with the standing and running rigging circumferences.   Lees information is probably the most accurate available barring contemporary rigging plans or model, but you can also go to the Masting and Rigging spreadsheet by Dan Vadas (RIP) in the Articles data base here at MSW.   It is based on the Lees formulas except for the period of 1670-1710 for which period his figures are incorrect.  If you do go with the kit, compare the dimensions on the spread sheet with the kit and see how they compare.   Whatever you decide, HAVE FUN!!!

 

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hello my friends after a long period of absence due to summer holidays and some additional failure of my computer…

Thank you very much for your latest comments. I’ve recently accomplished all the yard lifts of the masts and i’m ready for the next stage.

Pics to follow.

Thank you

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  • 1 month later...

Next stop, the respective sheets and cluelines of the fore and main topmasts. I used diluted pva to freeze the belaying pins. For the moment I left untrimmed the “moustaches” of each 0,25 thread.

 

PS: Now I realize that I have left the thread in front and not behind the yards.... :(((

IMG_2542.JPG.0aa8ee405132a68fb7606914a8844f07.JPGIMG_2550.JPG.43a7a8659723b9bd8d9398d213628cac.JPGIMG_2546.JPG.6bb30f08876de89e63317681e4259fd6.JPGIMG_2545.JPG.eda59bfc62b4d2102c9333c509950aac.JPGIMG_2543.JPG.03958545cee2ef4c526c8ae50c892d2f.JPG

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Looking very good Stergios, you're getting really close now to finishing her.

Cheers,
 
Jason


"Which it will be ready when it is ready!"
 
In the shipyard:

HMS Jason (c.1794: Artois Class 38 gun frigate)

Queen Anne Royal Barge (c.1700)

Finished:

HMS Snake (c.1797: Cruizer Class, ship rigged sloop)

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  • 1 month later...

As the ship slowly nears her end I start to think about what options do I have regarding her cover/case.

My main concerns are named below:

* the case will be made of visual quality glass or plastic?

* a wooden frame/skeleton will be preferable?

* what people suggest about its led lighting, coming from the top, from the bottom  or from both sides and most importantly out of the case (as the minor temperature to not affect sensitive structures like glues, ropes etc) or not?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions mates.

 

Stergios

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1 hour ago, drtrap said:

the case will be made of visual quality glass or plastic?

 

Always be mindful that a glass case of the size needed for Snake will be quite heavy.

Chris Coyle
Greer, South Carolina

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.
- Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Hawker Hurricane

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13 hours ago, ccoyle said:

 

Always be mindful that a glass case of the size needed for Snake will be quite heavy.

Hi ccoyle, and thank you for the reply/comment.

Yes I know what you are saying, just trying to make some choices for the model that will last longer over time. Thanks again

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