18th Century Longboat by Nirvana - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:48

[MRJG]

Looks awesome!  I agree with you, this longboat build is a lot of fun.  I find myself wishing I could leave work early to go home and work on it! 

 

Erik

HAHA    Erik, I was the same yesterday... So I put the pieces is a small sturdy box in my lunch box and took mine to work to do a little sanding.

[Nirvana]

Just for the fun and having the memory foam.

[Jack12477]

Makes it look like it's sitting on a beach sand dune awaiting the crews return.  Nicely done, Per.

[Nirvana]

Well, I am working grave yard shift as a merchandiser, as I arrived to the place for this night (Tuesday to Wednesday), it turned out to be closed as an electrical fire had happened just a half an hour before my shift. I called my supervisor, who said after my explanation "enter your work hour as usual and enjoy your night off". Once back home I thought why not spend the night with the longboat as my workshift and sleep as I normally do during the day.
So here I am in the workshop enjoying a weak drink and shaping the inboard details.​

Oh, I have company by the yard guard.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Nirvana

[Nirvana]

The piece that is inserted at the stem under the cap rail had to be resized. The provided piece was to small and had another curve than my boat.

I am happy with the outcome and I think everyone can see which is the homemade and which came with the kit. 

[Nirvana]

The progress of the night.

Dang how pictures from the camera can reveal more than the eye can see...

Well there is nothing to be done.

 

Edited October 21, 2015 by Nirvana

[Nirvana]

The replacement as for rigging from Syren Model Company.

 

[Nirvana]

So I started working on the windlass, but then I wondered .... "a windlass this size on a 26ft longboat"?

It doesn't make any sense.

The windlass this size to scale together with a strong anchor and line could only been used to haul the big ship forward over shallow water or when no wind was to any advantage. 

I have been pulling out anchors by hand that a 40ft yacht has been using.

Now I wonder did a long boat have a windlass at all?

When I was in the Navy and we did our synchronized training with "rowing whale boats" which also could be sailed, we didn't have any windlass.

The length of the piece according to plan doesn't match my boat so I did adjust it accordingly.

 

[Nirvana]

The octagonal end of the windlass as per instructions.

I am still debating if or not to go with the windlass. 

 

[mtaylor]

Per,

They seem to have had it and I don't think Chuck would have included it otherwise.  There's logs where the ship's boat took the ship's anchor out and dropped it so the ship could use it's capstan and move. Yet, it still does seem strange though, doesn't it?

Edited October 24, 2015 by mtaylor

[Nirvana]

Mark, I understand it completely why to have a windlass on a bigger ship and I appreciate your knowledge along with Chuck's

and yes, from that perspective it should be there.

Having a longboat for dropping the ship anchor in another location further away makes perfectly sense.

I have finished the windlass but still after some deliberating with myself I am oblivious, not knowing which way to go.

The windlass turned out real good, but I don't like the look this part of the boat, it just doesn't look right to me.

I did a fast sketch and I think I know why they had a windlass....

The longboat had the big ship anchor on line in tow, then  by either sailing or rowing (primary)  to a farther point dropping the ship anchor and get going for another 15 yards dropping their own. This way the windlass in the longboat could be used for pulling with less effort.

Correct me if I am wrong, the windlass on the longboat is not for the use of the longboat itself, but together with the mother ship.

Other longboats I seen in drawings doesn't have the windlass......

Edited October 24, 2015 by Nirvana

[mtaylor]

Per,

 

You might try asking this in the Research area.  I've kinda' vague one how this all was actually accomplished since ship anchors were quite heavy.  There was something I read somewhere about using the longboat to also retrieve anchors if the line was cut.  Using the bouy got to the anchor and the grapple and windlass would have been used to retrieve it.

 

The windlasses were removeable as I recall, so it's coming down to Captain's Choice, I think.   But do ask it in Research.  I'm curious about the answers.

[Nirvana]

So I decided to go ahead and to have the windlass.

I made a made a new windlass even though the "old" one was more than okay.

The tricky part was to make octagon ends, these are only 2.5mm or 3/32" wide. 

 

[mtaylor]

Nice work on the windless end.   I'm glad you got the information you needed. 

[Nirvana]

Mark,

Thank you.....

Next step will be the installation of the windlass.

[Nirvana]

I am surprised how the boxwood is changing color so quickly being exposed to air.

A newly sanded area is so lighter than a sanded area from two hours ago.

However, the windlass is now varnished.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Nirvana

[Nirvana]

My first attempt making my own oars.

This one is from the beginning a 5/32" square boxwood piece with a 1/16" boxwood plank

 

 

[Nirvana]

The mast is under "shaping"

I used the 5/32 x 5/32"" Boxwood  from HobbyMill and got going.

The boxwood is so much more dense and harder than the kit wood. So it's little more forgiving and takes a little more time to work.

The first thing I did was to measure and drill the holes for the sheaves in the upper part of the mast.

After that I took out my little planer that I brought back from Sweden last summer.

This giving the square an octagon shape.

After that I placed the material in my power drill and gently starting with a 120 grit paper taking it down to the right dimension.

[Nirvana]

Production of booms and mast has been going on all throughtout the afternoon.

Making the hook for the boom was a little tricky and two of them disappeared, the third remained and turned out best as well.

And the hook installed in the boom.

[MikeB4]

You used a planer to create your mast. I ask this because I bought a kit of the schooner "Lively" all the wood is square I wasn't sure how I was going make the spars from square pieces of wood without a lathe.

[dgbot]

Use a plane or a knife and shave the corners into an octagon.  Then smooth it out and start over again.  Time consuming but you do not have to worry about the deviation in a lathe.  I have also used a moto tool to round it out as well.

David B

[Nirvana]

Question: flat or regular black top?

I have painted the top flat black but don't like it.

[cobra1951]

Hi

Just found this log.

You're doing a great job on this little boat very neat especially at such a small scale which makes the job even harder. Also i like the conversion from the kit supplied wood to Boxwood it makes it look so much better.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Cobr@

[Nirvana]

Thank you Bob,

this Longboat is both a challenge but a pleasure to build.

The longboat is probably one of the kits that truly is coming out differently to one and each builder.

I think all of us differs a little bit from the instructions, either by shortcuts or updating to our own standard.

It's a fun kit which I recommend, and you can truly hone your skills.

[Nirvana]

The "lift rings" were hard to get round, so I settled with the second best.

Now both of them are in place and not glued to the boat. They are movable.

 

[Nirvana]

Mast seat in place and both the hoist rings.

[Nirvana]

Well, my home made hooks didn't come out uniformed.

Funny though they are all the same length.

Seven hooks and the mast ring.

It was a long time since I did some soldering, but the butan powered soldering pistol it worked out fine.

Think the heat was greater than with an electric.

The ring has been drilled for the boom-hook.

 

[Erik W]

Per,

 

I admire your desire to scratch-build the lift rings.  It's hard to get wire perfectly round!  I was lazy and just used the pre-formed rings that came with the kit.

 

Erik

[cobra1951]

I wouldn't worry about them not being uniform, in fact they're probably more historically accurate that way. I'm thinking that in the 18th century they would have been hand forged and would have had slight differences in them. The  way they have turned out is really good IMHO. Well done

Edited December 25, 2015 by Cobr@

[MikeB4]

I have a pair off pliers that are specifically designed for looping wire. It's probably the most used tool I have in my toolbox besides my Xacto knife. I don't think I could effectively fabricate any of the iron work without them. Anyway they retail for only around $13 US dollars and they're well worth every penny.